Recording. [7][8], In 1997, Millo sang her first Tosca at the Liceu, Barcelona, with Giacomo Aragall and Juan Pons, followed by performances of the opera at La Scala and at the Met. silly. It seems Pavarotti has always had an appealto the non-opera-going crowd. ", She is also willing to renounce Lieder: "I don't think I'll ever be a great recitalist; it's not really my forte; I coached some pieces with Schwarzkopf and then promptly forgot everything she told me. You have to stop right now!". Ms. Millo, 60, who has rarely sung in public recently, says she still has her heart set on a return to the Metropolitan Opera, where she was among the reigning Verdi singers of the 1980s and 90s. And what they did in L.A. a couple of years ago . A deviated septum temporarily changed her hearing, making her, she said,. If it were the Three Sopranos, even the SEATS wouldn't come! All rights reserved. A car accident in Torino briefly sidelined Millo and forced her to cancel Caterina Cornaro in New York; she returned to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in 1995 and 1996, playing Amelia (Simon Boccanegra) and Desdemona (Otello), opposite Plcido Domingo. I am very glad to hear this news of Millo's continued recovery. All were performed with a subtlety and emotional power. They were her first teachers and the only ones during her formative years, before she began studying with Rita Patane in 1983. She is probably my favorite opera singer, with the possible exception of Cheryl Studer. Unanimously winning Primo Premio Grand Prize at the Concorso Voce Verdiane at 20 years old, she was launched onto the operatic scene. I opened the Met season in a matter of weeks. After being joined by C Collins Lee on violin for two Rachmaninoff songs, it was time for the soprano to at last return to a touchstone of her singing life. Pronunciation of aprile with 2 audio pronunciations, 1 meaning, 14 translations, 7 sentences and more for aprile. Millo's highly anticipated recital - produced by the always-interesting New York City Opera was her first concert in the city in nearly a decade. Learn how and when to remove this template message, James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala, "Helping a Worthy Cause by Flexing a New Freedom", "OPERA: 'I LOMBARDI,' BY VERDI, AT CARNEGIE HALL", "Lyric Opera of Chicago performance archives", "San Francisco Opera Performance Archive", "Review: Aprile Millo Keeps Opera's Old-School Flame Alive", Operavision: Aprile Millo's View of the Opera/World, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aprile_Millo&oldid=1142840230, Classical musicians from New York (state), Pages containing links to subscription-only content, BLP articles lacking sources from July 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 17:25. When opera star Stephen Costello needed a tonsillectomy, Academy of Vocal Arts teacher Bill Schuman was at his side. BARONE Her charisma certainly goes far, even if the banter pushed the evening to just over two and a half hours. That same year, she performed Maddalena in Andrea Chnier with Luciano Pavarotti in his debut in the title role. Millo, for as long as she can remember, has wanted nothing else than to follow her family into opera. This is not the title role, but it has some of the best music and one of the most touching death scenes by Puccini, a specialist in soprano death scenes. She gives the impression of a serious, dedicated artist who is keenly aware that she lucked out when her genetic dice were cast but knows exactly how to handle that luck. An invitation to sing came from a great colleague, mezzo-soprano Gail Dubinbaum, for Elisabeth Schwarzkopf who immediately brought her to sing for the great Maestro Herbert Von Karajan. >Verdi singer_need_ to take on an Italianate name if s/he didn't already have one? Find more COVID-19 testing locations on Maryland.gov. So Houston appears to know its baseball/football/fill-in-your-sport-here. This is part of the price paid for star status in opera, and Millo tries to be philosophical about it: "Over the years, you come to realize that opera also has a very strange sub-world. Throughout the evening, actually, her breath wasnt ample enough to fill out long phrases; her tone in the middle was a little grainy, the low register cloudy. x x x. Opera has survived this long without it. From the start, the audience warmly received each piece. Millo sought out, worked with and became great friends to, Renata Tebaldi, Zinka Milanov, and Licia Albanese, Keenly aware of the need to pass on to new generations of singers who are being shoved to the back of the opera world, Madame Millo was approached by, Comune di Busseto, Italy, the Casa Verdi, Casa Barezzi and Foundation Renata Tebaldi-Museo, Official Summer Program for Verdi's city of Busseto. To go to that world that transfigured her Mother and Father's face. Filled with lots of pictures and music. And chances are someone who writes in