Lung and Word Power

I was thinking just the other day that I hadn't seen a NYT obituary bylined by Margalit Fox recently. I've been back from vacation for over two weeks now, it's after Labor Day, and no M. Fox.

Had the recent masthead changes at the NYT trickled down to the obituary people? Did Ms. Fox have a titanic argument with the editor that forced both into a resignation, her words putting the editor in the hospital; his words bouncing off, but still leaving her packing up a box?. Two chess players who resign at the same time? How would you score that? Employment openings in the obituary section, that's how.

That I know, none of this happened. Ms. Fox is evident in full, fine word power today writing about an opera singer whose first half of their career was over before the United States entered WWII. At 104, Magda Olivero has passed away.

We're sufficiently deep into the 21st century that subtracting anyone's age who has passed away and is a 100 plus, still leaves us with someone born at the opening of only the last century. Goodbye late 1800s.

No matter. Mr. Olivero lived enough for two lives, still singing in public at 99. She was either very good, or very bad, depending on who you listened to or read, or what decade you were in. One thing for certain, she was incredibly popular. If Arnold Palmer inspired golf followers who were called "Arnie's Army," Magda Olivero's rabid fans were called "Magdamaniacs."

Ms. Olivero's voice has been described as being "nothing."  It was also described as producing "singing with an abandon and fervor that leaves you exhausted."

The reference sources that are accessed in order to deliver an obituary that is probably comparable to an Olivero performance seem to be considerable. And if getting to them on deadline were what was needed, than the obituary deserves a standing "brava."

Just think of Ms. Olivero's range across the years. Born in 1904, and debuting at the Met at 71 as Tosca. Still singing in public one year shy of being 100.

Think how much longer the Rolling Stones have to go to equal this woman's longevity. It's very hard to imagine Mick Jagger performing at 99. The odds are already defied that he's still at it at 71. But, we may be two-thirds of the way through history repeating itself.

http://www.onofframp.blogspot.com