Leyla Gencer - Lucia di Lammermoor - Spargi d'amaro pianto

[MrAndredekock]

Brava! This is a remarkable performance, although to some it may be syrupy! I think her attack on the Eb was fantastic and so absolutely secure and it really is a tragedy for all opera lovers that her voice was not far more widely recorded along with the other real bel canto maestras of her day, Sills, Sutherland, Callas and Caballe. RIP Madame Gencer.

[kgarmaker123]

This is not crisp and precise.. It is syruppy.

[OperaMystery80]

Leyla's Lucia is magnificent, musically superb, dramatically potent and aptly able to portray the frail, human side of Lucia. Although underrated, she was in the same high level of virtuosic sopranos like Callas, Sutherland and Caballe when it came to bel canto opera. Leyla Gencer would have been ten times more famous had she been a recording artist. Her Norma, Trovatore, Tosca, Bolena, Stuarda, Deveraux, Lucrezia and many other opera roles were outstanding. RIP Leyla

[corellithebest]

STUNNING, HIGHLY ARTISTIC RENDITION! She reminds me so much of LA DIVINA CALLAS! In my opinion, recording companies ignored her, like many other true artists (Zeani, Prevedi, Cerquetti, Olivero), because she was just not PROFITABLE enough for them! A genuine, vulnerable, tragic and essentially HUMAN Lucia!

[Kievest]

Never content with beauty alone, Gencer, sometimes referred to as the "last diva

of the 20th Century," gives a sense of Lucia's emotional vulnerability and tissue

thin psychological contact with reality in this superb performance. Thank you for

posting and to paulostroff99 for kindly sharing!

[paulostroff99]

Stunning in it's beauty. TY.

[cattleman6420012000]

Such a superb singer. Incredible voice and divine music.

[CanadaPisces]

An outstanding singer! Thank you Uyildiz for the posting!

[Herur22]

@CanadaPisces

Outstanding is the word. Thank you, James.

[sezgin86]

@Nervenkratz I, frankly, don't take his comments seriously. What I am concerned is that people who watch (listen to) the videos of Gencer for the very first time get the wrong first impression on Leyla Gencer and her art. He writes nasty comments on each of Gencer's videos. I feel someone must tell that his comments are not true and objective...

[belcunto]

bloody audience interrupted her eFlat... Let the lady finish!!

[belcunto]

the audience should be shot.... stealing a sopranos e flat like that.... wait til she finisheS!!~!

[TheRealAngelHeart]

Right! And she did hold it for quite a while!

[DiegoMartinazzoli]

la preferisco in altri ruoli

[geomusic]

Wow! Her runs aren't perfect, but to sing Aida and have the range to sing this, as well. Pretty amazing!

[leonardovittori1]

@geomusic REally? Didn't Callas sing both and well?

[sezgin86]

@leonardovittori1 If we are to count the defects of the singers I can find at least ten problems with Callas's voice! Leyla sings this with a more lyrical and soft voice.

[kgarmaker123]

@sezgin86 Ok, softer yes, and more unsupported, definitely... more lyrical. NOpe.

[sezgin86]

@kgarmaker123 I always disagree with the objectivity of your comments because you are a FANATIC of Callas. I always say that Gencer had problems with fluid agility and coloratura. However, her technique was immaculate. She was able to use her limited colaratura to create magnificent shows. She only sang different from the other singers, singing what the composers wanted! She did not sing forte as the tradition but sang with every colors of her voice, especially her pianissimo.

[OBSERVETHESCORE]

@sezgin86 Well, i have listened to all these sopranos carefully , with a score, in hand. You should do that as well, because is you do, you find out who is NOTE perfect each and every time, and who observes each and every subltely.. Then you may know why I am a fanatic of Callas.. She strived and achieved musical perfection so many times.

[sezgin86]

@OBSERVETHESCORE I think you have some problems with your eyes! Wear your glasses and look at the scores again!

