Lucia Popp & Gundula Janowitz : "Sull' aria"

[Caaarrll]

Wundervoll gesungen. Musik kann manchmal eine Offenbarung sein.´

[bengalkingcobra]

This music is not from this world, can´t be from this world. It´s unbelievable to imagine that such a work is written by a mortal creature.

Gundula Janowitz is one of the best, perhaps THE best soprano since Jenny Lind the "swedish nightingale".

[ursie1986]

incredible set design

[fdredcap]

All the posts taken from the movie i cant help but sound them out in my head with morgan freemans' voice =)

[caltechharvard]

This is the most beautiful duet I have heard.



[happypurple1]

Ironic because this is about infidelity.

[roverlux]

I think Mozart would be tickled pink to know that his music was made even more popular by a film scene

[juanito2322]

wonderful!



[MaxwellsDemon9]

gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous

Can you post "Contessa perdono" and the final chorus?

[Feddy62]

One of the best interperations i have ever heard ! Excellent !

[Hailstormand]

Some day I will die -

Listening to this day by day,

I know I have lived.

[jeffreypsl1]

I tell you those voices soared, higher and farther than anybody in a grey place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made these walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man @ GiftRAP felt free.

[muatlas]

Two angelic voices singing heavenly music.

[krb3141]

Zihuatanejo...

[boazsenator]

lucia pop, a diva, died more then 10 years ago, Gongula janowitz... what great sopranos, their pianissimi.. non of them is italian.. and nevertheless....

boaz Senator

[thequantumcollapse]

This is so beautiful it's making me tear up. Oh, Mozart... :')

[garyb654]

if this does not move you then you are soul less...

[takak0le3octobre]

beautiful song. heard this for the first time and love it so much.

[Metalmanijak]

beautifull

[Thejbirdy]

@Metalmanijak How could 16 people flag this as bad? SHAME!

[Umsamir1970]

My favorite Opera Aria.

Pure perfection of Mozart's music!

[AmericanEvita]

Gundula is trying too hard to imitate Elisabeth Schwazkopf here.

[bachaphiliac]

This version is uncomparable

[figglies]

This video is one of my FAVORITE versions of this song! I can't help but sob at the sheer beauty of it!

[codycoyote5]

Possibly the most beautiful music I have ever heard.

[Umsamir1970]

@codycoyote5

ME, TOO!

[ladyfloria]

nasıl beste, nasıl sesler bunlar..bir soprano bile olamıyorum.

[SoftWhisperss]

@Lassann..... if you are going to quote a movie....use quotation marks. You shouldn't make it seem as if those are your words.

Your quote was made by Red in "The Shawshank Redemption".

[MrPrimus101]

@SoftWhisperss Take a chill pill, mate... we all know where that line came from... :) Even I fell in love with Opera after Shawshank.

[barneswriter]

transcendent

wonderful

perfection

[762girl]

@Lassann - the words don't take too much away but it IS the achingly beautiful harmonies of this song, check out Soave il vento from Cosi fan Tutti - I think you'll like it. Trio singing goodbye I think may the gentle winds carry you or something to that effect ;)

[jackfeirytheonlyone]

Quell'edizione sara' stata sicuramente un Trionfo.

[ihaveseenthefuchsia]

I'm so glad you tubers are finding such wonderful music! Btw Lucia is not being rude. She is helping the other woman (her boss, the Countess Almaviva, to play a trick on her husband to expose his infidelities. And it works: the last aria is just the most glorious sound of forgiveness!!

[LPCLASSICAL]

First time I have seen Janowitz - have her on many LPs, notably a DG LP of Mozart arias that is an absolute gem. She really has a quite unique voice. Popp is a star too.

[jeffreypsl1]

I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a grey place dares to dream. It was as if some beautiful bird had flapped into our drab little cage and made these walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.

[flowforms]

@jeffreypsl1 you got it!

[tennispro4408]

I believe this producion was first performed at Versailles!!t

[Spamurai101]

Its a rap song but in olden times

Lucia Popp is actually being quite rude about the other woman

[LILBKBKONE]

come on this ain't shawshank redemption

[minnie888444]

Thank you, marvelous rendition!

[Glenmed]

@minnie888444 - Thanks for sending this on, Monica, for me to watch these silvery-voiced ladies again. I am just as thrilled now as I was the other thirty times that I have watched it over the last four years. It is not just the singing. It's Lucia's sense of fun. She cannot stop smiling! She makes me smile.

