This is awful. She puts no effort at all to the beginning of the aria. The high b is a disgrace. Just a shout, no singing at all. The last notes as well. Horrible, awful. This was a perle nere assoluta!!!
@Turridu25 I actually own this DVD and this is not her best vocal period. She had a remarkable technique but she was getting a bit older and her voice was at the beginning of its decline. It is still in shape to day but it just was not what it used to be
@baritonas If you want to hear the power of Princess Eboli,listen to Grace in her 1965 recording of Don Carlos (Decca) conductor Solti. Absolutely mind blowing! She should not have attempted this aria late in her career it does her no favours - in her prime, an incredible artist.
The young Grace Brumbry was simply electrifying and stunningly beautiful. Here, she is definitely not in her vocal prime anymore. But that the natural course of things. I'm sure there must be better takes of this from her. I sat in a class she held at the Mozarteum in the late 80-ies and she is a great, GREAT artist and a very engaging person.
I like Bumbry, but I think I ought to *love* her...I just can't seem to "get" it! Someone know some stuff that's particularly Bumbry to get me on the right track?
@BoobsTheCat you don't have to love a singer, because others love her. With Bumbry there were certain temperaments, vocal colors and dramatics that fit her roles to the tee - This was one of those roles. For a while there, she ruled Eboli and Amneris. Listen to her in the mid to late 60s, when ALL the Divas of the post war era were singing their finest, you'll get a better glimpse.
Grace sang as a mezzo and then moved up to Dramatic soprano, which is very close to Mezzo anyway due to the size and depth of voice. This aria is hard - the long legato lines followed by the dramaticism at the end. I think she does a formidable perofrmance with bad recording that perhaps misleads those who post negative comments. The woman was and still is a DIVA!
DivaDeb1234 is actually right. When she made the transition from mezzo to soprano she didn't really change anything in her singing. The spreading of the middle voice might be something a mezzo can get away with but a soprano? No. It always told on her very top.
Mezzo is a soprano...Mezzo Soprano... Mezzo is not Alto or contralto so she is a soprano..she is a mezzo soprano. And to me she sounds like a mezzo soprano. She also did sing soprano repetoire. but I believe she is a mezzo soprano...even her b natural here seems "high" for her...for a soprano B natural wouldn't be that high. Just my thoughts
A B is not that high for coloratura sopranos but not every soprano has a high tessitura. Some may have the range but can't sustain the really high rep. Just a different perspective to think about
According to her own statements, she at times in her career suffered from a bad back, as well as a huge, tumor some time in the early 80s, and it affected her breath support. Also, she had changed teachers and began to sing "very bright and forward", instead of "round and black". All this may explain some of her ups and downs. She's always been a dedicated, passionate, world class artist...a true diva of the old school. Brava, Bumbry.
I can only interpret the term since it was a quote from Bumbry herself. But, I think she meant her natural way of singing with her voice...a large, warm, round, open-throated sound in the mask, as she originally began with her teachers Billips and Tokatyan (spelling). At one point she'd started placing her voice very far forward. There are some Normas and Abigailles where one hears this brighter placement. These quotes are all from a delicious 3 hour radio intvw. with Stefan Zucker ca 1986.
Out of her range?... what are you talking about?. That was one of the pieces that made her famous. And still, at that moment, after more than 30 years singing it she still sounds like that. I find it marvelous.
I still think she should have kept her billing as a mezzo-soprano. Not saying that she could not sing soprano rep, but she would have had less hits and misses as a mezzo.
i must agree with bender. she's one of my favorite singers, but her tendency of dramatic emphasis by shouting some notes is a bit eccentric, shall we say. if you get her Immolation Scene from a concert in holland, you'll see what i mean. i still love that voice though...
When I read the what bender and starraft have written it bothered me cause I love Grace Bumbry but it is the truth. Her vibrato suffers and she looses a lot of breath. Anyway, that doean´t mean she wasn´t a great singer. Nobody is perfect.
Sometimes the test of a truly legendary singer is what they can do when they are past there prime. She sounds incredible here and is doing incredibly smart things with her voice to hide parts where she may be less secure than in her youth. Love it!!!!
