(Original comment by @laf975, in Spanish, on an other video):
I believe that Dessay's intention isn't of representing The Queen of the Night as an evil and dark character, but as a woman that is losing her powers to men and is also losing her daughter. The the high notes of Dessay show the despair and hysteria. Her performance shows us her hopelessness: when she finishes singing and raises her arms and hands quakes, she's saying farewell to her daughter: she knows she will never see her again.
what a shame. i'm german, but i cant understand a single word of the german songtext, because it is so high. solution -> i read the french subtitle and translate it to german.
Dessay is no doubt great and very talented, lots of power in her voice. But, IMHO, and I'm speaking strictly on voice comparisons alone, there is NO substitute for Diana Damrau :) There is something very peculiar and very ethereal about Damrau's voice that I do not hear in other coloraturas - like I've heard it before but I can't quite place it. :)
Diana Damrau is the best in this aria and none can touch that. This performance sounded a little too rush at times and not as commanding compared to Damrau's. Damrau can act and sing amazingly at the same time.:D
Why the acting bad?? You kiddin me? you say Dessay's acting is bad, you dont know dessay then.Dessay is firstly and actress, thena singer. Try her Lucia, her Ophelie...the fact she gave a queen that is not raging, furious and psycho-killer doesnt mean its a bad thing...she chose to give a different version of a nervous, mind-sick queen, thirsty for revenge but in the same time reluctant (2:10). Making a difference is not bad.
The vocalizations written in the piece make the soprano use her voice like an instrument. It was very innovative for the time. That is why Mozart is so great he made all the musicians and the sopranos push the envelope in their virtuosity. Ah ! Mozart why did you have to die?
Btw, her acting is great in this piece! ! ! She is mother who is extorting her daughter, but she is mother. So, she is struggling with her feelings, I think she acted it with deep and brilliant psychology!
If the acting isn't important then why do they wear costumes and use stage props? I saw a production of the Magic Flute at Buxton Opera House two years ago that was made all the more special by the brilliant staging, the costumes and the special effects.
This is OK, but it simply isn't anywhere as good as Damrau's performance at Covent Garden
Oh my god you can not be more wrong ! Good opera singers must be great actors, and they must study the character, otherwise it is not an opera look at Tebaldi... This woman is a good coloratura, I really liked her for the Doll song of Les comtes d'hoffman, the acting was great and so was the singing. Here, the acting is absolutely terrible (you cannot deny it and it's extremly important) and the singing is not so good : because she is a "light soprano" and this role is not for her
@lucrezian Yes, but Der Hölle Rache means "Vengeance of Hell"... she should be furious!!! She is talking her daughter into killing Sarastro! Which is why I like Damrau's version of Der Hölle Rache. This one is finely presented, but just needs more fury!!:D
@SilenceTheQuiet True! But you can be so furious as to go a bit crazy. And even if she's furious, unless the queen was meant to be a complete sociopath, she might still feel guilty for they way she's manipulating her daughter. I agree with you about Damrau, though, she makes one hell of a scary queen, but I think Dessay sings it better.
@lucrezian ... I guess you are right. But I am in love with how Damrau's presentation is, like her appearance and singing. She was originally the one who got me interested in opera:D:D And don't get me wrong; this version is wonderful!:D I just love this aria:)
Well, she's doing a wonderful job. However, her voice is not what's intended for this role. Her triplets are by far better than Damrau's however, all her arpeggios, the Fmaj in the begininng and the D min at the end are not sitting well. I do love Dessay, she has a wonderful voice, just not for this role. Plus that tempo was way too fast, conductor fail!! That's just my opinion, feel free to comment. And again, I like Dessay.
in germany we call it elevator-effect.she sings one note below and slides up to the right one.i don't like that.
@DoryangGrey18: you say in an opera the acting is not important?that's the reason why it can be so boring and most young people are not interested in this great thing! the real art is to fascinate the audience, put them right in the middle of the story. that is why i visit an opera. to feel what the queen feels. pain. rage. if that is expressed with acting and a great voice- awesome
What an interesting interpretation! Here Queen of the Night is not just a woman seeking revenge but also a confused, almost vulnerable, mother. Contrast this with the furious and terrifying Queen of the Night of Diana Damrau (which, to be honest, I think fits better to the play). As about the singing part, I'm not some kind of expert by I think this is one of the most technically perfect performances I've ever heard of this aria.
Natalie Dessay is a great actress, one of the best, who says she can't act doesn't know her, but she said many times she doesn't like playing the Queen of the Night, that's why she looks so unnatural and forced. She acts through her singing, though: her voice is perhaps too light and kind for this role, but the contrast between a mother's love and a woman's fury is perfectly sung. And her technique is impressive, look at 2:08, I think her triplets are rather better than Damrau's.
don't waste your time talking and listen this... just listen this!!! don't your hear it? this is pure godlike music grant master Mozart!!! if you can hear it... then go back to retarded pop music and never come back here... 0_0
@reinehcreinehc I was in the opera house, I've always been a fan of the magic flute. Then the lead singer [I forget her name, I'm sorry] sings this aria. My hand to god, it felt like Mozart himself was talking to me. The best musical experience of my life. This is music for the ages.
@wowthungsten I believe when Mozart wrote this aria he wanted the singer to raise the dead, cause the mountains to tumble, blow the roof of the building and ignite the second coming
@jjh2456 It is truly inspiring. I'm thinking of all the women who walk off the stage after they've done that. That must be a real top-of-the-world feeling. To write that kind of music and then find a voice that can actually sing it. When you've heard someone sing that for the first time, and it's music you wrote, being Mozart, that must be quite the ego boost. Lovely music, absolute magic.
