I saw it some 14 years ago broadcast live on television. I was was forced to watch it because of a college roommate. Then this happened. As good now as it was that night.
It was as if this song was written for her, and was being sung for the first time. The finest rendition of this song I've ever heard. This is genius.
This piece of music is now so far into our culture that commentary is useless. Mme Franklin has a good legato and a good and original porte la voce, or portamento. I like it. People who perform the role often have neither.
Feeling,sensation,belief, attachment, and Knowledge; Musicians strive for these five qualities... the type of music is immateriale. This touched my heart it moved me to feel an emotion and it made me enjoy a moment in time which I will always remember. This is what music is...
Errr, I don't know. I guess this performance is good considering the circumstances. It's just, I finished coming from watching Pavarotti perform this, and it was just, incredible! The guy was truly a master. Perfection. I'm not bashing anyone, it's just that in comparison, to my ears, this performance was alright, just not the greatest is all I'm saying. Peace.
my computer time online is quite limited. for my socks i can not understand why one would view this videoj turn around, then bitch about it. lifes tooo short, blessings for your new year. i thought Aretha F. did a great thing with this song, xobrad
A true powerful voice and expressive singer. That's astonishing. I understand why Bill Frisell says he tries to be singing on the guitar like Aretha Franklin.
Not perfect lyrics, yes, but this is an 'interpretation', that still holds the meaning of the song, and only true artists can achieve that, as she just did.
This is really cool!!! Soul and classical....never thought I would see them meld together like that. Really cool performance! I think she made a smart choice!
@leeantony. I saw this performance. I remember it very well. She did this in a short notice. She stepped in. In addition, she was the one who put a spark in this ceremony. Believe me, it was dull until she came on stage.
Yes, Pavarotti is the best singer of this song. It is his trademark song;but, Aretha did very well too;she's not even an opera singer. She is a diverse singer.
What a MESS!!! I just watched Pavarotti murder this song and then I watched this video and I have tears running don my face because it made me laugh sooooo hard.
@morningstar000 And if you like this mess neither do you. She butchers the song. If you want to hear what it should sound like, please listen to any Pavarotti performance of this song. I played this for someone who had never heard the classical version and he could not stop laughing. Then I played it the way it should sound and he was in awe. Furthermore, I don't recall asking for your opinion, so if you do not like mine or if your feelings are hurt, go suck on a bottle.
@morningstar000 It is you who has no taste. I love how she butchered the Italian and took all those breaths at the wrong places...every time I see it I laugh just as hard as I laugh at your comments. Ciao
@morningstar000@morningstar000 I have learned to not argue with fools, they only drag you down and beat you with experience. I haven't the slightest bit of interest in proving to you how eclectic my taste in music is because you are a mere piece of cyber nothingness, so carry on listening to this. Opinions are like poop holes and yours is no more valid than mine and I find this interpretation laughable. You like it...so what. Farewell.
@leeantony Although you seem to find this interpretation of this song "a butchered mess" Pavarotti himself thoroughly enjoyed Aretha Franklin's performance of this song & wasn't "laughing with tears streaming down his face" as you were.. but, I'll just continue on with my day(As I'm sure you already have). :-)
I was watching this the night the awards show was being telecast. When Sting announced who was originally supposed to perform, what song, and then the whopper, who was going to fill in, I immediately said to myself, OMG this will be a disaster. Why were tears rolling down my cheeks by the end of the song? I was COMPLETELY wrong and totally blown away!
@simmad0wnn0w XD I thought the same thing "Not Sting! Aw no!", but I had to sit down when I heard her begin singing and was swept up and away with it.
i think this performance is a really good example of someone melding their soul style into a classical piece...music should continue to cross lines, undoubtedly...aretha didn't try to conform to the usual classical/opera styles, and i think, especially in this case, that they did the right thing by choosing her to fill in for pavarotti and not some impersonator or something...
"As a musician steeped in classical training and with a deep understanding and appreciation of its nuances and the impeccable skills and talent it requires of an artist, I must say that I am absolutely HORRIFIED by this butchery. So very horrified, in fact, that it makes the broomstick lodged up my ass reverberate like mad. Mad, I tell you!"
I love Aretha Franklin, but she should just keep on singing jazz. As a classically trained singer myself, I think this is an absolutely awful performance.
Every aspiring singer should listen to every song that Aretha Franklin has ever sung and learn from it. She epitomizes everything that a singer should ever want and hope to be!!!
I know a lot of people don't care Aretha's voice, and don't like her version of the song. Puccini's music is beautiful and timeless. It stands up to such treatment and still touches the soul. This is the performance that exposed me to opera, so it will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first time actual music made me cry (not the lyric, that's not very sad at all). The music touched me. Thanks Aretha.
In my estimation...this is the finest vocal performance of our time. I remember watching this live...and it STILL gives me chills. Aretha is the Queen of Soul and anything she puts her mind to. Beautiful!
There was once talk that Ms Franklin was learning Vissi d'arte from Tosca back at the time she performed this. I'm an opera fan, singer, and snob....and I think this is GREAT. Brava Ms Franklin.
Couldn't she have at least TRIED to respect the composer and his intentions here? She was as out of place singing this aria as Pavarotti would have been singing Men At Work. I gotta give her credit for having the guts to get up there and do that to this great piece of music.
