Natalie Dessay - Hamlet - "A vos jeux..." (scene - part 1)

[icylakepaxphile]

i think she's good singer and actress. but overall, her acting is very forced, not so comfortable to see. her facial expression too. so i rather like to hear her voice, not seeing her acting.

[iriisblue]

This singer is smart enough to know that she needs stage business and a lot of it to distract from her consistent pitch problems and eroding technique.

[erginakif]

@iriisblue She's sublime and her intonation is precise.

[killerbunny123123]

she is BY FAR the best actress in lyric opera soprano roles....no one.....NO ONE beats the great Natalie Dessay when it comes to acting....i seriously think that the last time we saw such moving, funny, exiting, sad, dramatic or angry acting was at the times of Maria Callas....

[arpeggio1358]

@killerbunny123123 I agree completely. The first time I saw this video, I was blown away. I don't think anyone can touch her in this role.

[mefeetbecold]

Oh my, I saw this, but Natalie was sick so some German girl played Ophelie instead. Not nearly as good as this, I am sad to say. I'm glad I found this.

[WANK83]

Please watch Joan Sutherland in the same aria, in concert. No affected airs, just real voice...

[billsonfire]

can't wait to see her this spring in this Role at the MET

[olympicfreak678]

She's not doing it!

[RoulfYelrab]

she's not singing this role.

she got sick at the last minute.

[SableTabetha]

Nice try. Keep it up check out esteembpo + com for social media marketing. gjdfg

[linguine99]

This is one of the greatest opera videos on the web, period. I'm not even a die-hard dessay disciple... hell, I'm not even a huge coloratura fan in the first place!  But WOW. This is what we mean by combining voice with drama.

[rumginny]

Damrau is coming to Washington, DC to sing this in May 2010. Has she ever sung it before? If so, can someone post it please?

[47viviane]

in a recital, it's on youtube too, but I didn't think it's soooo great. Her Lucia wasn't - unfortunately because I love her voice, but she just doesn't do fragile and sad

[sopranosd]

I think her voice may be too steely and bright for the sadness to come through. She is wonderful, gorgeous and has an amazing voice, but I have a feeling better in German rep. Then again, her Rosina is awesome!

[KitanaiBaishunfu]

Really?!? When?!!?!?!?!?!?

[edengirl17]

Lovely..:))))

[ezayi]

She does everything in the same way. It´s like seeing Lucia, Gilda, Amina, all the "inas", all the demented sopranos in one role. She has a nice voice but sorry... to me sometimes her voice doesn´t sound that fresh anymore. Sometimes it sounds old.

[velazquez2009]

O disappear please.

[johanna33560]

brava natalie!!! she's the best ophelie!!! i want to cry she's really ophelie, more emotion...

thanks for this

[Erickdearmas]

Gracias Natahlie. Just Thanks

[MicheleAlisonSmith]

the poor book!

[SsteinwayS]

My sentiments exactly. I wonder which one it was! Hopefully not Hamlet ;)

[sopran21]

Everytime I watch this video I can't stop crying and It makes me think and understand very clearly why I love natalie so much.

Wonderfull actress, wonderfull singer and wonderfull artist.

[sopran21]

oh natalie!

this is one of my favorite videos of her in this web.

when I watch this scene I know for sure why I love her so much.

ESTUPENDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VIVA LA DESSAY!!

[xdanina28]

Whaaat??? She it's not mezzo, she is soprano!, and she is amazing!

[sopran21]

natalie? mezzo? you must be comfused.

[xrejectedxonex]

i only wish i spoke french....and i hope its french cos otherwise im an idiot!

this woman was amazing!