Directors have ideas, and bless them or curse them, producers decide to go with them. Everybody has to be on board, and I think Dessay is right there. Not my idea of an ideal production, but another view. The neurotic Queen of the Night. OK.
She has a great voice, and listening to this is a bless. Unfortunatelly - my opinion - the performance depicts a fragile Queen. I think that is the shock we have here. Damrau was lucky enough to have a Director that understood what this Aria is all about: Power at no cost and hate of Men. But if you just listen, Dessay is perfect. I love her voice.
I think she is great. I saw her rendition of Pelléas et Mélisande de Debussy on DVD.
I didn't think she could sing this soprano part. She sings very well. Her german is good if you consider she is French. She played at the MET in Lucia di Lammermoor not long ago.
Oh dear! Dessay is the best Köning since Edita Gruberova! I've been waiting a new Köning for so long ! :D Dessay has also very good dramatic skills: she has created a strong character with convincing psychological aspects. And her voice has huge scale: she sings the high notes without difficulty or hoarseness (which is very common to other singer to this role..) Love her!!!!
I love listening to Nathalie but have to confess!! I watch this vid to hear Dolly Roschmann say : Aber mutter! I reckon DR is the best Pamina going around and perhaps best ever!!
Something's wrong here...Natalie's an incredible singer, but she isn't showing it. And she's an even better actress, but she seems to be holding back. What's wrong with this performance?
Guys, it's an opera. Not a musical, not a theatre, it's an opera, what means that the acting is not important, but the singing is. An aria is not a 'song', especially this one. It's an artistic masterpiece, so stop saying her acting isn't good.
@DoryanGrey18 I'm sorry to intrude. I don't agree with you, at least not fully. An opera is a play in which music is more important than words. That doesn't mean that acting is not important. Regarding this particular performance, I don't quite like it. But I won't say a word against someone like miss Dessay, whose achievements are evident in her singing.
@DoryanGrey18 I'm sorry to intrude. I don't agree with you, at least not fully. An opera is a play in which music is more important than words. That doesn't mean that acting is not important. Regarding this particular performance, I don't quite like it. But I won't say a word against someone like miss Dessay, whose achievements are evident in her singing.
@DoryanGrey18 I don't agree with you. Opera is both singing and acting. The problem is that it's very unusual to find someone who, in addition to have the necessary vocal skills, can also act. So we usually resign ourselves to poor acting. But when the combination of both factors happens to appear in someone, you feel that there's much more than just singing, and the experience is much more satisfying. This is exactly what happens with Diana Damrau in this role.
@DoryanGrey18 While I agree with you technically, a successful soprano should be able to show acting skills as well in order to make recitatives convincing and bring the listener in the arias as well, it is an opera and not a recital, still.
@DoryanGrey18 Well, aria is a song of sorts, but that's not the point here. True, that opera is mostly about music, but...
...but it's true while in a theatre. If you're seated further back than 1st or 2nd row of seats, you're not seeing much acting anyway. But here you have performances produced by or for TV, so it's a different thing now. Here you can judge acting as part of the whole experience.
And I must say that I would love to hear stronger german sounds, (all those "r"s)...
@DoryanGrey18 WOW! Someone has NO experience in opera at all apparently. Opera is the epitome of singing and acting merged into one. Opera has every bit to do with acting as it does singing. As for this, Natalie does not hold the stage well as the Queen of the Night. Besides the bad acting, her diction is also terrible, along with a very inconsistent vibrato. No control. Just because she has the notes, doesn't mean she should be singing this.
@Lerma9012 I'm sorry, can you float around a high F and have perfect diction? It's impossible, thus opera houses utilize subtitles. Her vibrato is fine, it's perfectly natural for stratospheric notes to be more straight-toned than lower ones.
@triplethreatx333 I said nothing about straight tone. I'm talking about vibrato that is inconsistent in quality, tone and rate. As far as diction, I understand it is hard to have good diction in the higher range, but even her low range suffers from her lack of consonants. Truth be told, this song is meant more for a dramatic coloratura like Diana Damrau.
@DoryanGrey18 As you are correcting people please note "it's an opera, which (not what) means.............
An aria IS a "song" an operatic song. And I beg to differ, the acting IS just as important as the singing. These days you want a singer who can do both and do both very well.
@DetVarIkkeMig What does Latin have to do with it? Opera as we know it originated in Italy during the Renaissance, in Florence, and no, they haven't been speaking Latin then. In Italian "opera" means "work" in the sense of a work of art, and the actual word for opera as we use it is "opera lirica". DorianGrey18 clearly knows nothing about opera at all.
@DetVarIkkeMig Actually after reading comments, I can kind of see the DorianGrey18's point - opera is music first, words second, so acting is less important than singing, but it's still important. Regardless, it has nothing to do with "opus", it may be that the Italian word opera originated from it, but it is still singular in Italian.
@DoryanGrey18 wrote: "it's an opera, what means that the acting is not important"
Agreed, but only when opera is put into it's proper context. However, in the current context, I think people expect the acting because, unfortunately, we live in a very visual culture. Most people grew up watching TV/movies and so they expect good acting, although it's not their fault that they don't know about opera in it's proper context This is where modern education fails utterly. Just saying.... :)
@DoryanGrey18 No it doesn't mean that acting is not important, it simply means it's less important than singing. It also means that more acting should be done through voice. Still, an aria is sung by a character, the character has personality, emotions. If only the voice mattered we'd not remember Callas who had a flawed voice but was known through her artistry. Even if one reads about singers before recording era like Pasta or Malibran - both known for artistry.
