Edita GRUBEROVA - aria of OPHELIE (A.Thomas)

[gustopheles]

what year is this? 1990? It doesn't compare to her Tokyo performance, but her singing is good.

[MrYankeeTex]

When was this?

[ezayi]

FANTASTIC!!!

[ycnanydolem]

Inarrivabile!!!Meravigliosa!!!­!

[ilpremio2008]

My God, I really don't believe this posts: "I like better"..."l prefere"...what are you talking about?? This is simple outstanding singing, just listen to it and try to learn something!

[MisterSoprano]

I like both, Natalie and Edita, heard them both life and were both outstanding. Have even heard Edita doing this aria (Ophelia) in a concert 10 years ago and she was superb! As for pronunciation (I speak fluently frech) I'd agree Natalie is better, but have to realise only natural french people can sing french operas with really good pronunciation, all the rest just cannot, at least the "r" is allways the problems and the "nose-voices". Just go and listen to famous Carmen interprets :))

[kngiht84]

Stop posting craps, this is where we enjoy music and not finding playmate !

[pearlmuth3]

don't understand french but the voice is fine, heard her in Lucia in 86 with shicoff , chicago and she was great, beautiful strong coloratura.

[meltzerboy]

Gruberova's singing of this formidable piece is considerably better than I expected. She is attuned to the French style and her diction is very good. Technically, she is also on target, except the final scale, which almost no one sings accurately. Otherwise, a great performance!

[edgarbiervliet]

Ja, that final scale has always made me wonder.

Is she not able to do it more acurately, or is it a dramatic choice...

Normally her chromatic scales are just perfect.

But this scale is a capella and over almost two octaves...

[meltzerboy]

Funny, I don't even remember having commented on this performance. And what a difference a year makes! I was too complimentary in my previous remarks. Listening to the performance again, I think Gruberova should not have sung this challenging piece at all. It's difficult for the greatest coloraturas; even Sutherland, who sang it brilliantly, had some difficulty later on with that scale at the close. Tetrazzini used to sing it even in her 60s and her recording is great, including the scale.

[meltzerboy]

Melba made a few recordings of the aria; the earliest 1904 version is the best, but still not perfect. I like Dessay's singing of it, technically and emotionally, and I am no Dessay fan (and neither am I a Gruberova fan, for the record). I try to call it as I hear it regardless of my preconceptions about the singer, and in this case, I have to downgrade my evaluation of the performance. It is far from bad, just not as well sung as I had thought at first hearing.

[meltzerboy]

Even the great Galli-Curci, who sang the role and recorded the aria (admittedly past her best), avoided the final scale altogether and substituted a series of ornaments. Sembrich was also a noted interpreter of the role, and Lily Pons sang the aria at least once at a recital late in her career, but I can't imagine her performing the climactic scale. Of course, there is more to the aria than scales and ornaments, but if these are sung awkwardly, it ruins the overall dramatic effect.

[meltzerboy]

P.S. Sills also recorded the piece, but I don't recall her handling of the scale. Callas made several recordings of it; in the studio performances, the scale is better sung. Of course, Callas puts so much meaning into the music and the text that one can forgive a technical flaw or two.

[caspiman]

Excellent as usual!!

But what was this squak at top F close to the end?

[asisecanta]

Not very moving according to dramaturgy but vocally outstanding!!!!!

BRAVA!

...But don't miss Dessay's version in Paris 2000. JUST PERFECT!

[kngiht84]

Yes, Dessay IS Ophelia

[ezayi]

What did you expect?... this is a recital. What she did was enough.

[sour7lemon]

Dessays 2000 paris was a recital, and it was incredible even compared to this.

[ezayi]

I don´t care about Dessay... don´t like her voice and find her dramatic acting is too over acting. Thanks... but no... prefer Edita.

[123Niche]

If you were french you prefer Dessay. I'm french and Gruberova's pronunciation is awful. So she can't "be" Ophelia...

[ezayi]

I don´t give a damn about been french... Im talking about quality of voice and in that... for me dessay´s voice doesn´t even get close. Besides, so many famous singers sing so bad french and you still love them.

[Dondinin]

Bravissima!! This is amazing! Please more from this recital!