Soprano Josephine Barstow's craziest stage attitude!

[ezayi]

Her singing here isFABULOUS and I liked a lot what she did at the end. It´s dramatic. Also, it has to do with what she´s singing. She is saying; Who dares to profane or desecrate this sacred place?... maybe that´s why she turns her back as part of her act. I loved it. BRAVA!

[arsoperae]

Superba! The ending is georgeous!

[Dymension]

Brava!!!!

[mezzomanUK]

Utterly wonderful, and still going strong at 70+ as The Countess in an otherwise disappointing Opera North Queen Of Spades . RIP George Harewood

[barneswriter]

Camper than a row of tents but i loved her to bits........

[stirling1950]

I saw her in nearly everything she sang, I just never got it. Her Italian is better sung than her English, she is awful to watch.

[Tenortalker]

A great professional ! Her voice production was always unorthodox, but she moulded it to the expression of the emotion so well. Completely committed - we were fortunate to see her so often on the London stage.

[youfeda]

ma è stupenda!!

[cirosuperiore]

i missed the crazy part....what did i do, blink?

[newhotmailit]

amazing!!!!!

[mannail888]

Sensational. But I'd rather have the Maledizione four times.

[iubanne]

the final is MALEDIZIONE.....not aoeo........ ITALIAN?

[coryisawake]

@iubanne There is a tradition for many sopranos (including Italian ones) to split the final word on the Bb so that it ends on the final syllable: E vowel.

Steber, Freni, Marton, Beňačková-Čáp, Gheorghiu all chose this option.

Barstow's Italian is fine.

[ferrykalos]

My God! What is this?!?!?!?!?

A singing dog!

[SteveBell1942]

@ferrykalos Difficult to understand why people like you think their utterances are of value. You show no reason, no analysis, nothing but what I presume you think is clever. Trust me it isn't. Try ' I don't like it because..' or shut up.

[jocmuc1]

fantastic singer

[PIPZZZ02]

Dramatically Leonora turning her back makes complete sense. She has delivered her curse on the interloper & then turns away in rage at her solitude being violated.

Much more truthful than standing facing the audience waiting for applause.

[robin678]

Dame Josephine Barstow is without doubt one of the greatest sopranos of the latter part of the 20th century. Amazing singing-actress, totally visual, as great as Callas,,,,,,,but with better control vocally. Occasionally she attempted roles which were thought to be a bit heavy for her fragile voice........Aida, Lady Macbeth (Shostakovich).........but she triiumphed!

Have seen her many times............always sensational.

[kkkathykk]

I just love this. Thanks for posting it.

[gayoperadude63]

I think turning her back was a dramatic effect and thats why she did it

[TheJerry1205]

OMG.Please post some more of her. I must have watch this ten times already.



[Marilia1Tavares]

??????????????something wrong????

[normendez55]

Bestial!!!!

[sharky123]

Enthralling! Love, too, that she does the actual written ending!  Brava!

[abracadabranque]

Envoyé!Légèrement pâteux,mais bien!

[iskenderuna]

Finally someone singing the end as written! (3x Maledizione as opposed to most sopranos who sing 4x). The only other person I ever heard sing it like this was Cortrubas (strangely enough) in some gala concert televised in the 80s. Barstow was very remarkable in her way - best in roles like Salome, Lady Macbeth and Janecek operas.

[LeilogOpera]

@iskenderuna Also Caballe in her studio recording does it (3xMaledizione). Bravissima Josephine Barstow on this clip.

[brolobear]

Well, I think that was pretty stunning!

[dziady1]

That she can do it is a given -but it is an

interpretation without dicipline the line is

lost because it borders on hysteria, which

impresses - one hears two Leonoras' at

work so it fails artistically, but impresses

as a singer who can do it all but

hasn't made up her mind- it doesn't hold

a centre, luckly the aria carries itself in spite

of the singer pulling it in all directions .

[donaldcollup]

I find this performance riveting. My only chance to experience her was Salome - a real stage animal with unlimited energy. This "Pace" is so refreshing, so vocally and musically entwined.

[sharky123]

@donaldcollup - Hey Donald, I saw that Salome, too (if you mean the 70's Baltimore, which I think you do!) I was hooked on her from that point on!