Her acting makes me think of a soap opera and you can hear she struggles with the high notes, personally I find this one of the weaker performances of this aria I have heard and seen.
I don't think her acting is terrible. On the contrary, I think she's executing the DIRECTOR'S vision. See, in theater, film, etc., there are these things called rehearsals, where the director instructs the actors/singers what to do. They have a vision for the character in mind (in this case, a neurotic mother), and it's the singer's duty to execute this vision. I think Ms. Dessay is frail, youthful looking and nymph-like, so there was really no way they could make her imposing.
@danball7777777 Since I've seen this I have been thinking she looks like a tiny fairy raher than a great and mighty angry queen, dressed this way... and her sweet and light voice doesn't help. :/
And the way she plays the role... I love Dessay and I like her very much, but I must say in this performance she looks like a hysterical fairy in her menstrual period.
@3F93 I think that's the greatest comparison I've ever heard (well I guess read...)
But yeah I agree. She didn't want to play the Queen of the Night, she doesn't like to play bad, so she tried to make a more "sisterly" mother...doesn't work to much when you're singing this aria
@jtg10795 Doing a sisterly thing while you sing something like "Vengeance of Hell boils in my heart, if you don't kill Sarastro get away from me because I will be no longer your mother and you will be abandoned forever" isn't exactly a good idea... but she sings it well, even if without enough fury, she could make a studio recording.
However, at least she doesn't play this role worse than Deutekom, who looks like such a lamppost with roots in the ground.
@3F93 I just watched Deutekom's version...so why exactly is Pamina crying? Oh wait her mom's supposed to be threatening to disown her? Really? Doesn't seem like that to me.
OH MY GOD. YOU PEOPLE ARE CROSSING SO MANY LINES. If you don't like her performance, say so, and explain the reasons behind you're opinion! Stop bashing Dessay and calling her awful things, stop bringing up other sopranos so you can call THEM ugly names, stop criticising their looks and questioning their sexual decency, stop saying they're horrible people. Its horrible and pointless, and since you don't even know these people, you're talking out of your asses.
I believe that it is the best interpretation of the queen of the night in the network. When I saw this Natalie's interpretation for the first time the eyes filled me with tears, I believe that it expresses pefectamente the surrealistic and emotional environment of this Mozar's aria.
Miss Dessay is amazing artist.Her voice is really angelic and her technique is perfect.She is one of my favourite singers actualy.But specific role of the queen of the night demands something more than a perfect voice skills by an artist.in my opinion demands more passion more power more intense theatrical appearance and Dessay didn"t get right into a role as Damrau"s.Anyway i love em both
Well, I don't know, I can't comment her singing due to my complete lack of musical knwoledge (but I feel that maybe he is too fast on many passages). However, I think the acting is very good and an imaginative way of playng the Queen of the Night: she's trying to be both angry AND a mother: hers wrath is so strong to push her to repudiate her own daughter, and this should definitely be a painful moment - for both of them.
@daniloxx I remember reading somewhere that this is specifically Dessay's own interpretation on her part - she doesn't feel the Queen of the Night is a villain, and acts as such (as opposed to Damrau's version).
Even though Dessay's voice is superb, there's no one like Diana Damrau to sing this part. She actually understands the characther and the way she should be played, instead of this soap opera-like performance Natalie offers here. Wonderful voice, but such an awful acting...
Mozart war genial, aber mir gefällt Beethoven mehr, insbesondere die „Ode an die Freude“, die erfüllt mich mit Emotionen, und ich kann die auswendig anstimmen. Schade dass Mozart keine Zeit für den Unterricht von dem jungen Beethooven nicht gefunden hatte.
Listening to this brings me to tears
mouseodoom 1 week ago
(Original comment by @laf975, in Spanish, on an other video):
I believe that Dessay's intention isn't of representing The Queen of the Night as an evil and dark character, but as a woman that is losing her powers to men and is also losing her daughter. The the high notes of Dessay show the despair and hysteria. Her performance shows us her hopelessness: when she finishes singing and raises her arms and hands quakes, she's saying farewell to her daughter: she knows she will never see her again.
AlgarismosGomes 2 weeks ago
0:56 - OMG.. this is so beautiful!!!
cahfilho 2 weeks ago
man for some strange reason this brought me to tears...
pinochska 3 weeks ago
what a shame. i'm german, but i cant understand a single word of the german songtext, because it is so high. solution -> i read the french subtitle and translate it to german.
i'm feeling so dumb :O
getherpetr 3 weeks ago
@getherpetr Man, you can speak three languages. C’est déjà pas mal !
LePatay 2 weeks ago
@LePatay merci beaucoup ;)
getherpetr 2 weeks ago
Ich hätte einen Hörschaden, wenn sie neben mir gestanden und mir volles Brot ins Ohr gesungen hätte.
Und das ist jetzt nicht böse gemeint.
miesermogelvogel 1 month ago
@miesermogelvogel hahahhahaha
Cleoxxxx 1 month ago
Am I the only one that think that this work is waaay better than Damrau's one ?
Damrau's acting is childish. What you depict as a bad acting about Dessay's one is way more sophisticated madness.
