Natalie Dessay - La Fille du Regiment - Salut a la France

[pongo1111]

She's like a little boy in a dress. A little boy that sings well and likes to run around.

[giirving]

The entire production is brilliant. The cast and crew have worked together to create a living, funny, and completely fresh version of this wonderful opera. Bravi, bravi!

[solly2405]

i don't think that the high notes sound natural

[deterrese]

I love this scene

[domi2020]

is she off pitch and flat alot of the time...not her best!

[steinwaygrande1]

@domi2020 Not off pitch at all. Its just that the sound is compressed and thrugh our computer loud speakers it makes it even worse. She is very highly regarded by her peers and music critics

[ferrykalos]

Dovrebbe cercare di muoversi meno a cantare meglio!

[MelWolff]

i just love this production..yeah she's crazy, that's make her sooo special and so adorable ...she's is great...

and i just can't stop watching this. Every second of the whole opera i'm just waiting to see Juan Diego...ahhhhhhh <3 heheheh

[steinwaygrande1]

@MelWolff Natalie is brilliant in this production

[MelWolff]

@steinwaygrande1 yeah she is! i like the production

[steinwaygrande1]

@MelWolff At least someone agrees with me. Thanks

[mkurnat]

she's so funny.

[stargazey32]

Superb.

[MaryJoDeLaTorre7]

Hahhaahhaa! I love her! She's totally crazy! How can she sing hoping around like that!?! I would be breathing like a sick dog, hahahha!

[elisaface]

@MaryJoDeLaTorre7 I know right? It's amazing! The fact that she's also a dancer probably helps her out, lol.

[MaryJoDeLaTorre7]

@elisaface Yes, probably, LOL! (By the way, I just realized I wrote "hoping" instead of "hopping" but I guess you figured it out by yourself, hahahaha!)

[vectissimus]

Brilliant all round, superb vocal mastery - and she can act!

[stesondrio88]

PESSIMA, ha gli acuti striduli e sgradevoli, è brutta e secondo me se la tira pure !

[pappappero0o]

@stesondrio88

beh sai...dal vivo è semplicemente spettacolare, veramente fenomenale, non ha nulla di stridulo e sgradevole....la conosco personalmente ed è una persona estremamente simpatica e cortese.

[MaryJoDeLaTorre7]

@stesondrio88 Purtroppo il suono del video non è il massimo e perciò sembra stridula, ma anch'io l'ho sentita dal vivo ed è un fenomeno, è semplicemente stupenda! (Bruttina, sì, è vero, ma non se la tira per niente).

[thetheatreofmadness]

C'est bon.

[damesally]

I agree hugo . I was there last night too and whilst Colin Lee might not quite have Florez's romantic hero looks he nailed those top Cs in style and his proposal aria was better in my view. Dessay and the others just get better and better - they have improved on their 2007 performances - beg borrow or steal to get a ticket !

[hugothebear]

Saw this last night at ROH with Colin Lee as Tonio - was brilliant and enjoyed every moment, still some seats left so go book up and have an evening to treasure...

[hugothebear]

Latest revival in London has had great reviews and I am going next week... booked a night with Colin Lee as Tonio... (was a mistake actually wanted to see Florez)... looking forward to it very much anyway - would like to have seen it in Vienna with Caballe doing the grumpy Duchess too :-)

[muscleboi4use]

I just saw this production yesterday, as it has come back to London, and BOTH Natalie and Juan Diego were WONDERFUL. Their stage presence, acting abilities and voices were PERFECT for the roles.... Absolutely terrific and magnificent.

[hornas29]

so aufgekratzt habt ihr mich in erinnerung?????

[flicfan416]

she needs to stick to this kind of role, with the high tessitura throughout, because every time she hits the middle register, its nasal city

[LoveDessay]

she's worn out here from doing the same productions over and over again...T.T

stop torturing dessay:)

[TourneledosRossini]

Cette mise en scène est une apologie de la Collaboration.

[youjib]

@TourneledosRossini

il s'agit de la première guerre zozo

[SocalBronco]

Tara Smith is way better than her....

[LoveDessay]

oh my no.... I don't think so

[HappyLuckyGlad]

Perfect.. and so funny! I think I've fallen in love with her :P

[jorgeandresossa]

the best version............

