It is alright, but I definitely prefer Chenowith's version. This one is indeed too serious, and the Allegro molto part needs to be a little faster and lighter, I'd say.
this is one of the better ones i've heard. i'm partial to the first recording by barbara cook (especially how she performs the laughing section), but this is great.
June Anderson sings this very formally/seriously; I prefer a comedic slant. Bernstein clearly wrote humor in this; this is about her guilty feelings of not knowing whether to be miserable or care-free. It's also worth noting this is Broadway, not opera, and only meant to resemble an operatic aria. Fleming sings this the worst (absolutely silly singing), Dessay is the best for me, with strong high notes, technique and humor.
Astonishing...and what he says in his speech about her being ill is true - I was having treatment in Harley Street at the time and a call came through for the voice specialist to go over to the Barbican to treat her!
Damrau's, Dessay's and Chenowith's versions are far more comical when you get to see how they move on stage . Anderson does a better job in phrasings than the rest of them, she's the one who holds the first half of the aria altogether. The others make Bernstein's piece sound quite poorly written because they sing and try too hard to make it whimsical without understanding the music.
@norisv I think they understand the music just fine. The show is quite silly. Embracing the whimsy doesn't make the writing seem any worse, it just makes sense in the context of the show. If this version were done in an actual production of Candide it would be off-putting and dull. Anderson's voice is quite strong though.
Ah, just look at the rest of the orchestra, singers and Bernsetin himself when the takes the Es - pure rapture. Ill or not, she sings this so beautifully.
How fabulous! er voice is amazing! I have always loved this song! I just saw the new production in Chicago and was highly impressed by Glitter and Be Gay and the entire production! Too bad Lenny could not have been here for it!
@Serenity202 your screen name deceives. Geez! Why is everyone online so tightly wound? Before you got defensive I only said the Conductor explained that everyone was sick and perhaps that's why Ms. Anderson was off key (I heard it too). What's all this "first of all..." attitude for? You asked how were you suppose to know, well, you would've had you continued watching after the aria. Criticism is the nature of art, it's necessary. Far be it from my to deny your opinion.
Anderson nails the aria very lyrically. She can break your heart with that emotion, especially in the beginning. Her portrayal is different from my vision of the character, not that comic and funny, but rather realistic and lyrical and believable. Very beautiful singing, too, of course. There`s no place for comparison to Damrau or Dessay or Chenowith, whose interpretations speak of something different in the character. Still, Anderson is just spectacular and flawless in this, her very own way.
@Transoxiana94 but Candide is a comedy and a satirical look at opimism. ms. anderson's approach, although brilliant, could be considered a bit impure?
I love her voice, but I like the way Kristin played this song better. It's supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't laugh at this version. Kristin's was funny and beautiful. <3
This is Berstein's piece and he is conducting....his LOVE for June Anderson puts any argument as to how this song should be performed to rest; she owns this piece not only because her performance is the most breath taking and extraordinary, but because it was given to her by the creator of it.
barbara cook was the original cungegonde, yeah? kristin sounds closer to barbara than june does to her. that basically says it all. honestly, though, june has a better voice. it's matured and toned much better than kristin's. BUT, cunegonde isn't supposed to be depressing. candide is about optimism, and glitter and be gay is supposed to be light. june is painful to watch because she totally ignores the comedic aspects of the song.
She is light years ahead of Renée Flemingo, who just murdered this ditty with her sickeningly cutie-pie phrasing and obnoxious giggles. This has excellent singing here, as June grew to a very high level of vocalism and dramatic maturity. Her voice is more powerful than Fleming's, also, as the latter is beginning to spread noticeably.
Im sorry but I disagree, June would have been in tutorial with Bernstein, and seeing as he is conducting it, this is obviously how he intended it to sound. Kristens version is amazing and very comic, but that was a broadway spin off.
Because that's the character they almost always receive. But this is nothing like the insanity they usually go through. This is supposed to be Leonard Bernstein's parody of coloratura arias, so this is kind of a "happy" insanity.
@crazysinger111 really? because without that mic you wouldn't hear chenowith. Candide is an opera not a musical theater piece. Therefore it's only about the singing, not the cutesy little acting, Chenowith's voice would never be heard above june anderson. Obviously Anderson is the better singer if the composer of the opera has her sing while he's conducting.
actually, one of the biggest things about singing IS how you express it. If you're boring, who cares how good your singing is. Yes, the actual singing in this is better than chenoweth, but think about, what actually entertains you more? and candide is a show where acting is VERY important, have you ever seen it? it is insane and hilarious. If you know the character of cunegonde it can't be serious and dramatic, it has to be light about bouncy. i have never been able to listen to this whole thing
@jtg10795 a very common opinion these days and I am open to what you're saying. I do disagree with it, I have seen Candide actually with Chenowith, and felt the exact same sentiments then. Bear in mind this is a concert version of Candide and Anderson does not have this memorized, she can only do so much. My thoughts on the matter are that opera is about singing and not acting, the composer has already put the emotion into the music. Acting is less important, it will come to you if you listen!
that is a very fair opinion. to some extents I agree, to some not. In this case, I just find this particular song so boring without enough emotion. You are right this is a concert version but also in the version that she is supposed to be acting it out (she has a set with a table and a box of jewels) it still feels too bland and boring
I have to say I agree with you, songsofscarlet. While musical theatre is about the singing and the acting together, opera is expression through music alone. Opera is a sophisticated art. People are not simply handed concepts as they are in musical theatre. The emotion and the story comes from the music. The music is composed by people who know how, like Lenny, to make it tell the story without anything extra.
