I don't think many of you on here watch Downton Abbey, but just in case ...
I don't think many of you on here watch Downton Abbey, but just in case ... S P O I L E R S Hope that was enough space. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa had a guest appearance on the most recent episode playing Dame Nellie Melba. It seems there's been a lot of criticism of the historical and musicologic accuracy, as well as criticism of her singing. I will say that, knowing her voice at its best, this was not the most stunning performance Dame Kiri has ever given, nor did it sound like Melba's extant recordings. However, there were places where she had a lovely line, and the main issue with the top notes was vibrato. Frankly, it's TV, so there are multiple takes and a sound track that can be edited if it seems wretchedly off. Plus, if her acting was poor, where was the director? Why wasn't she coached? I don't think they were looking for her to create a character, they were using her as a plot device. Her intro of the singing in recital format wasn't poor acting, that...