O don fatale - Don Carlo Contest - Violeta Urmana

[TommyHaegin]

I hear no "suffering", no (com)passion in her singing. She sings the notes but that's it. As good as no dynamic range other than loud or louder. Maybe some is due to the poor conducting. But I'm not too impressed.

[Dymension]

5/5

[cantanteporsiempre]

que director de orquesta tan malo. Very bad conductor!! The orchestra is too forte at the end, when whe needs more contrast.

[andrewszig]

Dear All!

I just heard Urmana in the NY Met performance HD in Verdi's Aida, she has changed to Soprano lately, and her acting was very convincing at the same time. I was able to meet her personally as well, and she is a really nice person. She is new shining star on the sky of Opera today. Enjoy....

[TheChiambretti]

Mio Dio ... e che è .... ??? Ma allora esiste ancora qualcuno al mondo in grado di affrontare ruoli che, dopo il "regno" delle Cossotto Bumbry Verrett etc etc di lontana memoria, pareva impossibile sentire affrontare con si tale proprietà. VIVA VIVA Ben arrivata Violeta ... finalmente qualcuna che canta !!!!! non che bisbiglia e sussurra. Chapeu

[theprimadonna1980]

i wish i had a voice like hers. oh wow

[maxpowermezzo]

Brava.

[gyorgy11]

A wonderful natural mezzo who is, to me, unconvincing as a soprano. Zajick is a natural dramatic mezzo, and even with her Force of Nature voice she somehow lacks the squillo that Urmana has. Zajick protects her top, Urmana lets it fly. One of the very best.

[CONTESTAR]

This is fantastic, and Eboli is a rather high part anyway. I have heard Urmana as a soprano live many times and she is utterly convincing...

Convincing is an awkward word to use: how about the-best-dramatic-soprano-in-t­he-business-today!!!

Let Dolora alone in her mezzo throne. It is hers anyway!

[Dymension]

Hello! I just saw her Tosca in Chicago and she is definitely one of the best Toscas I've seen, even if she's a little cool acting wise. She nailed all the high Cs and sang a beautiful Visi D'Arte.

[raigekimaru]

@gyorgy11

you think so? have you heard her verdi requiem or odabella? no mezzo could sing those.

[gyorgy11]

@raigekimaru Actually I have changed my mind since I have heard her sing more, that wonderful Aida from the Met a few months ago. Best Regards,

[vincik80]

grande urmana.....

[nomsdufrere]

my favorite so far! I like troyanos, but like Urmana's voice better. 5/5

[spizzell1]

What in the world do you people find to criticize? She is great.

[tenore23]

Urmana is not a Mezzo and not a Soprano. She's a Falcon, and thus she should be able to sing roles like Tosca, Amneris and Eboli.

A lot of roles that are sung by mezzos are actually Falcon/Soprano roles: Santuzza, Eboli, Amneris, Iphigenie, Norma, Alceste, Kundry, Brangane. That's why Bumbry, Urmana and Verrett were so good in them. They sang them with their voices, it was the publicity machines the ones who needed to imposed a label.

Urmana sounds like a soprano to me, even in this aria.

[raigekimaru]

@tenore23

1) a Falcon is a dark voice, Violetta's voice is bright as hell

2) Norma is dramatic coloratura soprano, not falcon (dramatic coloratura with a strong lower register, but dramatic coloratura, especially if the sung in the original high key like sutherland) =)

[tenore23]

@raigekimaru Wrong.

1 A falcon is a falcon named after Marie Falcon, the French soprano who created a host of roles at the opera. A Falcon soprano is a soprano with a short top, plain and simple. The color of the voice does not necessarily play into it. Bumbry was a Falcon soprano and her voice was semi bright. Obrazova did many Falcon roles and her voice was bright.

[tenore23]

@raigekimaru and wrong again

2. Norma is a mezzo role. it was originally written for Malibran, who was a techically mezzo, since writers of the time actually called her that. It can be sung by a Falcon because Malibran was riding the cusp between soprano and mezzo, which is what a Falcon soprano actually is.

The "original key" is a fallacy. Malibran suggested the transposition and Bellini himself did it, thus, there is no original key since both options come from the composer.

[benjaminvox]

What a magnificent reading of this aria! Wow, I had a few favorites singing this, and now she's joined the ranks of my fave Ebolis

[ChuckNYC71]

Ditto!

[thetuscanman]

She is an excellent singer. My opinion is that she is really a mezzo, but she is currently doing a great job with a number of dramatic soprano roles, with a high register that most soprano would kill for, but I am sure that as she ages, she will go back to mezzo. Something like Verrett: a natural mezzo, she was a superb soprano for a numer of years, to go back to the mezzo repertoire later in her career.