News flash: Candide is NO opera. It has been, is, and always will be nothing more than a mere operetta, a LIGHT opera. Hence, it IS about the acting. Although Anderson is an incredible singer and she did a fantastic job with this, she is BY NO MEANS the best who ever touched this.
#1 calm yourself #2 The voice is what is most important in anything with the word opera attached to it. In my experience the audience has always favored better voices, and obviously the man who wrote this operetta felt this way as well, so how could you argue with that?
@Maestrojosh87 exactly. and even in a real opera, if you don't act through singing, everyone will think "wow, that was just terrible". what's the point of having such a great voice if no one wants to listen
if i had to put in my two cents as unsnobbishly as possible, i'd say that june's approach to the song is PITCH perfect, but pitch perfect does not a perfect PERFORMANCE make. her characterization is a bit of a caricature, NOT BAD, just different from kristin's, whose voice isn't as PERFECT note wise (nor to listen to...), but whose performance is one of my most fun musical theatre/videos on here. i'm a snob. haha....
I really feel June Anderson owns this song more than anyone else on youtube. So many otherwise amazing coloraturas (including Fleming, Demrau and Dessay) and even Broadway stars (like Chenowith) ham this up something dreadful, but it's much funnier when peformedmore sincerely. The key line--where most of them go way over the top, but which Anderson plays just right--is "If I'm not pure at least my jewels are!" And of course she can do the trills spectacularly.
Agree with your comment mostly, except for the fact that Fleming is a full lyric, not a coloratura. She does manage to sing this piece pretty well, though. June owns this song above all others.
@flipsyboy Fleming is not a coloratura. She is a full lyric, but all sopranos must be capable of singing malismas (coloratura passages), and, since she is so famous and popular, she can choose what she'd like to sing in concert. She would rarely be cast in a true coloratura role, however.
In her earlier roles she sang a lot of coloratura, such as Konstanze, I think that's when she realized she is not a coloratura soprano, though she sang the role very well (but with difficulty).
@flipsyboy Fleming is not a coloratura. She is a full lyric, but all sopranos must be capable of singing malismas (coloratura passages), and, since she is so famous and popular, she can choose what she'd like to sing in concert. She would rarely be cast in a true coloratura role, however.
@flipsyboy That's the secret of comedy: You have to play it in earnest, like Carol Channing. If you go "hehe, look, I am FUNNY!" you've missed the point entirely. Anderson, although I really do not like her later career, here sings this *spot* on for its full comedic talent.
@flipsyboy Where most singers can get over the top is the "spoken parts" "pearls, and ruby rings, how can wordly things..etc...the parts that are not being sung in high register. Very few opera singers succeed in this Broadway piece. June did well in making it serious and formal (at least you can't say she's over the top and silly like Fleming.) But for me the best is Natalie Dessay, who sings strongly with technique and high notes but also that Broadway humor.
come on cheno fans, there's no comparison. cheno makes the role accessible and light; anderson makes it a work of musical expression. both do different things.
dear operarara!... if you are a fan of June Anderson, pls delete this posting and post it again with no comment possiblity ... what is going on here is level "pithecantropus non-erectus"...
oh!... ok!... now I see!!!! Bernstein was mentally and artistically desabled when he called June Anderson "my unbelievable creature"... well... he was old and silly and only the composer and conductor... so I thanks all those wiseguys here for their very qualified comments!
i must say i liked kristin chenoweth's version better. June is very good but i think kristin puts more into and is more of a showman which makes the performance even better
prefiero la voz del kristin, porque creo que esta canción es mejor para las sopranos ligeras. Me siento como la voz de June Anderson es demasiado grande para este personaje. Las cantantes son muy diferentes, como usted dijo. Me encanta esta canción :)
it's a shame chenoweth can't use her voice properly, rather than go into pathetic stephen schwartz musicals. but, i do prefer anderson to chenoweth. anderson's is closer to the Cunégonde in the original novella.
Actually, she is. If she did not do Broadway, she would have continued the career she intended-- opera. She has a masters in Opera, studied opera with her vocal teacher, and even got accepted into one of the most prestigious Opera Schools in the Nation. All on her own. I think that qualifies an opera singer. Oh yeah, and singing at the Met.
Who said I couldn't hear the difference? I also never said I didn't like June Anderson. All I'm saying is that people who say "kirstin can't sing opera!!!" are wrong because that's how she was trained.. not musical theatre, classical opera.
i didn't mean to offend you. and yes, she was trained in classical opera but that doesn't mean she has a supremely classical voice. she is better at singing musical theatre, peppered with operatic bits and pieces. anderson is an opera diva.
but the voice itself is fruit enough...she can go to as many opera school as she wants but the truth of the matter is if she went to La Scala singing the way she does, she would get booed off the stage...kristins voice is suited more for musical theatre and she doesn't even begin to compare to june anderson or any of the opera greats. don't get me wrong, she a good singer but she's not an opera singer by far...
You're classifying an "opera singer" By opinion, not fact or matter. Trained in opera, sings with operatic technique, has a masters in opera performance= Opera singer. Simple as that. Comparing opera singers to other opera singers is an opinion. No matter what your opinion is on an opera singer, they are still an opera singer.
@BroadwayKidNamedJosh Ummm ... Kirstin IS an amazing singer. Very clean and engaging voice. But her's is a light Music theatre voice. The ONLY caveat with her is that she needs to sing with a mic to get above the power of the orch. June carries no problem. In any case both are wonderful for different reasons both valid and amazing in what is a brutally difficult work!
I forgot how good Dainty June could be. Her Lucias at the Met were fantastic but she followed them up rather complacently with a couple of boring, undistinguished Violettas. The Leonoras with Simone Young wasn't well received either. In her prime, her voice had a edge that really cut. I wouldn't compare her with Chenoweth who has trouble getting half the notes of the score out cleanly. Did anyone hear Madeline Kahn do this? It could have been brilliant.
