Maureen Forrester in The Medium (vaimusic.com)

[theverylastCattleya]

@raseguin I know Shawna, she's a great teacher and person here in Italy :)

[raseguin]

I went to school with Shawna at WHCI. I sure wish she would get in touch with me.  She hasn't had an opportunity to call me a pauper yet! Robin Turner

[Federicopera]

Dear Maureen: Thanks for all the love you have given to us all!!!!

[operachic74]

Rest In Peace Maureen Forrester

[musicantares]

really fantastic!! Thanks for posting!

[Shadras9]

Chills and tears. How incredibly beautiful Maureen Forrester's voice is.

[choirman41]

Toby was my first experience with performing opera. How fun to tell people "I played a mute for my first opera role in college"! When our Baba threw me across the stage and came after me with her whip, she almost got me! I love "The Medium"!

[walidow]

WOW this clip gave me goosebumps and brought back lots of memories, I played toby and actually had the pleasure to be introduced to mr carlos minotti...so beat that all lol

[pannicatack]

So there are two videos available?

[cantanteporsiempre]

Yes in fact I have listened to other versions of this Monica´s song here in youtube, and this is the one that I find really ethereal, it has certain dimention that the others don´t have

[queenslanddiva]

I sang the role of Madame Flora about 15 years ago and it it a truly amazing opera. I absolutely loved the part and this duet is spine tingling.

[leanrunnerboy]

I had the GREAT pleasure of working as assistant stage manager at the Stratford Festival of Canada when 'The Medium' was staged with Maureen Forrester (1974). She was an absolute joy to work with..this duet never failed to bring me to tears every night of the show..something to hear live..!!

Thanks for posting..!

[antha97]

I love this. My voice teacher picked this song out for me today, and I love it. it's beautiful and very haunting.

[meriomeri]

zzZZzzZZ

[SopranoJessi]

ahh! I love the soprano's voice!!! Who's the Soprano!?!

[LynnInMN1]

Shawna Farrell is the soprano. She is originally from Toronto. She was my voice teacher for awhile back in the 80's.

[barmanjoe]

That duet, and it's melody have got two factors that make it one of the most haunting pieces of music that I've ever heard, and that is the mixture of extreme heart wrenching sorrow in the minor key of the melody, and the somewhat mystical influences of the same combined with the words. Simply spine chilling!!!!

[sailorstar14]

My friend sang this for her NYSSMA solo n.n I love it so much!

[kristpin]

I love this song... but I wouldn't sing it as a lullaby to someone... I like the solo better. My sister can sing this amazingly, so I heard it first from her.

[godivapaw]

What a rich creamy voice!!!

[bluecrystal091]

I don't like the way they staged this at all. In most versions of the Medium, Monica is singing "The Black Swan" because she is mourning Toby, whom Flora (her mother) has banished. Monica goes nuts in the middle of the song and loathes Flora, and the song is certainly not a duet in better versions of this play; there is hatred between the two, not...whatever this was.

[ArtSongAlliance]

I wonder what alternate score bluecrystal is talking about...Toby doesn't get kicked out until almost the end of the second scene...Black Swan is a lullaby Monica sings to comfort who clearly distraught mother

[bluecrystal091]

Why would she sing a lullaby in which all she talks about is how lost she is over the loss of Toby and about wanting to drown in the river with her unborn lovechild? I've never heard of a version like that.

[tastyoperasinger]

Um... Have you ever listened to the opera? Artsong is right... I don't know what you're talking about, bluecrystal... If you had listened to the opera, you would know that this was originally a duet.

[cerin05]

I thought she sang this to her mother... like it's staged in this clip.

[ozarkboy1964]

I've only seen it staged like this, with Monica soothing Flora. I think I'd like to see it stage with loathing. It would be interesting I think. Toby was the first role I ever did in college. I like to tell people my first college role was a mute!!!!

[jfbecks17]

@bluecrystal091 BABA

No you're wrong, it's a lullaby to calm Baba. This is right out of the libretto.

(Monica draws her away from Toby. She sits down, and Baba lies at her feet, her head on Monica’s lap.)

MONICA

Come, Baba. Come, Baba.

(Monica begins gently to rock Baba.)

The sun has fallen and it lies in blood.

(Toby, already obvious of what has happened, takes an old tambourine from under the couch, and lying on the floor, accompanies the tune with soft taps on the instrument.)

[maggotpieyumyum]

can you not post the WHOLE aria? i LOVE LOVE LOVE this aria and i'm glad there is a good version of it up on youtube! thanks!

[gueraranchera]

Agree totally-more Maureen! Such an immense legacy but finding new media about her is very tough.

[vocalpianist]

alright thanks :) I love this piece! I would love to see the opera

[vocalpianist]

What is happening in this scene? This piece is amazing! But, I would like to know what is going on.

[cosimo125]

great composer

[godivapaw]

Thank you for posting this. I have been looking for a long time for clips of Maureen Forrester. There should be more on here.

[vickersman]

I agree-MORE MAUREEN please.Certainly we need her singing Mahler-she was afterall the greatest Mahler interpreter of the 20th century.

[nemrino]

Such a beautiful duet- and these two sound incredibly beautiful next to each other. It's giving me shivers.

[jessicajmak102]

I agree but I see it more a solo then a duet

[cerebrollywood]

Shawna Farrell is a great singer and woman... she has now an accademy of musical theatre in Italy (bologna)...