Fresh on the heels Kevin's assessment of the Bocelli/Gergiev Verdi Requiem
comes this bit of news.  Perhaps it is a sign that the apocalypse is,
indeed, upon us:

   Aretha Franklin Planning to Cut Classical Album
   Updated 11:01 AM ET March 29, 2001

   By Sue Zeidler

   LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - She may be the Queen of Soul but Aretha
   Franklin has hopes of expanding her empire to classical music.

   The legendary singer, to be honored at a star-studded "VH1 Divas"
   special airing live on April 10 from Radio City Music Hall in New
   York, told Reuters in an interview that she hopes to record an album
   of operatic arias this year.

   "I'm planning to do a solo aria album.  I wanted to start it earlier
   but it got delayed because I got so busy," said Franklin, 59, who
   became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock & Roll
   Hall of Fame.

   "I hope to record 'Nessun Dorma.' I just love Puccini," said the
   legendary singer, who has scored numerous Grammys including a Lifetime
   Achievement Award in 1994.  Italian operatic composer Giacomo Puccini
   wrote such masterpieces as "La Boheme," "Tosca" and "Madama Butterfly."

   There has been some speculation the soul diva, who began singing as
   a young girl in her father's Detroit church, has been leaning toward
   classical since she gave a breathtaking, unrehearsed performance of
   "Nessun Dorma" at the Grammys two years ago, filling in for an ailing
   Luciano Pavarotti.

   She called her planned classical album a labor of love that she may
   produce herself and will probably do sometime after she records
   another new album with R&B greats Babyface Edmonds, Jimmy Jam and
   Terry Lewis under the Arista Records label.

   "We really are due for a planning session on that one," said Franklin,
   referring to the Arista album.  She is also planning on recording a
   Christmas album this year.

"Dick Claeys" <[log in to unmask]>