Kathleen Battle - Zerbinetta's Monologue - R. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos (Part 1)

[babs22hh]

after hearing laura claycomb sing this role I like her voice type better-- leggerio-- for this role than battle's sweet soubrette sound... sometimes Battles timbre towards the upper register thins and has an airy quality that I dont like. Claycomb loses less core of her tone because her voice is naturally more full bodied...perhaps a matter of personal taste... I just like listening to sopranos where the tone is full and timbre is slightly darker from top to bottom. what do you think?

[wTrevorh]

That corsette looks way too tight. I'm sure she could've done way better without it.

[Thevirtualuniverse]

 Excellent video

[JasRichlovesLA]

I love how Battle's sings this role. Zerbinetta is absolutely amazing and difficult role to portray. Take a look at Reri Grist doing this role.

[goldenthroat86]

If you have to transpose the aria down a whole tone, you shouldn't sing the role.

[FoggyRoad81]

Outside of Edita Gruberova and Sumi Jo who doesn't transpose this aria down?

[goldenthroat86]

I stand corrected...Battle does indeed sing it in the "traditional" key. I originally thought she was singing it 2 whole tones down. The original key is almost impossible for ANYONE to sing. I must admit, I've never heard her extreme high range sound so easy.

[FoggyRoad81]

I'm surprised your head didn't explode saying that Battle actually sounded good. I actually think this was a role she struggled with in the house, from what I heard this was hard to hear in the opera house and it was one of the few roles she received a poor review for from the New York Times. Though she sang the role with great success a little earlier at Covent Garden in 1985. Are you developing a more balanced look at Battle?

[VoiceVirtuoso]

@FoggyRoad81 Battle actually won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Zerbinetta at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She also won a Grammy for her studio recording of the role, and yes, she performs it in the traditionally performed key. The same key Dessay, Swenson, Damrau and about 98% of other sopranos sing it in.

[VoiceVirtuoso]

@KarineRibbens you must be another failed singer with no hope for a career of any substance. i don't get why people feel they need to make comments like that.

[baritonebynight]

@VoiceVirtuoso I am a failed singer myself, and proud of it! That said, I think Battles' breath support is exceptional...you can hardly see her breath and even at this stage of her career she has complete command over her instrument. It irks me when voice students give advice to world class singers, or even to thoes of us who arent' world class but have sung professionally.

[tneprescintr]

damrau?

[baritonebynight]

@FoggyRoad81 Beverly Sills sang the originaly version (1912), but no known recording exists except for a 1969 concert version where she omitted the high F#s.

[RoOodOoOloOmeg]

@baritonebynight she didn't omitted those high F#'s.

there's a recital in which she interpretates the original version in the traditional key, kind of a mix of cadenzas in a lower pitch.

[baritonebynight]

@RoOodOoOloOmeg In the 1969 concert version that is here on youtube, the top F# is simply omitted. Apparently Sills did attempt the F#s in at least one performance, but no known recording exists of it unless it has surfaced in recent months as a pirated recording.

[RoOodOoOloOmeg]

@baritonebynight well she did hit a high F by the end of a video. jeje I took my fork and listened to it. Of course is hard for her, you're right, since I listened thoroughly. Anyway, I wouldn't take away her credit because the extra cadenzas are like hell and the bold high F is still there.

[baritonebynight]

@RoOodOoOloOmeg Its not about taking away credit from Beverly Sills. Singing high notes does not make one a better singer than another. Sills is exceptional in many many ways. I would say her diction and interpretations and lightening fast accurate coloratura are her best qualities....I would never even think about saying she had a top F. So what? Many people do, but not many people could do eveything else she did hense why she is one of the greatest singers of the 20th century.

[RoOodOoOloOmeg]

@baritonebynight Agree =) I thought you were one of the money notes lover. I love any aria well interpretated with or without money notes. Sills had a great comic instinct. I would say she's the one I love the most, befores Callas and Sutherland of course.

[baritonebynight]

@RoOodOoOloOmeg I thought you were a high note whore as well, glad to know you're not.

[pedrofribeiro]

@FoggyRoad81 Again, it's NOT transposed down.

[pedrofribeiro]

@goldenthroat86 It's not transposed.