Luciano Pavarotti/Beverly Sills - Verranno a te - Live 1972

[MrAndredekock]

I corresponded on a regular basis with Beverly Sills over a period of 10 years. One of the things I asked her was whether the gossiped rivalry between her and Sutherland was true and she replied an emphatic NO! Just as the rivalry between Tebaldi and Callas was only in certain peoples' heads, so too with Sills and Sutherland. As for comparing them ..... how can you compare a dramatic coloratura with a lyric coloratura? They were both beautiful voices, but Sills had the edge on acting by far.

[90lysander]

@MrAndredekock There was some chippiness between Callas and Tebaldi (certainly far more than between Bubbles and La Stupenda), although again a lot of what has gone down as "fact" was inventions of the press. And Callas did sort of make up with Tebaldi near the end. You can read about it in Lanfranco Rasponi's The Last Prima Donnas. (From the Tebaldi interview, NOT the Callas section.)

[myohel0]

Wow! That was just amazing, especially that little "explosion!" God bless them

[vivadomingo1]

Pavarotti was so good in the early years...great post!

[Varlaam42]

How fortunate we were to have had both Bubbles and La Stupenda, and how childish to be quarreling about their relative merits; they were both so wonderful!

[donpkra]

The Met offers to sills were at the summer out door concerts in the city NOT on tha stage of tyhe Met !!!!!

[RaWrZzZz]

*shriek, scream, sputter, nearly chokes to death on spaghetti* WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, BUBBLES AND PAVAROTTI, OMIGOD, YES, MCKUCMNUYMQI I'M SO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!1

[gestas60323]

this is wonderful!!! thanks for posting

[skatesindreams]

Why can't we admire ALL of these great artists; and be grateful for their gifts?

[federicoxxl]

In 1972 Sills offered a glorious Lucia at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires with Alfredo Kraus, which fortunately is recorded on cd

[aferiha]

¡La versión de este dúo, con la Sutherland, también es maravillosa!

[aferiha]

Con la Sutherland también cantó este dúomaravillosamente!

[InformedListener]

Such a thrilling performance!!! I'm not interested in making comparisons, I'm judging this performance based upon what it is, and that is nothing less than EXCELLENT!!! Thanks for posting this wonderful moment in opera.

[tneprescintr]

is this the original score?

[Mooorhe]

It's closer to it than what is usual sung, but it actually demands a high Eb *from the tenor* and a high C from the soprano. In this instance they swap notes, Pavarotti sings high C and Sills high Eb.

[mmbriggs]

the arguing here from sills and sutherland supporters and detractors is form a to z boringly stupid! both women were among the greatest singers of all time and both contributed greatly and historically to the bel canto revival of the 1960's and 1970's. they had different voices, and different strengths and weakneesses--as all singers do, as remarked by even richard bonyngne about hs wife--they were both miracles. and both in their own way, aged and declined, that is shwat happens--get over it

[petelovesbevsills]

Something you would certainly benifit from. Maybe just a tiny lobotomy. It will cure your "superior/inferior" fetish and maybe transform you into an nicer person...god luck, hope your surgeon gets it right.

[GermanOperaSinger]

Indeed, the definitive rendition as you said.

[pearlmuth3]

OH YES I LIKE IT WITH HER BETTER ALSO.

[Nater389]

Better than Joan and Pavarotti.

[tklogan11809]

perhaps on Coney Island. Sills is merely a student compared to Dame Joan Sutherland.

[OettingerCroat]

i really loved this opera when I saw maestra Dessay sing it this June at the San Francisco opera... a true psychotic, thrilling piece. This is from the earlier part of the opera, before Lucia goes bonkers, haha

once again Mooorhe, thanks for this quality upload.

[Mooorhe]

It's a wonderful opera, slightly disturbing at times, but not to the extent of say, Tosca :-P.

You're welcome, opera is for everyone, not just people like me who are fortunate enough to have the recordings.

[OettingerCroat]

yep... I have tons of stuff I could post but they're mostly recordings, and people like to downplay those as "not the real deal"... >-[

[OettingerCroat]

when I say recordings, I meant from the studio by the way, sorry for that

[Nater389]

Screw them! Post some stuff.

[ShawDAMAN]

You find Lucia less disturbing than Tosca? I'd put them about even- both horrific :P

[Mooorhe]

I find Tosca far more disturbing... the physical torture inflicted on Cavaradossi, and the mental torture that Tosca is subjected to is difficult for me to comprehend.

