She did well. Its a different style, and its hard to do that. Got to give her credit. Listen to her sing amazing grace from her soul, and you get the picture. Here she was singing something that was very different from her usual style, but she pulled it off. Pavarotti loved it.
THIS video doesnt show it, but Sting did say before introducing her that Aretha HAD performed "Nessun Dorma" for another event days before these Grammys. She did NOT go into this cold and unprepared. She had learned and rehearsed this - Aretha style - for an event other than these Grammys.
Hey. This is the way the Queen of Soul "interprets" this great opera piece. You hate it. Your right to.
@pianowiz1025 dude, you are disgusting. she did a favor for pavoratti. she's not an opera singer. so what? you know... just because you like opera doesn't mean you have to hate other kinds of music.
I grew up listening to and playing classical music. There are many classic and beautiful versions of Nessun Dorma, and those who prefer those should stick to them. Aretha Franklin may not know very much about opera, but there is nothing she doesn't know about music. This is an unforgettable performance, and should bring a big smile to any real musician. Hats off to Aretha for her guts, and for her enormous heart!
@monelleny Amen! I sing classical music in my a'capella group of eight years. Although I carry the melody on most of our songs, and have excelled in the genre with an extremely powerful belt & control, it is not my favorite style of singing. What I do love is strong, high quality, melodious vocals. Aretha sang amazingly, and even added a little soulful twist to it. Although many love her, I don't prefer her style, but, her awesomness cannot be disputed to those with a trained ear.
God as a singer I am just appalled that anyone let this happen. She absolutely ruined this song for me. I love Aretha to death but she really needs to stick with what she is good at. Opera and classical music in general is not it.
WHAT IS IT WITH ALL THESE POLITICAL CORRECT PEOPLE. WHENEVER A PERSON PERFORMS BADLY AT SOMETHING, IT IS ABSOLUTELY OK TO SAY SO. EVEN IF THAT PERSON BELONGS TO A MINORITY. ALSO, SHE DID PERFORM RATHER POORLY, AND THERE IS NO NEED TO GIVE CREDIT TO ANYBODY JUST FOR DOING THE BEST THEY CAN; NOT AT THIS LEVEL ( EXCEPT FOR KIDS, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS PRAISE THEM ). IF YOU KNOW YOU HAVE ONLY LITTLE TIME TO PREPARE FOR SOMETHING AND YOU KNOW YOU CAN´T PULL IT OFF, THEN BOW OUT GRACEFULLY!
WTF? Please baby, please baby, please baby please, don't sing Puccini. Or Verdi. Or Leoncavallo, Or Rossini, Or any other of those Italian composers. Stick to gospel, Leiber and Stoller, R & B, and the other venues that you can manage. Then check your blood glucose.
Is Aretha an opera singer what do you people expect she done her best ...........Could Pavarotti sing soul like her no..............Cause he is an Opera singer!!.........
Very nice. I've never been a fan of Grand Opera mainly because I can't stand the compositions of Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, et. al, but Aretha makes it clear there's always been another component missing to traditional performance. Namely, soul.
The amount of courage (or arrogance) to step in for Luciano Pavarotti to sing opera is Mind-Boggling. I'm not hating, I love Aretha and she's the Queen!
Aretha did this opera song in the way it was meant to be. Soulful. Pavorotti sings with soul in his way, and Aretha does it in her way. Thats what music should be. Thats why we pay to see Aretha, because she puts herself into her work. I felt this. It doesn't matter if she only had 20 minutes to prepare because she put a lifetime of technique and training into this performance. It was spectacular and unprecedented. Bravo Aretha! And f@#$ all the haters.
I liked this even before I knew she was "just standing in" for Pavarotti. I'd like to see her critics do that with the same finesse and caliber... I certainly would applaud them when it happens.
LOL @ those complaining. Did you expect Aretha to sound like Pavarotti. It's hilarious watching these PSEUDO-elitists struggle with their limited musical comprehension to understand anything different from the textbook norm. Aretha's SOUL interpretation was BRILLIANT. Luciano Pavarotti loved it! The audience of respected, accomplished musicians loved it! Period! Say what you want, but 50 years from now people will STILL know Aretha's name & music. You complainers will be forgotten memories.
She has a wonderful voice, and I'm sure with enough time to prepare she would have done better.... but as it stands this performance is really not very good.
I remember this performance. It was last minute...she wasn't scheduled to sing nor was she prepared. She was asked to step in for Pavarotti who was ill and when she stepped on the stage, no one...and I mean no one, knew if she could pull this off! She rocked the house! People jumped out of their seats and the applause was thunderous. I was electrifying watching it from home.
I remember I was in drama and theater class when this was done and my Instructor played it for entire classroom. She made sang an instant classic out of a song that nobody ever sings anymore without thinking of or mentioning. The thing is this for the amateurs and laymen: if you were to practice and get the right instruction you CAN learn to sing this close to as well as Pavarotti one day years from now, but you will NEVER be able to do what Aretha did--ever, no one can. Or let's see you do it
the best vocal performance I've ever heard. I remember watching this live...it STILL gives me chills. Get it Aretha! GET IT! This was the most phenomenal thing to witness...and to think it was all by chance because Luciano was ill. Breathtaking.
She added soul to Nessun Dorma.........no matter what u say.......she's still the queen and her performance was stunning...........even celine dion got chills!!
I prefer Sarah Brightman for this beautiful song, but hearing racists about this great lady Aretha saddens me, Cultured people never lower themselves to make base remarks like this. They should be ashamed.and embarrassed.
@lamaga2007 I suggest to all those who don't have anything good to say about this performance to view Mina Mazzini's Nessun Dorma. Perhaps that would be more your "cup of tea." She could use a few views - 5,377 vs. 361,000 for Aretha Franklin's version that supposed to be so "horrible." Explain that.
Earth to idiots, she stepped in for Pavarotti who was too ill to attend. She didn't have time for a proper rehearsal yet she was bad ass enough to sing in it in the original key. Now how many modern day singer would even attempt that???
@azzer411 fyi..while it IS the original key...she is singing it an octave lower then a female would. She is in the same range that a tenor would sing it in...thus..= fail.
OMG she has no idea how to get from one note to the next, and yet she calls herself "singer" and inflicts the guttural noise from her throat to the public! Niggers should stick to what is theirs and leave Culture alone.
@chrisz78, and yet she received a standing ovation for this performance. Not to mention, she literally had minutes to prepare for this performance. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but the racism just certifies your ignorance and stupidity.
