O légère hirondelle / Mireille / Joan Sutherland

[MrMelancholie]

Halina Mickiewiczówna owns this aria: watch?v=FAVBC4Cgf4s

[ioSonoCallas]

Ce n'est vraiment pas le meilleur de Dame Joan! Ce n'est qu'une exhibition de cocottes du plus mauvais goût! On est très loin du personnage de Mireille et du grand art de la coloratura auquel nous avait habitué la grande Joan Sutherland!

[scostatisciagurato]

@ioSonoCallas C'est la véhicule de Diana Durbin en face de Bing Crosby.

[seba18701870]

Tetrazzini es 1000 veces mejor

[zamyrabyrd]

What a lady, what a singer! Who would find someone like her these days?

[fpngan]

Tetrazinni owns this

[baltik007kitty]

lovely, thanx 4 sharing!

[giommy1974]

STUPENDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skitzo429]

this really isnt very good...

[idaspe]

Que descanse en paz la mejor soprano de todos los tiempos... :'(

[Feisenbach]

She doesn't get the highest note in the staccati 1:59. And what's happening at 2:24...?!!! Sounds like a sick parrot!

[iriisblue]

As always ... when does this woman breathe?

[MademoiselleOpera]

Is there a video on Youtube in which Beverly Sills sings this?

[gigiduruu]

she's so ugly

[lastupendaboy]

She's not SPEAKING French....she's SINGING!

[SueAnnNivens]

God, she´s amazing!!!!

[voncarmelo]

Fantastica!!!!

[romondesbert]

the voice is glorious but the french is awful (i'm french !)

[Richiesutherland]

Yes, and Natalie Dessay and Mady Mesplé would have been so good singing opera in English! JS did more for French musicf than any French soprano of her time, by the way, both in the operatic repertoire and in the world of chanson.

[mirlitonneux]

Besides, her French is not that bad (I'm French too). It might be true, though, that, generally speaking, Dame Sutherland's diction is not the most amazing aspect of her voice, but it's not really a problem here, her rendition is excellent.

[MastersoftheOpera]

There's no denying Sutherland's talent. She was a tall, striking woman with a big coloratura voice. However, I grew to love Sills more than Sutherland. Nothing against Sutherland, but her voice doesn't please me or excite me. She sings in a bland, boring way and she doesnt seem to put any life into her singing. She's got no passion, no flavor, no acting style. I prefer Sills' version of the Waltz Aria from Mireille.

[adprt]

I completely agree!

[Richiesutherland]

And I found just the opposite. I enjoyed Sills' singing at first, but the all-purpose Girl Scout look, the sort of Eydie Gormé flirtation with the audience, the Beverly Bounce, even in the most serious moments, the thinness of the voice (at first I loved the openness of the voice, but it got way too brash) all got on my nerves after a while. She was a fun artist with great technical ability, but I found the act a bit cheap and predictable after a while.

[leprincebeaumont]

@Richiesutherland I totally agree with you, my dear!!! Joan is much more elegant and musical than Beverly, which is a great singer too, but not at the same incredible level of Sutherland!

[scostatisciagurato]

@Richiesutherland Haha. You're very right and very funny. The first time I saw her was the "missing wine glass Traviata" in 74 which was substituted for Maralin Niska's Medea. She was an Act I Violetta, and I don't seem to remember her even suggesting that she was ailing. Act II was dull and forgettable, and "Addio del passato" was sung very cheerfully with a kind of wincing smile. It seemed like she couldn't wait to die so she could head go over to O'Neal's for pasta after curtain calls.

[Eiswirth1]

@MastersoftheOpera Sutherland didn't have to throw in extra ornamentation or overact, like Sills did. The excitement JS generated came directly from the power and beauty of her voice, and the technical ability she possessed that couldn't be matched. I loved Sills and have many of her recordings; she too was a great artist. But no one was better than Joan.