In fact I think Dessay fits better to the music by Mozart, when Damrau fits better to the libretto by Schikaneder.
arnoklephoque 1 month ago 8
bravoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
mrluistena 1 month ago
.....she rushes a lot, no?
kinpopdj 1 month ago
Endorphins surging!!!!!!
mayreecanary 2 months ago
She can hit those high notes but her diction is not as good. :/
vwscully 2 months ago
...And now for my opinion:
Dessay is no doubt great and very talented, lots of power in her voice. But, IMHO, and I'm speaking strictly on voice comparisons alone, there is NO substitute for Diana Damrau :) There is something very peculiar and very ethereal about Damrau's voice that I do not hear in other coloraturas - like I've heard it before but I can't quite place it. :)
TheWNMan 2 months ago 4
hihi meine brüste wachsen
YukoTobynw744 3 months ago
Diana Damrau is the best in this aria and none can touch that. This performance sounded a little too rush at times and not as commanding compared to Damrau's. Damrau can act and sing amazingly at the same time.:D
musicloverboy 3 months ago
O.O oh là là! :D cette chanson est ma préférée d'opéra :D j'adore sa voix, c'est magnifique!
jajsjajshjsdfh 3 months ago
Why the acting bad?? You kiddin me? you say Dessay's acting is bad, you dont know dessay then.Dessay is firstly and actress, thena singer. Try her Lucia, her Ophelie...the fact she gave a queen that is not raging, furious and psycho-killer doesnt mean its a bad thing...she chose to give a different version of a nervous, mind-sick queen, thirsty for revenge but in the same time reluctant (2:10). Making a difference is not bad.
killerbunny123123 3 months ago
She looks like she's suffering a nervous breakdown. I prefer Damrau's interpretation, both singing-wise and acting-wise.
puffsplus72 4 months ago
lool ich wiege 300 kilo
RoxanaCelineve101 4 months ago
megnificent!
how to spell that?
982alexander 4 months ago
@982alexander Magnificent
ActionWaction 4 months ago
hihi hab was geiles entdeckt haha
VergieEmilieym85 4 months ago
Press 3 over and over again, she looks like she's licking her hand. lol
bobthezee 5 months ago
@bobthezee Lol I actually tried that!
Autumnwalk2 5 months ago
The vocalizations written in the piece make the soprano use her voice like an instrument. It was very innovative for the time. That is why Mozart is so great he made all the musicians and the sopranos push the envelope in their virtuosity. Ah ! Mozart why did you have to die?
MultiJosefus 5 months ago
Mozart. Mote... zart. But to see a truly good performance of this, watch "Amadeus."
zowiedied 5 months ago
Btw, her acting is great in this piece! ! ! She is mother who is extorting her daughter, but she is mother. So, she is struggling with her feelings, I think she acted it with deep and brilliant psychology!
zPrahyKluk 5 months ago
Excellent singing! The acting is also superb.
Ranppo 6 months ago
O M G !!! This is the most beautiful sound, gives me goose bumps, moves me to tears
TheAytoZed 6 months ago
I love this song so much! <3
Carpediem72398 6 months ago
this was very well done lol
RSdaymen 6 months ago
If the acting isn't important then why do they wear costumes and use stage props? I saw a production of the Magic Flute at Buxton Opera House two years ago that was made all the more special by the brilliant staging, the costumes and the special effects.
This is OK, but it simply isn't anywhere as good as Damrau's performance at Covent Garden
vjb1957 6 months ago
@vjb1957 So people who don't speak German can follow along. They'd all look like fucking goons standing there in t-shirts singing.
ltmajorcrunch 6 months ago
Fabulous vocal quality and technique, poor acting, but I'll close my eyes and listen to it a hundred times.
ilanid 6 months ago
I like Natalie, perhaps Edita Gruberova also, for the best singing of this,
but Diana Damrau is perhaps most convincing in exuding the venomous evil
that is required here. Erika Miklosa does it well also.
operafan0anegnd 7 months ago
@operafan0anegnd I absolutely love Erika Miklosa - her eyes tell the story so well and her singing is just perfect for that role I think.
petenjohn1 6 months ago
@operafan0anegnd Quite correct. I noticed Damrau combines acting and singing far better than most.
TheWNMan 2 months ago
I don't think she's half bad at all. People are bashing this video, but I don't find anything wrong with it.
aimalysev3 7 months ago
Okay, I can play senseless too. Rocky Marciano was better, much better.
MrHbc3 7 months ago
Diana Damrau is better...much better...
AllTheBoysLoveMandy 7 months ago
retiro o que disse antes...esta eh melhor...dessay! ela canta com uma leveza...incrivel!
kamperbeldty 7 months ago
absolutely amazing!
Noradne 7 months ago
I use this to annoy my mom xD
101clockman 7 months ago
wonderful acting and singing.
Erikk91 7 months ago
her singing makes me angry her voice does too.........this is an example of a voice that is nearing its end quickly
TheCatcherkid 7 months ago
it seems that she is not singing
MrMarshV 7 months ago
The Queen's quite hot..^^
HerrWagnerfreund 7 months ago
She is incredible! Bravo :)
SezenAksuChannel 7 months ago
@DoryanGrey18
Oh my god you can not be more wrong ! Good opera singers must be great actors, and they must study the character, otherwise it is not an opera look at Tebaldi... This woman is a good coloratura, I really liked her for the Doll song of Les comtes d'hoffman, the acting was great and so was the singing. Here, the acting is absolutely terrible (you cannot deny it and it's extremly important) and the singing is not so good : because she is a "light soprano" and this role is not for her
19861986ZAZA 7 months ago
@19861986ZAZA I've seen enough operas to know what i like and what not, i'm only sharing my opinion, no need to get personal.
DoryanGrey18 6 months ago
The sopranist should be acting like she is mad in this aria, but Dessay seems like she is confused or worried about something...
