Es gibt ein Reich by Jessye Norman

[AdIgnorantiam]

What's great is that she's able to keep her face pretty while singing so beautifully.

[OperaMystery80]

I really love this production of Ariadne. James Levine and others at this time in the late 80's (1988/1989) labored with love to deliver an amazing work of art with this version. Kathy Battle & Jessye Norman were huge stars and excellent singers. Here Jessye delivers all herself; she sings with so much passion and from her inner womanhood that it's overwhelming. I've heard so many versions of the Es gibt en Reich and only Jessye Norman's rendition sends me..it's the best

[panajody]

I 've said once and shall say it again. Jessye Norman is THE Ariadne for all time: regal, ecstatic, thrilling...

[aeru9]

she is THE Ariadne, together with Lisa della Casa

[manthasagittarius]

I saw this production! When I first came to New York. My God, what a complete joy to see it here!! She so filled that hall -- you had the impression that if they opened a vast skylight the voice would keep going on and on to fill the world past the outer ring of earth atmosphere.

Her tenor (Bacchus) was cool -- his costume was designed with bunches of grapes on it, I remember. :)

[SmellThatSheep]

I don't see anyone could do better than her!!

[so451]

georgous voice !

[LohengrinT]

Best Ariadne we have ever heard - period!

[amoore17100]

Don't know what I can say about Jesse Norman and the performance here that hasn't already been said. The woman is simply a freaking force of nature. Her singing here is waaaay beyond beautiful, its other worldly, ethereal. Lets all be grateful that we have the medium of youtube to enjoy what is simply an absolute gift from God.

[Robinqq11]

No offence but do u guys agree that all the best classical singers (Pavarotti , price) and jessye are all fat lol. Maybe thier size creates more resonance and allows for better singing quality LOL

[yamiko193]

@Robinqq11 I don't know if Jessye Norman is actually fat. I'm not saying she's thin and slender, but she's not overweight. She's just seriously tall. Proportionally, she's a very large person, but I think she's perfectly healthy.

[bcom11]

@Robinqq11 i dont think so. because many of these singers were thin in their primes. Price was never skinny, but in her prime she was no where near fat and neither was Pavarotti in the late 60s/early 70s.

[Robinqq11]

@bcom11 haha you have a point there, i would love to discuss this with you but you do know it has been half a year since i posted this comment. I kinda forgotten that i even posted this.

[NYTruth]

The phrase that begins at 3:57 and ends at 4:07 sends me into an outer body experience every time. Clearly Jessye was born with an extra lung.

[gmr2broadway]

@NYTruth As someone who has sung this aria many times... you pretty much need one! I'm a big broad girl like Jessye (6'3", huge rib cage), and I find this aria to be as exhausting as an intense workout session! That's what makes it so exhilarating, though:)

[Rig0letto]

I'm sorry for your ears but she is totally out of tune in the highest notes

[gmr2broadway]

@Rig0letto - I call bullshit. I've listened to this dozens upon dozens of times, and I hear nothing but glory. The other people who adore this hear the same. She's not out of tune. She's just singing Strauss. He's like that.

[TerrancePogue]

@Rig0letto Sorry she's not...

[wTrevorh]

Whew! That's a lot to sing! Brava, Jessye!

[LohengrinT]

The greatest Ariadne in the history of the role

[flx2525]

I love Jessye Norman. She's German... kind of.... ;)

[nichtsleezy]

I thought that I saw a fetus in her mouth, but it was just her tongue.

[gmr2broadway]

I have to listen to this every few months or so.... it's just... ah.... heaven on earth. Norman is the best at this aria EVER. EVER!

[breakaliciouskid786]

@gmr2broadway Months? I listen to this at least 7-10 TIMES A DAY! lol this song just makes me happy.

[Babs22h]

@breakaliciouskid786 totally agree several times a week i listen to the aria always fun to hear again

[iloneens]

marvellous!

[necrogoddess]

Increíble voz, un timbre oscuro hermoso.

[mjmacmtenor]

One of the best Ariadnes ever and certainly one of Ms. Norman's greatest accomplishments, captured in her prime. The other great accomplishment captured at her prime is her Sieglind in Die Walkure (catch her singing of Sieglind's farewell in Act III - know that, ladies & gentlemen, is how it is done!)

