Caballe, Beyond Lois

Watching the Montserrat Caballe documentary “Caballe: Beyond Music” (Euroarts DVD), the NYC Opera Fanatic almost lost his Ben & Jerrie’s when our own Lois Kirchenbaum shows up to give her thoughts on Caballe’s 1965 Lucrezia Borgia at Carnegie Hall, Caballe’s sensational NYC debut. Lois is lookin swank too, in a Chanel-esque dark red suit with the skyline of Manhattan in the background. U go, girl.

For those of you living in ignorance, Lois Kirchenbaum is one of the few TRUE NYC Opera Fanatics. I’m merely borrowing this name until Lois needs it back. The woman goes to every performance of opera, ballet, theater, u name it. Plus Lois always meets & greets the stars at the backstage door. That’s New York hospitality {smirk}

Besides appearing frequently in Gotham opera lore, Lois is also a walking repository of New York opera history. Lois, u NEED to write your memoirs! You write stuff down and the NYC Opera Fanatic will host it on his blog, OK? We must make this oral history more than just oral. New generations of opera-lovers need to know what opera in Gotham was like before Levine!

Doesn’t our Lois look swank with Manhattan as her backdrop? Very “That Girl”. Or, rather, very “That Golden Girl”!

Bravii to two of my favorite divas! Brava Montsy! Brava Lois!

Lois on Lucrezia, 1965 (excerpted from the DVD)

So the night of the performance, I was in the lobby and there were 10’s of people selling their tickets because Marilyn had canceled. Finally we all get inside and we’re waiting for the performance and the performance begins.

I slumped in my seat (laughs) It was incredible. I had… I never thought I would hear singing quite like that. It was just … you had to be there to believe what you were hearing. … you couldn’t believe your own ears.

Just… it carried u away.. it transported you.. it was a very special sound…. a very special

Obviously Lois Kirchenbaum is one of the “many more” credited on the cover of the DVD. Domingo, Sutherland, Horne… and Kirchenbaum.