Oh c'est merveilleux!!!! Belle femme, voix sublime, technique de rêve, intelligence, charme, quoi d'autre? Tout y est! La connivence et l'affection entre le chef et les musiciens est très touchante. Cet homme respire la chaleur humaine. Merci!
It simply wouldn't fit into the concert if she acted like Chenoweth did. However, I like Chenoweth's version better, too, because she sings it even more "American" and isn't afraid of employing American accent.
If you know the whole history of this performance, the entire cast got sick (Bernstein discusses this at the beginning of the performance) in the days preceding the performance -- you can hear the heavy congestion in June Anderson's voice. Note the impressed look on the faces of her fellow cast members -- they were clearly worried, especially Jerry Hadley, but she showed them that cold or no cold, she could kick butt.
Her upper register was lovely and she's brilliant for opera, but her acting was sub-par in my opinion and I almost think her vowels and tone were too dark (I know, I know, it's opera). Her pacing also bugged me, mostly because cutesy Kristen introduced me to this song.
I thought Ms. Chenoweth did a good thing by bringing such a lovely aria to an audience who would otherwise not have heard it... but now we have random musical theatre fans calling June Anderson and Leonard Bernstein mediocre!? Am I living in an alternate universe or something?? lol. This performance is the polar opposite of mediocre.
I don't like her articulation or support on the faster parts. Lovely voice, but not my cup of tea per se. Not terrible acting. Good, mayeb a bit overdone though.
i didnt think it was too bad... i've heard better, and she had weird acting it seemed.. lol buts its better than i could have done so i cant really say much haha.
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Great googely moogely! That was horrible! I'm ad80ad on this one. I've never seen this woman before and I hope I never have to. What horrible presence.
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Yes...but REALLY...there is an ABYSS from this performance and that of Kristin Chenowet: even in the orchestral quality. It's really funny: authentic "musical" performers con interpret this mediocre score far better than all these "deus ex machina" in miniature.June Anderson is SO vulgar and out of tune. My God...terrible, terrible. bleah
You need to have your hearing checked, since I hear no such thing. And when you have a score to compare with Bernstein's, you have no right to make such malevolent statements.
And also, if you think logically, since BERNSTEIN IS CONDUCTING, don't you think this is what he wants? Something to think about, no?
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Personally, I don't give a damn if this is what "the autor" wants, if what I actually hear is a mediocre performance of a mediocre score. It's better Marlinyn Monroe singing After You Get What You Want. Better music, better orchestration, beeter singer and... better woman to look.
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I think yes: tell me if you hear here only one authentic emotion if not a perverse cold cynicism, or one second of music that express beauty and not an intentional bad taste.
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Yes...Kristin Chenowet attempt to make this aria decent, with an unbridled sarcasm. And she's nice. It's really the only one solution: when performing horrid music one can only take it as a joke.But here they seems "serious": and the result is ridicolous.Nevetheless it remains one of the worst "musical" (nothing more than that) of the history.
Totally agreed. Anyone who knows the history of this piece knows that June's rendition is and will always be legendary. You have a bunch of popular music lovers critiquing a piece that delves into opera and the operatic voice, something they know nothing about. I love Kristen's rendition as well but when you listen to the richness of June's vocals and the technique used to build to those high notes there is a clear winner here.
Obviously you have to give Anderson credit. It just seems like she was getting warmed up at the beginning of the piece and really just got into it by the end (the Eb sounded outstanding.) Also, Anderson sang with an operatic timbre, which works in some sections, but I think a lighter voice should be used for the faster sections. Also, this is going to sound strange, but it feels like in this version the tempo in the beginning is too slow, which shouldn't be because it's Bernstein conducting.
so i'm confused....if bernstein is the composer and he is conducting this performance, wouldn't that mean that the tempo is they way he wanted it to be. If it were to be faster than it would have been so don't u think? don't make judgements off of other performances of the aria especially since the person who composed it is clearly conducting it the way he wants to.
I consider myself a Candide fanatic, and I prefer Chenoweth's performance. Here's a few reasons why: (1.) Her tessitura sounds higher than Anderson's. Much of her high register sounds too forced. (2.) Sometimes in performance, Chenowith does too much, but it seems like Anderson doesn't do enough to nail the comedic side of the piece. (3.) Finally, in the HaHaHahahaha section, Anderson doesn't really get a lot of the H sounds, and ends up just singing Ah.
Does anyone have the full version of this??
videofan6666 1 day ago in playlist ruhig
It is an interesting version of Anderson....I love the faces of the violinists and the clarinetist by the way! And when Dessay sings is even funnier
Beattles007 4 weeks ago in playlist Classical Repertoire
It is alright, but I definitely prefer Chenowith's version. This one is indeed too serious, and the Allegro molto part needs to be a little faster and lighter, I'd say.
089Firefox 2 months ago
The best !!
michellemiaomana 2 months ago
Her voice is creamy
laceyflower 5 months ago
This is the best one, right? Anyway, it's wicked good...
ivelosthewilltolive 6 months ago
she is the best for me.
other singer is annoying
1111waon 6 months ago
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Mazarbul 6 months ago
this is one of the better ones i've heard. i'm partial to the first recording by barbara cook (especially how she performs the laughing section), but this is great.
dylz 7 months ago
June Anderson sings this very formally/seriously; I prefer a comedic slant. Bernstein clearly wrote humor in this; this is about her guilty feelings of not knowing whether to be miserable or care-free. It's also worth noting this is Broadway, not opera, and only meant to resemble an operatic aria. Fleming sings this the worst (absolutely silly singing), Dessay is the best for me, with strong high notes, technique and humor.
