Kathleen Battle - Romeo et Juliette - Je veux vivre dans

[olympicfreak678]

Going for the Gone with the Wind curtain look i see

[SouaiYamazakiTV]

You all are forgetting that Juliet is THIRTEEN YEARS OLD! The voice is meant to be light, not a heavy coloratura. The thing that makes this disgusting is NOT the tone, the heaviness, or the diction...ITS THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS! The dress is disgusting and puke worthy, and her vowel shape won't stop changing!!

Plus her huge ego doesn't help her get many admirers... >_>

My favorite part is possibly how happy she looks when she sings! ^^

[Doily131]

That composer is the guy from super bad right?

[babs22hh]

@Doily131 wow thats the conductor! rofl

[saxamaphoneguy1]

@Doily131 Or James Levine, one of the most respected names in opera?? But sure, superbad, right.

[JaZzSiNgEr0603]

her French is really not very good... I've listened to like 6 different versions of this song today and she's the hardest to understand. Also, OP, Kathleen Battle is a high soprano at best, coloratura she isn't.

[Doily131]

@JaZzSiNgEr0603 you can't understand anything she sings...cant even understand her when she sings semele...she's not very good..

[timdivine]

Miss controversy yes but give her her due she had a delicate art of her own, small voiced yes, but lovely and she is beautiful to look at just not in tthat star wars get up, is it an overcoat or part of the dress cant figure it out!

[Serenitychan13]

I actually kinda like the outfit! It doesn't look like it itches or pinches! Does look a bit Star Wars-y, but I go to anime conventions, so I like that!

[capera78]

Hahaha,she's just sounds like a ghost singing this beautiful aria with her little tiny voice.......the comparison with real performers of this area like Sutherland,Damrau or Gheorghiu is just impossible,she doesn't stand a chance!

[deizel90]

@operafantastic257 lol@ a Christmas tree in mourning.......ok ok....it was the 80's..cut her some slack

[DadaAwy]

terribile...



[deizel90]

You know some people crack me up......they act as if the dress is singing......kathleen could have gone out there in a Santa Claus suit and still ALL of you would have been awestruck at the sheer brilliance that makes kathleen who she is today...a Living Legend

[onotuoedaul]

o que a voz dela tem de bonita a roupa tem de feia

[OperaMystery80]

Beautifully sung Je Veux Vivre by Battle. This light French coloratura aria suits her small voice just fine. But MY GOD THAT COSTUME is so ugly. Why the hell is she wearing a big black bird costume LOL It doesn't match with the song or the character of Juliet. They could have had her in one of her usual pretty Oscar Night evening gowns.

[classicalgalNYC]

Okay voice and terrible disposition =/ The Met had every right to send her packing...

[pianist7722]

Battle has the most beautiful voice<3 FANTASTIC! =)

[Marcelosopro]

Que timbre deslumbrante!!!! Isso é uma VOZ.....

[GermanOperaSinger]

She really had a fantastic voice. Sad that she had to get herself fired from the Met by acting like a lunatic. Only thing greater than her voice was her ego.

[AlexDS69]

I know that this is from the 1980s, but still, there is no excuse for that dress. That is one of the most hideous things I've ever seen anyone wear.

[bodiloto]

Voce piccolina,e stonata,francese orrendo.

E malata?

[FloriaTosca90]

She is such a vital girl here!

[Suniart]

Hmmm... not her usual style,plus Black associates with obituary and death in Japan...

Nonetheless, I still love her voice!

[arpeggio1358]

That outfit looks like bark on a tree.  Ms. Battle is usually beautifully dressed. I don't know what happened here.

[stelleking]

hahahahhaha she sings beautiful but the dress was so ....distracting :O !!! haahhaah! Interesting :D

Very beautiful sung though :)

[olympina]

Beautifull French. Très beau Français.

[bodiloto]

@olympina a bon? Quel bonheur! ahahahahahahahah

[baburton81]

I love her dress. I would so wear that, but mine would have lights attached! (If I were a soprano)

[rosie22293]

@RaWrZzZz it's a high C (fairly standard for proper sopranos) however in the section before that there is a D :)

[rebeccafarleysings]

She sounds fantastic! One of the best renditions, and most in tune, of all.

[leprincebeaumont]

Soprano leggero mediocrissimo, con tecnica discutibile. Mi sono sempre domandato come possa aver fatto la carriera che ha fatto negli Anni Ottanta.