I love Grace. But it does sound like she's not really into it. Truth is, after I heard Florence, evryone else had better come good.
spencophany 7 months ago
I don't like it at all. It sounds pushed, and it's far from having a mezzo sound quality. Dramatic sopranos sound darker than this.
ididete 11 months ago
This is awful. She puts no effort at all to the beginning of the aria. The high b is a disgrace. Just a shout, no singing at all. The last notes as well. Horrible, awful. This was a perle nere assoluta!!!
dannymaestro 1 year ago
@dannymaestro One has to know that she made her debuts in 1960, and that's her 31st year of career singing everything.
foropera 1 week ago
@Turridu25 I actually own this DVD and this is not her best vocal period. She had a remarkable technique but she was getting a bit older and her voice was at the beginning of its decline. It is still in shape to day but it just was not what it used to be
bigdigger87 1 year ago
I don't feel the power of Princess Eboli...
baritonas 1 year ago
@baritonas If you want to hear the power of Princess Eboli,listen to Grace in her 1965 recording of Don Carlos (Decca) conductor Solti. Absolutely mind blowing! She should not have attempted this aria late in her career it does her no favours - in her prime, an incredible artist.
TheVaughan5 11 months ago
Al parecer esta aria no es para ella, se necesita mas drama, mas interpretacion, y un color de voz diferente.
Lourdesdejesus1 1 year ago
@Lourdesdejesus1 Ay nena... tú no sabes lo que estás diciendo.
ezayi 1 year ago
@Lourdesdejesus1 yo creo mas bien que esta aria no es para ti, todos saben que le pertenece a La Bumbry desde hace años
SiEtIn1 1 year ago
@Lourdesdejesus1 La escuchaste en vivo en este roll con Plácido Domingo y Mirella Frenni? Debe ser la mejor Eboli que escuché!!!
araujogarciajorge 1 year ago
huy aqui tenia mas de 50 años
rhapsodyaaa 1 year ago
Oh dear..that first bflat...out of tune oh dear.
CatalinaDM56 1 year ago
The young Grace Brumbry was simply electrifying and stunningly beautiful. Here, she is definitely not in her vocal prime anymore. But that the natural course of things. I'm sure there must be better takes of this from her. I sat in a class she held at the Mozarteum in the late 80-ies and she is a great, GREAT artist and a very engaging person.
TommyHaegin 1 year ago
la maggior parte dei dob dei mezzosoprani sono o stonati o calanti o addiritura urlati a scuarciagola
luigipavabartolotti 2 years ago
Superb. I've just become familiar with Ms. Bumbry's work, and she is indeed a legend. Her voice is absolutely amazing!
tim23z 2 years ago
I like Bumbry, but I think I ought to *love* her...I just can't seem to "get" it! Someone know some stuff that's particularly Bumbry to get me on the right track?
BoobsTheCat 2 years ago
Check some of her Carmen videos
bigdigger87 2 years ago
@BoobsTheCat you don't have to love a singer, because others love her. With Bumbry there were certain temperaments, vocal colors and dramatics that fit her roles to the tee - This was one of those roles. For a while there, she ruled Eboli and Amneris. Listen to her in the mid to late 60s, when ALL the Divas of the post war era were singing their finest, you'll get a better glimpse.
Chasson0318 1 year ago
well....
escamillo 2 years ago
Grace sang as a mezzo and then moved up to Dramatic soprano, which is very close to Mezzo anyway due to the size and depth of voice. This aria is hard - the long legato lines followed by the dramaticism at the end. I think she does a formidable perofrmance with bad recording that perhaps misleads those who post negative comments. The woman was and still is a DIVA!
KirstyGriffiths 2 years ago 5
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buhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
marylambcarter 2 years ago
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dear god this is awful
cmhmuscle 2 years ago
@cmhmuscle
I agree, this is not a very good rendition of this aria...and she is low in almost all of the high notes
alecs1976 2 years ago
DivaDeb1234 is actually right. When she made the transition from mezzo to soprano she didn't really change anything in her singing. The spreading of the middle voice might be something a mezzo can get away with but a soprano? No. It always told on her very top.
