Sempre Libera - Traviata Contest - Ileana Cotrubas

[teatrumuzical]

DIVINA!!!

[musicalopera93]

she looks like gheorghui....

[operalover95]

The best Violetta!!

[johnnybouhaha]

I really love the way she sings Violetta and especially sempre libera, although here she was not in top form that's why she doesn't go for the eb and the C's are rather vulnerable. We should not judge her from this performance. Just listen to her sempre libera from the concert for Callas in 1983 from the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and there you will see what a great Violetta she was. Even her way she sings "folleggiare" and "il viver mio" is unique because it is quasi parlato, so theatrical.

[Bquillamus]

The worst thing we can do is to judge Violetta's performance by this aria. It's an exception aria. The real drama is in the rest of the opera.

I don't like how Cotrubas sings this aria, but I love her when I hear the entire Opera.

[lifesize33]

l´audio é pessimo very bad sound

[sorinion61]

Cotrubas is one of the most exulting Ladies of the Opera. Anyway, this rendition is not among the best recordings ( there are some approximations, some false notes and additional sounds which spoil the music)...But, on the other hand, we should understand an forgive all of this, because this is a version live and in a live version everything is possible even the worst failure. Anyway, after all, she remains one of the best voices and simply sticks to your heart from the first line of music.

[SandrineSoprano]

Quite the dramatist....

[Wanshouwujiang]

Can't say she was ONE of the Violettas - heard her twice. She never articulated the decorations cleanly here and had an unpleasant quality to the lower voice which needs to have a vibrant sound for the right effect. The English critics LOVED her though. Agree with NART65, she was a great Micaela and a very good Melisande.

[BrunoLien]

Cotrubas is extraordinary, but let me tell you that I don't like this idea of "contest". Art has nothing to do with "contests"...

[CandyHaleLinton]

@BrunoLien I agree with you wholeheartedly. Cotrubas is an exceptionally gifted and lovely singer and this contest idea is utterly crass and, as you say, nothing to do with the concepts of artistic expression. Ghastly!

[NART65]

One of the best Violettas if not the best and a fabulous Micaela and Gilda too although her Micaela is my absolute favourite. That duet in Act 1 Parle mois de ma mere............. o souvenir cheris

[franrat]

still one of the best traviata - was watching freni earlier who shared a lot of parts with her, and on this one she wins, she captures best the personality of this character

[isabelle070209]

L'aigu final n'est en effet pas ecrit par Verdi. Il amuse juste le public habitué à des fins sur des aigus.

[Houndentenor1998]

I was never a fan of Cotrubas. Although it's not written in the score, it's exciting to here the Eflat.

When the Met put on the new production for her in the late 70s or early 80s, I went to a working rehearsal. In the rehearsal she didn't do the high Eflat, but after she finished she came out and hit Eflat after Eflat after Eflat. She never attempted it in performance, though.

Who is the tenor here? Domingo? And is it the the Met performance?

I never liked her and still don't.

[nick1729]

@Houndentenor1998: I think was at Scala 1979 with Luciano Pavarotti

[sagagossard]

Verdi never wrote an eb and a good interpretation is much more thab a higt note,you have a really poor and bad taste

[skitzo429]

Im aware Verdi didnt write the Eb, its a traditional ad-lib, which is standard interpretation of this era repertoire. back off, i didnt make any comment about he interpretation, and you dont know anything about my taste.

[ximenadore]

@sagagossard I totally agree!

[iWalkure]

I also wonder why she is missing the last high note - not typical of her as she is very capable of those high notes. Verdi may not have written the high note for this aria but high notes in italian operas are like the jewel in the crowne and are effective when they are hit properly.

[chocolatesouljah]

I agree but maybe she wasn't in 'best voice' that day. Holding back but giving the aria her best. Ya I love that Eb too. Love it on Renato Scotto.

[checkmatein6]

oh, mamma are you crazzy, Maria Callas in The 60's was best.Maria was the best diva in the world listening the firt one. Maria callas es la mejor. Oiganla, van a ver un estilo lirico y un caracter nunca antes visto. Ademas una inigualable e insuperable voz...

[10000dresses]

One of the best Violettas!

[zamolxis7]

I think yo should have put in your contest the magnificent Eugenia Moldovan... Take a look at her she is better than Cotrubas in this part. My opinion.

[ancamg]

She is the best Violeta! Simply beautiful!

