Phenomenal! This is great coloratura singing, despite a little blurred diction, although i find her mainly clear here. She was a phenomenon with a big heart, sense of humour and voice to match! Handel would no doubt have been awe-struck by this great singing.
On the day of Joan Sutherland's passing I've been listening to all the versions of this piece on YouTube. And as lovely as Kathleen's version is, it is no match for the young Joan. Highly recommend giving a listen to it. It's over on your right ----->
awww, am near to tears; Bless you Dame Joan for dedicating your life to this wonderful artform, for sharing your prodgious talent for YEARS with the world.
I know the sacrifce singers have to make to succeed; the pursuit of this career is not for the fainthearted; it truly is a love.
Thank you for all you have sacrifced and you have given.
RIP Joan - where are the people who can sing like this today? There are those who pretned - but we are losing the art of great technical singing while supposed teachers who are not singers themselves continue to apply all manner of science and methodolgy to singers! Beauty of singing is paramount and THEN you start to add the extras
Sutherland is, of course, incomparable and truly impressive! I also must add that the orchestra is exceptional, especially the brass. The entire performance is just the best!
Nuevamente ande averiguando y no hay nadie que se iguale a Sutherland nas frases finales... donde ella subi la nota increible.... nadie hacen eso... solo Sumi Jo pero horrible le sale..... Sutherland es la única... que les parecen?
Me encantó la apresentación de Sutherland en esta área.. yo la comparé com muchas otras y ninguna puede llegar a alcanzar la nota mas alta de la frase final de esta área.... para mi ella es un milagre..... yo soy apacionado por Sutherland....
What a wonderful recording of this piece! Thanks for posting this. I heard this on the radio and it was informally referred to as "the trumpet aria." I was sad because not knowing the correct title kept me from finding it for a long time.
something seems off when Joan performs more simplistic light hearted music. it's the kind of feeling you would get if watching a romantic comedy and Zena warrior princess popped out of nowhere in the plot. she has such a dramatic lacrymose heroic voice that you just can't help but think she is a force (often supernatural force) to be reckoned with.
most likely...seeing how this is a baroque piece with a principle trumpet you just kinda of assume that the key of the piece is in fact D. In the baroque area trumpets played best in D so alot of pieces in D you can expect to hear a trumpet. like the hallelujah chorus and the trumpet shall sound and worthy is the lamb/amen all from messiah.
Sutherland and Battle have the cleanest and clearest coloratura of all the performances on YouTube. In addition, those two are among the very few who actually sing the g (instead of the mistaken f) in the B section. They also have the most stylish ornamentation in the repeated A section. I love Renee Fleming's voice, but find her a bit grandiose in this kind of music.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
If we didn't know that this voice was Sutherland, would we still find it note worthy? Interesting the effect branding can have on our opinions of otherwise inappropriate casting. Perhaps it's just this recording, but what a dull sound she produced here.
maybe part of the dull sound is beacaue this person who made this was playing it in her room with not so great acusics??? but still i think it sounds very nice and i dont really know who she is.... just saying
Could be, doeraybaby. I meant also not only the sound but also the energy. Certainly she is has not as talented a voice, but the Renee Fleming recording here is a much more exciting listen. But you are right, it could be in part due to the acoustics.
Not really the acoustics....but try when this was recorded. This was probably recorded in the 1960's or very early 70's at the latest. Recording technology has definitely changed since. Joan Sutherland, the singer, was one of the greatest sopranos of all time. This recording does not do her glorious voice justice. She had perfect technique and no one has come close to matching her, since!
Renee Fleming is a lovely singer as well. I love her.
That "dull" sound is caused because she is actually trying to sing with diction here. She almost got it, but usually she ignored all diction and just went for the most round and garbly sound she could.
This recording, as well as this way of singing(that is to say the only real true technique) is absolutely perfect!!!
there's no a "baroque technique" but just a style....misunderstood usually for a technique...that's way almost all "baroque" singers sound like sick chickens...she (as all the other singers who applies for the real technique) reach the right level in which EVEN baroque should be always sung...could you believe it?! -_-
@Straricc There is no "only real true technique." Singing is not a magic art form (that's musicality). Singing is a science. Baroque artistry is indeed a style. That "sick chickens" tone is even a part of that style (I am assuring the pure, straight tone). All of it is relative. The only thing I can say for sure is that Ms. Sutherland had wonderful support and production, though faulty diction and some pretty haphazard coloratura at times. It just wasn't always in time.
this is more of the right style for Sutherland - i think when she tries to do the romatic operas she fails because she isnt passionate enough - i heard her do La Traviata and against Freni it just doesnt work - but put Freni in this role and that wouldnt work either
Battle's voice is tiny by comparison with Sutherland's.
Marsalis plays beautifully, but impossibly for Handel's time. In any case he turns the piece into a duet and pulls amazing stunts, some of which Battle accompanies.
The last few flips on the trumpet are just tasteless. They both should have listened to previous recordings and restrained themselves.
her voice wasn't that big.. she excelled in lighter pieces mainly baroque music.. donizetti,opera's a few rossinis.. and other light pieces.. never verdi or wagner..strauss.. or other composers that reguire dramatic voices..
well, sutherland was a Dramatic colortura soprano. Meaning, that yes, she did indeed excel in "lighter" pieces, but Dame Joan's voice had the power of a dramatic soprano.
Actually, Dame Sutherland trained as a Wagnerian soprano. It was only upon meeting Bonynge that she changed to coloratura. It took Bonynge a while to convince of this, of course. So she well could and in fact did (perhaps not performed as repertory) Wagnerian roles.
Bigger than Callas' and Nilsson's. In fact had Sutherland decided to stick to Wagner, she would've overshadowed Nilsson. She did overshadow Callas in bel canto. And Verdi? Sutherland was a great Violetta, Gilda and Leonora in Trovatore. Puccini? Great Turandot on record, but fortunately again for Nilsson, never sang it on stage.
