Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - "Unexpected Song" - "Song and dance"

[passivesmoke]

man I didnt realise how many professional opera singers there were....I mean thats what Im assuming about the people who made the negative comments....YOU DO BETTER!!!

[af2un]

Isn't she an opera singer? Why can't she hit a note that's well within her range??? VERY DISAPPOINTING.

[anonmonen]

I am not one to slate peoples performance, but Dame Kiri should never have attempted this...... one of the worst versions I have heard!

[aaprato]

Lower the key if you can't hit the high notes. As someone has already said, DON'T CHEAT!!!

[jgardell]

What was that??? If you can't hit the notes, don't sing it! Don't cheat!

[TheTarakihi]

One of my first favorite songs...... I am a new fans of her... I played this over n over again...beautifull...she still looked so fresh .... but maybe it's right...she looked kind of sad at the beginning of the song, no expression.....and then she tried to smile n made happy face..... ahhhhhh, I hope she is trulyy happy now...

[toucheturtle300]

This is just awful. She is sterile, cold and dreary. The last notes are terrible. No matter how much you may love her it is frightful. Never sing this again Kiri.

[TheTarakihi]

LOVELY..LOVELY.....

[blackberryjuice1]

ew, she can't sing.

[rymicka]

She can sing pretty well but she is of MAORAN orgin form New Zealand so her english is very special and ennglish is not a laguage for opera. Opera is best to sing in italian or french.

[passivesmoke]

@rymicka Maoran? I think you mean Maori. She was not brought up in a maori household however so has little bearing on her pronounciation not to mention as one of the premiere opera singers for her time she would have spent thousands and had access to the best coaches available

[rachsposito]

I didnt like it.

[iteachbass]

One of my favorite songs, sung as only Dame Kiri can sing it. Absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for posting.

[WOossoOW]

Muy lindo !!!

[ginbottle3]

Ah Dame Sir Kiri Te Canopener! She seems really uncomfortable with this song. She's turned it form a lovely, wistful tune into music to stun pigs by. Nice frock though so bonus point for that.

[learnsomethingnew5]

I can't believe she didn't go up to the G! She's an opera singer and those are her glorious notes!! Maybe she was saving them for an aria or SOMETHING! Big opera fan, but musical theater is usually better sung in a belt style.

[ChristophePhilippe]

Am I the only person who thinks this arrangement odd?

[glenn212now]

Beautiful voice. But I think this interpretation lacks the emotion and drama of Bernadette peter's version. I listen to kiri and hear pretty singing but I listen to Bernadette and it makes me remember what first love really feels like.

[CateDiva]

nice American accent!

[blackberryjuice1]

@CateDiva LOL

[nestersg]

This seems to the way across the board. I love love Bernadette, my Fiance hates Bernadette and likes Sarah better. My dad was a band conductor and I minored in music in college,his dad is an accountant and he is an electrical engineer.

[Bulree1]

I didn't know Bernadette Peters sung opera but I do like her.....but there's no-one like Kiri....I love Kiri

[IrisDeWell]

Why compare?

[Museleaders]

guys... i love bernadette peters just like everyone else, probally since i am an actor, i love her even more then most, but u gotta give kiri a break she is not a musical actress, and bernadette peters is widely considered one of the masters of musical theatre, so i think she did pretty good

[swanningaround]

muse. Kiri sure is a musical actress. Isn't opera about acting?

[ulfmeliasson]

Kiri is talented, but this is Bernadette Peter's song..

[mickstery6]

Actually, it is not, the original, and in my opinion best, is on the original album "Tell me on a Sunday" sung by Marti Webb

[allislove1]

She is so chic, and so regal - there's no one like her - and I LOVE the dress...

[heartlightink]

there is no one better

[grandpawjoey]

shes a good singer but this is NOT a song for her to sing BERNADETTE Peters blew the living shit out of this song!

[swanningaround]

sarahb. You can't compare her with Sarah Brightman doing this. Sarah Brightman is Webber's main singer. It is like trying to compare Julie Andrews with Marnie Nixon. Marnie is the original singer and will always win out.

[SaieJoshi]

amazing voice. but she looks like she's uncomfortable or something. or sad or hurt. isnt is supposed to be a feeling of wonder and happiness you feel throughout this song?