If you're a musician and, in particular, a singer, you can really appreciate this performance and the circumstances that it came about in. If someone asked you to perform a song spur-of-the-monent 20 minutes from now in front of a packed house it'd be tough. Now change the language and genre that you're used to. Make sure it's a piece written for the opposite sex. After all that to pull it of would be nothing short of amazing.
Yet here we are witnessing it here together. Amazing, indeed!!
@themrduragss and? i have known aretha's singing for 30 years. and it's not as good as some folks like to make it. some songs on the "who's zoomin' who" and "aretha" albums were ok but all her other stuff is just dull.
@Meskiagkasher Not that good? Dull? so that's why Rolling Stone named her the best singer of the Last 100 years? not of her time or past 50 but the whole Last hundred years.
@Meskiagkasher Aretha Franklin is one of the great gospel and soul singers of the world. She does not have an operatic voice, but in her genre, she's without compare. Music is universal, so I doubt if Puccini would have a problem with this rendition -- so you only speak for yourself.
@jonwiley actually even in her "own" genres of gospel and soul there are better voices used by better singers. and face it, aretha is a sloppy singer. she should have stopped making music in the late 80s. her live performances are just hurtful to the ears, almost as hurtful as whitney's these days.
@Meskiagkasher There is not one gospel or soul singer better than Aretha. Her voice and singing are a flawless combinations of these musical expressions. She took gospel, the blues, and jazz and created her own singing style. She's the best vocal musician in popular music. Yeah, in later years, she got "sloppy", but even now, when she's on, no one but Ella is in the same league.
As for Whitney, her voice might be messed up, but when she's on, she's ON.
@Meskiagkasher There is not one gospel or soul singer better than Aretha. Her voice and singing are a flawless combinations of these musical expressions. She took gospel, the blues, and jazz and created her own singing style. She's the best vocal musician in popular music. Yeah, in later years, she got "sloppy", but even now, when she's on, no one but Ella is in the same league.
As for Whitney, her voice might be messed up, but when she's on, she's ON.
@Meskiagkasher How weak a singer Aretha has always been? And....who is worthy of comparison? And....more importantly, who are you? A nut case with a computer!
I love this SOOO much! I know that to a pure opera expert this cannot be praised, yet it is so clear that she LOVES this song, KNOWS her voice, and understands (like some women do NOT) that this song cannot be sung in a soprano key.
@grumpyotter I am, well not an opera expert, but a huge fan of opera, and I adore this rendition. I could listen to it every day. I know that she isn't an opera singer, so I just love the way she sings it. However, I have to disagree that it cannot be sung by a soprano. I actually prefer to listen to a soprano sing it the full octave above the tenor range it was written in.
I love how she cutely sashays around the stage after she just kicked our asses. You should see my face when I listen to this. It looks like someone just told me they ended a war by giving everyone puppies. Something like that. XD
Maybe Aretha's southern accent isn't fit for this Italian beauty. Seriously, it seems like she's making it a joke. It's horrible. I'd rather hear Pavarotti in his sickness. She sings it like neSOOOM doooorma. Beautiful. Sing your lordy lordy, not this. AND why would she sing this in English. What is this!!!????
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Maybe Aretha's southern accent isn't fit for this Italian beauty. Seriously, it seems like she's making it a joke. It's horrible. I'd rather hear Pavarotti in his sickness. She sings it like neSOOOM doooorma. Beautiful. Sing your lordy lordy, not this.
The first time I heard this, I was so horrified that I never finished listening to the whole thing. Shame on me. It is spectacular. Considering that I feel that her performance at Obama's inauguration is the greatest live performance in history, this is yet another example of her hitting it out of the park. She is truly amazing.
I just love how she comes in at 2:01 echoing the melody of the violins. Is that intentional or was that meant to be her cue. Whatever it is, its genius. I never tire of this performance and it always brings me to tears. I tell anyone, THIS performance brought me to opera. Go figure?!
what note is she hitting at 4:13-4:14..i know its a squall but where is she..aretha changed the game for other female singers from this one performance.
I love Aretha ......she is a great singer ....may be more ! But not "Nessun Dorma "..... please ! I cannot image Leontyne Price singing "never let me go" for exemple!
I love opera, am obsessed with opera and could out knowledge most of the opera fans who are hating on this performance and I'm here to say that this is brilliance. The performance has romance, ardor and a rush of feeling, exactly what Puccini asked for. It lacks classical technique, who cares, no one claimed it was a classical performance.
I remember watching this live many years ago on TV. I thought it was great she stepped up and performed in Pavorotti's absence. I had goosebumps as well as the hair stood up on my arms when she did this. Funny thing is on a night like that, there would have been several Opera singers present that could fill in but didnt
To the Opera fans who disliked her performance...find me a copy of Pavorotti singing Chain of Fools and we will compare who did a better job jumping musical genres! :-)
@MisterHuskey I remember watching it live too, and I had the same reaction. As a life long Aretha fan, and an opera fan too, this performance was electric--a total surprise and absolutely astonishing. I'm so glad that it's available here. And thanks for your observation on jumping genres, made me LOL!