Hmm she sang Verdi roles, but did she really excel at them outside of Violetta? I don't think we can say that. Her 4th act aria in Trovatore was nice, but her first Act work was weak, it required more soar than she had. Outside of the top notes her voice actually didn't have that arching soaring sound that you really need. Its why she never sang Butterfly or Tosca. Her Turandot is great but thats a non-traditional Puccini role. I think she would have been a great Brunhilde though
LOL Sutherland overshadowing Callas?Are you insane Callas sells much more disks than Sutherland.Sutherland's voice was great but she was extremely poor and inexpressive as a musician plus her recordings have very little artistic value since she worked mostly with Bonynge,a third rated conductor.
Big Macs outsell caviar every day. Callas was the 'big ugly voice', like Serafin used to call her. Ugly doesn't begin to describe it in fact. Great for verismo and Wagner, not belcanto.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Sutherland's sloppy scooping,non existing phrasing and rubato,limited dynamics and vocal coloration doesn't fit to bel-canto.She was great in Handel and Meyerbeer,not belcanto.People went to theater to admire her high notes and trill not her artistry.She was just a vocal freak totally devoid of any musicality.Callas was ''the Bible of opera'' like Bernstein used to call her.
lolol, don't embarrass yourself online for the whole world wide web to enjoy your stupidity. It's okay to be a Callas fan, but she'll always be opera's biggest lie.
The great Australian coloratura soprano in [her] element here...:). Handel... really is made for her... to do this with a voice the size of Wagnerian soprano is quite a marvel. Really something to keep ones eye on... you simply never know when her turn of phrase may turn. Thanks for this post. My warm regards,
The ONLY rivals to Joan Sutherland are the voices to God's angels in heaven, Battle's voice is outstanding but does not have the power of Sutherlands, nor the clarity nor exactness of timbre.
Nice voice but sutherland gets to much hype, she is a great soprano one of the greatest, but not so great that no one can EVER compare! like her over zealous fans like to think. Say what you want but battle take on this song is equally as good, some might say better, does that mean the battle is overall better no, but Sutherland is not PERFECT no one is. Battle performance make me think of spring time, roses and unicorns, LOL its just as magical
Both are absolutely lovely--it comes down to taste. I personally give Kathleen Battle's performance here on Youtube the edge because of Wynton Marsalis at the trumphet.
Battle excels as as a soprano leggiero. Her vocal type is supposed to evoke 'spring time, roses and unicorns' -- and I must add she has a mean coloratura to boot! Dame Sutherland ( I admit myself as one of those overzealous fans who thinks hers the best voice ever) excels as a dramatic coloratura soprano. The 'dramatic' is precisely the power that we like! They both do fantastic jobs in their respective Fachs. It's not a question of Sutherland v. Battle but of the voice you like the aria in
Sin duda estoy de acuerdo con xerardogomez... es la mejor version... sobre todo por que hace mierda a todas estas putas barrocas que no saben cantar y lo hacen sin vibrato y con adornos que pareciera que no tienen ni altura ni tecnica para afrontar esta musica
Sutherland's pyrotechnics are unparalleled. She amazes me, using that huge voice with absolute agility; like doing petit point with a battering ram! Her technique is impeccable.
She is not the most expressive soprano, and whereas her legato is seemingly endless, her diction leaves much to be desired. But I suppose one would not ask a canary to warble more distinctly, or enunciate more clearly. Deservedly, she hold a huge place in Bel Canto, not to mention Can Belto!
yes, i agree w/ you. To be a dramatic coloratura soprano, like Dame Joan, is truly a gift. In my mind, to be a dramatic coloratura soprano is probably the most yearned for voice in the female classical world.
I heard many sopranos at Lyric Opera of Chicago, but Sutherland simply rocked the entire House with her all-encompassing voice!
I am wild about Sutherland! She's stupendous!
Another equally exciting, but totally different kind of soprano is the incomparable Virginia Zeani. Her evocative powers make my heart skip! Please let me know what you think of her. Zeani's voice is not as large as Joan's, but Zeani Can Belto, too, when appropriate!
Zeani-there's a special singer! Richard Bonynge says like Joan she had one of the 3 greatest voices of the 20th C. Maybe not so humungus as Joan's, Zeani's was and still is vast, with a unique, plangent beauty.
Their careers were strangely intertwined & had Zeani's London Lucias in 1957 not been so successful, Covent Garden might not have staged Lucia for Joan. How lucky we were to have both these sublime artists. Hear Zeani, as Joan's unrehearsed deputy, in La Traviata complete on my Channel.
Oh, that's great! Thank you for the heads-up, CharlotteinWeimar! I shall listen to that recording of Zeani tonight. She followed Sutherland, unrehearsed? How brave of her! I love the rich, dark timbre of her sound! So, tonight I'll go to Zeaniland! Thank you!
I heard her sing this at Covent Garden. Jon Vickers was magnificent and touching as the blinded Samson.
Then, after his body was borne in at the end, to the Dead March from Saul, Joan stepped forward from the crowd and blew us all away with her stunning, joyful singing, right up to the amazing top D.
Unforgettable! And a couple of months later came her great first Lucia.
only devia, gruberova and sutherland sing this aria well, the coloratura is absolutely fantastic and the high notes, joan sutherland was BIG when she was in her prime.
Joan Sutherland made her American debut (1963) at Winthrop University. She was accompanied on a concert grand by her husband. As a voice major, I had the amazing privilege of sitting in a workshop, seminar. I also heard her just before she retired, as she performed at Music Hall with the Cincinnati Orchestra. You think that she's amazing on YouTube, you should have heard her in person. A truly amazing singer!
