In praise of second fiddle, part 1

Huguette Tourangeau in Esclarmonde
Opera News archives

Notice: If you are wearing your adult incontinence brief and ready for a real shocker, scroll down to the end to watch that video excerpt first!

We are now inclined to post about two notable mezzo-sopranos who were featured quite often beside Dame Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballé,and other great sopranos of the 60s and 70s--Huguette Tourangeau and Josephine Veasey.  They are both fine singers and accomplished great things on their own, but frankly, I probably wouldn't have known of them myself had they not both sung Adalgisa.

While it is tempting to post numerous videos of Mira, o Norma--and I might do it after all--it might be more informative to post videos of both ladies without those pesky sopranos horning in on the action.















Today we focus on Huguette Tourangeau.   Here she is as Ulrica in Ballo, Vancouver, 1977 (conductor, other singers uncredited):




And singing Kaled's aria from M. Massenet's Le Roi de Lahore (1977, no further details available):



Mr. Verdi's Oberto, Contessa Leonora's cabaletta (no other information given):




With Dame Joan in Lakmé, 1968, Philadelphia, cond. Bonynge:



And in tonight's ZOMG moment, if you don't find yourself going "Oh no she di-int!" at 7:07 of this Maria Stuarda confrontation scene (1977, no other information given), then I don't think I want to know you: