Kiri Te Kanawa sings "Vissi d'arte" Tosca

[EmmJay59]

Having trawled through every video and CD of every other popular soprano singing this, Kiri remains my favourite. Not a popular choice for the purist, I know, but her voice rings like a bell and she puts the emphasis in the places I would put it - TOP star - I have a remastered version of Callas singing this and it doesn't come near to Kiri - yes - really!!

[pupppt]

I'm a huge fan of Puccini, and a huge fan of Kiri, but I agree that she isn't right for his music.

[RonaldBarone]

Callas was right about one thing.... if you want to be someone on the stage you must look alike, or at least have something in comm, Kiri is very beautiful and sings very well, but you can see a man falling in love with her for her beauty. But some other ppl, I dont know, just looks kind strange no matter how beautiful the voice can be.

[giulio2591]

brava kiri pero dorebbe interpretare il personaggio con piu impegno linea di canto ottima

[philipc67]

Beautiful voice, a bit mannered in her rendition. The way she handles the tempo, the phrasing of the last line etc, all seems pre-contrived. I see no despair, no real sorrow. In many ways she is too "noble" for this role.

[eposz2]

Huhhh... I'm just staring breathless, speechless.

[munequitodeebano1]

KIRI IS THE BEST no matter what she sings her voice is perfect. That's why at her age she continues singing and sounding impeccable. Something that most singers can't do at her age.

[aplumer]

What a beautiful voice and flawless technique, but Kiri in a recent interview said singing this role was a mistake. She is involved though in this live video of the performance but she is forcing to try and get the drama. She was wise to drop this role, but I admire her for really pushing her voice to get the expression. She would have ruined her lyric voice if she had continued to do these kinds of roles. A truly lovely artist and person. a.plumer

[dreyri00]

This is my favorite aria of alltime and Kiri made it so.

[ralph058]

Being a prisoner of my own creativity, I love the aria. I love Kiri. I've listen to the other samples on this site and still prefer Kiri.

[suzanneetmoi]

I had to come back to this rendition tonight after hours of viewing the Met's new production of "Tosca", just to remind me of the beauty of the piece. Tosca isn't the easiest character to connect with and if she's overacted, I feel exhausted by the histrionics and can't wait for the whole thing to be over and done with. Tears galore here though...

[MiAnimale]

you can cry to this...when you listen to it

[cneuce]

I don't know opera.

I have no idea what she's singing here but it's so beautiful. I love it.

[muzicista120]

На счет "the best Toscas" для кого как!Мне больше по душе Kiri,Angela!Kiri Te Kanawa mi piace molto!

[torreart]

Montserrat Caballe and Callas the best Toscas

[Loismustdie26]

I'm not blown away. Initially I was intrigued by her timber, one of the truest to the roles I have ever heard, but the artistry in it seemed a little cookie cutter. I thought she'd get through on timber alone, but at the end she's supposed to be completely breaking down both emotionally and mentally, and it just wasn't there.  In the end a rather mediocre performance.

Please argue, I'm curious what those who love her have to say, but give me Callas or Kabaivanska any day.

[saxamaphoneguy1]

I don't want to argue, but your comment intrigued me. here's my reaction: Most people tend to criticize Kiri with Puccini more than other composers. This is because she channels her acting through music. She's my choice for this aria, but in a sense of her way of portraying emotion through nuance, instead of the normal panting hysterics most sopranos give you at the end. If i listen to this just audio, it gives me chills, while other soprano's just get me annoyed. signed, an obsessed kiri fan.

[musoph21]

@Loismustdie26 i kinda agree with you. Kiri while known for having a beautiful voice, isnt the most dramatic interpreter of music..I loved the voice of this performance but i have to give to you. No one compares to Callas's version..especially when she does the A dimuendo so chesty and gutwrenching.

[dt195k2]

What beautiful colors in her voice! You really can hear Tosca's sorrow in this interpretation: plus a solid high b-flat and nice soft notes following. I just loved this one. There are many versions of this aria on youtube, but this is one of the very best.

[juniorcrack]

She and Angela Gheorghiu are the best!!!. I love Angela, but i must to say this is the best performance of Vissi d´arte I have ever heard. Magnificent and colored voice, enough stron to play Floria Tosca. Bravo Dame Kiri!!!.

[saxamaphoneguy1]

So hauntingly beautiful! Her pianos are startlingly gorgeous and breathtaking! I get to points where I think I couldn't love this woman's singing any more than I do, and then she proves me wrong yet again. Cheers, Kiri.