[osaggie]

Well, what may be a "craziest stage attitude" to some translates really well in an enormous opera house. Those of us who have attended performances by Ms. Barstow and also have been lucky enough to have worked with the lady can attest to the fact of her amazing, thrilling artistry.

[robin678]

Her performances in London of Salome, Violetta, Leonora (FDD), Fidelio, Mimi, Musetta, Elisabetta di Valois, various Janacek heroines, and MANY others, will always live in my memory. WHY is there not a bio/autobio of her ourstanding career?

[Randidan]

Amazing! I wouldn't have expected this from her... when I saw her in San Diego (70's?) in Ballo (& something else, I think), she walked around the stage with her hands in that "prayer" position & with a very hunchbacked stance (I dubbed her the Praying Mantis Lady) her acting was negligible. ...and the voice was unattractive and not very individual. What a difference here! wish I'd been in the audience!!!

[robin678]

Could go on and on about Jo Barstow.........never ever disappointed. Last seen by me as Mere Marie in The Carmelites.........final tableau where she was the only survivor, will live with me forever.

[medievalbrad]

I was at the Coliseum that evening and can recall just how electrifying this was in the theatre. It was great to find this - thank you so much for posting it. For me, it sums up all that I love about Barstow - the total commitment to the role in voice and acting. And just listen to that audience reaction at the end!

Bradx

[robin678]

Answer......nobody!!!

OK....maybe she never had the most beautiful voice of all time, but Dame Josephine constantly thrilled me in many many performances in the last 30-40 years. Along with Rita Hunter and Rosalind Plowright at the ENO, we were astonishingly lucky.

[GoldenAgeSunshine]

Who could possibly sing this thrilling aria in a better way today? One of the most exciting renditions I've ever heard. And what a perfect breath control up to the climaxing top B. An true example. Thanks for posting.

[yosoycalaf]

Absolutely astonishing and superb! She's always been a singing actress and this rendition clearly shows that! An enormous musician,no doubt.Besides, how easy is to criticese when you haven't been on stage, all alone!!!!

[amlirco]

She is so IN that takes one's breath away. A fully dramatic performance.

I'm not sure "craziest stage attitude" describes rightly what's happening there.

Emotional explosion! And the intonation and dynamical wrap stood to reason. That's what musical theatre is all about.

[mradkova]

This is an electrifying rendition! She was triumphal at the end, bowed and thanked to the audience with a smile, then she left... - in the right moment! IMO, staying on the stage for a longer time /as if she's begging for more applause and acknowledgment/ is not appropriate either. Brava Barstow!

[SuperMoshe77]

applaudissements plus que mérités ! C'est tout simplement SUPERBE

SuperMoshe77

[Plowrightclips]

She is just breath taking, so committed and with such contorl of a very powerful and beautiful voice. Everytime i see her im transfixed like no other singer can do to me.

[Randidan]

I didn't think one could literally cry & sing at the same time! Amazing! This is much better than the perf of Ballo I saw her in in San Diego. It was just mannered; this was "one of the best".

[GoldenAgeSunshine]

She turns her back to the audience because Elenora chooses to retire in a cloister, so she turns her back to the World and prefers isolation and religious confinement. It's a great, electrifying and mesmerizing rendition. She was a true giant of a singer. What an exciting singer, a very meaningful singing.

[JeroenTimmer]

Great performance! The turning back is the dramatical ending, I guess, feels like it though!

Any one saw her "one tear" at 5 min 30?

BRAVA!

[coryisawake]

Brava!

[robin678]

I saw her sing this role twice....sensational!!!!!

She was electrifying every moment she was on stage....as in ALL her other performances. Maybe not the most beautiful of voices...neither was Callas...but truly magnetic in every appearance.

Dame Josephine Barstow was one of, if not, the greatest sopranos of the late 20th century.

[paulostroff99]

Gorgeously sung!  TY C.

[iskenderuna]

Putting a curse on someone is pretty crazy to start off with, so Dame Josephine was probably just being...well...dramatic! She sounds so good in Verdi.

[TreblesBasses]

huh?

[nornsnornsnorns]

What a great artist! She was stunning in the subsequent production. With regard to the turn, I think it just part of her performance, as usual living the piece. Or maybe she needed to cough?? Either way, it is a very effective piece of stagecraft. Thanks for posting