OperaMystery80 7 months ago
Purely by vocal performance, I think this and Dawn Upshaw's performances of this piece are the best. Very different, but I think equally brilliant.
BenMcCormack91 7 months ago
wow! this is also getting close to Bernstein's death. kinda sad to watch this, hear him speak, and realize that.
otherjoe1234 8 months ago
June can sing but she is a nut job.
KnightOwl2006 8 months ago
THE ONLY VERSION I LIKE!
btw love the conductor :P
SarahBradyy 9 months ago
the only possible Cunegunde, the one the composer wrote this music for, the great June Anderson.
tklogan111809 9 months ago
I would love to have the camera on Bernstein... what a auto-da-show!
vocebasso 9 months ago
Has anyone else noticed that a lot of coloraturas look like Sutherland...or visa versa? Just an odd observation.
ceaserthepenguin 11 months ago
@ceaserthepenguin
no
asdfopera 10 months ago
@ceaserthepenguin silly remark. Anderson does look like Sutherland a bit, the body language and acting, but who else? Please.
tklogan111809 9 months ago
@tklogan111809 The chin. Yes, she does.
Baccalaureus79 9 months ago
Astonishing...and what he says in his speech about her being ill is true - I was having treatment in Harley Street at the time and a call came through for the voice specialist to go over to the Barbican to treat her!
iestynovich 1 year ago
Damrau's, Dessay's and Chenowith's versions are far more comical when you get to see how they move on stage . Anderson does a better job in phrasings than the rest of them, she's the one who holds the first half of the aria altogether. The others make Bernstein's piece sound quite poorly written because they sing and try too hard to make it whimsical without understanding the music.
norisv 1 year ago 6
@norisv I think they understand the music just fine. The show is quite silly. Embracing the whimsy doesn't make the writing seem any worse, it just makes sense in the context of the show. If this version were done in an actual production of Candide it would be off-putting and dull. Anderson's voice is quite strong though.
SayChickpeas 1 year ago
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Her facial expressions are ridiculous throughout this entire performance.
TyrannasaurusJosie 1 year ago
@TyrannasaurusJosie Haha, I agree that she over embellishes certain moods, but I do think that it adds to the performance as a comedy.
Bthornflips 11 months ago
Ah, just look at the rest of the orchestra, singers and Bernsetin himself when the takes the Es - pure rapture. Ill or not, she sings this so beautifully.
Transoxiana94 1 year ago
Bernstein himself relishes her voice and interpretation. So do I !
ledormant 1 year ago 3
How fabulous! er voice is amazing! I have always loved this song! I just saw the new production in Chicago and was highly impressed by Glitter and Be Gay and the entire production! Too bad Lenny could not have been here for it!
thefabulousmark 1 year ago 2
@thefabulousmark - Full agreement - just saw it last night and it was wonderful.
Marker773 1 year ago
i love the conducter...real passion
Tritano 1 year ago
@Tritano That's Bernstein...
senorlucien 1 year ago
is it just me, or does anyone else hear her go off key the more they listen to this?
Serenity202 1 year ago
@Serenity202 hmmm, that's probably why mr bernstein explained (to the audience) that everyone had been sick.
Tritano 1 year ago
@Tritano first of all, how was I supposed to know, second of all, it's her voice that bothers me. Sick or not, it wouldn't make a difference.
Serenity202 1 year ago
@Serenity202 your screen name deceives. Geez! Why is everyone online so tightly wound? Before you got defensive I only said the Conductor explained that everyone was sick and perhaps that's why Ms. Anderson was off key (I heard it too). What's all this "first of all..." attitude for? You asked how were you suppose to know, well, you would've had you continued watching after the aria. Criticism is the nature of art, it's necessary. Far be it from my to deny your opinion.
Tritano 1 year ago
@Tritano Um...I wasn't upset, i was just saying I had no idea. I didn't actually watch the video to the end because I didn't like how she sang it.
Besides, I don't see a reason to get upset over disagreeing opinions on particular singers.
Serenity202 1 year ago
Anderson nails the aria very lyrically. She can break your heart with that emotion, especially in the beginning. Her portrayal is different from my vision of the character, not that comic and funny, but rather realistic and lyrical and believable. Very beautiful singing, too, of course. There`s no place for comparison to Damrau or Dessay or Chenowith, whose interpretations speak of something different in the character. Still, Anderson is just spectacular and flawless in this, her very own way.
Transoxiana94 1 year ago
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@Transoxiana94 but Candide is a comedy and a satirical look at opimism. ms. anderson's approach, although brilliant, could be considered a bit impure?
Tritano 1 year ago
WOW! AMAZING DICTION TOO!
sonokosuzuki 1 year ago
I love her!! it's so incredible!
sirmascatrap 1 year ago
I love her voice, but I like the way Kristin played this song better. It's supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't laugh at this version. Kristin's was funny and beautiful. <3
Serenity202 1 year ago 3
Personally I enjoy this as much as I enjoy Diana Damrau's... well may be I love much Damrau's. Yet June Anderson shows her awesome voice.