@ekeby Lol....well I'm not bashing strict Opera fans or anything, but they should appreciate her performance for what it is....and that is a good attempt by a non-trained Opera singer! I thought her version was quite unique due to the warmth in her voice that's not really present in Opera singers voices. Must be a "soul" thing! :-)
Aretha has never claimed to be an opera singer, which is why you'll never see her performing at an opera house - she just loves the classical repertoire and interprets it in her style. So it's amazing! And the low notes at the beginning, wow!
You know, when this first happened, live, on TV, I tuned out because I thought it would be a disaster. I'm ashamed of myself, no lie. Aretha fucking killed! Yeah, she did not do it for opera purists, she did it and made it her own, her style. That is what great performers do. Franklin is beyond great. Amazing!
I have sung this many times, but when I heard you sing this I cried for the first time; Luciano would be very proud.... please make a recording; I want to hear this when I die.
I love this performance, I think she did a remarkable job with a difficult song. This is after all an aria normally song by a man such as Pavarotti and she went out with very little notice and made it her own, beautiful and soulful.
I love the way the other singers in the house were just loving her--never easy to just dive in to cover someone else like that at the last minute--no matter how long you've been a performer yourself. Brava!
Tears and goosebumps everytime! I don't know how anyone could dislike this video. Yes, it is Aretha singing opera. Take it with a grain of salt and realize what an amazing feat she accomplished. What I wouldn't give to have her voice..... Thank you, Aretha, for your amazing gift.
The problem with other female artists is that they don't have the firm conviction that the entire world just simply wants to hear them sing. They don't stand with such poise,close their eyes and dive into the piece of music. That is what makes Franklin better than anyone.
she approached it as soul without shortchanging the intended majesty and grandiose of the original form. feel the acute essence in her interpretation, not lament the "missing" fullness of baroque. fearless border crossing!
This is beautiful. Today I learn she has incurable Pancreatic Cancer. I just do not know how to feel, what to think. Boy I am hurt and feel like my life as took a back turn to 2005. That is when my Mother passed of stage 4 Breast Cancer. Ms. Franklin was one of my late Mommy's favorite singers.
One of my most memorable moments with Mom was going to see Ms. Franklin in concert live in 1982. It was my first concert and it was a beautiful performance. I will be praying for her!
I really dont understand why people are criticising this! She is not an opera singer, has NO opera training so how can you say she didn't sing it like an Opera singer - its using totally the wrong meter to judge this performance. If Kiri Te Kanawa came and sang the song like this, okay, you could say she was bad etc because she would have not sung it the right way. But Aretha is a Soul Singer, the whole point of soul music is to take liberties with the melody and sing in chest voice! Get over it
Me parece sorprendente ver tanta ignorancia ovacionando de pie a esta mujer tan nefasta que mato una canción, quiza alguien deberia decir los gritos que la señora hace al final no son notas altas como las que deben ir en esta pieza, aparte vemos a Celine Dion emocionada como todo el publico, en vez de subir mujeres como esta a destrozar arias de opera deberian subir a Angela Gheorgiu cantando Granada o Sarah Brightman con Nessun Dorma, pero jamas aplaudir tal cosa como la que hizo esta mujer.
Como se atrevio esta mujer a destrozar un aria de Opera tan perfecta y que necesita tanta precisión, la señora tiene problemas de dicción, al principio dice jesun dorma y es nessun dorma, esta mujer mato esta aria, ella es grande en su estilo pero que no se meta con lo que no conoce, o por lo menos se hubiera preparado con el italiano, tuvo el atrevimiento de una adaptación a otro idioma cuando ya era suficiente el horror de escuchar esta cosa tan nefasta y horrible
I saw it some 14 years ago broadcast live on television. I was was forced to watch it because of a college roommate. Then this happened. As good now as it was that night.
ELopezFam 16 hours ago
I tear every time that I watch this video . . .. I remember watching it live and thinking what an amazing performance ... Simply breath taking
Mrantwan324 1 week ago
It was as if this song was written for her, and was being sung for the first time. The finest rendition of this song I've ever heard. This is genius.
phtevlin 1 week ago
This piece of music is now so far into our culture that commentary is useless. Mme Franklin has a good legato and a good and original porte la voce, or portamento. I like it. People who perform the role often have neither.
dxhtz 3 weeks ago
BASED ON THE CIRCMUMSTANCES IT'S NOT BAD, BUT NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS PAVAROTTI!!
BelowTheLine100 3 weeks ago
Feeling,sensation,belief, attachment, and Knowledge; Musicians strive for these five qualities... the type of music is immateriale. This touched my heart it moved me to feel an emotion and it made me enjoy a moment in time which I will always remember. This is what music is...
MrOttavio888 3 weeks ago
Errr, I don't know. I guess this performance is good considering the circumstances. It's just, I finished coming from watching Pavarotti perform this, and it was just, incredible! The guy was truly a master. Perfection. I'm not bashing anyone, it's just that in comparison, to my ears, this performance was alright, just not the greatest is all I'm saying. Peace.
mamamiamatail 3 weeks ago
if I paid for a Pavarotti ticket and saw this instead, i'd be pretty pumped :D
bitmap 3 weeks ago
my computer time online is quite limited. for my socks i can not understand why one would view this videoj turn around, then bitch about it. lifes tooo short, blessings for your new year. i thought Aretha F. did a great thing with this song, xobrad
bac6771 4 weeks ago
SUPERB PERFORMANCE ending with a well deserved standing ovation!!!
shopdude10 1 month ago
A true powerful voice and expressive singer. That's astonishing. I understand why Bill Frisell says he tries to be singing on the guitar like Aretha Franklin.
