Sondra Radvanovsky "D'amor sull'ali rosee" Il Trovatore

[buffetosca]

ma chi suggeriva non poteva essere un po più discreto?

[Crwthy]

One of the finest Verdian sopranos before the public today.  Her Leonora at the Met was spectacular. her pianissimo singing in the opera house is astonishing. Brava!!

[ullahoo]

I have just seen the direct broadcast from Metropolitan. Sondra Radvanosky was simply splendid and this aria had me crying like a baby!

[Tetsugakusha75]

Honestly, I was afraid of being bored by the extremely long solo parts of Leonora in the 4th act when I went to Pittsburgh's Benedum Center on November 13, 1999. But it was Mrs Radvanovsky who sang Leonora, and I wished she would never stop. Oh, what a wonderful experience.

[AOG93]

I like her... I don't care if others don't. Good artists always devide opinions. Callas did, Milanov did, Price did, And Sondra does...

[pkunzip501]

I think it is part of getting old when people can not open their ears (and hearts) to the younger generation of artists. Indeed, I was told that Price cannot compare to Milanov: If I had ONLY heard Milanov in her prime. Sandra is proving herself to be the real thing. She now has the first HD telecast of Trovatore from the MET. Who else could do Leonora better? Yes, I know: Milanov, Price,Callas, Ponselle, Tucci and whomever else someone adored when they were still "young." Sandra is NOW. PERIOD.

[manrico29]

Marvellous voice, floating pianissimi, altogether a delighful interpretation.

Brava Sondra !!

[mariastuarda51]

I saw Ms Radvanovsky singing Leonora in Verona this summer 2010. Brava! I have heard many Leonoras in Il Trovatore in my life, but never ever I have heard sang this stunning aria in the way as she didi it. Verona's Arena is huge, I was not close to the stage but I her heavenly beautiful voice even in piano was heard heard and all her singing and presence was very impresive. Together with Marcelo Alvarez dominated in this marvelous performance by F.Zeffirelli.

[all4jen]

I saw Sondra sing this at the LA Opera about six years ago. I can't get the image out of my mind and heart of her melting into this song. She brought me to tears in the theater - and she's the reason I'll go to NY next year to hear her sing this live again.

[Katiekinsism]

@all4jen I saw her at LA Opera too, and I feel exactly the same way. She brought the house down! The conductor applauded her, she was that brilliant. I'm also going to see her at the Met next year =D Enjoy it!

[FigaroBravo]

No One! No One I repeat can touch Sondra as Leonora. A very well balanced singer.

Great techniques with great respect to Verdi. I am sure Sondra is Verdi's favorite

student. Big BRAVO from FigaroBravo.

[yesblanche]

@FigaroBravo yes she is wonderful...but I would venture to say that Price owns this role but presently I suppose Radvanovsky is the standard.

[johndlabella]

She lacks clear vowels: no "ee" [i] vowel. Lacking the different colors makes the voice seem frostier than it could be. Still, it's good support, honest singing through the line, and doesn't cheat. You can actually hear all the pitches! Of course, there are too many rolled 'r's"...On the other hand, it's actually big enough for the role. Put all those things together and I'd pay to go see her and I'd be . . .not thrilled but pretty content. And that's really good these days.

[Arnold3135]

@johndlabella A very honest, objective and fair assessment of Ms. Radvanovsky abilities. I also think that were she to clarify her vowels, the voice would have greater clarity and beauty. Her presence at the Met and elsewhere, keeps the Verdi tradition alive. For this, I am very grateful. Thanks for your thoughtful observations, I agree with you completely.

[jimmyl324]

excellent!!!!!!!

[redhead529]

And the prompter can be heard easily here, too.

[wpunderlich]

Wonderful! A true young artist

[johngarner3]

she is def one of the best singers today because most of them are awful

[VantisDoroHall]

A little Callas, a little Price, but not the passion of either, and a lot of good sound. She doesn't blow my socks off on this video. But it is just a video. Still, I like her a lot, and wish i could have heard the live performance. I like the tempo. However, it has to be too early for snow. Isn't it?

[BravoLucero]

why can't viewers here just sit back and enjoy the performance instead of picking it apart...She sang this beautifully

[gerardsatamian]

@BravoLucero

It makes them feel important!