[violinistx100]

what a dress lol but she's fantastic!!

[Babs22h]

@biologias3 anyone should be uppity in the face of such ignorance and stupidity! Brava Kathleen sing beautiful for all to see... as your voice soars above such ugliness...

[RaWrZzZz]

The ending high note...what is it?

[vascula4]

Good grief a singing pine cone,she is delish shame about the drag

[VoiceOfAnAngel1]

The sad thing is that the main dress underneath looks like it could be tasteful and elegant.

Beautiful interpretation of the song; as long as I don't look at her dress (which is a feat and makes me laugh), I can enjoy it. : )

[miuzefreak]

OMG!... JUST THE FROCK ALONE MUST HAVE ABSORBED THE SOUND AND CUT THE ACOUSTICS DOWN 75% LOLOLOL "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING MISS KATHLEEN?!" LOLOL

[SandrineSoprano]

Sack the stylist!

[Shodansixtyone]

Truly the voice of an angel - Her wonders passion, her amazing control of her marvelos voice - It is a must to see her inperson as her expressions on the journey through the aria is beyound anyother artist capabilities - she is truly a national treasure. All that and she is a beautiful women who is the regal imbodyment of what a diva should be.

[lisamayavonB]

By far the best rendition of this aria here on youtube!! She does sound like a young girl which is vital, imo. It's best listened to without the image of her - not because of the dress, but her disturbing facial expressions.

[lisamayavonB]

By far the best rendition of this aria here on youtube!! She does sound like a young girl which is vital, imo.

[missvivalaopera]

what is she wearing?

[giggilamour]

Seriously one of the best soprano ever!And how perfectly does she articulate the words!

[giorgioot]

aahahahahahahahaahahahahahahah­ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah­ahahahahahahahahahahah!!!! diciamo che il suo gusto musicale non coincide con quello esteticamente riferito al vestiario !!!! eheheehhehehee

[nominext]

if this is not the right place to wear this glamourous dress.where on earth should she wear it. I love her phenomenal dress and her voice also great.

[nominext]

the best dressed opera singer of all time.

[DarthxErik]

She is practically flawless! :) And I will NOT comment on what she's wearing. XD

[AnoMundi]

What is that dress, for God´s sake?! I love her voice anyway :-)

[Pollione88]

Looks like a black chicken! She is a hot chick anyway!

[actionsrlouder]

@Pollione88 LOLOL

[dopepenguin88]

Shee looks just like that pokemon called "Mug" is eatiing er alive XD

[opricnik]

Ma chi l'ha vestita!!!!??? Non riesco a smettere di ridere.

[swetergrl91]

lovely voice, but her phrasing is off. something about it just doesn't satisfy.

[ltginpdx]

One of her best performances that I've seen on YT.

[lalagonegaga]

Holy fucking shit, what on Earth is she wearing? :)))))))))

[SuksiVittuun]

wtf is that dress? i think it's eating her O_o

it's refreshing, however, to hear an honest attempt at good french diction. in this aria in particular, i hear a lot of people schlupping through it because it's fast... that's no excuse.

[kigomin]

Anbody Heard her live recently? She sings in Ottawa but didn't dare go. Don't want to spoil memories of her singing few years ago

[TheAleph74]

@kigomin : Read the reviews... they were very good. She was great... of course, not as she used to be in the 80's but not bad for a 63 year old woman.

[bcom11]

@kigomin i heard her at Carnegie Hall this past February. AMAZING. The NY Times review of her was ridiculously negative for no reason.

She was simply amazing. She has developed into a beautiful lyric voice. And to sound so amazing at 63. Must be that classic Marlena Malas training.

[Daniloveschoir]

@bcom11 Wow...she's 63 now??? And still giving recitals- so amazing!

[Ellevius]

Fantastic, as always.

Fired from the Met?

Callas was too.

She is in good company.

Seems it is a hallmark of greatness.

It is a hallmark of greatness, it seems.

[blondie028]

is she wearing a turkey? lol jajaja

[MastersoftheOpera]

I love the 80's and 80's fashions but I don't like what Battle is wearing. It's hideous. Her costume doesn't match the light, joyful aria either. This is Juliet's Dream Song and she's wearing a strange, black costume that looks like something worn at a Funeral for a Star Wars character

[swetergrl91]

@MastersoftheOpera I was thinking exactly the same thing. She looks like she's dressed for turandot or L'orfeo and not a young girl in love.

