Sondra Radvanovsky - Casta Diva - Norma - 2011

[tklogan111809]

she got away with the aria (in a way) but not the cabaletta, which is obviously amateurish and labored. Sadly I get the impression that Sondra's always under pitch, regardless of the music. And believe it or not, I'm a fan.

[mahsef]

You're right, in a way. But it needs to be said, she will be hired anyway. But the coaches she works with could fix these problems and work on them with her. But if people put it off as just little quirks the general level of opera will sink. Ms Guleghina had far larger problems and she worked on them and fixed them at the age of over 50. And she wouldn't have done it if everyone just told her how perfect everything is or if she saw herself as being perfect

[leskendal]

@mahsef I am somewhat biased having being blown away by Sondra's Leonora some years ago.. However I agree that her singing is not perfect, but it is of a far higher order than most of her contemporaries -in the same repertory today. Each era has it's strengths and weaknesses. At the time of Caruso there were commentators who said that standards had plummeted compared to the previous generation !

[mahsef]

@leskendal I think we go through ups and downs when it comes to the amount of great voices in the various categories. Just a few years ago there weren't any really good spinto tenors and now there are a few really good ones out there that could compete with any tenor in any era...Verdi soprano-wise things aren't looking too good now and it is probably the reason why she gets away with some really, really bad habits...just listened to this again and it's almost perpetually flat..sorry

[Imadirtycommedian]

@mahsef sorry, I just don't think comments about her singing or anyone's should be made so abrasively.

[Imadirtycommedian]

if you are going to say a harsh critique about her I think you need to think about the fact that she has sang at the MET several times and she is INCREDIBLY talented and whether you like you dislike her voice she deserves respect. So please, think about what you say before you say it.

[mahsef]

@Imadirtycommedian Of course she's a good singer. I think she might even be the best in the world for her repertoire right now. And I think she's as talented as any of the great singers who ever lived. But I think there are things she does which I mentioned that are not OK. Should we just ignore that as an audience? And sorry intonation is kind of important and has nothing to do with the voice, the talent or respect or the Met

[Randidan]

@mahsef We, the audience, have a duty to participate in the performances and one of the most important ways of doing so is the exercise of our critical faculties. There is no other way to learn to discriminate among perfection, superior, good, and those OTHERS [shudder]. It is also pleasurable. BTW, what's so bad about her "Ah, bello..."???

[mahsef]

@Randidan I didn't say the "ah bello" is so bad that was someone else...Again, I think she's a skilled singer and a passionate artist...and I don't care that the voice isn't of classical Italian beauty. It's a nice big, flexible voice... But some things should have been fixed and are inexcusable: intonation...bad diction

[Randidan]

@mahsef I agree about the vocal quality ~ I think that's what they mean by a "faceless" voice; it has no individuality and therefore you can't remember the sound 5 min. after hearing it. Several of today's pet sopranos [& a couple of the mezzos] are afflicted that way... Sondra seems to have the character & individuality for sure. Does it help to make up for the tendency to lose the exact pitch? I can handle that, but not the sounds that used to come out of Callas! "chacun a son gout"

[mahsef]

Does is not bother anyone how she's flat a lot and how her Italian is bad and how she can't sing any clear vowels and always adds an u to every a? Really it doesn't bother anyone? This is how bad things have become that we consider something to be great just because it's not as bad as what others are doing...kind of sad

[necesitounasiesta]

Ha sido un lujo esta representacion de Norma en Oviedo. Se recordara durante toda la vida. Sondra R, extraordinaria. Espero verla en Madrid con P Domingo en Mayo. Y en cuanto a la escena creada por la Srta Gomez, no se puede hacer mas con menos. Viva la Opera en Oviedo a pesar de la marginacion economica en comparacion con otras temporadas de España

[pumarin58]

Una actuación brillantsima, quedará en el recuerdo de los Ovetenses

Se nota la educación impartida por la Tebaldi que se suma a su prodigiosa voz.Quizás la mejor Spinto del momento.

[chus1947]

la verdad fue una noche maravillosa,la vi creia que no laconocia pero ha hecho un trobador y es una voz maravillosa

[dottorGrenvil]

Mo mama....!!!

[flyinghow]

make that keeps me from loving*, not keeps me loving lol.

[flyinghow]

I have to admit it was better than what I expected to hear. Don't get me wrong, I like her voice, and I know she is all the rave, but something just keeps me "loving" her voice. I like her Verdi singing well enough, but not sure how I feel about Norma/Casta Diva with her voice. It is a bigger voice, so the agility is not quite there in the coloratura passages, but her phrasing and legato are quite nice in many places within the aria.

[leskendal]

Utterly magnificent. So happy that Sondra has put her undoubtedly superior vocal gifts at the service of Bellini's Priestess. She will surely be the Norma of her generation....

[Dymension]

This does not surprise me, given her success with Trovatore and Vespri. She has a substantial voice, is capable of coloratura, has high notes, low notes, soft notes, loud notes and everything in between. Let's watch her grow into this role. She's off to a very good start and will undoubtedly get even better.

[77Opera]

Quel plaisir! Merci à vous coloraturafan

[rawdonqueen]

The haunting quality is really amazing. I didn't know that Radvanofsky had it in her.

[SparafucileDiMantova]

Brillante, como siempre!

[coloresuono1948]

Gran Voce!!

[yagoquattro]

Sensacional. Le auguro un gran futuro como la sacerdotisa de Irminsul!

[Carestini1]

Teatro Campoamor de Oviedo. Debutó el rol.

[tukilala]

*****

[actionsrlouder]

Where was this??

[lipera]

Please tell me some strong label will record this on DVD.....Oh God please force them to do so!!!

[lipera]

I couldn't be happier!!! Thank you so much Coloraturafan!!!!!