[MastersoftheOpera]

@Eiswirth1 That's why I'm not 100 percent loyal to any one soprano. I like them all for different reasons. Sutherland has a beautiful voice, great technique and she was a bel canto specialist. But you shouldn't say " no one is better than Joan". A lot of people will argue that Callas was the best soprano of all time. I like Callas but I also like so many others. For this aria O Legere Hirondelle I prefer Sills. If it's any comfort to you, I think Sutherland's Lucia is better than Sills

[GoldenAgeSunshine]

Stop comparing Mado Robin with Dame Joan Sutherland! Two different voices, techniques and calibers! It's ridiculous, what a waste of time.

[felmacar]

I totally agree with you!!! Two different voices. Sutherland's is a beautiful voice, AND STOP THE CRITICISM OF HER DICTION, we know it's not the best, but with that huge voice and high notes, I totally forgive it... Besides, Mado Robin sounds like Snow White... She's all good high notes, but her middle voice is not rich at all... That French technique of old timers that I despise... Sorry for you French people out there... but listen to Mado and Lilly Pons, and you'll understand.

[jeremiaheliseo]

nice singing.

[thaliavillagracia]

she cant beat the legendary mado robin who can sing with full voice unlike georgia brown who cant sing with whistle register. Georgi brown has a 5 octaves in singing voice and 8 in whistle register while mado robin has an exceptional wide vocel range that sings with full voice not using a whistle.

[timsuffolk]

Madon Robin does indeed sing it well, but she just doesn't have the weight of voice of Sutherland, it's like comparing a Great Dane with a Daschund

[primohomme]

Is not like one needs a Wagnerian weight for the french coloratura repertoire ;)

[eradesso]

it's not like one needs to scoop sovracuti for the french coloratura repertoire ;)

how many, other than pre-surgery Natalie Dessay, do you know?

Robin was just a show off and she couldn't compare with a real coloratura like Sutherland.

[primohomme]

Actually yes, french coloratura is consistantly higher than most Italian repertoire. Only some rare Salieri, Mozart, Haydn has higher tessitura.

[eradesso]

actually no, none of the french repertoire requires notes that Sutherland didn't have.

In other words, none of the sovracuti Mado Robin could pop were required by the french coloratura repertoire in fact she just put them there to show off her only vocal skill.

And for that matter nothing above High G is required by any repertoire at all.

You have every right to prefer a small voice in a given repertoire but it doesn't mean a bigger one can't do justice to it as well.

[primohomme]

I did not say I prefer Mado's voice. I said for this repertoire one doesn't need a Wagnerian voice. Even "Esclarmonde" that has a high G (which Joan didn't sing) does not have very many fioraturas compared to the typical french high soprano role.

[moghedien13]

i agree, and i love robins artistry. still, i think joan always had a certain flair for lighter roles, especially the french ones. french music is light and elegant and i think more suited to her personality.

[iriisblue]

I think "butterfly to a gnat" a more apt comparison.

[Rsutherland8]

That video of Robin (for those who have seen it) is camp, pure and simple because of: 1) that woman super standing behind Robin with that silly bow in her hair, looking like she is smelling a rotton fish, 2) the tempo accomodations, and 3) those boys who appear once in the clip and never again. It is entertainment in a totally different sense.

[thaliavillagracia]

watch O légère hirondelle / Mireille of mado robin and youll se that human capacity cant sing it. Only her. She was recorded in guinness world of records ,

oxford dictionary of opera as the exceptional wide vocal range singer.

mado should be credited as the universal coloratura soprano.

she is also the one who sings the note note on classical piano.

[scotsw12]

Mado R's singing is interesting, but no more than that; she can sing high, but not beautifully, hence the relative obscurity of her career....

[65attila]

Unbelievable but at 53 not yet.

[suzettegm]

incredible singing!

[paulostroff99]

Great singing! Brava! TY.