this forum will have been present. The vocal cords vibrate to create sound. Also know what the side effects are. In November 1982, Millo made her European debut as Aida at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe in Karlsruhe, Germany, and in December at La Scala as Elvira in Ernani when she replaced soprano Mirella Freni who had taken ill. > a stylish (if occasionally mannered) actress in an old-fashioned > style. Millos parents were both singers and they shaped her life as a performer. And, if I'm not mistaken, she dug up some rather long-ago> > ancestral name in order to sound Italian. But there are hundreds of singers singing every night, in dozens of cities around the world. Millothey are co-founders of The Operavision Academy which launched first in 2015 in an association with the famed Centro Studi Italiani. "Most of the time I'm very shy," confesses Aprile Millo -- an unexpected problem, you might think, for someone who gets up on stage regularly and sings "Ritorna vincitor" in front of thousands of people. (Ipresume that we aren't talking about a name that was originally difficultto spell and/or overly long. . Aww. -- Dale Erwin - OS/2 Supporter Erwin Technology Corporation der@ibm.net (972)394-2051, Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message, You do not have permission to delete messages in this group, >Many singers (and other performers) change their names for. Air moving through the voice box causes the vocal cords to vibrate and brings them closer together. I agree completely. Millo, who has been engaged to sing the title role of "Aida" for the Washington Opera twice a week through March 10, has become a cult figure among opera fanatics in the past few years. At the top level, such voices rarely appear at a rate of more than one per generation, and Millo seems to be the one for the 1990s and the early 21st century. I have to have an affinity for music before I can sing it. BARONE I couldnt tell whether I was at a rock concert or a recital, with the cheers of Millo, Millo! and We love you, Aprile! It began with a rose thrown to the stage, and I counted no fewer than five standing ovations from her (very vocal) fans throughout the night. Ms. Millos singalong encore also featured, from left, Christopher Collins Lee (violin), Inseon Lee (piano) and Merynda Adams (harp). Very grateful for the yearly participation of legendary Maestro Richard Bonynge, and various other guests of operatic royalty. She was sitting in a rehearsal room last week, talking about a song she was about to practice. He canceled the second and third performances. An hour-long conversation with Millo in her suite at the Watergate dissolves legends and backstage gossip about a demanding temperament, abrasive personality and mysterious, eccentric family background. A deviated septum temporarily changed her hearing, making her, she said, uncharacteristically cautious and leading to rumors of vocal problems. I was hiding behind three chairs the night the 'Aida' was shown on television." In 2018 Millo was awarded the prestigious and highly coveted Verdi D'Oro of Busseto, Italy given in its 46 year history to only 14 singers such as Carlo Bergonzi, Renata Tebaldi, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, just to name a few. I've heard that you teamers get excited easily, :-). Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed, and how it will help you. But moderation is not natural for a singer who is called "Diva" ("Goddess") by fans from Milan to Tokyo, by way of San Francisco. I concur wholeheartedly, and I hope her recent stabilization (as shownin last season's superb Desdemona, and from what I hear also in thisyear's Ballo) of her considerable post "first-bloom" vocal gifts is inpreparation for a Norma. Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways. Complete surrender.there is no fourth wall with Millo, you are in this together! I believe that you should keep a certain image for your public and for yourself, but most of the time I'm very shy and don't necessarily like meeting people in new situations. "That part of it is fun, but it's not essential. Aprile Millo, though effectively submerged for most of the evening in Mr. Zeffirelli's stage-filling mobs of scuttling peasants, made a touching moment of her ''Signore, ascolta'' and all but. . But it blossomed, gloriously, into a moment out of Ms. Millos salad days, rising from a fine quiet into a lushly phrased climax: Ill be here in sunshine or in shadow.. Even the audienced are told to be quiet! . ", Millo, for as long as she can remember, has wanted nothing else than to follow her family into opera. ), Hey, Wild Willy, don't hold back tell us how you reallyfeel!! But I understand that I have a responsibility to get past this. On December 3, 1984, Millo made her Metropolitan Opera debut replacing an ailing soprano as Amelia in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra with James Levine