Georg Frideric Handel - Giulio Cesare in Egitto - "Da tempeste" (Beverly Sills)

[sayersbrock]

and her role as Cleopatra is what truly put her on the Pantheon of opera greats...am i going too far in saying that i find her trill technique just divine in every way?

[muatlas]

Sherrill Milnes and Beverly Sills made an album-signing appearance at a San Francisco more years ago than I care to admit. I brought all my albums--several dozen. Milnes kindly signed all the ones with him. Sills was on all the albums. She was very funny. As she signed her photo over and over again, she exclaimed, "My God, I'm getting younger and younger.

[Babs22h]

i would love to her fleming sing this (DONT CHOP OFF MY HEAD).. I just really enjoy hearing fleming baroque-it up a little;-)

[genlee555]

ughghg... not the best interpreter of baroque repertoire. And sorry balabanov11, but Carolyn Sampson rocks this shit.

[singinciaran]

Bubbles! :o)

[balabanov11]

Carolyn Sampson?! Are you kidding me? I just listened to her singing this - it would help if she first learned how to pronounce the language correctly ( it's laughable), and then learn how to sing fioratura. Apart from all that, it's a splendidly pedestrian voice as well. thanks for the tip - i never have to hear her again.

[haranoe]

@balabanov11 Why are you talking about Sills there while naming Sampson (are you even serious about the compared dictions of Sills and Sampson)?

People who got their ears and taste educated in XIXth century "opera" and postclassical musicality in general should stop making fools of themselves by attempting to judge XVIIIth century music and the "right" way to render it.

[haranoe]

Like Spaniards say, in the land of the blind rules the short-sighted one-eyed one

I am glad that finally someone like Carolyn Sampson can give material proof of why this sort of interpretation stinks... the orchestra in particulart is a riot.

[bjmiceli]

Sills is the only really complete characterization of Cleopatra which I have heard. She sounds young, clever, witty, willful, spiteful, charming, and beguiling. All the things we know Cleopatra to have been from historians. Sutherland is too heavy and mature sounding and the others on CD tend to lack the glamour and "star quality" which are so necessary for this celebrity from antiquity. Sills' voice is just right in weight and the ornaments sound natural and right.

[buddmar]

@bjmiceli What a brilliant and erudite observation! I thoroughly agree! What intrigues me is your reference to the real historical character that Miss Sills portrays. Is there not a tendency to see characters in operas as merely roles, even if it was based on a real person? The character is Cleopatra Thea Philopator VII, a Hellenistic queen of Macedonian descent and ruler of Alexandria and Egypt ... a woman so remarkable and enchanting she became the most famous woman of all antiquity.

[geomusic]

Bravissima! Thanks much, LindoroRossini!

[11357477]

Beverly Sills sings "Baby Doe" like no one will ever sing it again.

[Drelnis]

No one on today's stage will ever match her coloratura skills, whether this aria or any she's ever sung, musically and artistically.

[ReneeFlemingFan]

I LOVE YOU BEVERLY!!!!!!!!!! You are so awesome, come back to life and enchant us again!!!

[rshace4]

The music is wonderful.

[Robersinus]

this is astonishing! the da capo is perfection itself!

[oyamicanto]

I love you Beverly!

Thanks Lindorossini..

[carladlr78]

OMG Fabulous!

[bubblykings]

Beautiful voice! lovely!!!!! 5*****

[wickedismycrack714]

she just sounds so happy! that's what i love most about her- i can't listen to her without grinning like an idiot. best interpretation ever of this!

[carlo331]

Splendida. E i trilli sono in assoluto i più belli che si possano ascoltare

[metropolitan1966]

If I had a dollar for every note she sings in THIS! I could go away on a very nice weekend. Wow! The one and only!