[Richardclausen1]

If I were a young lyric colorutura studying and learning the literature, I would hope that I would never come across this performance-I think I'd pack up my bags and go home! Her virtuosity and beauty of tone is almost too perfect. This isn't a performace - this is a gift! There are a handfull of singers, and she is one, who you wonder if you'll ever hear the likes of again. We can hope.

[giloubreizh]

c'est l'air qui est régulièrement supprimé (trop casse-cou)

[scribeuisum]

STONATISSIMA... mi piacciono solo i capelli...

[qklq42]

An outstanding fine video. And live ! I always prefer live recordings: I thik that all artists need the direct contact and the warmth of the audience.

Hans NL

[petelovesbevsills]

Brava Joan! incomparable singing and coloratura!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[motardbear15]

Sorry,but this is one of the most difficult in all the French Repertoire.....It is why it is so seldom sung......This waltz is far more difficult than the Juliet's waltz ! Brava DAME JOAN !!!!

[nikolaimedtner]

this is outstanding. i don't know very much about singing techniks, but i can imagine how difficult this is. i am always amazed by the lightness and effortlessness of her singing, and even other instrumentalists should listen to her to learn about phrasing.

[operaboy81]

Joan Sutherland was amazing. Love this aria.

[lastupendaboy]

SOOO what ...what is actually perfect anyway?Live music almost never.What a great go at a very difficult aria....I think recorded in '72(French album...)???THAT's really stunning!But so is this,some years later....Thanks MIDAS!!! I didn't know if I would ever see anything from this concert!!!!

[Richiesutherland]

A bit of background. They had rehearsed earlier in the day. This is Joan's solo encore after having sung Alcina, Lucia Act I aria, Vilja, Traviata Act I Scena, the Barcarolle and duets from Norma and Semiramide. She sang gloriously all night, except that one tiny staccato flub (live performance, you know). At the end of the final encore, you can clearly read her lips as she says to Horne, "it HAS been a long day, I must say"! But listen to the other gorgeous staccati--little jewels.

[meltzerboy]

I remember listening to this famous concert when it was first telecast live from Lincoln Center. And I recall this particular number and the couple of rough notes. I believe this aria was performed toward the end of the concert, perhaps even an encore number, and Sutherland seemed tired as this point. Apart from the faulty staccati, however, the remainder of the aria and the concert as a whole (along with Horne's singing) was superb.

[FABRIZIO82]

AMEN!

[timsuffolk]

Why can't people enjoy all these gems on youtube without finding some fault? Everyones an expert it seems!!!

[drdre333]

She had a bobble there at 2:22, but considering the evening, and the high quality of singing at that stage in her career, this was great. I love seeing this footage. Thanks for the post!

[Hako2004]

I am a singer, and from my stand-point, Dame Joan was singing around a frog in her throat all evening. It shifted and interrupted her sound a little at one point. That said, the quality of singing was high, if understandably tentative at tricky moments.

[Richardclausen1]

You're a singer? Well, you must have quite a gift. Why don't you post something to show us all how much better you are - without the 1,500 people live & the 2 hours of impossible repetoire prior to this encore. I'd be thrilled to learn from you. While you don't indicate your voice type, just find something in your range that requires amazing virtuosity - then show us all. Waiting - and don't be tentative.

[nectenorboi09]

Love getting to see Joan perform this piece live, but for some reason I'm not sure it sat too well in her voice at this point - I'm pretty sure the stacatti at 2:22 weren't meant to sound QUITE like they came out. But still, brava to the one and only La Stupenda!

[Jabe88]

omg omg!!! La Stupenda all the way...

[midas45]

It really pleases me that you all are enjoying these excerpts .... I've been enjoying them privately for the past 29 years ... I'm delighted to be able to share them, at last.

[mrluistena]

@midas45 And we are not able to thank you enough for sharing your excerpts with us all. Thank you very much indeed.

[timsuffolk]

fantastic!!!!!

[andreasscholl]

There is NOOOOOOOOOO soprano that sings like this these days!!!!!

La Stupenada, Haaaaaail.