She is absolutely perfect for this role. Perfect timbre, perfect technique. Her voice has that clear silvery sheen and crystalline purity without the awful canary quality to it. And both her diction and phrasing are wonderful. All coloratura sopranos try to sing this show stopping aria but hardly any of them do it justice. And her additional embellishments fit beautifully into the Rossini lines, and her top notes are miraculously melodious. I am sure Rossini himself would have been impressed.
June Anderson es una espectacular Semiramide. Tiene todo el glamour de una prima donna de primer relieve para este dificilisimo rol donde la coloratura vocal y las ornamentaciones propias del estilo rossiniano ponen los pelos de punta hasta el más sordo del mundo. Su presencia escénica también es encantadora y llena de mucho lirismo y sentido dramático al mismo tiempo. Sin duda es una de las pocas sopranos que han logrado cautivar con esta bellisima aria del arte rossiniano.
not my favorite rendition, but my favorite interpretation. Semiramide is in love. she's supposed to sound HAPPY! most singers sing this piece in such a serious, formal manner, like it's a march or a declaration of war.
June was singing so beautifully in this performance and at this time. So many beautiful clear high E's and then she shocked me at the end and didn't put the final E. I wish I knew why. She was in fine voice!!
@marchesano I wish i knew too! The performance was so spectacular and crystal perfect without it anyway. A lot of sopranos that do have that note don't add it all the time. She's a smart girl(she didn't go to Yale for nothing!). She knows what she's doing.
Es una gran cantante una de las mejores sopranos del siglo por su bellisimo timbre, en Rossini, me parece un poco pesada su voz ya que no es una Sumi Jo, o Sutherland en el pasado, pero en otros papeles es magnifica. cantando Bellini, Donizetti, es mucho mejor. pero aqui hizo un buen trabajo.
personally, I like it better this way. if it were Verdi, I'd prefer the Eb, but the piece as written is actually pretty low (some of my favorite versions are by mezzos). Semiramide was an evil bitch, not a fairytale princess so brighy high notes don't really fit the character. Rossinian music in general favored singers with a rich, round lower register. (this is just my preference though, I'm down with all sorts of ormaments =)
I also wanted to say that her coloraturas/variations in the "Dolce pensiero"-section are absolutely wonderful and give evidence of a great musical taste!!!
I think that 'Armida' by Rossini is much more challenging than 'Semiramide', but nevertheless the latter is also really demanding! (for any kind of soprano ;))
Look for the aria 'D'amore al dolce impero' sung by Maria Callas live in 1952! The audio quality is quite bad, but the singing is simply incredible! Enjoy!
Thank you for uploading this! June Anderson is superb in this role!
But I think that it's very problematic to say that the one or the other aria is the most difficult. It depends on the voice!! An example: Of course it's easy for a light coloratura soprano to sing Queen of the Night, but it would be impossible for her to sing Turandot. And the same counts the other way around: Someone who sings Turandot with ease would be completely overstretched if she had to sing the Queen of the Night!...
Perfect!^^ Another point: I think you also have to consider not only the technical challenges that a role demands from the singer, but also the question: Is the character difficult to portray? I think that roles like 'Norma', 'Medea',... are the most difficult ones for a singer to perform. Not only that these roles a highly demanding, they are also quite complex and difficult to perform!
Anyway! June Anderson delivers great singing here! Bravo!
She is absolutely perfect for this role. Perfect timbre, perfect technique. Her voice has that clear silvery sheen and crystalline purity without the awful canary quality to it. And both her diction and phrasing are wonderful. All coloratura sopranos try to sing this show stopping aria but hardly any of them do it justice. And her additional embellishments fit beautifully into the Rossini lines, and her top notes are miraculously melodious. I am sure Rossini himself would have been impressed.
Ariadne7710 3 weeks ago
This is amazing - the absolute best rendition of this aria I've heard. Brava June!
chebellamelodia 1 month ago
Fantastic! June Anderson was truly magnificent in the Rossini repertoir. :D
Salomes7Veils 2 months ago
DAMNNNNNN those high notes are GREAT ! Wonderful singing !
donpkra 3 months ago
1990 not 91
hchristopher1 3 months ago
Lei e' bravissima!!
dreamerjhhan 4 months ago
june anderson is so beautiful here
MrBaddel77 5 months ago
June Anderson es una espectacular Semiramide. Tiene todo el glamour de una prima donna de primer relieve para este dificilisimo rol donde la coloratura vocal y las ornamentaciones propias del estilo rossiniano ponen los pelos de punta hasta el más sordo del mundo. Su presencia escénica también es encantadora y llena de mucho lirismo y sentido dramático al mismo tiempo. Sin duda es una de las pocas sopranos que han logrado cautivar con esta bellisima aria del arte rossiniano.
Vanchy58 7 months ago
not my favorite rendition, but my favorite interpretation. Semiramide is in love. she's supposed to sound HAPPY! most singers sing this piece in such a serious, formal manner, like it's a march or a declaration of war.
raigekimaru 8 months ago
truly outstanding singing what an artist
lesliecrescent 8 months ago
questo è il massimo!!! fantastica:-)))))
simonidamiletic 8 months ago
Bravooooooooooooooooo pure art.
mrluistena 9 months ago
Bravissima ! Graziosa ! Dolce ! Amabile ! LA REGINA DEL BEL CANTO !
Nidoamor 11 months ago
This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD ! DPK
donpkra 11 months ago
I love Gruberova, but Sutherland and Anderson in this aria are the best. undoubtedly.
