Jelena OBRAZTSOVA - *Pique Dame* - BOLSHOI

[DrDrade]

Наверное, это лучшее исполнение Образцовой этой арии. Браво!

Особенно мой любимый момент 3:52

[gustavoanmosura]

maravillosa como siempre brava!!!!!!

[Wissilla]

Oh. You haven't probably seen old countesses, CzarDodon. Perfectly vital and vicious and strong.

[cristetoile11]

Cette scène est incroyable, ce rôle est incroyable... Obratzova est le plus grand génie de la voix que je n´ai jamais entendu. J´ai eu la grande chance de la voir à Madrid dans la dame de Pique. Je remercie vraiment le ciel pour cela. Je ne l´oublierai jamais, c´est pour moi une des plus grande chanteuses qui ont fait l´histoire de ce métier.

[cristetoile11]

J´adore ce personnage je pense qu´on se ressemble un peu. HAHAHA!

[BNL75]

Grandiosa

[Sannikoff]

Brava! Still she's the best Countess!

[micky9321]

c'est magnifique !

[cristetoile11]

Obratsova è la plus grande comtesse, sans discussions possibles. je l´ai entendue il y a quelques années au Teatro Real a Madrid, c´est vraiment impressionant, sa voix tourne dans le théâtre d´une facon quasi iréelle. La projection est impecable, et la voix est ENORME. Mais la musicalité surpasse le reste, en plus c´est une actrice, ce n´est pas seulement une chanteuse, cela fait une belle différence. Samaaaaa... Markisa Pompadour... Mes saluts Madame, vous êtes une grande dame.

[99Isher]

Je pense qu'elle est magnifique. Le personnage de la Comtesse ressortit avec toute sa grandeur. Mémoire, rêverie, un touche de folie, rappel du passé, extase des souvenirs d'un monde disparu, toujours forte...Et sa voix, si profonde, si riche. Egalement comme comédienne elle est parfaite, et très à son aise, dans la langue évidemment, comme sur scène.

[dannymaestro]

Elisabeth Söderström at The Met a few years ago were fantastic...

[jeanvital]

1983, Andropov est le chef de l'etat sovietique. Ce monde a disparu comme celui dont parle la comtesse. Elle chante un air de Gretry, professeur de musique de Marie-Antoinette. C'est aussi pendant une représentation d'un opera de Gretry que la celebre Dugazon se tourne vers la loge de la reine et lui chante 'Ah ! Combien jaime ma maîtresse' . Il s'en suit une bagarre à l'opera entre royalistes et révolutionnaires.

Tchaikowsky + Pouchkine + Obraztsova + Gretry ,  quel sommet de l'art !

[lelecoloco]

Obraztsova is always Obraztsova!!! what a voice, Jesus!!!

Try also, in case you all do not know her yet in this role, Martha Moedl! She is an unbelievable interpreter! simply great!

[pantikopei]

божественно.браво!!!!!

[andrea585ny]

Last comment was to Dewario abt Levko. Thanx again :)))

[mcpushkin]

Elena is the country darling. When she would finish performing a piece concert hall used to explode and listeners of classical music behaved more like football fans. Records distort her powerful voice and do not transmit energy she irradiated in live performances.

[DrGarri]

My favorite dramatic mezzo of all time, thank you for posting this!!!!!

[datzi4ka]

SCARRY GOOD AS USUAL!!!

[CzarDodon]

A wonderful big Russian voice, but far to strong and healthy to be the old Countess, unless you rewrite the story and instead of dying of fright the old girl gives Hermann an unmerciful thrashing and sends him off with his tail between his legs

[itkin]

That's huge theater, she sings not only for sound engineer

[CzarDodon]

Oh she sings for everybody, and though she was past her best when I heard her a few years ago in Suor Angelica the voice was of an impressive dimension. But the character is supposed to be 80 years old and she dies of fright in this scene

[CzarDodon]

She was only 44 here and you can hear it

[CzarDodon]

just see the old Martha Modl and you'll understand what I mean, youth is a handicap in this role

[andrea585ny]

Valentina Levko is my favorite in this role but Obraztsova is absolutely wonderful as well! I'm sorry, but no one sings this one like the Russians. Modl's snail paced delivery gets rather tedious - she drags it out far too long. She acts it superbly though. (You don't have to be 80 to play an 80 yr. old - that's where make-up and acting come in :)))

[andrea585ny]

Revision: Just saw a version of Modl that I hadn't seen before (w/ Atlantov). It's much more evenly paced and not a choppy as the other 3 versions I've seen. Love it!

[CzarDodon]

I love Levko too, I only know her from the recording though, is there a video? I still think you can't have a Countess who sounds as strong as a horse... I agree about acting and makeup, but I don't think she, or the makeup department did a good job. She looks no more than 60 and sounds like she's in her 40s.

The part was written to accommodate an old voice, the range is limited and the orchestra is always held back when she sings.

[andrea585ny]

I saw a brief clip of Levko a million years ago. There are several Russians who post opera clips I'll appeal to them for a post of her. I definately agree about the voice-she sounds young and strong. But I love the way she acts it. Gesturing as though she were at court with all the nobility she has named. Like a person physically reliving in a memory who has no concept of the present time. Then, suddenly, she is jolted out of it when she becomes aware of her attendants' presence.

[Dewario]

I've posted a recording of Valentina Levko doing this aria.

It's not a video, but it's from the 1967 Bolshoi performance and is glorious.

[andrea585ny]

THANX!!! Love her! To me she IS the Countess!

[tinyvoicedgheorghiu]

Obraztsova is THE Countess. Thank you so much for an awesome clip. I would be most grateful, if you shared more clips from this particular performance.