caught my eye

Michie Nakamaru is a very curious person. Told that she could never be a singer, she began her career after winning the Maria Callas competition (I think) in Italy. Some time after that, she received major corporate support from Japan and has become a sort of pop star in Japan. But can she sing? Yes. I have heard the aria recital disk (in particular, "Depuis le jour") and it's not terrible. But it ain't great either. There are pitch and style problems and the voice is nothing remarkable (and will only get worse with the ill-fitting repertoire she has chosen). But she has spunk and an eccentric personality that disdains the traditional Japanese humility, and fans in Japan can't seem to get enough of her. Apparently before she goes on stage, she has to kiss three mechanical kittens which are set up back stage for her! Dalton Baldwin describes her concerts as rock concerts: arriving in limos, screaming fans, etc. But I want to convey a more negative image. Last year she gave a NY debut recital, sponsored by NHK (Japan's main TV channel). You probably didn't hear about it because you weren't invited. NHK invited an audience and staged the recital. At the end of the concert, with audience members ready to go home after some pretty poor singing, the TV producers urged everyone to stay and provide a standing ovation so she could give encores for the camera. Her career has little to do with her singing ability and everything to do with corporate sponsorship. There are many Japanese singers with far more ability than she has, and it is a shame that the press, and the Japanese press in particular, do not show her to be the media concoction she is. I hope that anyone on opera-l who gets to see her will offer up an opinion. minnasan douzo yoroshiku! Keith Moulton. http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~km34 email: km34@columbia.edu

Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 10:39:36 +0200
From: Riccardo Domenichini
Subject: Re: Michie Nakamaru

Keith Moulton: >Michie Nakamaru is a very curious person. Told that she could >never be a singer, she began her career after winning the Maria Callas >competition (I think) in Italy. The Maria Callas competition had only three editions and the winners were: - Cecilia Gasdia - Maria Dragoni - no first prize assigned. Second prize ex-equo to Anna Caterina Antonacci and Carmela Apollonio. Michie Nakamaru's name sounds familiar to me, but I couldn't say when and where I heard it.
Riccardo Domenichini
ric@ofelia.iuav.unive.it riccardo@brezza.iuav.unive.it
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