Joan Sutherland - Donizetti - Maria Stuarda - "Nella pace del mesto riposo" - 1975

[LaBartoliLover]

Please someone post the entire libretto for this aria it would be much appreciated.

[coryisawake]

Truly thrilling singing! In concert, Joan could really concentrate all of her attention to the expression and this prodigious deployment of the music without the worries of stage business.

I wonder if people in the audience realized the phenomenon to which they were lucky to be witness.

[andrebontemp]

Joan Sutherland one of the few singer who could compete with Yma Sumac

biut not on the same field as Yma never sung an opera in extenso only soma arias

[magicmonkichi]

I keep comin back for that top D, and that lil grin at 2:13 after the coloratura passage. Not matter when or where, Dame Joan always had killer top D's.

[sttar1982]

@magicmonkichi me too she's amazing:)

[canpete1]

God I love this woman

[allanaki]

.... DI VEDERLO NON OSSSO :-(

[sttar1982]

bravissima:) complimenti...

[Eiswirth1]

Does anyone know if this concert is available on DVD? I'd love to add it to my collection of Sutherland's incredible body of work. She was the very best, IMO.

[CaptFitzbattleaxe]

@Eiswirth1 It's here on YouTube: watch?v=yAM73PvyKJQ For getting it into your collection, there's Video DownloadHelper for Firefox

It's a splendid concert.

[skitzo429]

the commentator is wrong, its a Db

[MrQwerty88]

I love her face when she finishes. She's like "yeh, I kicked ass didn't I?" :D

[fullbuck50]

Genius in such an unassuming form. Thank you so much for posting this.

[killerbunny123123]

this is why she is classified as the second best soprano who ever lived! Amazing! brava!

[timsuffolk]

@killerbunny123123 haha to many, including me, she is the best!

[emma41093]

@timsuffolk For me too!

[nilsuthor]

@emma41093 And for me too!!! Nobody can sing like Joan Sutherland. I love her.

[skitzo429]

@killerbunny123123 after who, Callas? No way, Callas was a great artist, not a great singer

[killerbunny123123]

@skitzo429 Well, this is not my personal opinion, it's a list of the top twenty sopranos who ever lived, showing their success (fan love) and talent (experts love). First on the list is Callas, second is Sutherland, 7th is Lucia Popp, 10th is Emma Kirkby and so on.

[skitzo429]

@killerbunny123123 such a list of "top 20 sopranos who ever lived" is entirely sucjective. if you were to go by "fan love" and commercial success, brittany spears would rank higher than all of them, and 'experts' dont agree on anything, Callas was and remains very controversial. As I said before, Callas was a great artist, there are a number of interviews of professional singers (Dessay, Fleming, etc.) wherein they acknowledge that on vocal merit alone Callas was a lackluster voice.

[killerbunny123123]

@skitzo429

That list is restricted to opera singers, that is why it doesnt include modern....."artists" (cos frankly i cant bring myself to call Spears an artist). And, well, when it comes to experts there is always controversity, that doesnt mean there are not some points everyone aggrees on.That list doen't only indicate their vocal skill, but like i said, both fan and expert opinion on performance (acting and singing). I agree on the "lackluster voice" part, her acting however was unique.

[Zva26]

@killerbunny123123 - I would never consider the Callas voice "lackluster". It wasn't "beautiful" in the external sense of the word, but it was full of color, incredible shading, expressivity, nuance, and tremendous emotional power. The voice was certainly unique, and with this voice she sang her way through the entire Italian repertoire like a singing shark. It was Callas' work that encouraged singers like Sutherland, Horne, Caballe, and Sills to more exploration of bel canto.

[killerbunny123123]

@Zva26 Your answer went to the wrong recipient. I am on Callas' side. You should post that answer to skitzo429 ;)

[Zva26]

@killerbunny123123 Please forgive me. skitzo429 doesn't have a clue. I love Sutherland and have great respect for her work. But why people knock Callas is beyond me. Were it not for Callas, Sutherland would have never gone into bel canto. She would have, however become a very fine dramatic soprano anyway. Callas forged a path in opera that had been closed for over a hundred years and cleared it so that others could follow her. And she had, in her way, a truly great voice.

[killerbunny123123]

@Zva26 Hehe....could not agree more! La Divina is La Divina after all!! :) I can see what skitzo meant by lackluster, especially in her late years of singin, but of course her voice is, nonetheless, one of the greatest sounds that ever existed in this world.