Joan Sutherland was just as amazing in 1963. Her performance at Winthrop University, her debut in U.S., was written in NY Times as, "Australian Diva make American debut in hide-a-way women's university in the south.
Dame Joan Sutherland would have to be my favourite singer! Every piece she sings, she makes it sound soo easy! I am singing this piece too, at a concert too, and in an exam soon. I dont know whether I am going to be singing up to a D though! I think I am more a dramatic soprano, the A is enough for me all the way through this piece...
She is so amazing, an inspiration to me and my singing
Wow. I have no hope in hell of singing this well, heh. I'm a dramatic mezzo. I can't believe I was even asked to do this. I think some people around me are going nutty.
this is one of my favorite pieces by handel....although (i sing this in falsetto when no one is looking) i'm sure you'll pull through...i felt the same way before doing "the trumpet shall sound" in messiah. good luck and i'm sure the people around you know what they are doing.
it's amazing such a powerful voice could be so agile. but she's so powerful it almost makes the piece too serious. She does a lovely job, but her beautiful dark color (for a coloratura at least) is ment to be strong and riveting as opposed to the light, sweet, and almost playful sound that sounds best for this piece. Still, it's a great interpretation in it's own right.
Bighoody0, what in the hell are you talking about? La Stupenda can sing and does sing everything. this song is incredibly difficult to sing. And i know of no more qualified Coloratura to sing this....Ok, maybe Kathleen Battle.
As it is, for a lyric soprano, this piece is not that difficult, if not for the intricate fioritura. The overall tessitura is friendly to a lyric voice but not at all to a dramatic soprano. Then we add the coloratura and any other dramatic soprano who attempts this hellish piece will probably end up spitting out one of her lungs. This is way high for your typical dramatic soprano but listen to what Dame Joan does to this.
There is a live performance of this and the high D at the end is very dark with an almost brazen ring. I mean really like Callas but without the wobble, the vibrato is perfect. This is a lesson on breath control. Furthermore, this is a testament to the highest level of technical mastery the human voice can ever achieve.
(...)Fleming ? Who told her she could sing it ?? the voice is heavy, she can't manage the coloraturas, nor the light trills : my fisherwoman can sing it better. Then, as a surprise, comes Gruberova : slow tempo, but as always, pure legato giving the song the angel sound it deserves, and again no bad taste like breath in the line, or broken phrases. Just a bit 'scholar' though.
Nobody can reach Ms Sutherland in this aria : such a clarity of tone, legato, no bad breath in the singing line, very good attacks that make the aria sound like the trumpet and give it some martial tone... Not to mention the beauty of the high notes. Also that British sound, most suitable to that oratorio repertoire. Eventhough I love Dame Kiri, and her warm voice which she lightens a bit for that aria, there's no fluidity, no legato and the total line is lost.
Dame Joan has certainly earned her place in muiscal history. To think she was a secretary at one point. I love that high D at the end, just wish Kiri would have done the same thing.
Exciting and hairraising to have Dame Joan's almost unearthly virtuosity and musical intelligence in this showcase aria; it is an interesting comparison to listen to Miss Fleming and Miss Battle in 'Seraphim' and then return to Dame Kiri and Dame Joan, if you have the time to find their recordings. Meeting Dame Joan at a Met book signing was an honour and a pleasure for me. Dame Kiri has likewise won her place in the opera firmament by skill and sacrifice; they are great ladies in every sense.
I have loved Sutherland since I was 6. She has an incredible warmth and richness to her voice. I love the lower register as much as the soaring heights. Great consistancy and musicality.
i think it is a 1960 recording. she sings this and other favorites on the 1996 London recording (289 458 209-2) called Joan Sutherland The Greatest Hits.
This is definatly a "deserted island" kind of track (as in which music tracks would you have to have if you were on a deserted island) After hearing other versions, I always come back to Joan's. Love It!
This is the very first Sutherland recording I heard - I was hooked. And a year later she came to Vancouver to do her first Norma. I was there opening night.
Me too. I got into opera too late. I remember posters at the MET announcing her performances, but a the time I didn't know any better. Now I'd give my right arm to have gone to one of those performances! I certainly had the opportunity, but again, wasn't Bel Canto saavy :(
At the end of the Norma run they did a concert. She sang 'The Soldier tir'd and Mad scene from Hamlet, Rigoletto quartet etc. She came back in '67 for Lucia - I went 3 times. Also was at her very first Lucrezia Borgia, Merry Widow and Roi de Lahore. She signed my Lucia score. Recordings don't give the true effect of her huge voice in a theatre!
Untouchable in this music. I like Kiri Te Kanawas as well, but Sutherland's more heroic voice, and that show-stopping high D, make her version more exciting.
Precisely executed supported coloratura. Impressive how she executes the final glissando up to a massive high D that sounds at the same time shimmering and dark. I guess that's what a few books call "aperto coperto"...
What a gift... to be able to hear this most incredible human instrument. And a very funny lady in Person. I met her years ago in New Yorks Algonquin Hotel.
After consuming a big steak meal.. she proclaimed... "well,, a girls gotta eat!"
A magnificent example of one of the last centuries greatest voices. A wonderful talent. Deme Nellie, Joan and Kirri all from Australasia where great voices abound.
Just can`t stop listening......so beautiful....THANK YOU DAME JOAN FOR GREAT ART OF SINGING!!!!!!!!!
muzetta100 1 year ago
DIVA !!!!!!!!!!!.........that's it
arcot9 1 year ago
Phenomenal! This is great coloratura singing, despite a little blurred diction, although i find her mainly clear here. She was a phenomenon with a big heart, sense of humour and voice to match! Handel would no doubt have been awe-struck by this great singing.