How many "standing ovations" did Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini receive in their heydays? The typical "democratic" fallacy - if the majority applauds, it must be good! Problem: Many are stupid and few are intelligent, many are tone-deaf and few can sing. Ms. Franklin definitely can NOT, it doesn't matter with the primitive music she usually indulges in, but it's horrible once she ventures beyond semi-pornographic moaning and yowling and attempts a real melody.
@chrisz78, first of all, I think there's a huge difference between giving a standing ovation to dictators and murderers vs giving one to a singer lol. So I suggest you find another example. Like I said in my previous comment, you have a right to your opinion but the racism just certifies your ignorance and stupidity.
@chrisz78 Why don't you tell us how you REALLY feel. And when you do that, stop by all the honkey's and crackers houses who are making money with the african-american HIP HOP STYLE!
@azzer411 - I agree. I saw her on an interview and she said had 20 minutes lead time before she had to sing. She said she practiced coming down the stairs from dressing to the stage. There wasn't time re score the orchestra so she sang in Pavarotti's key.
@azzer411 Also, I'm barely 20 and I can sing that song. Not with the power and presence he could but I've got at least 10 years before I'm old enough for my voice to sound right for the part.
Im sorry but somethings must remain classic, theres no doubt shes talented and has an incredible voice, but this piece of Opera must be song the way is sopusse to be , sung with classical techniques and opera voice.
@BusterChulo Yeah but when your dear friend Pavoratti calls in sick and you have less than an hour to pull something together . . . that's when you see the brilliance she really has! She had to sing it in Pavoratti's range and well you can see her Italian is lacking somewhat and still managed and absolutely brilliant performance.
@Caite33 Ok so nobody read the part of NO DOUBT SHES TALENTED AN HAS AN INCREDIBLE VOICE and anybody that apart from Pavarroti or anyone else would cover these song and didnt sing it right I would have said he or she sucked at it but did I mentioned that she sucked at my comment... No I didnt thank u
@BusterChulo Ok, since you are into things being done correctly then I guess a woman should not have even song it since it''s a piece for a male...The Queen put her owe spin on it the same way Elvis put his spin on the blues and Rnb...it's call music....I know if Arthea wanted to take a year off and study opera she cold sing with the best of them.....
@skyiscrying53 Your right it is music , is still is but I must recall that I never mencioned nothing about gender in my comment, so your angered comment is out of context. And your right if she wanted she could practice opera she would make a kick ass singer . All songs can be altered to adjust a certain style but in these case In my opinion it didnt go well and maybe she was thinking the same God Knows. So I respect her and admire her for doing it but I didnt like the cover.
People are still debating this? Music, just like many other art forms is form of personal expression and creativity. The reason why people laud Aretha's performance is not because it was just so darn close to the original piece. It is lauded because because 2 musical genres that are vastly different were intertwined in a way no one would have anticipated. To the opera purist IDIOT who said something about how modern music (like R&B) does not require skill: your ignorance is astounding
People need to shut it up with the negative comments. She only had 15 minutes to prepare for the song. The song wasn't even in a comfortable key for her.....and she only had 15 minutes!!!!! Then folks have the nerve to say something stupid?!?!? Let's remind you the guy she stepped in for sung it I think the next year.....she blew him the hell out! So please shut it up.....because even with her being ill.....she would blow all of you out laying down and half sleep!!!!!
Good Lord. Any good singer can sing anything well given the proper time and preparation. How any of you are using Aretha Franklin as the prime example of why a soul or pop singer cannot sing opera is so ignorant. Pavarotti practiced the SH** out of it for years. For ENTERTAINMENT purposes, sure, I'm down to see Aretha Franklin sing Nessun Dorma. Personally, I can't wait to see how our soloist does next month in San Diego for the Turandot production. I'll be in the chorus =].
When I viewed this performance I got chills, Amazing! I had heard it by opera performers ( I worked at the Opera for years). It is what it is. If it must have a catagory : Enjoyable! opera is the only genre of music where artist of other genres
are so throughly ridiculed for performing - the sacred cow!
@Chanteuredelopera ~I guess someone deleted your comment....but I'm going to respond! Aretha grew up in the church....WE DON'T NEED MICROPHONES....She sung on the same microphone that the other dude sung on and still did her thang! Don't insult her, because she's a world class singer while the only crowd you sing for is your mother, family reunions, and your third cousin's wedding..shut it up, sit it down, and learn, because if your singing is a poor as your comments..DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB!
Opera is drama set to music, an opera is a play where the dialogue is sung rather than spoken. The above clip is of a pop singer attempting an aria from the opera Turandot by Puccini, which is sung by a male character btw: The Prince Calaf. So when someone sings a song with a classical sounding voice it is NOT opera. The word OPERA comes from the Latin word OPUS which means WORK thus referring to a large work or body of music set to a story or legend. She is NOT singing opera.
@Chanteuredelopera Girl put the Hater-aid down!!!!! Because you are really an OPUS because you are working my last nerve! Yes she is a soul singer.....THE QUEEN OF SOUL....she didn't ask to sing the song.....they came to her at the last minute because SHE CAN SING! So take your OPUS and go whistle some high notes somewhere and leave Aretha alone.....because I would love to see you post yourself singing this song.....I bet you would get smoked by Aretha's version!
The queen of soul perhaps but certainly not of opera. This is another clear example of how over hyped modern music singers are, they lack the in depth training of a real opera singer. This woman would be booed off an opera house stage within 2 minutes of opening her mouth, no breath control, no phrasing, no legato, terrible Italian pronunciation, completely off tempo etc etc. Stick to what you know, leave the rest to the virtuoso's...
@Chanteuredelopera she only did this to fill in for pavarotti. she only had 15 minutes to prepare to sing this song. shes not a opera singer, just like a opera singer could not sing a pop song or a soul song. they couldnt do the riffs and runs, and the belts that she does. i like some opera, but it gets old. pop has more freedom to be creative, opera is very repetitive and after a while it all sounds like the same. i admire there control, they have control like no one else.
@ARETHAVIDEOS Opera singers can't do riffs & runs? You obviously think that opera starts & stops with Nessun Dorma. My goodness please do yourself a favor & listen to the operas of the Baroque composers such as Handel then listen to composers such as Rossini, Donizetti & Bellini, then you come tell me if a modern pop singer can even come close to that. The runs found in soul & pop are kindergarten songs compared to ones found in opera. Opera is obviously not in your field of knowledge.
un honor oir a aretha cantar esto asi y a su edad.....ya no era la mujer fresca de finales d elso sesenta y principios de los setenta......pero aun asi y todo whitney jamas podria cantar esto ni en sus mejores momentos.....simplemente porque su voz no era la adecuada para este tipo de cosas......aretha siempre sera aretha.......una voz y un carisma .......imposible para la whitney........tan real como la vida misma.........viva aretha.......