[ChrisStockslager]

@killerbunny123123 It's so sad how everyone refers to Callas' "later years" -- she wasn't even 40 yet when she stopped singing. Sutherland was doing her best singing in her 40s. :(

[killerbunny123123]

@ChrisStockslager Ahhh.....I feel you!! And what about Gruberova? 65 years old and still hitting high Ebs for entire seconds!! I feel the same for Callas and Dessay's voice (eventhough the two of them are, of course, uncomparable)...it's a gorgeus flower that withered all too quickly!!

[ChrisStockslager]

@killerbunny123123 Well, Gruby was never anything epic in her prime. I think she should retire now. All she does is scoop. :( Dessay has never had a gorgeous instrument, but she did have those insane high notes. But, after not singing correctly for years, she hasn't got much left now. :( Sigh.... No one's amazing at singing Bel Canto anymore...

[killerbunny123123]

@ChrisStockslager Well...not a gorgeus instrument, reguarding dessay, if you speak of dramaticy in the voice, no she was not...but her coloratura is also unreplacable! But yes... hehe...I guess this is what makes Ladies like Callas and Joan so special... : they are unique! Well....Vivica Genaux is by many looked upon as another great personality of bel canto...personally i do like her a great deal.

[ChrisStockslager]

@killerbunny123123 Agreed once again. :) I'll have to look up Genaux. I haven't heard of her. Is she fairly recent?

[killerbunny123123]

@ChrisStockslager Yeah well...she's been around since late 80s maybe 90's, but she really started shining after 2000. In my channel i have her "Mura Felici" interpretation...she is considered "The Marylin Horne" of now!! You should definetely listen to her Rossini...her Baroque is also astonishingly amazing. :))

[acitipo]

Bravisima!!!!!

La Stupenda, otra vez !!!!!

[MrLupo23]

"Io alla chiesa vederlo non oso"? Well she was not even able to read italian but this performance is musically great. And transposing the aria high makes it more exciting.

[fontenayperi]

isn't her voice a little hoarse and raspy in the low notes (around 1.32)?

[hugothebear]

@fontenayperi yes, possibly a cold or something caused a little build up of phlegm... but being a true professional she sings through it and delivers a stunning performance

[fontenayperi]

@hugothebear indeed that's a awesome

[lastupendaboy]

I'm still choked up every time I hear her....thrilling,now tinged with sadness....And GRATITUDE for all of the unsurpassed operatic moments like this one that are preserved.So sadly missed...

[jmi2]

appropriate for this sad day; i am so happy that i had the privilege of seeing her perform in person...

[RossiniSoprano]

Kick it, Joanie!!!! We love you and will miss you!

[ferrykalos]

Da notare il colpo di reni che dà all'inizion dell'acuto...a proposito di appoggio... :-)

[leoneimperatore]

meraviglisa!

[oden60]

Stunning!!!

karin for oden60.

[hugothebear]

I was lucky enough to hear Joan in M Stuarda at CG then That gorgeous voice with all the bloom and intensity and brilliance it had live was astonishing, and to hear that coloratura rocketing around the theatre was spine tingling. I also remember that although we all know she was not a great "actress" her singing of the final aria was very moving. I liked her young fresh voice but but the mid 70's it had greater richness and still had that amazing flexibility. Thanks Joan...

[MrLupo23]

I usually don't like Joan, but here the ornaments and the end are just incredibly stunning!!!

[iriisblue]

Impossibly great. Once in a century a voice like this emerges, if we're lucky. Notice that she lodges a little phlegm right in the middle of the cabaletta and sings through it as few, VERY FEW singers could do. The remarkable, unfettered stand and deliver bravura reminds one how far things have slipped today. There isn't anyone who could even approach this, certainly none of suped up lyrics parading around like l'oreal models.

[jayantaw1]

@iriisblue so very true

[actor001]

glorious !!!

[christiaandhooghe]

Hail La Stupenda!!!!

[00193900]

And I saw her in Maria Stuarta TWICE in ONE WEEK!!!

[timsuffolk]

Thanks so very much asdfopera for these gems of the great Joanie, she really was untouchable!

[InterpolatingMadman]

I think this has become my favorite video clip of Joan. And that is saying A LOT. Although I would normally question the wisdom of changing keys like that in the middle of the cabaletta, it certainly works here to great effect. And, of course, it provides Sutherland with the opportunity to conclude on a terrific high D instead of a high B-flat. And those runs from low-modal voice straight up to sustained high C's with no breath are just stunning. Yummy!!

[MrStupendousluvforJo]

@InterpolatingMadman She is the radiant Glory of all the world! OF ALL THE WORLD

[soothed]

WOW - I've just caught up with this. Fantastic...thanks again asdfopera. I don't think the husky notes in the lower ranges was a sign of decline or a cold. This was a MIDNIGHT gala to raise money for the Darwin cyclone of Dec '74. We should all try negotiating such fioriturae at Midnight!!