RodrigoBeauvoir 1 year ago
June was singing so beautifully in this performance and at this time. So many beautiful clear high E's and then she shocked me at the end and didn't put the final E. I wish I knew why. She was in fine voice!!
marchesano 1 year ago
@marchesano I wish i knew too! The performance was so spectacular and crystal perfect without it anyway. A lot of sopranos that do have that note don't add it all the time. She's a smart girl(she didn't go to Yale for nothing!). She knows what she's doing.
olympicfreak678 8 months ago
one of my favourite DVDs, a great performance
gman20101 1 year ago
Jesus !! June !!! Thank you !!!
SerchWagnerianBear 1 year ago
Es una gran cantante una de las mejores sopranos del siglo por su bellisimo timbre, en Rossini, me parece un poco pesada su voz ya que no es una Sumi Jo, o Sutherland en el pasado, pero en otros papeles es magnifica. cantando Bellini, Donizetti, es mucho mejor. pero aqui hizo un buen trabajo.
acitipo 1 year ago
What year is this from? What a great recording!
theoperagoddess 1 year ago
just wonderful.
lesliecrescent 1 year ago 2
Aww I love it when she sings the E.... :-(
mrportobello 1 year ago
Hermoso!!!, desde Argentina!!!
NoviaVampira 1 year ago
how does that much power and that sweet timbre exist in the same voice?
raigekimaru 2 years ago 2
what a flawless high range.
raigekimaru 2 years ago
June and Lella Cuberli were the greatest Semiramidas ever!!!They performed this part in Metropolitan in early 1990s with wonderful success.
uzytkownik1971 2 years ago
THE GREATEST SEMIRAMIDE!!!!!
Mic0fff 2 years ago 11
DAYUM.
JuillHope17 2 years ago
I'm not a fan of Anderson, but this is fantastic! There is an inherent elegance in this version that many, MANY sorely lack.
tenore23 2 years ago 2
what year is this?
TreblesBasses 2 years ago
1991 ;-)
leoperarm 2 years ago
Certified Intergalactic!
Dogaradodia 2 years ago
And the winner is...
June Anderson - Miss Universe!
Dogaradodia 2 years ago
I like June's voice a lot and it does remind me of Joan but some of her attacks at not that clean that is the only prob.
Operaman41 3 years ago
June, I love you!
ferrykalos 3 years ago 4
simple u think?
moghedien13 3 years ago
I love this rendition!!! I have another two favorites of this piece...Joan Sutherland (The art of the prima donna) and Teresa Berganza!!
thebarroque 3 years ago
jaja! Todas son geniales...Pero mi favorita es la de Edita Gruberová! ;-)
leoperarm 3 years ago
Escuchare la de Gruberova xD
thebarroque 3 years ago
GREAT!!!
leoperarm 3 years ago
I love Edita, she's my favourite soprano voice, but, have to admit - June is better in this aria.
MisterSoprano 2 years ago 11
I totally agree with anything you've said, although I miss the Eb at the end.
andara1987 2 years ago
I miss it too! :)
MisterSoprano 2 years ago
It's an E natural.
dougbalt 2 years ago
@andara1987
personally, I like it better this way. if it were Verdi, I'd prefer the Eb, but the piece as written is actually pretty low (some of my favorite versions are by mezzos). Semiramide was an evil bitch, not a fairytale princess so brighy high notes don't really fit the character. Rossinian music in general favored singers with a rich, round lower register. (this is just my preference though, I'm down with all sorts of ormaments =)
raigekimaru 2 years ago
This is MET's performance I think, with M. Horne, S. Ramey - very good one, have a video tape at home.
MisterSoprano 3 years ago
Slaughter the chorus.
Laeliapurpurata 3 years ago 2
5.39-5.50, beautifully executed!!
melonpanda 3 years ago 2
I love June! Brava!!
operadude32 3 years ago 2
I love this!!!!! Thank you for posting!!!
maggeo78 3 years ago
wonderful performance
neapolis1982 3 years ago
I also wanted to say that her coloraturas/variations in the "Dolce pensiero"-section are absolutely wonderful and give evidence of a great musical taste!!!
I think that 'Armida' by Rossini is much more challenging than 'Semiramide', but nevertheless the latter is also really demanding! (for any kind of soprano ;))
Klassizismus 3 years ago
'Armida', I've never heard of it ;P. I'll look for it!
leoperarm 3 years ago
Look for the aria 'D'amore al dolce impero' sung by Maria Callas live in 1952! The audio quality is quite bad, but the singing is simply incredible! Enjoy!
Klassizismus 3 years ago
Wow!!!
The best soprano ever recorded, no doubt.
Thank you for introducing me to this opera.
leoperarm 3 years ago
Thank you for uploading this! June Anderson is superb in this role!
But I think that it's very problematic to say that the one or the other aria is the most difficult. It depends on the voice!! An example: Of course it's easy for a light coloratura soprano to sing Queen of the Night, but it would be impossible for her to sing Turandot. And the same counts the other way around: Someone who sings Turandot with ease would be completely overstretched if she had to sing the Queen of the Night!...
Klassizismus 3 years ago
Haha! you're right, I'll fix it.
leoperarm 3 years ago
Perfect!^^ Another point: I think you also have to consider not only the technical challenges that a role demands from the singer, but also the question: Is the character difficult to portray? I think that roles like 'Norma', 'Medea',... are the most difficult ones for a singer to perform. Not only that these roles a highly demanding, they are also quite complex and difficult to perform!
Anyway! June Anderson delivers great singing here! Bravo!
Klassizismus 3 years ago