[kgarmaker123]

@sezgin86 I have and I have found that none of them knew their roles or their scores as well as Callas, which was one of the reasons for her phenomenal art... She was a musician through and through. She did not ignore markings.. She obsered them.. NOTE PERFECT.. it is you who need to listen to more recordings and performances.

[SiEtIn1]

@kgarmaker123 oh my god, you are seeing visions and imagining things, stop talking trash for god's sake, Callas said HERSELF that she sometimes ignored markings, in particular the staccato markings in vieni t'affretta. do you want to hear for yourself? she says so in one of her masterclasses in Juilliard!!! It is here on YouTube I invite you to check the video i THINK it in the re dell'abisso clip, not sure. A good strategy to avoid making a fool of oneself is not to invent stuff

[kgarmaker123]

@SiEtIn1 Callas also said, Verdi was a God, and that he should be sung, as is..... Or have you not heard that either?

[SiEtIn1]

@kgarmaker123 totally unrelated, you said she observed markings and always sang note perfect, she said she ignored staccato markings in vieni t'affretta and actually did not sing them. You are calling La Divina a deranged liar who speaks back and forth and says one thing and does another

[kgarmaker123]

@SiEtIn1 No not unrelated. and since you are so smart.. read the notes of actual conductors who worked with her.. They are the ones who said, she came to rehearsals. Note perfect..! And that she observed all markings in the score... of course, she listened to individual conductors and if they chose to ignore those stacatto markings.. then she complied. Even singers say... if you want to hear a work, the way the composer wrote it.. listen to Callas.!.  now go away.

[SiEtIn1]

@kgarmaker123 WHAT??? I should go away? dude I am suposed to be here, I love Leyla Gencer, YOU GO AWAY GENCER MOLESTER

[kgarmaker123]

@SiEtIn1 I am not a Gencer Molester... I am just not an avid fan.. as you are..

[SiEtIn1]

@sezgin86 he does not love Callas, he hates Gencer. if he did love Callas he would comment on her videos. I dislike for example, and just to throw a couple of names Renata Scotto or Mara Zampieri or Franco Corelli, and throughout my YouTube life, I have made not more than a handful of comments on any of their videos (I challenge anyone to find more!) I prefer to spend my YT time watching clips of singers i love, and Gencer is at the very top of that rather populated group

[kgarmaker123]

@SiEtIn1 You are full of shit. my friend.. Look at my list of favorites.. and you will not find it totally satuarated with Callas videos. but instead.. quite a few others.. as well.. But unfortunately.. None of the Turkish soprano who does not sing into her voice.. no. not her.

[paulostroff99]

@SiEtIn1 -A good choice,but there are also other good choices. No one was better at all things or in all arias. They were all at worst-very good.

[kgarmaker123]

@sezgin86 And frankly, I can find at least 20 things wrong with Gencer. I

[geomusic]

@leonardovittori1 Who?

[vully70]

I heard a rumour once that she hadn't wanted to have her voice recorded - for similar reasons as Sergiu Celibidache detestes "canned music".

Does anyone know if this ist true? It might explain why singer of Gencer's importance - which can only be compared to Sutherland in her time - did not become a record star and left only technically inadequat pirates.

Except for Anita Cerquetti perhaps the greatest loss to the audiences.

[uyildiz]

I don't think that she opposed to that. In one of the interviews (available on youtube but in italian), she mentions this is also a mystery for her that the recording houses have not been interested in her. In her biography, she mentions that she did not have a manager in contrast to other singers of her time. This made difficult to establish contacts with companies as well as some opera houses such as MET.

[moghedien13]

She also hated traveling and did not go outside italy alot. she was independently wealthy so when she became really big she could pick and choose where she sang.

[kgarmaker123]

@vully70 What a crock... recordings equaled lasting fame and money.. The reason she wasn't recorded much is that record producers heard the real voice... and it wasn't good enough.

[sezgin86]

@kgarmaker123 Can't it be that the record producers were in love with Callas or under the power of Onasis? Your comments are nothing than rubbish!!! Respect the great singers of the past! You won't hear anyone like them again!