[trumansf]

Technique!!!! Brava!!! Damrau has a big voice but nowhere close to Dessay's technique!!

[TourneledosRossini]

Nos anciens combattants devraient porter plainte d'être ridiculisés ainsi. Quelle honte pour Dessay ! Vive la France !

[jorgeandresossa]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

b

[TourneledosRossini]

Comme Molière l'a si bien fait dire à Mme Jourdain : c'est aussi sot par derrière que par devant !

[TourneledosRossini]

ri - di - cul - e

[jorgeandresossa]

i -dio -ta-

[thomastmwc]

she sings well while she's hopping/lying/wtsoever. INCREDIBLE

[alexandriusgirl]

She's hyper... :)

[akoljrkdsf]

gotta love that blue uniform :P

[gibraltarrr]

natalie dessay always amazes me with her ability to sing opera while performing such amazing physical feats!

[operagodess78]

Her voice is light for the role. And her acting is not good. But the overall performance is great.

[MargueriteGautier]

I've seen this production. Natalie is adorable.

[MisterSoprano]

I've seen her life in this role in Vienna. She and Florez were AMAZING!!!

[Thomlinsonr]

god how can she ring and runa round, where does the energy come from!

[jojolaterreur1]

Un opéra en français, une chanteuse française, et des commentaires en anglais. Les francophones ne connaissent ils pas l'opéra?

Ont ils si peu de chose à partager?

[fan706]

Les francophones qui connaissent l'opéra ne passent pas leur temps sur youtube, ils vont à l'opéra!

[jojolaterreur1]

C'est bien connu que les anglophones sont tous des incultes et ne comprennent l'opéra que via ce site. Tiens au fait mais que faites vous sur ces pages? Ou peut être, si je vous lis bien, n'y connaissez- vous rien?

[fan706]

Salut Jojo, eh oui, je l'avoue, je suis inculte en classique et en opéra, mais ça ne m'empêche pas d'apprécier. Et surtout ça ne m'empêche pas de surfer tranquillement sur youtube pour visionner les videos qui me plaisent, mais je dois avouer que les commentaires intolérants (concernant l'origine/la nationalité/la culture des uns ou des autres) me gâche un peu mon plaisir).

[Tobytib]

personnellement plus qu'une intolerance c'est, je le crains une terrible réalité. Toutefois, il n'est pas indispensable de connaître pour apprécier et s'intéresser. Je n'en veux à personne de ne pas connaître grand chose. En revanche, il est dommage de constater le peu d'intérêt que nombre de français portent à la musique classique en général, sous le prétexte qu'ils n'y connaissent rien. Nous autres musiciens ne sommes pas innocent non plus pour en être arrivé là.

[thomastmwc]

Mais, je n'ai pas d'argent.

[OperaBuff1935]

This is great and Natalie Dessay is great, isn't she? Marie fits her to a T (as do a lot of roles.:-)).Watching and listening oher on these postings takes me back to my own participation as a chorus member in "Daughter" in the late'80's. _ Prince George's (MD) Opera, now defunctSummer Opera (DC)also peformed it in the early '90's. I didn't do that one, but I ushereed at 3 or 4 of those performances. And I loved every one of them. I kept trying to cue the singers from the auditorium. :-)

[OMRLPdedicate]

Ditto.

[nicevidbro]

To those who criticize: First of all this is a comic opera, so the point is being funny. Second: Dessay as many other singers spend a lot of time rehearsing, training and studying music, so it's funny that a bunch of amateur youtubbers come here to make judgement about it like they were musical geniouses.

[kefto00]

@nicevidbro

well how about you hear it from a person who has studied and is a working opera singer... she is off pitch at times and should not be sacrifising her pitch or tonal quality for stupidly running around the stage looking like an idoit. she is obvioualy a amateur.

[FoggyRoad81]

@nicevidbro You're an idiot. How much time have you ever spent working on a movie set. And yet you have opinions about movies.

[maggeo78]

Natalie, surly you are greater as a soprano, but you should play the piano more often :DDDDDDD

[SsteinwayS]

Ah yes....

[OMRLPdedicate]

It is not customary to post a comment, then to post another comment saying how wonderful the first comment is!

