Jessye Norman - Cäcilie

[mkurnat]

now that is the face of a person who loves what she does.

[doppelgriff25]

she's definitely under pitch like three times in the last strophe... i love her, but i'm not deaf.

[tylerdol]

I adore her. I don't even quite know why, she just has something.

[Monica8Montero]

yeah!

[Babs22h]

love her face at end its so great. I cant stop watching it!;-)

[jeamphe]

It's a bit too slow, the last note is a bit flat, but what the... this is lovely.

[markpianoman]

Wunderbar!

[nichtsleezy]

I love how JN transposes the piece several times!!!

[CharlesDickens99]

This is wonderful music.

I have, of course, heard the four last songs but can anyone tell me what are the other great lieder written by Strauss? Did he write any other great song cycles?

[kitchavez]

Beautiful voice, a voice of a refined singer!

[takeabow1010]

She's great! Long live Jessye Norman!

[blondzuher]

It's a privilege to enjoy this.

[afpope89]

i am so jealous of how wide her mouth is. she's a human cathedral of sound!!!! love it!

[antsee]

I love the word painting in this song, because there's so much of it and it's all so borderline corny. Like once the lyrics are about a storm, everything goes minor. Or when they're about the Almighty, it modulates and does this really classic I-ii-V-I. Or how the lyrics about "blissful heights" are on a high note. Don't get me wrong though, I LOVE word painting.

[classicalfan85]

totally!

[ryaneffingbrock]

LOVE Jessye... unfortunately a bit under pitch, esp. at the end :( That's ok... she redeems herself MANY times over.

[giandoroma]

she's a world apart, and we adore her

[CrownPrinzOfSriLanka]

You must check out our (Sri Lanka) opera star Kishani's Jayasinghe's Cäcilie! The world never knew that Sri Lanka could produce such a jewel...heck even Sri Lankans never knew! I grew up listening to stars like Jessye Norman, Renee Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa, and I am just so happy that Sri Lanka to has a star in the wonderful world of opera.

[fortbridge]

This is much better than Netrebko's version.

[actionsrlouder]

@fortbridge How can you even compare Ms. Norman with Netrebko? That's such an affense to Ms. Norman's artistry and majestic career.

[lduhlman]

Jessye Norman, rocks Die Walkuere! I love her!

The look she gives at the end of each songs kills me every time!

[babs22hh]

@lduhlman doesnt it though!!! I have looked at these same recordings FOR YEARS-- AND i NEVER GET ENOUGH OF HER FACES!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stevereno31]

I love Jessye Norman, but I think she was under pitch by a good bit several times...incredible performer and great singer, but not at her best.

[cantanteporsiempre]

yes, she has always had that problem, but I guess her voice compensate it

[chueca]

Terrible singing, a shame because her instrument is magnificent. But such an effortful technique which probably accounts for the bad intonation

[arom715]

her final face is terrifying...

[Babs22h]

ROFL

this made me laugh so hard... thinking of someone looking at jessye's expression at the end and just being stricken with horror and terror ROFL i cant type this without laughing!

:-)

Brava Jessye I doubt the woman cares what anyone thinks of her face! shes too busy being... La Diva Jessye Norman!

[musoph21]

something about the high note (I think the B) sounded kinda flat and it was wispy. Bad performance but i still love you jessye.

[sleepinglikebaby]

You know I am sick of armchair critics. You must admit that very few in recorded history has ever sang like this. Yet you comment dares to criticise. When did you last sing like this? Are you aware at all of the control, energy, concentration and skill that is required to sing this. Never mind the talent and commitment needed to hit one note that has the same ringing tone and musicality that some of these great singers produce night after night, year after year. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

[ThankYouAndHello]

listen to the recording.

[musoph21]

Sorry if my message offended you. But i felt i was constructive in my criticism of this performance and i mention that i still do admire this artist. That note at the end is VERY IMPORTANT. Its the centerpiece to this aria. Without it, the aria suffers. Moreover, we should also take into consideration the composer and ask ourselves would he have been pleased with this? I think not. Granted Jessye had an off night but lets not make this into something its not just b/c of who she is.

[sleepinglikebaby]

Unless of course your among their esteemed ranks. If so, send me some details of your next performance... see you at Covent Garden.

[Babs22h]

i agree with you... it must be difficult for accomplished singers... to some it seems you are only as good as your last performance. The woman is amazing regardless of the faulty note..yes her facial xpressions are extreme in comparison to others... thats what makes her Jessye Norman! Brava

[TheCatHasNineLives]

Indeed. Early recordings of romantic music were often out of time and out of tune but were dripping with musicality. The intonation of the last few notes is irrelevant with a convincingly beautiful performance like that. Bravo Jessye.

[taternut]

I'll be the first to say I love Jessye Norman, but this performance was weird to me. Please don't attck me it was just my observation that her pitch especially towards the end was waaaay! off

[marlylovesjewels]

I agree that Norman is an important singer but I've always felt that in addition to singing beautifully, a stage performer shouldn't appear tortured or make the act of singing seem to be so difficult. Part of a great artist's technique is having the audience feel secure and comfortable. I always feel like biting my nails when I see Norman.

[solerdieg]

that superficial that you are!