[BernardProfitendieu]

@MastersoftheOpera it's a concert - she supposed to run backstage and change costumes to match every song in the concert? get real!

[KlausT]

The 80s may have much to answer for as far as "fashion" is concerned, but the voice was just glorious!

[nominext]

she is the best dress opera singer of all time.

[JeeRant]

She looks like a Christmas tree.

[pianomags]

To listen to, my favourite version ever, but I love her doing any coloratura stuff. Just as wellas fans we can separate the lovely product from the artiste & her reputation. Just gorgeous.

[SENAFOREVER]

I love her dress, it's larger than life, so baroquet, almost flirting with anarchism. That's what opera should be.

And the singing is perfection.

I'm french and find her diction not only flawless but very, very idiomatic, like she has trained a lot on french poetry and mélodies.

[giggilamour]

Elle parle francais ,vous savez! Tres bien meme !

[SENAFOREVER]

Je l'ignorais. It's just that her diction is so, so naturally elegant, and refined...

[giggilamour]

Her voice is a musical instrument in itself! Beautiful

[isabelle070209]

Parfait...Et quelle prononciation... Stupéfiant pour une américaine...Et tombe même pas dans les pièges.

[timokoponen]

Her voice leaks. Too much air escapes from between the vocal chords which results in a whispery quality in the voice and a lack of brilliance. I don't like it.

[njgeoffery]

what about her pronounciation of the French t?

[operagirl529]

"oh dear that dress" was definitely the first thing to come to mind, but she sounds great!

[AGM1951]

LOLOLOL You are very funny!

[pbreanna123]

i love her no matter what she has on she can sing

[pbreanna123]

Thats right tell them!!!!!!!!!!!!

[baburton81]

She's weak

[pbreanna123]

Ya mom weak

[jokerab112]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA­AH.

how can anyone take this seriously with that getup she has on??

i cant believe there was NO ONE to tell her to not wear that

[bcom11]

lmao it's the 80s!!!! :)

she sonds wonderful regardless

[RoyalSnowbird]

Should be "Je veux vivre dans ce rêve" - beautiful. Her French pronunciation is quite good.

[isabelle070209]

@RoyalSnowbird en effet et je suis française.. Etonnant même.

[upperstringlover710]

lol the dress is a little much,but she is great as always.IMAO to mickey05491 comment

[D9l3tt]

Wow, this is amazing. do you have more of this concert?

[mickey05491]

good lord, that dress looks like it's eating her whole! Oh well, the song was beautiful.

[tt1st]

lordy lordy that dress!

she sounds great, though

[Dawson2244]

Love Kathleen

[belcantosoprano]

Kathy! gotta love her!!!

[bruceagogox]

she's fantastic, im just frightened by that christmas tree she's wearing.

[Babs22h]

haha christmas tree... rofl thank you for that one...

[swetergrl91]

@bruceagogox "Christms Tree"!! Epic! LOL

[Babs22h]

i love her looka t the end of the piece ... she looks almost "high"... I suppose she really wants to live!!!!!!!

[TMD3453]

She's got the beauty of the voice along with drama and warmth.

[ryker25]

Coloraturafan, thanks for this video as well.

As for all those idiotic comments: fine, the dress looks funny and she makes some weird facial expressions. And she's known to be a true diva (listen to her infamous interview). SO WHAT?? Her voice, inflection and technique are one of the best of any soprano.

[Babs22h]

actually if you listen to the FULL video on hulu no doubt you'll see she was really quite polite with the interviewer and the interviwer suddnely became invasive and icky! she had a right to discontinue the interview. people think sometimes because others are famous you can treat them anyway or ask them anything. Its ridiculous!

[AnnickMassisFan]

waorf waorf waoooooooooooooooorf waorffffffffff WAORFFFFFFFFFFFFF ....

[gwright199]

the dress is a hetero woman's verson of "penis envy" --- you know, big car, little di--ck. As always, some sweet moments due to her girlish voice/intonation, but the top notes are thin...no trill and no character....last note is anticlimatic, BUT she looks good as Juliette....I guess that should count for something

[katjaEminor]

Juliette in this Cape??? Is it the same character...so small voice...so big "Dress"....and no respect for the musicians that are playing behind the Cape......!!!Disaster! No taste no character no voice no music!....maybe just notes and too much ambitions....

