Tag Archives: BBC Radio 2

Alfie Boe on Enrico Caruso

Bereft.  That’s the word I’m using to explain how I feel today when I realise that there are no more Alfie Boe’s Opera Heroes to look forward to on Monday evenings.  Last night saw the final episode, and featured, to my mind, the best voice of the three, Enrico Caruso.  The programme on Maria Callas moved me more but that was due in part to the emotional connection with my father, rather than the voice itself.

Of the three singers, Caruso’s was the story I was least familiar with and Alfie fans may well have felt that there are some easy comparisons between the two singers’ early lives.  Caruso seems to have had more difficulties with women than Alfie though!

I feel that the arias chosen really complimented both his career and voice.  In many cases, they were very familiar from listening to Alfie’s own recordings. For me personally, it was a treat to hear so much about the productions Caruso appeared in, rather than focusing just on the recordings, magnificent though they are.  Hearing Puccini’s reaction to Caruso singing Che Gelida Manina was a little gem although that moment was nothing compared to the even better gem about Nellie Melba’s hot sausage in La Boheme!  Like Alfie, I so hope that was a true story (thanks to Annie for sharing the video):

I found Alfie’s comment on Caruso’s recording of Over There interesting as well although I’m afraid all I could hear over the tune was Alfie’s fellow tenor Wynne Evans and Go Compare.  Sorry!  My favourite track from the programme was Recondita Armonia:

Overall, Alfie on opera has been great and I’m sure that he has many more favourites than the three featured; he always seems to choose a different favourite when asked in interviews.  Let’s hope that another series might be on the cards at a later date.  It has also been refreshing to hear operatic arias on Radio 2 rather than their usual home of Radio 3, which tends to come across as rather elitist and snobbish about opera.  A channel for the opera purists is how I think of it and of course that is what it is and should be as there are precious few radio channels available that air operas in full.  If full operas are not your cup of tea but you do like tenors and sopranos singing certain arias, having them presented knowledgeably and enthusiastically on Radio 2 by a tenor who ‘sings a bit’ is a great introduction and will hopefully mean a few more people enjoying this wonderful music.

If you have enjoyed listening to Alfie’s opera heroes and want to explore Alfie’s own classical recordings in more depth, click here to find Alfie’s full discography.  In the meantime, here is Alfie’s version of A Vucchella which beats Caruso hands down (and I know I’m not the only one to think this way):

Alfie Boe’s Opera Heroes are still available (worldwide) on BBC iPlayer – click here.

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Alfie Boe on Maria Callas

Maria Callas was one of the first musical voices I remember hearing on record when I was growing up – my Dad was a huge fan and was lucky enough to see her perform at Covent Garden.  I can still see the look on his face when he reminisced about these performances and if I had to describe that look I’d probably say it was akin to the look on the faces of Alfie fans when they first hear him sing live.  When you’re struck by a voice, it really hits you.

Why am I telling you all this?  Well, of course, last night saw the first episode of Alfie Boe’s Opera Heroes in which the first hero was Maria Callas, the most famous soprano of the twentieth century.  Guiding us through Callas’ life and career, the emphasis of the programme was on the sublime voice, with a large portion of the programme given over to Callas’ recordings.

Alfie fans will know that he was introduced to opera by his elder brother Michael (thanks Michael!) and we again heard of the importance of music to the Boe family home, with Callas being the favourite voice of Michael.  Apparently, Michael still owns every Callas recording on vinyl and CD.  In my first ever interview for thoughtsofjustafan, Michael’s reply to the question ‘Which person, alive or dead, would you most like to sing with’ met with the response that “I’m a HUGE Callas fan and would have loved to have sung with her”.  Click here to see who else Michael said he loved singing with.  Alfie told us that the Easter Hymn from Cavalleria Rusticana was Michael’s favourite Callas recording – is it still the same, Michael?