SilenceTheQuiet 8 months ago
@SilenceTheQuiet I rather thought she seemed insane. Which is what the Queen of the Night should be, really.
lucrezian 7 months ago
@lucrezian Yes, but Der Hölle Rache means "Vengeance of Hell"... she should be furious!!! She is talking her daughter into killing Sarastro! Which is why I like Damrau's version of Der Hölle Rache. This one is finely presented, but just needs more fury!!:D
SilenceTheQuiet 7 months ago
@SilenceTheQuiet True! But you can be so furious as to go a bit crazy. And even if she's furious, unless the queen was meant to be a complete sociopath, she might still feel guilty for they way she's manipulating her daughter. I agree with you about Damrau, though, she makes one hell of a scary queen, but I think Dessay sings it better.
lucrezian 7 months ago
@lucrezian ... I guess you are right. But I am in love with how Damrau's presentation is, like her appearance and singing. She was originally the one who got me interested in opera:D:D And don't get me wrong; this version is wonderful!:D I just love this aria:)
SilenceTheQuiet 7 months ago
DAMRAU :)
TheRuslanIsmayil 8 months ago
one of the oest perfomance I saw, she is genious!
Marchcatrus 8 months ago
Well, she's doing a wonderful job. However, her voice is not what's intended for this role. Her triplets are by far better than Damrau's however, all her arpeggios, the Fmaj in the begininng and the D min at the end are not sitting well. I do love Dessay, she has a wonderful voice, just not for this role. Plus that tempo was way too fast, conductor fail!! That's just my opinion, feel free to comment. And again, I like Dessay.
saotomi5102 8 months ago
teatralisch Wünderschön!
afroditad 8 months ago
The queen of the night aria is meant for dramatic coloraturas but lyric coloraturas can pull it off cause Natalie is
prettycool997 8 months ago
Hey this chick can reach a High G that is almost impossible to reach!
prettycool997 8 months ago
Love, love LOVE Nathalie Dessay.
hockeywifeca 8 months ago
in germany we call it elevator-effect.she sings one note below and slides up to the right one.i don't like that.
@DoryangGrey18: you say in an opera the acting is not important?that's the reason why it can be so boring and most young people are not interested in this great thing! the real art is to fascinate the audience, put them right in the middle of the story. that is why i visit an opera. to feel what the queen feels. pain. rage. if that is expressed with acting and a great voice- awesome
ratlosdrahtlos 8 months ago
What an interesting interpretation! Here Queen of the Night is not just a woman seeking revenge but also a confused, almost vulnerable, mother. Contrast this with the furious and terrifying Queen of the Night of Diana Damrau (which, to be honest, I think fits better to the play). As about the singing part, I'm not some kind of expert by I think this is one of the most technically perfect performances I've ever heard of this aria.
edin201x 8 months ago 15
@edin201x
I agree totally with you!!
darkangeljay 8 months ago
Sie macht das genau richtig. Die Person die sie spielt soll ja eine Karikatur sein. Das ist die eben Absicht des Komponisten.
linksgruen 9 months ago
Her voice is just too sweet for this.
CamilaAraneda92 9 months ago
Natalie Dessay is a great actress, one of the best, who says she can't act doesn't know her, but she said many times she doesn't like playing the Queen of the Night, that's why she looks so unnatural and forced. She acts through her singing, though: her voice is perhaps too light and kind for this role, but the contrast between a mother's love and a woman's fury is perfectly sung. And her technique is impressive, look at 2:08, I think her triplets are rather better than Damrau's.
3F93 9 months ago
i love her performance
XxWearsMexX 9 months ago
don't waste your time talking and listen this... just listen this!!! don't your hear it? this is pure godlike music grant master Mozart!!! if you can hear it... then go back to retarded pop music and never come back here... 0_0
reinehcreinehc 9 months ago 13
@reinehcreinehc I was in the opera house, I've always been a fan of the magic flute. Then the lead singer [I forget her name, I'm sorry] sings this aria. My hand to god, it felt like Mozart himself was talking to me. The best musical experience of my life. This is music for the ages.
wowthungsten 2 months ago
@wowthungsten I believe when Mozart wrote this aria he wanted the singer to raise the dead, cause the mountains to tumble, blow the roof of the building and ignite the second coming
jjh2456 1 month ago
@jjh2456 It is truly inspiring. I'm thinking of all the women who walk off the stage after they've done that. That must be a real top-of-the-world feeling. To write that kind of music and then find a voice that can actually sing it. When you've heard someone sing that for the first time, and it's music you wrote, being Mozart, that must be quite the ego boost. Lovely music, absolute magic.
wowthungsten 1 month ago
Directors have ideas, and bless them or curse them, producers decide to go with them. Everybody has to be on board, and I think Dessay is right there. Not my idea of an ideal production, but another view. The neurotic Queen of the Night. OK.
presbyterosBassI 9 months ago
From the eyes of fashion, the color choice of her wardrobe is wrong. Light blue is too sweet and weak.
That might be the problem here. She will look stronger and in character in darker color, for this piece.
Ratnadjuwita 9 months ago
She is one fine performer!!!!!!!!!!!
peterphan221166 10 months ago
HORT! HORT! HORT! Sweetest sound I've ever heard.
2856972 10 months ago
this women have the voice of god
-pianist french
reinehcreinehc 10 months ago 3
She has a great voice, and listening to this is a bless. Unfortunatelly - my opinion - the performance depicts a fragile Queen. I think that is the shock we have here. Damrau was lucky enough to have a Director that understood what this Aria is all about: Power at no cost and hate of Men. But if you just listen, Dessay is perfect. I love her voice.
lowemgrim 10 months ago
SEE:
Natalie Dessay - Lakmé - "Air des clochettes" SUPERBE
amm1t5 10 months ago
Damrau is also incredible in terms of acting. But German is her mother tongue.
amm1t5 10 months ago
I think she is great. I saw her rendition of Pelléas et Mélisande de Debussy on DVD.