[kgarmaker123]

@sezgin86 No ONassis definitely not... The bulk of Callas recording career occured when she was married to Meneghini... and frankly the period from 1949-1959 shows why people were wild about her.. She still sells better than most, and she and Aristotle have both been dead better than 30 years. The record producers, knew what they heard... and it was the sound of success with Callas.

[sezgin86]

@kgarmaker123 First of all I have to say that I love Callas as much as I love Gencer. They are equal for me. However, you only comment on Gencer's terribly low quality recordings. The voice you hear on these recordings do not reflect the quality of Gencer. Even, once, Callas was mesmerized by the quality of Gencer's voice when Gencer was singing the Requiem of Verdi after Toscanini's death. Just respect!

[kgarmaker123]

@sezgin86 I have listened to a lot of Gencer.. and at times i have been thrilled, and other times, I have just acknowledged she had an important career.. but.. she was not a superstar.. and neither was Caballe.. I have come to the conclusion that. the reason was that she had on total less virtue than the greats. The reason they are " legends:" is because they exceeded expectations SO many times.. I respect Gencer.

[Homoclassicus]

@kgarmaker123 You just believe soooo much in the tremendous and exclusive artistic preoccupations of recording companies when they decide to make contracts. Of course they are perfectly artistic associations that aren't affected by things like PR, fame, popular acclaim/tastes, etc. Seriously, it might be a surprise to you, but there were LOADS of great sopranos that were heard in the best way to judge them (live!) and were extremely admired but also didn't get to record much.

[kgarmaker123]

@Homoclassicus NO, I do not.. Recording companie, record what they think will sell of course, as well. So Lets ask why Callas, rather than why not Gencer? Callas hit the operatic world with a BANG equivalent to the power of an A Bomb, in 1948-1949.... Especailly in Italy, where her recording contracts originated. And when one listens to 1949-1950-1951... etc.. one can see why.

[Homoclassicus]

@kgarmaker123 Yes, but I'm not argueeing about that. Sometimes it happens the buyers admire the most wonderful voices above all and rightly so, like Callas, Nilsson etc. But there is NO relationship between recording contracts and quality, and never was. We just need to remember the likes of Olivero, Mödl, Varnay, Stella, who left few studio recordings. Gencer was an artist with a remarkable career AT THE theater, what is much more difficult to attain - that's what matters.

[kgarmaker123]

@Homoclassicus There is a relationship between recording and quality.. there must be.. because why would record executives record singers that they knew had lots o issues? When Callas was young, she was perfect, and she came to the recording sessions, note perfect.. Check the conductors who worked with her.. they will tell you this. To say Gencer had a big theatre career, would mean you had been to most of her performances, or else how could you know/?

[Homoclassicus]

@kgarmaker123 The same way you didn't need to be at every performance of young Callas to know "she was perfect". That argument is little useful when we know there are other ways to verify - approximately - an artist's legacy. I mentioned her theatre career, not qualities, so one just needs to know the places where she sang and her critical acclaim. What does Callas matter if I already showed you other artists who were great and didn't record much? Callas isn't the only parameter in Opera.

[kgarmaker123]

@vully70 This is b.s.. reocording contracts meant a lot of money and fame, sometimes to these singers... Gencer would not havet turned those chances down.

[kgarmaker123]

@vully70 Thats hog wash too.. she would have loved to hear her own voice... she did not record, because recording companies.. did not want her.. just that simple.

[operaoaf]

One of the great voices of the 20th century!

[micioamilano]

SOno letteralmente senza parole..io non sono un grande fan della Gencer però ragazzi qui spacca tutto e tutti!!! Brava maestra!

[jimthewriter]

Brilliant! She will always be one of my favorite artists. Brava, La Gencer!

[UrsulanChild]

I just wish that the recording companies had given her more attention. This woman was a true gem. Fearless portrayals of bel canto heroines. Rumor has it that the La Scala audience, so fond of Leyla Gencer's interpretation of Lucrezia Borgia, just couldn't get with Renée Fleming's more jazzy approach to the villainous Lucrezia, and hence, the booing... I don't know for sure, but this I do know: Leyla Gencer was a serious force to be reckoned with. Thanks for posting!

