Joyce Di Donato - D'amore al dolce impero (Score Animation)

[jgdmol4l]

this is truly impressive. I do hope she will be cast in this role in the future...aside from the singing (which is spectacular) I really think she would do a great job with the characterization. Fleming has a great voice with a superbly beautiful tone and good agility but acting is most definitely not her strong point. For a recording that's acceptable but for the stage such monumental productions, especially in the future, should be reserved for those that can act as well as sing imho.

[OLIVCHEN77]

BRAVA, BRAVA e ANCORA BRAVA- THIS IS GREAT SINING, with Style, Rhytmic, wonderful accents-but I don like the Orchestra, its sounds like a "Rumpelkammer"

[leprincebeaumont]

Certo, rispetto alla Fleming attuale è un mostro di beavura, ma l'inteprete è gelida, la voce altrettanto, e le agilità sono paurosamente meccaniche. Eppoi stiamo parlando di un ruolo colbran, non può essere cinguettato da un mezzosoprano (?) che più chiaro non si può.

[ChristineFlora]

Perfection!!!  Seems like Rossini wrote this one for her.

[joanabanyeres]

Beautiful woman, mezzo?

[bear46no]

A mystery why the Met didnt cast Di Donato in the part of Armida instead of La Flemming.

She has everything and it is sung in a personal way too.

[primohomme]

@bear46no

Renee did a fine job, it took some time to get the role back in her voice but by the time of the broadcast she was singing it very well. Her best was in 96 though.

[bear46no]

@primohomme Perhaps u are right. I have the recording from 1993 on Sony and even though the voice is younger its dubious if she is realy suited to the part, many strange use of portamenti. but its only an opinion. In a way she has not so much to tell

[killerbunny123123]

MASTERPIECE.....a true masterpiece of rossini's genius and a great, clean, agile, skillful and powerful performance by Mrs. Joyce. Just.....great!

[LoganSrbin]

Just started to discover Ms. Di Donato and am absolutely smitten by this rendition-I adore Caballe's version but Di Donato is magnificent in her unique way.

[thedamnedsleeper]

a devastation interpretation indeed. her upper register is like diamonds: gorgeously brilliant and every bit as cold... which i feel is perfect for singing armida. when she hits her lower register in "le stesse piante ancor" (something that she took liberties with, it looks like) it sounds so gloriously intimate; considering the what she's singing about, it's entirely appropriate. if she ever sings this role in full, i would make a sincere attempt to be first in line.

[Gobbi2007]

Colbran would be proud. Brava.

[kgarmaker123]

I like this woman, but her coloratura is seriously flawed, and you do not hear this in the Callas version.. There are so many H's voiced in the runs.. this is not correct technique.. Caballe used the same technique and it is very distracting..Also, she sounds as though she listened very carefully to Flemings version, as some of the "accents" are the same, type of slurry, jazzy stuff that Fleming puts in it.. which I do not think is in keeping with Rossini.

[primohomme]

They are couched by the same guy. I enjoy her recording though.

[kgarmaker123]

I wonder about her vocal categorization. Her high notes are so easy, it is easy to wonder what she would sound like in other soprano roles.

She is some singer, even so.

[moghedien13]

ive thought she was always more a soprano. or a rather high mezzo too.

[classicalgal14]

@moghedien13 Very singer no matter the voicing has a wide range but it the timbre / tessitura that determines a mezzo from soprano she has a deep rich timbre leaving her powerful in coloratura mezzo roles :)

[moghedien13]

@classicalgal14 exactly. i think her timbre hints at more soprano than mezzo, or something in between the two.

[classicalgal14]

@moghedien13 Just a coloratura MEZZO her top is to strained to be powerful enough in a real opera house :(

[primohomme]

@classicalgal14

You are right, she is a mezzo, but remember that in bel canto unlike in Wagner or Puccini, etc...the top doesn't have to be powerful but rather have a flexibility and a "ping" that allows it to cut over the orchestra with resonance instead of volume.

[classicalgal14]

@primohomme That is true, but in other operas of that nature which she does little of she has that thin upper range :)

[traxelable]

@kgarmaker123

you're mistaken, my dear ... the use of "Hs" in a baroque colaratura is perfectly alright, it is - believe it or not - very baroque and genuine! :)

[primohomme]

I wouldn't say "H" is correct at all, but a little puff of air to make the coloratura more exact is acceptable.

[kgarmaker123]

@traxelable This is NOT baroque.. this is early romantic... How on earth can you say this is baroque.. and it is wrong. for this.. totally.. all those H's She sounds like Caballe.. C ha ha ha sta Div he he he va.

[chavianog24]

@kgarmaker123

Before you even think about criticizing the "H's" that she uses why don't you listen to Cecilia Bartoli. A lot of coloratura's use a little "h" so the notes sound to muddy, to me her coloratura sounds perfect! Also I listened to Fleming's version, and yes while they are similar, they are still very different. I don't here any "jazzy stuff" in DiDonato's interpretation at all. Although she is not even a soprano, she almost sounds more natural in this role than Fleming!