GerardRebours 1 month ago in playlist Bill's personal favorites
This is why she is the QUEEN sorry guys, this is a G.O.A.T. performance.
dcarey74 1 month ago
exectacular
araylore123 1 month ago
expectacular
araylore123 1 month ago
Not perfect lyrics, yes, but this is an 'interpretation', that still holds the meaning of the song, and only true artists can achieve that, as she just did.
yayoineko 1 month ago
One of the most thrilling crossovers and performances in memory. She's amazing!
MingnonDunn 2 months ago
i UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE SO USED TO PAVAROTTI THIS SEEMS KINDVE BAD
moroney1 2 months ago
Clearly, Sting is in love...and so am I - wow.
byor1 2 months ago
This is really cool!!! Soul and classical....never thought I would see them meld together like that. Really cool performance! I think she made a smart choice!
potterfangirl91 2 months ago
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@leeantony. I saw this performance. I remember it very well. She did this in a short notice. She stepped in. In addition, she was the one who put a spark in this ceremony. Believe me, it was dull until she came on stage.
Yes, Pavarotti is the best singer of this song. It is his trademark song;but, Aretha did very well too;she's not even an opera singer. She is a diverse singer.
cowboys7819 2 months ago
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cowboys7819 2 months ago
No.
mojacherox 2 months ago
What a MESS!!! I just watched Pavarotti murder this song and then I watched this video and I have tears running don my face because it made me laugh sooooo hard.
leeantony 2 months ago
@leeantony you have no taste
morningstar000 1 month ago
@morningstar000 And if you like this mess neither do you. She butchers the song. If you want to hear what it should sound like, please listen to any Pavarotti performance of this song. I played this for someone who had never heard the classical version and he could not stop laughing. Then I played it the way it should sound and he was in awe. Furthermore, I don't recall asking for your opinion, so if you do not like mine or if your feelings are hurt, go suck on a bottle.
leeantony 1 month ago
@leeantony i like pavarotti version too.. tell that person laughing he has no taste like you..
morningstar000 1 month ago
@morningstar000 It is you who has no taste. I love how she butchered the Italian and took all those breaths at the wrong places...every time I see it I laugh just as hard as I laugh at your comments. Ciao
leeantony 1 month ago
@leeantony i have taste i appreciate her style it different. Your taste is limited.. ignorant of music.. your the one who have no taste
morningstar000 1 month ago
@morningstar000 @morningstar000 I have learned to not argue with fools, they only drag you down and beat you with experience. I haven't the slightest bit of interest in proving to you how eclectic my taste in music is because you are a mere piece of cyber nothingness, so carry on listening to this. Opinions are like poop holes and yours is no more valid than mine and I find this interpretation laughable. You like it...so what. Farewell.
leeantony 1 month ago
@leeantony if you say "opinions are like poop holes" then you opinions are like poop holes too much worst lol
morningstar000 1 month ago
@leeantony Although you seem to find this interpretation of this song "a butchered mess" Pavarotti himself thoroughly enjoyed Aretha Franklin's performance of this song & wasn't "laughing with tears streaming down his face" as you were.. but, I'll just continue on with my day(As I'm sure you already have). :-)
jojo145945 1 week ago
I was watching this the night the awards show was being telecast. When Sting announced who was originally supposed to perform, what song, and then the whopper, who was going to fill in, I immediately said to myself, OMG this will be a disaster. Why were tears rolling down my cheeks by the end of the song? I was COMPLETELY wrong and totally blown away!
simmad0wnn0w 2 months ago 2
@simmad0wnn0w XD I thought the same thing "Not Sting! Aw no!", but I had to sit down when I heard her begin singing and was swept up and away with it.
yayoineko 1 month ago
i think this performance is a really good example of someone melding their soul style into a classical piece...music should continue to cross lines, undoubtedly...aretha didn't try to conform to the usual classical/opera styles, and i think, especially in this case, that they did the right thing by choosing her to fill in for pavarotti and not some impersonator or something...
jimjr155 2 months ago
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crystalwizzard 2 months ago
Holy **** that's beautiful.
manfromregina 2 months ago
The Queen! My Queen! NO ONE else could do this. Even if they had a month to rehearse it. She only had 20 minutes to. NOBODY!
stardusth2o 2 months ago
What an amazing women...... WOW
skiffman5889 2 months ago
I actually really like the way she ends it :)
Isreal94 2 months ago
"As a musician steeped in classical training and with a deep understanding and appreciation of its nuances and the impeccable skills and talent it requires of an artist, I must say that I am absolutely HORRIFIED by this butchery. So very horrified, in fact, that it makes the broomstick lodged up my ass reverberate like mad. Mad, I tell you!"
/End of sarcasm
Cali5556 3 months ago
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drsiebecker 2 months ago
I love Aretha Franklin, but she should just keep on singing jazz. As a classically trained singer myself, I think this is an absolutely awful performance.
