Dame Joan Sutherland. Lo! here the gentle lark.

[crnguy1]

I have this recording and have listened to it many times but it still takes my breath away when I listen to it. How on earth did JS make that enormous voice sound as light as thistle down? I suppose part of the answer is the best coloratura technique the world has yet heard but there must be more to it than that.

She also managed to sustain the tonal quality from bottom to top in a way that no other singer that I am aware of can/could. And my God the trill!

[54mayford]

A triumph!

[54mayford]

Magnificent voice.

[vocalissimo1]

A stunning performance, sung with great vocal ease and an incredible sense of mastery. At times, it's as if Joan is putting up with the less virtuosic moments while she waits for the next chance to let her head go - at 2.34 for example. And what lark could actually hope to compete with this?

[gdabreo]

In 1962, in Karachi, I heard (over BBC shortwave)her in a new production of "Lucia di Lammermoor". I was so blown away that at 13 years old I wrote a fan letter to her . A few months later I got an autographed photograph from her thanking me. I still have the photograph. I am very grateful that I saw her "live" three time during her 50 year career.

The first time was in November 1974. I paid $17 for nose bleed seats in a house larger than the MET!

[baritonebynight]

@gdabreo That's a class act all the way. By the time I had graduated from high school and started singing seriously, Dame Joan had already retired. I have all of her recordings, but there is nothing life a life performance. I was fortunate enough to see Marilyn Horne several times live before she retired from performing classical music. Like Dame Joan, Ms Horne is a class act also, and always is gracious to thoes of us who admire her work by taking the time to thank us.

[meltzerboy]

In this performance, Dame Joan Sutherland matches Galli-Curci's performance of the same song on acoustic recording, trill for trill and ornament for ornament. A delightful performance by La Stupenda! Thanks for posting.

[marioegorga]

@meltzerboy Joan was very fond of Amelita and they met a few times..There is a lovely photo of the two them in one of those meetings.

[meltzerboy]

@marioegorga I've seen that photo of them together. Galli-Curci admired Sutherland greatly as a singer and a woman, while Sutherland once tried to lighten her voice to sound more like Galli-Curci. Two of the greatest sopranos who ever lived!

[Royalorgans]

The best Soprano that ever lived.

[Rapture1987]

No, this is Joan Sutherland, not Nellie Melba. :P

[Hako2004]

Wonderful old tune, and she sings it so very well. Thanks for the post!