Bel raggio lusinghier - Semiramide Contest - Mariella Devia

[raigekimaru]

not exactly a role I would cast her in but that's one impressive E6.

[coloraturafan]

@raigekimaru I guess we should all be thankful that you aren't casting operas then!

[raigekimaru]

@coloraturafan

forgive me, at the time I wrote this comment, I had heard little of Devia and the stuff I heard was about her absolute worst stuff on youtube. I didn't know what I was talking about when I wrote this comment. after hearing more of her (especially in her prime), my opinion has pretty much done a 180 =P

[skitzo429]

@raigekimaru shes the queen, semiramide is a perfect role for her

[DiomedesDioscuro]

This video shows perfectly Devia's aptitudes and talent, and could be used to illustrate a definition of bel canto

But for Semiramide Sutherland is still my favourite. I have to admit that the quality of my Semiramide recording with Devia is live and with a regular sound quality, though. Am I wrong, coloraturafan, or Mariella Devia has not recorded as many titles as one may expect from a singer of her standard?

[skitzo429]

@DiomedesDioscuro Well, no one recorded as much as sutherland haha More importantly though, Sutherland stopped singing this role in the correct key after her 30s, first a semitone lower, then a whole step, then a minor third at the very end. Also, Im pretty sure she never performed this live in the correct key, she very seldomly performed high Es live even when she was young

[daphnebeloved]

Superb!The real bel canto, the very well projected voice with edge, with color, harmonic and precise timbre till the last seat of the theater...not mention good legato...Devia and Anderson are excellent at this aria!

[coloraturafan]

look up her 2003 version, she CAN BE TOPPED, but only by herself.... :)

[coloraturafan]

hahahaha, it is all a matter of taste, but I have to agree, Devia cannot be matched in this aria IMHO

[coloraturafan]

I hardly think I am limiting myself by having a favorite, as you can see I collect many differnt singers, not just Devia. I just happen to like her best.

[coloraturafan]

yeah the 2003 version is from a concert, with piano, but her embelishments are SUBLIME!!!!!!

[viafilodrammatici]

How many youtube uploaders do you know, that have uploaded so many different belcanto singers in so many clips, with so much joy? Do you call this limiting oneself?

[coloraturafan]

hahahah you don't want to go into this anymore because you made a stupid comment and don't want to admit it! Anyway, if you think I am limited in my love of the art, so be it.

[coloraturafan]

The only thing I find funny is someone telling me that I am limiting myself by having a favorite.

[coloraturafan]

I actually have no idea what you are talking about... this "contest" was over 2 years ago... this is NOOOO longer a contest, these videos were posted as a 1 month open contest. When this was posted I made no comment at all about my view of the singers (14 were posted). But the contest is over, and I can say what I please. In this role Devia has no rival. If you don't agree with me, fine, but don't say I have limited the contest, because there is no contest.

[coloraturafan]

Deviafan is not coloraturafan, thanks for asking. hahahaah... your posts are totally pointless. Good luck with your lovely collection here on youtube (I just looked at your channel for the first time, I really wasn't missing anything), I am sure everyone values all the time and effort you spend on your countless video uploads.... hahahaha... we are done here.

[viafilodrammatici]

Why don't you want to go into this anymore? Cannot get yourself out, hehe?

[coloraturafan]

hahahaha.. I just saw that you are actually the old youtube user spsp2sp3sp3dsp3d2... now your comments are put into perspective :)

[LMBS7]

ECCELLENTE!!!.

[etinlacente]

"Semiramide is notoriously difficult role". Not for Devia.

[Dogaradodia]

And the winner is...

Mariella Devia - Intergalactic Soprano

Bravissima, Devia! Luv ya...

[robertdonkers]

I love Devia, only in this aria I miss the fireworks. It is all too boring. I am sure she performed it much better on other occassions

[Dogaradodia]

Certified Intergalactic!

[muzzeu]

I like her more in Lucia! Mosuc is much better in this aria!

[skitzo429]

her high E is gorgeous

[vitellia]

What is wrong with "aspiration"? If good clear articulated coloratura is called "aspirated", I'm all for it!

[AulicExclusiva]

The tessitura of this aria sits to low for her, and she uses too many aspirates. Not one of her better performances.

