Stephanie Blythe "Hence, Iris, hence away" Semele

[coryisawake]

I've appreciated Blythe's career quite a bit until recently (Fricka); however in this music, it's obvious that her coloratura is counterfeit, aspirated and somewhat clumsy, though mostly on pitch.

With such a woody and rich tone, she could really redefine other roles that call for legato, money notes and vocal heft. I've seen her really deliver as Dalila and Amneris, roles that she seems to have dropped.

[SinoSene]

what's up with the orchestra?

[jgdmol4l]

what a BEAUTIFUL voice...powerful top and low register...good flexibility and expressiveness. She's awesome.

[madridd1]

Its too bad, you can tell that Blythe wants to speed this up, but the orchestra wasn't quite up to it. They're pretty uncoordinated at points. There is a CD of Bach and Handel arias that Blythe recorded that is better than this. Check it out! 

[Snutih]

For me the best version of this aria is by Della Jones . The voice is a bit fucked up but her English diction and characterization are mindblowing . It s available here on youtube , give it a try :)

[nashrunner456]

Amazing range and flexibility. I have listened to others. I think this performance has its own merit.

[bailharico]

Contralto.....



[Sanspeur323]

I love this piece, it one of my favorite operatic pieces. However, her coloratura was rather unimpressive. But I found her lower extension to be very powerful, unlike many other female singers. It maintained its richness, cudos!!!

[puppetoz]

Ms Blythe is charming but to put her anywhere near the league of Marilyn Horne not only belittles both singers- it is patently ridiculous.

[reecty01]

I think that she is phenomenal. Such power in the lower range.

[aalleexxbb]

And they say big voices can't move!

[jeepgerhard212]

Marilyn Horne sang this role in concert @ Carnegie Hall - wow. Blythe is Horne's natural successor in all things sung - in any language, of any type. Perhaps Blythe's "glottals" weren't at their best on June 24, 2008 - but did you hear her in Rodelinda at the Met? WOWWWWW

[windstorm1000]

her glottal runs aren't working 

[ScHnitzLLlicious92]

i love her theatralicity

georgeous

[Bambam78]

Beautiful sound and huge voice, but terrible coloratura, sense of style and often out of tune and even diction problems. It´s interesting to note they call her a super star from the Met.... I guess in America only power counts to all the other elements I mentioned above....

[windstorm1000]

@Bambam78 Yes, I agree with you--huge voice, but the roulades were practically non existent--and I don't even know much about the voice.

[jregister22486]

Too bad the continuo is behind...

[chelsealuvsmusic]

Blythe is such a joy to work with as well. I did a production at AZ opera with her and she was wonderful! So delightful and talented!

[frafantuzzi]

I prefer Manca di Nissa!

[flouraki]

Horne and Blythe are both great in their own ways...I adore both, no reason to compare. Blythe I feel has more dramatic intention whereas Horne's coloratura is clearer and one that I prefer more. That said they r the most fantastic mezzos of their time

[jamesjmertins1]

She is better than Horne, great diction, although an American one. Nearly all the A and E sounds are flattened out but it does not matter when the singing is so wonderful

[liszt80]

Marilyn Horne clone. Great voice anyway.

[vscanzi]

I believe they're just different, in timbre AND in intention. Horne's voice isn't as interesting in my taste, also, I prefer Blythe's stronger intention and lower notes. In addition, I really prefer Horne's coloratura cadenzas.

[zimnaya]

Peerless rich and powerful low notes - 'dragons' eyes' sends shivers down the spine! - and a hugely powerful and full high register too. The fioriture were less than agile but WHAT a voice! She is, 'veritablement, Juno enragée!' Would love to hear her sing Weber's 'Ocean, Thou Mighty Monster' or other declamatory roles...bravissima - WHAT a voice!

[Lohengrin]

beautifully supported registers, strong chest tones, unfortunately truly faulty coloratura

[temperanceluv81]

@Lohengrin I agree, she cant move her voice very well

[celestialbakura]

To rayangreene 3:

Two more quick notes I wanted to say were that Podles' tone in her lower chest register seem to have more of a blunt masculine bite which translates to surprising power when she hits her mid range and higher tessitura. That is what always attracted me to her. And as for Richard Croft. You and I had the same opinion from the get go :D I own his recording of Ariodante with Anne Sophie Vaughn Otter. And Oh MY God. Amazing.

[cenerentolinetta]

Anne Sofie von Otter not Ralph VAUGHN Williams ;-)

[celestialbakura]

To rayangreene 2:

Mijanovic's acting is interesting and definitely more showy than other singers. And that was a good highlight of the development of Mijanovic's coloratura ability. I agree with you entirely. Its heavier and less accurate now compared to what it was before. And oddly enough, I have also described her voice as having a metallic twang. We seem to be generically on the same page about her. And that makes me happy!

[celestialbakura]

To rayangreene 1:

I recognize what you say describing the difference between Mijanovic and Stutzmann. I just wanted to say their colors are similar even if their weight is different in the voice. What you and I are talking about in general is the principle that every singer is unique, and with that I completely agree. I just love to find things they have in common.