[MrTapajos]

Perfect! To make a complaint about this would be a act of sacrilege against Mozart.. ;-))

[ShakaPR10]

To be honest, before the movie Shawshank Redemption no opera existed for me...so ignorant! After this simple song, I just wondered with astonishing marvel in this great art!! I can assure you,simply no matter what version you could hear, Janowitz as Countess Almaviva is just sublime and almost divine. She was born for that role. The great thing about it is that maybe at the end, being human is divine. Thanks to nature for such a gifted and incredible voice.

[MegaHypnoboy]

This is my absolute favorite recording of this scene! It captures the essence of what Mozart intended. I wish I had been around to see this live!!

[swaks808]

I like this version it's not like there trying to out do one another like in the other versions there more complementing and smoother.

[ThePastorale]

The duetto is so moving

[ivorcroatia]

I accidentally ran this video in two separate windows (two IE windows open at the same time), one only few portions of a second after another. I got an echo effect WOW

[focuscommander]

Excellent performance but for me the duet of Edith Mathis and Gundula Janowitz is the definitive performance of this wonderful piece.

[Celticwomanfanpiano]

Very beautiful!

[helinhoiluminador]

MARAVILHOSO

[nrizzo70]

Dufresne crawled through 500 yards of sh it...and came out on the other end clean

[kokkelifiinu]

These two ladies here are Contessa, (red dress) and Susanna (blue dress) Contessa is telling Susanna what to write to Conte, (Husband of Contessa) because they are making plan cheat Conte together.

[RIRRATTO]

encore plus beau que le souvenir que j'en avais.......c'est vrai qu'actuellemnt on nous inflige souvent de drôles de Noces...

[poopypoopyhead1]

does not matter who is singing, figaro makes me cry

[GeorgeM1949]

Is this performance available on DVD?

[akdraw1]

Thank you so much for posting this.

[sjokolade777]

Ja Mozart ist und bleibt unübertroffen.... und die zweie Damen erinnern uns daran! Herzlichen Dank.

[Hailstormand]

A moment of heavenly bliss descended upon them, the orchestra and the audience. I think a lot jumped on their feet and clapped that day.

[MrAiregin]

おお、Popだ！'70年代はKoeln Oper Hauseでよく観ました。

ああ、バラの騎士なんかもよかったなあ。MozartとStra­ussを

たくさん観たなあ。とっても懐かしい。

[vasrach]

wonderful phrasing......

[NemanjaFan]

Mais quelle merveille ... Quand on voit ce que l'on nous sert actuellement ... Quelle déchéance. Merci pour cette splendeur. Cela rend le monde plus beau et il en a bien besoin ...

[spn1007]

Janowitz and Popp also made two of the most beautiful recordings (of the 20 or so I have) of the Strauss's Four Last Songs. Thanks muezzab, this is truly heavenly!

[streetwhereulive]

I don't know the first thing about opera but, if there is anything more beautiful than the voices of those two ladies I'd like to hear it. Thanks ever so much for sharing.

[MasqueradingTeabag]

@streetwhereulive Renee Fleming and Bartoli? There's a link to them on the right....

Scrap that, you're right...

[zorbazenmaster]

Muezzab, Thank you for this great posting of Lucia & Gundula! Wow!!! a great find.

[blackthornlessrose]

i'm working on this at the moment with a girl in the year below me. its such a beutiful duet and the voices match so well!

[nofollowbabylon]

Brave

[mertf16]

walking 0 gravity

[monkeytrap]

I never appreciated Opera until this piece slapped me in the face 15 years ago.

[vocalvideos]

heavenly! Thanks!

[Lassann]

I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't wanna know. Some things are better left unsaid. I like to think it was something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it.

[fazedsatchel]

... nice

[evaeke]

They are german...and the countess is dictating Susanna what she will write in a love letter to the count, so they both can take revenge on him!

[jor12m]

Sueños de fuga,eh?

[lordhenry3]

@Lassann

guess i have heared this before...

[robleville]

@Lassann u´ve been too long in prison, bro

[kitnewell]

They're not Italian. Both are Czech. They're singing about Love and Redemption and Forgiveness.... things most people wouldn't recognize.

[Ludlow889]

@kitnewell He was quoting a line from a movie, kitnewell.

