Joyce DiDonato "Una voce poco fa " Il barbiere 2007

[chloejanetreharne]

Oh yes....



[arpeggio1358]

@domi2020 I couldn't agree more. Bartoli's technique has become ugly and full of awful mannerisms and histrionics. And she always did have those terrible facial grimaces. DiDonato is simply splendid!

[ciucinciu]

i;m 6 and i dont know what is this

[cincorn]

this is not bel canto. Bah!

[JRZGRL55]

@domi2020 I agree 1000% I respect Bartoli's intelligence and musicianship. But Joyce is the absolutely total package. Her singing is consistently impeccable, fluid & above all she makes even the most difficult passages sound easy. There is nothing forced, stretched or strained about her. I am a huge fan & I am going to get to see her soon (February 20th, Spivey Hall, Atlanta). I will be my 2nd concert at Spivey with her. Can't wait!

[swrdgrl]

I have a video of this production and show it to non-classically trained friends to introduce them to full-length opera. One and all, they love it: the voices, the energy, the comic timing, the characterization, the way every artist throws him or herself into their roles. Specialists can debate night and day about whether this is a "true" or "artistic" rendition, but the bottom line is that for most of the audience, she sold it! And that's what keeps people coming back to opera.

[zegermans750]

@domi2020 better rack too

[Peppi94]

I was at the live HD broadcast of this performance. It was the first time I'd heard or seen this fantastic soprano. She blew me away. Just marvelous. It was also the very first opera ever for my massage therapist, whom I convinced to join me for this broadcast, as she'd never been to an opera before. She just loved it, and has become an opera fan because of this performance.

[CantoSemper49]

She's not my favorite, but she's not bad! I really like the ornament at 4:50! It makes her sound like a song bird =]

[sillyboydeux]

What a boring singer. It's the slowest rendition of the aria and cabaletta I have ever heard. You don't "think" your way through Rosina's music; that's left to pinheads like Roberta Peters and Lily Pons-scum. It has no panache, she is not beguiling; she sounds like she's singing an existential tract by Jean-Paul Sartre. Golly, even Kathleen Battle's cloyingly cute rendition was better than this.

[leonardovittori1]

@sillyboydeux I very much agree with you.. These super slow tempos so they can act "cute" on stage in this role, bug the hell out of me.. Sing the music. at the correct tempo.. I hate it when they start playing with the melody and the music , from the start... How bout once through the way the composer wrote it? Or close to it?

[sillyboydeux]

@leonardovittori1 Amen, fratello! And then there is Fleming and her eccentric style changes. She sang Imogene at The Met about 7 years ago and it was absolutely incoherent: there was no sense of her grasping the role as a flesh and blood woman, and her singing was so faint sometimes you could barely hear her. I used to complain that Scotto was too small-voiced for that Bellini opera, but I'd take her any day over Fleming who seemed to think she was singing Gilbert and Sullivan.

[leonardovittori1]

@sillyboydeux You said it ... regarding Fleming.. she is a mess! Great voice, terrible choices.. she had NO business singing Imogene at all.. this is for a dramatic voice or at least a spinto. Scotto was afflilcted with the same disease, fortunately only late in her career.. from 1955-1970 she stuck to coloratura, roles, and was a superb singer, and musician. after 1970 her choics of lyric roles were fine, she was good in them, her other choices were less fortunate.

[sillyboydeux]

@leonardovittori1 I saw an interview with Fleming here on YT and she sounds much more like a businesswoman than an artist. She spoke as if she were doing a sales campaign for "modern opera". She did not once discuss her passion for the music, roles coming up, etc. I know the interviewer chose the topic, but nevertheless her answers were so tight-ass and bladge that she does not appear to really have a creative bone in her body. She was given a great voice with absolutely no temperament.

[leonardovittori1]

@sillyboydeux Interesting comment.. and it would explain why she has terrible taste in the way she approaches the music and the roles. Its like a pretty woman, with a great body, who needs someone to dress her, because left to her own devices, she chooses to look eccentric. I love her voice, but the only role I thought suited her to a T was Thais. In that role, she was convincing.

[littlebiglion]

I absolutely love her and this magnificent aria!!!!!!!

[seapoeg]

She is admirable. Her timbre, technique, acting skills, musicality, appearance- captivating.