[romarius2005]

wow i hear now perform and her voice has grown since this recording..however was she heard at the met?

[sschimel]

She has not been at the Met in quite some time. She was fired over diva behavior and never asked back.

[romarius2005]

no i meant voice-wise....her voice is very small...she was called "The singing Mosquito" from an insider at the MET....

[liebestod11]

She looks like a christmas tree. Merry christmas to everyone! Ms. Battle is the tree and the Maestro Levine is the santa claus. hehe

[papapizza]

i don't know what's worse, the cape or the coloratura funny faces

[sschimel]

As we say on Parterre Box, she has no Gay friends.

[coloraturafan]

Is it that she has no gay friends, or she has too many... That would have been some piece for a drag queen in 1988... or maybe not, I was still in grade school in 88.

[Jamaicanchocolate34]

@coloraturafan Hate the dress colour, Love the design. Try Red or Yellow next time

[Satirike]

Good man; someone clicked the link xD

[tenore23]

Help! a monster is devouring ms. Battle! or is it the other way around?

[skitzo429]

what the FUCK is she wearing???

[beccici]

lol.....

[Houndentenor1998]

I've never liked her. She is a great musician, though.

The designer of that cape should be shot.

People should remember this is opera. It's not a fashion show. It's all about voice, voice, Voice.

She doesn't have have much of a trill and sounds a little out of breath at the end.

Overall, pretty good.

Did I mention that she is a nasty woman?

[MinistahB]

That cape seems to ENGULF her tiny frame....but, her voice is just MAGNIFICENT, as always!

Bravissima, Diva!!

[ashakiwi]

What the hell is she wearing!!!!! LMAO Still she is flawless... All HAIL THE QUEEN

[rrgallo]

Such a sweet rendition of this lovely aria!!!!!

[urherman]

great performance comparable to the incomparable Bidu Sayao

[UranusRising]

OH...MY...GOD. What is she wearing? People can continously debate on the nomenclature of her "frock" or whether or not it's horrendous, but it is undeniablly distracting and detracts from the attention that should be paid to her singing.

[lalaindahouse]

she looks like an armadillo with that cape.

[StephanAOTTO1]

SPECTACULAR ensemble, & performance!

It's a gown w/ a ruffled cape, not just a dress. Please, refrain from making fashion "judgements" until you actually know what you're talking about.

You'd tend to look less FOOLISH if you did.

[StephanAOTTO1]

I agree w/ UESLyricB's comment.

[cgt2631]

I can't watch her sing, but after listening to a post of anna netrebko (sp) sing this - her version is bliss. I hate it when heavy voices try to sing light pieces - sounds HORRIBLE. Kathleen's voice was meant for such roles.

[lowvoice3]

I think its a hot cape!!!!....its called grand!

[omniscope99]

cape is very priscilla "esque".

[baburton1981]

That getup is ridiculous! Did Bob Mackey use that on the Carol Burnette Show? Poor Battle

[UESLyricB]

I have loved, do love and will always love her voice. The cape, by the way, was designed by Rouben Ter-Arutunian; I would have chosen to wear it over something shimmery, say a boucle beaded gold lame or maybe a burnished bronze satin which would match her lovely skin tone.

[ruffnation]

She is not a fan of heaving beading. I don't even think she owns any lame. She likes classic elegance, details in the structure of the gowns, and interchangable pieces and can be mixed and matched. She does wear satin but for the most part she prefers to let her voice do all the shining and shimmering.

[oshopiano]

good singing, not the best. Terrible dress ... TERRIBLE

[alecs1976]

hey come on...for the eighties this I find a very decent dress :)

[oronhey]

What the HELL is she wearing. Dude.

[ButterflyTB]

What's up with all the extra plummage? LOL It looks ridiculous, but I still heart her singing.

[nominext]

who is the dress designer.

[gtownlad77]

rubin ter arturan may be a little off on my spelling

[WQA12345]

Muy bien!

[DoinItClassy]

Best outfit ever.

[ruffnation]

She needs something to keep all that dirt off her shoulder. Jay Z brushes it off, Kathleen wears a cape. ;-)

[musikenergy]

ROTFL! I like that!

