Montserrat Caballe "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" La Rondine

[pitvla8]

All smiles for this :-)

[thebroadandthenarrow]

Flat! Flat! Flat! All of those hand movements do not make up the fact that she is flat. Price sang this much better. Damn she is flat. Did I mention she is flat!

[AngelsCham]

@thebroadandthenarrow Your brain if it's really flat

[redbusidiomas]

True, you can't understand a word and also there's no piannissimo here. Not a Kabaiwanska on that respect, but what a fantastic control of a unique timbre of voice!

[The29tisha]

Me encanta BRAVISIMA!



[sttar1982]

ovviamente non faccio comparazioni con grandi Artisti come la CAballe ma la Gheorghiu è una bravissima cantante lirica nel suo complesso:)

[multimill]

@GoldenAgeSunshine - lol! another "expert"!!

[AEmylia24]

Divine, hers is the best interpretation of this aria.

[MadameBorgi]

No se deben de hacer comparaciones, es absurdo!!!! no somos iguales

[sincrotto]

Superba interpretazione, il canto di un angelo. Mi consola che Angela Gheorghiu possa (con stile diverso) starle oggi alla pari.

[julioalcorcon]

@sincrotto la gherghiu e a la Caballe come Cura a Corelli, una brutta comparazione

[sincrotto]

@julioalcorcon No, mi pare che il secondo paragone non regga assolutamente e non lo sottoscriverei mai. Insisto invece per il valore della Gheorghiu. Sarà questione di gusti ma la trovo una grande artista.

[TheVengador60]

@sincrotto Ma manco per niente!!come osa comparare quella merda rumena con questa divinita!!??

Si faccia un controllo al cervello

[sincrotto]

@TheVengador60 A parte la volgarità, che trovo stupida, la Gheorghiu canta e interpreta con grande musicalità e passione, da grande artista. Il timbro di voce è molto diverso dalla Caballé , ma non meno bello.

[snide76258]

It took me a second to realize what was wrong with the intro- it's a harp instead of a piano!

[GoldenAgeSunshine]

Horrible: this is not puccini, this is Caballé, with all her liberties, floppiness and faulty rythmics. Too bad.

[hamb4]

@GoldenAgeSunshine catch the earlier recording. when you was much younger. When she took the forte and the pianissimo in on breath. in this aria one sometimes must sacrifice words for beauty of tone. like so many arias in the belcanto rep.

[SugarTomAppleRoger]

Superstar!

[adia216]

heheheh....she cheats like crazy with the lyrics...but hey, she can get away with it.

as far as singing flat...i have to wonder where on the program this came. She has quite a few BIG arias on the same program that would've taken a toll especially on her soft singing if they came before this.

no se porque cambio el final. puede ser que se olvido la palabra. =P

there are some great singers out there today. you just have to find them doing what they do best. Some just sing inappropriate rep

[GloriaJanvier]

She sings flat

[Easter004]

I think I like Leontyne's rendition better

[lospretoz]

por que cambia el final?? me imagino que en lugar de cosí dice ancore... alguien sabe?

[VocalEdgeTV]

Ohhhh Montserrat...this is art. Listen to that "pp"!!!!

[Drelnis]

When you want to hear true art you always have to come back to the old favorites - people on today's stage just cannot keep up with the likes of Caballe, Freni, Price.

[AdelsonSalvini]

She watches with an impressive Majesty and sing beyond the world

[DiomedesDioscuro]

Como de costumbre, termina gritando.

[dolicimani]

Can't understand a word, but it was absolutely gorgeous!

[TheWisemonkey8]

@dolicimani lol.... its true... but what a sound! Great comment!

[genevarain]

its beautiful but doesn't she make a voice mistake the first time she says 'Folle amore'?

[swanningaround]

When I first heard this, I thought it didn't suit Montserrat. Of course I shouldn't have been so quick. There are different ways to tackle it. She is a great artiste. Very enjoyable.

[emeboteerf]

@swanningaround How nice of you to admit that. We could all do with more comments made after sufficient consideration.

[yumyummoany]

I always think of Caballe with the much missed Freddie Mercury and the olympics in Barcelona.

[ManagerGuy1]

Beautiful! Both Puccini's composition and this gifted Spanish singer Ms. Montserrat Caballe! Thank you for putting this up for us to enjoy!

[romalisan]

Me gustan mucho las catalanas porque hacen siempre lo que quieren. Y bien.

[orovalleydude]

Gheorghiu's remark to Sills tells the tale. She does not know what she is doing. Miss Caballé is indeed a great treasure. Her rendition of "Signore, Ascolta," and the Willow Song from Otello are equally astounding. Thank you for uploading this.

[brandonichero]

You tube has another version of her doing this song in 1970. It won't allow to download the URL. She is flawless

[liedersanger1]

Leontyne's versions are certainly best. Caballe is loud and edgy through much of  this. And interpretively she sounds like she was singing about something else other than young love. This might be Norma singing.

[zurriussII]

Come on... Leontyne's lower notes are just roaring. Yes, her head voice is fantastic but when she goes down it becomes ugly. But she had fantastic vocal range in early years.

