Beverly Sills - Willow song - Baby Doe - 1962

[tubetoad]

like a bird.....Bless you, Bubbles,,,and adore you, Bev- ALLWAYS!

[AbbyAmbition14]

singing this at a solo and ensemble event this weekend. hearing this now, i don't think i can do it justice.

[maestromuffin1]

what can I say that hasn't been said about how fabulous beverly and this performance are? if I were a young female singer, i would want nothing more than to sing like dear beverly! she owned this role, sort of like she did with Manon.

[Josquinquin]

This is a perfect moment of Americana captured in all it's beauty to entertain and inspire generations with it's charm.

[caltrask51]

Sills is the master of the high D. It's her note.

[francisnjie]

Beautiful

[nickbigd]

Two people are tone deaf or simply contrarian. Unsurpassed performance.

[godivapaw]

This always makes me cry.  Oh how I miss you Bubbles! Continue to rest in peace!

[Crwthy]

This has got to be one of the finest live performances of the 20th century. .. And the composer is sitting right there! .. What a sublime vocal moment!! ..

[lginpdx]

I admire not only her vocal and interpretive ability, but her flexibility in singing both operatic as well as colloquial music. Very few singers can switch between both styles as readily as Sills did.

[newvinny52]

If you heard her "live" then you know this is nothing ordinary!

[taytaytoo]

Beloved Beverly, always in our hearts.

[matboy891]

i love this =)

[elphie14]

there's a reason why this is the only video i've ever seen on youtube with 0 dislikes. :)

[windstorm1000]

Why isn't this opera ever performed by the MET? Anybody know? Its a great work and is American which has a different flavor than Italy, etc. And of course sung in English our language here.

[windstorm1000]

I love her voice, love everything about her. She's my favorite singer. We are so fortunate to have all these wonderful clips of her fabulous voice and heart. This is such a touching song.

[REBECCAtheSOPRANO]

Still so beautiful! I've seen this about a billion times and am still so moved.

[maestrojimbo]

It's hard to believe that she sounded like this in 1962 and still took several more years to achieve the fame she so deserved. Her rhythmic flexibility with words sounds so natural. I really miss performers who can dissolve me to tears in just a few seconds.

[Crwthy]

Tears flowing ..  Does it every time ..

[GreenGoddessofGaia]

just perfect

[SheenaBrnai]

Lol the only time my voice teacher has ever hugged me in 4 years was when I sang this song. I pulled it off pretty well, but Beverly's ability to sing so freaking fully into that high D? wow. You almost don;t realise how high it is because it is so effertless.

[Ministerdlyne]

Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ashakiwi]

This is simply Beautiful!

[REBECCAtheSOPRANO]

Pray tell everybody that I am weeping too cause that was just beautiful!

[acitipo]

Hermosisima interpretacion una voz diafana como el cristal, Beverly simplemente maravillosa!!!!!!!

[LadyColoratura]

Her light tone but steady vibrato are perfection! She is simply weightless on the high notes!

[Mackaronni]

Occasionally, we humans are allowed to hear the voice of an Angel.....

Beverly Sills' voice and life was one of those "rare" gifts which humanity will treasure for all time.....

[missvirginiageorgia]

If I were one of the people watching, I would not just politely clap! She was so phenomenal, her high D was so effortless and lovely and her face was so serene and joyous looking. Brava!

[walker0762]

Beautiful!

[operas6]

So amazing....and the joy that she brought to everything she did....a treasure.

[Shahrdad]

I know Sills thought that Roberto Devereux was her greatest artistic achievement, but in my opinion, her greatest work was Baby Doe. The voice, the musicianship, the temperament were all so perfectly balanced in this role that I really don't think it will ever be equalled. She set the standard in this piece the same way Callas set the standard for Bolena, Norma, and Medea.

[lginpdx]

@flowersings Coloratura is a type of operatic singing. Marked by lavish ornamentation and flourishes. Look on You Tube for B. Sills singing Linda Di Chamounix. This is classic Coloratura at its best.

[flowersings]

@lginpdx Thank you!!! I've listened to enough of them now, that I can detect colour in voices on my own now and am becoming acquainted with coloratura repertoire. Thanks again for your reply!

[DonRolini]

This is beautitul! OMG! she looks older! but this is so GOOD! O who found this video!

[MuLgS00]

Fantastic!

[mezzolyric]

She was 32, I just can believe how young she was or how beautiful she sounds on the piece.  Gives me goosebumbs every time!

[syrinx79]

Beautiful!! Isn't that Douglas Moore sitting there near Bubbles?

[MusicismyheartXO]

my eardrums are weeping in tears... :)

[IshyIMB017]

Wow, this was just simply gorgeous, beautiful, it gave me goosebumps.

[yesblanche]

Just the best!

[sensual1213]

simply flawless!

notes, emotion, quality, words- it's all in there.

& she makes it look effortless!

truly bravissima, diva!!!

[fludu1]

BRAVO :-)

[marylee111]

best version of willow song

[musoph21]

this is so gorgeous and emotional. I like how she makes the high D sound liike a cry. I hate hearing it loud and forte. More meaning when its piano

[donatello1]

No one better at this role than Sills...The only one to come close is Ruth Welting.

Brava Sills!!!

[nickbigd]

She was simply amazing at this time. At2:32 -- wow!

[tenorbear60]

Couldn't have said it better! No one could touch that note and we were so fortunate to have her voice recorded so well. I do miss her and her musicianship, her expression and that silver instrument!

[Cramnella]

Ravishing!

[geomusic]

Brilliant singing! And wonderful emotion. She really embodied the roles she sang.

[dt195k2]

Stunning! A beautiful aria,beautifully sung by a great artist..... plus a radiant high D.

[miri88tiazan]

Wow, thanks for posting this!

[mwk12kev]

Oh, how I love and miss her! What a flawless singer. . .

[boofay]

a goddess of angels..............

[w7md]

I believe that the gray haired gentleman on stage and applauding is the composer of this opera, Douglas Moore. He was Chairman of the Dept of Music at Columbia College when I took the required Humanities Music course. Baby Doe premiered in 1956, my graduation year. My course's introduction to opera was a study of Don Giovanni which led me later to the City Center production and then a lifetime filled with musical listening pleasure.

[drdre333]

Easy to see why she was so famous for this role. Beautiful. Seemingly effortless.

[angielove1]

YES!!! I am definitely taking notes!

[dollartwenty]

Just lovely. What a pity that this opera has never caught on outside the USA. IMHO it does need to be sung with an American accent otherwise the vocal colour doesn't sound quite right; in particular the use of consonants such a "r". Of courese, "Bubbles" is the ideal interpreter!

[OperaGIRL777]

That's so funny! Just a couple of days ago I was searching for a good version of this song and this is by far the best. Thanks!

[tenorbear60]

What current American singer sings with this clarity and joy? Who even comes close? Her hair is a mess, but that voice is pure gold. She is/was a treasure.

[cantorandopera]

Divine!

[OperaBohemian]

I love her!

[TrebleB4Mi]

Stunning!!!!!!