In addition, an aria is supposed to display the musical ability of an artist. Aretha Franklin, as a classical opera singer, does not display the ability to sing this piece. Aretha Franklin has just as much business singing this piece as Pavarotti would have had singing RESPECT. Aretha Franklin is a great musician in her realm, and outside of that, she is nothing special by any means. I still stand by my previous comment of, "I think that this could be compared to Roseanne Barr singing..."
FYI, I have a degree in music composition and literature, and, not to toot my own horn, am very well experienced with different types of music. I also have a degree in psychology, and I do understand that at times, people say things that they don't mean. Being a performer, I can completely understand that Pavarotti might tell Aretha she did a good job regardless of his true feelings.
@kippmcclain You, and those of your ilk, are very arrogant in second-guessing Luciano Pavarotti. You, sir, are no Luciano Pavarotti! He saw her performance a couple of days before and liked it then when she sang it at Musicares in her own voice range. Why would he even ask her to sing in his place w/o any adjustments? Wasn't he aware that there was a possiblilty that she wouldn't sound the same singing tenor and unrehearsed? IMO, her Musicares performance shook him up and he couldn't perform.
@tula97 What gives you the authority to question Luciano Pavarotti's(RIP) decision on his replacement? You must think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. You must think you;re the cat's meow. What arrogance! I'd have a lot more respect if you'd have kept you unexpert opinion to yourself. Luciano Pavarotti was the expert in this matter. His opinion should count just a little, don't you think?
@tula97 What gives you the authority to question Luciano Pavarotti's(RIP) decision on his replacement? You must think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. You must think you;re the cat's meow. What arrogance! I'd have a lot more respect if you'd have kept you unexpert opinion to yourself. Luciano Pavarotti was the expert in this matter. His opinion should count just a little, don't you think?
@Barry3443 Look, Barry, you gotta a lotta nerve second-guessing Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, unless of course, you're a Maestro yourself, - which I doubt very seriously. Therefore, what you think is of no consequence here. So, just press dislike and keep your unexpert opinion to yourself.
@pmjhns Perhaps you are unaware, but the purpose of the comments section on YouTube is for people to give their opinion on the video, and you don't even have to be a Maestro to do it. This the worst rendition of Nessun Dorma I have ever heard. It is abysmal, terrible, awful.... Just because your opinion is different doesn't mean a damn thing.
@Barry3443 Hmmmm. Then I guess you know more about music than Pavarotti did at the time, I suppose. Anyway, I happen to agree with Mr. Pavarotti. And, besides, like I said in a previous comment: An opinion is like an asshole - everybody's got one. Mine happens agree with the Maestro's. Your's doesn't . I don't think he made a mistake in his choice to replace him that nite. Apparently, you do! You're entitled to your unexpert opinion.
@Barry3443 She stepped in for pavarotti when he couldnt sing at this performance. she had 15 minutes to prepare. she did an amazing job. sends chills down my back.
I am trying to be objective, but I just can't find anything good to say about this performance. I realize Aretha stood in for Luciano in his illness and that's commendable and perhaps she had little rehearsal time. However, maybe she should have sung something more in keeping with her usual repertoire.
@nashrunner456 Look, nash - there was no time to pick and choose a piece to perform. Try viewing another clip where the host of the 1998 Grammys fully explains what happened. I personally felt it was an amazing performance under the circumstances. Not many would've been able to do it without a rehearsal with the orchestra. I think it's a bit unfair to judge a performance when there was no rehearsal time. It's going to have a few rough places.
I have listened to crap loads of version of this and I take something away from all of them. The amazing Pavarotti is a lesson in clean command. Mario Lanza is power and performance. Paul Potts is an amateur who has one chance to prove himself and pours his heart into it. Aretha is not about technique - you are missing the whole darned point. She is all emotion. If Pavarotti liked her version - it's good enough for me. It would be a boring world if breathing was what made something special.
@wTrevorh Slow your roll, wTrevorh! She was just standing in for Mr. Pavaroti, for goodness' sake! This was an unplanned performance. I hope you told that to Big Luciano! You probably wouldn't have had the guts to talk to him like you're talking to Aretha under the protection of Youtube! lol
@pmjhns, please! Aretha took way too many breaths during the performance. It's a disrespect to the piece of art when people don't take the time to do it the way it was intended to be done. In my opinion, Mr. Pavarotti was pressured into selecting her the tune. It would've sounded way better with either Ms. Leontyne Price, Ms. Jessye Norman, or Ms. Margaret Price--actually opera Divas. I'm sure either of those Queens would have taken the time to sing Nessun Dorma the way Puccini had intended.
@wTrevorh C'mon, now! You're being way too critical. This was an unrehearsed performance! As I said before, a "fluke," - a chance happening.
How could you possibly expect perfection? And, Mr. Pavarotti asked her to do it as a favor to him. I'm sure all the "breathing" could have been worked out ahead of time had it been a planned performance. As I said in a previous comment, all this talk about proper "breathing," which I (along with a lot of others) didn't even notice is being a bit "anal."
Ronald, Ms. Franklin is every bit of an icon in the black community as Puccini is in Italy. I, as well as countless others, will not have her insulted in this manner. Now, I respect Mr. Puccini's misogynistic, homicidal, maniacal piece of trash of an opera, so I think you should have some R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Ms. Franklin, as well. Not lol.
@KlimovArtem1 Why compare? There's always gonna be someone better than someone else. I'm sure there's someone better than Sarah Brightman, if not now, there will be in the future. Let's just listen and enjoy! I've heard Sarah Brightman's Nessun Dorma, and I liked it. It's just not as memorable as this one to me, because of the set of circumstances surrounding this performance, I imagine. This one's airytale-like, to me!
@KlimovArtem1 Actually, between Brightman and Aretha Franklin, I'd have chosen Aretha for the simple reason that she isn't trying to sound like an opera singer but does her own thing. She is also expressive. But in reality, this should be sung by an operatic tenor. Puccini wanted a specific sound for this, this is classical music not a pop song, and in classical music composer's wishes are supposed to be respected.
@jewelmarkess That's right, that's why I wrote the first comment - Nessun Dorma is a sctrict opera piece for a high voice. Aretha sang it much lower, in the jaz style with some impovizations. She also took air in many wrong places. Sarah sang this piece in a perfect opera style (being not an opera singer), especially in La Luna concert.
@KlimovArtem1 Actually, Puccini didn't just write it for any high voice. Puccini wrote it for a dramatic or a spinto tenor. Pavarotti was a lyric tenor, but in his later career he took on some spinto roles. Sarah doesn't sing it in "perfect opera style" either, in fact while she is great at crossover, she isn't great at arias. Plus, transposing an opera aria from its original key is only allowed in very few specific cases, this isn't one of them.
OH HALLELUJAH! YAS ARETHA!
Slaychelle 5 days ago
She did well. Its a different style, and its hard to do that. Got to give her credit. Listen to her sing amazing grace from her soul, and you get the picture. Here she was singing something that was very different from her usual style, but she pulled it off. Pavarotti loved it.
babystinky 1 week ago
THIS video doesnt show it, but Sting did say before introducing her that Aretha HAD performed "Nessun Dorma" for another event days before these Grammys. She did NOT go into this cold and unprepared. She had learned and rehearsed this - Aretha style - for an event other than these Grammys.
Hey. This is the way the Queen of Soul "interprets" this great opera piece. You hate it. Your right to.
xxxHeyZeusxxx 3 weeks ago
Wait. Any time they can just call you up on stage to sing a song like that-- in Italian, you're a bad, bad, bitch!!! All hail the Queen!!
WowKowboy 3 weeks ago
Every living singer on earth moved up one notch the other night, except for Aretha Franklin.
pvillelajr 3 weeks ago
Queen of Soul singing Opera. Magnificent.
ashn2k 3 weeks ago
It took guts to do this...but why didn't they pick a fellow opera singer to step in for Pavarotti? :S
VoiceOfAnAngel1 3 weeks ago
0:46 made me shiver. Her best performance.
Maaannyable 3 weeks ago
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dioioego 3 weeks ago
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As a classical opera singer, I find this awful and disgusting. Pavoratti must be rolling in his grave.
pianowiz1025 1 month ago
@pianowiz1025 dude, you are disgusting. she did a favor for pavoratti. she's not an opera singer. so what? you know... just because you like opera doesn't mean you have to hate other kinds of music.
kenjihoon 1 month ago
I grew up listening to and playing classical music. There are many classic and beautiful versions of Nessun Dorma, and those who prefer those should stick to them. Aretha Franklin may not know very much about opera, but there is nothing she doesn't know about music. This is an unforgettable performance, and should bring a big smile to any real musician. Hats off to Aretha for her guts, and for her enormous heart!
monelleny 1 month ago 2
@monelleny Yes! It is all about the music.
42abyz 1 month ago
@monelleny Amen! I sing classical music in my a'capella group of eight years. Although I carry the melody on most of our songs, and have excelled in the genre with an extremely powerful belt & control, it is not my favorite style of singing. What I do love is strong, high quality, melodious vocals. Aretha sang amazingly, and even added a little soulful twist to it. Although many love her, I don't prefer her style, but, her awesomness cannot be disputed to those with a trained ear.
stevie586 1 month ago
God as a singer I am just appalled that anyone let this happen. She absolutely ruined this song for me. I love Aretha to death but she really needs to stick with what she is good at. Opera and classical music in general is not it.
trentstrends 1 month ago
Dilegua oh notte, tramontate stelle, tramontate stelle , al alba vinceró! That's it!
JoyErnst 2 months ago
Holy Shit! She forgot the lyrics and mumbled anything meaningless instead! LOL
JoyErnst 2 months ago
@JoyErnst You have a lot to learn....
migf27 2 months ago
@migf27 Why?
JoyErnst 2 months ago
Cerpth, you sound like you are mentally challenged and for that you have my sympathy.
Paybacksoon 2 months ago
WHAT IS IT WITH ALL THESE POLITICAL CORRECT PEOPLE. WHENEVER A PERSON PERFORMS BADLY AT SOMETHING, IT IS ABSOLUTELY OK TO SAY SO. EVEN IF THAT PERSON BELONGS TO A MINORITY. ALSO, SHE DID PERFORM RATHER POORLY, AND THERE IS NO NEED TO GIVE CREDIT TO ANYBODY JUST FOR DOING THE BEST THEY CAN; NOT AT THIS LEVEL ( EXCEPT FOR KIDS, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS PRAISE THEM ). IF YOU KNOW YOU HAVE ONLY LITTLE TIME TO PREPARE FOR SOMETHING AND YOU KNOW YOU CAN´T PULL IT OFF, THEN BOW OUT GRACEFULLY!
cuchulainn1967 3 months ago
WTF? Please baby, please baby, please baby please, don't sing Puccini. Or Verdi. Or Leoncavallo, Or Rossini, Or any other of those Italian composers. Stick to gospel, Leiber and Stoller, R & B, and the other venues that you can manage. Then check your blood glucose.
birdybill 4 months ago
Without a doubt the best ever stand in performance by any artist.
Paybacksoon 4 months ago
@Paybacksoon You stupid fuck. It was shitty.
Cerpth 2 months ago
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Paybacksoon 2 months ago
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@Cerpth She had no time to practice being it was asked of her at the last minute. By the way Merry Christmas to you too.
Paybacksoon 2 months ago
Kill her with fire!!
doggonel0ver 4 months ago
@doggonel0ver you must be white and don't understand the Black music and our take on music to say such a thing but cool,
BLKNBALD100 3 months ago
@BLKNBALD100 Maybe you are black but not from another planet , man. Don´t be racist, it´s ridiculous. XD
doggonel0ver 3 months ago
she sucks!!!
ranger2187 5 months ago
The Italian word "Vincerò" means "I will win" in English language.
antonio007b 5 months ago
V-I-N-C-E-R-O, tell me what it means you ho! V-I-N-C-E-R-O, ooh yeah. Sockittome sockittome, sockittome, sockittome, sockittome, sockittome...
jjp009 6 months ago 2
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jjp009 6 months ago
OMG this is awful... I really gave it a chance, but it's awful
lauranacif 6 months ago
I love the different flavor that she brings to this. Loved it!
IseeYouAndYouDont 6 months ago
Is Aretha an opera singer what do you people expect she done her best ...........Could Pavarotti sing soul like her no..............Cause he is an Opera singer!!.........
kelvinfromlondon 6 months ago 2
@kelvinfromlondon Didn't stop him from singing with people like the Spice Girls and James Brown.
beatinbuddy 5 months ago
yea idk this was pretty crappy
bigclint101 7 months ago
Very nice. I've never been a fan of Grand Opera mainly because I can't stand the compositions of Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, et. al, but Aretha makes it clear there's always been another component missing to traditional performance. Namely, soul.
SWOTBWOT 7 months ago
Her Italian is so good like her!!!
78kikko 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
She's still the Queen.
MrDallycat 7 months ago
What a total, utter monstrosity. There is absolutely no excuse.
MrRancidrob 7 months ago 3
I dont think its that great :(
less01 7 months ago
The amount of courage (or arrogance) to step in for Luciano Pavarotti to sing opera is Mind-Boggling. I'm not hating, I love Aretha and she's the Queen!
ArmenSur 7 months ago
Aretha did this opera song in the way it was meant to be. Soulful. Pavorotti sings with soul in his way, and Aretha does it in her way. Thats what music should be. Thats why we pay to see Aretha, because she puts herself into her work. I felt this. It doesn't matter if she only had 20 minutes to prepare because she put a lifetime of technique and training into this performance. It was spectacular and unprecedented. Bravo Aretha! And f@#$ all the haters.
tigertysonfan 7 months ago
@tigertysonfan Yes ,Yes,Yes...her size is matched by her voice...and her heart...get well soon sweet towering Queen...we Love YOU xo
nicco47 7 months ago
I'd like to see anybody else other than a trained opera singer step in at 20 minutes notice!
intercomsec 8 months ago
She was marvellously brave to step in. Bravo big lady!
The99Gambo 8 months ago
Horrible!?! She murdered the song!?? I love Aretha but this is beyond *#%£¥*!
asianfil 8 months ago
@asianfil thanks for having the courage to say that. it's good for what it is. but what it is is a butchering of the piece o.o
ShawDAMAN 7 months ago
Upload the whole performance or get the fuck out. This clip shit is ignorant.
ragemanchoo82 9 months ago
She has a very high, powerful soprano. I've often thought that there's another universe where she's an adored opera singer.
oyapeg 9 months ago
Bloody terrible.!!!!!
Apollogranforte 10 months ago
I liked this even before I knew she was "just standing in" for Pavarotti. I'd like to see her critics do that with the same finesse and caliber... I certainly would applaud them when it happens.
mandragorra 10 months ago
LOL @ those complaining. Did you expect Aretha to sound like Pavarotti. It's hilarious watching these PSEUDO-elitists struggle with their limited musical comprehension to understand anything different from the textbook norm. Aretha's SOUL interpretation was BRILLIANT. Luciano Pavarotti loved it! The audience of respected, accomplished musicians loved it! Period! Say what you want, but 50 years from now people will STILL know Aretha's name & music. You complainers will be forgotten memories.
FameThreeTimes 11 months ago 15
@FameThreeTimes Agreed....awesome...
POETICRAGE 2 months ago
@FameThreeTimes Thank you for saying that! Long live Her Royal Soulfulness!
42abyz 1 month ago
She has a wonderful voice, and I'm sure with enough time to prepare she would have done better.... but as it stands this performance is really not very good.
atpowers89 11 months ago
I remember this performance. It was last minute...she wasn't scheduled to sing nor was she prepared. She was asked to step in for Pavarotti who was ill and when she stepped on the stage, no one...and I mean no one, knew if she could pull this off! She rocked the house! People jumped out of their seats and the applause was thunderous. I was electrifying watching it from home.
gooffgoff89 1 year ago 13
Awesome Aretha Franklin...wow..better show her some respect...she is just awesome.
ebazz8305 1 year ago 3
I remember I was in drama and theater class when this was done and my Instructor played it for entire classroom. She made sang an instant classic out of a song that nobody ever sings anymore without thinking of or mentioning. The thing is this for the amateurs and laymen: if you were to practice and get the right instruction you CAN learn to sing this close to as well as Pavarotti one day years from now, but you will NEVER be able to do what Aretha did--ever, no one can. Or let's see you do it
setbro 1 year ago
It was remarkable!
hakafos 1 year ago
que se vaya a bañar, eso no es opera, que cante Jazz mejor jajaja
djvachiss 1 year ago
the best vocal performance I've ever heard. I remember watching this live...it STILL gives me chills. Get it Aretha! GET IT! This was the most phenomenal thing to witness...and to think it was all by chance because Luciano was ill. Breathtaking.
icspirits2 1 year ago
I get chills listening to this. She is unbelievable!
God gave her a gift and she shares it with the world. Thank you Lord for giving us this women.
rangersyankees1 1 year ago 3
the absolute best version of this song EVER!
DiscoSmoke 1 year ago
She added soul to Nessun Dorma.........no matter what u say.......she's still the queen and her performance was stunning...........even celine dion got chills!!
4050322 1 year ago
I prefer Sarah Brightman for this beautiful song, but hearing racists about this great lady Aretha saddens me, Cultured people never lower themselves to make base remarks like this. They should be ashamed.and embarrassed.
GonzalesLanguages 1 year ago
Now I don't even know what she is saying, I can understand any other version of this song except for this one.
VivaLaEquus 1 year ago
OMG my cat sing better in the roof,even cats who have consnsual relathionship have a better voice
has you hear cats when have a sexual relations?
they have a better voice
mediterraneo1000 1 year ago
QUE ASCO!!! QUE FORMA DE ACABAR CON UNA CANCION TAN INCREIBLE... IT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WILLABCDEFG 1 year ago
I can almost guarantee the person who made the choice to have her fill in for Pavarotti got fired
Bullz4eva93 1 year ago
@lamaga2007 I suggest to all those who don't have anything good to say about this performance to view Mina Mazzini's Nessun Dorma. Perhaps that would be more your "cup of tea." She could use a few views - 5,377 vs. 361,000 for Aretha Franklin's version that supposed to be so "horrible." Explain that.
pmjhns 1 year ago
@DavidTerrill
hahahaa, why not just call up one the other thousands of tenors in the opera world who have sung the role? an interesting choice on their part.
rebbyjm64 1 year ago
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dcav6 1 year ago
HORRIBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
lamaga2007 1 year ago
Earth to idiots, she stepped in for Pavarotti who was too ill to attend. She didn't have time for a proper rehearsal yet she was bad ass enough to sing in it in the original key. Now how many modern day singer would even attempt that???
Give the girl some credit..
azzer411 1 year ago 106
@azzer411 fyi..while it IS the original key...she is singing it an octave lower then a female would. She is in the same range that a tenor would sing it in...thus..= fail.
dimoaar 1 year ago
@azzer411
In American Slang; to say she ie BAD is an endorsment... of being GOOD
Its confusing inn't it.
tsereterin 1 year ago
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@azzer411
OMG she has no idea how to get from one note to the next, and yet she calls herself "singer" and inflicts the guttural noise from her throat to the public! Niggers should stick to what is theirs and leave Culture alone.
chrisz78 1 year ago
@chrisz78, and yet she received a standing ovation for this performance. Not to mention, she literally had minutes to prepare for this performance. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but the racism just certifies your ignorance and stupidity.