on the podium. aprile millo vocal problemsscott brown salary at aberdeen. Treatment may include: Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider: At Another Johns Hopkins Member Hospital: Could nasal polyps be the cause of your stuffy nose? By David Patrick Stearns, Inquirer Music Critic, Philadelphia native Stephen Costello, a graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts, performing in "Anna Bolena" at the Metropolitan Opera. I don't think it's really meant for a huge voice. >What bothers you so much about *looking* at Millo? Ms. Millo says her instrument is ready; its her nerves and her appearance a bit more ample than in her heyday that she feels still need work. (3 Tenors plus 6 echos) The Minister for Consumer Affairs in New SouthWales has offered assistance to residents in that state getting arefund on their tickets from the state of Victoria. It makes no sense. The return to New York of Aprile Millo, on an unbelievably frigid night, was both recital and celebration, where the packed-house audience soon forgot their shivers, radiating so much warmth towards the artist on stage. My time will either come or it wont. The art form in her household was always wrapped up in transformation. Dolora Zajick is Princess Eboli, the king's mistress who is also in love with Don Carlo. She could bring a lot of joy to people doing concerts like this. I think its unlikely, he said, given the length of time shes been away and that she hasnt been singing on major stages. These problems occur when your vocal cords don't vibrate normally. One of opera's great heartbreaks was tenor Hadley. And it made her all the more endearing that she wore reading glasses to read music from a stand, because, as she said, Mothers memory isnt what it used to be. But did you notice a disconnect between her ease speaking to the crowd and the palpable tension in the opening numbers, six Italian songs she assembled for a rough narrative about the arc of a relationship? At times, the voice may sound normal. You may feel a "lump" in yourthroat when swallowing, or feel pain when youtouch the outside of yourthroat. Given those odds, chances are one of them will do something brilliant, amusing, or appalling. I find her a>stylish (if occasionally mannered) actress in an old-fashioned style. 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). "I don't remember ever not wanting to be an opera singer," she says. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. . [citation needed], Millo returned to the stage in her debut of Puccini's Il tabarro as Giorgetta in Genoa at the Teatro Carlo Felice in 2014. Singing and becoming a favorite in most of the major houses of the world in opera and in recital,from Berlin to Brazil, Hong Kong to San Francisco, Torino, Rome, Verona, Bologna, Barcelona, Seville, Japan and Vienna, Frankfurt and Munich, to name a few, Millo continues to sing and keep the old flame alive. (Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera), California residents do not sell my data request. She is like every gifted artist: full of issues, full of fears, Mr. Epstein said. But not yet. >> Just the change of name from April to Aprile seems a bit>> silly. The surgery was done July 15 in New York City; the first day of Met rehearsals was Aug. 22. Big roles beckoned in Europe, too. Millo returned to New York in January of 2019 for her debut with the NYCO in Recital to a sold out cheering audience at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall and critical acclaim. It's a typically Japanese venture, and I say that with great respect. In Danny Boy, her voice was raspy and not completely at ease in the lower range of the opening verse. This improves the voice and allows the larynx to close when swallowing. The traditional Irish songs were lovely; I think everyone got the poignancy of The Kerry Dance, gone, like our youth, too soon., BARONE Those four Irish tunes, delicately accompanied by the pianist Inseon Lee and the harpist Merynda Adams, were the highlight of the night, or at least when her allure as a recitalist was at its peak. "There's a picture of me at age 6 at the piano coaching my brother. She coughed; she drank from a water bottle; she cracked jokes; she announced that she was cutting the scheduled first-act aria from Adriana Lecouvreur because Anna Netrebko sang it so beautifully Im going to leave it to her. And the crowd ate it up. . These may include: Treatment for a voice disorder depends on what's causing it. And, if I'm not mistaken, she dug up some rather long-agoancestral name in order to sound Italian. She starred in the Met premiere of Verdis I Lombardi in 1993, a run she points to as perhaps the start of her troubles. APRILE MILLO In 1986, Aprile Millo made her Carnegie Hall debut with Verdi's I Lombardi alla prima crociata with tenor Carlo Bergonzi and Eve Queler and the Opera Orchestra of New York. https://www.enthealth.org/be_ent_smart/learn-more-about-your-voice/. I could sing. I heard Millo recently and she was singing better than I have ever heardher sing. (Her encore was a singalong O Sole Mio.) Those things can sometimes feel missing from the New York opera scene these days, and Wednesday conjured the art form as its meant to be: scrappy but also transcendent, both informal and grand. Without my contacts, I am in a special world where there are no cameras.". .. But when? Both parents and child embraced reinvention: Hamill was changed to Millo before she was born, and she turned April into Aprile, pronounced a-PREE-lay. Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit organization. There was a general feeling that her career had wound down at that point, Peter Gelb, the Mets general manger, said of her last performances. Though the Metropolitan Opera's season-opening production of Anna Bolena has been a magnet for mixed reviews, the live, movie-theater simulcast of the opera at 12:55 p.m. Saturday will likely offer reassurance for the longevity of Stephen Costello, 30, Philadelphia's contribution to tenordom. "I'd like to have a baby -- very much," she says seriously. Matt Costello is an award-winning, international novelist and scriptwriter. It set into motion in quick succession an audition for Leone Magiera and Riccardo Muti. But those mannerisms, vocal and physical gestures that might have seemed hopelessly old-fashioned coming from others, seemed, when Ms. Millo did them, the very embodiment of operas origins. I know he was good (if notthe best) in his day, but I don't think any other operasinger has ever had that effect on the public before. I rather enjoyed their first appearance, so I bought thevideo. He never cancels.". But when you go through a lack of confidence, youre not going to want to be anywhere.. Millo, for as long as she can remember, has wanted nothing else than to follow her family into opera. The soprano Aprile Millo thrilled audiences in the 1980s and 90s, then receded from view. No wonder his students/clients consider him so crucial. [1] She made her New York debut with Eve Queler and the Opera Orchestra of New York in November 1984, singing Matilde in Rossini's Guillaume Tell. From there on, colleagues and great singers alike spoke of their delight in her throw back performances to a time when voice reigned supreme above all. Though his July tonsillectomy led to bleeding that landed him briefly back in the hospital in Northeast Philadelphia where he grew up, he has no regrets. She offered another tribute, to old-school italianit, with a spirit-seeing monologue from Licinio Refices Cecilia, a vehicle for the great soprano Claudia Muzio. After an absence of ten years from the stage in New York, New York City Opera presented Millo in a 2019 recital in Carnegie Hall. https://www.enthealth.org/conditions/hoarseness/. April 14, 1958 in New York City, New York, USA Mini Bio (1) Aprile Millo came to New York a child prodigy and is a long established and Verdi specialist and bel canto champion. In Spain the same sentiment in ABC Newspapers, " a beguiling mix of the spiritual and the carnal" "Intense and refined" La Vanguardia, Spain ".a message from the soul rendering yours incapable of resisting. The recent Melbourne fiasco has been dubbed the 9 Tenors. But this rare recital was important, not only for bringing the great soprano, at age 60, back to New York, but for a very personal and powerful reason that Aprile talked about from the stage. And let's not EVEN get into a discussion of pronunciation. This content does not have an Arabic version. Schuman also hears potential. In several European trips she won several singing competitions including first prize in the Concorso Internazionale di Voci Verdiane in Busseto, Italy (1978), the Montserrat Caball Bernab Mart Special Verdi Prize Award in Barcelona (1979), and the Geraldine Farrar Award (1980). The opening had been successful. 14 seasons straight as the leading Verdi soprano of the Italian wing, From there on, colleagues and great singers alike spoke of their delight in her throw back performances to a time when voice reigned supreme above all. Schuman had him back onstage and on the road to vocal recovery when he killed himself due to a troubled personal life in 2007 at age 55. Recitals followed with major successes in Citta' della Pieve, a Gala return in Brazil for Theatro Municipal in Rio and in London for a debut recital that met with sold out crowds and. [2] Shortly thereafter Millo won two major awards for classical singers: the Richard Tucker Award (1985) and the Maria Callas Foundation Award (1986). Thank you. The diversity of the program not only showed Millos incredible range, but also was nod to her mixed Irish-Italian heritage. Now working with the long-absent Met veteran Aprile Millo, Schuman believes she will return with many good years. Air moving through the voice box causes the vocal cords to vibrate and brings them closer