Tenortalker 1 year ago
On the day of Joan Sutherland's passing I've been listening to all the versions of this piece on YouTube. And as lovely as Kathleen's version is, it is no match for the young Joan. Highly recommend giving a listen to it. It's over on your right ----->
wefond 1 year ago
R.I.P.
wavy2525 1 year ago
RIP, lady of most lovely voice.
The heavens open...
GypsyFairy85 1 year ago
awww, am near to tears; Bless you Dame Joan for dedicating your life to this wonderful artform, for sharing your prodgious talent for YEARS with the world.
I know the sacrifce singers have to make to succeed; the pursuit of this career is not for the fainthearted; it truly is a love.
Thank you for all you have sacrifced and you have given.
Ruh in Frieden La Stupenda...
SMMHELDENTENOR 1 year ago 3
Remembering the late, superb Joan Sutherland.
donnanna05 1 year ago
Remembering the superb artistry of Joan Sutherland.
donnanna05 1 year ago
RIP Joan - where are the people who can sing like this today? There are those who pretned - but we are losing the art of great technical singing while supposed teachers who are not singers themselves continue to apply all manner of science and methodolgy to singers! Beauty of singing is paramount and THEN you start to add the extras
mezzosop1 1 year ago
I really like the ornaments at 4:30 =]]]]]]
CantoSemper49 1 year ago
My personal fav! What version!
TheWisemonkey8 1 year ago
The music is by Handel, the poem by John Milton, the genius by Sutherland.
Alandix 1 year ago
The poem is by Milton, the music Handel.
Alandix 1 year ago
No matter how many times I hear this, I remain in absolute AWE of that high D at the end.
AsksOneThing 1 year ago
Sutherland is, of course, incomparable and truly impressive! I also must add that the orchestra is exceptional, especially the brass. The entire performance is just the best!
kswynford 1 year ago
Beautiful, Thank you!
AngeIake 1 year ago
Beautiful, Bravo!!!!
dacianey3 1 year ago
Joan Sutherland, you are perfect Sopran.
Great Greetings Shalia583
Shalia583 2 years ago 2
great!
somosdim 2 years ago
Thanks, i love Joan Sutherland. She is one of the very best coloratour Sopran around the World. Really Greatest.
Greetings Shalia583
Shalia583 2 years ago
no it wasnt
timjamesmackenzie 2 years ago
Grande immensa Joan
gpaolo748 2 years ago
If you're not hearing this after you die, then you're obviously at the wrong gates!
JumpStreet1983 2 years ago 5
La Stupenda!
goldenthroat86 2 years ago
the best rendition one is ever likely to hear.
babydrane 2 years ago 3
That is one heck of a D.
liedvondererde 2 years ago
no me cansa escuchar-la... es un milagre de Dios.....
lisolisao 2 years ago
maravillosa STUPENDA!!!
gencerito 2 years ago
As far as I am concerned, Joan Sutherland IS the bright Seraphim. She is the best among the best.
margorice1 2 years ago 3
I share the same sentiment.
Tankotoka 2 years ago
Nuevamente ande averiguando y no hay nadie que se iguale a Sutherland nas frases finales... donde ella subi la nota increible.... nadie hacen eso... solo Sumi Jo pero horrible le sale..... Sutherland es la única... que les parecen?
lisolisao 2 years ago
en efecto, joan sutherland era la perfeccion echa canto.
manonscate69 2 years ago
Me encantó la apresentación de Sutherland en esta área.. yo la comparé com muchas otras y ninguna puede llegar a alcanzar la nota mas alta de la frase final de esta área.... para mi ella es un milagre..... yo soy apacionado por Sutherland....
lisolisao 2 years ago
what are the words in the b section? all i get is "let the cherubic host" and i'm pretty sure i'm hearing that wrong
handelfan610 2 years ago
". . . Let the cherubic host in tuneful choirs
Touch their immortal harps with golden wires."
inwit 2 years ago
What a wonderful recording of this piece! Thanks for posting this. I heard this on the radio and it was informally referred to as "the trumpet aria." I was sad because not knowing the correct title kept me from finding it for a long time.
readerjoy 2 years ago
something seems off when Joan performs more simplistic light hearted music. it's the kind of feeling you would get if watching a romantic comedy and Zena warrior princess popped out of nowhere in the plot. she has such a dramatic lacrymose heroic voice that you just can't help but think she is a force (often supernatural force) to be reckoned with.
raigekimaru 2 years ago
which character sings this aria? it's not an angel?
wattever333 2 years ago 2
The character who sings this aria is the Israelitish Woman.
hortius 2 years ago 4
Was that a D?
nostopsnopurgatory 2 years ago
@nostopsnopurgatory Yes, a fabulous one!
RossiniSoprano 2 years ago
most likely...seeing how this is a baroque piece with a principle trumpet you just kinda of assume that the key of the piece is in fact D. In the baroque area trumpets played best in D so alot of pieces in D you can expect to hear a trumpet. like the hallelujah chorus and the trumpet shall sound and worthy is the lamb/amen all from messiah.
handelfan610 2 years ago
great! this is real technique! bravaaaaaaaaaaa! ;D
Straricc 2 years ago
I suppose, judging by the responses people have left, dull was a poor choice of words. What I meant was boring.
TimNable 2 years ago
Despite the inadequacy of the recording Sutherland is superb.