Even though the voice of Callas was showcased, no programme about her could ever be complete without mention of Aristotle Onassis.  In some respects, their relationship has overshadowed her career but in others, the story of their relationship is perfectly suited to the image of her as  the ultimate tragic diva.  It would have been interesting to have followed this idea further to see how much our idea of Callas the singer is influenced by her private life.  Having said that, Alfie touched on this idea when he said that the story of Callas and Onassis is so well known and perfectly suited to to opera that it’s surprising no one has written it yet.  If we can have operas about Anna Nicole Smith and Jerry Springer, why not Callas and Onassis?

As a presenter, Alfie’s natural passion and enthusiasm shone through; if we can’t hear Alfie singing opera, the next best thing is to hear him talk about it with such enthusiasm and passion.  In a fitting end to the programme, Alfie spoke with absolute conviction that Callas knew her art and her audience inside out, left us with a quote from Callas herself:

I give a little happiness.  Music has enriched my life and hopefully, through me, a little of the public’s life too.  If anyone left an opera house feeling more happy and at peace, I have achieve my purpose.

It seems to me that this quote could be used to sum up Alfie’s attitude to music and his audience too.  I’ll leave you with Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano (another operatic superstar I’ve heard Alfie enthuse about) singing an aria from La Boheme that all self respecting Alfie fans should recognise:

Alfie Boe on Maria Callas is available on BBC Radio iPlayer (click here) and the next two episodes will feature Mario Lanza and Enrico Caruso.

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So You Think You Know Alfie Boe?

If you’re reading this then you must be a fan of Alfie Boe, right?  But how well do you know the man himself?  Could he be your specialist subject on Mastermind?  If you’ve been left shouting ‘Alfie Boe’ at the TV during Pointless when the contestants didn’t have a clue, perhaps this is the quiz for you.

There’s not a prize though, just the satisfaction of scoring ten out of ten.  Good luck – answers next week.

  1. Which role will Alfie shortly take over on Broadway?
  2. Who did Alfie pick as his favourite Javert in an interview with thoughtsofjustafan last year?
  3. How many brothers and sisters does Alfie have and what are their names?
  4. What are the names of the two alternate Rodolfo’s in Baz Luhrman’s La Boheme?
  5. What is the name of Alfie’s management company?
  6. Name the support acts for Alfie’s three headline tours (Bring Him Home, Storyteller and Serenata).
  7. Alfie won Glyndebourne’s Christie prize – what was the role?
  8. In which opera house was Alfie’s last operatic role?
  9. And which opera was he performing in?
  10. What was the name of the new song that Alfie revealed at Leeds in 2015?

Answers revealed next week!  In the meantime, don’t forget to tun into BBC Radio 2 on Monday 14 March at 10pm for Alfie’s Opera Heroes!

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Friday Round Up with Alfie Boe – No. 2

A lovely interview with Charlotte Green on Classic FM – so good to see this station really getting behind Alfie again:

There have been a couple of other radio interviews broadcast this week (thanks to the ever reliable Marcia) click here to hear.

The week got off to a fabulous start for some lucky fans in Manchester and Blackpool.

Also, we are assured that rehearsals are underway and going well:

alfie rehearsals

Your reviews are fantastic thank you – click here for one on a different blog whose author happens to follow me too.

Last but not least, don’t forget to listen to BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night.

And then get up early to get in front of the TV by 9am to catch Alfie on Weekend Kitchen (Channel 4).

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Alfie Boe on Strictly It Takes Two and Weekend Wogan

Alfie Boe fans everywhere will rejoice that they can listen to his dulcet tones on Weekend Wogan this Sunday, 2 November.

Before that (sadly only in UK) we get to see Alfie display his dance knowledge, or lack thereof as the case may be, on Strictly’s weekday show, It Takes Two.  Alfie was a guest on the Friday panel in 2012 and it was comical for many reasons, not all of them planned!  He displayed his talent for comedy falls and also his complete lack of knowledge about any of the dances or the competitors – it was very amusing!  Luckily for him, he had recently duetted with Kimberly Walsh, on f the then contestants so he picked her for the eventual winner (she made the final) and this time he’s in luck once again.  Steve Backshall, whom Alfie knows, is a contestant this year and is still in the show so hopefully Alfie will have watched some of his dances and can talk about them with even a tiny bit of knowledge!

Don’t forget, if we can get #AlfieBoeSerenata trending, it all helps towards sales!

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