together. Treatment may include speech therapy and injections of botulinum toxin to the vocal cords. But Glyndebourne is in the country - allergy alley - and Costello's throat was in distress. Ma J, et al. A singer's psychology is another matter. Although, at her request, there was no photographer present, she was fully made up and wore a close-fitting black dress, ready to face any challenge on a moment's notice. Irish folk songs, princess gowns, a harp and 20 bouquets: The soprano Aprile Millos concert on Wednesday at Zankel Hall, her first solo program in New York in 10 years, had it all, and then some. I get your point, but Price's first name is Mary (Violet and Leontyne are her middle names), and Tucker's name was originally Reuben Ticker. Mr. Gelb, who started at the Met in 2006, said, Over the course of my tenure, Ive received an occasional email from her, that shes working toward getting back to singing and shell let me know when shes ready., I feel that theres still opera in her, said Robert Lombardo, a veteran artist manager. There was a Tosca performance, Ms. Millo recalled, and I left the stage, and I fully expected to see the Palazzo Farnese when I went through the door. > And, while we're at it, if she bothers you so much, why don't > you just forget about her? I imagine the cheering, nearly raucous audience can only hope that she will return soon, either under the guise of New York City Opera or perhaps for another winter recital, to again chase the icy winds away. Opera is thriving. Voice disorders are caused by a variety of reasons and affect the ability to speak normally. A superb voice, a true continuator of La Tebaldi. The first act was so good; it would be nice to have a good last act.. If the problem doesn't go away, one of two procedures can push the paralyzed vocal cord closer to the middle of the windpipe. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Millo sought out, worked with and became great friends to Renata Tebaldi, Zinka Milanov, and Licia Albanese, with Magda Olivero and Beverly Sills. I don't know about you, but I was left feelingvaguely cheated. Although she has performed at many of the world's leading opera houses and with many orchestras and ensembles internationally, Millo has spent much of her career appearing in productions at the Metropolitan Opera. There are many different treatment options and each depends on what is causing the voice disorder. Passionately devoted to opera, she champions young artists, promotes the arts all over the world, and is keen to bring to light neglected masterpieces of the bel canto period and the scapigliatura period. [5] The following year she debuted with the Bavarian State Opera as Leonora in La forza del destino and with the San Francisco Opera as Maddalena de Coigny in Andrea Chnier. "The music is great," she says, "but you have to sing what you were born to sing. As the singer interspersed her performance with comments, both comic and serious, it turned out that, in a rather remarkable way, the audience too became part of a dialogue. I've always thought that Millo was not only extremely talented (I don't think there's ever been a better Liu), but a total babe -- albeit, as James says, a tad pretentious. I want it, she said. It was just an all-day process. It is on the program of her recital on Wednesday at Zankel Hall, her first in New York in 10 years. You almost wish that they would stay away rather than hurt your feelings or say something that bothers you. Houston may love an `event,' but 3 Tenors Inc. no longerappears to be special enough to entice 10's of thousandsof non-opera-goers. Singing the role of Percy in Anna Bolena, Costello needed at least six high Cs - a seemingly distant possibility when, after three weeks of post-surgery vocal rest, he began re-climbing the scales under Schuman's guidance. She starred in the Met premiere of Verdi's "I Lombardi" in 1993, a run she points to as perhaps the start of her troubles. Her 1991 performance of Un ballo in maschera with Luciano Pavarotti was released on CD and DVD. Practice mode. Named for the month she was born, Aprile Millo will be 32 this year. If your job relies on the ability to use your voice then keeping it healthy is an important long term goal. Be nice. My mother and father were both singers. I have to say I'm no big fan of Broadway show tunes. Masks are required inside all of our care facilities. The Washington Opera's "Aida," in which Millo is contracted to sing seven performances, uses surtitles. At 60, she has her heart set on returning to the Met. Sort of. ", Getting to that point, though, required a battery of people - his parents and his wife, soprano Ailyn Perez, plus voice teacher Bill Schuman, who is on the Academy of Vocal Arts faculty and is known as not only a major voice builder but also a voice reclaimer. I want to have a good last act. But nothings impossible., If she were to suddenly have the goods vocally to sing on the stage of the Met, he added, we would put her on the stage of the Met., And that is where Ms. Millo wants to be. