Sondra Radvanovsky "Era desso il figlio mio" Lucrezia Borgia

[geigestimme]

Radvanovsky is a magnificent singer, but perhaps Lucrezia is at the limits of her (conspicuous) possibilities. She has to negotiate with the part a bit too much. In the end, I find her ok, but I don't think she is in her cup of tea here. From someone who made sound Amelia in Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera" an easy role (Chicago, 2010), I expected something more!

[Eiswirth1]

Her slow reading of this is not good, and her final high note sounds thin and strained. I love Sondra, but much prefer Sutherland's '72 version. No soprano has sung it better than Dame Joan!

[gustopheles]

@Eiswirth1 Two have sung it better than Joan, actually! Fleming and Papantoniou.

[mrantiquedealer]

unfortunate choice the final high note....

[prince2000ful]

The music is lovely. My kind of BelCanto. Sondra Radvanovsky has the possibility to become much better with more experience. She has good quality.

[GoldenAgeSunshine]

I can't understand all those laudatory comments. The color is terribly common, ordinary. No sheer tonal beauty. No trills. And pitch isn't perfect either. Not up to overrated reputation. Sorry but let's be honest and stop .... pretending.

[eurydike]

Sondra Radvanovsky has a voice as if she wasnt a soprano :) that is a compliment from me:)

[iriisblue]

This reminds me of Suliotis. Twenty-five years ago a performance like this would have been greeted with jeers and boos. Today it earns ovations. How standards do change.

[silsio]

stuneda!!!!

[Drelnis]

Whoa... a guy in an orange space suit?

[77Opera]

Quelle magnifique voix! Merci à vous Onegin65

[faberx1]

operadoc : rumors said that Maria Callas should had sang Lucrezia Borgia at la Scala in 1961 as the theatre was planning that to celebrate the return of the "diva" but she did not want to return in a leading role such as Lucrezia. Than the theatre change with " Poliuto " . This is what I have heard through Maria Callas's friends.

[VivaMariaCallas]

@faberx1 According to performance annals she was actually contemplating between Poliuto and La straniera (Bellini), not Poliuto. frankhamilton(.)org/mc/c5(.)pd­f

Radvanovsky's a terrific soprano, recordings don't really don her justice. She literally has the ability to rip the paint off the walls of a hall, the sound she creates especially up top is absolutely massive.

[vitellia]

I just realized I've visited this video multiple times leaving a few comments basically saying the same thing (great voice, not-so-great coloratura, etc...) What that tells me now is that her voice just appeals to me so much so that it doesn't really matter how imperfect her coloratura is. She's one of those singers surely capable of leaving her audience in tears. (I think I would if I saw her Lucrezia live.) BTW, I find it absolutely pointless to compare this to Sutherland, Caballe, etc...

[hippopattypie]

A goddess of a spinto, for certain; amazing color, fluidity and depth.She is one of kind among today's sopranos.

However, she is not a dramatic coloratura, plain and simple. One should not ingore intonation issues for any reason. I am tired of everyone saying these heavier bel canto singers don't exist... the repertoire has only recently come back into favor, thus those who specialize in it aren't necessarily well known AS OF YET.. there is one out there.You'll be hearing from her soon.

[vitellia]

@hippopattypie Angela Meade? I think we have always had those wonderful sopranos throughout: June Anderson, Mariella Devia, etc... Why would we need any "heavier" voices than those for this rep? I think we'll be fine as long as they don't build monster theaters like the Met any more.

[operadoc]

I know she never recorded this role- my question was why? It just seems that this role is totally suited for her voice and temperment. I cannot understand why she did not do it.

[luvxl]

when she was young, it was a role "only for old coloraturas" (still now, I'll repeat what everybody says by saying that Sutherland should've sung this much sooner)

Then in her 40s she was no longer a coloratura, plus she never actually got old... all of that is why she never sang the role. there are so many roles she shouldv'e sung anyway ^^

[Eiswirth1]

Sutherland sang this at age 46 in San Francisco; listen to her live recording here on YouTube. I really enjoy Sondra's version, but Sutherland's is even better.

[operadoc]

does anyone know why Callas never sang this role?

[ATsarIsBorn]

@operadoc Because the bel canto repertory had fallen into total disfavor. She resurrected it and she chose the roles that appealed to her. No one remembered Lucrezia or Roberto Devereux until she was past it. As for Maria Stuarda and Ermione, they had never been performed since their premieres. What could she do -- throw on an LP of Lucrezia to get an idea of it? Or go to see it somewhere? These works only existed on paper and in old books at that.

[lipera]

It's a great voice, I agree with allan saying that Sutherland and Gruberova sung this role to late, they could have done much better in their old days, i mean, it is still good their versions but it requires a steady voice like this one here.

[vitellia]

What a great huge unforgettable voice, but I just don't think she's cut out for the bel canto rep. I find her coloratura really effortful. To me it sounds like she sings slightly but noticeably under pitch, especially all the leaps, and scoops here and there.

[andrecueca]

she is actualy quite good...but im still waiting for a lucrezia like caballe..or sutherland...

[OrpheuCe]

the reference in that role is Dame Joan

[allanrosendo]

I dont think so, Sutherland sung it too late! Caballe is the reference in this role!