817SuperCooper 3 months ago
@817SuperCooper Yes the audience HATED it too! /sarcasm
lohphat 1 month ago
Such an incredible performance. A truly incredible musician DESTROYS genre barriers.
wallish 3 months ago
Thirty one people are Godless wretches wandering in the desert. Aretha FTW!
timsmacbook 4 months ago
4:56 wet cough and the kiss
MrJudube 4 months ago
Every aspiring singer should listen to every song that Aretha Franklin has ever sung and learn from it. She epitomizes everything that a singer should ever want and hope to be!!!
Elson2Entertainment 4 months ago
Whitney should sing this better. She has a more concentrated voice, and focused and well-supported breadth.
Doooku 4 months ago
This is why she's the best.
Chimier 4 months ago
I love this so much. You haters try to sing like this and see how you do....
uswrlr41 4 months ago
I love that shot of Faith Hill at the end. That's how I feel.
rellenoz 4 months ago 2
I know a lot of people don't care Aretha's voice, and don't like her version of the song. Puccini's music is beautiful and timeless. It stands up to such treatment and still touches the soul. This is the performance that exposed me to opera, so it will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first time actual music made me cry (not the lyric, that's not very sad at all). The music touched me. Thanks Aretha.
rellenoz 4 months ago 4
In my estimation...this is the finest vocal performance of our time. I remember watching this live...and it STILL gives me chills. Aretha is the Queen of Soul and anything she puts her mind to. Beautiful!
icspirits2 4 months ago
There was once talk that Ms Franklin was learning Vissi d'arte from Tosca back at the time she performed this. I'm an opera fan, singer, and snob....and I think this is GREAT. Brava Ms Franklin.
baritonebynight 4 months ago
Couldn't she have at least TRIED to respect the composer and his intentions here? She was as out of place singing this aria as Pavarotti would have been singing Men At Work. I gotta give her credit for having the guts to get up there and do that to this great piece of music.
jjp009 5 months ago
amazing!! thanx so much for sharing this with us!
chykim1 5 months ago
Did she get dressed in the dark?
ch33s3ynoodle 5 months ago
If you're a musician and, in particular, a singer, you can really appreciate this performance and the circumstances that it came about in. If someone asked you to perform a song spur-of-the-monent 20 minutes from now in front of a packed house it'd be tough. Now change the language and genre that you're used to. Make sure it's a piece written for the opposite sex. After all that to pull it of would be nothing short of amazing.
Yet here we are witnessing it here together. Amazing, indeed!!
wbustudent 6 months ago 48
@wbustudent ~ Well said, I love it.....
tricianfredrmarried 4 months ago
@wbustudent Just goes to show that Aretha is a real GENIUS of a musician, not just some artist singing songs someone feeds her!
BMichaelL 2 months ago
One for the Ages!
MingnonDunn 6 months ago 2
this shows how weak a singer aretha has always been. puccini is turning in his grave.
Meskiagkasher 6 months ago
@Meskiagkasher
Im sorry? do your research into Aretha vocal range are here was in her 50s
themrduragss 4 months ago
@themrduragss and? i have known aretha's singing for 30 years. and it's not as good as some folks like to make it. some songs on the "who's zoomin' who" and "aretha" albums were ok but all her other stuff is just dull.
Meskiagkasher 4 months ago
@Meskiagkasher Not that good? Dull? so that's why Rolling Stone named her the best singer of the Last 100 years? not of her time or past 50 but the whole Last hundred years.
theVoice9457 4 months ago
oh i'm sorry not last 100 ...Of All Time!!!!
theVoice9457 4 months ago
@Meskiagkasher you don´t know about music, right? And you`ve got a lot of free time. Buy ears.
Ferhoulz 3 months ago
@Meskiagkasher Aretha Franklin is one of the great gospel and soul singers of the world. She does not have an operatic voice, but in her genre, she's without compare. Music is universal, so I doubt if Puccini would have a problem with this rendition -- so you only speak for yourself.
jonwiley 4 months ago
@jonwiley actually even in her "own" genres of gospel and soul there are better voices used by better singers. and face it, aretha is a sloppy singer. she should have stopped making music in the late 80s. her live performances are just hurtful to the ears, almost as hurtful as whitney's these days.
Meskiagkasher 4 months ago
@Meskiagkasher There is not one gospel or soul singer better than Aretha. Her voice and singing are a flawless combinations of these musical expressions. She took gospel, the blues, and jazz and created her own singing style. She's the best vocal musician in popular music. Yeah, in later years, she got "sloppy", but even now, when she's on, no one but Ella is in the same league.
As for Whitney, her voice might be messed up, but when she's on, she's ON.
Chimier 4 months ago
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@Meskiagkasher There is not one gospel or soul singer better than Aretha. Her voice and singing are a flawless combinations of these musical expressions. She took gospel, the blues, and jazz and created her own singing style. She's the best vocal musician in popular music. Yeah, in later years, she got "sloppy", but even now, when she's on, no one but Ella is in the same league.
As for Whitney, her voice might be messed up, but when she's on, she's ON.
Chimier 4 months ago
@Meskiagkasher How weak a singer Aretha has always been? And....who is worthy of comparison? And....more importantly, who are you? A nut case with a computer!
bigdogg11 1 month ago
@bigdogg11 oh please, she can't even hold a straight note.
Meskiagkasher 1 month ago
Aretha Franklin- Tina Turner-Barbra Streisand are the Best Female Vocal Performance Ever.