MandyJMaddison 2 years ago
Stupenda! Stupefiant! Merci ! AV
ALEXISVASSILIEV 2 years ago
Sutherland and Battle have the cleanest and clearest coloratura of all the performances on YouTube. In addition, those two are among the very few who actually sing the g (instead of the mistaken f) in the B section. They also have the most stylish ornamentation in the repeated A section. I love Renee Fleming's voice, but find her a bit grandiose in this kind of music.
singerandsailor 2 years ago
Para mi es la mejor versión,es perfecta.
clasirico1 2 years ago
Just the sheer clarity and that glorious ringing top is enough to silence the rest of the competition. Just fantastic! Truly one of the best!
mrtrules1000 2 years ago
Detto in poche parole: Dame Joan, quando la ascolti, semplicemente polverizza tutte le altre, ogni possibile confronto! Divina!
leprincebeaumont 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
If we didn't know that this voice was Sutherland, would we still find it note worthy? Interesting the effect branding can have on our opinions of otherwise inappropriate casting. Perhaps it's just this recording, but what a dull sound she produced here.
TimNable 2 years ago
maybe part of the dull sound is beacaue this person who made this was playing it in her room with not so great acusics??? but still i think it sounds very nice and i dont really know who she is.... just saying
doeraybaby 2 years ago
Could be, doeraybaby. I meant also not only the sound but also the energy. Certainly she is has not as talented a voice, but the Renee Fleming recording here is a much more exciting listen. But you are right, it could be in part due to the acoustics.
TimNable 2 years ago
Not really the acoustics....but try when this was recorded. This was probably recorded in the 1960's or very early 70's at the latest. Recording technology has definitely changed since. Joan Sutherland, the singer, was one of the greatest sopranos of all time. This recording does not do her glorious voice justice. She had perfect technique and no one has come close to matching her, since!
Renee Fleming is a lovely singer as well. I love her.
amykso 2 years ago
That "dull" sound is caused because she is actually trying to sing with diction here. She almost got it, but usually she ignored all diction and just went for the most round and garbly sound she could.
CountertenorJ 2 years ago
This recording, as well as this way of singing(that is to say the only real true technique) is absolutely perfect!!!
there's no a "baroque technique" but just a style....misunderstood usually for a technique...that's way almost all "baroque" singers sound like sick chickens...she (as all the other singers who applies for the real technique) reach the right level in which EVEN baroque should be always sung...could you believe it?! -_-
Straricc 2 years ago
@Straricc There is no "only real true technique." Singing is not a magic art form (that's musicality). Singing is a science. Baroque artistry is indeed a style. That "sick chickens" tone is even a part of that style (I am assuring the pure, straight tone). All of it is relative. The only thing I can say for sure is that Ms. Sutherland had wonderful support and production, though faulty diction and some pretty haphazard coloratura at times. It just wasn't always in time.
CountertenorJ 2 years ago
this piece seems to be composed for Sutherland. this is pure beauty.
tena2 2 years ago 3
Once again, Sutherland kicks all competition's ass!
ChrisStockslager 2 years ago 11
the best version!!
dennisyenv9 2 years ago 3
indeed
tena2 2 years ago 2
this is more of the right style for Sutherland - i think when she tries to do the romatic operas she fails because she isnt passionate enough - i heard her do La Traviata and against Freni it just doesnt work - but put Freni in this role and that wouldnt work either
amazing and wonderful voice Dame Joan
2Fk937N7 2 years ago
Even in the face of such perfection, there are those who still can find fault in the early Sutherland voice. I do not see how this is possible.
Here, Sutherland once again demonstrates that she has the greatest voice on record.
LeNozze44 2 years ago 2
warm, effortless
thomastmwc 2 years ago
LA STUPENDA!
Great!
operacentury 2 years ago
Battle's voice is tiny by comparison with Sutherland's.
Marsalis plays beautifully, but impossibly for Handel's time. In any case he turns the piece into a duet and pulls amazing stunts, some of which Battle accompanies.
The last few flips on the trumpet are just tasteless. They both should have listened to previous recordings and restrained themselves.
A failure of taste from Marsalis, just this once.
Regards,
Barry
bm1729 2 years ago
Battle v Sutherland?
A bit like a good Strathspey v an Islay, all down to personal taste!
oldun52 2 years ago
her voice wasn't that big.. she excelled in lighter pieces mainly baroque music.. donizetti,opera's a few rossinis.. and other light pieces.. never verdi or wagner..strauss.. or other composers that reguire dramatic voices..
dare57 2 years ago
well, sutherland was a Dramatic colortura soprano. Meaning, that yes, she did indeed excel in "lighter" pieces, but Dame Joan's voice had the power of a dramatic soprano.
tenorlovesasoprano 2 years ago
Actually, Dame Sutherland trained as a Wagnerian soprano. It was only upon meeting Bonynge that she changed to coloratura. It took Bonynge a while to convince of this, of course. So she well could and in fact did (perhaps not performed as repertory) Wagnerian roles.
2Emile 2 years ago
Bigger than Callas' and Nilsson's. In fact had Sutherland decided to stick to Wagner, she would've overshadowed Nilsson. She did overshadow Callas in bel canto. And Verdi? Sutherland was a great Violetta, Gilda and Leonora in Trovatore. Puccini? Great Turandot on record, but fortunately again for Nilsson, never sang it on stage.
tklogan11809 2 years ago 2
Thanks for setting them straight :):) From what I have read, only Flagstad & Farrell rivaled (or surpassed) Sutherland in vocal "size".