Will post some of her newer Rosina in a few days. The best I have seen. Didonato in wheelchair. Shes very good there.

[NotSoFastJDD]

She would be nominated for a grammy were it not for that evil Graham Johnson!

Oh, I almost forgot to include the singing coach in Philadelphia she attacks in every other article.

Good fun!

[YazooMusic]

I have lived in New York for 10 years and have been going to the Met all that time, and I think this is one of their best productions. I first saw Joyce DiDonato at BAM in "Hercules" and she blew me away. She was outstanding as Rosina--one of those performances that one treasures for a lifetime.

[dulcicantor]

Gahhhh

[MrLANDAW]

Beautifully sung and acted. Born to perform Rossini - and wow, how she reaches the high notes!!

[anyany]

Mezzo never will sing this party better than the soprano!

[goodndntwin]

You do realize it was written for contralto so mezzo is closer to what Rossini intended.

[AshNight1214]

I don't think it was written for contralto. It was originally for a mezzo as far as I know and later put into a higher key for a soprano coloratura.

[chubaboo]

My favorite Rosina, by far!

[jm960]

lovely singing.....does the orchestra have a name and was there a conductor? if they do release a DVD we assume they will edit the horrible mistake in the orchestra at 2:08.

[Loismustdie26]

I think this was at the Met, so it was the Met opera orchestra. I won't swear to who's conducting, but it sounds like Levine.

The Met doesn't usually make DVD's out of all (or most) of their productions, but give it a few years and this one may come out, it's a set that's not on DVD yet, and the production got really good reviews so this is more likely to go to DVD than say this seasons Aida.

But if it does go to DVD they will not edit out that little mess up.

[rlee1976]

Did the winds screw up a note? It sound like there's a wrong note in the chord! That was the mistake, right?

[jm960]

yes, somebody in the wind played a wrong note and then corrected it. i should have said "unfortunate" instead of "horrible" mistake. those things happen for many reasons, but this one is very jarring because it happens on a cadence and is audible to most ears. that said, i made an entrance a semitone too low in front of 2,600 listeners last week. i in no way meant to berate the wonderful musicians in this recording. it happens to most of us at some point.

[543693The]

mezzo quand elle doit le rester, mais belle facilité, richesse étendue de voix vers mezzo-soprano avec

grâce....pour notre plus grand plaisir et cela me suffit, elle est splendide.

[Loismustdie26]

She owns this aria! Few can compare with how well she pulls this off. (the only two I can think of are Horne and Callas, what company to be keeping Ms. DiDonato!)

[LordMgls]

Beautiful singing.

[BetuliaLiberata]

You are UNIdimensional in your statement! Bartoli has an UNIQUE timbre-instantly recognizable, amazing range, a great stage presence, sings amazing music with great virtuosity. And this woman you're comparing to Bartoli has the most common type of soprano voice-COOKIE CUTTER TYPE. A voice with no distinguishable caracteristic..she's just 1 voice among thousand with a good technique..pretty much NOT ENOUGH! And more..Bartoli is mezzo and this chicken up there is a soprano..or is it a soubrette?

[GoBogi]

You seriously call this woman a Soprano after you proceed to educate someone about voices? Lol. You should delete you YouTube account. All Mezzos have wide ranges. They have a Soprano top with a strong and most times extended bottom. A coloratura soprano can go higher than a mezzo, but usually not lower than a mezzo (they are to mezzos what mezzos are to contraltos). But, Lol... You really have no damn clue what you're talking about. Can you even hear?

[BetuliaLiberata]

There are mezzos who are sopranos with dark voices and not developed high notes. There are dramatic sopranos that are in fact mezzo sopranos. There are mezzo sopranos that sing soprano when then realize they are not really at ease c up there(Maria Ewing). Dimitrova, Grace Bumbry, Bartoli, Von Stade etc...all have these voices that cross diferent repertoires and can adjust and actually sound like one or the other. There is no 2+2=4 in singing / voices.

I think you should just suck my thick dick

[GoBogi]

Oh, you mad?

This woman is a Mezzo, and Mezzos have Soprano notes. Their range is that of a Soprano. I didn't say they had equivalent range to Coloratura Sopranos like Damrau and Galli-Curci. They are essentially low Sopranos with very strong Chest Voices. That is quite a generalization, but I doubt there are many "in the know" who would disagree with it.

