Maureen Forrester RIP

Maureen Forrester has passed away. Here is a nice "Canadian" take on her which shows what she meant to Canadians ".....the embodiment of earth-mother, reigning queen and good sport made her the shining model of what Canadians want a diva to be." It's moving because it isn't like all the standard bios that the media will trot out. The writer knew what she meant, personally.

Maureen Forrester meant a lot to me though only through recordings. This is one of the best, I think, with Fritz Reiner (More on the same stream). You can't know Mahler singing til you've heard her, such depth, such warmth, such refinement!  There are lots of Mahler mezzos and of course we need to hear them all!  Her career as a singer ended too early and she suffered a long twilight, but Maureen Foirrester is way up there in the constellation.