It is always so vastly interesting to watch opera lovers disagree about a particular soprano/aria/technique, etc....LOL. Too much entertainment for one aria. As to Sondra, ehh.....I STILL cannot seem to get passionate about her. Sometimes she sounds GREAT, other times strained. When it comes to her Verdi singing I cannot forget Price...When it comes to Lucretia Borgia, I would much prefer to hear Gruberova or another coloratura sing the role.
@flyinghow Gruberova????? I can't get Caballe and Gencer out of my head for this role! A perfect example of "different strokes for..." given Gruberova's reputation. I might point out that Donizetti wrote his stuff for more dramatic voices than the average coloratura can command. says I who adore the birds, from Galvany, Kurz and Yaw to Sills & Sutherland!!
I quite like this, but it just makes me long to hear a Callas in her prime sing this. Even in her 1963 recording when her voice was in shreds, she makes this scene and aria speak as no other singer has. I love the richness of Radvanovsky's voice, and I like the fact that she attempts every trill as well, although none of them really form themselves into a real trill. Musically and dramatically, I don't find her terribly imaginative or interesting though.
I completely disagree InBocca. This is one of the ONLY singers who seems to have that golden age approach to singing. She acts with the voice, she uses bel canto technique, but the voice is big enough for Verdi. Indeed, she sounds very reminiscent of Shirley Verrett. I agree that she is no Callas, and that she actually has the potential for that if she would sharpen up her diction and work more on pointing up the text, but there really is NO ONE else singing like this woman right now. Brava.
-She has pitch and focus problems that will prevent her form becoming an Assoluta if she does not solve them. And how about her vibrato, I mean cant she do smth about this?
I wonder if her pitch problems come from lack of proper study.
-She is preparing Norma and Elisabeta from what I hear - she has the potential of evolving into smth special. I hope she does not become another! Norma or an Elisabeta with cuts and tricks - these two are the two greatest Assoluta roles ever written.
-Callas never had a vibrato like this in her absolute vocal prime (1947-1953). The one Sondra has in her bad days almost resembles the tremolo Callas had in her decline (post 1959).
-Price in her prime had wide vibrato? I disagree, her vocal line was rock solid in her prime
I do not have musical education so perhaps I am misunderstanding, just a self taught fan. But maybe the issue is that the majority of the recordings I have of Callas are from the mid 50s to 59 so I associate this vibrato with Callas' What did she sound like before? Listening again, I agree that on descents Sondra's vibrato is problematic and not at all like Price. I do think that in some ways her vibrato is like price in terms that it is very rapid.
-We always compare singers in their absolute vocal prime otherwise it is unfair. Callas' absolute vocal prime ended in 1953 followed by a period where she was still in her prime (retained all notes) but started developing the tremolo which resulted in the deep vocal decline after 1959 followed by tone-loss (top notes).
-Very rapid vibrato but with extremely steady vocal line was the case of Lucia Popp who actually never developed a tremolo.
I made no mention of her bel canto technique, only her interpretation. I made no mention of other artists, as it is futile to make comparisons. Her diction is impeccable; it is what she does with the text which is troublesome in this particular performance.
I admire this artist enormously. It is therefore frustrating to miss, in my view, indispensable interpretative and musical effects she can produce in other performances. Here she is missing the enormous affection Lucrezia feels for Genero. We're missing the recitative (Tranquillo ei possa), and the aria is sung with too much forza (L'alma mia di gioia è piena, Or che alfin lo può mirar ... are particularly forced). Her trills could be more defined. She is, however, true to her art.
Credibility was not what I was aiming for, asshole.
flyinghow 2 months ago
Why are negative opera video comments so pretentious, predictable, trite and tiresome?
Fredoin 5 months ago
@Fredoin Because most of us aren't really very good at explaining our thoughts and feelings ~~ no matter how we do in other spheres of our lives...
Randidan 3 weeks ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@Fredoin Because most of us aren't really very good at explaining our thoughts and feelings ~~ no matter how we do in other spheres of our lives...
