Joan Sutherland Sings "Care Selve" by Händel

[tyforjesus]

THANK YOU for doing a trill!

[stiemogo]

@afrikasouth That comment was directed toward "Hako2004", who said Handel would have changed things had he heard this version. Why must every comment people post be in argument with other posts? My comment isn't killing opera. And my observations about this video have been truthful and honest. And there are many books written on how the music of Handel's time was to be performed. This is not all modern interpretation, as you said. - Music Graduate - Sara Tiemogo

[Operastar17]

Yes people... even La Stupenda can sing flat some times. Though its by such a small fraction that for me, at least, it has no effect what-so-ever in the overall interpretation of this most heavenly piece. I still find astonishing that someone who is famous for having a huge voice, can sing this incredibly intimate piece so beautifully. You are and will always be my eternal Prima Donna, Joan. Rest in peace.

[thebraveheart410]

Tihs is succcchhhh a hard song to learn i take voice lessons and its is by far the hardest thing ive ever learned

[jmiller05]

That Ab is most beautiful though.

[jmiller05]

I don't really like the mini-trills and slightly obscure ornamentation. This aria is sang best with a fluid, beautiful line, with an excess of pianissimo. Check out Caballe's version. It's so measured, light and effortlessly brilliant.

[MrFalconford]

We are fortunate this was saved, the future will determine the true great one's and I believe Joan Sutherland is one of them. To me she is beautiful so I disagree with ludvan64. Individual interpretation of beautiful is not a visual but a feeling. A child understands this when a mother loves unconditionally, as well as from the father. I thought that was the meaning of Handel's "Care Selve".

[mack0014]

Aargh the first note was horribly flat. *cringe*. -,-

[Hako2004]

@mack0014

Really....is that all you heard?

[OrpheuCe]

the pianist looks like a Ireland dwarf near Dame Joan....she was really big

[ebaytimr]

I love her. She is gorgeous. She sings and looks gorgeous. Rest in peace, Joan.

[jjmmcc1949]

Why was not this played at Joan' s Sydney memorial?

[ilovecm]

Love it! Unfortunately before the revival of early music, baroque was performed with more heaviness due to the instruments and playing styles. I'm not saying that it's better to hear "choral or english" (not to offend... just using a familiar general association) voices only sing pre-classical music. Many voices of that type lack the dramatic content and "steel" that is required in operatic lit.

[ludvan64]

She would never have made it in to days opera world. Today you have to be drop dead gorgeous (pardon the pun) to make it in todays visual world. Who knows how many other J Sutherland's there are sweating away in the Australian outback with a great voice who can't make it cause they have a face like the back of a bus, & weigh a tonne. Youtube you have a lot to answer for.

[tamerlano]

@ludvan64 What I find odd is the idea that she was ugly...she's beautiful here...the noble chin, the high cheekbones, perfect beehive do. She was not stunning in the Anna Moffo model (but neither was Anna Moffo, really...until the nose job) but she is perfectly lovely. And that voice is, and always will be, one of the world's great wonders.

[tamerlano]

@ludvan64 I find it hard to believe A. that joanie would be seen as ugly, even today, and B. that a voice of this extraordinary quality would be overlooked in favor of big tits...opera hasn't changed THAT much.

[loboestepario2424]

RIP Joan.

[johngarner3]

johnster you are right not ignorant but we are human

[JefferyK]

When did Sutherland have her sinus surgery? Would have been right around this time, I think.

[CaptFitzbattleaxe]

@JefferyK It was two years before this 1961 recital. She had the surgery immediately after her success as Lucia in Covent Garden. There really wasn't any change in how she sounded directly before and after the surgery, so we can attribute any changes in her sounds to aging and vocal training.

[Bigman240]

Awrawsawlvaw

[johnster1964]

Is she flat in the opening note or am I just being ignorant?

[kefto00]

@johnster1964 very ignorant.

[liedersanger1]

@johnster1964 No, you're absolutely right, she slides into the note from below, and actually doesn't quite get there, by a fraction. Didn't notice pitch problems after that.

[billyguns2]

@johnster1964 No, her initial attack is faulty here but then she goes on to cover herslef in glory.

[primohomme]

@johnster1964

A bit under pitch, but she recovers.

[youfeda]

acuto favoloso

[Straricc]

great! that's singing!!!! bravaaaaaa forever! :-)

[blackthornlessrose]

'the words are not very important' bullshit

[SENAFOREVER]

No singer alive can produce that quality of sound.

[CreaturaDura]

Wow, she is so sexy, look at those hips!

[stiemogo]

HOw much better might this have been were her head not all twisted to the side like that?

[Hako2004]

You're kidding right? Those beautiful rare tones....and that's all you noticed? Sheesh.

[stiemogo]

Hahaha...perhaps my comment was misinterpreted. Sutherland sings "Care Selve" beautifully, despite her head being twisted to the side. It makes me curious as to if it could have been even BETTER if her larynx were more aligned. I'm sure Sutherland said the same upon viewing this recording of herself. "Why is my head all twisted to the side? I had no idea!"

[stiemogo]

And just to make things interesing, I must say....Handel would not have liked the operatic runs between the pitches. He WOULD have encouraged ornamentation, but only pure, clean melismas, not "sweeping" ones...(hoping this excites some conversation...smiles wickedly)

[Hako2004]

@stiemogo

If Handel had ever had the opportunity to hear Sutherland's voice, he may have changed his mind about a few things......or perhaps he would have been too dumb-stuck to comment at all. We will never know, but this version is absolutely lovely, and I wouldn't change a thing.

[stiemogo]

@Hako2004 Yes, perhaps. If Handel ever heard my pop music, maybe he would change genres entirely. :) ....I have stuff on my channel, but it's not classical music. :P

[akrifasouth]

@stiemogo I'm not sure you could say what Handel would or would not have liked. Our interpretation of what was written about how people sang so long ago is a modern interpretation that we approach from a modern understanding of singing. Besides, puritanism kills opera.

[cthramm]

She doesn't need that akward thecniques to make her singing shine. She is great :)

[domi2020]

A more embellished version with lovely tone but the diction is starting to fray but otherwise lovingly done.

[tenore23]

Sutherlan's voice was made for Handel. While her bel canto was absolutely fantastic, I always felt her voice shone even stronger every time she sang Handel.

Brava!

[Lohengrin]

This is so beautiful... such a natural soprano sound

[colibridelapampa]

Beautiful...but I think Caballé´s version is better

[Hako2004]

I love Caballe, and saw her in San Francisco, but Sutherland's tone is the more beautiful of the two in this music, and of course Joan's trills just add to the total effect.

[freddyqueer]

Sublime! She is the greatest!

[BeauTenor]

FABULOUS. One of the most beautiful arias ever written (IMHO), and Joan scales that huge voice down very well. It's gorgeous.