[ShawDAMAN]

Yes, but I'd say a deranged woman killing her hated husband and showing up at a party with the bloody knife is right up there. :-o

In case you hadn't noticed, my favorite operas are Fidelio, L'elisir d'amore, and Andrea Chenier. ;-) Guess why :D

[ShawDAMAN]

Would you like me to send you the recording?

[ShawDAMAN]

This piece always get's the blood going!! :D

I have a recording of this with Lanza and Kathryn Grayson, but this is probably better (not a big Grayson fan) I like Sills very much- speaking of blending I think she complimented Kraus very well but I'm not sure I've heard her with Pav. before-

Fantastic, thanks!! :D

[Mooorhe]

I don't think she performed with Pavarotti much,  perhaps they didn't get along well.

I only know of three productions that they did together:

-Lucia 1969 Mexico

-Lucia 1972 San Francisco

-I Puritani 1972 Philadelphia

And I'm fortunate enough to have recordings of all of them.

Would be interesting to hear the Lanza recording, do they do the ending the same as this one?

[ShawDAMAN]

Interesting.

The ending is similar but Grayson shoots for the moon. (ouch) Lanza is great in it. I'll send it to you if you message me an email address. :)

[Mooorhe]

What on earth was Grayson thinking, that was awful!

Lanza is good, doesn't handle the passages requiring agility as well as I expected though.

[ShawDAMAN]

Painful, right? Ouch. Lanza was probably deaf for a while after that. :P

Maybe I'm missing something, but the tenor part in this piece doesn't seem to require an awful lot of agility to me :-/ :) ?

[Mooorhe]

Perhaps agility wasn't the right word, but towards the end of the tenor's first passage of the duet, he has to do that little 'cadenza' thing and jump to higher notes and some of them are on the passagio I think, must be difficult to sing. And I thought Lanza would have handled them better.

[ShawDAMAN]

Hmm... I'll listen more carefully. At first blush I don't hear a big difference between Pav, Lanza's singing.

Again, this is excellent. :)

[Mooorhe]

It's not a big difference, Pavarotti's just seems to flow more smoothly, which is expected, seeing as he was far more lyric than Lanza.

[ShawDAMAN]

Would you object to my sending you a few more samples for your consideration? :)

[petelovesbevsills]

Beverly adored Luciano very much and they did get on well! Bev was fiercely loyal to the New York City Opera and her opportunities to sing with Luciano were few and far between. I bought this recording on EBay and have been saving it as a treat but NOW, having heard this, I have no option but to get it out and finally listen to it!!

Thank you Moorhe! You are a star for posting this fabulous duet!

I did'nt know there was another recording from way back in 69! Where did you get it?!!!

[Mooorhe]

Ah, that makes sense, I apologise for my little 'allegation' which you proved incorrect. It's a huge shame that they didn't get to work together more frequently, I've never heard a better couple for these light Italian operas!

You're welcome, and you will enjoy the opera very very much, it's the best Lucia di Lammermoor I've ever heard.

My 1969 copy of Lucia in Mexico was acquired on reel-to-reel from an gentleman ridding himself of his collection. I'm lead to believe it's rather rare.

[petelovesbevsills]

I could weep when I think of the fabulous recordings that could have come our way! Much as I like Gedda I could never understand Bev's constant recording with him!!!!

You are just such a lucky fish having the Mexican recording!!!! Is there ANY chance of hearing a little snippet here on Y/Tube???

[Mooorhe]

Now that I think about it, perhaps it was because Sills was an artist exclusive to EMI, and Pavarotti to Decca?

I know what you mean, I think Pavarotti and Sills was a far better couple than Gedda and Sills.

And I'll try and get some of the Mexico Lucia up at some point, I've still got to transfer the tape to digital.

[tklogan11809]

oh please, I love Sills' 3 queens but it was never a matter of being faithful to City Opera. The truth is, Sills wasn't invited to sing at the MET where Pav was the house tenor until much later. She would've dropped NYC Opera in a NY minute had she been invited by the MET earlier. The MET didn't. They didn't need her, they had Joan Sutherland who was a superior singer with an incredibly stellar international career and a voice that could be heard in a really big house like the MET, unlike Sills.