[chavianog24]

@chavianog24

use a little "h" so the notes DON'T sound to muddy. :-)

[leonardovittori1]

@chavianog24 I don't care for Bartoli's use of the H either.. it is incorrect vocally. And very noisey.. Di Donato sounds soprano like to me.. as well.. for what it is worth.

[primohomme]

@chavianog24

Depends what source you consult, both Garcia and Marchesi speak about the "aspirated" coloratura as means of making the notes more exact, and never speak of it as a vocal flaw.

[kgarmaker123]

@chavianog24 Bartoli is TERRIBLE about the H's and I dislike them and count them heavily against a singer's technique and musicality when they are present and should not be.. Incidentally Bartoli is not one of my favorite singers.. She is plebian, and she is NOT A MEZZO... And there is plenty of jazzy stuff in there..

[chavianog24]

@kgarmaker123 I don't really care for Bartoli either, but I love Didonato's voice! My point is that, yes she uses some H, but its not excessive. You say that her coloratura is bad because her use of the H, but yet she is constantly praised for her technique.Her voice is built for this rep, while Fleming merely tries to sing it. Fleming's Armida at the met was very poorly reviewed, the reviewer said the coloratura was there, but it was missing something. that something is an edge that Joyce has!

[babydrane]

One of the best mezzos there is. This is just mastery.

[Randidan]

How do you think this compares to the 1970 live Armida with Deutekom? Is it closer to the score or not??  I can't handle Callas' voice very often and don't care for her rendition, so Christina's beautiful recordings of it have been my standard... Also, is the studio recording she did of one aria close to the score? they sound the same to me...

[primohomme]

No. Deutekom cackles her way through Rossini coloratura quite well, but she dodges all the low passages or sings them up an octave. I love her as Queen of the night or as Odabella, but not in things that require chest voice :)

[Randidan]

Not having a score for it I'm unable to check that out--thanx. She had her middle voice trained to do all the required Verdi notes in San Diego beautifully. The voice was equalised well enough to handle Abigaille and others quite seamlessly. I think I prefer that to the ones who don't train their chest register to blend... (But VIVA Boninsegna!!)

[kgarmaker123]

@Randidan Lord, another one who "can't handle Callas voice".... Why dont you open up your ears and listen. to how wonderfully sung it is, and.. how much she captures the music, the character, the composer's interntions.

[90lysander]

@kgarmaker123 If he/she can't handle Callas' voice, is it really your concern? There is some accounting for personal taste, after all. And one can admire Callas' passion, musicality, and artistry without particularly taking to her - as with all singers.

[Randidan]

@90lysander Exactly so! I grew up being taught that voices should be beautiful(unless at the service of particular phrases, NOT entire scores..) , and properly placed. Whatever the reason given (usual claim is that Maria never bothered to practice), the voice is unattractive/ugly far too often to be explained by "great interpretation" -- esp in "bel canto" repertoire. Listen to her for dramatic interpretation, phrasing and coloring but don't try to pretend anything else--she was NOT perfect!

[90lysander]

@Randidan  I think she was as perfect as she could be, given her natural gifts.

[Randidan]

@90lysander  Well put! Probably the best all-round answer at that!

[kgarmaker123]

@Randidan No .. she H's everything.. it sounds like a Scat voice.. its awful...

[yodavidnavarro]

Wonderfull! I didn't expect such mastery and control!

[Orfeus80]

I almost hear the mezzo equivalent to the young Fleming.

[primohomme]

Very true

[AnnElliot]

@Orfeus80 You mean in a good way? :-P

[Orfeus80]

@AnnElliot A l w a y s in a good way Ann ;-))

[iskenderuna]

Really beautiful The woman has got so much style and such an even and gorgeous voice. So fluid - she makes this difficult aria sound like a piece of delicious cake. That is going to be a hard one for any soprano to beat, let alone a mezzo!

[skitzo429]

wow, low F, thats intense.

[primohomme]

Yes, she has a great low range as well as a reliable and agile upper register, I've heard at least high Db from her sung in coloratura.

[skitzo429]

Ive heard her stick a short C# in the cabaletta from the big aria from cenerentola, bitch has some pipes. Theres a video of Ewa podles (arguably, the only real contralto alive at the present) sing a D in a run of some Handel aria, thats kind of wild.

[primohomme]

She has also sung a high Db in a series of staccatos in live performances of "Tanti Affeti", sadly she ommits those ornaments in the album recording. Ewa Podles has vocalized up to high E (never sustained) .

[primohomme]

Also the mezzo Malena Ernman has shown a huge range, from C3 to E6.

[foropera]

Merci, beau travail, c'est rare de pouvoir voir cette partition, et elle fait ça merveilleusement.

[Lilith89ibz]

Amazing <3 And you did a great job! Thank you for posting :)