[JPD060486]

@kitnewell Well, actually Janowitz is Austrian, though born in Berlin, and they are singing and writing about a proposed assignation to catch an unfaithful lover in the act.

[SugarTomAppleRoger]

@kitnewell Actually, neither of them are Czech. Popp is Slovak. Janowitz is Austrian.

[tigerlilypurple90]

@kitnewell Why are you pretending to know something about the lyrics when you clearly don't? Why don't you look up the lyrics or at least read the libretto before spouting off poor information. This song is beautiful but it is actually about deceit.

[blichilde]

@kitnewell Sorry, but in this duet they don't sing about love nor forgiveness nor redemption.They are singing about a sweet breeze among pines. Check the libretto in English translation.

[tigerlilypurple90]

@blichilde exactly. They are telling the Count to meet them under the pines where the gentle breeze flows, because that's where the evening will end "and he'll understand the rest." The Countess wants to seduce her husband under the facade of Susanna, whom he's been trying to get in bed throughout the show. This is her telling Susanna what to dictate so it will be in Susanna's handwriting.

[jeffreypsl1]

@tigerlilypurple90 thank you

[Tommyfazz]

@Lassann ...what?

[mckavitt]

@Lassann Straight out of the film and perfect, no?

[joydivision19842]

beautifully put!

[domi2020]

@Lassann Wow- you memorized the script from Shawshanks redemption! Cool. One of the greatest movie on humanity! I think God's greatest gift to mankind in music was Mozart. He is was a super-genius period. This duet and the terzette from Cosi fan Tutte makes you feel like God cared. Bravo!

[Ritchina40]

@Lassann  Isn't that line from the movie Shawshank Redemption? :) Good point :)

[Simetra007]

@Lassann Your whole little paragraph there is taken directly out of the movie "The Shawshank Redemption". I wonder how many people commenting here, have seen that movie. It was an excellent movie, in particular, the scene where Andy Dufressne locks the gaurd in the bathroom, locks the office door, puts on the record, and kicks back in an innocently defiant manner, (even turns up the volume!) and blasts it thru the pa system, while the whole prison gets to listen to this beautiful piece.Yesss!!

[BasilRoosli]

@Lassann Hell yes to the Shawshank Redemption reference. That was why I even looked up this song in the first place.

[hovno223]

@Lassann shawshank redemption:)))))))))

[SinfullyScorpion]

@Lassann Awesome reference to The Shawshank Redemption. Loved it!

[yodavidnavarro]

it's like seeing two buttrflies flying in the air!

[FromBoomTown]

I'm pretty sure this played in Shawshank Redemption.

[Gabriel13187]

this is not the version of Shawshank Redemption... You are right it is with Gundula Janowitz... but with Edith Mathis and directed by K, Böhm.

[pipilotta12345]

this and the flower duet [lakme]

[AcousticAtHeart]

yes! Interesting that you say that, they remind me of one another, too. I am working on the flower duet with my voice teacher right now, and she has suggested that we work on this one next... It's beautiful!

[coloraturaLinda]

Two amazing voices blending perfectly!

[brockshelgren]

Godly perfection

[suzanneetmoi]

This is a lovely duo. Angels indeed.....

[billoddiea]

2.37 actually.

[maggiethefox]

Think Mozart is up there in heaven...........composing away?

[Robertahausen]

omg .. .yes... definitely

[HallelujahForEver]

This is one of my favourite Mozart's Opera Aria. The most beautiful tunes! Such a simple, crystally clean melody but magnificent!! This music could've been composed only by Mozart because he was GOD's GIFT to mankind!!! That's why It's said - Only Mozart's music comes from Heaven!!! I do agree with someone's comment below- two angels singing. Viva divine WAM's music forever!!!

[lexo30]

You do realise what this aria means in English? The Countess (in the red dress) is dictating to Susanna (in the blue dress) a letter to her husband the Count, arranging a time where they can meet, but she's only doing it because her husband will think it's from Susanna, who he (temporarily) fancies. It's a scheme to get the Count to mistake his wife for somebody else. It's not religious in the slightest.

[paulostroff99]

Two glorious singers of the highest order! Brava!

[zegermans750]

the best version of this I ever heard was Popp and Kanawa in an '81 studio recording with an incredible cast (Ramey, Von Stade, Moll, Allen)

[saxamaphoneguy1]

Yes! I agree! I'm a huge Kiri fan in general, but as wonderful as Janowitz is, Kiri is forever the best countess. That recording is my favorite of this opera, I just love Popp as Susanna too! wonderful!