[JAnnmo]

Oh I love her so so much she has humor and a beautifull instrument she is infact my inspiration

[kenndogg]

this is absolutely splendid!!!!!!! this is what made me fall in love w her; i can feel this!!!!!!!

[MsTG52]

The greatness Adrenne EVER!!!!!!

[xbcg9489x]

She is a machine! unbelievable!!!!!! LOVE HER!!!

[DannyDoc1981]

unfassbar gut!

[Pobbys83]

I remember seeing her at the Royal Opera House from the front stalls ... her mouth was MASSIVE! And the music so, so sweet.

[MachjET]

A voice blessed upon her as a gift from Heaven!!!!!!! She is far beyond legedary - she is HISTORICAL!!!!

[fcaetanonetto]

Oh my God, what voice is that. So beautiful.

[Tsaravitch]

She is Flawless......stunning.

[DIVAWON]

The GREATEST EVER!

JUST LOVE HER THE BEST!

[brentmphoto]

Jessye is perfection.

[tneprescintr]

silvery silk gone thunder...

handkerchief, anyone?

[telephilia]

I cannot imagine this being sung any better than here by Jessye.

[joanabanyeres]

Amazing voice.

[PapagenoHannover]

Selbst wenn Jessye nie etwas anderes gesungen hätte, dafür verdient sie, dass man ihr die Füße küsst und ewig dankt. SO WUNDERVOLL!!!!!!!!!

[PapagenoHannover]

Kann man Ariadne schöner singen?????

[bellevillemusique]

She's a wonderful Ariadne !

[frankyg40]

remarquable ! mais le "es gibt ein reich" de Leontyne Price, en son temps, reste pour moi inoubliable !!!!!!!!!

[DottoreJojo]

Ugh I love this DVD except for Battle's embarrassing Zerbinetta.

[DottoreJojo]

The best I've heard... Ariadne is a princess and Norman sounds extremely regal.

[HPetrova]

She is working hard for us!!!!!! Stop !!! She has a strong dramatic voice that requires the power of a runner and will sweat . Her style is the best !She is the best !!! I also like Harken too. Voight is too light for this role. NO one like Norman

[lamusicahera]

To talk about timbre doesnt mean to talk about the skincolour - only importand are the bones and muskles on and the brain and soul !!!!

I am shocked that some people are talking like that !

I dont like this kind of Darwinisms talk ....

AN ARTIST IS AN ARTIST AND WE ARE ALL only the same meet.....

*******AND INSIDE WE ARE ALL ROSY ********

[thenextmezzosoprano]

i have never seen jessye sang looking this beautiful.. the past videos ive seen of her made her looked like a mad woman.. :)

[bluesadclown]

is she using a microphone?

[FoggyRoad81]

No!

[hhn2002]

no she is not using a microphone, this is an opera. im pretty sure they never use microphones. its amazing isnt it?

[ariodante76]

What is this utter ridiculousness about how black voices "sound?" To pigeonhole the greats like Price, Verrett, Norman, Bumbry, etc. is, frankly, inexcusable. Each diva had a distinctive timbre, and each excelled in their chosen reperetoires. Honestly, to reduce their SUPREME talents to race-comparison is offensive on all levels...

[Babs22h]

@ariodante76 the " divas" themselves spoke of a "black sound", dear, check it out in the documentary "Aidas brothers and sisters"!verrett mentionsmarilyn Horne as having a black sound...

[bigdigger87]

@ariodante76 I understand what you mean and I agree....however, there is a distinctive "something" that African American voices have (in general/not always). I am not sure it is as much of a race thing as it is a cultural thing. Most of African American singers originated in the church. Maybe that's where that disctinctive sound comes from.

All that to say....I do agree

[looker768]

@ariodante76 don't forget the unmistakable, silvery, voice of Ms. Kathleen Battle....

[Babs22h]

@ariodante76

CHECK out the documentary AIDAS BROTHERS AND SISTERS Verret and Bumbry speaking about the idea of a "black sound"

[TerrancePogue]

@Babs22h Well they also said they heard that same singing in the likes of Marlyn Horne....