[operabuff1]

silly acting and screechy voice. just awful

[33blueberries]

I agree.

[OMRLPdedicate]

I love her voice but I think that they could have got her to at least play the right chords on the piano, even if she doesn't play it.

[NnFfBb]

The pit Violins sound sloppy and weak at times. What theatre is this?

[VirnAlfakyn]

I thought that it was Lucia that was supposed to go crazy... Not Marie.

[oleander1684]

i want to know what gwright means when they say she's trashing the coloratura tradition, because i don't see that at all. this is an odd performance, but i don't think it's fair to say that in general she's a bad singer when many of her performances are amazing. her technique is rock solid, her voice is gold and her acting is phenomenal. her respect for the music is incredible, whether that's obvious here or not. maybe i'm missing something; i think she's awesome and a pioneer in her field.

[SsteinwayS]

Too true! I think she's the only colouratura that nails "Pale et blonde" perfectly in a technical respect, for example. (Callas being the other example, but her high notes aren't as stunning)

[cmorgan22]

I enjoyed her performance at the MET. It was a lot of fun, if not super great vocally. I heard her sing Olympia before all her vocal troubles and was blown away. But this aria was a big let down. It could have been so much more. Opera has changed so much and it is no longer "stand and deliver." Incredible acting though. I didn't really care for her Lucia. She was better as Marie. And am not looking forward to Netrebko as Lucia -- she's not a Bel Canto singer. Natalie at least has that pegged.

[IfYourMomWereATaco]

just pretend that production doesn't exist... diana damrau will be singing the role before her, and that's all anyone really needs

[sopran21]

o.k maby she dosn't sound that good in that specific performance but she sounds wonderfull in the productions of the met and london.

about her acting.. I want to see a singer that act this roll better then her o.k?

she's perfect for that roll.

[gwright199]

And people applaud this shit...I give her credit - she manages to sound shrill and sharp at the same time, turns french into serbo-Croate (quite a feat for a native fr speaker) and in 3 minutes tops she makes the "coloratura" tradition absolutely unrecognizable. The regiment should have put her up against the wall, offered her a last cigarette, and then shot bullets through her after this hack job.

If you want to blow sunshine up dessay's ass, go to her website and post a comment.

[JuillHope17]

ok i'm going to settle this whole dessay bit, cause it's like SUPER annoying. natalie dessay is a good artist but with the fact that her voice has been through hell and back it's obviously not as beautful as it once was (especially if you look at her older videos), so she tries to focus on her acting skills in performances. now, whether you like them or not, she still has a career and makes money doing so and still has fans. she's doing something right, even if a few of you don't like her. stop.

[kdliskool]

all of you are assholes

[riccardo699]

You're not only an asshole, but an idiot if you really believe this trash is "artistry." She makes a mockery of the music she attempts to sing. Glad other people realize how ridiculous she is. I wouldn't waste a penny on her.

[Simdaperce]

Yankee, wether you like it or not, old-fashioned opera singers like Sills or Sutherland are over, and "idiots" like James Levine or Placido Domingo consider her to be one of the greatest current singers.

[riccardo699]

Then I guess they're as stupid as you. Only a moron who knows nothing about bel canto singing would consider her to be good. There are probably 10 student coloratura sopranos at the Manhattan School of Music who could really sing this music.

[dakewose]

Simdaperce is right. Of course she is not exceptionnal, but it's an original and new style, and people who are authorities on opera (not you) like that.

[riccardo699]

Oh, and you're an authority? NOT.............

[Merryjest]

Will there be a DVD release of this, I wonder? Dessay's voice doesn't sound as fresh in this recording, but it could be down to fatigue (after all they did a very extensive run). I love, simply LOVE the concept for the set designs. An excellent way to bring a fresh approach to the opera without going all Regie-crazy.

[Italia1987]

NEXT.

[Lohengrin]

her coloratura has nothing to do with what it used to be...

As for acting, as always she seems to my eyes like a kid with special needs-retarded somehow... jumping here and there like an idiot and all that she calls: acting!

[kngiht84]

and that's what people call "original".

[33blueberries]

Is it better to be original, or tasteful? ;)

[kngiht84]

Original, that's where we start to define what "tasteful" is.

