Beverly Sills sings Zerbinetta (vaimusic.com)

[BentonHess]

I was actually working for the Boston Symphony when this production happened. Beverly had a horrible cold and was thoroughly miserable. It was amazing it came out as well as it did.

[dodacon]

As to the height of the music stand - just LOOK! She's elevated on a platform above the orchestra... if the stand were raised, it would come between Beverly's face and the audience down in the hall where she's singing!

[manidonno10]

Thank God for editors - much of this music is just redundant...

[papoocanada]

makes you wonder why coloraturas today cast as Zerbinetta sing the "easier" version of the revised scene instead of learning the original properly........if they can sing Rossini, Donizetti and other bel canto scores, why not Strauss ?

[chrizosthemis]

1:35 what are doing these men?

[tenore37]

probably getting a mute of some sort

[CincinnatiTenor]

@chrizosthemis Getting thier mutes for the Horn

[SlovenskyRaj]

@chrizosthemis DEFINITELY picking up their mutes from the floor and putting them in the bell of the horn.

[ChristophePhilippe]

I'm surprised the head tones could make it through that hair.

[NemoProkofiev551]

I've never heard this aria before, hence I can't possibly say anything but:

OH MY HSOG, SHE ROCKS! I'm flabbergasted.

[wattever333]

leinsdorf is adorable!

[11777766]

Sills' incredibly ability to reach her audience was matched by her lovely performances and great singing

[gabriellejordan]

yeah so the music stand, is well making me made. her face should be seen by the world

[MastersoftheOpera]

VAI is the best opera provider! Beverly Sills has a decorative coloratura voice and this is a fiendishly difficult aria (said to be the hardest coloratura piece) but Sills sings it with clean, bright tones. What year is this ? What is this from ? Looks 1960's

[senesino83]

Well guys, when one sings like THAT, it doesn't really matter if it has F or G or whatever. The rest of the aria is so much harder that singing one single high note, whatever!

Here Bev is just AWESOME :)

[cl1281]

Why isn't her music stand higher??!?!

The least they could have done was given her a higher music stand that way she wouldn't have to lower her entire face like that!

[15platinum]

In most performances, the artist fixes the music stand at a position that he/she feels confortable with. So the real question is : "Why did Sills decide to have her music stand so low?"

[Manxypop]

@15platinum Maybe she was far-sighted?

[NemoProkofiev551]

She lowers her face like that for a reason... it helps open her airway when singing. (I surmise that's it, I'm not a singer.)

[HoD3]

stupéfiant!

[yodavidnavarro]

Great jewish girl!

[baritonebynight]

Apparently Sills did sing the F#s previously but no known recording exists. F#s or no F#s...she was pretty amazing here!

[dougbalt]

Gotta love Beverly in that wig!

[sandytheslayer]

I love Bev to pieces but to say that this performance is better than Sumi Jo's 1997 original version of the piece is truly preposterous (in my opinion of course)! Sills misses out a number of notes and generally doesn't look very happy or comfortable singing the piece. Although I think the best performer of this aria is Dessay, Jo's rendition of the 1912(original) version is truly spectacular.

[rubenmsk]

it's the original version of zerbinetta's aria, is really high, for these reason straus had to transporting down, it was really difficult sing it, 'acuse the sopranos must has a F# high

[Ekir75]

What version of the Aria is this one? It's not the one typically performed. Did Strauss write an alternate?

Beverly Sills was an amazing talent. Thanks for posting this video!

[AiTaiwandeRen]

It's the original 1912 version.

[skitzo429]

this is the original, the alternate is the one thats normally sung. most of the end of this one is a step higher, whcih pushes that one high E up to an F#. i believe theres a recording of gruberova singing this version on youtube as well.

[hypnotizeed]

the best zerbinetta ever!!!! this is said to be the most complicated of al coloraturaroles. Sills rules!

[simonchante]

I share your enthousiasm godivapaw.

[CoreyLeig]

This is another great example of Beverly at her best. So glad this is available on DVD now, what a treat! Let's hope more of these gems are discovered soon and put on DVD right away.

[gclef2288]

My she rest in eternal peace....

[davideo321]

Nobody, not even Sumi Jo, has ever made the all-but-unsingable original 1912 take on Zerbinetta as expressive, crystalline or meaningful as Bubbles did. Godspeed her to heaven tonight. Brava, Sills.

[alexmacias]

Ever heard of Gruberova? Sills was stunning, but she omitted the highest notes, Gruberova didn't.

[stedmantx]

There is more to singing than just high notes.  You have only to listen to Mado Robin to realize that.

[jetsetjordan]

Mado, wasn't she the one with the "extra" high c, an octive about the normal one at the end of Lucia? She always sang the high notes.

[skitzo429]

Sumi jo isnt really known for unusually stratospheric high notes, her range is abotu average for a coloratura, shes got an F, ive never heard anyhtign higher from her. Gruberova has performed this in the original key with the F#, Diana Damrau has performed high G's in concert, and Natalie Dessay as sung high Ab's in performance

[Ekir75]

Gruberova has performed G's in concert arias, too.

[skitzo429]

haha perhaps, i was just name dropping : )

[coolsnak3]

not hot

[godivapaw]

BRAVI SILLS!!!!!!! Viva la DIVA!!!!! I know that this role was not as comfortable for her up high all the time, but she did a SPENDID job with all the high pianissimi and trills etc. I love this woman!!!