Whitney -Mariah - Toni Braxton are good as well but haven't already spanned 50 Years Career..But We can Call Them "The Voice."
About Entertainer but not Divas;noone can Top Janet Jackson-Beyoncé & Madonna.
We also blessed to have Jennifer Hudson-Christina Aguilera-Alicia Keys-Leona Lewis
But I have to Confess i'm not Celine Dion Fans ...Sorry for that...(I think she shouts or screams but doesn't Sing.
Braxtonmania 6 months ago 5
@Braxtonmania Interesting, only English spoken singers in your list as "The Best All This or That".
Lack of worldwide musical culture my friend, have you ever been aware of the existence of Edith Piaf, Elis Regina or Edmea Tetua, for example?
And in your "English spoken singers" list I couldn't read the name "Patti La Belle" who owns half the ones mentioned by you..
Cheers.
caravaggio31 2 weeks ago
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Braxtonmania 6 months ago
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Braxtonmania 6 months ago
if its good enough for faith celine and vince its good enough for me
p1erced 6 months ago
i remember watching this on t.v. and i was entranced with her rendition of this song. when it was over...i was crying :) she did a beautiful job!
georgiamoonshine 6 months ago 2
so beautiful...so "queen of soul!" (she is undeniable in every sense of the word!)
KittiesJason 6 months ago
I love this SOOO much! I know that to a pure opera expert this cannot be praised, yet it is so clear that she LOVES this song, KNOWS her voice, and understands (like some women do NOT) that this song cannot be sung in a soprano key.
Aretha is the queen!
grumpyotter 7 months ago 2
@grumpyotter I am, well not an opera expert, but a huge fan of opera, and I adore this rendition. I could listen to it every day. I know that she isn't an opera singer, so I just love the way she sings it. However, I have to disagree that it cannot be sung by a soprano. I actually prefer to listen to a soprano sing it the full octave above the tenor range it was written in.
aarond53 7 months ago
me encanta aretha, la musica negra y la opera, pero hay cosas que no pegan ni con supertite
kiwi2255 7 months ago
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dbmfilmworks 7 months ago
You Go Girl ! Beautiful!
RickJames1811 7 months ago
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Alexfp45 7 months ago
outstanding!!!!!! so beautiful.....
Alexfp45 7 months ago
If Luciano Pavarotti liked it, the these 23 opera novices should LOVE it
kevinhagan17 7 months ago 2
I love how she cutely sashays around the stage after she just kicked our asses. You should see my face when I listen to this. It looks like someone just told me they ended a war by giving everyone puppies. Something like that. XD
createallow3126 8 months ago 27
The kids in the choir didn't know what was about to hit em. Great performance. Gave me goosebumps.
goldkhw 8 months ago
Awesome performance by the Queen of Soul!!! Don't care what opera purists have tyo say!!!!!!!!!!!!
theoneandonly2503 8 months ago 4
truly outstanding
biggles132 8 months ago 3
Maybe Aretha's southern accent isn't fit for this Italian beauty. Seriously, it seems like she's making it a joke. It's horrible. I'd rather hear Pavarotti in his sickness. She sings it like neSOOOM doooorma. Beautiful. Sing your lordy lordy, not this. AND why would she sing this in English. What is this!!!????
TheCriticPiano 8 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Maybe Aretha's southern accent isn't fit for this Italian beauty. Seriously, it seems like she's making it a joke. It's horrible. I'd rather hear Pavarotti in his sickness. She sings it like neSOOOM doooorma. Beautiful. Sing your lordy lordy, not this.
TheCriticPiano 8 months ago
FIERCE!!!
Drew1165 8 months ago 2
I love the whole thing but I just really love 3:57-4:07 *tears*
DialyzedBlog 8 months ago
PHENOMENAL Performance at moments notice. only a true QUEEN could pull it off!
agodsend624 8 months ago 3
I just love her lower register.
rellenoz 8 months ago 2
The first time I heard this, I was so horrified that I never finished listening to the whole thing. Shame on me. It is spectacular. Considering that I feel that her performance at Obama's inauguration is the greatest live performance in history, this is yet another example of her hitting it out of the park. She is truly amazing.
dantenoto 9 months ago
Goosebumps! LITERALLY! Wow!
nordomingo 9 months ago
Tra-Mon...Ta-Tay... It's just so fucking delicious!
rellenoz 9 months ago
I just love how she comes in at 2:01 echoing the melody of the violins. Is that intentional or was that meant to be her cue. Whatever it is, its genius. I never tire of this performance and it always brings me to tears. I tell anyone, THIS performance brought me to opera. Go figure?!
rellenoz 9 months ago
@rellenoz Look at how the conductor looks at her to see if she's actually ready with the line. yes, she was. Aretha is the greatest singer alive!
Jonnybass7 8 months ago 2
Stunning , Breathtaking Aretha is the greatest singer ever .. Period. The Queen of soul.
cabmerlot 9 months ago
@cabmerlot AMEN You're SO correct!
Jonnybass7 8 months ago
Eargasm. Double eargasm. Lots of eargasms.
ClassicalGuitarRulez 9 months ago 3
I will never get tired of this version. Love it Love it Love it
faalonglongwaytorun 9 months ago
Okay, i cried.
david030491 9 months ago
Sting looks nervous when he hands over!!
camfay77 9 months ago
what note is she hitting at 4:13-4:14..i know its a squall but where is she..aretha changed the game for other female singers from this one performance.