[wattever333]

I would like to know what she studied besides voice and very likely piano. Did they have study another instrument at her school, like violin, clarinet...?

[brandonichero]

I'm always amazed that in spite of her huge powerful soprano voice, she never sound shrill or grating. I saw Angelina Gheorghiu say to Beverly Sills this song was is a bear to sing. I'll take Miss Caballe on her worst day as a treasure.

[zurriussII]

How soft... how flower-like notes... Love.

[WiseMonki]

:-).

[Lavro504K]

Cuando canta la Sra. Caballe los muchachos de aca del youtube, deberían callarse un poco!!! es muy facil dar clases de canto por escrito...

[Dymension]

I think most of you are all correct more or less with your comments. This interpretation stands on it's own though. When I hear an aria, though, I want to imagine the singer singing the entire role and in that sense, Caballe is not Magda. Neither is Leontyne Price, though she sings the aria magnificently. Moffo, for me remains the most satisfactory and I own the complete Rondine with her. Gheorghiu is good as well. Te Kanawa is a bit cool, but fine nonetheless.

[WiseMonki]

Rubbish... simply rubbish. Find your ear man...

[Dymension]

What do you mean find my ear? I take it you're a diehard Caballe fan as am I. I have a shrine to Caballe in my recording collection. That said, I think Anna Moffo's rendition is the best because it falls in context with the rest of the opera. It's part of a complete assumption, rather than just a collection of arias...

[WiseMonki]

My mistake... my humble pardon. I thought you were one of those Sutherland types ;s. Being serious... my best and kindest regards,

[purnachender2006]

Simply superb.

[hwhap13]

This is not kind to Montsy. Someone caught her on a bad day. She sang this aria beautifully elsewhere but here, I agree, it's just plain awful :-(

[filippovonreutter]

If only we ALL could have bad days like this!! Then (maybe) there would be more kindness in the world.

[hwhap13]

???

[filippovonreutter]

¿¿¿

[Dymension]

Actually I think it's quite good. I should know, I have everything she's every done!

[musoph21]

i think i like it..after really watching and listening to this version..She offers a lot of vulnerability and emotional intensity in her phrasing. Furthermore, even though her vocal range is limited, her voice shines on the notes that she does have.

[Dymension]

I don't understand about the limited vocal range. She has sung from low F# below middle C to Db above high C in public...

[musoph21]

limited in the sense that she doesnt really have that many notes above the staff. I am a big Montsi and i've never heard her hit really high notes. I read an interview where she even admits that her range is limited in that she can't hit high really notes like other sopranos. Despite all that though, she has a very lovely, powerful and emotive voice

[Dymension]

In that sense you are right. There is one great high D that she sang as late as 1982 at La Scala at the end of Act I Anna Bolena.

[beefnotfish]

and she did make up those words!!!!!

[beefnotfish]

give me Anna Moffo!!!!

[InformedListener]

Did she make up the last part, "...poter amar, cantar..."??? I don't believe this. The aria was truly a fight between singer and orchestra. Well, she's got chocolate-covered pianissimi, so that'll make up for a multitude of sins...

[MaxDexus]

I think she said "ancor" (instead of "cosi"). That final pianisisisisisisisiSIsimo was breath-taking!

[cek1111]

Fight against the conductor.

[heartstrings76]

This is beautiful!

[mariafsilva]

callense todos!! she is the best, otherwise who was famous and admired she or you??????? she!!!!!!!!!!!is!!!!! not you!!

[nabucco68]

Ma infatti la Caballè non è mai stata brava.Ha fatto carriera solamente perchè ai suoi tempi cantanti non ce ne erano mica....attualmente sarebbe una delle tante mediocri soprane,che si sentono a cantare per le marchette di provincia.

[FSebastiano]

mamma mia... Povera Doretta... Si sarà suicidata. Altro che bel sogno.

Stucchevole, impreparata e urlante.

[musoph21]

its not that bad..however..it needs some work. Going on intuition since i dont have the music in front of me..it would have sounded better is she would have paused between the Bb..for more dramatic expression..i also thought that her vibrato was kinda wobbley..I love Monsti..dont get me wrong but i felt that this is what was wrong

[caspiman]

Well, it's not really what is should be. No one is universal, even this certainly most successful in universality singer....

But still I can't resist myself in loving MONSI!!!!! :-)

[Anthrofocus]

That was terrible.

[vivaldiano]

Canta se stessa con i pregi e difetti.... Che delusione!!!!! :-(((((((

[florgano]

Oops, isn't the last word 'cosi,' instead of 'ancor?'  Oh well, she's still Caballe. Nobody else could float quite like that. Love the big, pearl bling!

[876234ABC]

I noticed that too.

Still, I liked it.  The woman is kicking it old school here!

[suffisance]

You know, I once saw her render the last line of "O Mio Babbino" as "Gran Dio, vorrei morir." It was pretty awesome. And this was in Budapest in either '89 or '90, and let me tell you--it looked EXACTLY like this concert :-D Maybe not sounded ...

