Here Dame Joan is 56 years old and the voice sounds as vibrant as it did when she was 37! And apparently she had a cold?! Shame, even though she didn't hold the final note you could have fooled me about the cold! La Stupenda indeed! Bravissima Dame Joan. RIP.
I am not a fan of hers, but this is very good - prefere singers who sing only what they can, but true in original key sounds better. But I do prefere June Anderson in this role...
Otello has always been the opera hi sung the best to me, however It demands a very skilled high notes and make the strong so transposing down Otello has been an advantage for him too
May you read the entire comment of mine please?? I did point out almost every role and this is not an opinion, It is a fact. The whole opera world knows him best for transposing down roles, and I find this not good to the art of opera. You can change a few things to accomodate your way of singing but not trasnposing down which probes you cannot sing the piece which is just fine to me. He has already won the heart of many.
why can't baritones get fun stuff like the coloratura sopranos and mezzos? my teacher tells me I have a ton of agility, but I have nothing to use it on.
@raigekimaru Natural agility is a great thing to possess in singing. There is a lot of Handelian stuff for baritone....try "See the raginging flames" from Joshua or "Honor and Arms" from Samson both with good colortura passages. Depending on your skill level, there is also the duet with Rosina from Il Barbiere "dunque is son"...and its a challenge for even the most flexible of baritone voices to keep up with Rosina.
this was actually a better soprano than callas or so,however everybody knows callas,but sutherland knowing only the people who has to do with opera.this is really shame-she earns more acknowledment.
She sung so well despite her flu, and her husband really accopmanied her wonderfully too, it was still a marvellous performance. The coloratura passages and cadenza were refreshingly different than what's on the score.
I wish people would stop giving negative comments about this performance, what other coloratura would attempt to sing this aria at 56???? And might I add pull it off very magnificicently and not to even mention a cold to make things worst for the performer. I think she pulled off a magnificent performance regardless of her age. Bravo Joan! And by the way if it wasn't for the "Piano Player" the world might have never know Joan Sutherland!
Great! There is a funny thing about head colds. As long as it is actually in the head and hasn't reached the throat, it some cases it actually helps the singer get hyper focused. This probably aided her this night!
More importantly, I don't believe that it detracts from the performance. If you think it does, then fine, you're more than welcome to miss the point of the overall performance.
oprah, you fool, would you just go away? Joan always performed piano recitals with music. It would have been silly to discard the music for her arias. And she clearly is fighting a cold here, you can hear the rasp on the first syllable of "raggio". As I recall, she had a terrible bout of the flu in 1982. I heard her sing a concert in Brooklyn with it, and it afflicted her Toronto Normas as well--that's why the Eb is tentative. Most of the aria is majestic and brilliant.
She could, obviously, since she performed the role a few times in her fifties. As she grew older she was more prone to lapses, especially if she had been away from the role for some time.
While working on it, or currently performing it, she did much better.
Anywone know when this video was recorded? Joan S. must have been in her early 60's. I think she's wonderful. Voice of the Century. Cecelia Bartoli eat your heart out!
Perhaps a little strain in the upper regions, sevoflurane, but laboured? On the contrary, the scales and roulades in the second portion are done with her customary ease and brilliance. Of course, not as good as her earlier recordings, but still on a very high level.
I would have imperfections than a cold performance! She is talking big risks in a concert and with no orchestra.what is only missing and always has always been with Dame Joan, is the pronunciation of the words but who cares here, the libretto is so poor (if it was a lied, of course it would be a complete different matter).
She does well throughout the aria, but at this stage of the career, the Ebs weren't always "nice ones" as she would say. On this occasion she got there, but couldn't really sustain it. The Dbs were no problem.
Her great voice remained intact till her retirement in 1990 ! no problems with Eflat till then end absolutely.She is the greatest soprano of 20th century and the only one soprano assoluto
Well, the E-flat at the end of her 1986 Australia Lucia was a very nice one. She didn't hold it nearly as long, but it still echoed throughout the auditorium. And she pretty much had her Ds (good ones too!) up until about 1988 -- She sings one in the Anna Bolena studio recording.