I didn't think she could sing this soprano part. She sings very well. Her german is good if you consider she is French. She played at the MET in Lucia di Lammermoor not long ago.
amm1t5 10 months ago
155 people are Salieri.
TheMagicSax 10 months ago 3
All the critics, you will die without doing anything as worthy as this one song. Remember it as you leave this world, please.
phallusbravo 10 months ago 18
I hope someone removed the costume designer from their occupation.
cailleachthehag 10 months ago 2
@cailleachthehag
THANK YOU. Just thinking the same thing. Is she Queen of the Nightgown?
chickachickabombom 10 months ago 2
Is there a DVD of this production?
MacyMabelle 10 months ago
@MacyMabelle Yes, you might want to check her "Le miracle d'une voix". ^-^
reyundertaker01 10 months ago
Oh dear! Dessay is the best Köning since Edita Gruberova! I've been waiting a new Köning for so long ! :D Dessay has also very good dramatic skills: she has created a strong character with convincing psychological aspects. And her voice has huge scale: she sings the high notes without difficulty or hoarseness (which is very common to other singer to this role..) Love her!!!!
MacyMabelle 10 months ago
wonderful Dessay, she creates a character, fantastic performance, the best with Eda Moser and Lucia Popp
mark6230 11 months ago
I love listening to Nathalie but have to confess!! I watch this vid to hear Dolly Roschmann say : Aber mutter! I reckon DR is the best Pamina going around and perhaps best ever!!
HaberfieldChiro 11 months ago
Amazing voice.I've seen a couple of different versions on stage, all very good....but this is simply ...WOW!
ayladieschnullerfee 11 months ago
good but, diana Damrau performance and vocal is more better
ibijoy 11 months ago
Wats that song saint song, wedding song?
jaimagix 11 months ago
@jaimagix she wants her daughter to kill Sarastro, so not really a wedding xD
Pumukl1000 11 months ago
Something's wrong here...Natalie's an incredible singer, but she isn't showing it. And she's an even better actress, but she seems to be holding back. What's wrong with this performance?
Oh, and the costumes don't help any.
durendal314 11 months ago
Guys, it's an opera. Not a musical, not a theatre, it's an opera, what means that the acting is not important, but the singing is. An aria is not a 'song', especially this one. It's an artistic masterpiece, so stop saying her acting isn't good.
DoryanGrey18 1 year ago 92
@DoryanGrey18 I'm sorry to intrude. I don't agree with you, at least not fully. An opera is a play in which music is more important than words. That doesn't mean that acting is not important. Regarding this particular performance, I don't quite like it. But I won't say a word against someone like miss Dessay, whose achievements are evident in her singing.
adriandelacruz 11 months ago 3
This has been flagged as spam show
@DoryanGrey18 I'm sorry to intrude. I don't agree with you, at least not fully. An opera is a play in which music is more important than words. That doesn't mean that acting is not important. Regarding this particular performance, I don't quite like it. But I won't say a word against someone like miss Dessay, whose achievements are evident in her singing.
adriandelacruz 11 months ago
@DoryanGrey18 I don't agree with you. Opera is both singing and acting. The problem is that it's very unusual to find someone who, in addition to have the necessary vocal skills, can also act. So we usually resign ourselves to poor acting. But when the combination of both factors happens to appear in someone, you feel that there's much more than just singing, and the experience is much more satisfying. This is exactly what happens with Diana Damrau in this role.
lospazio 9 months ago 7
@DoryanGrey18 While I agree with you technically, a successful soprano should be able to show acting skills as well in order to make recitatives convincing and bring the listener in the arias as well, it is an opera and not a recital, still.
metalcoreaddict 9 months ago
@DoryanGrey18 Well, aria is a song of sorts, but that's not the point here. True, that opera is mostly about music, but...
...but it's true while in a theatre. If you're seated further back than 1st or 2nd row of seats, you're not seeing much acting anyway. But here you have performances produced by or for TV, so it's a different thing now. Here you can judge acting as part of the whole experience.
And I must say that I would love to hear stronger german sounds, (all those "r"s)...
SpadajSpadaj 8 months ago
@DoryanGrey18 WOW! Someone has NO experience in opera at all apparently. Opera is the epitome of singing and acting merged into one. Opera has every bit to do with acting as it does singing. As for this, Natalie does not hold the stage well as the Queen of the Night. Besides the bad acting, her diction is also terrible, along with a very inconsistent vibrato. No control. Just because she has the notes, doesn't mean she should be singing this.
Lerma9012 6 months ago
@Lerma9012 I'm sorry, can you float around a high F and have perfect diction? It's impossible, thus opera houses utilize subtitles. Her vibrato is fine, it's perfectly natural for stratospheric notes to be more straight-toned than lower ones.
triplethreatx333 5 months ago
@triplethreatx333 I said nothing about straight tone. I'm talking about vibrato that is inconsistent in quality, tone and rate. As far as diction, I understand it is hard to have good diction in the higher range, but even her low range suffers from her lack of consonants. Truth be told, this song is meant more for a dramatic coloratura like Diana Damrau.
Lerma9012 5 months ago
@DoryanGrey18 As you are correcting people please note "it's an opera, which (not what) means.............
An aria IS a "song" an operatic song. And I beg to differ, the acting IS just as important as the singing. These days you want a singer who can do both and do both very well.