[suffisance]

I once saw her render the last lines of "O Mio Babbino" as "Gran Dio, Vorrei Morir." This was in Budapest, in 1990, and it looked exactly the same as this concert :-D  Except of course that the top got progressively more gleaming.

[DivaDeb1234]

i think the harp player scared her,......it scared me

[ScoDeu]

Magnificent diva singing!

[walkm]

She has to be kidding to me!!! This is horrible... is not her best....

[JuillHope17]

so, uh, what're teh words caballe? certainly not what you were singing, that's right.

[ezayi]

Love her but didn´t like her here at ALL. This was pretty mediocre for a soprano like her.

[XPRT10R]

peccato perchè la sua versione registrata per la EMI sul disco di Puccini Heroines è magistrale. c'era tutto quello che qui non c'è... sigh!

[gildosalerno]

Grande "esibizione " di suoni e di filati, conditi da urla. Irritante. Almeno poteva imparare il testo: sbaglia, cambia, storpia ("poter amar ancor"!! invece di "cosi'": non le andava bene la "i" come vocale?). Tempi dilatati a piacere, niente poesia, niente buon gusto. Cantante ancora in buona forma ma impreparata. Tanto più censurabile.

[salparadise63]

I CAN NOW DIE IN PEACE. THANK YOU.

[tantris5]

c'est la rondine ou la turandot??? elle a du se tromper de role, la caballe!! lol

[doxynom]

well I love Caballe, but not the way she sings this aria. its not the music written from Puccini. sorry. she has an increadible technik - its true, but anyway. I dont like the iterpretation and I fell sorry for the conductor and the orchestra

[lyricfana]

pas la meilleure rondine que j'aie entendue et plutot criée que jouée ! quand à savoir qui est reconnue comme diva ou non et bien... c'est le public qui en décide ; pour moi Gheorghiu de loin ...non seulement diva mais celle pour moi la plus en adéquation avec l'interprétation et le livret ici

[henryv69]

grande ...

[carhom]

Bravissima.

[ilverbo]

GRANDE!!!!

[listeningtoit]

Miss Gheorghiu is not yet a recognized opera Diva the way Caballe, Callas, Tebaldi and a few other already are... That´s what I mean. Each one in her right place... Time alone will arrange everything.

[FABRIZIO82]

Merci Madame.

[listeningtoit]

Some people really seem to be insane. Making any sort of comparison between Angela Georgiou and Monrtserrat Caballé is pure madness. Caballé is placed among the real divas of the 20th century.

[hwhap13]

And so is Angela Gheorghiu. The fact that Caballe is 75 does not give her edge over the younger -ACTIVE- singers.

She was a great GREAT diva, but she's not the only one. There were, there are and there will be others -- as good and maybe even better.

But at the end it boils down to whom we love the most :)

[marioj34]

Obviously Onegin and me let us be over the same wavelength and personally I prefer proud with him... it is a reference ah ah ah

[marioj34]

Does Gheorghiu sing this aria better that Caballé??? all the tastes are in nature.... Look at the recital in entirety and you will see the prowess of the Spanish professional singer... Gheorghiu sang only one air there this evening.... hum hum

[hwhap13]

That's not true. Double check!

Caballe is one of the great singers but as ANY singer she had her great interpretations and some less great. Her Rondine is very very good but not the best ever, and especially not now.

[hwhap13]

Don't want to say anything bad about Caballe. She did a great job and marked her era. I was merely commenting on THIS specific aria. Angela sings THIS aria better, which does not mean that Gheorghiu is a better singer than Caballe.

Thanks for posting this video anyway :)

[hwhap13]

Nice nice but Angela Gheeorghiu owns this aria.

[Ruxton]

no- Leontyne Price does.

[tenorote]

not really... Anna Moffo does!

[macciboma]

Molto brava in questo la voce era buona non usurata, forse di qualche anno dopo (in mio

babbino caro)era meno buona.

È stata una brava cantante.

[tanto1948]

There are only 3 sopranos who can sing this piece.....Price, Te kanawa, and Tebaldi.

[Brucesky72]

Anna Moffo does a stunning rendition of this as well.

[musKS53]

Not a satisfactory performance for well known soprano.

[petesiahome]

Caballe is freaking amazing. she can sing whatever she wants however she wants and it does not matter! she is a goddess.

[Dymension]

I can't believe we're all listening to the same clip!

[nlupos]

Amazingly poor for Caballe in particular in middle and low register; bad phrase finishing, missing words, no strength.

[basie8]

I love Caballe. The timbre of her voice is gorgeous. Unfortunately, here, as she does so often, she chooses an excruciatingly slow tempo draining all of the energy from the music. She sounds heavy and often flat to my ears. Her interpretation also seems more appropriate for Turandot than Magda.

[VerdianoBR]

She sings it wonderfully, but somehow I feel that some of the vocal lines are a little forced here... Some phrases, in the beginning, which should be sung without interruption are sung separately. Anyway, she succeeds amazingly in the tricky high pianissimi that this aria demands! Besides, her stage presence is undeniably great! ;-)