[LeNozze44]

Do you know the story at all? She's a tomboy that doesn't want to be stuck in this stupid castle. It makes sense that she would be jumping around like this. I would like to see anybody else act this well and come even close to her amazing singing.

[Lohengrin]

perhaps she plays the tomboy in all of her roles? ...

[LeNozze44]

Having seen her Lucia at the Met, I would say that she can be far from tomboyish. Dessay is a first-class artist. You are entitled to not like her voice, but comparing her to a mentally retarded child is unacceptable.

[Lohengrin]

you actually mean the performance where while she was singing Lucia's mad scene her tits were actually out of her skirt creating esthetically the most grotesque Lucia ever ? we are discussing super-lol appearances Why? I dont know, yes she used be a first class coloratura soprano, the best of our era, her acting was worth 1000 laughs even from her very early appearances (jumping here and there and on tenors all the times) and plus to that she has now lost her voice

[riccardogrande699]

PaaaaLeeeeezze! She looks like a spastic having a seizure. And, pardon the "French," but she sounds like shit..............

[Richiesutherland]

Her ornaments are terrible, out of rhythm, she sounds vocally dead, and her "acting" is ridiculous, just meaningless jumping and mugging. She looks like an escaped mental patient, and she did EXACTLY the same jumping around in Lucia, so I want to know where this "great actress" business comes from? Marie is a girl who is supposed to be happy and full of heart, not someone who looks like she needs an adjustment in her medication.  And the singing? Oh, please.

[Tiagoerg]

Dessay is a very skillfull actress! you have to (at least) smile with that mad scene at the piano. Still, i have to desagree with those who say that her voice is begining to "fail". Dessay have ENORMOUS quality! one of the very best at the moment!

[33blueberries]

The voice isn't beginning to fail. Beginning being the key word in that sentence. What is it, two or three vocal cord nodule surgeries now? One vocal cord surgery, in the case of someone like Karita Mattila, is understandable, but three, and with effects that have brought Dessay's fach down from Lakme and Queen of the Night to Violetta in, what, ten years? She can be electrifying, more power to her, but she has paid the price for it.

[Tiagoerg]

glad to see that you agree with me. yes in a near future dessay will face problems due to many nodule surgery.

[DessayBestSinger]

totally agree with you...:)

[agnellodei]

I love it! I like how she puts more chest into it when in the middle-low part.

[MorganaWalkyria]

Emmm...no cualquiera canta saltando, la verdad, q el manejo del aire q tiene es impresionante...yo me agito con subir las escaleras cantandoXD

LA adoro!a ella y a Mado...y a María y Angela, pero son de otro grupoXD

[misicboy1]

I like her interpretation of Marie in this performance. It kind of has an "Audrey Hepburn-esque" flair to it. The unrefined aspect of her character combined with her playfulness kind of reminds me of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.

[openaby]

aie!! aie!!

[tphowle]

yuck

[kngiht84]

what is yuck ?

[lunazul56]

Answering to kngiht84 "What is yuck". Yuck, yucky = disagreeable. My first language is spanish. Which one do you speak? But I really believe that the music is an Universal Language.

[kngiht84]

English is my mother tounge and as far as the matter of music's language is involved, I strongly disagree that this performance be considered "yucky". Well, you have your own taste and certainly are entitled to it.

[TheAleph74]

IMO, great acting and amazing technique especially to be able to jump and dance while singing high E's. But I agree: her voice is not what it used to be. She sounded tired and her voice seemed strained.... again, my humble opinion. Great artist though.

[battycys]

I wish there is a video of her performance at Covent Garden. This video does not do her any justice. She (and Diego) was far better than this in the performances I saw at the Royal Opera House. This opera is very hard work for the singers, and they both might have tired by the time the production moved to Vienna. I assure you, Natalie's voice from what I have heard in London, is still GREAT! I obviously am a great fan of hers.

[zacharybr]

I think her voice sounds a little flat. 2/5

[claveldelaire]

This production is conceptually brilliant. Great cast, subtle use of costumes, the stage design is impecable, the scenic direction very entertaining and the music really enjoyable. BRAVO!

[sevoflurane]

A shame her voice deteriorated so soon. Nevertheless she is a brilliant actress.