[deviafan]

I do not agree, this aria is in a comfortable range for Devia. She uses the lower, and upper range to her advantage, and her embelishments are amazing. I would say that this, as most Rossini roles, show Devia at her best.

[sevoflurane]

Devia is a true belcantista and she never aspirates or sccops. This it true coloratura, with each note distinguishable, electric and precise, as it should be and unfortunately rarely is.

[skitzo429]

this isnt a low aria, there isnt even anything below an E above middle C

[marioj34]

Fabuleuse !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[beejayem76]

god they've all had a bash at this production haven't they... Devia certainly gives it a good go... all voice and no action... bit like caballe and katia... but then, who wants to be doing backflips when you've got this many notes to sing!

[DrRobbieG]

I'm a bit late...I follow Devia obsessively on dvd/youtube and wish I had opportunities to see her live here in Chicago or back home in NY. I've always found that she's rarely less than a 5 on singing, and if I close my eyes, her voice earns a 4 or above for characterization. What her facial expressions and body language fail to express, her voice invariably does. If only she'd recorded more, I would love to listen to her in my car! 5/4

[coloraturafan]

There are a lot of wonderful live recording with Ms. Devia! I have her on my Ipod, and listen to her in my car, and at the gym.... and so on!

[DrRobbieG]

Coloraturafan and I are getting married in California, but only so I can inherit his Devia recordings :-)

[jrr1234567890]

stunning

[agnellodei]

Great. She kind of reminds me of Joan Sutherland here.

[gransasso101]

incredible

[sopranilla]

¡¡Maravillosa Mariella!! Brava! Tengo el placer de haberla visto en directo en Sevilla, en la Maestranza, cantando L'Elisir d'amore junto a Ismael Jordi. Ella llena el escenario. Algún día me gustaría dominar la técnica del bel canto como ella. Es un gustazo verla y oírla.

[violoncello79]

Esta es una de esas interpretaciones que ben quedar en la historia de la música y del buen canto!!!!...

Desde luego es una interpretación magistral, con una personalidad y fuerza fuera de lo normal...es MARIELLA DEVIA!!!...

[acitipo]

Mariela Devia es una de las grandes de estos ultimos 10 años, gran tecnica, perfecta diccion, bellisimo y parejo color en los tres registros

[mrlammermoor]

very good technique, very good coloratura, but no dramatic fire, much too lyrical and boring approach

4/2

[Fadinard]

5/5 Incomparable!

[openaby]

5/5

[olgamarga]

Es"la reina".Su rol.5/5.Y gracias coloratura fan.Continúo siendo fan de estos "contest".

[bitterclevelander]

Viciously under-recorded. Heard her in a phenomenal Chicago opera broadcast of Entfuhrung, great coloratura soprano.

[kpamina]

thank you very much for the opportunity to study the well applied technik of all this singers. This is a great way to try to understand different ways of boarding a troubelsome passage.

[sparafucile2]

I love Mariela. Perfect voice and coloratura.

[ergoae]

4/3. i find her characterization to be a stiff and mannered. in order for semiramide to work dramatically, one has to empathize with the queen, and i have trouble doing that here. maybe a little shrill on her top notes, or is that that not-so-great audio?

[tamerlano]

Her coloratura is both fluid AND aspirated -- it is, I believe, possible to be both.

[sevoflurane]

In full honesty I have heard Devia live for 14 years in Italy. Never heard anybody saying her coloratura is aspirated. It would be interesting if you pointed out the passage where you reckon the coloratura is aspirated.

[castadiva81]

Wonderful, I can't express it anyother way... this is perfect. 5/5

[dannymaestro]

5/4. WOW! Very nice version of this aria. Lovely, beautiful, smooth coloraturas and a clean timbre from the bottom onto the top notes. My favourite after listening to Bartoli, Sutherland, Negri and Gruberova.

[robbyjarrett]

3/3

[niklausse]

5/5

[sediziosevoci]

Beautiful coloratura! 5/5

[rwolfman1265]

as i said on the other devia entry (wow she gets a double shot!), not my favorite voice for this role. 3/3

[Iareto]

3.999999/3.99999. I would give her 4/4, but I find Gruberova better and I gave her that score. Not as good (to MY ear) as Sutherland, Anderson or Gruberova, but brilliant nonetheless.