Randidan 3 weeks ago
It is always so vastly interesting to watch opera lovers disagree about a particular soprano/aria/technique, etc....LOL. Too much entertainment for one aria. As to Sondra, ehh.....I STILL cannot seem to get passionate about her. Sometimes she sounds GREAT, other times strained. When it comes to her Verdi singing I cannot forget Price...When it comes to Lucretia Borgia, I would much prefer to hear Gruberova or another coloratura sing the role.
flyinghow 7 months ago
@flyinghow Gruberova????? I can't get Caballe and Gencer out of my head for this role! A perfect example of "different strokes for..." given Gruberova's reputation. I might point out that Donizetti wrote his stuff for more dramatic voices than the average coloratura can command. says I who adore the birds, from Galvany, Kurz and Yaw to Sills & Sutherland!!
Randidan 3 weeks ago
@Randidan Great comments, man. Sills was superb!
flyinghow 3 weeks ago
I quite like this, but it just makes me long to hear a Callas in her prime sing this. Even in her 1963 recording when her voice was in shreds, she makes this scene and aria speak as no other singer has. I love the richness of Radvanovsky's voice, and I like the fact that she attempts every trill as well, although none of them really form themselves into a real trill. Musically and dramatically, I don't find her terribly imaginative or interesting though.
Shahrdad 1 year ago
I completely disagree InBocca. This is one of the ONLY singers who seems to have that golden age approach to singing. She acts with the voice, she uses bel canto technique, but the voice is big enough for Verdi. Indeed, she sounds very reminiscent of Shirley Verrett. I agree that she is no Callas, and that she actually has the potential for that if she would sharpen up her diction and work more on pointing up the text, but there really is NO ONE else singing like this woman right now. Brava.
FoggyRoad81 1 year ago
-She has pitch and focus problems that will prevent her form becoming an Assoluta if she does not solve them. And how about her vibrato, I mean cant she do smth about this?
I wonder if her pitch problems come from lack of proper study.
-She is preparing Norma and Elisabeta from what I hear - she has the potential of evolving into smth special. I hope she does not become another! Norma or an Elisabeta with cuts and tricks - these two are the two greatest Assoluta roles ever written.
LohengrinT 1 year ago
@LohengrinT What about her vibrato. Her vibrato is very fast, so was Price's/Callas' it doesn't have to bleat like Freni to be great.
FoggyRoad81 1 year ago
-Callas never had a vibrato like this in her absolute vocal prime (1947-1953). The one Sondra has in her bad days almost resembles the tremolo Callas had in her decline (post 1959).
-Price in her prime had wide vibrato? I disagree, her vocal line was rock solid in her prime
LohengrinT 1 year ago
I do not have musical education so perhaps I am misunderstanding, just a self taught fan. But maybe the issue is that the majority of the recordings I have of Callas are from the mid 50s to 59 so I associate this vibrato with Callas' What did she sound like before? Listening again, I agree that on descents Sondra's vibrato is problematic and not at all like Price. I do think that in some ways her vibrato is like price in terms that it is very rapid.
FoggyRoad81 1 year ago
-We always compare singers in their absolute vocal prime otherwise it is unfair. Callas' absolute vocal prime ended in 1953 followed by a period where she was still in her prime (retained all notes) but started developing the tremolo which resulted in the deep vocal decline after 1959 followed by tone-loss (top notes).
-Very rapid vibrato but with extremely steady vocal line was the case of Lucia Popp who actually never developed a tremolo.
But Sondra's is a bit disturbing I am afraid
LohengrinT 1 year ago
@FoggyRoad81 The way you say Freni "bleats" will forever make me see Freni in a different light xD
Drelnis 1 year ago
@FoggyRoad81
I made no mention of her bel canto technique, only her interpretation. I made no mention of other artists, as it is futile to make comparisons. Her diction is impeccable; it is what she does with the text which is troublesome in this particular performance.
InBoccaChiusa 1 year ago
I admire this artist enormously. It is therefore frustrating to miss, in my view, indispensable interpretative and musical effects she can produce in other performances. Here she is missing the enormous affection Lucrezia feels for Genero. We're missing the recitative (Tranquillo ei possa), and the aria is sung with too much forza (L'alma mia di gioia è piena, Or che alfin lo può mirar ... are particularly forced). Her trills could be more defined. She is, however, true to her art.
InBoccaChiusa 1 year ago