SakumaRyuichiNG 1 year ago
This is Berstein's piece and he is conducting....his LOVE for June Anderson puts any argument as to how this song should be performed to rest; she owns this piece not only because her performance is the most breath taking and extraordinary, but because it was given to her by the creator of it.
pspruce18 1 year ago
barbara cook was the original cungegonde, yeah? kristin sounds closer to barbara than june does to her. that basically says it all. honestly, though, june has a better voice. it's matured and toned much better than kristin's. BUT, cunegonde isn't supposed to be depressing. candide is about optimism, and glitter and be gay is supposed to be light. june is painful to watch because she totally ignores the comedic aspects of the song.
ashleysamoska 1 year ago
Each time I watch to this video, I'm touched by how passionate she sings it... It's really special... And her voice... It's marvellous...
tommieboy1657 1 year ago
Wonderful! :) Thank you!
dialectgirl 1 year ago
Haha, check out the guy to her right (her actual left) lipsynching the words. Love it.
elleelise 1 year ago
She is light years ahead of Renée Flemingo, who just murdered this ditty with her sickeningly cutie-pie phrasing and obnoxious giggles. This has excellent singing here, as June grew to a very high level of vocalism and dramatic maturity. Her voice is more powerful than Fleming's, also, as the latter is beginning to spread noticeably.
sillyboydeux 1 year ago
It is difficult to think in Diamonds when the mines in Africa are plenty of children working on them.
ilbacioditosca 1 year ago
Sometimes operettas are real operas !
ledormant 1 year ago 4
Bernstein is a Genius!!!
rigcelli 1 year ago 5
Kristin's tonality still gets the better of me. But a wonderful job by June Anderson.
CAHop90 2 years ago
Kristen hands down!!!! but she did a good job!
theprinceofbroadway 2 years ago
Im sorry but I disagree, June would have been in tutorial with Bernstein, and seeing as he is conducting it, this is obviously how he intended it to sound. Kristens version is amazing and very comic, but that was a broadway spin off.
ThePiano1991 2 years ago
I almost shat my knickers on 1:59. But again excellent and beautiful singing as usual from June Anderson.
franz0woyzeck 2 years ago
why are there so many songs where coloratura sopranos go insane?
raigekimaru 2 years ago 3
Because that's the character they almost always receive. But this is nothing like the insanity they usually go through. This is supposed to be Leonard Bernstein's parody of coloratura arias, so this is kind of a "happy" insanity.
Maestrojosh87 1 year ago 3
I honestly think Kristin did sooo much better. GO KRISTIN!!!
crazysinger111 2 years ago
@crazysinger111 really? because without that mic you wouldn't hear chenowith. Candide is an opera not a musical theater piece. Therefore it's only about the singing, not the cutesy little acting, Chenowith's voice would never be heard above june anderson. Obviously Anderson is the better singer if the composer of the opera has her sing while he's conducting.
songsofscarlet 2 years ago
actually, one of the biggest things about singing IS how you express it. If you're boring, who cares how good your singing is. Yes, the actual singing in this is better than chenoweth, but think about, what actually entertains you more? and candide is a show where acting is VERY important, have you ever seen it? it is insane and hilarious. If you know the character of cunegonde it can't be serious and dramatic, it has to be light about bouncy. i have never been able to listen to this whole thing
jtg10795 2 years ago
@jtg10795 a very common opinion these days and I am open to what you're saying. I do disagree with it, I have seen Candide actually with Chenowith, and felt the exact same sentiments then. Bear in mind this is a concert version of Candide and Anderson does not have this memorized, she can only do so much. My thoughts on the matter are that opera is about singing and not acting, the composer has already put the emotion into the music. Acting is less important, it will come to you if you listen!
songsofscarlet 2 years ago
that is a very fair opinion. to some extents I agree, to some not. In this case, I just find this particular song so boring without enough emotion. You are right this is a concert version but also in the version that she is supposed to be acting it out (she has a set with a table and a box of jewels) it still feels too bland and boring
jtg10795 2 years ago
I have to say I agree with you, songsofscarlet. While musical theatre is about the singing and the acting together, opera is expression through music alone. Opera is a sophisticated art. People are not simply handed concepts as they are in musical theatre. The emotion and the story comes from the music. The music is composed by people who know how, like Lenny, to make it tell the story without anything extra.
Ahdold 2 years ago 2
News flash: Candide is NO opera. It has been, is, and always will be nothing more than a mere operetta, a LIGHT opera. Hence, it IS about the acting. Although Anderson is an incredible singer and she did a fantastic job with this, she is BY NO MEANS the best who ever touched this.
Maestrojosh87 1 year ago 2
#1 calm yourself #2 The voice is what is most important in anything with the word opera attached to it. In my experience the audience has always favored better voices, and obviously the man who wrote this operetta felt this way as well, so how could you argue with that?
MrDatingblog 1 year ago
Yes, I'd agree with you on it. And, besides, even you know it's an operetta, so thanks for backing me up on that!
Maestrojosh87 1 year ago
@Maestrojosh87 exactly. and even in a real opera, if you don't act through singing, everyone will think "wow, that was just terrible". what's the point of having such a great voice if no one wants to listen
jtg10795 1 year ago
gavman888.. that 'guy' is the LSO's concert master, it's kinda important that he's there you know.
2thokmas7 2 years ago
What a brilliant voice.
jojofashion0169 2 years ago
shes good i have to admit but chenoweth makes it more live and funny and adds what it needs
crazysinger111 2 years ago
cheno is funnier, june has a more perfect voice. simple as that.