[vocalissimo1]

There's no doubt about it - Joan could blow the place apart like no-one else when she reached the stratosphere. Vocal electricity of this magnitude is extremely rare, yet Joan managed to deliver it consistently for four decades. If you think she lost the ability towards the end, then you need only listen to her Paris Lucrezia Borgia from 1989 to dispel any such belief.

[MrStupendousluvforJo]

@vocalissimo1 you understand this subject very very well, you are my friend...in opera......She really was a Glory....THE glory of voice.....did she have a cold during this run, or excuse me at this concert?

[SENAFOREVER]

@vocalissimo1 Yeah, and all the 80s amateur videos. Her 1985 Olympia in Sydney is flawless. The same year she sang Elviras from Puritani almost better than the 60s.

[rockybojangles1]

@SENAFOREVER I happen to agree. Sutherland just got better with age. She enjoyed much more comfort with her voice at his point. She also grew into its vast size as she got older. I enjoy a number of her 1980's videos more than even her early career performances. Not to diminish her phenomenal voice in the beginning but by the end she was putting real emotion behind everything she sang and it made all the difference in the world. The 1980 Lucrezia Borgia is simply phenomenal.

[leprincebeaumont]

Stupefacente!

[Homoclassicus]

Wow! Sutherland singing Maria Stuarda in video? Where did you get this? Is this from a complete performance in concert? Thanks a lot for the video, it's one of the best surprises with Sutherland I've had in the last months, especially since I consider Maria Stuarda one of the roles Sutherland sang with most strength and commitment.

[MrStupendousluvforJo]

@Homoclassicus in agree with you i think that Maria Stuarda is maybe her greatest role as far as....well, as far as all things concerned

[PIPZZZ02]

Tha attack on the last note is like Nilsson. Amazing.

[MrStupendousluvforJo]

@PIPZZZ02 it is!!!! that is exactely what I was thinking!

[goranandersson]

What can one say? Phenomenal!

[belcunto]

What a trooper!

WOW!

She is clearly nursing a cold or something - and you can tell from the sratchy low notes...

But then she launches into the stratosphere, and wow... she is better when she is ill than a lot of sopranos are when they are at their best.

Thank you for posting this!

[MrStupendousluvforJo]

@belcunto they also said that she sang better when she was angry! Look at that expression on her face just when she ended the high note interesting isnt it?

[ILoveJoanSutherland]

@MrStupendousluvforJo

Which high note do you mean? In the ending?

[magicmonkichi]

Back for more~ Aside form the big of a "glitch" in some of the lower register this is stunning~! The top D, astounding. Who the mezzo?

[TheJayBee1988]

Margreta Elkins!

[scotsw12]

Margareta Elkins, a fellow Australian and friends of DJS, she sadly dies last year.

[Hako2004]

Very sad to hear.  Margareta and Joan had been friends all their adult lives, and sang together from the early days. R.I.P. Margareta......and brava! Well done.

[belcunto]

I think Elkins sang Alisa to Sutherland's 1959 Covent Garden Lucia

[SueAnnNivens]

Oh my God, what a video!!! Thanks soooo much for the posting!!!!!!!!!!!

[LohengrinT]

Fabulous dress, nice hairdo :p, she even seems beautiful :p

The beginning of her vocal problems though show here. Not the coloratura of Sutherland's usual standards. Still, extremely exciting

[tklogan11809]

after this, how can you listen to anyone else?

[joserico282]

All that glorious sound, and she just stands there. HOW??! This video is a generous christmas present for the die-hard Joan fan. Thank you so much!

[magicmonkichi]

OMG THANK YOU :D

[BeauTenor]

Geez....in spite of that bit of roughage in her low register, she was in great voice. That top D was huge and absolutely amazing, as always. I wonder every day if I'll ever get to hear a singer like her in my lifetime...and I'm starting to think the answer is no.

[MrStupendousluvforJo]

@BeauTenor i agree she was the wonder of all voices the very greatest! i wonder if we will ever get to hear a voice as great. probably not....they don't make'um like that any longer

[SENAFOREVER]

Thanks so much for sharing.

[scotsw12]

What a find!! Thanks for this, fabulous!

[Macrob69]

Brava!!!!!

Wow - where did you find this???? Do you have any more footage?

[leprincebeaumont]

Amazing!!!! What an incredible video! Thanks sooooo much, my dear asdfopera!

[Hako2004]

Amazing. Thanks very much for the post. She had a bit of a frog in the low register, but managed to sing through it quite well.