Go play with yourself.

[BetuliaLiberata]

you wanna give an extra hand?

[GoBogi]

Debate the substance, and stop making a fool out of yourself.

[BetuliaLiberata]

"Go play with yourself"

Is that debating the substance?

When you thought about milking the cow I already was eating the cheese!

[rlee1976]

I will taste it for u, where are u?

[dht23]

agreed. although Bartoli is good to I feel her voice is a little heavy for Rosina. I am going to see DiDonato in December in LA in this role

[babymeggie411]

All I can say was DiDonato was magnificent! I have watch this at least 10 times. Wonderfull.

[jony5557]

What happened to the orchestra on 2:06?, btw Di Donato is superb!

[dwighty4u]

hahahahaaah i said the same thing

[raymzi]

a major house should stage SEMIRAMIDE for Damrau and DiDonato

[raigekimaru]

Damrau is too icy and cutting for Semiramide and DiDonato is too feminine sounding for Arsace. they both have beautiful voices though.

[raymzi]

what vocal description should semiramide be?

[raigekimaru]

well, I guess Semiramide could have a colder quality (she did kill her husband) but Arsace definitely cannot be a feminine Rosina voice (one he's a he and two he's a military commander). Larmore and Horne have good voices for Arsace.

[swaddywell]

She's not only talented but she has loads of pluck too. When she was appearing in Barbiere at Covent Garden last month she slipped and broke her leg, but completed her performance with the aid of a stick and a crutch!

[Kaliaabc1]

I saw this at the AMC in NJ and I loved it! I see that it was actually made two years ago, so does anyone know if it is on DVD now?

I'd really like to buy it if it is.

[BradleyMcDermid]

This DVD is supposed to be released in the spring of 2010. I love this performance!

[dramaticsoprano01]

Just thought I'd stick my foot in that very distressing argument. Hope I was of some help! Ms. Joyce is doing Rosina at the MET next year as well as Damrau!!! Very exciting!!!!!

[dramaticsoprano01]

There's a wonderful video of Sutherland, Horne, and Pavarotti talking about bel canto. I believe Sutherland's husband is at the piano. He asks all three of these artists to give examples of different aspects of bel canto. He turns to Marilyn Horne to give an example of fioratura, which yes is not the same as coloratura, but is similar enough for you to understand that both are embellishments that any singer in any fach can add to further exemplify an emotion in a piece.

[dramaticsoprano01]

Renee Fleming has wonderful coloratura, but by no means is she considered what you are trying to define as "A" coloratura. JuillHope, you are confusing a singers fach with their flexibility, and ability to sing florid phrases that is ALSO known as coloratura. I don't think Sutherland would say such a thing, maybe as an idea that you should think of, but not as a definition.

[dramaticsoprano01]

There is a test that you must complete if you make it past the prescreening, past the call-backs and down to the top 10-15 people Juilliard is considering to accept. I know this because I was one of those people and I remember many of the questions that were on there. One of which asked for a definition of coloratura. naters81 is correct. Coloratura is florid singing, and in many ways is the frosting on the cake that is bel canto.

[krystyna222d]

Why have I not heard of her until now? She's fantastic!

[sophiascala]

Really Superb!!!!!! Fantastic! The only critic I have is that she opens too much in the lower parts. but best I ever heard although!

[ezayi]

I love this woman. Fabulous singer!!!!

Loved her version as much as some others. Brava!

[meriomeri]

This is perfection!

[swaddywell]

Does anybody give a toss as to what constitutes coloratura? The plain fact is that this is the best of the 30 or so versions of the aria available on Youtube. Long live Joyce DiDonato!

[mariasarda]

L'une des meilleures mezzo-soprano lyriques du moment avec Elina Garança. A suivre (et à écouter en suivant)...

[Satirike]

Bien sur - j'aime bien Bartoli aussi. Mais, la voix de Joyce est plus grand que celle de Bartoli. Je crois que Garanca a parfois des petits problemes avec la diction. Pourtant, les trois sont tous magnifiques.

pardon my french, please.

[pantanegro]

There IS coloratura in this: any voice category can sing coloratura, since coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody which this aria features, yes?