Shanniquitie 2 years ago 3
HAHAHA!! at 2:15 the guy behind her is mouthing along!! Why is he there? it doesn't look like he has an instrument...
gavman888 2 years ago
That guy is Jerry Hadley, who sings the title role Candide in this opera concert.
henrygiselle 2 years ago
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SexxyBrando88 2 years ago
if i had to put in my two cents as unsnobbishly as possible, i'd say that june's approach to the song is PITCH perfect, but pitch perfect does not a perfect PERFORMANCE make. her characterization is a bit of a caricature, NOT BAD, just different from kristin's, whose voice isn't as PERFECT note wise (nor to listen to...), but whose performance is one of my most fun musical theatre/videos on here. i'm a snob. haha....
soymuy25 2 years ago
I really feel June Anderson owns this song more than anyone else on youtube. So many otherwise amazing coloraturas (including Fleming, Demrau and Dessay) and even Broadway stars (like Chenowith) ham this up something dreadful, but it's much funnier when peformedmore sincerely. The key line--where most of them go way over the top, but which Anderson plays just right--is "If I'm not pure at least my jewels are!" And of course she can do the trills spectacularly.
flipsyboy 2 years ago 21
Agree with your comment mostly, except for the fact that Fleming is a full lyric, not a coloratura. She does manage to sing this piece pretty well, though. June owns this song above all others.
dougbalt 1 year ago
@flipsyboy Fleming is not a coloratura. She is a full lyric, but all sopranos must be capable of singing malismas (coloratura passages), and, since she is so famous and popular, she can choose what she'd like to sing in concert. She would rarely be cast in a true coloratura role, however.
abrow4 1 year ago
@abrow4
In her earlier roles she sang a lot of coloratura, such as Konstanze, I think that's when she realized she is not a coloratura soprano, though she sang the role very well (but with difficulty).
primohomme 1 year ago
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@flipsyboy Fleming is not a coloratura. She is a full lyric, but all sopranos must be capable of singing malismas (coloratura passages), and, since she is so famous and popular, she can choose what she'd like to sing in concert. She would rarely be cast in a true coloratura role, however.
abrow4 1 year ago
@flipsyboy That's the secret of comedy: You have to play it in earnest, like Carol Channing. If you go "hehe, look, I am FUNNY!" you've missed the point entirely. Anderson, although I really do not like her later career, here sings this *spot* on for its full comedic talent.
Merryjest 1 year ago
@flipsyboy but Candide is a comedy and a satirical look at opimism. ms. anderson's approach, although brilliant, could be considered a bit impure?
Tritano 1 year ago
@flipsyboy Where most singers can get over the top is the "spoken parts" "pearls, and ruby rings, how can wordly things..etc...the parts that are not being sung in high register. Very few opera singers succeed in this Broadway piece. June did well in making it serious and formal (at least you can't say she's over the top and silly like Fleming.) But for me the best is Natalie Dessay, who sings strongly with technique and high notes but also that Broadway humor.
OperaMystery80 7 months ago
@flipsyboy Renee Fleming is NOT a coloratura.
tiernan87 4 months ago 2
Kristen Chenoweth is the perfect Cunegonde, but only for the first act and a half.
She can play someone that naive. Personally id rather have someone out of the operatic field rather than the musical field.
goes for Patti Lupone whom i actually like
BonePhone 2 years ago 4
damn, this woman gives me chills :)
Taurus4165 2 years ago 4
come on cheno fans, there's no comparison. cheno makes the role accessible and light; anderson makes it a work of musical expression. both do different things.
kalindoscopy 2 years ago 3
I love it! Her voice is something spectacular.
dreamposh 2 years ago 21
dear operarara!... if you are a fan of June Anderson, pls delete this posting and post it again with no comment possiblity ... what is going on here is level "pithecantropus non-erectus"...
brodsky96 2 years ago 2
oh!... ok!... now I see!!!! Bernstein was mentally and artistically desabled when he called June Anderson "my unbelievable creature"... well... he was old and silly and only the composer and conductor... so I thanks all those wiseguys here for their very qualified comments!
brodsky96 2 years ago 2
I agree that Kristin was better, she exudes personality!
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cambabiicute 2 years ago
I think Chenoweth's version is just as good because it is creative.
She brings something new to the character that others haven't before.
That is the point of a good actor.
The fact that she is so successful in a "pathetic Stephen Schwartz musical" just goes to show how versitile her voice is.
Eliteviewsonic 2 years ago
i must say i liked kristin chenoweth's version better. June is very good but i think kristin puts more into and is more of a showman which makes the performance even better
mimdude123456 2 years ago
but chenoweth is not opera singer.
lukameridian 2 years ago 2
Kristin Chenoweth actually has a master's degree in opera performance from the oklahoma city university.
roxas033 2 years ago 4
pero no se compara la voz de June con chenoweth, june es mucho mejor con una gran diferencia.
Aunque en gustos se rompen generos, en lo personal la voz de chenoweth me molesta por lo nasal que es.
lukameridian 2 years ago 2
prefiero la voz del kristin, porque creo que esta canción es mejor para las sopranos ligeras. Me siento como la voz de June Anderson es demasiado grande para este personaje. Las cantantes son muy diferentes, como usted dijo. Me encanta esta canción :)
roxas033 2 years ago
it's a shame chenoweth can't use her voice properly, rather than go into pathetic stephen schwartz musicals. but, i do prefer anderson to chenoweth. anderson's is closer to the Cunégonde in the original novella.
musicalsandstuff 2 years ago
june still sounds better vocally tho...hands down..
PhillyDiggla 2 years ago
Actually, she is. If she did not do Broadway, she would have continued the career she intended-- opera. She has a masters in Opera, studied opera with her vocal teacher, and even got accepted into one of the most prestigious Opera Schools in the Nation. All on her own. I think that qualifies an opera singer. Oh yeah, and singing at the Met.
BroadwayKidNamedJosh 2 years ago 2
listen to june anderson sing, listen to cheno sing. if you can't hear the difference, you're deaf.
they're both good, but they're very different.
kalindoscopy 2 years ago 3
Who said I couldn't hear the difference? I also never said I didn't like June Anderson. All I'm saying is that people who say "kirstin can't sing opera!!!" are wrong because that's how she was trained.. not musical theatre, classical opera.