[hngltn]

great adornmentsin the da capo! the high and low notes are simply thrilling, this lady can sing!

[celestialbakura]

The heaviness of a voice does not determine coloratura ability. It is the technique the person employs that matters. A nice heavy contralto with amazing coloratura is Ewa Podles. But this singer just had bad coloratura exactly like Marilyn Horne. They also shared a similar color and power, making their tones very much identical. And another comment from before said that we can't compare her to Horne? Well they both performed averagly at this aria, so they are comparable. Larmore is ftw.

[celestialbakura]

"But this singer..." is referring to Stephanie Blythe.

[rayangreene]

Another nice heavy contralto with very agile coloratura is Nathalie Stutzmann. Stutzmann's timbre's even darker than Podles, but I couldn't tell which of the two I prefer.

[celestialbakura]

Stutzmann is def. her own classification of contralto, but I do not see her as heavy as Podles at all. Stutz. has a more lyric androgynous tone and weight much like the standard countertenor or Marijana Mijanovic. So in my opinion, 2 similar singers are Stutz. and Mijanovic, while Podles is simplly dramatic and dark.

[rayangreene]

Answer 1 :

Well Mijanovic's my favorite Baroque singer. Because I've heard both of them live (Mijanovic & Stutzmann), I can assure you that although they both have very dark timbres, Mijanovic's voice is a great deal lighter than Stutzmann's. What makes Mijanovic's instrument so unusual is precisely that despite the fact that it's so dark, the timbre is rather slender as opposed to most contraltos' whose voices sound more "motherly" such as Stutzmann, Watts, Podles or even Ferrier.

[rayangreene]

Answer 2 :

Because of this, I don't think we can associate Mijanovic & Stutzmann, the former being also much more androgynous than the latter for the reasons stated above. Now to come back to the Stutzmann/Poldles comparison, I do think that Stutzmann's voice is at least as dark and as powerful as Podles if not more. I remember how booming her contralto sounded when I was seated at the very rear of the room. A real Wagnerian singer.

[rayangreene]

Answer 3 :

In my opinion Mijanovic has the most wonderful and addictive contralto in addition to a very lovely personality, but her voice is nowhere near as powerful as Stutzmann's. Now despite its relative "lightness" the voice is incredibly dark and the singer couldn't be more dramatic. As I said above Stutzmann & Podles sound more motherly. Helen Watts was also a force to be reckonned with a few years ago, I have some wonderful recordings of her.

[celestialbakura]

I agree with your opinion to differentiate Stutzmann and Mijanovic, but I still feel that their colors are very close. Mijanovic being the closer one to a countertenor (but still so similar to Stutzmann). I have a hard time thinking that Stutzmann and Podles are as dramtic as each other.

[celestialbakura]

Podles is like a wrecking train and her coloratura is heavy and precise. Stutzmann's tone is lighter and acting is not nearly as in your face. But both are remarkable regardless. And this makes me question her as a Wagnerian Singer...

[celestialbakura]

"lighter and her acting ability"...

[celestialbakura]

Although I do agree with your other opinions about motherly sounds being within their voices. Mijanovic is very different, but Mingardo is definitely the one I hold onto and love the most :D

[rayangreene]

To Celestialbakura1 :

I gladly grant you that Mijanovic's timbre is closer to Stutzmann's than to Pldles's, but all is all I differentiate Mijanovoc's from Stutzmann instantly. I'd say that Podles's timbre is more usual than Stutzmann's, while Mijanovic's is definitely the most original. Now regarding the acting of the singers, Stuzmann may be a bit more "timid" than Podles, and Mijanovic is definitely the most daring of the three. Mijanovic's acting is unprecedented and brethtaking.

[rayangreene]

To Celestialbakura 3 :

I do like Mingardo too, but I must admit I prefer Mijanovic's metalic sounding timbre. Like you, I adore Larmore's "Hence Iris hence away", which is a pure delight. Although I like Horne too, I'm relieved to finally find someone who also thinks that although she was a brilliant artist, her coloratura leaves much to be desired at least in the aria mentioned a few line above.

[rayangreene]

To Celestialbakura 4 :

Now when it comes to male coloratura, I've found nobody who could hold a candle to him. Rapid, accurate and technically irreprochable colorature. In Theodora in particular. I've never heard anythink like his "Dread the fruit of Christian folly". I wish he was part of the cast of "Agrippina" that Minkowski's gonna be conducting in May in Zurich with an already incredible cast (namely Mijanovic, Bonitatibus, Harteluis and Kasarova to quote a few).

[rayangreene]

To Celestialbakura 4 (follow-up) :

Regading my comments about male coloratura, I'm referring to Richard Croft :o).

[celestialbakura]

I responded to your comments above these ones...