[CONTESTAR]

People keep saying she should stay with the mezzo repertory and I really don't get it!

Yes she was a great mezzo (with dramatic soprano qualities!!) and she moved on. Heard her live as a soprano and she is amazing and "at home" with the dramatic soprano repertory.

Why should she stay where WE want her then? It is HER life for heaven's sake!

[foropera]

Exactly, Contestar, I do agree with you! And in addition, Eboli is not exactly a mezzo. It can really be the tumb for mezzos, and even for some sopranos .

[vully70]

What a thrilling performance - 5/5

Urmana should have kept her Mezzo roles instead of turning soprano - she was a great mezzo.

[FraSarn]

She isn't terrible, but I ought to admit that none is better than Shirley Verrett in this role, as well as Lady Macbeth. Do you agree, guys?

[kmillard]

Wow!! I think I went back and listened to that high B-Natural about 9 times!! Clear, secure, and exciting!!

[DivaDeb1234]

I pick violeta Urmana as second..fiorenza Cossotto as first.

[DivaDeb1234]

I've never seen or heard this singer before but I was really drawn in to her...

[saverioorlando]

Big voice,she was a remarkable Santuzza 7-8 years ago in Florenz.Natural mezzo,maybe she is missing the just repertoire for Aida and Lady at La Scala.

[Gigglingatagas]

Vocally fierce as hell. The top of her voice is so thrilling!

[Elisabetta611]

4/4

The costume is a CRIME though.

[anaolga]

4/4

[dutchtallguy]

In the lower register this mezzo sounds a bit like an old woman, though her middle and top register are loud and clear. Good performance anyway. 4/4

[Gigglingatagas]

Terrific! More and more I'm enthralled by Urmana's voice and presence. Thrilling singing of the first degree!

[Dymension]

5/3.5 Very good! I heard her at the Met, equally impressive. I also saw her as Gioconda at the Met. Very good but approached the music gingerly as a soprano. More spontaneity as a mezzo...

[slobone]

I've really got to learn to watch all the videos before rating. I like this one even better than Zajick, but I gave her a 5, so I guess I better give Urmana a 6. Characterization, just about average, maybe a 3.5.

[DramatisPersone]

4/4. great lower notes.

[agathosj]

Great aria, great performance. First sounds like a curse, then like a prayer and finally like a passionate love calling. Only Verdi could give such a dramatic score back then.

[Orfeus80]

she should have stuck to the mezzo key. 4/3

[rawdonqueen]

Vocally she is very impressive, but there is more to the aria emotionally. 4/4

[Otellogv]

Superb. I love Urmana's voice. As a mezzo, she has such a thrill to the upper register and requisite colouring for the lower tones. Where was this filmed? I saw her as Eboli at the MET in 2005 and she brough the house down with this aria - holding onto the Bflat at 1:04 a lot longer than it's scored! This is also a great performance. 5 for singing and 4 for characterisation.

[nickbigd]

4/4

[Johnny1206]

She´s a great artist ! This rendition of "O Don Fatale" is one of the best ones I´ve ever heard.

I saw her recently as Sieglinde and she proved herself as a great soprano too.

[courtneybaritone01]

I'll say a 3.5 :-)

[watchstone]

Nice high notes - but the performance itself didn't draw me in. I found myself fast forwarding through it. 4/3

[lyside1]

una voce di bronzo...uan valanga di armonici...fermissima nell'emissione rigogliosa timbricamente...uauuuuuu

[BeauTenor]

I know she's a big star and all, but this voice has never REALLY gotten under my skin. I agree with operastud; I like her better as a mezzo. She's got great technique, and a big voice, but it just doesn't hit me in the gut like I want it to. 4.5/4.5

[courtneybaritone01]

I TOTALLY AGREE! I also think her switch to soprano has been VERY interesting. She mentioned Bumbry and Verrett in an interview, but I wonder if she'll be as successful as they were.

[BeauTenor]

Well, I guess they would be the model for everyone else to follow. I guess it all depends on how smartly she uses her voice. IMHO though, it takes a VERY special singer to be able to do it well in the long term. Verrett and Bumbry were amazing singers. There's no one like them around anymore. No one take the time to nurture a voice like that.

[hotazzoperastud]

I have never really been much of a fan of Urmana either as soprano or mezzo. I guess if I were to choose, I would say she is a better mezzo. This is better than her 2004 recording with Villazon. 5/4

[patjan92]

3/3.