[maryjivinjane]

I love her voice... That is the single worst cape I have ever seen in my life, but I do love her voice. XD

[fedmut97]

regarding the cape, i saw her in recital come out without a cape at the start, and then second half, she had a cape.

i agree about the late 80s with the airiness up top and in early 90s she started contorting her face more, especially the lower lip with tucking it in.

[JuillHope17]

towards the end of the 80's the upper notes got much airier and her face when she sang them got more and more overdone (not on purpose of course, as it's a technique), the diction is eh.. and this performance seems to have lost steam... but what's so interesting despite all of that is that the musical accuracy is constantly there except for 2:29-2:41 which was a pinch sloppy... but still, if she would have been a little nicer (i wont go into it), there's no doubt she'd still be at the met today!

[magdaleneanna]

Actually, I believe that Volpe now admits that he was more or less the one with the issue, was basically insecure in his new position, and tried to compensate for it by throwing his weight around. In retrospect, he now claims to feel that he was being too harsh with Ms Battle. Of course, that does little to change the fact that he pretty much ruined her career with his unfounded accusation...

[333Kersh]

Volpe admits to Battle being a nightmare and making everyone around her miserable. If you read "Toughest Show on Earth", he gleefully details her rudeness and lunacy. In Interviews he's said, "Obviously Kathy had a lot of probems."

[CrazySingingNote]

p.s. i didnt even notice the cape to tell you the truth...i was focused on the singing...hahahaha

[CrazySingingNote]

i love this because she isnt blasting the whole song! she knows how to controle her voice and make it truly music, its so beautiful! gosh, i want her voice abbilities!!!

[musicadei]

This dress is awesome. It is so funny that everyone critiques Ms. Battle but the recording industry markets MEDIA MADE Ms. Fleming as "The American Soprano" And copied Ms Battle's Bel Canto cover with Ms. Fleming in a very similar ruffled black dress! WHATEVER!

[merrynolin]

Wear whatever, but it blocks the concertmaster's view, and that is not a good thing for her or the conductor.

[2caboca]

por dios!!! nadie le dijo que el vestido era horrososo???

[musicadei]

April 13, 2008 2PM CARNEGIE HALL

KATHLEEN BATTLE IN RECITAL

[raycanto76]

Later in this performance, she takes the cape off and now I can enjoy her performace. Too distracting!

[blckglam]

kathleen in couture! I love it

[typojack]

The singing delightful,,but the dress YUCK.

[ChantantReve]

wow...the dress...is...interesting.... somewhat distracting from the voice...

[AllThat77]

as much of a distraction as that cape is it so fashion forward for 1985. i love it!

[tenore23]

The problem is that this was 1988. Not too fashion forward eh?

[tenormcgee]

I'm a fan of the voice, but sometimes she covers and it gets really breathy... personal opinion. As for the dress... distracting is an understatement... i feel bad for the people sitting behind her....won't be seen

[VoyArrasando]

Oh my dear sweet god, I now know where ruffles and bow's go to die.

[ChantantReve]

LOL!

[ihearbryant]

LOL!

[cwecub]

i want that dress!!i love the taffeta cape! and i want to sing like that!

[ChagoWilson]

Superb vocal performance! Kathleen Battle remains one of the greatest gifts to music! I like her pose in this dress and cape in a photo of the Bel Canto album.

[musicadei]

Yes, Ms. Battle is a phenomenal singer and still sounds wonderful. I am blessed to be hearing her at the Kennedy Center on December 7th.

[altodivo]

HOW DID SHE SOUND?!

[feelsgoodinsideme2]

Listen to the singing, faux fashion queens! I'm interested in what you think of the performance and not about her dress; discuss that with your fellow 'sisters' who are interested. She is a remarkable singer; period!

[musicadei]

It is a cape.

[garconfrancais01]

ok as a fan of high fashion and someone who has looked kindly upon battle's fashions i have to say....WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS UP WITH HER SLEEVES!?! its not even a matter of pulling them off...there just dreadful in general...horrid choice and if she picked it out then im appaled.

[ajbradley]

Nobody can work a dress better!

[musicadei]

Wish I could have seen her work this dress coming on to the stage!

[musicadei]

That cape is it!!!!!!  I remember this from the cover of Bel Canto

[sevoflurane]

This suits Battle really well! The costume is fab!