HaTeRoLoGy101 1 year ago
@HaTeRoLoGy101
How many "standing ovations" did Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini receive in their heydays? The typical "democratic" fallacy - if the majority applauds, it must be good! Problem: Many are stupid and few are intelligent, many are tone-deaf and few can sing. Ms. Franklin definitely can NOT, it doesn't matter with the primitive music she usually indulges in, but it's horrible once she ventures beyond semi-pornographic moaning and yowling and attempts a real melody.
chrisz78 1 year ago
@chrisz78, first of all, I think there's a huge difference between giving a standing ovation to dictators and murderers vs giving one to a singer lol. So I suggest you find another example. Like I said in my previous comment, you have a right to your opinion but the racism just certifies your ignorance and stupidity.
HaTeRoLoGy101 1 year ago
@chrisz78 Why don't you tell us how you REALLY feel. And when you do that, stop by all the honkey's and crackers houses who are making money with the african-american HIP HOP STYLE!
zivaray 1 year ago
@azzer411 - I agree. I saw her on an interview and she said had 20 minutes lead time before she had to sing. She said she practiced coming down the stairs from dressing to the stage. There wasn't time re score the orchestra so she sang in Pavarotti's key.
CeritoLivesInDC 10 months ago
@azzer411 Also, I'm barely 20 and I can sing that song. Not with the power and presence he could but I've got at least 10 years before I'm old enough for my voice to sound right for the part.
beatinbuddy 5 months ago
horrible version!!!
jmahrky 1 year ago
Amo a Aretha demasiado
pero que horrenda versión de una de las grandes arias de Puccini.
GeorgieliciousMex 1 year ago
omigosh
binary0018 1 year ago
She made it her own you idiots....Viva Aretha Franklin...
For stepping in literally at a moments notice.. and bringing
down the house...no one else would've taken this song..
And for anyone clarification; its re-guarded as one of the best
Grammy performances... EVER!!!!
So Thanks;
tavaris44 1 year ago
Im sorry but somethings must remain classic, theres no doubt shes talented and has an incredible voice, but this piece of Opera must be song the way is sopusse to be , sung with classical techniques and opera voice.
BusterChulo 1 year ago
@BusterChulo Yeah but when your dear friend Pavoratti calls in sick and you have less than an hour to pull something together . . . that's when you see the brilliance she really has! She had to sing it in Pavoratti's range and well you can see her Italian is lacking somewhat and still managed and absolutely brilliant performance.
Caite33 1 year ago 32
@Caite33 Ok so nobody read the part of NO DOUBT SHES TALENTED AN HAS AN INCREDIBLE VOICE and anybody that apart from Pavarroti or anyone else would cover these song and didnt sing it right I would have said he or she sucked at it but did I mentioned that she sucked at my comment... No I didnt thank u
BusterChulo 1 year ago
@Caite33 Her singing in his range is no great feat for a woman. For a short term thing it's not bad but she did butcher it culturally.
beatinbuddy 5 months ago
@BusterChulo Ok, since you are into things being done correctly then I guess a woman should not have even song it since it''s a piece for a male...The Queen put her owe spin on it the same way Elvis put his spin on the blues and Rnb...it's call music....I know if Arthea wanted to take a year off and study opera she cold sing with the best of them.....
skyiscrying53 1 year ago
@skyiscrying53 Your right it is music , is still is but I must recall that I never mencioned nothing about gender in my comment, so your angered comment is out of context. And your right if she wanted she could practice opera she would make a kick ass singer . All songs can be altered to adjust a certain style but in these case In my opinion it didnt go well and maybe she was thinking the same God Knows. So I respect her and admire her for doing it but I didnt like the cover.
BusterChulo 1 year ago
What the hell was that?
ElvinD15 1 year ago 2
@ElvinD15 sorry, you'll never understand. walk on.
starlighter3 1 year ago
come MINA nessuno mai.
76sconcerto 1 year ago
There's a minute of my life I'll never get back!! :(
elmomustdie12 1 year ago 2
OMG this is so bad...
uare86d 1 year ago 2
People are still debating this? Music, just like many other art forms is form of personal expression and creativity. The reason why people laud Aretha's performance is not because it was just so darn close to the original piece. It is lauded because because 2 musical genres that are vastly different were intertwined in a way no one would have anticipated. To the opera purist IDIOT who said something about how modern music (like R&B) does not require skill: your ignorance is astounding
socrazysexycool 1 year ago 2
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@ILoveTobin aretha is not competeing with luciano she is merely filling in where no one else would dare, she saved the shoe
wilwiljames1 1 year ago
@ILoveTobin aretha is not competeing with luciano she is merely filling in where no one else would dare, she saved the shoe
wilwiljames1 1 year ago
Keep it strong Aretha, kick the cancer up the Ass
God bless say a prayer for Ree x x
luvtinaturnerlots 1 year ago
People need to shut it up with the negative comments. She only had 15 minutes to prepare for the song. The song wasn't even in a comfortable key for her.....and she only had 15 minutes!!!!! Then folks have the nerve to say something stupid?!?!? Let's remind you the guy she stepped in for sung it I think the next year.....she blew him the hell out! So please shut it up.....because even with her being ill.....she would blow all of you out laying down and half sleep!!!!!
jclef614 1 year ago
Pronunciation all wrong ,
samdon815 1 year ago
OMG, and they nominated Jeff Beck for playing this song WITHOUT VOCALS?? The Grammy Awards are so insulting as usual
Croketas 1 year ago
Good Lord. Any good singer can sing anything well given the proper time and preparation. How any of you are using Aretha Franklin as the prime example of why a soul or pop singer cannot sing opera is so ignorant. Pavarotti practiced the SH** out of it for years. For ENTERTAINMENT purposes, sure, I'm down to see Aretha Franklin sing Nessun Dorma. Personally, I can't wait to see how our soloist does next month in San Diego for the Turandot production. I'll be in the chorus =].
ironmannion 1 year ago
When I viewed this performance I got chills, Amazing! I had heard it by opera performers ( I worked at the Opera for years). It is what it is. If it must have a catagory : Enjoyable! opera is the only genre of music where artist of other genres
are so throughly ridiculed for performing - the sacred cow!
zapbunny 1 year ago
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"Thankfully I also have the education to back it up..."