JDOopera76 2 years ago
Devia also mayb? Haha, her vocal size is undoubtedly enormous
thomastmwc 2 years ago
Hmm she sang Verdi roles, but did she really excel at them outside of Violetta? I don't think we can say that. Her 4th act aria in Trovatore was nice, but her first Act work was weak, it required more soar than she had. Outside of the top notes her voice actually didn't have that arching soaring sound that you really need. Its why she never sang Butterfly or Tosca. Her Turandot is great but thats a non-traditional Puccini role. I think she would have been a great Brunhilde though
FoggyRoad81 2 years ago
LOL Sutherland overshadowing Callas?Are you insane Callas sells much more disks than Sutherland.Sutherland's voice was great but she was extremely poor and inexpressive as a musician plus her recordings have very little artistic value since she worked mostly with Bonynge,a third rated conductor.
cer1n 2 years ago
Big Macs outsell caviar every day. Callas was the 'big ugly voice', like Serafin used to call her. Ugly doesn't begin to describe it in fact. Great for verismo and Wagner, not belcanto.
tklogan11809 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Sutherland's sloppy scooping,non existing phrasing and rubato,limited dynamics and vocal coloration doesn't fit to bel-canto.She was great in Handel and Meyerbeer,not belcanto.People went to theater to admire her high notes and trill not her artistry.She was just a vocal freak totally devoid of any musicality.Callas was ''the Bible of opera'' like Bernstein used to call her.
cer1n 2 years ago
lolol, don't embarrass yourself online for the whole world wide web to enjoy your stupidity. It's okay to be a Callas fan, but she'll always be opera's biggest lie.
tklogan11809 2 years ago 3
i think you're completely mistaken. I happened to appreciate her artistry when I saw her.
pkevink100 2 years ago
The great Australian coloratura soprano in [her] element here...:). Handel... really is made for her... to do this with a voice the size of Wagnerian soprano is quite a marvel. Really something to keep ones eye on... you simply never know when her turn of phrase may turn. Thanks for this post. My warm regards,
WiseMonki 3 years ago
Really this is one of my favs... thnak you so much. :). My warm and loving regards,
WiseMonki 3 years ago
actually she's from new zealand...but same difference.
shatteredpiecesofme 2 years ago
wait discard that last post. i got lost for a minute and thought i was listening to Kiri. My bad.
shatteredpiecesofme 2 years ago
The ONLY rivals to Joan Sutherland are the voices to God's angels in heaven, Battle's voice is outstanding but does not have the power of Sutherlands, nor the clarity nor exactness of timbre.
bowychick13 3 years ago 5
Nice voice but sutherland gets to much hype, she is a great soprano one of the greatest, but not so great that no one can EVER compare! like her over zealous fans like to think. Say what you want but battle take on this song is equally as good, some might say better, does that mean the battle is overall better no, but Sutherland is not PERFECT no one is. Battle performance make me think of spring time, roses and unicorns, LOL its just as magical
Bahia82 3 years ago
Both are absolutely lovely--it comes down to taste. I personally give Kathleen Battle's performance here on Youtube the edge because of Wynton Marsalis at the trumphet.
Both versions make me happy to be alive.
Constantlibrarian 3 years ago 3
I agree. Marsalis's playing tips the scales firmly onto the Battle side for me also, but without that I'd be VERY hard put to choose between the two.
oldun52 2 years ago
Battle excels as as a soprano leggiero. Her vocal type is supposed to evoke 'spring time, roses and unicorns' -- and I must add she has a mean coloratura to boot! Dame Sutherland ( I admit myself as one of those overzealous fans who thinks hers the best voice ever) excels as a dramatic coloratura soprano. The 'dramatic' is precisely the power that we like! They both do fantastic jobs in their respective Fachs. It's not a question of Sutherland v. Battle but of the voice you like the aria in
2Emile 2 years ago 4
Sin duda estoy de acuerdo con xerardogomez... es la mejor version... sobre todo por que hace mierda a todas estas putas barrocas que no saben cantar y lo hacen sin vibrato y con adornos que pareciera que no tienen ni altura ni tecnica para afrontar esta musica
Damiancontratenor 3 years ago
Desde luego es la mejor versión que tengo escuchado,está muy por encima de las más famosas
xerardogomezgomez 3 years ago
Sutherland's pyrotechnics are unparalleled. She amazes me, using that huge voice with absolute agility; like doing petit point with a battering ram! Her technique is impeccable.
She is not the most expressive soprano, and whereas her legato is seemingly endless, her diction leaves much to be desired. But I suppose one would not ask a canary to warble more distinctly, or enunciate more clearly. Deservedly, she hold a huge place in Bel Canto, not to mention Can Belto!
Brava Sutherland!
Brava
basenjidiva 3 years ago 16
yes, i agree w/ you. To be a dramatic coloratura soprano, like Dame Joan, is truly a gift. In my mind, to be a dramatic coloratura soprano is probably the most yearned for voice in the female classical world.
tenorlovesasoprano 3 years ago 3
Can Belto! Hah, that gave me a chuckle. She sure can!
Cheers.
AsksOneThing 3 years ago 5
I heard many sopranos at Lyric Opera of Chicago, but Sutherland simply rocked the entire House with her all-encompassing voice!
I am wild about Sutherland! She's stupendous!
Another equally exciting, but totally different kind of soprano is the incomparable Virginia Zeani. Her evocative powers make my heart skip! Please let me know what you think of her. Zeani's voice is not as large as Joan's, but Zeani Can Belto, too, when appropriate!
All the best! Brava!
basenjidiva 3 years ago 3
Zeani-there's a special singer! Richard Bonynge says like Joan she had one of the 3 greatest voices of the 20th C. Maybe not so humungus as Joan's, Zeani's was and still is vast, with a unique, plangent beauty.
Their careers were strangely intertwined & had Zeani's London Lucias in 1957 not been so successful, Covent Garden might not have staged Lucia for Joan. How lucky we were to have both these sublime artists. Hear Zeani, as Joan's unrehearsed deputy, in La Traviata complete on my Channel.
CharlotteinWeimar 3 years ago 2
Oh, that's great! Thank you for the heads-up, CharlotteinWeimar! I shall listen to that recording of Zeani tonight. She followed Sutherland, unrehearsed? How brave of her! I love the rich, dark timbre of her sound! So, tonight I'll go to Zeaniland! Thank you!
basenjidiva 3 years ago
oh yes...lol.