Lindow 2 years ago
voce stupenda e splendido temperamento verdiano....
vincik80 3 years ago 2
tempo is too slow, great singer.
zizeus 3 years ago
Great voice , she sounds as soprano singing mezzo.
ilbacioditosca 3 years ago 2
Mezzo is a soprano...Mezzo Soprano... Mezzo is not Alto or contralto so she is a soprano..she is a mezzo soprano. And to me she sounds like a mezzo soprano. She also did sing soprano repetoire. but I believe she is a mezzo soprano...even her b natural here seems "high" for her...for a soprano B natural wouldn't be that high. Just my thoughts
DivaDeb1234 3 years ago 2
A B is not that high for coloratura sopranos but not every soprano has a high tessitura. Some may have the range but can't sustain the really high rep. Just a different perspective to think about
bigdigger87 2 years ago
I love Bumbry...a wonderful and fiery singer.
According to her own statements, she at times in her career suffered from a bad back, as well as a huge, tumor some time in the early 80s, and it affected her breath support. Also, she had changed teachers and began to sing "very bright and forward", instead of "round and black". All this may explain some of her ups and downs. She's always been a dedicated, passionate, world class artist...a true diva of the old school. Brava, Bumbry.
yes4albert 3 years ago 3
Another Bumbry-fan :-)
Klassizismus 3 years ago
what does "round and black" singing sound like, do you mean natural.
mm9913 3 years ago
I can only interpret the term since it was a quote from Bumbry herself. But, I think she meant her natural way of singing with her voice...a large, warm, round, open-throated sound in the mask, as she originally began with her teachers Billips and Tokatyan (spelling). At one point she'd started placing her voice very far forward. There are some Normas and Abigailles where one hears this brighter placement. These quotes are all from a delicious 3 hour radio intvw. with Stefan Zucker ca 1986.
yes4albert 3 years ago
@yes4albert i love you for "round and black". i understand it well!!
couturesixfour 2 years ago
I love Grace but that piece was out of her range or maybe it was a bad night.
yeah0304 3 years ago
Out of her range?... what are you talking about?. That was one of the pieces that made her famous. And still, at that moment, after more than 30 years singing it she still sounds like that. I find it marvelous.
ezayi 3 years ago 7
celia cruz and grace bumbry: separated at birth?
niklausse 4 years ago
Really funny!!!!!!!!
rrgallo 4 years ago
It is funny. Never noticed the similarity before.
osvaldito55 4 years ago
Hey, you might really have something there!!!
craigwalters 3 years ago
Hey, i got another one for you guys: Birgit Nielsson and Kate Smith (HAHAHAHA LMAO) Seriously, do we really need to go there?
swdanielson 3 years ago
I still think she should have kept her billing as a mezzo-soprano. Not saying that she could not sing soprano rep, but she would have had less hits and misses as a mezzo.
godivapaw 4 years ago 2
i must agree with bender. she's one of my favorite singers, but her tendency of dramatic emphasis by shouting some notes is a bit eccentric, shall we say. if you get her Immolation Scene from a concert in holland, you'll see what i mean. i still love that voice though...
StarRaft 4 years ago
still sounding great....i can never get enough of this woman..
dare57 4 years ago 3
Nice voice. I hate that she yells out her high notes.
benderpm 4 years ago
There is a difference between yelling and projecting. Bumbry is not a yeller she is one who smolders.
mm9913 4 years ago
When I read the what bender and starraft have written it bothered me cause I love Grace Bumbry but it is the truth. Her vibrato suffers and she looses a lot of breath. Anyway, that doean´t mean she wasn´t a great singer. Nobody is perfect.
ezayi 4 years ago 2
she s it, one of my favorite singers
tjaphrodite 4 years ago
Sometimes the test of a truly legendary singer is what they can do when they are past there prime. She sounds incredible here and is doing incredibly smart things with her voice to hide parts where she may be less secure than in her youth. Love it!!!!
FoggyRoad81 4 years ago 2