You are, now, officially, the most pompous human being in the entire Internet. And THAT is quite an accomplishment.
Viracocha88 1 year ago
Chanteuredelopera, you have a pomposity worthy of your chosen YouTube handle.
Viracocha88 1 year ago
@Viracocha88 Thankfully I also have the education to back it up...
Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago
@Chanteuredelopera ~I guess someone deleted your comment....but I'm going to respond! Aretha grew up in the church....WE DON'T NEED MICROPHONES....She sung on the same microphone that the other dude sung on and still did her thang! Don't insult her, because she's a world class singer while the only crowd you sing for is your mother, family reunions, and your third cousin's wedding..shut it up, sit it down, and learn, because if your singing is a poor as your comments..DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB!
jclef614 1 year ago
- Missing only the spirit of Puccini, and enforcement would be perfect!
- Manca soltanto lo spirito di Puccini, e l’esecuzione sarebbe perfetta!
- Tommaso Mazzoni d.p.r.o.
thi5htm 1 year ago
Opera is drama set to music, an opera is a play where the dialogue is sung rather than spoken. The above clip is of a pop singer attempting an aria from the opera Turandot by Puccini, which is sung by a male character btw: The Prince Calaf. So when someone sings a song with a classical sounding voice it is NOT opera. The word OPERA comes from the Latin word OPUS which means WORK thus referring to a large work or body of music set to a story or legend. She is NOT singing opera.
Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago
@Chanteuredelopera Girl put the Hater-aid down!!!!! Because you are really an OPUS because you are working my last nerve! Yes she is a soul singer.....THE QUEEN OF SOUL....she didn't ask to sing the song.....they came to her at the last minute because SHE CAN SING! So take your OPUS and go whistle some high notes somewhere and leave Aretha alone.....because I would love to see you post yourself singing this song.....I bet you would get smoked by Aretha's version!
jclef614 1 year ago
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Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago
The queen of soul perhaps but certainly not of opera. This is another clear example of how over hyped modern music singers are, they lack the in depth training of a real opera singer. This woman would be booed off an opera house stage within 2 minutes of opening her mouth, no breath control, no phrasing, no legato, terrible Italian pronunciation, completely off tempo etc etc. Stick to what you know, leave the rest to the virtuoso's...
Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago 2
@Chanteuredelopera she only did this to fill in for pavarotti. she only had 15 minutes to prepare to sing this song. shes not a opera singer, just like a opera singer could not sing a pop song or a soul song. they couldnt do the riffs and runs, and the belts that she does. i like some opera, but it gets old. pop has more freedom to be creative, opera is very repetitive and after a while it all sounds like the same. i admire there control, they have control like no one else.
ARETHAVIDEOS 1 year ago
@ARETHAVIDEOS Opera singers can't do riffs & runs? You obviously think that opera starts & stops with Nessun Dorma. My goodness please do yourself a favor & listen to the operas of the Baroque composers such as Handel then listen to composers such as Rossini, Donizetti & Bellini, then you come tell me if a modern pop singer can even come close to that. The runs found in soul & pop are kindergarten songs compared to ones found in opera. Opera is obviously not in your field of knowledge.
Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago
@ARETHAVIDEOS So right! I heard the circumstance the night of the Grammies - what the fuss? Thank you for your post.
zapbunny 1 year ago
@Chanteuredelopera You're entirely missing the point.
illdoc1 1 year ago
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Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago
it sux
cleoxxxooo 1 year ago
I heard fumbled Italian... Stick to pop Aretha
BrotherVBrother 1 year ago
un honor oir a aretha cantar esto asi y a su edad.....ya no era la mujer fresca de finales d elso sesenta y principios de los setenta......pero aun asi y todo whitney jamas podria cantar esto ni en sus mejores momentos.....simplemente porque su voz no era la adecuada para este tipo de cosas......aretha siempre sera aretha.......una voz y un carisma .......imposible para la whitney........tan real como la vida misma.........viva aretha.......
bellini7verdi 1 year ago
britney lo cantaria 1000 veces lejor
computista 1 year ago
All'alba vincerò! Vincerò!! Vincerò!!!"
pmjhns 1 year ago
In addition, an aria is supposed to display the musical ability of an artist. Aretha Franklin, as a classical opera singer, does not display the ability to sing this piece. Aretha Franklin has just as much business singing this piece as Pavarotti would have had singing RESPECT. Aretha Franklin is a great musician in her realm, and outside of that, she is nothing special by any means. I still stand by my previous comment of, "I think that this could be compared to Roseanne Barr singing..."
kippmcclain 1 year ago 2
FYI, I have a degree in music composition and literature, and, not to toot my own horn, am very well experienced with different types of music. I also have a degree in psychology, and I do understand that at times, people say things that they don't mean. Being a performer, I can completely understand that Pavarotti might tell Aretha she did a good job regardless of his true feelings.
kippmcclain 1 year ago
@kippmcclain You, and those of your ilk, are very arrogant in second-guessing Luciano Pavarotti. You, sir, are no Luciano Pavarotti! He saw her performance a couple of days before and liked it then when she sang it at Musicares in her own voice range. Why would he even ask her to sing in his place w/o any adjustments? Wasn't he aware that there was a possiblilty that she wouldn't sound the same singing tenor and unrehearsed? IMO, her Musicares performance shook him up and he couldn't perform.
pmjhns 1 year ago
@pmjhns ...you're kidding...
jsidneykelly3 1 year ago
I think that this could be compared to Roseanne Barr singing the National Anthem.
kippmcclain 1 year ago
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@kippmcclain You don't know what you're talking about.
pmjhns 1 year ago
@kippmcclain Apparently, you and Maestro Pavarotti's hearing is different. I hear the same thing he did.
pmjhns 1 year ago
OH MY GOD, MY EARS ARE BLEEDING!!!!!
kippmcclain 1 year ago
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@tula97 What gives you the authority to question Luciano Pavarotti's(RIP) decision on his replacement? You must think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. You must think you;re the cat's meow. What arrogance! I'd have a lot more respect if you'd have kept you unexpert opinion to yourself. Luciano Pavarotti was the expert in this matter. His opinion should count just a little, don't you think?
pmjhns 1 year ago
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pmjhns 1 year ago
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pmjhns 1 year ago
what a joke
tula97 1 year ago
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pmjhns 1 year ago
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pmjhns 1 year ago
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@tula97 What gives you the authority to question Luciano Pavarotti's(RIP) decision on his replacement? You must think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. You must think you;re the cat's meow. What arrogance! I'd have a lot more respect if you'd have kept you unexpert opinion to yourself. Luciano Pavarotti was the expert in this matter. His opinion should count just a little, don't you think?
pmjhns 1 year ago
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pmjhns 1 year ago
Good grief that is just terrible. She has no place even attempting this song.