NART65 5 months ago
@NART65 she's not a singer, she's way more than that. Fuck off now.
LensherrA 5 months ago
@DoryanGrey18 technically it's an opus, opera is the plural, but ur point is very apt.
DetVarIkkeMig 5 months ago
@DetVarIkkeMig What does Latin have to do with it? Opera as we know it originated in Italy during the Renaissance, in Florence, and no, they haven't been speaking Latin then. In Italian "opera" means "work" in the sense of a work of art, and the actual word for opera as we use it is "opera lirica". DorianGrey18 clearly knows nothing about opera at all.
jewelmarkess 3 months ago
@DetVarIkkeMig Actually after reading comments, I can kind of see the DorianGrey18's point - opera is music first, words second, so acting is less important than singing, but it's still important. Regardless, it has nothing to do with "opus", it may be that the Italian word opera originated from it, but it is still singular in Italian.
jewelmarkess 3 months ago
@DoryanGrey18 wrote: "it's an opera, what means that the acting is not important"
Agreed, but only when opera is put into it's proper context. However, in the current context, I think people expect the acting because, unfortunately, we live in a very visual culture. Most people grew up watching TV/movies and so they expect good acting, although it's not their fault that they don't know about opera in it's proper context This is where modern education fails utterly. Just saying.... :)
TheWNMan 2 months ago
@DoryanGrey18 No it doesn't mean that acting is not important, it simply means it's less important than singing. It also means that more acting should be done through voice. Still, an aria is sung by a character, the character has personality, emotions. If only the voice mattered we'd not remember Callas who had a flawed voice but was known through her artistry. Even if one reads about singers before recording era like Pasta or Malibran - both known for artistry.
jewelmarkess 1 month ago
She didn't act bad. She executed this piece as if she was in despair. I already saw it played like a laughter and ohter times, like a crying.
kemimii 1 year ago
Her acting makes me think of a soap opera and you can hear she struggles with the high notes, personally I find this one of the weaker performances of this aria I have heard and seen.
floresdelaluna 1 year ago
I don't think her acting is terrible. On the contrary, I think she's executing the DIRECTOR'S vision. See, in theater, film, etc., there are these things called rehearsals, where the director instructs the actors/singers what to do. They have a vision for the character in mind (in this case, a neurotic mother), and it's the singer's duty to execute this vision. I think Ms. Dessay is frail, youthful looking and nymph-like, so there was really no way they could make her imposing.
operalibra 1 year ago 4
I prefer the little german singer!!!!!(Robin Schlotz)
Teresapiano 1 year ago
Why light blue for an evil person? Surely light blue signifies innocence ("baby" blue)
once again, the costume designer FAILS (see victoria joyce doing this to get what I mean)
danball7777777 1 year ago
@danball7777777 Right?? besides, she acts kinda in a comic way instead a dramatic, evil, tyrant way or sumthing... :P
xXxFF4everxXx 1 year ago
@xXxFF4everxXx
Yeah, I noticed that... she comes across like she's trying to be nasty but failing a little rather than just being evil incarnate.
danball7777777 1 year ago
@danball7777777 Since I've seen this I have been thinking she looks like a tiny fairy raher than a great and mighty angry queen, dressed this way... and her sweet and light voice doesn't help. :/
And the way she plays the role... I love Dessay and I like her very much, but I must say in this performance she looks like a hysterical fairy in her menstrual period.
3F93 1 year ago
@3F93 I think that's the greatest comparison I've ever heard (well I guess read...)
But yeah I agree. She didn't want to play the Queen of the Night, she doesn't like to play bad, so she tried to make a more "sisterly" mother...doesn't work to much when you're singing this aria
jtg10795 1 year ago
@jtg10795 Doing a sisterly thing while you sing something like "Vengeance of Hell boils in my heart, if you don't kill Sarastro get away from me because I will be no longer your mother and you will be abandoned forever" isn't exactly a good idea... but she sings it well, even if without enough fury, she could make a studio recording.
However, at least she doesn't play this role worse than Deutekom, who looks like such a lamppost with roots in the ground.
3F93 1 year ago
@3F93 I just watched Deutekom's version...so why exactly is Pamina crying? Oh wait her mom's supposed to be threatening to disown her? Really? Doesn't seem like that to me.
jtg10795 1 year ago
Is the Siebs's Bühnenaussprache not used anymore in German theatre?
Jorgenstor 1 year ago
She sings great ;]
But I didn't hear the hatred
But I love her voice
Mandje13 1 year ago
OH MY GOD. YOU PEOPLE ARE CROSSING SO MANY LINES. If you don't like her performance, say so, and explain the reasons behind you're opinion! Stop bashing Dessay and calling her awful things, stop bringing up other sopranos so you can call THEM ugly names, stop criticising their looks and questioning their sexual decency, stop saying they're horrible people. Its horrible and pointless, and since you don't even know these people, you're talking out of your asses.
RaWrZzZz 1 year ago 116
excellent!
dell19782008 1 year ago
I gave this a thumbs down because I heard Désirée Rancatore's performance and I prefer it. Désirée is more beautiful and better than Dessay ;-)
Makenor13 1 year ago
anybody can write me their german dialogue? :)
manjusaka92 1 year ago
Is this L'Opéra Garnier? Who is conducting?
Garpinator 1 year ago
I believe that it is the best interpretation of the queen of the night in the network. When I saw this Natalie's interpretation for the first time the eyes filled me with tears, I believe that it expresses pefectamente the surrealistic and emotional environment of this Mozar's aria.