[cadetstarnoodle]

She's one of a kind! Strange how the very first note from the orchestra was out of tune. She's one of the few who can sing Schönberg. And yes, I see tension. That's hard to avoid. She can't be perfect every time; but she sure is great and unique, of course.

[tigerpirate71]

I love jessye and she is one of my all time favorites, but this was flat!

[liedersanger1]

When was this concert please?

[violinthief]

1995

[SopranoUni]

Brava!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jaibright]

OMG she is my IDOL!

[Babs22h]

Wenn du es wüßtest, Was bangen heißt in einsamen Nächten, Umschauert vom Sturm, da niemand tröstet Milden Mundes die kampfmüde Seele, Wenn du es wüßtest, Du kämest zu mir. Wenn du es wüßtest, Was leben heißt, umhaucht von der Gottheit Weltschaffendem Atem, Zu schweben empor, lichtgetragen, Zu seligen Höhn, Wenn du es wüßtest, Du lebtest mit mir!

[Babs22h]

Wenn du es wüßtest,

Was träumen heißt von brennenden Küssen,

Von Wandern und Ruhen mit der Geliebten,

Aug in Auge,

Und kosend und plaudernd,

Wenn du es wüßtest,

Du neigtest dein Herz!

[violinthief]

Suma,

Not only is your screen name silly, so are you. You come here trashing Jessye Norman, and yet most of your favorited videos are of Paul Potts. Jessye Norman, in her prime, was one of the world's greatest singers. Paul Potts, by professional standards, is mediocre.

[senilangakali]

for this great strauss lied, jessye norman falls short...of course she is a great singer, her record proves it, but for this song, in this performance she renders this great lied of strauss inexceptional....

[joshuaborg]

Falls short indeed. Her pitch is so far off. The tension in the face is almost farcical. It's really more a grimace really.

[Babs22h]

comments about her facial affectations make me laugh... she has sung with them though i do agree neck tension seems a bit extreme here even for her... i found her pitch was really only off on the high note at the end...

[sumalumajumjum]

v-

you have such solid taste is most all of your favorites. so i'm not sure how JN fits into that. She barely gets through this piece. i really feel like she is one of the most overrated singers of this generation. also, the Paul potts vids are a joke. He is terrible and yet the world eats it up. Sad.

[violinthief]

Suma, Thanks for the compliment, even if it is a bit back-handed. Simply put, JN is one of the great lieder singers of the late 20th century. I find her singing sensitive and her interpretations intelligent. As for the pitch problems that so many refer to - the NY Phil is a rather sharp orchestra. They officially tune A442 and tend to squeeze a bit higher than that. As for pitch problems - Norman isn't alone. Tebaldi and Nilsson both had rather extreme off nights as well.

[violinthief]

Suma, I also noticed just now that you have eliminated all of the Paul Potts videos from your favorites. Congrats - it took you months to figure out he is a rather mediocre singer. It took me seconds.

[Babs22h]

lol your comment to suma about paul potts "it took me seconds" hahaha

[dungaboyd1]

do you know what her range was? whats her highest note, D6?

[pagliacci83]

Agreed. Love the face though...ha!

[cptnunderwhere]

Hmm, this is quite funny because I have seen her in some very difficult Strauss works and this leaves me wanting quite a bit. There is quite a lack of consistency between the registers and only in one place does the voice sound really good. Yes, and the last note was not only flat - she was stretching for it.

[craigwalters]

It may not be her best singing but it's still great to listen to. Not to mention that those last few note are unbelievably difficult. Most singers I've heard sing this are really tired my then.

[sumalumajumjum]

Give me a break!! If you are "to tired by then" then don't sing the piece. Where is her voice here? Very uneven. That grimace/smile she has and the obvious tension in her face and body are quite discomfiting. Flat on several of the "high notes" as well. This concert if terrible to watch and to listen to. Not that most posters of youtube could tell the difference. *sigh*

[kurbiscremesuppe]

She is outstanding, beyond any possible way of describing her... This is a true artist!

[Babs22h]

didnt someone make a comment about her looking like an alien? at the end...ROFL where did that comment go.... ITS rather sad...but truelol

[33blueberries]

She's below form here. The voice was always very thick, not necessarily a bad thing (hell, it's one of the reasons I like Norman), but here it is clearly too thick to maintain the tessitura and, finally, deliver on the climactic notes. Plus she looks like an alien, no?

[Babs22h]

was it me or was she a little flat on the last high note...

[lamarcallas]

it wasn't you. jessye is one of my all times favorite divasbut her high notes after have always been questionable at times. if she has a b then she is fine but sustaining on bs and above can find her a little short at times.

[Babs22h]

it s funny my vocal teacher has worked extensively with Ms. Norman and says the dimishment of her range as a soprano maybe due to her very singular technique"extreme articulation of syllables and very wide mouth position "etc.) He also mentioned presently she is singing more mezzo works due to her own technique. That would certanily suck to continually flat in repertoire for your voice type. It makes sense that she would take notice... and "mezzo" her later vocal years.

[primobasso]

absolutely stunning!

[felipecunha]

Fantastic!

[walkabass]

beyond gorgeous...

[blairinnyc]

This is one of my favorite performances by Jessye, I've seen her perform this live many times. She is breathtaking.