Beverly Sills introduces the Glass Harmonica

[RossiniSoprano]

Thanks so much for posting this! I wrote an article about the glass harmonica in reference to Lucia for our opera newsletter 2 years ago when we did the opera. Wish I had had this video!

[violinistx100]

They replaced the original harmonica with flute because, Donizetti got into a fight with the hormonist and he left on the night if the premier. I learnde this from Dessay.

[tubetoad]

Sills 'ornamentation' is from Estelle- Bubbles is a colorature-soprano, and, to my way of thinking, the Best. "Baby Doe", "Cleopatra", Simply the BEST. Love to All...

[tubetoad]

Fascinating....(thanks, Bubbles- your 'Lucia' is, I think, The Best-)

Love to ALL.

[chocolatesouljah]

Whether she is right or wrong. Ms. Sills was THE exponent of classical to the masses 1970 and so on.

[AmericanEvita]

Which Lucia is truly the best ? I always hear Joan Sutherland, but as far as what soprano do you guys think truly nailed it..I mean this is an old opera and the singer who sang it for Donizetti must have gotten it right..which soprano was closest to the original ? I hear great stuff about Mariella Devia but I like Anna Moffo a lot.. and Caballe

[AiTaiwandeRen]

Try Beverly Sills's recording. She was amazing!

[primohomme]

@AmericanEvita

Maria Callas is the best. End of story.

Mariella Devia is garbage, don't even.

[AmericanEvita]

@primohomme Hi Primo. I remember you! You're the Renee Fleming fanatic. I'm sure you'd love to hear Fleming sing Lucia but she can't since she has no coloratura. I don't like Sills' Lucia, although I bought the DG recording thinking she was good. Anna Moffo is a great Lucia and Joan Sutherland is too. I've been listening to Sutherland's Lucia and she always impresses. I also have recently enjoyed Cheryl Studer's Lucia.

[primohomme]

@AmericanEvita

I'm not a fan of "coloratura", I'm a fan of wonderful singing. Out of those you've mentioned the best is Joan Sutherland and then Sills (though sometimes the excess of her ornaments is tacky). But if you truly want the best Lucia on record it is Maria Callas in her 1953 studio recording.

Anyways...Mariella Devia is quite terrible, I don't know if she was ever great in her youth, but in the last 20 years or so she sounds a mess.

[MysticFairy7]

When Beverly Sills said No soprano will follow u! is because she never thought that somebody like Natalie Dessay will be born to do this!! hahahhaha!

[tklogan11809]

Dessay's Lucia is a bad joke.

[phanface]

I love the way Sills says "pause" at the end.

[tklogan11809]

this is not the glass armonica Donizetti wanted, number one, this is the glass harp, and number two, it's funny to hear Sills talk about the Lucia original score because she never sang it.

[AmericanEvita]

What was the glass harmonica Donizetti wanted for Lucia and what was the oriignl score like ? I've heard that it's actually devoid of coloratura passages and was meant to sound more lyric-dramatic like the way Montserrat Caballe sang it or like Edda Moser...it was later that coloratura songbirds changed it

[tklogan11809]

There are original passages in the score of Lucia, like other bel canto operas, that do require coloratura, which is simply high range with great facility for original ornamentation, embellishment, running passages, staccati, and trills. Sills added silly ornamentation and embellishment that rendered the music unrecognizable. And she did it just to show off, which is what gives bel canto its bad rap. As if there were much for her to show off in the first place. Thin, hollow tops, wobbly middle.

[AmericanEvita]

You know what YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT...I love Sills and I did buy her Lucia on CD (Deutsche Grammophon ) but I don't feel satisfied with her performance...I listened to Anna Moffo and I don't know about the original technique or all that but I do like Anna Moffo better...what soprano do you recommend for Lucia ? I also like Montserrat Caballe but Ive only heard snippets and also I've heard she's no good at it either

[goodtomunch]

Wow when was this video taken? Great music.

[Operaphile]

Fascinating!!!! It is so much more haunting in the Sills recording!!

[straussberry]

The name Harmonica come from the word harmonic. In fact, the original intrument is composed of several cylinders, and each of them produce a note (cf some other videos on youtube of this instrument). It seems that is has been invented by Benjamin Franklin. It is older than the traditional harmonica.

[lungdoc]

Thanks Miss Sills for making our lives so much happier even when yours apprently was not. May you rest in peace.

[AnyKey88]

Why does he let her call it a Glass "Harmonica"?, it's Armonica, an Italian word for "Harmony".

[Triairius]

Where do you think the English name for the harmonica comes from?

[villianousjester]

It came from the word "armonica", yes, however, the instrument she is talking about is Not a glass Harmonica. Its a "Armonica"

[joliefille411]

Actually, this is a glass harp. The glass armonica is a rotating instrument invented by ben franklin.

[sevoflurane]

Thanks for this! I first heard the sound of glass harmonica at La Scala last year. Devia was Lucia and it was a memorable experience!

[petelovesbevsills]

Thank you operatribute, this is fascinating and how lovely to see beloved Bev being her stunningly intelligent and "bubbly" self.