[LohengrinT]

you are all crazy talking about black people here...

This aria is one of the greatest Straussian masterpieces ever written and Norman sings it better than anyone else ever did and probably ever will (including Elisabeth Schwarzkopf)

[romarius2005]

Thank you...so true.

[Liwah]

I said this on the other video before it was deleted and I'll say it again.

Be honest, how many find yourself singing sections of this aria (you know what parts I'm talking about. lol) in the shower or around the house?

I do... and I'm a baritone. :P

[TheReturnOfStephan1]

The only difference I've noticed between Black & non-Black voices is that Black voices tend to have a much more resonant sound to them, like when someone turns up the bass on their stereo.

There's a richer, fuller, deeper sound, regardless of the musical genre. I like that sound as much as I like others.

[BenPookyXCore]

her voice is amazing! 0:59-1:02, that note was chilling :).

[Babs22h]

I love to sing this song... pretending be jessye norman... its fun little fantsy game I play

[FoggyRoad81]

Can you stop being me :)

[AutopsyReport22]

Most of the dramatic sopranos are Black. Now ain't that something: Art imitating life.

[musoph21]

Be Nice...please

[Babs22h]

i dont think thats true actually there arent that many famous black dramatic sopranos

[romarius2005]

it is true... statistics show that about 70% of women are some form of a soprano....mainly lyric soprano. Mostly black women who sing operatically are either Spinto soprano,Dramatic soprano mostly, or Dramatic Mezzo-soprano....i'm just going by the college in my hometown and black women that I've come across....their voices tend to be heavy-leaning towards the dramatic area....

[JuillHope17]

you can't just go by a home town. if you count the amount of dramatic sopranos that have actually made it (you can even count spintos in there) there's only about 6 that really were big and significant. "MOST" aren't black like "autopsyreport22" seems to think. and regionally, most of the black "dramatic sopranos" are really fat women with dark timbre's mistaken for being dramatic and they oversing themselves in their 30's and we never hear from them again. so... don't make generalizations.

[romarius2005]

I am not....I am going by the voice of someone who is Black...The voice is a lot more open, free, dark-color, etc., I can almost tell all the time if I hear a singer without seeing a picture..if they're Black or not....the voice is different

[dungaboyd1]

whats norman's range? whats her highest note in this performance? B5?

[romarius2005]

In this performance...the range is G#3/Ab3 to A6#/Bb6; tessitura is E4 to G5. I'm not sure about her range...She has a wide range..I would guess from E3 to F6. Most Dramatic Sopranos have wide ranges, and can reach High C6 effortlessly again and again

[dungaboyd1]

you been A5#/Bb5..... and her range cant be E3-F6, more like E3-D6

[romarius2005]

Her range does go up to F6- You have to have to vocalize 2 or 3 notes from your last highest note in order to have a secure high note. Yes, her highest USABLE NOTE may be D6, but she can vocalize up to F6.

And I am right, it's A6#/Bb6. I do not know why they teach it in that matter. Probably because they are counting from middle

C4, but if you mesure the sound frequency in Mhz then you will know that this is in the 6th octave....a class in vocal Pedagogy might help...

[dungaboyd1]

whats A6#/Bb6??? her highest note in this performance? im dont understand........ normally when people talk about amount range they just include singable notes, im pretty sure she can vocalize a F6 but she cant sing it in aria

[romarius2005]

Duh...lol but some do utilize the extra notes in arias...like for example Kathleen Battle as Rosina....She sung a G3, which is part of her extra notes, and Kathleen Battle's usuable singing range is A4 to E6

[romarius2005]

Because they are Black...that's why they are not famous.

[Babs22h]

I get where your coming from Romarius... There is a documentary out ..Aida's Brother and Sisters... where they discussed such things as a "black sound.".. Apparently according to Bumbry or it might have been Verrett that Horne had this sound! Whatever to me, its all based on stereotypes. Yes some stereotypes are true for some people. But certainly not true for all all the time. I wouldnt call Kathy Battle's timbre Black though she is Black. Race has nothing to do with the timbre of ones voice

[romarius2005]

Yes you are right, because when I first heard Kathleen Battle's voice without even seeing her, I thought that she was not Black, but as I listened to key signals in the voice...it was apparent lol

[saxamaphoneguy1]

I thought the exact same thing when I heard Leontyne Price. Norman has a gorgeous voice, and I think I could tell her ethnicity from her voice. Black people tend to have very dark, rich voices. I'm always surprised by how high Jessye can sing, considering her low range is soooooo dark.