[senesino83]

Fantastica ;)

[handeliantenor]

I just bought Sillsiana CD. I would like to say that it is one of the best CD I bought along with her Giulio Cesare. Her Baroque interpreation of Semele was down right awesome. Like Tenorboy200937 said the "Myself I shall adore" was awesome and also her "No, no I'll take no less." I loved her artistry in Handel's arias.

[kulsho]

Questo sì che è il modo di cantare Haendel! Grazie dello strepitoso ascolto.

[alejandra379]

those ornamentations are.... I have no words for them, thats how good they are... its like she says to other singers: right, top that if you dare-or can...

[Xerexda]

non still could

[revoltade]

How lovely to hear her in her younger days, the brillianc and her very personal timbre really gives something extra!

[willrobinson1229]

I think what is so special about Sills, aside from the technical mastery and musicality, there is JOY in her voice which is the rarest and most beautiful of qualities for an artist to possess. That special quality places her above all the rest who may be simply technicians.

[europeobsession]

you are so right!!

[geomusic]

Amen!

[CHerbek]

Amazing! The ornamentations are fine here.

[ChartreuseJenkins]

I was lucky enough to see her perform Lucia, and then again in recital at Hunter College on Long Island. Everyone has an opinion when it comes to Sopranos, I feel she was, and still is, unmatched. She also did so much for bringing opera to the masses. She came out as herself on TV, "Bubbles" Silverman. What a Gal, and what a lady.

[dynamicstuff73]

thanks for posting this!

[pearlmuth3]

surprised anyone can think Larson is in anyway better then this, though she looks good, sills is a sensation, VOICE AND TECH AMAZING..

[hillevifan]

Susan Larson's is a much better characterization of the role. Sills sings wonderfully- i wont take that away from her- but she is just a tad boring for my taste. No offense to sills- i love her dearly- but leave handel to those who can ornament properly and not distort the tune with ostentatious Coloratura and arpeggios!

[pearlmuth3]

BRAVA SILLS

[63Attila]

A great performance. Perfect for her voice.

[myrtillocactus]

She'a one of the best in coloratura but also in baroque... don't forget how important where ornaments in music of XVIII century

[hillevifan]

I love Beverly Sills' but Handel is not for her. Her voice is good, but the ornamentations are a bit much. Even though it is a bit uncoventional, I think that Susan Larson's version is the best!

[Theophrastus]

I'd agree on the ornamentations bit. She's a proper coloratura soprano but that bit is so ornamented that the actual tune disappears. Joan Sutherland's is far nicer musically, if not technically.

[CountertenorJ]

If one reads the history books of performances of this era, the castrati and prima donnas were known to ornament the music so much that sometimes the orchestras would have to stop to figure out where and what the singers were doing. I believe she ornaments appropriately (though not always tastefully) for the spirit and historical representation of virtuosity of the era.

[marioj34]

Tout simplement sublime et inapprochable...

[paminaase]

does she have two or three lungs =S arghhhh !

[edspecht]

One can't go beyond "perfect" especially with beverly. This video clip stands...forever...as the ultimate expression of Sills' talent.

[turandot82]

I have to agree. If were to introduce the Art of Beverly Sills to someone with one aria, This would be it.

[Tenorboy29307]

I would say that for me, 'Myself I shall adore' from Semele is downright impressive too!

[soprano543]

oh my God sosososososo beautiful

[benderpm]

I agree with all of the above. Sills was my favorite coloratura: lovely and passionate voice, expressive, lyrical and dramatic, too. All in one. Sutherland was a great singer, but did not have a beautiful voice, as Sills had it all!

[sevoflurane]

Bravissima! That's a recording to cherish!

[janejones11]

This is one of the finest recordings she ever made. Her coloratura is sensational and she is so musical and vivacious.

[godivapaw]

This is Bubbles at her most meticulous in her coloratura!  She was a specialist in this as well as with the sustained bel canto singing.

[smnole]

Really nice performance!

Thank you for posting it!

[operadm]

thank you LindoroRossini, a fitting remembrance for a lovely person with a truly lovely voice