[Acacallide]

Incantevole Leyla Gencer. Ricorderò per sempre il suo carisma e la sua arte. Una delle migliori soprano di sempre.

[FraSarn]

Non posso che unirmi alle tue parole. Ho appena ascoltato quest'atia per la 50ma volta e non riesco a fermarmi. Lei e' divina. Hai ascoltato lei in Roberto Devereux? E' incredibile. Ciao. Francesco

[luigipava]

anche mado robin

[ercole1962]

Francesco ciao , non hai sentito niente della mia adorata Leyla io ho 65 opere cantate da lei e sono tutte cantate con egregia maestria era una Grande adesso lo possiamo dire xchè questa grande artista ha vissuto sempre all'ombra della Callas senza nulla togliere alla Grande Maria.Ercole

[FraSarn]

Ciao Ercole, ti ringrazio per la risposta, che leggo purtroppo solo ora. Se ti capita, ascoltati il duetto di lei con la Shirley Verret in Maria Stuarda. E' incredibile.

Ciao. Francesco

[ercole1962]

Francesco conosco a memoria tutto della mia adorata Leyla tu devi ascoltare la cavalleria ti vengono i brividi.Cmq grazie Francesco della risposta a presto.Ercole

[hammurabi8888]

R.I.P

[Birgitt20]

She learned Lucia in 5 days...and her Lucia is a GREAT Lucia, Leyla Gencer is absolutely unique! I love her and I thank her very much for everything she has done. Thank you!

[Liwah]

RIP

[Babaldira]

R.I.P diva.

[clevelandNEY]

Unfortunately She has just died today May 10 2008

[wotansings]

Notice that Callas always did what a singer should NEVER do, so what? At least Gencer's career lasted over 30 years. I really do not understand all this aggressivity we can read here concerning Gencer.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

I am inclined to think that time-honored opera experts would strongly disagree with comments such "horrible" or "imposter". There is a good reason why she is called La Regina in Italy. Mind you she appeared in all major opera houses, including La Scala, Covent Garden and the Met if memory serves me well. So..get a clue people!

[Acacallide]

Leyla Gencer is the best Lucia di Lammermoor ever. I love her strenght and passion.

[paminaase]

she's a myth in Lucia =)

[coloraturafan]

What an amazing performance and artist! She could bring an amazing level of excitment to belcanto operas, it is always thrilling to hear her.

[enderezo]

coloraturafan are you kidding? She was a bad singer plus her voice was so flawed..and so little.Here she sings like a 15 years old girl, all the high notes from head, false notes.I think Leyla Gencer is a big impostor

[martello79]

What a stunning ignorance to call a woman like hers a bad singer. Whether you like it or - that is not of my business - it is ignorant to overlook this womans big talents, listen for example to her Macbeth and La Wally. And I never heard a fifteen year old girl with such a warm and royal vibrato.

[sirenadellopera]

Bravo, Martello!

[birgitnilsson]

Yes, she was an impostor! ANd you a perfect, unflawed jerk.

[eelco67]

Here is someone who named him or herself Birgit Nilsson, calling somebody else an imposter. Extraordinary...

[SiEtIn1]

que pantalones tienes tu! llamando a otros impostores cuando tu nombre de usuario es "birgitnilsson"... impostor!!!

[tHEnOOSEsWINGS]

Noticeable firm timbre with radiant intensity throughout. Another excellent interpretation of Donizetti's Lucia.

[nicevidbro]

love her. and love you for posting this! thank you VERY much. =)

[ioSonoCallas]

Il n'y avais qu'a demander, merci uyldiz. Un rôle que Leyla Gencer a chanté au début de sa carrière avec talent et intelligence.

[uyildiz]

De rien. J'ai une collection de Gencer, mais je n'ai pas de temps en ce moment. Je vais les envoyer a l'occasion