[MadeleineMezzo]

Yes indeedy, coloratura is not s Soprano specific fach. Look at Cecilia Bartoli, she's a coloratura mezzo. It refers to the flexibility in one's voice, usually demonstrated by fast runs.

[ete4]

The bit she does, starting at 4:06, makes this for me.

[VideoMNTR]

Nice, but I prefer Maria Ewing from 1983 performance in England: Ewing is absolutely the best Rosina.

[gibraltarrr]

yay, i get to see her sing this tomorrow!

[olympicfreak678]

Lucky you! How was it?

[Orfeus80]

All the notes are there, the coloratura excellent, but I feel no charm.

[GliOminiVerdi]

Yes it's wonderful, but not "moving".

[JuillHope17]

uh.... well, there is no coloratura in this. um, first of all, this is in the original key, which is the mezzo key, since rosina is originally a mezzo, so maybe you're looking for the coloratura charm of beverly sills or diana damrau? for a mezzo, and for rossini, and for the sake of this music, this is actually very god. i agree, not moving, because it's not really a moving song unless you're either a good actress or a coloratura, but it's not THAT bad. there's SOME charm there.

[Orfeus80]

no I was actually talking about the charm of Berganza for example.

[Jaydoggy531]

There is ABSOLUTELY coloratura. Can you not hear her ornamentation, and quick flexible runs?

[JuillHope17]

she goes to a c#, but she's not sustaining up there. i guess it's a matter of opinion, but most coaches and others wouldn't not clal that coloratura. the highest note besides the c# is a b. it may be "coloratura" for a mezzo, but coloratura almost always refers to notes like d and above.

[JuillHope17]

i take it back, she doesn't even go to the c#, just a b. ornamentation and runs are not coloratura. there is a BIG difference. flexibility and agility do not denote coloratura. coloratura is pitch. watch marilyn horne sing this or other mezzos sing other rossini roles. there is TONS of ornamentation, but not coloratura in some cases. especially in this case.

[naters81]

Actually you are incorrect. Strictly speaking, the term coloratura is not restricted to describing any one range of voice. In spite of its derivation from the word colorare or colorazione, it does not specify changing the tonal colour of the voice for expressive purposes (that is Voix sombrée). Coloratura refers to the elaborate and florid figuration or ornamentation in classical (18th century) and romantic (19th century, specifically bel canto) vocal music. See Grove Dictionary of Opera.

[JuillHope17]

i didn't say anything of what you just said i said. i didn't say coloratura is changing the color of the voice at all. coloratura IS a register in the voice. ornamentation and coloratura are 2 different things. some ornamentation in teh higher register takes coloratura. if coloratura becomes a change i the color of the voice, then the singer in particular isn't a coloratura, just a soprano with extension. and i never liked grove, because he wasn't a singer. i go by the singers, like sutherland.

[JuillHope17]

and sutherland DID say that, and explained coloratura and ornamentation that way. i met her at the reception of a competition i happened to be watching and i discussed this with her as i was at her table. she agreed with what i said and i agreed with her. so i guess grove's opinion is wrong, but wouldn't you think you'd want to gain knowledge of bel canto, coloratura, ornamentation, and all things pertaining from a conversation with joan sutherland rather than a book by someone who didn't sing?

[naters81]

You are incorrect JuillHope17. First, Grove is an encyclopedia containing thousands of articles by thousands of contributors and is considered to be one of the best scholarly sources on opera and vocal music. The article on coloratura was written by Owen Jander and Ellen Harris, two revered musicologists. Second, coloratura is not a vocal register. As a singer with a BME and MA in Voice, I can tell you that nobody I have ever talked to has ever viewed coloratura in the way you describe.

[naters81]

The term coloratura is now widely used to denote the following (1) florid ornamentation of all periods, (2) operatic roles of which such passages are a prominent part, and (3) singers who specialize in florid singing. As a qualifying adjective, coloratura is most often applied to sopranos (Amelita Galli-Curci, Lina Pagliughi, Joan Sutherland) and mezzo-sopranos (Marilyn Horne). However, the term can be applied to any voice type.

[naters81]

A further note, the revival of opere seria in the 18th and early 19th centuries has promoted as well the coloratura tenor (Rockwell Blake) and the coloratura bass (Samuel Ramey).

