June Anderson - Samuel Ramey - Semiramide - 1991

[Dogaradodia]

Double Certified Intergalactic! 

[ElSalvador50]

!!!!!!!!

[raigekimaru]

such a miracle that powerful coloratura voice came out of that petite frame. most singers with powerful voices have faces like refrigerators

[lesliecrescent]

Another outstanding vocal performance by June Anderson and what a partner to duet with Samuel Ramey his voice is pure burnished gold!!!!!!!!!!!!

[arpeggio1358]

@stravinskij91 You're very welcome. I think it's absolutely brilliant, too...the performance and the opera. There's a version with Ramey on audio CD, too.Ramey, of course, is wonderful, but mMy big surprise there was Frank Lopardo, who sings Idreno. I had no idea that he was such an extraordinary Rossini tenor.

[Ecokate01]

@arpeggio1358 As I remember the part of Idreno in this performance (MET 1991) was made by Stanford Olsen and not Frank Lopardo. And it must be admitted, he did it in a wonderful way.

[arpeggio1358]

@Ecokate01 You must have misunderstood what I wrote. Olsen is on the DVD from the Met. I was talking about the audio CD with Ramey, Studer, and Larmore. Lopardo was Idreno in that audio version.

[Ecokate01]

@arpeggio1358 My apologies, you are right! I hadn't noticed that in your dialogue with stravinskij91 was about a CD and not DVD with this performance.

[arpeggio1358]

@Ecokate01 No need to apologize. I may have written my comment a bit confusingly. :-)

[arpeggio1358]

@stravinskij91 Yes, it's available on DVD from Image Entertainment.

[WotansSpeer]

Such a great duett, with best cast ever!!

[raigekimaru]

4:27-4:55 is my favorite part

[raigekimaru]

the kind of voice that sings Assur is really quite different from a normal basso cantante. more like a dramatic coloratura bass (ie the type of bass that would sing Assur, Maometto and Zaccaria) it's a more dramatic voice with much more agility and easier high notes (even F#s and Gs).

PS: she's not the most powerful soprano in the world, but my gosh June Anderson sounds like an angel

[foropera]

He was much faster in the coloraturas during all his european Semiramides with Caballé & Horne in the 80's. The voice got larger and heavier after 1990.

[judycadana]

Kinda wish she didn't play it like a 5 year old girl in a playground fight.

At the very end, she looks like she is going to stick her tongue out at him.

[arpeggio1358]

Sam Ramey was the greatest Rossini bass of the 20th century.  The coloratura is flawless.

[Arashi110]

Can a bass beat a soprano in coloraturas? He can, if he's Sam Ramey! (Not with June Anderson, though; both are equally superb.)

[lesliecrescent]

just sublime

[knockout994]

Wow great! hands down.

[dutchtallguy]

Both are marvelous.