[skitzo429]

boo, no Eb

[wasia]

Low tone in 4:04 doesn't sound well...:((

[11l24k]

She's the sweetest :)

[mrgnwbb]

her recording with domingo i think is the greatest of all time, i don't know much, but i know that was the one that brought a euro-pop fan to opera and i have never looked back

[Tenorboy29307]

Interesting. That recording really solidified my love of opera as well. I used to be obsessed. She just sounds so fabulous on that recording.

[Sukisha76]

Awful, I am no professional but that performance just hurt my ears.

[masonbarge]

Well, people are trying to boo you down, but you aren't off base. The combination of recording and performance makes for rather shrill listening at some points.

Cotrubas could be great, btw.

[DessayBestSinger]

Oh!!! So sad she doesn't do the High E!!!

[sschimel]

ooh, she was sloppy all over the recitative. Nowhere near as good as on her studio recording with Domingo. 3/4

[Dymension]

4/3

[kmillard]

I liked Contrubas in the film version where she smashed the glass. It's a little dangerous to do on stage and have glass shards flying all over the place, but it made for great efect in the film.

[puppetoz]

that was Teresa Stratas

[hkqinlu]

NO...they look same, but the diva in this video is Ileana Cotrubas!

[Jitpring]

How is it that Angela Gheorghiu's legendary 1994 breakout performance isn't included?

[KatherineXIX]

Her voice just isn't big enough...I'm not saying I would do a better job, but I won't be attempting this aria anytime soon!

[henryv69]

cantante molto sopravvalutata....1/5

[sottoipini]

Well, she does not sing like Devia, but I like her as Violetta! 3/5

[borias12]

3/5

[Hako2004]

I enjoyed the acting most, a believeable Violetta compared to most. Vocally, she does pretty well in this hellish piece, even if the high C's toward the end were a little shredded. Singing 3.5 Characterization 4

[Iareto]

Unbelievable. What a Violetta! 4/5!

[boris1281]

No F in the end means one point less for the starter. It is not written but it has established as tradition and to suddenly start omitting it, is making things easier to me. Vocally she is fine, as usual, artistically - disaster. Is this a courtesan or a piccola borghese?She says "povera donna" with so much self-pity that it gets funny when you know the story of this woman! 2,5/5.

[martafloria]

there never is an F at the end!! The highest note you can have is an E flat for your information!! And where did the trills go?

[boris1281]

No Im wrong about the F, of course! Thanks!

[SirGeorg]

Beautiful 5/4.5

[OperaBR]

The timbre is lovely, the high notes sound quite effortless IMO and she knows how to express through the nuances of her voice. For a lyric soprano, I think she fares quite well in the coloratura, but she simplifies it in a way I don't like a lot and doesn't sound comfortable with the vocal runs. The singing in overall is very good, however. Her characterization is very spontaneous, complex and communicative, although I prefer slightly more a more "tormented" girl. My marks: 3.5/5

[angelus2002]

For me she will always be the perfect Violetta. In the big duet for violetta and Germont pere in act 2 she had me crying so much. I love this woman.

[lyside1]

squallidamente verista...la coloratura raffazzonata ...le note sotto il pentagramma rasentano il parlato...

[Laleyla]

Singing: 3

Characterization: 4

[dahoogal]

5/5 brava!!! such a pure voice!!!! geat acting!!

[gvjps123]

Her coloratura is far from virtuosic and the high notes are not effortfuless. However, her timbre is lovely and crystalline; moreover, her Violetta is a fragile, sympathetic creature that the listener can connect with.

Singing : 3

Characterization : 4.5

[patjan92]

Vocally, Act I is the hardest for her. Coloratura is rough, but the acting is great. 3/5.

[sevoflurane]

Amazing artist! Vocally nothing exceptional, she really looses focus on the low notes and the coloratura is laboured, but her characterization is brilliant! 3/5

[meltzerboy]

I don't remember Cotrubas' being so good in this role when her recording came out many years ago, but here her overall performance is exceptional, and the singing is quite good. As stated, she wisely omits the traditional (but unwritten) high note, as did Melba. 4.5/5

[AnnElliot]

Special place in my heart for this lovely lady; one of the few sopranos, if not the only one for whom I ignore the singing part, 5/5 because I love her Traviata and because I consider this whole performance one of those miracles in the opera world

[Orfeus80]

3/5. Excellent in communicating the emotions but the voice doesn't respond equally well. It is of lovely quality though.

[moreno2394]

Ella es una sopranito, she was a little soprano, nothing special and she always use the same faces or poor woman, her vulnerability is boring, I can't stand her.

1/0

[hotazzoperastud]

Another one that was wise to skip the final Eb! Overall she was very good. She had such a wonderful timber. 5/5