Von Stade - Horne - Blake - Devia - Rossini Challenge

[Dymension]

I love Devia best.  Second, Flicka, then it's a toss up between Marilyn and Rockwell. Marilyn's voice is simply too rich for Cenerentola. I prefer her as Isabella in Italiana where she can play to her strengths. Notice that in this clip she transposes down...

[gayoperadude63]

the coloratura of horne here reminds me of deutekom

[MisterPapageno]

There's the bass part missing :D and Rossini would have done it all !

[mcmulj00]

HORNE@!@  ROCKY !@! FLICKA!@! TREMENDOUS!!!

[cmorgan22]

With Cenerentola being written for a mezzo, I wish it had been written for a soprano after hearin the divine Devia.

For me Rocky will always be my faovorite bel canto tenor, haveing blazed the way for Florez (which he bearly admits) and and others. When you listen to his legato it can't be beat! Today Florez is the best we have but don't disregard Brownlee or even Bonds! Armida was a case in point where Brlwnlee and Bonds were magnificent. But it showed Renee's shortcomings in the fach.

[crazymoon81]

Devia, Devia, Devia forever Devia! The best Rossini singer!

[emilytransex]

LA DEVI UN MOSTRO SACRO!!!!!!! LA ADORO!!!!!!

[90lysander]

von Stade - heavenly, divine ... perfect for the role and the music

Horne - love her to death, but this is just weird

Blake - never been a fan of his voice or style, but the technique is definitely impressive, and I like some of his softer singing, as at 5:29

Devia - nothing wrong with her performance particularly; I just find her so DULL!

[WotansSpeer]

Rocky is just GREAT!!!!

[eradesso]

I find it funny to say the least read someone who supports Bartoli as a favourite saying Horne's coloratura is weird. It sure isn't smooth but the pot is calling the kettle black here....

I personally adore Von Stade such a gorgeous voice and elegant style I'm in fact surprised she doesn't get much mention here.

Devia's Teti is a milestone of Opera that doesn't need much commenting.

[blichilde]

Mariella.

[edgarbiervliet]

What I like about Marilyn Horne is the sort of recklessness with wich she goes trough these virtuous arias. She has a sort of laid back approach. Not pinpoint perfect like Bartoli. Not a sort of mathimatical approach. Butt a really reckless approach that just works so great for her. With Marilyn Horne it all comes together in a most incredible fashion and the sum of it all (even though by it self some notes are not perfect) ist just amazing and jazzy and WOW.

[ALEXISVASSILIEV]

Bravo pour cette video! C'est extra! La comparaison, c'est le début de l'apprentissage! Merci AV

[Honken]

I meant to write Bartoli...

[Honken]

Cecilia and Blake will always be my favourites in these arias.

[saverioorlando]

VON Stade :THE PERFECT REGISTER,THE BEST ROSSINIAN TASTE

[MaximilianGarbe]

Fantastisch!

[Operaman41]

The tenor singing is Rockwell Blake in the version that is hardly ever done in the "Barber"

Marilyn did have Rosian and Agelina underbelt infact if you read her biography it was the Rossini Cinderella that was her first Rossini she ever did.

[nclysander]

Just because she sang them early and/or often doesn't mean they were among her best portrayals. She never strikes me as getting to the character in these two operas ... unlike the other Rossini works I mentioned.

[operamaniak81]

Don't get cheated by Horne's version. She sings perfectly here. Notice, she sings slowlest of the four (that's not any illness), what actually is hardered then singing fastly and sliding on words (what does Devia) or notes. And remember, Horne's not actually a mezzosoprano but an alto - she has even lower sounds than she does here and has not ups von Stade does in her version - Horne goes down in those moments.

[Jabe88]

Devia and sliding in one sentence?

Isn't this prohibited by International Law?

Please!

[operamaniak81]

You know precisely what "sliding" means here - to produce more beautiful sound maestra Devia devotes pronunciation, vocalizes instead of singing words - like most women on stage. Nothing to beat me.

[Iareto]

I really like von Stade here! She's wonderful. Horne's not at her best here, but as always has amazing articulation. Rocky's good although he's never been my favorite sound. I'm not fond of Devia in Rossini as I think she fits Bellini and Donizetti better, but there's not disputing how great she is here.

[rrgallo]

Horne´s is half a town down

[rrgallo]

If possible where's Von Stade's Cenerentola from? and who's Prince Ramiro?

[willym]

this was from the Paris Opera - back in the incredible days of Rolf Libermann when as I mentioned earlier we had a choice of Berganza or Von Stade as our Cenerentola. I've been looking for my programme to find out who sang the Ramiro. I'm just amazed to see it on video!

[gemmadivergy]

rocky is fabulous, as always, even better than Horne, who seems curiously ill at ease, whereas she can be at her absolute best in Cenerentola

[rosetheatre]

ROCKY AND DEVIA - it's a tie

[dutchtallguy]

Mariella and Rockwell are to me the 'winner'.

[Operaman41]

I Love you Marilyn!!

I know she did this role in San Francisco but I just cant picture her doing this role.