[bcom11]

i agree, sax.

[jerrysings]

Otherworldly beautiful. Jessye is the best Ariadne ever!!

[dollartwenty]

I hate to disagree with you since Jessye is absolutely staggeringly marvellous, but I would rank Leontyne Price with Jessye as the two greatest Ariadnes.

[jerrysings]

Well, it doesn't really sound like you are disagreeing with me. I agree that Leontyne was a great Ariadne but I prefer Jessye in this role just as you have the right to your OPINION.  I put Leontyne above most any soprano in any role, but for this one, it's Jessye, without question. Be well......

[Lohengrin]

One of the extremely few singers of the "present past" who have managed to give the referential performance of an Operatic Work

[PhanPhoreverever]

Excuse my ineloquence, by omigod. Sheer awesome.

[lamusicahera]

She is stood over all this sopranos today who are singing the big legatosopranoparts of Wagner and Strauss - she conquered her breath with controll and an amazing h u g e LEGATO - this is astonishing and fantastic to listen to...

B R A V A! B R A V A!

This is Ariadne in reality - really - since this I can understand the music better...  GRANDE JESSYE

[ahmad123987]

Amazing!

[damiancham]

bravissima i love you jessye

[ariodante76]

OMG I was so PISSED when I bought the DVD of this performance, and discovered that the applause had been cut!!! The applause must have been endless.

[Jaydoggy531]

This opera like many of Strauss's operas (if not all) have continuous music throughout the act so there's no room to applaud until afterward.

[ariodante76]

You're right, but there is this weird "jump" after the aria on the DVD. Maybe the original master has a flaw...

[Babs22h]

that maybe true but the audience exploded into applause for Kathleenn Battle's rendition of the song with the high e.... you know the one i am talking about... Grommats---something prinzzessen--- my german is bad --- but yeah they clapped for like 30 secs if the applause was overwhelming and immediate i am sure the conductor would have had the orchestra hold

[Jaydoggy531]

The met tries to uphold the no-clapping rules if the music is continuous. They even hold the applause after the first act of Parsival.

[ariodante76]

Ariadne is not Parsifal. I highly doubt the audience held back. For that reason, I'm pissed they cut the applause.

[skinboy8]

Holding the applause after the first act... LOL! It's developed into a tradition, yes, but it was not Wagner's intention that it should be so. I commend this great book to all Wagner devotees - Gregor-Dellin, Martin (1983) "Richard Wagner: his life, his work, his Century." William Collins, ISBN 0-00-216669-0.

[Babs22h]

i was six when she sang this!!!!!

[rwprof]

Incomparable.

[moghedien13]

i sweat when i walk across a room. if she is sweating like that im gonna be a mess if i ever get to the sing those venues.

[phanface]

Bear in mind (and I'm sure you have), she's in costume (and wearing undergarments to absorb most perspiration) and performing under stage lights. You'll be fine.

[petrhsr]

Ms Norman, I love you so... This is the definitive recording of this aria... Not only were you the best Ariadne of the 20th century - you were the best Ariadne of all time!

[FoggyRoad81]

Jessye is one of those singers who never seems like she's fighting against the orchestra her voice rides it, soaring like a surfer on a tsunami, or maybe *she's* the tsunami. Even though she's sweating it seems in character. Ariadne is in a state of fevered rapture imagining her approaching God. Listening to her so am I.

[ariodante76]

The pure passion and conviction she conveys, WOW.

[skinboy8]

Love the HQ version - the sound is now brilliant... And so is Ms Norman!

[Babs22h]

thank you for uploading again this" the powers that be at youtube...must not hold us from the glory of norman's voice!

[e5storch]

Norman gives a flawless performance of this difficult and lenghty aria. Except for her sometimes awkward mouth positions, I can't take my eyes off of her!

[TerrancePogue]

One of her signatures....... just damn beautiful