The best ;)
dualmechanized 1 year ago
Miss Dessay is amazing artist.Her voice is really angelic and her technique is perfect.She is one of my favourite singers actualy.But specific role of the queen of the night demands something more than a perfect voice skills by an artist.in my opinion demands more passion more power more intense theatrical appearance and Dessay didn"t get right into a role as Damrau"s.Anyway i love em both
darkvoid132 1 year ago 3
Too fast i think...
mhax3 1 year ago
way over acted. Even General Hospital dont have this much melodrama.
Lightstrikers 1 year ago
All other versions that aren't Damrau seem so small in comparison. Love Dessay though.
sesshyssoulmate 1 year ago
HIMMLISCH !
GETTiNF0RY0U 1 year ago
pamina is pretty sad..
ikertznus 1 year ago
The voice is superbe but Madame Dessay does not come over as the High and Mighty Sovereign Lady who is the Queen of the Night.
Boerenfox 1 year ago
truly amazing is all i have to say.
TropicalMJ 1 year ago
increible 2:07
julicarpediem 1 year ago
magistral!
betharr 1 year ago
While some can't cope with the pace, Dessay seems to be rushing it! She can certainly hit the notes but not the best version I've heard.
fidelondon 1 year ago
Lol such a little woman has such a big voice. Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen. Tod und Verzweiflung!
ZiaddaiZ 1 year ago
She's just a little sharp sometimes, just a little.
CantoSemper49 1 year ago
brava!
mrobyy 1 year ago
brava
mrobyy 1 year ago
Well, I don't know, I can't comment her singing due to my complete lack of musical knwoledge (but I feel that maybe he is too fast on many passages). However, I think the acting is very good and an imaginative way of playng the Queen of the Night: she's trying to be both angry AND a mother: hers wrath is so strong to push her to repudiate her own daughter, and this should definitely be a painful moment - for both of them.
daniloxx 1 year ago
@daniloxx I remember reading somewhere that this is specifically Dessay's own interpretation on her part - she doesn't feel the Queen of the Night is a villain, and acts as such (as opposed to Damrau's version).
BirdmanDeuce26 1 year ago
Really well sung - but after watching Damrau's Queen of the night, I'm still a little bit deceived.
Her acting is far from perfect and so overdone... while Damrau joins a perfect voice to an amaziong interpretation of the Queen's role.
Xain3 1 year ago
@Xain3 I agree, this is very good, but Damrau owns this aria in my opinion. Her singing comes naturally, and perfectly, and her acting is amazing!
Dessay is acting badly and her singing is not as good as Damrau, even if she is also very good (This aria is terrible stuff to sing well).
musicredshoes 1 year ago
the voice - beautiful!!!!
but she didn't understand the "Koenigin der Nacht" really good!
Suzuki3Elisa 1 year ago
The voice is Wow! But the acting is No! She really sings well.
86THERON 1 year ago
Bella voce, ma lei è spaventosa Brrrrrr!
myrtlegroggins 1 year ago
Canta sin fallas!! hermoso!!
..pero no me gusta su actuacion...me sigo quedando con Diana Damrau
adr14ntr 1 year ago
Does Dessay actually speak German language?
Ma3Hu1 1 year ago
"...I need an adult..."
pardn 1 year ago
Even though Dessay's voice is superb, there's no one like Diana Damrau to sing this part. She actually understands the characther and the way she should be played, instead of this soap opera-like performance Natalie offers here. Wonderful voice, but such an awful acting...
VelvetCat1 1 year ago 3
0:55 to 1:30 => just wow... not many sopranos can sing that very high upper extension.
alibeshjr 1 year ago
Mozart war genial, aber mir gefällt Beethoven mehr, insbesondere die „Ode an die Freude“, die erfüllt mich mit Emotionen, und ich kann die auswendig anstimmen. Schade dass Mozart keine Zeit für den Unterricht von dem jungen Beethooven nicht gefunden hatte.
sadekasad 1 year ago
What the fuck, i don't understand why you say she's mediocre, You don't how it's difficult to sing that
MegaDocalex 1 year ago
MAJOR overacting, but you cannot deny the voice :)
fll7181 1 year ago
WONDERFULL!
SissiStrakovinch 1 year ago
la van correteando...
marenee85 1 year ago
GREAT!! Simply one of the best!!
franciscojosesax 1 year ago
Kristin Chenoweth sings this song better
ninskimig123 1 year ago
@ninskimig123 Kristin Chenoweth has never sung this aria, she could never pull this off.
tenor220 1 year ago
@tenor220 HAHA you are so wrong! Kristin Chenoweth performed a little bit of this song in her TV Show "Kristin" in episode 3. AND SHE PULLED IT OFF!
ninskimig123 1 year ago
@ninskimig123 I wouldn't call that pulling it off, but if that gets you through the day then call it what you wish.
tenor220 1 year ago
@ninskimig123
It's not a fucking song
ILoveSkarmbliss 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@ILoveSkarmbliss shut up. I call it what i want
ninskimig123 1 year ago
@ninskimig123 Oh, I wouldn't say she pulled it off. She sounded okay, but only okay.
durendal314 11 months ago
@durendal314
do you really complain the sound of an uploaded video?
this has a good quality but it will never be like the original.
Maybe some high or low ferquencys are missing because of the compressing or the mike which was jused.
Pedjetet 11 months ago 2
OMG!!! She can realy high with her voice!!
Nederland202 1 year ago
Co za kobieta co za głos
kaziuta12 1 year ago
ahem.....they dont make sopranos like they used to!!!!
HildegardBehrens 1 year ago