[actionsrlouder]

Why did you say that her voice deteriorated? Don't understand.

[sevoflurane]

I used to buy all her CDs! Listen to her recordings of Olympia, french coloratura arias and Mozart arias from the 90s: she was a marvel!

[Jabe88]

no one can beat Joan Sutherland in this aria

[sour7lemon]

Except dessay :)

[Jabe88]

lol... oh well to each his own! ;)

[sour7lemon]

Hehe

[SueAnnNivens]

I agree with you

[DessayBestSinger]

I don't agree with you...Dessay is really more expressive...and nicer(well that's not difficult with Sutherkand :P)

[singingismypassion]

She's doing this @ the Met next year

[gabohuaroc]

Ok, Dessay is not 25 anymore, but hey we're all human. Too much air? i don't think so, maybe it's just her voice quality. I agree this aria isn't the best for her, actually i find it very boring.

[UL1921]

NO!

[dougbalt]

Her voice does not sound "tired." If you would listen to other interpretations of the same aria, e.g. Sills, Gruberova, Moffo, among others, this aria is supposed to be sung in a forceful, carefree way. It's good that you hear this style in Dessay's singing because that is the very intention.

[dougbalt]

Donizetti does not necessarily equal Italian repertoire. He wrote a new French version of Lucia after writing the Italian one. And in writing La Fille it was his aim to combine bel canto elements with the spirit of French operetta.

[Iareto]

There is just something in that voice that will never come back. It used to have this really effortless feeling, but it just isn't the same. She really is a VERY devoted actress though. I agree with Orfeus in that her voice sounds tired and she is using way to much voice. Nice ornamentations though.

[Iareto]

Sorry...I meant too much air.

[dougbalt]

Natalie Dessay-- in my opinion, the world's leading interpreter of the French repertoire

[drsolus]

Donizetti = Italian repertoire.

[ezayitas]

Why there´s always people comparing instead of enjoying the artist for what he or she does on stage?. There´s no comparison between one another. Everybody is different, one better than or as good as the other. Who cares who does it better if the artist is really good?

[sour7lemon]

Hah! Exactly what I was thinking!

[sour7lemon]

I'm just reading this again -- I was agreeing with your Amahl reference. Dessay IS wonderful.

[puccinilover]

I was going to say i've read your comments about dessay and i was like TRAITOR!!!!!!!!!

[sour7lemon]

Haha im a dessay freak! She's the best!

[Orfeus80]

As exhausted and vocally tired I remember her in London. Too much breath. The first part of this production was hilarious, especially because of Dessay but the second was rather boring.

[UL1921]

DONIZETTI IN NOT OFFENBACH!

[DessayBestSinger]

and???

[operabuff1]

Bravo! That´s the best comment I read about this absurd production of a beautiful belcanto opera!

[Amphipolis]

Dessay IS BACK!!! Yes!!!

[gypsycafe]

She is so adorable!

[OperaBR]

Dessay sounds great. Her voice combines amazing coloratura ability with a voice that has much more vocal cream and richness than most leggero sopranos! She's also such a delightful actress on stage! My only complain is that the production is way too dark. IMO this opera should be staged as it is: a comic and lively opera, with a clear and colourful production. Anyway, it's the singing that matters, and Dessay is wonderful!

[claveldelaire]

Army? War? ... Colorful?

[VAREDO]

Nulla di eccezionale.E' lungi dal raggiugere il virtuoismo voacale della mitica Sutherland!

[Lilith89ibz]

Have you ever seen Sutherland dancing around while singing...?

[OperaBR]

Yes, Sutherland could dance while singing, and she also used to run all around the stage while singing Lucia's Mad Scene. It's nonsense to compare Dessay to Sutherland. Sutherland was the greater artist and technician, but Dessay is definitely one of the most amazing coloratura sopranos of the last decades and we must hail her because of what she is, not because she surpasses or not someone else. ;-)

[Lilith89ibz]

You're right, it's nonsense to compare Dessay to Sutherland. But I can't help it! lol Anyway, personally I prefer Dessay. She always gets me thrills! ^^

[albertogrilo]

wow. She dances and she sings ;) She is back...

[andreasscholl]

Dessay is back!