Natalie Dessay : Queen of the night "O zittre nicht" (1994)

First aria from Mozart's "Die Zauberflote", sung by Natalie Dessay (pregnant) at Aix-en-Provence Festival in summer 1994.
She's most probably one of the most beautiful Queen of the night (to me, the best remains my Lucia Popp) . She does not focus on coloratura but on expression through them. Here, the second section is really amazing...
Conductor : William Christie with Les Arts Florisants

Category:

Music

Tags:

• natalie
• dessay
• zauberflote
• magic
• flute
• mozart
• queen
• night

[DoryViolet]

I do, too!

Dessay, Damrau and Popp are my 3 favourite Queens, in different ways.

[thomastmwc]

great coloratura

[AlgarismosGomes]

Superb, but take a look at the version recorded in 2001. You can clearly see an improvement in Dessay's voice. Der Hölle Rache as well. Probably the best Queen of the Night ever.

[terminatesatmorden]

This is the most perfect version ever. The vibrato on that top note is beautifully tuned. And thank god we hear it as close the origanal key as it as meant to be. Screw Concert pitch, bring back baroque tuning!!!

[musikphantom1881]

@MrGufidaun They're period instruments, set to period tuning

[MrGufidaun]

Awful off-pitch orchestra playing!

[Femkela]

I prefer Dessay's beautiful voice like a bell, over the heavy and hysterically vibrating voices of some other singers any day!

[UlfenDaddy]

@OperaMystery80 For the most part I agree on that point, and I'm not really a strong "purist" about it, but the librettist and the composer have a specific "vision" in mind. While somewhat malleable, there comes a point where modernizing what is basically a fairy-take to start with results in a work that isn't what the composer intended. The "Centennary Ring" for example, was so far removed from Valhalla as to be really disturbing to listening. This too, superb musically, but I don't like it.

[LeonardAbbado3]

wonderful natalie



[fefieh]

really not strong enough for the "Queen of the Night" . I prefer Diana Damiau or Edda Moser by far.

[OperaMystery80]

@niskol I like it but what I don't like is these God awful post-moder bizarre productions and designs that don't look anything like the opera should look like. Mozart never intended for the Three Ladies who serve the Queen to look like Nuns. I like the traditional old school versions for instance the 3 Boys being winged cherubs or flying in a balloon or machine, the Queen coming down from the skies on the Crescent Moon, etc.I'm just too particular so I'm never satisfied.

[niskol]

37 people disliked this?????? Are these people for real? How can anyone not like Natalie???