Edita Gruberova - Ramón Vargas - Roberto Devereux - 2000

[pdetestable]

I love her hair xDDD magnificent!!!

[pursuahe]

Wonderful Vargas as usual

[MisterSoprano]

Gruberova is best Elisabeth you can hear nowadays as Sills and Caballe are no more arround.

[brightboy86]

Lucky Vargas! sharing the scenary with Gruberova

[italianoperafan]

I'have always had a lot of trouble with Mme. Gruberova. Sorry, but after watching/hearing this it is not improving, despite a few beautiful notes... She, as always, is more contrated on herself and by getting applaused than on the partition and pronounciation. Glad Donizetti did not hear that!

[riccardo699]

Agreed. She looks like a clown and sounds absolutely ghastly. I can't understand how people like that voice: I've said it before, it's like sour milk left out in the sun......

[italianoperafan]

Well I have come to love this but it really makes me laugh... definitely not the purpose of Donizetti here! I can hardly believe this is real. If you are interested in sour milk you should watch some Beatrice di Tenda extracts with Gruberova on this site. The milk then turns to butter: it is even worse than this.

[riccardo699]

Thanks for the tip. It's sad when Donizetti tragidies make you laugh. I performed in the chorus with Sutherland in Maria Stuarda and Anna Bolena when she was in her prime. Did you like her? Who is your favorite Donizetti singer now? Devia is my favorite at this point but am wondering if there are any new Italian coloratura sopranos doing justice to these roles.........

[italianoperafan]

I will be less naughty with Gruberova... She has not always been the "gateau à la crème" she shows here and in many (too many) performances. I have attended, years and years, ago her Lucia in Zürich (with Alagna as a beginner...) and she really, really impressed me then. I also remember a performance of Manon (Vienna?). So there is a lot of disappointment for me: what happened to her to sing and perform like this?

[italianoperafan]

You are lucky to have been working with Sutherland. Actually this is the first soprano I had heard (a long time ago..) with opera recordings. Really a great lady, you know the qualification of La Stupenda and it says it all! A huge contribution to belcanto! The only thing: I sometimes miss emotion in her singing and acting, but this is very personal.

[italianoperafan]

Personal again since Donizetti, as you know, is not limited to Lucia: The Donizettian soprani? Devia, without any hesitation, Gencer, Sutherland, Anderson, Caballe... certainly others, useless to mention Callas but time is going by and interpretations are changing! One mention for Caballe who was awarded the Donizetti price in 1997 (with Bruson and Kraus) - Celebration of Donizetti's birth in Bergamo. Not by chance since this was a college of experts and I do not pretend I am an expert.

[DiegoMartinazzoli]

I totally disagree. Gruberova is simply perfect. She's the only complete singer I've ever known! When I want to see how a thing must be sung, I watch Gruberova!

[italianoperafan]

Dear Diego, This is not the first time we meet J and I have also read your comments defending Gruberova against bad people like me who cannot support her or was she has become, she was not always as bad and it is getting worse. she should have stopped singing a long time ago or chosen another repertoire, a lighter one ! But she has her fans, like you, and every body is free to enjoy her or not But please do not consider her as an absolute reference in singing

[DiegoMartinazzoli]

Stop singing a long time ago??!! Are you mad? She's still singing a great and SUCCESSFUL Norma. (at 62)

I wish she will never stop singing!

It is a pity that some people (like you) do not treasure her! (A pity for you, not for me, or her, of course!)

I'm sorry but she's my only reference in singing.. If only there were someone as good as her....

[italianoperafan]

I have no intention of changing your mind. Once again you are free but it is a pity for you (even if you are very young) because you are Italian but you have no idea about bel canto, what is its history, how it should be sung. I wont tell you why I think of Gruberovas Norma (or Beatrice!). I will just tell you I have been 5 times to Catania, have read all Bellinis original partitions and letters. But I am sure that with time and if you listen to other singers you will understand.

[DiegoMartinazzoli]

I've got all the Callas' studio recordings and I often listen to them and to other singers.. Caballe, Sutherland, Aliberti ecc. I've also listened to elder divas (Ponselle, Muzio, Galli-Curci [in my opinion, a great singer], Olivero, Tetrazzini, Dal Monte). I have all the partitions of Bellini, too. They're my reference point in listening.

[italianoperafan]

I am glad to learn that Gruberova is not your only reference (as you said yourself!) since you mention Maria Callas. You should then understand better what is Bel Canto. Gruberova is bringing us back to the small voices /petites voix/ piccole voci Callas has always fought against. My FINAL point: you know I have attended great performances with Gruberova (Lucia with Alagna in Zürich do you know who he is?), I Capuletti with Baltsa (do you know who she is?) in London.

[DiegoMartinazzoli]

I prefer Gruberova's small voice than Callas' one, anyway! Mariella Devia is a great, great singer. I like her! She is much better than Callas, and Sutherland. Devia is the real and only "Soprano Drammatico D'Agilità" we know.

I'm Italian, so I can't let you write "a diction that no one understands" about Gruberova! Hope you were saying that about Sutherland! Gruberova's diction is perfect, and moreover every word is clearly understandable! (can't say the same about Callas!)

[italianoperafan]

Glad you discovered Devia you keep saying everywhere your only reference is this pitiful Gruberova, you keep posting everywhere that she is the only one - and what Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Verdi really are after the video I sent you.. Good luck, you have a lot to lean, to you and Edita, gone for me years ago! Aurevoir, Addio once and for all. You are Italian, you will make it of course!

[GOTICO671]

@DiegoMartinazzoli LEI è italiano ma dice sciocchezze LA DEVIA è un lirico d'agilità bravissia ma inespressiva

MARIA CALLAS è STATA E SEMPRE SARA' IL VERO ED UNICO DRAMMATICO D'AGILITA

LA devia ha mai cantato TURANDOT E WLCHIRIA ,? no allora STIA ZITTO ,INCOMPETENTE.

[DiegoMartinazzoli]

@GOTICO671 Infatti... rileggo ora il mio messaggio di 2 anni fa e non capisco da dove salti fuori la cazzata "Devia is the real and only Drammatico d'Agilità" we know. Quella sera o avevo bevuto o probabilmente avevo in mente di scrivere un altro nome e ho scritto Devia.

Concordo con lei su tutto, specialmente sulla Devia e sulla Callas che ritengo un grande Drammatico d'agilità (ovviamente solo quando la voce glielo ha consentito: anni '48 - '53)

[italianoperafan]

Major performances, and a great Gruberova, such as her Manon in Vienna. That was years ago: she has changed, for years and years, producing miserable, pitiful sounds (something creamy) , a diction that noone understands (no even her!). In this Roberto she is ridiculous, she is not at all Elisabetta. This is circus, opera is not circus. Where is Donizetti? Sorry for her, exactly the years before Callas but fortunately others, hoep you will discover them, follow Maria Callas path!!

[DiegoMartinazzoli]

The keywords of Bel Canto technique are: (you probably know them much better than I do) COLORATURA, LEGATO, MESSA DI VOCE, RANGE. I believe that there is nobody as good as Gruberova in those things! I'm sorry but I think we will never agree about her! :-(

[WoDeGe]

great stuff... thanks for post.

[Dondinin]

They are fantastic!