[volk410]

Tears to the eyes. Due angeli, indeed.

[chizel5451]

This is truly a masterpiece - so uplifting, so beautful

[anonymusum]

Dreamteam!

[dt195k2]

Two angels singing!

[jmulreanyYR10]

this is so beautiful

it choked me up listening to it,

"for a moment every man in shawshank felt free"

BRILLIANT

[arpiruk]

This version is indescribably beautiful!

Free imagination of love and tenderness..

The breeze really does flow with the song

[Lanark8]

On the breeze . . . What a gentle zephyr . . . Zephyr . . . Will sigh this evening! Will sigh this evening . . . Beneath the pine grove. Beneath the pines? Beneath the pine grove . . . He will understand the rest. Certainly, he'll understand. He will understand the rest. Little tune on the breeze . . . etc.

[johngotwalt]

oh, the  humanity in Nozze !!!

[Kmicic503]

beautiful voices, but how a bit less expression would to

[MitchellJohnLeard]

is any of this classical style music actual songs of praise?? whats that main opera song they associate with Catholicism.... please help?

i apologize for my lack of knowledge on the subject

[w7md]

This opera, "La Nozze di Figaro" (The Marriage of Figaro), is a satiric comedy. There are dark moments involving seduction, infidelity, jealousy and rage which are resolved with love and forgiveness, core elements of Christianity as seen through the eyes of Mozart.

Mozart was a Catholic and did compose wonderful music for religious occasions including Masses and a Requiem.

[EmilyGreene1984]

Actually, Mozart converted into being a Freemason later on in his career.

[w7md]

The term "classical style" can be used to categorize music which is not derived from popular culture, at a given period, and which may require advanced knowledge and training to perform or appreciate.

Mozart composed during the so called "Classical Period" which may generally be considered to have been from 1750 to 1820. There are many musical pieces of that era which praise God. Listen to Mozart's Exultate Jubilate, Mozart's Great C Minor Mass and Renee Fleming "Sacred Songs".

[neato1218]

i don't really know much about the subject but you may just be thinking about AVE MARIA. they play it in churches all the time for weddings and for funerals sometimes, etc...

[390204]

Please don't apologize; am sure you know a great deal more than i do in many areas other than classical music and Catholicism. I don't know much about Catholicism; but I love sacred music. You may find Lucia Popp's version of Laudate Dominum sublimely beautiful and moving,and te Kanawa's Exsultate Jubilate joyful and uplifting. Both composed by Mozart and available on YouTube.

[AmadeusJMB]

what year was this performance done?

[Menwithoutname]

Paris 1980

[apettagialla]

I close my eyes, I listen to the singing...and I'm in Heaven!

[faliklunj]

Purity in sound...

[berganzita]

Oh dear God such incredible beauty!!

Thanks MUEZZAB

[lyssus]

God exists!

[marivila1]

Simplemente geniales, qué legato, qué modulación de voz y qué interpretación...!

[musikgeni]

vad ska jag säga

[IdealMyIdeal]

I wanna cry. Thank you Amadeus.

[TatunkaYotanka]

Ah! Deus todo poderoso... como amaste tanto este teu filho, para prover-lhe da glória de interpretar vossa inefável linguagem! Mozart! És outro divino encarnado

[fairlytaleofnewyork]

I watched this on TV long long time ago and I absolutely loved it.

Many thanks for posting this

[tropikaki]

pure beauty

[doctordonuthin]

.....I bought both versions, on vinyl, yesterday (new copies) from 'The Record Album' The owner's a really nice man in his 70's and he's got, or can get, most things on vinyl, specialising in film soundtracks, theatre and classical. When I get through them and the notes, I'll go see my first opera ha!

[kikoencasa]

vaya dos, la popp y la gundula, definitivamente eran otros tiempos, menos mal que podemos verlas

[nice1kid]

only for shawshank redemption wud never have had the opportunity to appreciate this beautiful song....!!!

[fusilier]

yes i discovered this beautiful music the same way.

[Mirani2]

The white wigged one looks like Juliet Stevensen

[debonpanton]

Popp and Janowitz is excellent but my preference is Edith Mathis and Gundula Janowitz (they did the version that was used in Shawshank Redemption. Simply devine.

