Lucia POPP and Thomas ALLEN - La ci darem la mano

[gamgee87]

Defnitely it's period... I don't like it, though. Hehe.

[whatsherface1015]

Agreed about comparisons...it's okay to have a favorite (or a least favorite), but it's stupid to say that one famous singer is "better" than another. Lucia Popp is my favorite soprano, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that she's "better" than the others!

[bigus]

yet just because 2 people are famous does not mean they are on the same level. pavarotti and di stefano were both famous, but who had better technique? who achieved a greater degree of fame etc. i think you can compare 2 singers depending on what it is you are comparing. who is a better actor etc. ken shamrock and fedor emelianenko are both famous fighters, but surely everyone knows who the better fighter is. fame doesn't equate to equal but different even the majority of times. comparisons work

[whatsherface1015]

@bigus Yeah that's not what I was saying. People can have contrasting opinions about who has a better technique, and voices are so different that some people can simply prefer one singer's voice to another's. I personally don't like Pavarotti's voice, but I'm not going to go so far as to say he was a bad singer, because he wasn't. I just don't like the way he sings. I'm just sick of people on youtube (and elsewhere) jumping down other people's throats because of differing opinions.

[Tommyfazz]

Comparisons are odious.

[BaritoneRobinson]

strange that half of the recit was cut out.....

[quetepique48]

Que pareja fabulosa!!

[Buzaglod]

Whats up with the rag being down!?! Wheres the set!?!

[interpreterr]

@Buzaglod It was a concert (some sort of Royal Gala, I believe) with bits and pieces of various works - hence the lack of sets

[suzanneetmoi]

How lovely she was. After watching La Divina Lucia, everyone else always seems to be trying too hard- she was perfection.

[raigekimaru]

@suzanneetmoi

La Divina refers explicitly to Maria Callas, another title would work better =)

[suzanneetmoi]

How lovely she was! After watching La Divine Lucia, everyone else always seems overblown and to be trying to hard.

[seetsebea1]

Popp, Schwarzkopf, Janowitz where are they? Popp left us too early.

[drtmuir]

PS: Obligatory Thomas Allen costume comment:

Once again, poor Tom's sleeves are bigger than his head. :P

[drtmuir]

I miss Lucia Popp very much. One drawback of all these wonderful YouTube vids of singers I love, is that I sometimes grow very sad over singers lost before their time. Over the past few weeks, I have got little pangs, seeing vid of Mme Popp, Arleen Auger, Tatiana Troyanos, Jerry Hadley, Jan de Gaetani, and Tessa Bonner.

But OTOH, how wonderful to have these great singers and musicians preserved on video so we can continue to enjoy them. Thanks so much for sharing.

[weelynnie2]

Friend of mine ane a VERY sexy person.

[PenzancePete]

What a treat. Two of the finest voices of their generation in the roles they were born for. Lucia as the beautiful Zerina and Mr. sex-on-legs as the Don.

[drtmuir]

I thought I was the only one, but I've always called Sir Tom "sex on a stick." ;)

[Iareto]

Lucia Popp is fantastic.  I'm not always a fan of Allen's, but he is certainly good here.

[Renfeildette]

Thomas Allen has a great voice, and Lucia Popp can do NO wrong. She's perfection.

[fairlytaleofnewyork]

Very beatifully performed...

Popp's Zer;ina is innocent and very sweet and Allen's Giovanni seduces her very softly and warmly

I love their approach. It is extremely charming performance

[fairlytaleofnewyork]

It is really beautifully performed.

Popp plays really innocent Zerlina. Allen plays charming and dangerous Giovanni.

Shame about the costume :-(

[ChristianistheLawr]

I love lighter baritone Dons better than bass-baritones, although both can be superb. But I just want to hear that A on the final "NO".

Allen is a perfect Mozart voice.

[Pathtith]

Isn't the point about the Don that he can be sung by so many different singers? Sure, Ramey and Terfel are very different from Allen, but they are different voices and personalities.. There is no "better", just Different. That's one of the joys of Opera, no? - And especially Mozart!

[mutewoman]

I couldn't agree more! Watching and listening to all those great singers you get so tired of all those comparisons!

[some1tookmynick]

She is so adorable!

[lucyliesinashes]

christ, even just standing there he's so seductive... amen!

[lucyliesinashes]

Is this on dvd anywhere???

[Iareto]

They're really wonderful here. One of my favorite Zerlina's and a great Giovanni.

[hillevifan]

who was the elvira and anna in this production?

[SonoRomantica]

CHE ABITI OSCENI!!!!

[elisaballerina456]

Davvero!!! Sono prp orrendi!

[ana1869]

Best rendition of the piece! .. even with the tragicomic costumes! Bravi!

[longdali82]

beautiful singing! definitely one of my favorite versions

[fabinhogmori]

VIVA FUJIMORI !!!!

[jeanpierremelville]

Great singing.

Terrible costume design.

[ChantantReve]

can say I enjoyed the acting that much either...but yeah, the voices are great.

[gamgee87]

I couldn't agree more! It makes Sir Thomas look so FAT!

[drtmuir]

@gamgee87 It's actually a good period costume design, though-- look at paintings. It was practically required of rich young dandy of the period-- it looks to be late 16th century-- to have slashing and padding in his doublet.

[hillevifan]

I love the continuo player. Great!!!!

[g420730a]

Unfortuantely we lost Lucia Popp so early. Such a beautiful voice, what an angel!

[lelila2006]

The way he sings "innocente," it makes you shudder. They're both perfect.

[Mimameior]

I have never seen another singer make the Don as brilliantly threatening and 'intense' as Thomas Allen.What can I say about Lucia Popp that will do her justice? A voice of that purity always leaves me wordless...

Wish the video quality was better!

[lucyliesinashes]

I love Allen, but I feel like there's such a warm presence, it's hard to buy 'intense' or'threatening'... I feel like Bryn Terfel is more on the brutal end...

[operabuff23]

Try Samuel Ramey as Don Giovanni. So far superior it's not even funny.

[schweitzer006325]

It's true that Allen doesn't give Giovanni the edge that most renditions are made up but sometimes I think that his interpretation's 'dangerousness' actually comes from his charming exterior...if that makes any sense, lol.

I think perhaps his warmness and charm only makes him only more dangerous to the women he tries to seduce onstage, almost like a cheetah ready to pounce when his 'prey' is literally mesmerised by his schemes.

[elisaballerina456]

Oh yeah? check out Bryn Terfel... you'll see.. ;)

[operabuff23]

Check out Samuel Ramey as Don Giovanni. Far superior. Terfel is satisfactory, Ramey is spectacular.

[Chiliarches]

Meh, only his champagne aria. He's a bit too general-like in this duet. Not too mention...he always seems noble. He's like a lion, even off the stage...

[x4812k]

I love Lucia Popp! What a great soprano.

[newdor]

Sir Thomas Allen always looks and sounds the part of the 'Don'. Here with Lucia Popp, is an ideal rendition of the piece.

[stellasapon]

Thomas Allen is amazing! Great! Fabulous! I adore him!!!

[WLLover01]

Ah, she never gave a bad performance. Lovely as usual!

[rmartine12]

great, charming, beautiful

[JZKV]

Thomas Allen es un perfecto barítono.

[Glenmed]

Your "Queen Lucia" performs for our Queen! What a joy and treasure to see her so charming and well in 1986. Oh yes and what a thoroughly disreputable Don is Thomas Allen. A great clip. Thank you so much for it.

[BravaBerganza01]

what a charming Zerlina!!! BRAVO LUCKA!!! but Thomas Allen is great too, so exactly BRAVI :)