RUTHE1ONE 9 months ago
@RUTHE1ONE speaking of notes, where did she pull that one at 1:49 ? It's madness! in a VERY good way! :-)
rellenoz 9 months ago
I love Aretha ......she is a great singer ....may be more ! But not "Nessun Dorma "..... please ! I cannot image Leontyne Price singing "never let me go" for exemple!
bogiov 9 months ago
amazing vocal abilities !
Enough said
TakeLight777 9 months ago
magnificent!
jules4456 10 months ago
I didn't much like the parts she sings in Italian because of her accent. But the part she sings in English gives me goosebumps.
anneke765 10 months ago
I like Franklin however she could'nt sing this song normally.
mengucdora 10 months ago
She's Pavarotti's favorite singer.
Jonnybass7 10 months ago
Breath taking ,;*))
TheMsRonda 10 months ago
It needs to be a LAW. You cannot legally die without hearing this song sometime in your lifetime.
RobStillLives 10 months ago
I love opera, am obsessed with opera and could out knowledge most of the opera fans who are hating on this performance and I'm here to say that this is brilliance. The performance has romance, ardor and a rush of feeling, exactly what Puccini asked for. It lacks classical technique, who cares, no one claimed it was a classical performance.
FoggyRoad81 10 months ago 4
I remember watching this live many years ago on TV. I thought it was great she stepped up and performed in Pavorotti's absence. I had goosebumps as well as the hair stood up on my arms when she did this. Funny thing is on a night like that, there would have been several Opera singers present that could fill in but didnt
To the Opera fans who disliked her performance...find me a copy of Pavorotti singing Chain of Fools and we will compare who did a better job jumping musical genres! :-)
MisterHuskey 10 months ago 4
@MisterHuskey I remember watching it live too, and I had the same reaction. As a life long Aretha fan, and an opera fan too, this performance was electric--a total surprise and absolutely astonishing. I'm so glad that it's available here. And thanks for your observation on jumping genres, made me LOL!
ekeby 10 months ago
@ekeby Lol....well I'm not bashing strict Opera fans or anything, but they should appreciate her performance for what it is....and that is a good attempt by a non-trained Opera singer! I thought her version was quite unique due to the warmth in her voice that's not really present in Opera singers voices. Must be a "soul" thing! :-)
MisterHuskey 10 months ago 2
could someone type, or send me in a message exacctly what shes saying, i would like to learn her version
braxtonioan 10 months ago
Aretha has never claimed to be an opera singer, which is why you'll never see her performing at an opera house - she just loves the classical repertoire and interprets it in her style. So it's amazing! And the low notes at the beginning, wow!
hac2011 10 months ago
You know, when this first happened, live, on TV, I tuned out because I thought it would be a disaster. I'm ashamed of myself, no lie. Aretha fucking killed! Yeah, she did not do it for opera purists, she did it and made it her own, her style. That is what great performers do. Franklin is beyond great. Amazing!
srguy 10 months ago 2
wow. love aretha always <3
ben95234 10 months ago
I have sung this many times, but when I heard you sing this I cried for the first time; Luciano would be very proud.... please make a recording; I want to hear this when I die.
10r4hyr
chef4hyr 10 months ago
I love this performance, I think she did a remarkable job with a difficult song. This is after all an aria normally song by a man such as Pavarotti and she went out with very little notice and made it her own, beautiful and soulful.
MRDINK513 10 months ago
I love the way the other singers in the house were just loving her--never easy to just dive in to cover someone else like that at the last minute--no matter how long you've been a performer yourself. Brava!
KimDavidsonMusic 10 months ago
She owned it
bigdonpaul 11 months ago
Tears and goosebumps everytime! I don't know how anyone could dislike this video. Yes, it is Aretha singing opera. Take it with a grain of salt and realize what an amazing feat she accomplished. What I wouldn't give to have her voice..... Thank you, Aretha, for your amazing gift.
flautist24 11 months ago 2
@4:01 oh my gosh i could not even breath it was so beautiful
gewbly 11 months ago
is this in pavarotti's key?
heartiesoxp 11 months ago
This was simply and utterly AMAZING
shanja2 11 months ago
I really dont see what the big deal is about her singing this song she wasnt that great
sabinal01 11 months ago
@chrisz78 have you not heard leontyne price?
squishygoodness 11 months ago
@chrisz78 have you not heard leontyne price?
squishygoodness 11 months ago
@squishygoodness I banned chrisz78 from my page and removed his racist rant.
jeffreychristIsAlive 11 months ago
@squishygoodness I banned chrisz78 from my page and removed his racist rant.
jeffreychristIsAlive 11 months ago 13
Many of the greatest singers go outside of their musical genre and comfort level and create something original. That's that this is.
pnyc1969 11 months ago 2
@chrisz78 you are such a punk bitch! obviously you know absolutely fuck all, so go spread your shitty ideas somewhere else!
chiqinay100 11 months ago
@chiqinay100 I banned chrisz78 from my page and removed his racist rant.
jeffreychristIsAlive 11 months ago
14 people couldn't make it to the Grammys on time to cover for Pavarotti.