[DoryViolet]

These two r angels, but I agree with you. I like Edith/Mathis a bit better. Take a listen to Popp/Kanawa too!

[stktrd]

better than fleming and bartoli in my opinion....it's more about the music and less about the performers....as it should be

[nelld71]

The fact that Susana is writing the letter is not because Rosina can't but so that they can expose the Count's infidelity. He, no doubt, would recognise Rosina's handwriting immediately but if the letter is written by Susana he will believe that it IS Susana he is meeting for a secret assignation and not his wife. It is merely a logical plot device not a commentary on social class or women's education in the 18th century.

[johnbunny135]

With all the social class mix ups in Figaro, would it have meant something to the original audience that Susanna is writing the letter? Did the Contessa when she was just Rosina in Seville learn to write? In Barber she writes letters all over the place, but that was in c. 1815.

[tervonlis1955]

Both such wonderful artists. Magnificent. I wish there was more of this kind of singing to be heard nowadays. Both Lucia Popp and Gundula Janowitz have such unicqueness yet blend together divinely.

[leinaalaomeliac]

I love this elegant version of this lovely aria!

[sopphocles]

why no subtitltes on this one?

[Tristiano]

this version is so subtle and well supported it is simply the more elegant version out there ....fascinating

[andyward170464]

Fallenangel272 is right, such a sublime and beautiful performance but Bartoli & Flemming are just wonderful together

[fallenangel272]

not as good as fleming and bartoli, but pretty divine

[arturovilla02]

wonderful and beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!

[Agnetich]

Just fantastic. Really gave me shivers...

And certainly, this performance does not exist on DVDs?

[kn9iou]

Mozart at his best !

[yodavidnavarro]

What bad thing can we say about these two women? Nothing they're flawless...

[compeld2sing]

That's what I would have said, only you beat me to it.

[svpavlov]

Ravishing!

[laraineannebarker]

Thank you, MUEZZAB. Ravishing singing, ravishing music. What more can I say? :-)

[imallearsru]

Perfect match. Awesome.

[stepaushi]

ethereal

[sunkf02]

Marvelous...

[tarstan]

For me this is about as gorgeous as it gets. And am I wrong to hear eroticism? Perhaps they should just forget the men.

[Jitpring]

"And am I wrong to hear eroticism? Perhaps they should just forget the men."

Yes, you're wrong. Resist the importation of either today's silliness or your own wishes into Mozart.

[ockeghem78]

it's no nice it gives me shivers...

[abeleveh]

Bravo!!!!Es una delicia.

[johngotwalt]

The GUND rules.

Heard, tho', that she ain't right in the head.

Mattereth not to me -- she singeth like this, she can do whatever she wanteth..

Know her Fidelio w/ Lenny: early on quartet 'Mir ist die wunderbar' ?

That's all you know on earth

and all you need to know.

'tis true, mo-fo's.

[gregk21]

marvellous!

knew it from Te Kanawa & Freni

(from the filmed version: very nice too)

[beethomozart]

what a superb combination,popp and janowitz.long live mozart

[didymus940]

wonderful: Janovitz, Popp and Strehler!!!!

[tunio125]

Beautiful and simply breath-taking. A true pleasure to watch and listen.

Also great to read some constructive comments for a change rather than the usual mindless comments on youtube.

Thanks for posting.

God bless.

[crazyperson14]

Beautiful. Absolutely sublime. I love opera, it can move me like almost nothing else. Thank you so much for posting this video, it is truly beautful.

[sverdad]

In an age when one hit movie or CD are all that's necessary to bestow the title of legend/superstar on a performer, maybe this celestial piece can serve as a re-introduction to what those words actually mean. Let's enjoy ourselves while it's our turn to pass through in front of a timeless work of art.

[WiseMonki]

My word you hit the nail on the head there :).

Indeed, it is timeless... these are the very things that perhaps give us a notion of the eternal... My kindest regards,

(the really has not been a Mozart soprano like Janowitz since)

[ariodante76]

I can't believe that Janowitz was criticized in her heyday for having a rather small voice. Those same critics today only wish that we had more sopranos of her caliber.

[ursie1986]

while god or no god may exist, never have three minutes of sound reminded me so strongly of how beautiful human beings have managed to make the world.

[sirmercutio99]

I saw The Marriage of Figaro a couple of months ago at the Atlanta Opera and they went too fast during the duet. It didn't capture the beauty this vid does.