[DivasraplentyIAMNOT]

I love her voice. She makes me proud that I practiced singing for five hours today. (with breaks in between) I am most impressed with the commments that everyone has made. These are the best comments I've ever read for any video I've ever watched on youtube. Thank you.

[cleanears]

WHAT IS SHE WEARING??? ...AND IS IT SNOWING? HELP!!!!! WTF??? Typical modern singer. A talented amateur. What's gonna happen in 10 years time?

[johngarner3]

this is great dont get me wrong but someone dared compared her to la price and that would be a joke

[pkunzip501]

@johngarner3 I heard Price in Trovatore at least a dozen times over a 25 yr period and I DARE to compare them. They have much in common: they sing that aria as written including the cadenza: they trill (but Sandra's is superior), they have a brilliant free top; they have piani; they have Verdi style, and they have a pronounced but healthy vibrato.When I loved Price I was told that she was trash and I dare not compare her to Milanov. Sandra is her own singer.ONLY TIME (AND HISTORY) WILL TELL!

[johngarner3]

she's no price sorry . Yet amazing its the lack of passion in her voice something's just missing but a gorgeous tone

[pkunzip501]

Very well put. She is no Price. As Price was no Milanov. Other than that you can go on and on all day. I thoroughly believe you that you are a huge Price fan. As for Sandra, time and history will tell. Your current opinions, or mine, for that matter are only our opinions. Her place in the history of great singers will be determined with or without your praise or denigration.

[htshoward]

I agree, no Price. Nice tone though.

[sopranosd]

You are right. For one thing, every singer deserves to be analyzed on his own merits, and not endlessly compared to the greats, or even the mediocres. However, Radvanovsky does not suffer by comparison to Price. I saw this production of Trovatore live, and she was pretty electrifying. Her voice just shimmers , and has such a clean and youthful top, despite its size. She handles cavatina, caballeto or recitative with equal ease, and feels very Verdi. And she can act.

[LohengrinT]

Milanov was the trash actually. The only reason the Opera Gays loved Milanov was because she was attacking all Operatic Superstars (she was bad mouthing callas, sutherland etc for years). She was the Queen of All Bitches, an extremely ugly woman and a dreadful singer. Also she was the Queen of Bad Pitch - more off tunes than Madonna :)))

[htshoward]

@pkunzip501 The person/s that told you Price was Trash were imbeciles lol. OMG! Price is trash? That is almost sacrilegious Geez. Yes, their voices are similar. I prefer Price (of course), but Sondra is as close as I have ever heard since. Brava!

[scarpia1965]

Outstanding and breathtaking! Bravissima!

[clmsoprano]

I'm transported to the golden age. stunning.

[r4ralph]

Greatest in my lifetime and I'm 62.

[JuillHope17]

you should hear her now, it's even MORE ridiculously amazing.

[lesm32]

definitely. i just saw her do it at the met... brought tears to my eyes!

[raymzi]

i was devastated when she climbed the gate...OMG theatrical coup!!!

[AnwarAloysius]

Am I the only one who thinks the tempo is a bit too fast? Doesn't sound like adagio to me. This moment is the darkest moment for that character. She feels completely alone and all she wants is for her lover to be happy and healthy. It needs to be slow enough to really convey that. They slow down toward the end, but it's too late.

[cmmenah]

She does a wonderful lecture of this difficult aria. But she lacks technique to produce correct pianissimi. They should sound at the maschera, not in throat. Once again, a good voice, not ready for Trovatore.

[Lohengrin]

This is one of the most difficult arias in the history of Opera and... Brava Sondra! very well sung indeed. It is so frightening yet so exciting she is attempting the Callas repertoire...

I think the best voice teachers should collaborate and concentrate on this woman in order to preserve her voice while singing this unbelievably difficult repertoire

and... her trills are e x q u i s i t e!

[r4ralph]

Saw her at Lyric - just spectacular!

[r4ralph]

Just spectacular!!

[sevoflurane]

Where did you leave the trills Sondra?

[Oneguin65]

There are trills at 05:04 and 05:54

[sevoflurane]

Yeah whatever... I suppose 2 are better than nothing lol.

[EnriqueCross]

@Oneguin65

the whole voice is a trill.

[Anchetu]

@Oneguin65 the whole voice is OUT of pitch and is a trill.