[jimmymartinezzz]

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? coloratura specifically implicates flexibility in things like runs and scales. It is fast singing. not high singing. do your reasearch.

[JuillHope17]

coloratura is those upper notes. ASK ANY OPERA SINGER WHO SINGS BEL CANTO. ARE YOU CALLING JOAN SUTHERLAND A LIAR? wouldn't she be one of the authorative people on that subject? who the eff are you? i doubt you really know anything past what you've heard on recordings.

[jimmymartinezzz]

alright, believe what you want. your story about joan sutherland isn't very believable, and I doubt that you have had a wealth of real instruction, since you obviously don't know what coloratura is. you'll never get into juilliard with THAT definition of coloratura.

[JuillHope17]

the 2007 west coast classical singer voice competition semifinals and finals were judged by several people including joan sutherland. i have a picture with her framed sitting on my livingroom mantle. how is it not believable? you just don't wanna believe it so you can rule out the fact that i'm right. and don't be a loser asshole with your comments: juilliard does not base their auditions on whether they know jimmymartinezzz's crappy definition of coloratura. the school would suck then.

[33blueberries]

Juilliard is, by many accounts, not what it used to be, and there is no such thing as a coloratura register. One can talk about voce di petto, zona di passaggio, and voce di testa (it may be better to discuss low, middle and upper registers, as Sutherland and Bonynge were both wont to do many times in their discussing of vocal registration) and perhaps the whistle register, but there is no such thing as a coloratura register. Your refusal to consider other opinions will hinder your learning.

[sevoflurane]

Interesting discussion. In fact coloratura has nothing to do with tempo. Coloratura implies florid singing, that makes the sheet music look "colorato" (coloured), hence the word coloratura. It is actually a recent term. Tosi, Mancini and Garcia did not use it. Sometimes coloratura defines a soprano leggero who negotiates well with vocal agility (the so called canto fiorito d'agilita`).

[greenxglassxlove]

Joyce DiDonato is the one of the most incredible singers in this world. Anyone who thinks differently is obviously deaf.

She is EXACTLY what Opera is all about!!! And I am so honored to say that I grew up in the same area and now work with the opera house that she started at, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City!!!

[cdyexhibit]

Can anyone tell me: was (or is) this Met "Barbiere" going to be available for release? Or was this captured from the PBS broadcast?

[Oneguin65]

This is a telecast from the Met. Non available commercially.

[annao273]

The Met productions of Eugene Onegin and I Puritani were released on DVD just recently. I do hope this one will be also...

[Luindriel]

She is just wonderful! I love what she does with the aria! She's a perfect Rosina. I too will be seeing her in Chicago next March and I'm looking forward to it!

[alanizkm]

Bravo Joyce!! Wonderful and a delight to watch!!

(-=

[CONTESTAR]

Actually I can't help recalling the famous anecdote where Rossini after watching a diva of the time performing his "Rosina" went and congratulated her backstage: "Wonderful-wonderful" he exclaimed... "by the way, who's the composer!?"

HaHa... But she is good...

[CONTESTAR]

Acually i can't help recalling the famous anectode when Rossini after watching a dive of the time performing his "Rosina" went and congratulated her backstage: "Wonderful-wonderful" he exclaimed... "by the way, who's the composer!?"

HaHa... But she is good...

[jayala818]

YAY!

[turandot82]

Well that is what an artist is, isnt it? Trying to find different ways to interpret the composers intention while maintaining the integrity of the peice. I think she does a wonderful job here. Brava Joyce! I cant wait to see you in this role next year in Chicago.

[Gigglingatagas]

Very imaginative ornamentation, but a little outside the realm of "good" taste, to my ears.

[vitellia]

I totaly agree with you. Some very adventurous and unusual embellishments but yeah a little whacked out. I think she tried anything that's out of the "beaten path". Still, not as crazy as some high light sopranos have done after transposing it to F. I thought Gruberova was pretty outrageous.

[DramaticFigaro]

In my opinion this is artistry at its finest. I guess that means I must not have "good" taste.

[sevoflurane]

She is excellent!

[hazelmsmith]

You could post every minute of this opera and no one would complain.

[Luindriel]

I agree 100%!

[mijst4]

Can not agree more!

[steainsy]

fantastic, do you have Peter Mattei's Largo al Factotum