Shirley Verrett as Amneris "L'abborrita rivale" Aida Act 4

[543johnson]

Is this an actual production or for tv?

[allanaki]

He is flat.

[lyrictenore]

OH MY DEAD GOD. SHIRLEY SANG THAT !!! OH WOW

[FancyPantsElitist]

gorgeous!

[SiEtIn1]

ive been obsessed with this clips for tha last week. its affecting my life. Shirley Verret is searing, electifying, white hot. I miss Ms Verrett so much, may she rest in peace

[LadyDiaz777]

What beauty. What true magnificence in performance. I shared the stage with her in CAROUSEL as did my father, Justino Diaz, in many operas together. What a perfect timbre for a female voice. She was as graceful in art as she was in life. There is another star in heaven that shines bright and true....we can study her for years to come.

[LadyDiaz777]

what beauty. what magnificence. she shared the stage with me and my father, Justino Diaz. what a perfect timbre for a female. as graceful in art and in life. there is another star in heaven.

[LondonLite02]

She absolutely IS Amneris -- what wonderful acting, and of course, what sound!

[Rocky1357924680]

RIP Shirley Verrett

Another great opera singer are gone now

im so sad tonight :((

[georgerannie]

I really don't care if she liked the role or not because she here is singing the hell out of it.

[FoggyRoad81]

@georgerannie Exactly! I really want to know what mozzrt expects in terms of committment. I've never seen a more committed performance from any Amneris.

[mozzrt]

Verrett is one of the greatest ever but she isn't really as spectacular in this as she usually is. Her B/W Dalila and Eboli from 71 are both sensational, but her heart isn't in this.

[FoggyRoad81]

@mozzrt Wow do I disagree. For one thing I don't think her heart was ever not in anything she did. Now she is on record as not loving this role so maybe its why she didn't take it up very often. But how can you say this is an uninvolved performances, especially the last 4 minutes which are white hot!!

[mozzrt]

@FoggyRoad81 I didn't know that she didn't like Amneris. But that explains it. She is of course magnificent, but I am used to her being divine every second. So I just say what I think, as for the 4 last minutes, sure, but that's not enough.

[SiEtIn1]

@mozzrt oh my god her heart isn´t in this? then I'm guessing my monitor would explode if she had put her heart into it. If you have seen an Amneris more committed than this on video i beg you to share please

[isabella1954able]

Mi ripeto perche'intendo ripetermi :MAGNIFICA,ma lui,ma con una AMNERIS di questa fatta lui e' troppo troppo scarso.

[primacomponist]

Lei e fantastica su questo non ci piove !!!!

[smokey4149]

Great acting from Verrett. Great singing too! But it's just not exciting acting and singing......

[cleanears]

Oh dear... Why do they always then want to do Tosca, Lady Macbeth and even Aida? What marvelous REAL mezzos they were all of them, Simionato, Cossotto, Bumbry (i know i've missed some). Noone around today.

[FoggyRoad81]

Lady Macbeth was one of Verrett's greatest roles. You are correct about her Tosca though. It is 100% NOT suited for her, lies far too high for her. But some "soprano" roles, including Leonore in Fidelio she had complete mastery of.

[Lenochka1107]

It's awsome! Thank you!

[Turand0t]

Verrett is fabulous!!! She is certainly one of my favourite mezzos. So rich in colour.

[zgopify]

Amneris is the most interesting part, and she sings it like noone else, at 5:26 starts her wonderful love song! Verrett is a vocal miracle of the highest order.

[GjelNB]

Wow!!!!!!...  8-O

[operaclassicc]

she is amazing ,I am speechless

[FoggyRoad81]

its ridiculous isn't it

[operaclassicc]

sry you are ridiculous

[FoggyRoad81]

Dude, I was saying it is ridiculous how AMAZING she is. Jeez....

[operaclassicc]

ok ,but it looks different

[Hervinbalfour]

I doubt he meant ridiculous in the negative sense....

[explorercur]

The best moments for me starts at 10:08. Verrett's expression is awesome and it's like both are giving the other a hard time in the singing. Impressive.

[Chasson0318]

Okay! That's some great spectator sport singin'!

[ilbacioditosca]

Does anybody knows who was Cassilly voice teacher?

[daniellockwood]

He studied with Rosa Ponselle.

[naters81]

He studied mainly with Hans Heinz at Peabody Conservatory. Rosa Ponselle worked with him to a much lesser extent,

[hightenor123]

R.I.P Richard Cassilly, if only you could still be around giving us that full, enourmous liquid tenor. A wonderful man and an inspiring artist (creator of the role of Sam Polk.) Perhaps he does not look like he is made for television, but he brought much joy to opera goers for many years. And Verrett is amazing wonderful and sizzling.

[naters81]

Actually Walter James portrayed Sam Polk in the premiere production. Cassilly took over the part later in the New York City Opera season.

[ariodante76]

I didn't know that John Goodman sang opera! Just kidding. Anyway, Verrett is at the height of her powers, which is just amazing to witness...

[UrsulanChild]

I think I've figured it out.  The tenor is singing with a very all-American approach to Italian....sexless...extremely square. Verrett is licking her chops on this language, breathing, inhabiting each word, and Cassilly is just giving us the dry delivery. Do you all notice how Shirley is in utmost control of her voice? Watch all of her breaths leading up to the climactic phrases. She never breathes in a way that gets her off center. Very settled in her technique. Thanks for posting!

[wotanman]

In other words, he was a very respectable, full-voiced tenor who had both the luck and great misfortune of singing next to a goddess who had brought it on and was playing Diva LIGHTS OUT.

[BeauTenor]

I agree. Cassily doesn't sound bad at all, but how in the world could ANYONE compete with such an incendiary, fiery performance from Verrett? She was one of a kind.

[carlissima28]

shirley rocks!

[marioj34]

la classe !!!!!!!!!!

[aurele65]

Verrett est magistrale autant sur le plan théâtral que sur le plan vocal. Elle a une voix magnifique. Quant à Cassily, je déteste son timbre très nasal mais sur le plan dramatique, il impose un Radamès volontaire.

[DivaDeb1234]

Beautiful !

[FoggyRoad81]

She is SCHOOLING him. It's not even right. I am dying laughing at the last two minutes.

[cantorandopera]

I think she and Cossotto were the greatest Amnerises. And boy - were their voices different. Verrett's voice is just pure honey with hidden diamonds and bursts of sunlight! Cossotto is platinum and gold.

[wotanman]

LOL! Wurd, but you forgot Simionato. She was a stupendous Amneris.

[Klassizismus]

And you forgot Grace Bumbry as Amneris!

[wotanman]

"And you forgot Grace Bumbry as Amneris!"

Well.. that was a subconscious coping mechanism..

[wotanman]

From 9:10 to the end: NO. SHE. DI-ENT!

Can't blame the poor guy- I would have walked off the stage after singing next to her too.

WHY ISN'T THERE SINGING LIKE THIS ANYMORE???

[jendachs]

All that and she shows a beautiful midriff!!!!! Her b-flats are the most beautiful I've ever heard in this scene, and I love the "di lei non PIU"!!!

[metropolitan1966]

Great find. This telecast was my introduction to Verrett in 1973. She did not mention it in her autobiography. At the time I had no idea who the singers were. She is great as always. Thanks

[albertthrelkeld]

Does anyone know who the Aida was in this performance? Are there clips of Amneris and Aida singing together. Verrett is wonderful! The Radames not quite up to her performance.

[foropera]

She is gorgeous. It's a pity that there was no real stage manager to use more of her theatrical talent, even if she does well. And a more vitalic conductor.