[msnicopanicos]

Write you the aria , if you want that she is all trilling

[sevoflurane]

It has already been beautifully written with trills and everything.

[gerardsatamian]

@sevoflurane

You're so great! You're so knowledgeable!

[gerardsatamian]

@sevoflurane

Where did you leave your heart?

[greenstboy]

Someone should move the mike away from the prompter!

[Liucalaf]

I agree! I was just thinking this was the loudest prompter I've ever heard

[BaroquePearl419]

I agree! Very Very Very loud prompter!

[engjr123]

I am a Callas fan. Radvanovsky is even better. I saw Radvanovsky in Vespers in Paris, and was bowled over. Here she made me weep in joy.

[engjr123]

I am Callas

[voce29]

she is not bad? What are you taking about?This is a truly exciting and beautiful rendition of this very difficult aria. I just heard the Met Matinee of Ernani and will hear her on april 10th in this role.I let you know how the life performance will compare to her lovely performance to day.

[datschigirl]

She's not bad, but the tempi in both arias are too slow - Who's the conductor?

[seligster125]

This is lovely, but seems slightly too mannered. I just wish she wasn't so scared of using chest voice! There are several moments in the aria that lose some of their poignancy when sung with head resonance, especially with a voice like SR's. She should listen to Gencer.

[franrat]

beautiful, and I have heard more famous names that left me cold. Yes jetjordan there are some callas sounds in there... but she is dead try to find a worthy replacement and forget about making comparisons, there was always only one callas

[midas45]

BRAVA ! This is lovely ... very moving ... a real pleasure to hear. This voice reminds me of of Alessandra Marc. Something in the way this voice vibrates turns me on, it's a very sensual sound! Thanks Oneguin 65,

[Gigglingatagas]

I heard Sondra Radvanovsky in the Stabat Mater of Rossini, and I was floored. The voice is colored in a way that does, in fact, suggest a "Callas"-like timbre. She's a very sensitive musician, it seems, and I always look forward to what she's doing next.

[operapazzo1]

Guys, please, I do not mind fast vibratos when they are steady and in tune but this woman is like she can't control her vibrato and you can hear how it constantly wants to go out of tune, either flat or sharp. I can't stand that, it really disrupts the music! This is a problem and it bothers the ear of the listener. Listen to Ponselle, Caballe,Gencer.

[Lohengrin]

have u heard Caballe singing this aria in teatro Liceo in 1966 where she cracks one of her pianissimmi? talk about big interruption and of course caballe never sang the high D between the final "le pene le pene del mio cor..." as also Ponselle never did. The only singers who managed to hold a perfect vocal line in this dreadfully difficult aria were early Callas, Sutherland and Leontyne Price!

[asisecanta]

The most exciting rendition of this aria since Caballé!

BRAVA!!!!!

[SheeroneCA]

I saw her in this role three years ago at Los Angeles Opera. Imagine, with her and Dolora Zajick as Azucena, it was the ladies' night at the opera. What control of Verdi's long melodic line. I can't imagine it any better.

[jetsetjordan]

Saw her in this in Cincinnati at May Festival. She was just amazing. We are calling her the new callas.

[singthesilences]

Why do you need a "new Callas"? Wasn't it just enough we the real one? This is a complete new and fresh singer.

[jetsetjordan]

This a indeed a new singer, but there are some wonderful similarities to Maria's voice. I love having someone who has those qualities because in my 18 year life we haven't heard anyone who has that similar sad quality to the sound, and such wonderful musicality.

One who loves Callas but only knows her from her recordings is glad to hear someone with a similar quality...at least that is the case with me.

[liamandsarah]

I agree singthesilences.

there can never be another Callas. this is a new singer, she will be known as her own person in her own right.

[scarpia1965]

Thanks for posting. She is great. Have a look at Raina Kabaivanska...

[sschimel]

I'd never heard of her before I read that she was starring next season in Ernani at the Met. What a beautiful voice. It's nice to hear a soprano who doesn't have to blast out the high notes.

[operapazzo1]

I rather hear big, solid singing in tune and without that uncontrolled vibrato than softer singing because the music and its line is the most important.

[ezcascar]

For many years that no soprano sang this aria like Radvanovsky. Brava!

[presleyflutist]

I saw her in this role a few months ago in Chicago. Excellent! The biggest voice I'd seen all season.