BroadwayKidNamedJosh 2 years ago
i didn't mean to offend you. and yes, she was trained in classical opera but that doesn't mean she has a supremely classical voice. she is better at singing musical theatre, peppered with operatic bits and pieces. anderson is an opera diva.
kalindoscopy 2 years ago 3
but the voice itself is fruit enough...she can go to as many opera school as she wants but the truth of the matter is if she went to La Scala singing the way she does, she would get booed off the stage...kristins voice is suited more for musical theatre and she doesn't even begin to compare to june anderson or any of the opera greats. don't get me wrong, she a good singer but she's not an opera singer by far...
PhillyDiggla 2 years ago
You're classifying an "opera singer" By opinion, not fact or matter. Trained in opera, sings with operatic technique, has a masters in opera performance= Opera singer. Simple as that. Comparing opera singers to other opera singers is an opinion. No matter what your opinion is on an opera singer, they are still an opera singer.
BroadwayKidNamedJosh 2 years ago 3
@BroadwayKidNamedJosh Ummm ... Kirstin IS an amazing singer. Very clean and engaging voice. But her's is a light Music theatre voice. The ONLY caveat with her is that she needs to sing with a mic to get above the power of the orch. June carries no problem. In any case both are wonderful for different reasons both valid and amazing in what is a brutally difficult work!
brahams59 2 years ago 2
I forgot how good Dainty June could be. Her Lucias at the Met were fantastic but she followed them up rather complacently with a couple of boring, undistinguished Violettas. The Leonoras with Simone Young wasn't well received either. In her prime, her voice had a edge that really cut. I wouldn't compare her with Chenoweth who has trouble getting half the notes of the score out cleanly. Did anyone hear Madeline Kahn do this? It could have been brilliant.
luisamiller81 2 years ago
THIS IS MUSIC!
mariliamesmo 2 years ago
Has anyone else noticed how much she looks like Joan Sutherland? It's the cheekbones I think.
jasonlesliestevens 2 years ago 3
Why the hell is she using sheet music? Really?
escottster 2 years ago
it was less than a year before he died ... let's see if you don't need a few aids when your time draws near
BernardProfitendieu 2 years ago
what a beauty!
fanofdudamel100 2 years ago
I love a good ending like that! Such force and in your face!
ThePiano1991 2 years ago 2
Two great American musicians... Bravo...
aaround 2 years ago 2
I prefer kristin version, it's more alive think
armandofarras 2 years ago 2
you can't be serious - she took the easiest way out - yuck
BernardProfitendieu 2 years ago
what easy way out??
armandofarras 2 years ago
Oh c'est merveilleux!!!! Belle femme, voix sublime, technique de rêve, intelligence, charme, quoi d'autre? Tout y est! La connivence et l'affection entre le chef et les musiciens est très touchante. Cet homme respire la chaleur humaine. Merci!
isabelbleuet 2 years ago 5
can you translate!!
kikay2493 2 years ago
This is the only performance of this piece where I can actually understand the words being sung! Magnificent voice.
LatvianVixen 2 years ago 5
June has the amazing voice for the piece but sort of missed out on the acting part. I did like Kristin Chenoweth better.
kittykat0009 2 years ago 3
It simply wouldn't fit into the concert if she acted like Chenoweth did. However, I like Chenoweth's version better, too, because she sings it even more "American" and isn't afraid of employing American accent.
Baccalaureus79 2 years ago 3
WOW!!!! Qué maravilla!!! Es fabulosa esta mujer!!!
macielnegrete 2 years ago
Wonderful
Csanfer14 2 years ago
Grandioso!!!
aida2004 2 years ago 2
that guy behind her looks very uncomfortable
wickedfan7681 2 years ago
the late Jerry Hadley, in his prime...
JDOopera76 2 years ago
anyone else see the dude smirk at like 3:36? it was amusing
btw kristin chenoweth > june anderson
on this piece strictly otherwise june is amazing!
BKSopJP 2 years ago
This is super human singing!
buildingblox 2 years ago
Utterly amazing!
xKaraAnnJx 2 years ago
The best performance.
lukameridian 2 years ago
she is a bad actress, but great voice
emanuelrp 2 years ago
It's freaking June Anderson, one of the best voices in Opera ever
jbactr 2 years ago 4
True. Yet the demands of the aria are on two levels: you must sing it AND act it.
Perhaps the venue did not lend itself to a more dramatic interpretation...
chayoto 2 years ago 4
I can't wait to do this song!!!!
jordan1980 3 years ago
No wonder Bernstein himself picked her to be his final Cunegonde.
gabriellecorinne 3 years ago 3
If you know the whole history of this performance, the entire cast got sick (Bernstein discusses this at the beginning of the performance) in the days preceding the performance -- you can hear the heavy congestion in June Anderson's voice. Note the impressed look on the faces of her fellow cast members -- they were clearly worried, especially Jerry Hadley, but she showed them that cold or no cold, she could kick butt.
geschwitz4 3 years ago 6
I totally dig the guy creepin in the corner of the frame who looks a little bored, lmao.
melissarampton 3 years ago 3
I love June's voice.
ElliePearl 3 years ago
Beautiful.
Also, I LOVE Leonard Bernstein at 6.10, so passionate.
dadarkdude2 3 years ago
Took the words right out of my mouth...
sirmattbelios 3 years ago
Her upper register was lovely and she's brilliant for opera, but her acting was sub-par in my opinion and I almost think her vowels and tone were too dark (I know, I know, it's opera). Her pacing also bugged me, mostly because cutesy Kristen introduced me to this song.
