Astrid Varnay sings "O don fatal" from Verdi's Don Carlo

[rrgallo]

I am currently reading her bio...and she said her voice always was darker than the typical dramatic soprano...She really sounds mezzo-ish..maybe she was a very high mezzo (and could handle soprano tessitura for 30 yeras)...and maybe that's why her mezzo days were also long and fruitful....

[BravoLucero]

She definately sounds more like a mezzo. She sounds wonderful. I have not heard her sing this.

[raigekimaru]

if you ask me, she's more of a mezzo that sang soprano roles than the other way around. her timbre is wonderful, but there is nothing soprano-ish about it =P

[Dymension]

Very good!

[AmericanEvita]

Astrid Varnay singing Eboli is surprisingly good. This is a role for a high mezzo, but because Varnay has a dark timbre, it suits her perfectly. Her other Verdi work include Leonora from Forza Del Destino (the aria Pace Pace Mio Dio) which also very impressive. I believe Varnay could have sung a terrific Lady Macbeth as well. And yes like someone pointed out, she is in character and emotes just as well as any Italianate soprano

[MrQwerty88]

@AmericanEvita Astrid Varnay did sing Lady Macbeth... in German though. She may have also sung it in Italian at some stage, but I know she at least did it in German. I've got some recordings of it :)

[rrgallo]

@MrQwerty88 She sang Lady M in Florence as well...



[MrQwerty88]

@rrgallo Brilliant! Thanks for that :)

[kgarmaker123]

@AmericanEvita This aria, however, has three sectioins, two of the three require a soprano who can handle the tessitura.. Only the middle section, allows the singer a break.. Varnay is fabulous at most everything she sang.. She had a major voice. ( the last section, strangulates many a singer.).

[andreideathboy]

Thank you very much for posting! This interpretation is very different, Varnay's voice might not be italienate enough, but she had a very powerful voice and her control was amazing...many people have the sensation that wagnerian sopranos lack the emotion...In her case that's definitely not true...

[mrrk]

not good sorry

[ezayi]

Sorry... I didn´t like this at all!

[marlyharris]

I never knew she'd sung this aria so this is my first hearing. Her astonishing instrument is certainly not the typical one to do this music but it's exciting to hear it.

[jrtrmish]

Truly one of the two greatest soprano sfogatos of the 20th century. (Shirley Verrett was the other.)

[raigekimaru]

@jrtrmish

you forgotten Callas =)

[goldenthroat86]

Oh my! Astrid is a natural for this role...

[tristanchord85]

My favorite aria! Always interesting to hear a soprano attempt it. Heard Callas and Nillson. Varnay is completely at home in this aria.