[petelovesbevsills]

Your ignorance is nothing short of stunningly breathtaking! Beverly WAS invited to sing at the Met THREE times before her debut. She decided not to "drop NYC Opera in a NY minute, THREE times......where DO you get your misguided information from?

Just for the record, no one complained that they could not hear Beverly Sills when she finally agreed to debut there.

I hate to piddle on your parade but Bev and Joan sang together in the Fledermaus, the audience heard them both too!!!!

[tklogan11809]

Sills wasn't invited until past her prime in 1975, get over it. No one ever turns down the MET, it has never happened, stop making up nonsense. Sutherland made her debut in 1961, in her glorious prime. She was better. Case closed.

[petelovesbevsills]

Does your delicious ignorance extend to reading by any chance? Yes it HAS happened and Miss Sills was unavailable for the operas that Bing offered her. If you give me your address I'll send you $1.00 so you can phone someone who really cares about Joan being better than Bev. NOW the case is closed.

[tklogan11809]

At least you admit that Joan was superior. And I have a better suggestion for your dollar: buy a Sills autograph on eBay, that's just about what's worth. You wouldn't certainly be able to afford Joan's autograph with the same amount darling.

[petelovesbevsills]

I already have a Sutherland autograph which she sent to me for free! Does that beat your $1.00 challenge? Besides being a thoroughly objectionable character, has anyone told you it is the height of exceptionally bad manners to come onto a Sills site and try to "praise sing" Sutherland? I notice that you have finally conceded that Beverly Sills told Rudolf Bing to take a hike, well done. More bad news for you, Beverly Sills and Sutherland got on very well. Case closed yet?

[tklogan11809]

All that doesn't change the fact that Sutherland was superior and had a longer, more distinguished stage AND recording career. Case closed.

[petelovesbevsills]

Sutherland could not act, had atrocious diction, continued well past her "sell by" date, loved scooping and drooping, (much to her critics dismay) developed the most horrendous wobble in her voice and at least had the good grace to read what was being written about her irreversible decline and had the very good grace to realise she must retire. Something that you should do too.

Is reading one of your failed subjects at school too? superior? Rubbish. NOW case closed

[operagodess78]

Okay. Stop! Sutherland diction was more apparent in recording. Don't degrade because your losing the arguement.

Sills was equivalent to Sutherland IMO.

But I would never degrade either. Sills had a pretty big voice for a coloratura.

I compare her to Sayao. Sills was a terrific actress and great personality. And both soprano sound great together.

THIS ARGUEMENT IS POINTLESS!!

[petelovesbevsills]

Have you been in a coma and unable to read ALL the comments that are here? I am certainly not going to "stop" because you shove your oar in. Who rattled your cage anyway?

[operagodess78]

No! I understand that your defending Sills, but do not TALK about Joan Sutherland. Joan was an excellent singer.

And Sills was a wonderful singer.

[bjorlingfan]

Petelovesbevsills has every right to defend Beverly Sills. He is certainly not "degrading" Joan Sutherland. How come you're not giving tklogan11809 a workout for their comment about Beverly Sills being Coney Island compared with Joan Sutherland? Is that supposed to be non-derogatory? He is quite entitled to say whatever he feels like saying without asking for your permission. Read the heading of this site and then decide if this is the place to laud Joan Sutherland.

[operagodess78]

I have argueed with him before and there is just no point.

[bjorlingfan]

Have I missed something here? You claim Sills is a wonderful singer , have argued (forgive me for spelling the word correctly) with tklogan11809 before and "there is no point," so, you choose to have a go at petelovesbevsills for defending his favourite singer?

I have obviously missed something here and I am sure you will enlighten me as to what it is. Why dont you have one more go at tklogan11809 just for good luck after all HE is the person lacking in good manners, class and style.

[GermanOperaSinger]

What does that prove? I'm sure that Britney Spear's autograph would outprice 500 Sutherland autographs. So, according to your reasoning, Britney is a better singer than Sutherland?

[tklogan11809]

no pinhead, I was comparing two opera singers, why do you have to get Madonna or Elvis Presley or Britney into the conversation? goodbye.

[pearlmuth3]

Lucky to hear this one and when you consider she always said this was not a favorite role for her it's hard to believe from her fine singing here at age 42--- for whatever reason I like these two together their voices blend very well especially on high notes. Bravo a great show.