Beverly Sills Cologne 1967 Gounod Romeo and Juliet

Gounod - Romeo et Juliette: "Je veux vivre dans le reveSills had engagements in Salzburg and Vienna in April 1967 and was also asked to tape eight arias in Cologne for a German Radio broadcast (according to a New York Herald Tribune article by William Bender on January 29, 1967). There has been some confusion about the date of these recordings because the first fivearias were issued on Arkadia GI 804.1, listing the date as May 1968. However, a privately issued LP from the pre-cd era (MG 101 - Beverly Sills Operatic Recital), states the date as May 1967. This is likely the month of the broadcast, after Sills taped the eight arias in April. It is possible that the tape was not broadcast until a year later, in 1968 (or repeated in 1968) thus
giving rise to the date stated on the Arkadia cd

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Music

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• beverly
• sills cologne 1967

[castodivo]

Pete, as always, you've posted complete treasures showing her at her best! I'm soooo glad all these early recordings are surfacing!

[petelovesbevsills]

@castodivo So glad you like them! ;-))

[Ronizetti]

Beautiful~ But, I think I know our Bev's voice at any age and I must say this particular recording is miss-pitched. It's definitely a half or greater step fast ... not that our girl didn't have lightning fast coloratura, but this definitely sounds slightly exaggerated to my ears? What good audio though for that age recording.

[petelovesbevsills]

@Ronizetti you have got me there Ron! Those delicate intricasies like pitch, tempi, speed, half tones etc are beyond my comprehension! I'm just a humble, simple country bumkin but I certainly bow to your knowledge. Our wonderful Guru could tell us in a flash, should we ask him??

[Ronizetti]

@Dymension Thank you~ I'm usually pretty good at pitch, and I know Bev's voice inside and out!

[Dymension]

@Ronizetti You're right. Just checked it and this is in the key of G while the original is in the key of F.

[KathrynARyder]

There are two printed versions of this aria: one in the key of F which is sung by most sopranos and then the key of G. Joan Sutherland in her early recording of this aria sang it in G. To my ears it sounds as if Beverly is also singing it in G.