[katumsings]

Wow, I never thought I Ti Kanawa did this role. What an amazing job. I heard no strain, especially in the beginning where the sound is extrememly easy and pure. She gives a fresh interpretation to a role that can sometimes be "Callas Dominated". I thoroughlly enjoyed watching this performance!

[LiPaontube]

She reaches the inner core of my soul with this song. She is so authentic and magnificent! Thank you Kiri!

[swanningaround]

Youtube is bringing to the world the greatest of this woman. Some might even believe she is the female equivalent of the great Caruso. She can sing so tenderly, but when required she unleashes that awesome power.

[jeffgolden]

Anyone with any sort of ear for music or sense of pitch can clearly tell the Te Kanawa has flassless, perfect pitch. She never cracks, weakens or loses a note, no matter how high. She never strains or ever, ever, sounds"off" Compare her to Callas, Caballe, Battle, Price or Sutherland, and you will see that I am right

[boris1281]

Come on guys, when have you seen such a beautiful woman to sing Tosca. It is such a feminie, sensual performance. I love her, she is very careful in the phrasing, but she has to be because her voice is very light. This is another approach to the role, and althoughI have sung Cavaradossi couple of times with power-women, I tell you, Ill get very weak, when such a fantastic woman with such an incredible voice sings opposite me. Kiri, I love you!

[cuddlebear51]

Useless performance....

[rao633]

Well, it's very clear to me that Caballe and Callas are the best in this role...Caballe's pure quality of the voice, the incredible strength and technique are unique.

[cuddlebear51]

Of course Caballe and Callas are better than her. Kiri SUCKS!

[yodavidnavarro]

I actually prefer Leontyne's

[ssbs18]

I guess you can't be the best at every role, I suppose it was smart for her to avoid parts that strained her voice-it allows her to keep singing even now in her 60s

[ssbs18]

Um I love Kiri, she's my favorite, why the thumbs down? Strange.

[7thViking]

I like the way she justified this aria... Only hers and Callas' rendition are the ones, so far,that I like the most- both equally very good!

[TheAleph74]

One word: beautiful.

[operaboy81]

A lot of lyric sopranos shortened their careers singing Tosca and Butterfly, that's why she probably gave it up. It takes a lyric soprano with an ego to do those roles. You don't want to be singing Tosca if you don't know whether you will go down in history playing the role.

[kaseylfuller]

she is great

[ofthekosmos]

there were clips of other scenes from this taping, but they disappeared--where are they?

[lungdoc]

This was KTK's "never again Tosca". Priceless clip.

[SueAnnNivens]

Why "never again Tosca"??

[jcanogolf]

Because this was her only stage performance of it, the only production, I think...

I've already read that people didn't like her too much as the jealous Cavaradossi's lover... They said it was a character too heavy for her, to her personality...

[SueAnnNivens]

Well, I really liked to see her, she´s great, whatever she is performing... Thank you so much for the information.

[lungdoc]

"Never again" were her words after the performance. If I recall correctly, KTK said that Tosca required too much "shouting". Given the lyricism of her instrument one could see her point. However, other lyric sopranos sang it with success like for example Pilar Lorengar. KTK must have liked the aria since she included it frequently on her recitals. I always found her phrasing of the "cosi" at the end somewhat peculiar. A great star nonetheless.

[BeauTenor]

I think the thing about Tosca is that no matter what type of voice you have, the role is very VERY intense singing, physically an emotionally. She had a lyric voice, and even though it wasn't small, this isn't the kind of rep that made her famous. She probably had to rely too much on her "capital" to give the role the justice it requires, especially in the torture scene.

[SMMHELDENTENOR]

i recall KTK could not comprehend why la tosca would sing 'cosi' as marked by puccini [piano i believe]given she has been attacked by scarpia, and despite all her 'diedi gioelli della madonna al manto etc why, nell ora del dolore... god, have you forsaken me?...COSI?!

KTK felt Tosca should be angry at god at this point.

understandable choice of phrasing, but I think Puccini wins in this case.

[musicyh]

It's interesting that she sings it as marked in her recording. And personally, I do prefer Puccini's markings. She has a beautiful voice in any case.

[sirmercutio99]

Agree. I adore her but I always equate her with the grazia (noble) roles. ie-Countess Almavira, Marshallan, Desdemona,(Which she is superb as btw) & Fiordiligi. I always wondered though why she choose Donna Elvira over Donna Anna in Don Giovanni?