We were singing ADRIANA LECOUVREUR at the TEATRO DELLOPERA IN ROME IN 2002! OF COURSE NELLY DIDNT KNOW WHO I WAS, EVEN THOUGH I HAD SUNG WITH HER IN 1992 and 1996. BUT MAY I ADD...... BARRY REMEMBERED ME VERY WELL!!! LOL! Funny enough, Nelly and I were now on the same rosters for management. Nelly was VERY GOOD friends with the secretary for our agents, and she said to Nelly, oh you are singing with Marianne Cornetti! Nelly said, WHOS THAT?? The secretary said, Oh you will LOVE her!!! Shes sooo friendly and so much fun! Well when I saw Nelly the first day of rehearsal, I grabbed her and hugged her and said how GREAT it was to work with her again! She told the secretary that she had NO IDEA of who I was and that I was A VERY LOUD AMERICAN AND SHE COULDNT STAND MY ENERGY!!! LOL!!! Anyway, we had started rehearsals the following day and I was TOTALLY MESMERIZED by the way Nelly was rehearsing! Her entire HEART MIND AND SOUL were poured into her rehearsals! Her movements were soooo ELEGANT and her body reacted so naturally to what she was singing! I LOVED HER HANDS!! SOOOOO EXPRESSIVE! So she finished her scene and sat down beside me, and I said, NELLY YOU ARE SIMPLY AN EXTRAORDINARY ARTIST!! Its such a LEARNING experience just watching you rehearse!! WELL, SHE MELTED AND FROM THAT MOMENT ON, SHE DIDNT CARE ABOUT THE LOUD OVER ENERGIZED AMERICAN! LOL!!!! I was singing Principessa di Bouillion for the very first time and I needed help with the character and sadly the director was NOT helping me!! So I contemplated asking Nelly For help.....I hesitated day after day! I FINALLY took the courage and asked her to help me from a character stand point! The movements and gestures of the Principessas character! WELL SHE JUMPED ON IT!!! And we began......oh dear.....hours upon hours walking with a book on my head! Picking up my feet in a way that would allow me to glide across the stage! All my gestures she worked with me daily before and after rehearsals!!! In the streets on the sidewalks.....EVERYWHERE!!! I was sooooooooo IMPRESSED that a DIVA of her FAME would give me sooo much time, just because I asked!!! I WAS LIKE A SPONGE AND SHE KEPT POURING IT ON! The rehearsals moved to the stage and NELLY ALWAYS came to my rehearsals to make sure I was doing what we rehearsed ALL OVER ROME!!! SHE TOOK THE TIME TO DO THIS!!! I WAS SO THRILLED THAT I HAD SUCH A HANDS ON ARTIST GIVING ME HER TIME! So this one day, I finished my scene and came out into the Salla where Nelly was sitting and she complimented me on my character and the movements etc. I very PROUDLY and RATHER FULL OF MYSELF SAID, HOW DID YOU LIKE THAT LAST HIGH NOTE IN MY ARIA ACERBA VOLUTTA!! Thinking she was going to say, IT WAS MAGNIFICENT!!!! Well thats NOT what she said. Instead she said, well I thought it was SPREAD at the top and a bit PUSHED!!! Well I stood up and said INDIGNANTLY, THAT IS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING TO HEAR AND PROMPTLY STORMED OFF BACKSTAGE!! Well Nelly had then found me backstage in a puddle, and she said, Marianna that was not my place to say that, and profusely apologized! I looked up at her and said, IF YOU ARE GOING TO SAY THINGS LIKE THAT THEN YOU HAD BETTER SHOW ME HOW TO DO IT CORRECTLY! Well she she took the CHALLENGE and we worked daily until the opening night! I NEVER WILL FORGET THIS BEAUTIFUL ARTIST SITTING IN THE BOX NEAR THE STAGE WATCHING MY EVERY MOVE AND BREATHING EVERY BREATH I TOOK! SHE WAS WITH ME EVERY STEP OF TBE WAY THROUGH THE ENTIRE OPERA!!! At the end for my curtain call, she was in TEARS CHEERING ME ON! The look on her face was PRIDE and HAPPINESS and LOVE for my success!!! SHE STOOD THERE SO SELFLESSLY APPLAUDING ME AND MY SUCCESS!!! NO ONE KNEW HOW MUCH SHE GAVE TO ME IN THAT MONTH.......SHE DIDNT CARE.....WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO NELLY WAS THAT I WORKED SOOOO HARD AND I ABSORBED EVERYTHING SHE TAUGHT ME AND I BROUGHT DIGNITY AND ARTISTRY TO THE THING THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT IN HER LIFE.....THE MUSIC!!! THAT ADRIANA LECOUVREUR IN ROME WAS THE REAL START OF OUR SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP!!! SHE HAS GUIDED ME SINCE THROUGH EVERY OPER AND THROUGH EVERY PERFORMANCE THAT I HAVE SUNG AROUND THE WORLD SINCE THAT SPECIAL TIME IN APRIL 2002! I can tell you this........I NEVER ALLOWED NELLY MIRICIOIU TO FORGET ME EVER AGAIN!!!!! And on her BIRTHDAY MARCH 31st, I WANT TO CELEBRATE A TRULY MAGNIFICENT ARTIST! A TRULY MAGNIFICENT TEACHER! AAND A TRULY MAGNIFICENT LIFE LONG FRIEND!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NELLY!!! I LOVE YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 08:35:54 +0000
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