Here Dame Joan is 56 years old and the voice sounds as vibrant as it did when she was 37! And apparently she had a cold?! Shame, even though she didn't hold the final note you could have fooled me about the cold! La Stupenda indeed! Bravissima Dame Joan. RIP.
MrAndredekock 2 months ago
Dame Joan with a cold. Huh. Still better than most singers who ever lived.
iriisblue 1 year ago
Che meraviglioso ! Che caverna di strumento strepitoso !
Nidoamor 1 year ago
Extraordinary...
La Stupenda o The incomparable...
Her secret...
Effortless, warm, vibrant...
Freely, powerfully, intensely...
Clarity and finesse...
Her voice was so naturally glorious...
Una diva
©...Aronne
aarongluzman 1 year ago
We'll miss her! RIP
fabrizietto1980 1 year ago
I am not a fan of hers, but this is very good - prefere singers who sing only what they can, but true in original key sounds better. But I do prefere June Anderson in this role...
MisterSoprano 2 years ago
Yes tell Placido Domingo about it, transposing down every role he sings, no wonder why he is sung it all.
tena2 2 years ago
LOL, indeed. Starting with Otello, right? ;)
MisterSoprano 2 years ago
Otello has always been the opera hi sung the best to me, however It demands a very skilled high notes and make the strong so transposing down Otello has been an advantage for him too
tena2 2 years ago
I completely agree with you! Well, transposing down is usualy advantage for singers - I prefere they sing what they can and do it good. :)
MisterSoprano 2 years ago
Example: Plácido Domingo would have not made the career hi did if hi did not transpose down almost every single opera hi sung.
tena2 2 years ago
@tena2 Well, not really every role... I've heard him life in Fedora, Walkure,Otello (just 4th act),... and nothing was transposed :)
MisterSoprano 2 years ago
May you read the entire comment of mine please?? I did point out almost every role and this is not an opinion, It is a fact. The whole opera world knows him best for transposing down roles, and I find this not good to the art of opera. You can change a few things to accomodate your way of singing but not trasnposing down which probes you cannot sing the piece which is just fine to me. He has already won the heart of many.
tena2 2 years ago
I am not, but Ok, if you think so.
MisterSoprano 2 years ago
why can't baritones get fun stuff like the coloratura sopranos and mezzos? my teacher tells me I have a ton of agility, but I have nothing to use it on.
raigekimaru 2 years ago
@raigekimaru Natural agility is a great thing to possess in singing. There is a lot of Handelian stuff for baritone....try "See the raginging flames" from Joshua or "Honor and Arms" from Samson both with good colortura passages. Depending on your skill level, there is also the duet with Rosina from Il Barbiere "dunque is son"...and its a challenge for even the most flexible of baritone voices to keep up with Rosina.
Best wishes on your studies.
baritonebynight 1 year ago
Wonderful; my favourite Semiramide, my favourite singer. But isn't it curious that she's reading the score?
DiomedesDioscuro 2 years ago
That E flat was cute
sour7lemon 2 years ago
I really enjoy reading all the comments and enjoy everyone's honesty :-)
tetrazzinifan 2 years ago 3
this is transposed down a half step, and the Eb (which is supposed to be an E) doesnt even sound good
skitzo429 2 years ago
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u're totally right!
primu2002 2 years ago
Joan I luv u, u r a star. Wtever performance u give I still luv u!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thomastmwc 2 years ago
0:46 is marvelous!
Winda25 3 years ago
this was actually a better soprano than callas or so,however everybody knows callas,but sutherland knowing only the people who has to do with opera.this is really shame-she earns more acknowledment.
paganviodio 3 years ago
LA STUPENDA! however, after singing this 200,000 times, i don't know why she needs a score. She is simply the best even though she had a cold.
wenarto 3 years ago 3
@wenarto By the parchment paper, you can tell this was probably only the 198,947th time that she'd sung it.
sopranograham 8 months ago 2
Why is she like "suffering"?
leoperarm 3 years ago
She sung so well despite her flu, and her husband really accopmanied her wonderfully too, it was still a marvellous performance. The coloratura passages and cadenza were refreshingly different than what's on the score.
wongfrancis 3 years ago 2
I wish people would stop giving negative comments about this performance, what other coloratura would attempt to sing this aria at 56???? And might I add pull it off very magnificicently and not to even mention a cold to make things worst for the performer. I think she pulled off a magnificent performance regardless of her age. Bravo Joan! And by the way if it wasn't for the "Piano Player" the world might have never know Joan Sutherland!