[TruthWielder]

Ms Dessay is an outstanding artist. She has great technique, great musicianship, and is an excellent actress. Her voice is fragile, and it would not surprise me if her career was cut short because of vocal problems. This would be a real loss, as she is a marvelous performer who gives her roles every thing she's got, every time. She's also not hard to look at. I hope she continues to perform for many years to come. J.Carbia, Miami, Fl

[godlovesyou333]

I cannot understand the fascination with Dessay. As an operatic instrument, her voice is just average. There's no dramtic power to herr voice. Comparing her with any of the great sopranos, would be like comparing Coke with fine wine.

[isinglouderthanu]

are you mad? can you not hear that god given talent? Can you hit an A Flat about the staff? Dessay is the finest Merlot to your Franzia boxed wine.

[barined]

Yes thats why she was the "bookends" and picture for the met this season

[Wiltenor1]

I would beg to differ with you. Her voice is remarkable and she gives this (difficult) role incredible poignancy and immediecy! Who would you say are "any of the great sopranos?" June Anderson, Beverly Sills, Joan Sutherland, Mady Mesple? (All of whom, I believe, have performed this particular aria , if not the entire role of Ophelia.)

[itoohill]

An intelligent listener can regard any one of Dessay's recordings or videos as impressive. Clearly, you are either very ignorant to the many different "fachs" there are, or you're not a musician. Dessay is a light, lyrical coloratura soprano. You can't compare her to a dramatic singer because she's NOT one and she's NOT trying to be. You just happen to prefer a different voice type, so stick to your Wagner, Strauss, and Verdi.

[wowyourgaiy]

Although I am a huge fan of this woman's voice, I agree with the first part of your comment. Operatically, her vocals don't compare to many of the coloraturas of recent.

Regardless of that, every time I hear this woman sing I get chills up the back of my neck. Specifically off of this clip... at 5:38 when she sings "Et moi, je suis Ophélie," I want to cry! Beautifully performed and sung!

[Noeliabt]

shes just to good!

[OperaGhost1990]

Superb Thomas would be happy.

[travellingmoon]

Cool video

[OperaBR]

Dessay is definitely the best Ophélie of all times (at least of the "recorded" times!). Her voice is simply unique, with a velvety and vulnerable tone that turns it even more touching and remarkable. Her ability to express all feelings through a basically leggero voice is very rare, her impressive coloratura is also meaningful and musical, her phrasing is caressing, her high notes are amazing. I think she reached here the highest point of her artistry, it's a legendary interpretation! ;-D

[leaheileen]

Her sound is a little too "Pop-ish" for me. (e.g. her vocals are too spread and she uses too much sub-glottal pressure to create sound) It doesn't help me to know that she has had two vocal surgeries due to her lack of singing technique.

[nicevidbro]

funny, because on the documentary about the surgeries, the doctor said it was not due to her technique.

[MissLasnette]

You poor "Pop-ish"...

I don't know where comes from your poor judgment and I don't believe this could be resolve with any surgeries, Dear...

But please, a favor : go and practice harder both this and certainly you vocal technique, 'right ? And let us see and enjoy soon your own performances on stage around here. Thanks !

[James88keys]

haha I have seen the woman being carried off stage over someone's shoulder holding a perfectly supported flawless high a flat. I don't think you come to be one of the worlds leading coloraturas or can star at the met if you have poor vocal technique. Lots of singers ( even Pavarotti )get surgery. The voice isn't meant to hold down singing for hours on end that many days a week. Its not natural. They hold up as best they can but some voices are just more delicate.

[leaheileen]

Her sound is a little too "Pop-ish" for me. (e.g. her vocals are too spread and she uses too much sub-glottal pressure to create sound) It doesn't help me to know that she has had two vocal surgeries due to her lack of singing technique.

[HILLARYXNOELZ]

Natalie Dessay is amazing!

[VerdianoBR]

I've always felt that this scene is one of the most heartfelt melodies ever made to express the destroyed feelings of a passionate woman (after all, what are the mad scenes if not the flight of a heroine from a world that denies her deepest desires?). The music Thomas is both intense and fragile, as Ophélie was. And Dessay is certainly the definitive Ophélie of our times!