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. In her recording career, too, Millo has shown that she will settle for nothing less than what she considers right, and she is willing to wait until her conditions are met. Often likened to such greats as Tebaldi, Milanov and Ponselle, the "Golden Voiced Diva" will perform opera . At least not for $40-$300. Born to a pair of singers in New York in 1958, Ms. Millo was that rarity: an operatic prodigy, her sound alarmingly mature when she was still in elementary school. Can the Diva Who Once Ruled the Met Make a Comeback? She grew perilously indecisive about engagements. He has attended opera for decades, from Brooklyn to Bayreuth, and often both the music and the locations figure in his books. I needed to have it done.". It was a big deal, the first 3Ts concert. The next one will be 'Il Trovatore,' then 'Luisa Miller,' 'Don Carlo,' 'Otello' and, I think, 'Un Ballo In Maschera' or possibly 'I Lombardi.' Many voice disorders can be cured with treatment when diagnosed early. Aprile Millo (born April 14, 1958) is an American operatic soprano who is known for her interpretations of the works of Giuseppe Verdi. A voice disorder is a change in how the voice sounds. For normal speech, your vocal cords need to touch together smoothly inside your larynx. Practice mode. I would like to salute that house one more time, she said. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Whatever Costello's daily vocal ups and downs, tonsil-related infections will no longer be a factor. [4] In the intervening years, she has sung over 160 performances of 15 different roles at the Metropolitan Opera, including Leonora in Il trovatore, Aida, Tosca, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, and Amelia in Un ballo in maschera. Treatments include: Millo went on to sing for over 15 seasons as the leading soprano of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera's Italian wing. I'd get up in the morning and start vocalizing to get my throat to relax . Ami T. Allscripts EPSi. Even as the moody music played alone, she responded to its ebbs and flows as if a staged performance. [citation needed]. My sister has the same instrument, but she doesn't want to work on it, so she's an actress now -- Shakespeare. Other Metropolitan Opera performances include Mefistofele (19992000) and Gioconda in La Gioconda (2006). The vocal cords vibrate to create sound. Over the past decade, she has barely sung in public at all. If you have a voice change that lasts for a few weeks, your healthcare provider may send you to see a throat specialist called an otolaryngologist (Ears, Nose and Throat specialist or ENT). Clinical Geriatric Medicine. It would be hard on a child with the schedule I have right now; it's hard on this child," she says pointing to herself. But you know, theseguys are >opera< singers. Aprile Millo is Elizabeth of Valois, engaged to Don Carlo (Michael Sylvester), heir to the Spanish throne. Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it. His voice had great power and tremendous evenness. She said at the start that she wanted the audience to feel like this was an evening at her home, in her living room and the relaxed, even joyous feeling inside the concert hall had that intimate feeling. Don't abuse your vocal cords by yelling or speaking loudly for long periods of time. Accessed Aug. 28, 2022. When a beloved music figure recently died, apparently of a heart attack, Costello called up the somewhat chunky Schuman pleading, "Bill, stop eating ice cream! Soprano Aprile Millo - A Life for Art One of the few authentic Verdi sopranos of our generation, Aprile Millo is noted for her large, warm spinto sound and dramatic commitment. I think Millo still has a shot, especially if she stopsdoing so much Verdi and concentrates on the "Verismo Crazy Lady" fach. Millo, one of the world's best-loved sopranos, called "the high priestess of that old time operatic religion," for her authentic Italian soprano and riveting stage actress, has had a career spanning 30 years on the world's greatest operatic stages. This is a nerve problem that causes the vocal cords to spasm. Listen to your favorite songs from Aida by Aprile Millo, Plcido Domingo, Dolora Zajick, Samuel Ramey, James Morris, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine Now. So the audience on Wednesday will be listening closely: to hear the singer still treasured as among the most authentic contemporary exponents of the great Verdian tradition, and to hear whether she still has what it takes to command the Met. Her Cielo, mio Padre! from Act three, sung with the powerul bass-baritone Amonasro of Kevin Short, reminded us all why she was truly the Verdi soprano of those decades, and what a gift it must have been to have seen her Aida with good friend, Luciano Pavarotti.