[BravoCorelli]

I´m Luis from Las Palmas and we had the oportunity of see Sondra three times in Lucrecia (role debut). Was amazing, not Gencer or Caballé, simply Radvanovsky, and enought. Great artist, great "fiato", good "tecnica", metalic squillante end bello "timbre". What's more?

[silsio]

no no no!!!

[flattilre]

I don't mean to sound like a Hun, but this redcording sounds absolutely wonderful. I mean, I think it is immensely enjoyable.

[ildivino83]

Okay, I will admit that this is not her best performance. I don't think she's right to play Lucrezia. HOWEVER, I will say that she's an AMAZING Leonora! I saw her a few weeks ago @ the Met, and she had me ready to throw a shoe at her she was so damn good!

[sschimel]

To be perfectly fair, I don't think the microphone does her justice here. I heard her in the broadcast of Ernani from the Met last year, and she sounded much better.

[semiramide1945]

Well after her Met performances this season her contract is at an end. I doubt she'll ever sing there again. There are several Lurcezias in the world who would have been superb, but american audienceswill applaud anything. This sort of singing would never be tolerated in Italy as the Milanese informed Fleming, but I won't even get started on her- Orrenda voce..

[IfYourMomWereATaco]

I'd say after her performances in Trovatore at the met this year, the met would be stupid not to have her back

[littlefish822]

actually, Gelb's Met has come to its senses and invited Radvanovsky back. The 2010-2011 season will see her as Tosca and another run of Leonora.

[raymzi]

lol. are you sure you informed yourself well on the fleming-scala incident?

it was an overall bad prima for multiple reasons outside the realm of vocals.

after the prima the booes went away. the milanese papers came to the defense of fleming.

[happyactor6]

I adore Fleming. However, her performance of this aria the night she was booed was sub-par. The high E (or Eb, idk I'm not by the piano) was completely straight-tone and ear splitting. Fleming has improved SO much since then.

I'm excited to see Sondra do Tosca in Denver!

[Drelnis]

Strange that comment coming from an American.

Fleming's a great Lucrezia, just happened to have an off day at Scala.

Her pre-Lucrezia Scala experiences weren't pretty much pleasant anyway, they weren't any better post-Lucrezia.

[semiramide1945]

I think we all have to agree to disagree when it comes to singers, their techniques, and basic voices. I'm American, but with an Italian parents. I sang there in small houses for more than 25 years. I know what singers go through. I simply don't like Fleming- It's just an opinion, I feel her mannerisms ruin the simplest song, others adore her and that's' fine. As Lucrezia give me Leyla Gencer anyday. Italians loved her. Ernesto Vasselli

[Drelnis]

I do agree. But I just cannot grasp the idea of some people who dwell over Callas or Flagstad or Nilsson and spend their whole days trashing sopranos of today's stage on Youtube.

I can't imagine how these people go to the opera, if they hate everyone on today's stage. It must be pretty boring to go to the opera and sit there thinking this dead person did it better.

Me personally I love everyone on stage, just as much as I do past diva Lucrezias like Sutherland, Caballe, Sills, etc.

[BetuliaLiberata]

They sould have kicked out the TERRIBIILI GULEGHINA-What haven't they done so yet?

[vitellia]

@semiramide1945 Sadly, I must agree with you on the American audience. That last Eb alone would've been enough; never mind the emotionally charged but nonetheless sloppy (coloratura) singing that came before it. But she IS a tremendous singer. What a voice! I just saw another video of her Lucrezia that's a whole lot better than this. (Maybe because that's actually a live VIDEO instead of just the audio?) This must've been an off-night for her. I don't think she's meant for bel canto, though.

[Lohengrin]

this girl has an E flat and she actually uses it! The coloratura parts indeed werent very secure but a very descent performance overall

[vitellia]

I think all the semi-quavers were basically flat or simply out of tune. It just sounded like portamento. I guess coloratura just isn't her thing. Very touching and poignant, though, in the non-florid sections. I'm sure she's much happier singing (late) Verdi and Puccini.

[InformedListener]

This production was disappointing. Neither soprano lived up to the the huge expectations of this role. I mean, it might be kinder to say that both Fleming and Radvanovsky were miscast as Lucrezia. This role is for a dramatic coloratura with chops. There is a reason why this difficult rondò is put at the end of a long night of feisty carrying on. I agree that both sopranos are great singers, but Lucrezia showed them just how wrong she is for their voices.

[josephlemon]

Just my opinion, her interpretation is all over the place. The registration is off, her attempts at trills are odd, but her vowels are especially not pure which pollutes the entire performance.

[operadm]

just heard her in the Washington National Opera production and she was absolutely superb. I was blown away. Her breath control (her pianissimos) were fantastic.

[vilabreze]

I just saw her in Washington National Opera 5 days ago--she's wonderful!

[matteobs86]

Insomma..stonatina..

[philaguy76]

this is a great soprano but i don't think she is doing well here. Her high note at the end was better not sung. It wasn't done well it had no meaning.

[sospello]

Thank you for posting this soprano; she is doing interesting things currently in San Franciso with Suor Angelica, so I was hoping to hear her in something quite different. A voice with many possibilities