[xluquet]

My God they never breath!

[willym]

And to think that year in Paris we had a choice between Berganza and Von Stade as Cenerentola. I saw Von Stade - I'm amazed to find it here, thanks for posting it. And what the heck was going on with Horne I have never heard her like that before?

[nclysander]

Goodness gracious! That is something! I would have chosen von Stade too - I find her more attuned to the character - but it would have been remarkable to see both. Surely two of the great mezzo-sopranos and Rossini singers of the 20th century.

[mjmacmtenor]

I am not personally bothered by Blake's tone (though I realize others are), but there is no doubt that his coloratura technique and breath control are phenomenal. I had the pleasure of hearing him when the NYCO used to visit LA in the 70s-80s (Comte Ory, Cenerentola, etc.). He also sang this aria in the Met broadcast of Barbiere with Battle (which used to be available on video - don't know if it still is).

[mjmacmtenor]

I don't think this is the best version of Horne, but it great to see her sing it live. She does not seem to have this aria "under her belt" as securely as Rosina (which she sang countless times). Flicka is a revelation. Since she did not specialize in just Rossini, not everyone realizes how good she was. What is impressed me most was then eveness of her voice and the full chest tones on the bottom (from a mezzo known for higher lyric roles).

[nclysander]

And Horne did not even have Rosina "under her belt" as much as she did Isabella, Tancredi, and Arsace! At least, that's how I see it.

[benjaminvox]

Brava Devia! Mio Dio!

I die every time I hear her doing this. Von Stade was really superb here as well, and I'm not a big fan.

[Orfeus80]

Von Stade impressed me a lot here, mainly because of her great sense of legato. Horne was fine but not truly exciting or even - I'd have chosen the young Baltsa (1979) in stead as a slightly higher alternative to Von Stade, Blake displays his usual inhuman breath spans and Devia the most dazzling version of all. One more addition could have been Berganza's version for her natural charm.

[Chasson0318]

It's Flicka and Devia for my money!

[leoperarm]

Rossini was a great composer, and his music one of the most difficult to perform. These renditions are not the best ever, definitely, but still great! Horn was great, but something's going on with her coloratura...fortunately, we never heard that again.

[coloraturafan]

I find your comment interesting, of the performances of Le Nozze di Teti, e di Peleo who do you prefer over Devia?

[leoperarm]

Well, I prefer Cecilia Bartoli, I know she isn't a soprano, but her interpretation is better in my opinion. Also Devia is great!!!

[comey717]

I agree.

[coloraturafan]

Oh no, please not Bartoli... well we all have our personal taste, but I really didn't enjoy her recording at all. In my eyes, there is simply no room for Bartoli when we are talking Devia.

[sevoflurane]

Bartoli unfortunately aspirates in coloratura, which is a major flaw in this repertoire. She cannot be ranked with these artists.

[rosetheatre]

I completely respect your thoughts as always. Really though....does Cecilia aspirate? Send me clip please. I've never heard it in her voice..... perhaps you are right

[sevoflurane]

It was hardly noticeable at the beginning of her career. Now you can hear it a lot, especially in Bellini.

[distefano13069609]

@leoperarm Yes Horne's rendition of this aria is from a tv show which also included an interview and she said she was very sick and was so dry she almost couldn't breath! Anyways, this is still better than some of the stuff we hear today!

[Jabe88]

Horne starts with her "regular" technique... but then she uses the "other" technique (gaga) a lot!

never heard her use it so extensively...

Nevertheless, they're all great

[Rhetti817]

Horne is indeed somehow like Deutekom here. I still like her though. Flicka's amazing here.  I'm not a fan of Blake's tone or Devia's Rossini, but they both do this very well.

[cigniselvatici]

thank you so much coloraturafan for the beautiful videos

[bonfadello]

Horne is really awful. How can she be taken for a reference ??

[coloraturafan]

Hmmm, well I don't think she is awful, maybe not up to her normal level, but very good still. I included this rare video of Horne, it is from a 1976 Late Show, and along with the Von Stade selection provide a rare opportunity to see these wonderful mezzos in action (not in the studio, but live on the stage).

[mcmulj00]

@coloraturafan

Blake!!!

[sevoflurane]

What a superb clip!

[magicmonkichi]

What a wonderful collection! Any chance of the full version of Horne's? Thank you *^_^*

[lumosmaxima]

wonderful beyond comparison, no doubt! horne's runs sounds suspiciously like Deutekom's way of doing Rossini. Or is it just me?

But hers is a wonderful rendition. Flicka's-priceless! the aria holds no terrors for her. Although i'm not a great admirer of Blake's voice either, he really has a great technique and I respect that.

Devia is just full of wonders. :)

thanks for the video!

[spsp2sp3sp3dsp3d2]

Horne's rendition also made me think of Deutekom's coloratura technique. I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that. :D

[micioamilano]

secondo me quelle che hanno reso meglio erano la von Stade e la Devia, la Horne mi piace da morire però in questa registrazione c'è un qualcosa che non finisce di convincermi e Blake..non sono un suo grande ammiratore..