Barry3443 1 year ago
@Barry3443 Look, Barry, you gotta a lotta nerve second-guessing Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, unless of course, you're a Maestro yourself, - which I doubt very seriously. Therefore, what you think is of no consequence here. So, just press dislike and keep your unexpert opinion to yourself.
pmjhns 1 year ago
@pmjhns Perhaps you are unaware, but the purpose of the comments section on YouTube is for people to give their opinion on the video, and you don't even have to be a Maestro to do it. This the worst rendition of Nessun Dorma I have ever heard. It is abysmal, terrible, awful.... Just because your opinion is different doesn't mean a damn thing.
Barry3443 1 year ago
@Barry3443 Hmmmm. Then I guess you know more about music than Pavarotti did at the time, I suppose. Anyway, I happen to agree with Mr. Pavarotti. And, besides, like I said in a previous comment: An opinion is like an asshole - everybody's got one. Mine happens agree with the Maestro's. Your's doesn't . I don't think he made a mistake in his choice to replace him that nite. Apparently, you do! You're entitled to your unexpert opinion.
pmjhns 1 year ago
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pmjhns 1 year ago
@Barry3443 She stepped in for pavarotti when he couldnt sing at this performance. she had 15 minutes to prepare. she did an amazing job. sends chills down my back.
ericdp512 1 year ago
I am trying to be objective, but I just can't find anything good to say about this performance. I realize Aretha stood in for Luciano in his illness and that's commendable and perhaps she had little rehearsal time. However, maybe she should have sung something more in keeping with her usual repertoire.
nashrunner456 1 year ago
@nashrunner456 Look, nash - there was no time to pick and choose a piece to perform. Try viewing another clip where the host of the 1998 Grammys fully explains what happened. I personally felt it was an amazing performance under the circumstances. Not many would've been able to do it without a rehearsal with the orchestra. I think it's a bit unfair to judge a performance when there was no rehearsal time. It's going to have a few rough places.
pmjhns 1 year ago
sgoodship wrote: "If Pavarotti liked her version - it's good enough for me." This is what I'm saying. This is my point, exactly
pmjhns 1 year ago
I have listened to crap loads of version of this and I take something away from all of them. The amazing Pavarotti is a lesson in clean command. Mario Lanza is power and performance. Paul Potts is an amateur who has one chance to prove himself and pours his heart into it. Aretha is not about technique - you are missing the whole darned point. She is all emotion. If Pavarotti liked her version - it's good enough for me. It would be a boring world if breathing was what made something special.
sgoodship 1 year ago
A bad choice for Aretha.
wTrevorh 1 year ago
Oh, and by the way, I won't think you're rude if you criticize Maestro Pavarotti(RIP) for his choice of replacement posthumously.
pmjhns 1 year ago
Good try, Aretha. But this is NOT opera.
wTrevorh 1 year ago
@wTrevorh Slow your roll, wTrevorh! She was just standing in for Mr. Pavaroti, for goodness' sake! This was an unplanned performance. I hope you told that to Big Luciano! You probably wouldn't have had the guts to talk to him like you're talking to Aretha under the protection of Youtube! lol
pmjhns 1 year ago
@pmjhns, please! Aretha took way too many breaths during the performance. It's a disrespect to the piece of art when people don't take the time to do it the way it was intended to be done. In my opinion, Mr. Pavarotti was pressured into selecting her the tune. It would've sounded way better with either Ms. Leontyne Price, Ms. Jessye Norman, or Ms. Margaret Price--actually opera Divas. I'm sure either of those Queens would have taken the time to sing Nessun Dorma the way Puccini had intended.
wTrevorh 1 year ago
@wTrevorh C'mon, now! You're being way too critical. This was an unrehearsed performance! As I said before, a "fluke," - a chance happening.
How could you possibly expect perfection? And, Mr. Pavarotti asked her to do it as a favor to him. I'm sure all the "breathing" could have been worked out ahead of time had it been a planned performance. As I said in a previous comment, all this talk about proper "breathing," which I (along with a lot of others) didn't even notice is being a bit "anal."
pmjhns 1 year ago
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@wTrevorh Oh, and by the way, I won't think you're rude if you criticize Maestro Pavarotti(RIP) for his choice of replacement posthumously.
pmjhns 1 year ago
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Ronald, Ms. Franklin is every bit of an icon in the black community as Puccini is in Italy. I, as well as countless others, will not have her insulted in this manner. Now, I respect Mr. Puccini's misogynistic, homicidal, maniacal piece of trash of an opera, so I think you should have some R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Ms. Franklin, as well. Not lol.
pmjhns 1 year ago
No one woman sang this song better than Sarah Brightman....
KlimovArtem1 1 year ago
@KlimovArtem1 Why compare? There's always gonna be someone better than someone else. I'm sure there's someone better than Sarah Brightman, if not now, there will be in the future. Let's just listen and enjoy! I've heard Sarah Brightman's Nessun Dorma, and I liked it. It's just not as memorable as this one to me, because of the set of circumstances surrounding this performance, I imagine. This one's airytale-like, to me!
pmjhns 1 year ago
@KlimovArtem1 Actually, between Brightman and Aretha Franklin, I'd have chosen Aretha for the simple reason that she isn't trying to sound like an opera singer but does her own thing. She is also expressive. But in reality, this should be sung by an operatic tenor. Puccini wanted a specific sound for this, this is classical music not a pop song, and in classical music composer's wishes are supposed to be respected.
jewelmarkess 1 year ago
@jewelmarkess That's right, that's why I wrote the first comment - Nessun Dorma is a sctrict opera piece for a high voice. Aretha sang it much lower, in the jaz style with some impovizations. She also took air in many wrong places. Sarah sang this piece in a perfect opera style (being not an opera singer), especially in La Luna concert.
KlimovArtem1 1 year ago
@KlimovArtem1 Actually, Puccini didn't just write it for any high voice. Puccini wrote it for a dramatic or a spinto tenor. Pavarotti was a lyric tenor, but in his later career he took on some spinto roles. Sarah doesn't sing it in "perfect opera style" either, in fact while she is great at crossover, she isn't great at arias. Plus, transposing an opera aria from its original key is only allowed in very few specific cases, this isn't one of them.
jewelmarkess 1 year ago