[mannadalcielo]

5/5

[iosonmedea]

Devia and Deutekom have plenty in common... both their surnames begin with a D. Honestly! Bravo! 5/5

[javierdetelleria]

5/5

[operajk]

Amazing Devia, absolutly perfect

5/5

[Orfeus80]

The most conversational bel raggio. This Semiramide thinks everything she says and it's no wonder she's a queen. This is in my opinion one of Devia's finest roles that suits her voice and character. 5/5

[OperaBR]

Her timbre fits Semiramide well, but the voice doesn't have a dramatic coloratura power. Most vocal runs are sung rather "Deutekom-like" which I dislike. The phrasing is attentive to the words, her coloratura is very agile and the breath control is outstanding. Even such highly ornamented singing, however, doesn't excite me much, and the tone quality is variable. The characterization, as always, is laboured and a little uninteresting, but she does convey regal aspects, though not joy. 3.8/3.25

[janejones11]

Sometimes her Devia's runs are a tiny bit aspirated but they are NOTHING like Deutekom's, whose are glottaled and based on a "hahahahaha" sound. True, Devia isn't a dramatic coloratura but, I think her dark, cutting sound has adequate power for this aria.

[OperaBR]

Yes, Deutekom's runs were much more aspirated. I just said that because many of Devia's vocal runs resembled to me a more correct Deutekom. Besides any similarity or not, the fact is that in lots of Devia's runs she DOES SING each note, but she makes it by linking the notes with a subtle but very audible aspirated sound. It doesn't flow from note to note seamlessly like with Callas, Sills or Tetrazzini. IMO it takes some of the grace and ease of the melody, making it sound more rigid and forced.

[deviafan]

This is a good example of how we each hear things differntly. Where you hear an "aspirated sound" I hear fluid runs. Honestly, with Opera, everyone has such differnt taste. It doesn't make either of us right or wrong. IMO this is a subtle and dramatic reading of Rossini's score. Few sopranos can touch this music with such restrained passion.

[deviafan]

Critics have alway been touchy about Deutekom's singing of scales. They said that she was trained in a chorus so she sang them in that manner, not as a soloist. I always found her to be very interesting to listen to. Devia is nothing like her. Devia relies on her rock solid technique, which supports her scales from top to bottom. What you may not like is the fact that she actually SINGS each note of the scales. 5/5

[dutchtallguy]

Exept for the constume and closing top note, not as impressive as the Appendix version (concertant). I think a different kind of ornamentation, might suit her better.

[AnnElliot]

Yup, she and Podles made me fall inlove with this opera. It's simply one of her best roles, perfect technique combines with vocal expression (I love how she pronounces, "gioia e amor") 5/5

[meltzerboy]

Also, I sometimes don't like the unusual variations she introduces. In this aria, I like the variations, the technique is also good (always her breath span is superior to most others), but again the tone itself I dislike. Still.... 4.5/5

[meltzerboy]

Devia is a tough singer for me. I once thought what I don't like about her singing is a certain rigidity in her florid technique (I still sense that), but now I think it's the tone of her voice, not unpleasant but not beautiful either.  In certain arias, however, it is beautiful, e.g. her Lucia Mad Scene.

[mdancer01]

5/5 for the amazing Devia

[sevoflurane]

Her precision in the coloratura is already a legend, but what really amazes me here is her phrasing! She really conveys drama in music. Typically all her variations in the da capo are made of long legato lines... amazing! 5/5

[tobiagorrio]

4/3

[janejones11]

Brava, one of the best Bel Raggios I have ever heard ! Devia gives a tremendous, virtuoistic performance from start to finsih ( especially the hair raishing e-natural at the end!) She sings the aria with strength, intensity and passion.

Singing : 5 Interpretation: 4.5

[patjan92]

WOW. For me, the contest starts and ends right here.

5/5.

[ck8289]

4/4.5

[rawdonqueen]

Wonderful. Devia is proof that belcanto can be dramatic and very individual. 5/5

[hotazzoperastud]

This is by far the best sung version I have heard. Everything is there, technique, virtuosity, and dynamics. Not to mention the easy upper extension, and wonderful Eb. My favorite Semiramide! 5/5