[thenextmezzosoprano]

i have goosebumps whenever i see kiri sing this, especially the body movements she did at the last part... it was divine yet chic at the same time!

[Nightingal518]

What a wonderful surprise! I love Kiri Te Kanawa's work in opera but expected an over the top version of this song which until now, I'd only heard sung by Bernadette Peters and Marti Webb as part of Song and Dance. This was a delicate and moving rendition and I thought it was great. Wonder why she didn't take the high note at the end?

[mickstery6]

For the very reason you stated: to keep it delicate and moving

[Nightingal518]

good point :)

[mspattipatti]

he's not a sir anymore...

its lord andrew lloyd webber

:D

x

[Ichichan0326]

She is a wonderful singer, but this version is a little too slow for me. It's better faster.

[GREGARgeous]

i like this version better than Sarah Brightman's. ;-)

[AminaBellini]

How sweet!!! a real artist indeed!!! thanks!!

[Jem0024]

oh i love this play and kiri as well. :]

[daydreamer1991white]

she's like a piece of sugar, so sweet and lovely =)

[baadpuddytat]

and no bearing on the performance--but OH MY GOD, THAT GOWN! she's so elegant and gorgeous. it sets a gay man's heart racing as only a fabulous woman can.

[cmbojim]

LOL

[WildWestRosie]

I agree! That gown is simply gorgeous, and utterly timeless! Even better, it would be fairly easy to copy, (with modifications) which I intend to do!

I just wish I could look under the 'shawl' portion. Wish me luck!

[MrMofo4eva]

@baadpuddytat ??? u fags really r confused individuals arent u

[baadpuddytat]

i've never been a fan of opera singers trying popular music.  but leave it to the great dame te kanawa to prove me wrong. that gorgeous voice and her great emotion make for a resounding "brava." the only version that even approaches that of bernadette peters.

[wjgonzalezc]

It's an amazing singer. Bravo¡¡¡

Bravisimo¡¡¡

[encorebc]

What a beautiful peformer!!!! Brava!!!

[C0urtney16]

make the tempo faster

[bobbleheadedbudgie]

Although I am used to Sarah Brightman's version, I prefer this one. I really felt this, I really EXPERIENCED her version. It was almost unbearable--in a good way.

[pianogirl714]

oh my goodness, that dress is sooo beautiful!!

i'm not real fond of her interpretation though. she's very good, obviously, but i really don't like many interpretations of this. marin mazzie is the only one i've liked so far.

[defyingravitythruHim]

Are you telling me you don't like Bernadette Peter's version???

[daydreamer1991white]

Lovely!! Love her dress! And her voice is so beautiful!! :D

[cellistwoman]

I havn´t found any version of this song that is like I want it to be. I want it to be innocent and the voice should be very clear, if you know what I mean.

[FeliciaZezili]

I'm kinda the same way. I'm doing this song in a voice recital and I used to have a recording of this song on Cassette that I really liked and wanted to practice with but that is long gone. I do like this version though. She puts alot of emotion into it and my voice teacher has been pushing for that.

[Liriki3]

É apaixonante ouvir uma voz como esta. Enfeitiça quer cante arias de ópera como canções de musicais. É simplesmente fabulosa

[LizN90]

fabulosa mesmo.

[marialuisaloup]

pois é! pois é!

[swanningaround]

I am reasonably sure that this is from the Last Night of the Proms from the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington. It was around 1991, I think. I did attend this concert, when I was working in London. I can't remember what she sang, other than Rule Britannia. She wore this dress, representing the New Zealand flag then. Note the white stars at the bottom. That's why I think it is the same concert.

[angelitornado]

Very lovely. Wish I could find a DVD of this concert!

[damekirilover]

It's a TV broadcast.....I don't think it's ever published commercially.

Thanks a lot for all of your comments. I promise to post more.

dame-KIRI-lover

[Amethyst888]

Is there, by any chance, you have a video of her recent recital at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China?

[damekirilover]

no.

[Amethyst888]

I never really quite pay attention to this song,until I heard this version. Nice!

[IldikoLaDiva]

divine Kiri