Alain2884 3 years ago 2
Great! There is a funny thing about head colds. As long as it is actually in the head and hasn't reached the throat, it some cases it actually helps the singer get hyper focused. This probably aided her this night!
Dymension 3 years ago
I agree! C.
Coloraturissimo 3 years ago
Oh no! Don't shoot the piano player!!
LaStupenda 4 years ago 2
Agreed. In actuality, he was an extremely talented pianist. He played the Grieg concerto at the age of 15, I believe. Quite the prodigy.
hisimperialmajesty 3 years ago
Talented? He sounds like a kid with no talent playing for his first year. Unbelievable how many missed notes there are.
riccardo699 3 years ago
More importantly, I don't believe that it detracts from the performance. If you think it does, then fine, you're more than welcome to miss the point of the overall performance.
hisimperialmajesty 3 years ago
Sparate il pianista!!!
belcantomania 4 years ago
What would shooting Bonynge accomplish?
hisimperialmajesty 4 years ago
She does seem to struggle here--interesting to know she probably had a cold. She doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as she usually does.
LaStupenda 4 years ago
In 1982 she was 56.
LaStupenda 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
She is so lazy to have the score always in front of her. That takes away a lot of the excitment.
singthesilences 4 years ago
oprah, you fool, would you just go away? Joan always performed piano recitals with music. It would have been silly to discard the music for her arias. And she clearly is fighting a cold here, you can hear the rasp on the first syllable of "raggio". As I recall, she had a terrible bout of the flu in 1982. I heard her sing a concert in Brooklyn with it, and it afflicted her Toronto Normas as well--that's why the Eb is tentative. Most of the aria is majestic and brilliant.
Richiesutherland 4 years ago
She could, obviously, since she performed the role a few times in her fifties. As she grew older she was more prone to lapses, especially if she had been away from the role for some time.
While working on it, or currently performing it, she did much better.
Hako2004 4 years ago
Joan la estupenda
55patri 4 years ago
Anywone know when this video was recorded? Joan S. must have been in her early 60's. I think she's wonderful. Voice of the Century. Cecelia Bartoli eat your heart out!
ExcellentTaste 4 years ago
Yeah, I agree....no more labored than anyone else that sings it lately. Mostly it was a very nice piece of singing.
Hako2004 4 years ago
Perhaps a little strain in the upper regions, sevoflurane, but laboured? On the contrary, the scales and roulades in the second portion are done with her customary ease and brilliance. Of course, not as good as her earlier recordings, but still on a very high level.
meltzerboy 4 years ago
It is really laboured!
sevoflurane 4 years ago
Oh get a life, you pathetic whiner.
riccardo699 4 years ago
Thanks for your enlightening reply, riccardo699!
sevoflurane 4 years ago
I would have imperfections than a cold performance! She is talking big risks in a concert and with no orchestra.what is only missing and always has always been with Dame Joan, is the pronunciation of the words but who cares here, the libretto is so poor (if it was a lied, of course it would be a complete different matter).
embenadorfinearts 4 years ago
She does well throughout the aria, but at this stage of the career, the Ebs weren't always "nice ones" as she would say. On this occasion she got there, but couldn't really sustain it. The Dbs were no problem.
Hako2004 4 years ago
But the rest of the performance is so fabulous that I don't mind her slightly "missing" the top note.....
riccardogrande699 4 years ago
Her great voice remained intact till her retirement in 1990 ! no problems with Eflat till then end absolutely.She is the greatest soprano of 20th century and the only one soprano assoluto
stome3139 4 years ago
Well, the E-flat at the end of her 1986 Australia Lucia was a very nice one. She didn't hold it nearly as long, but it still echoed throughout the auditorium. And she pretty much had her Ds (good ones too!) up until about 1988 -- She sings one in the Anna Bolena studio recording.
ChrisStockslager 2 years ago
Wonderful. I love Dame Joan Sutherland.
nilsuthor 4 years ago