WiseMonki 3 years ago
the best version!!! from great DAME SUTHERLAND!!!
poupounakis 3 years ago 3
WOW. I knew she was going to give us a D at the end, but WHAT a D!! My jaw actually dropped.
AsksOneThing 3 years ago 4
I heard her sing this at Covent Garden. Jon Vickers was magnificent and touching as the blinded Samson.
Then, after his body was borne in at the end, to the Dead March from Saul, Joan stepped forward from the crowd and blew us all away with her stunning, joyful singing, right up to the amazing top D.
Unforgettable! And a couple of months later came her great first Lucia.
Thank you so much for posting
CharlotteinWeimar 3 years ago 4
only devia, gruberova and sutherland sing this aria well, the coloratura is absolutely fantastic and the high notes, joan sutherland was BIG when she was in her prime.
operaeater 3 years ago
Indeed, Gruberova does a magnificent job in this particular aria. I am sure had she sung more Handel, she would have been great in it
Jabe88 3 years ago
My only issue with Gruberova is her over-use of the scoop... It kills me.
VirnAlfakyn 3 years ago 3
Magnificent.
The best soprano ever.
blichilde 3 years ago 2
if only my speakers went up to eleven!
buergidunitz 3 years ago
hier ist sie unvergleichbar,mackenlos,perfeckt,genial...so zu singen-vollstendigkeit!
ptichkagulnara 3 years ago
Yikes! That high D is, well, Wow!
cptnunderwhere 3 years ago 3
Clear Diction most enjoyable lovely rendition
Musicbyveronica 3 years ago
Joan Sutherland made her American debut (1963) at Winthrop University. She was accompanied on a concert grand by her husband. As a voice major, I had the amazing privilege of sitting in a workshop, seminar. I also heard her just before she retired, as she performed at Music Hall with the Cincinnati Orchestra. You think that she's amazing on YouTube, you should have heard her in person. A truly amazing singer!
antoniettamv 3 years ago
Was it a huge voice even back then???
pianoandpipes 3 years ago
Joan Sutherland was just as amazing in 1963. Her performance at Winthrop University, her debut in U.S., was written in NY Times as, "Australian Diva make American debut in hide-a-way women's university in the south.
antoniettamv 3 years ago
incomparable, in a class of her own
zamyrabyrd 3 years ago 7
Dame Joan Sutherland would have to be my favourite singer! Every piece she sings, she makes it sound soo easy! I am singing this piece too, at a concert too, and in an exam soon. I dont know whether I am going to be singing up to a D though! I think I am more a dramatic soprano, the A is enough for me all the way through this piece...
She is so amazing, an inspiration to me and my singing
caladhielr 3 years ago
wow...please let this be one of the songs i hear during my ascent to heaven. one of my favorites.
handelfan610 3 years ago 2
Wow. I have no hope in hell of singing this well, heh. I'm a dramatic mezzo. I can't believe I was even asked to do this. I think some people around me are going nutty.
Dobermama 3 years ago
this is one of my favorite pieces by handel....although (i sing this in falsetto when no one is looking) i'm sure you'll pull through...i felt the same way before doing "the trumpet shall sound" in messiah. good luck and i'm sure the people around you know what they are doing.
handelfan610 3 years ago
it's amazing such a powerful voice could be so agile. but she's so powerful it almost makes the piece too serious. She does a lovely job, but her beautiful dark color (for a coloratura at least) is ment to be strong and riveting as opposed to the light, sweet, and almost playful sound that sounds best for this piece. Still, it's a great interpretation in it's own right.
raigekimaru 3 years ago
wow! i'm meant to be singing it - don't think i'd risk that d though!
TEZKesquire 3 years ago
Ok Jabe88, I agree. I love La Stupenda also.
stingabe 3 years ago
Bighoody0, what in the hell are you talking about? La Stupenda can sing and does sing everything. this song is incredibly difficult to sing. And i know of no more qualified Coloratura to sing this....Ok, maybe Kathleen Battle.
stingabe 3 years ago
Battle can sing this certainly, but in NO WAY better than La Stupenda
Jabe88 3 years ago
Actually, I think that's what he was saying. Then he got carried away with some other singers...
hisimperialmajesty 3 years ago
As it is, for a lyric soprano, this piece is not that difficult, if not for the intricate fioritura. The overall tessitura is friendly to a lyric voice but not at all to a dramatic soprano. Then we add the coloratura and any other dramatic soprano who attempts this hellish piece will probably end up spitting out one of her lungs. This is way high for your typical dramatic soprano but listen to what Dame Joan does to this.
tenorissimo 3 years ago
There is a live performance of this and the high D at the end is very dark with an almost brazen ring. I mean really like Callas but without the wobble, the vibrato is perfect. This is a lesson on breath control. Furthermore, this is a testament to the highest level of technical mastery the human voice can ever achieve.
tenorissimo 3 years ago
Joan Sutherland might be a dramatic coloratura, perfect for the Queen of the Night.
BayAreaBiker2001 3 years ago 2
She is amazing! The only other singer I think can even be compared to her on this aria is Inger Dam-Jensen.