[rayangreene]

To Celestialbakura 2 :

Yes Podles's coloratura is extremely accurate and heavy, but so is Stutzmann's. I daresay thay Stutzmann vocalises in a more "academic" way while Podles coloratura if more dedicated to the art and therefore more emotional, if it makes sense to you. Now have you noticed how Mijanovic's coloratura has changed over the last years ? It used to be extraordinarily precise, fast and light in the vein as Genaux's, now it's heavier and a less accurate, but maybe more lively.

[Ted10038]

WOW!

That was incredible.

And all that carping about her coloratura....

If you guys had been present you'd realize that to get that much agility out of a voice that size is a miracle!

If you'd been there you'd have been blown away like everyone else who's heard her live.

[PakoChile]

Amazing....her chest notes are so beautiful. I don't think you can compare her with Horne...it seem Blythe's voice is heavier and larger, also her coloratura can't match Horne's. In spite they have similar voices her repertoire is different and her posibilities too.

[coopandre]

I love her voice quality, but the coloratura seem beyond her...at least in this recording, e.g., 3:22. We her the first and last notes and the rest are kind of scooped in between...althought it does get better and the run progresses.

[shazzer1976]

Breath-taking!

[droot6681]

WORSHIP!!!!! her coluratura has gotten incredibly refined since then. she is mezzo perfection

[MusicMan0080]

I can't take my eyes off of this woman when she performs. What an amazing performer and human being. If you ever have the opportunity to get to know or work with her, you'll understand where I'm coming from. Simply incredible.

[firebug47]

My goodness! What a magnificent performance: such range of expression, such power and delicacy, all in one short piece.

[dennisdeem]

awesome!!! Our generation's Horne.

[k0229071]

Yes, she has a lovely voice but I'm sorry, she is not comporable to Marilyn Horne. A better choice would be Bartoli or Larmore.

[Operaman41]

Stephanie is a TRUE COntralto!! but I am sure that uf she went by cintralto instead of mezzo she would be pigeon holed and be limited to roles!

I first heard in The Rake Progress at the Met as Baba she was WILD!

Love her!

[mstuartg]

What a huge voice, not as refined as Horne but she leaves you breathless-those low notes-incredible

[cantanteporsiempre]

daaaaaaaaamn!!!! she´s good!! who is this mezzo i have never heard before, marvellous.

[Sarzuuk]

she matches the baroque

[VerdiMezzo]

Also, she's obviously getting paid!

[VerdiMezzo]

A big voice is no excuse but you probably do not have one. Or you would know what it is like to drive a MAC truck through cones!

[berns2003]

Also, keep in mind ye disbelievers, that this was also 8 years ago when Steph was only 27. Has anyone heard her recently at the Met? I don't think there's a pin that could fit through a hole anywhere in her voice as of 2008, let alone a truck.

[Liberalissimo]

Mediocre -- you could drive a truck through the hole in the middle of her voice. Unify the registers sweetheart. And a big voice is no excuse not to have agility, sorry.

[a77l99]

true. thanks for saying it straight. her coloratura is horrible.

[altodivo]

someone should rip the orchestra a new collective a$%@hole...

[berns2003]

sorry, wisemonki, is my comment actually agreeing with yours?

[berns2003]

Actually, I find Horne's rendition very sloppy. I think it is she who lacks the agility. Steph is at the top of her game and a brilliant musician and woman.

[lullybasblancs]

the orchestra is crap in this!

[hillevifan]

yea i've seen this conductor in several other videos and he doesnt lead the orchestra very well

[tristanhnl]

That's Julius Rudel. I agree the orchestra is a bit sloppy in this, but overall I like Rudel's conducting. He really knows how to whip an orchestra into an adrenaline-pulsing frenzy, like Zubin Mehta. There are quite a few recordings out there with Maestro Rudel conducting, opera or otherwise. He can at times draw out the best in an orchestra, similar to James Levine. He's just not very consistent. All in all you either hate him or love him.

[WiseMonki]

Horne nails this aria... however, this fine singer lacks agility... great low notes. super post. my greatful thanks,

[DoinItClassy]

Stephanie Blythe's voice is also like 6 times bigger than Horne's.. which has to be taken into account since bigger, heavier voices like Blythe's don't move as fast. I think considering the instrument Stephanie has to work with her coloratura is really impressive

[fernandoclassic30]

The size of her voice is no excuse and if she can't seem to manage the coloratura the aria or role demands, the she should be honest with herself and leave such roles/arias alone, instead of embarrassing herself by leaving much to be desired. This is absolutely AWFUL!!!!

[DoinItClassy]

I disagree.

[jonjon71]

You're right...there is nothing aflight about this coloratura...heavy and effortful

[BAMBAM8993]

what a range! brilliance all the way through!

[MusicaParola]

A unique artist, with a glorious column of sound from top to bottom. Once you hear this voice, you will not forget it. Brava!

[BGSourgas]

Never heard her before and definitely won't be forgetting it! love the way she doesn't overaspirate the coloratura as well

[dacooldl]

A real understanding of Baroque style, with perfect English diction and crisp singing. Stunning overall.

(Is there anything this remarkable artist can't do?)

[A7sogno]

simply fabulous.