MauraPhish91 3 years ago
The pacing is all Bernstein. And he knows a thing or two.
nclysander 3 years ago 3
Bernstein is so funny!:)
silvija73 3 years ago
Only one better than June is Joan.
cacalott29 3 years ago
Their voices are very close in timbre and June's diction is much better but I like Joan slightly more. They are both awesome (in orbit).
daniel01141975 3 years ago
she couldn't memorise the text?
spanka 3 years ago
I cant really understand a lot of what she's saying...
brokenslayer 3 years ago
dommage pour l'absence du ricanement final
Guaranabxl 3 years ago
is she reading from the score? o__O
the timing seems to be lagging a bit for some reason.
june has some pipes on her though. i really like her higher register. :]
livibusiness 3 years ago
in acting kristen murders vocally june wipes the floor with anyone else
broadwayadict 3 years ago 2
I thought Ms. Chenoweth did a good thing by bringing such a lovely aria to an audience who would otherwise not have heard it... but now we have random musical theatre fans calling June Anderson and Leonard Bernstein mediocre!? Am I living in an alternate universe or something?? lol. This performance is the polar opposite of mediocre.
maryjivinjane 3 years ago 4
i agree but i do like kristen better singing this song....to me it seems like june is straining to sing lower than she should
ReMeMbErThEeLvEs2011 3 years ago
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she's good but kritins better (:
broadwaybby724 3 years ago
maybe in the acting but...
vocally, (altho I think shes great) kristin is absolutaley match for ppl of this level...
vocalpianist 3 years ago
I don't like her articulation or support on the faster parts. Lovely voice, but not my cup of tea per se. Not terrible acting. Good, mayeb a bit overdone though.
LittleLotte7793 3 years ago
i didnt think it was too bad... i've heard better, and she had weird acting it seemed.. lol buts its better than i could have done so i cant really say much haha.
futureoperasinger77 3 years ago
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Great googely moogely! That was horrible! I'm ad80ad on this one. I've never seen this woman before and I hope I never have to. What horrible presence.
danbo8m 3 years ago
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Yes...but REALLY...there is an ABYSS from this performance and that of Kristin Chenowet: even in the orchestral quality. It's really funny: authentic "musical" performers con interpret this mediocre score far better than all these "deus ex machina" in miniature.June Anderson is SO vulgar and out of tune. My God...terrible, terrible. bleah
ad80ad 3 years ago
You need to have your hearing checked, since I hear no such thing. And when you have a score to compare with Bernstein's, you have no right to make such malevolent statements.
And also, if you think logically, since BERNSTEIN IS CONDUCTING, don't you think this is what he wants? Something to think about, no?
mazurmusic7 3 years ago 4
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Personally, I don't give a damn if this is what "the autor" wants, if what I actually hear is a mediocre performance of a mediocre score. It's better Marlinyn Monroe singing After You Get What You Want. Better music, better orchestration, beeter singer and... better woman to look.
ad80ad 3 years ago
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If can exist a music that is not ABOUT horrid, but that IS horrid in itself, this is the perfect example.
ad80ad 3 years ago
Huh? Did you listen to the same thing I did?
mazurmusic7 3 years ago
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I think yes: tell me if you hear here only one authentic emotion if not a perverse cold cynicism, or one second of music that express beauty and not an intentional bad taste.
ad80ad 3 years ago
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Yes...Kristin Chenowet attempt to make this aria decent, with an unbridled sarcasm. And she's nice. It's really the only one solution: when performing horrid music one can only take it as a joke.But here they seems "serious": and the result is ridicolous.Nevetheless it remains one of the worst "musical" (nothing more than that) of the history.
ad80ad 3 years ago
well with of you this complaining Bernstein's top choice everytime was June Anderson. So there you go.
spintotenor83 3 years ago 6
Totally agreed. Anyone who knows the history of this piece knows that June's rendition is and will always be legendary. You have a bunch of popular music lovers critiquing a piece that delves into opera and the operatic voice, something they know nothing about. I love Kristen's rendition as well but when you listen to the richness of June's vocals and the technique used to build to those high notes there is a clear winner here.
ruffnation 3 years ago 4
Absolutely. Bernstein hand picked her...
BeauTenor 3 years ago
i'm in love with the conductor- he's awesome. :D
CrazedBombalurina 3 years ago 6
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Uckie -gags- ♥♥♥KRISTIN CHENOWETH ALL THE WAY ♥♥♥
fallonscenicbeauty 3 years ago
Grandissimo Leonard! Quanto ci manchi!
ludwigna78 3 years ago 4
Obviously you have to give Anderson credit. It just seems like she was getting warmed up at the beginning of the piece and really just got into it by the end (the Eb sounded outstanding.) Also, Anderson sang with an operatic timbre, which works in some sections, but I think a lighter voice should be used for the faster sections. Also, this is going to sound strange, but it feels like in this version the tempo in the beginning is too slow, which shouldn't be because it's Bernstein conducting.
guitarmy039 3 years ago
so i'm confused....if bernstein is the composer and he is conducting this performance, wouldn't that mean that the tempo is they way he wanted it to be. If it were to be faster than it would have been so don't u think? don't make judgements off of other performances of the aria especially since the person who composed it is clearly conducting it the way he wants to.
PhillyDiggla 2 years ago 3
I consider myself a Candide fanatic, and I prefer Chenoweth's performance. Here's a few reasons why: (1.) Her tessitura sounds higher than Anderson's. Much of her high register sounds too forced. (2.) Sometimes in performance, Chenowith does too much, but it seems like Anderson doesn't do enough to nail the comedic side of the piece. (3.) Finally, in the HaHaHahahaha section, Anderson doesn't really get a lot of the H sounds, and ends up just singing Ah.