Aniretak205 3 years ago
(...)Fleming ? Who told her she could sing it ?? the voice is heavy, she can't manage the coloraturas, nor the light trills : my fisherwoman can sing it better. Then, as a surprise, comes Gruberova : slow tempo, but as always, pure legato giving the song the angel sound it deserves, and again no bad taste like breath in the line, or broken phrases. Just a bit 'scholar' though.
bighoody0 3 years ago 2
Nobody can reach Ms Sutherland in this aria : such a clarity of tone, legato, no bad breath in the singing line, very good attacks that make the aria sound like the trumpet and give it some martial tone... Not to mention the beauty of the high notes. Also that British sound, most suitable to that oratorio repertoire. Eventhough I love Dame Kiri, and her warm voice which she lightens a bit for that aria, there's no fluidity, no legato and the total line is lost.
bighoody0 3 years ago
When hearing such an angel voice like Dame Joan, I find it hard to grasp when ppl compare Joan to that awful singing witch Maria Callas!!!
mll20829 3 years ago
haha :P singing witch is just mean...and very funny. ;)
Has anyone heard the treble Max Emanuel Cencic (now countertenor) perform this? He did it so well!
cabbalistic 3 years ago
Dame Joan has certainly earned her place in muiscal history. To think she was a secretary at one point. I love that high D at the end, just wish Kiri would have done the same thing.
crna2dlt 3 years ago
Exciting and hairraising to have Dame Joan's almost unearthly virtuosity and musical intelligence in this showcase aria; it is an interesting comparison to listen to Miss Fleming and Miss Battle in 'Seraphim' and then return to Dame Kiri and Dame Joan, if you have the time to find their recordings. Meeting Dame Joan at a Met book signing was an honour and a pleasure for me. Dame Kiri has likewise won her place in the opera firmament by skill and sacrifice; they are great ladies in every sense.
kellyjkeenan 3 years ago
Unequalled.
dorianprince 3 years ago
OMG, what a voice....
olneymike 3 years ago
I have loved Sutherland since I was 6. She has an incredible warmth and richness to her voice. I love the lower register as much as the soaring heights. Great consistancy and musicality.
gerdislouise 4 years ago
Generally not a *huge* Sutherland fan, but this is a truly "stupendous" rendition!
(Hehehe I'm so punny.)
Working on this aria at the moment, and by god it gives one's voice a very decent workout!
AmytheLoveDoctor 4 years ago
I was not a huge fan myself, but at some point she just convinced me. :D
Sadiesexy 4 years ago
This Sutherland at her best. No one can touch her in this music.
mrrk 4 years ago 5
So beautiful and powerful.
fuzmiq 4 years ago 5
Gosh, in the slower section of the aria, Sutherland completely blows my mind away... I feel I'm flying on cold clouds. Gives me the shivers.
Jabe88 4 years ago 4
Dame Joan at her very best. That thrilling high D at the end is fantastic!
troppofiato 4 years ago 5
This is The Stupenda, absolutely stupenda. Sutherland rules!!!!
davcos22 4 years ago 3
Her voice is the best for ANYTHING. Period.
Nhlvrnfla 4 years ago 3
her voice is flawless here.
x4812k 4 years ago 3
joan sutherland's diction might not be the best but her voice is the best for this gorgeous aria.
bette2007 4 years ago 7
what year is this? very very very nice!!!
141407078989 4 years ago
i think it is a 1960 recording. she sings this and other favorites on the 1996 London recording (289 458 209-2) called Joan Sutherland The Greatest Hits.
bette2007 4 years ago
This is definatly a "deserted island" kind of track (as in which music tracks would you have to have if you were on a deserted island) After hearing other versions, I always come back to Joan's. Love It!
turandot82 4 years ago 4
This is the very first Sutherland recording I heard - I was hooked. And a year later she came to Vancouver to do her first Norma. I was there opening night.
Johninvan 4 years ago
JEALOUS
andrewoconnorblue 4 years ago
Me too. I got into opera too late. I remember posters at the MET announcing her performances, but a the time I didn't know any better. Now I'd give my right arm to have gone to one of those performances! I certainly had the opportunity, but again, wasn't Bel Canto saavy :(
cmorgan22 4 years ago
At the end of the Norma run they did a concert. She sang 'The Soldier tir'd and Mad scene from Hamlet, Rigoletto quartet etc. She came back in '67 for Lucia - I went 3 times. Also was at her very first Lucrezia Borgia, Merry Widow and Roi de Lahore. She signed my Lucia score. Recordings don't give the true effect of her huge voice in a theatre!
Johninvan 4 years ago
Oh I envy you!
Jabe88 4 years ago
me too JEALOUS!!!!
doobeedoo58 4 years ago
The BEST Handel singer of the 20th century and maybe EVER!
Jabe88 4 years ago
Untouchable in this music. I like Kiri Te Kanawas as well, but Sutherland's more heroic voice, and that show-stopping high D, make her version more exciting.
Hako2004 4 years ago
wow, what a great voice - magnificent - though I prefer Kiri te Kanawa's interpretation. In the net yet?
Tigermuc 4 years ago
Wau.... such a beautiful voice... Hey, guys this is one of my diploma repertoire...
Janetkwy 4 years ago
Amazing. Joan at her best. She had the voice of a powerful angel, just perfect for this role. Too bad she quit Baroque music.
agathosj 4 years ago
Precisely executed supported coloratura. Impressive how she executes the final glissando up to a massive high D that sounds at the same time shimmering and dark. I guess that's what a few books call "aperto coperto"...
soundfond 4 years ago
¡¡Maginífico!!
Ventiturbini 4 years ago
That last high D is absolutely unbelievable!
autophyte 4 years ago
What a gift... to be able to hear this most incredible human instrument. And a very funny lady in Person. I met her years ago in New Yorks Algonquin Hotel.
After consuming a big steak meal.. she proclaimed... "well,, a girls gotta eat!"
What a hoot she is. Wonderful...
Thanks
ronvonhesse 4 years ago
A magnificent example of one of the last centuries greatest voices. A wonderful talent. Deme Nellie, Joan and Kirri all from Australasia where great voices abound.
maxrowley 4 years ago
voice is lacking personality.. I like Kiri's version better..
dare57 4 years ago
Is Kiri's version on Youtube?
nicolasaid88 4 years ago
Thank you for this beautiful clip!
onassis73 4 years ago
which year was this sang? late 60s?
Jabe88 4 years ago
This was 1960, August :)
It is on her Art of the Prima Donna album.
operamagnus 4 years ago