611SNOOPY611 11 months ago
Beautiful.....
lasonyadj 11 months ago
Legendary! Beyond majestic. One of the greatest voice that grossed the earth.
briobrandon911 11 months ago 3
SIMPLY AWESOME. Not in my wildest dreams could I do what she did, although I love to sing.
blacsouljah 11 months ago
idk why but i LOL'd so hard when i saw celine
rafz89 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@chrisz78
Wow, that's one of the sickest, saddest things that's even been uttered by any carbon-based life form.
Jonnybass7 1 year ago
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Jonnybass7 1 year ago
@chrisz78 she was asked to do the song jack ass bitch made yellow bellied coward...i hate you.
TheBammsammy 1 year ago
@TheBammsammy I banned chrisz78 from my page and removed his racist rant.
jeffreychristIsAlive 11 months ago
Soulful opera...LOVE IT!!!!!! :)
jacobrogers18 1 year ago
The problem with other female artists is that they don't have the firm conviction that the entire world just simply wants to hear them sing. They don't stand with such poise,close their eyes and dive into the piece of music. That is what makes Franklin better than anyone.
mc1ate1mad1cow 1 year ago 6
this isn't even good soul singing.....PLEASE give me a break
izzy2345 1 year ago
@izzy2345 What fool? This is the Queen of soul. Like you know soul music? Get the hell outta here!
ThePharaoho 1 year ago
every time i hear this rendition, i thank G-d for aretha franklin
hertzjentzi 1 year ago
Horrible. Just plain horrible.
friendofzeus 1 year ago
Aretha was GREAT! I wish her well, our prayers are with you hun.
stevescissors 1 year ago
Faith Hill fighting back the tears!
rainonariver 1 year ago
la deben querer mucho a la gorda como para poner "me gusta"...
la verdad... no debio cantar este tema.. para mi.
foxkomodo 1 year ago
FIERCE!!!
Drew1165 1 year ago 4
this performance STILL gives me goosebumps!!
althealovesmusic 1 year ago 3
she approached it as soul without shortchanging the intended majesty and grandiose of the original form. feel the acute essence in her interpretation, not lament the "missing" fullness of baroque. fearless border crossing!
edmame 1 year ago 31
@edmame what does this MEAN?!?! Do you know the meaning of ANY of these words?
izzy2345 1 year ago
@edmame not baroque music....
izzy2345 7 months ago
with you all the way, every emotional fiber and timber. the queen!
edmame 1 year ago 4
OMG, Aretha! I ask God to heal your body, as you healed our souls. You were always amazing! Stay like that!
ancamg 1 year ago
Pavarotti died of pancreatic cancer in 2007.
Ironically, Aretha Franklin is rumored to have been stricken with this terrible disease.
I think that she did a beautiful job with this song. Her rendition has brought me to tears on more than one occasion.
I hope that she can find healing and comfort in the days and years to come.
swaregirl 1 year ago 3
the quintessential example of making a song your own...the rarest of talents is Ms Franklin. This proves it.
imtrexbz 1 year ago 3
This is beautiful. Today I learn she has incurable Pancreatic Cancer. I just do not know how to feel, what to think. Boy I am hurt and feel like my life as took a back turn to 2005. That is when my Mother passed of stage 4 Breast Cancer. Ms. Franklin was one of my late Mommy's favorite singers.
One of my most memorable moments with Mom was going to see Ms. Franklin in concert live in 1982. It was my first concert and it was a beautiful performance. I will be praying for her!
kayla9170 1 year ago 4
And Vince Gill said, "Wow"! I agree!
swaregirl 1 year ago 2
umm....why did this make me cry??? I'm like in tears...omg.
tipofmytongue1024 1 year ago
Aretha is a great jazz/pop/rhythm and blues singer. This, however, was not her best effort.
arpeggio1358 1 year ago
I really dont understand why people are criticising this! She is not an opera singer, has NO opera training so how can you say she didn't sing it like an Opera singer - its using totally the wrong meter to judge this performance. If Kiri Te Kanawa came and sang the song like this, okay, you could say she was bad etc because she would have not sung it the right way. But Aretha is a Soul Singer, the whole point of soul music is to take liberties with the melody and sing in chest voice! Get over it
bemaniac2 1 year ago 3
Me parece sorprendente ver tanta ignorancia ovacionando de pie a esta mujer tan nefasta que mato una canción, quiza alguien deberia decir los gritos que la señora hace al final no son notas altas como las que deben ir en esta pieza, aparte vemos a Celine Dion emocionada como todo el publico, en vez de subir mujeres como esta a destrozar arias de opera deberian subir a Angela Gheorgiu cantando Granada o Sarah Brightman con Nessun Dorma, pero jamas aplaudir tal cosa como la que hizo esta mujer.
EdenVandeCamp 1 year ago
Como se atrevio esta mujer a destrozar un aria de Opera tan perfecta y que necesita tanta precisión, la señora tiene problemas de dicción, al principio dice jesun dorma y es nessun dorma, esta mujer mato esta aria, ella es grande en su estilo pero que no se meta con lo que no conoce, o por lo menos se hubiera preparado con el italiano, tuvo el atrevimiento de una adaptación a otro idioma cuando ya era suficiente el horror de escuchar esta cosa tan nefasta y horrible
EdenVandeCamp 1 year ago