Lilli Lehmann - Casta Diva

The wonderful dramatic coloratura soprano Lilli Lehmann, was a much admired Isolde and Norma, as well as Violetta. Her vocal range extended from Ab3 to F6. In this recording from 1907 she adds beautiful trills in the fioraturas and interpolates a high D-flat!!
She was very admired by Maria Callas, and considered the greatest Norma of her time.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• bellini
• norma
• lilli
• lehmann
• maria
• callas
• rosa
• ponselle
• soprano
• dramatic
• coloratura
• bel
• canto

[HeidelbergSoprano]

Do these type of recordings effect the quality of the voices? B/C to me this sounds ugh :/

[primohomme]

@HeidelbergSoprano

Of course, the voices were not captured in their full glory

It's like trying to record yourself on the poor quality of a cellphone voice recorder

But of course als she has some little issues with breathe support...

[sfkcbf]

It is remarkable that this vocal style from 100 years ago was so much more focused and clean that the accepted style of today with its heavy vibrato and "dramatic," loose technique.

[egyboy67]

@yodavidnavarro The idea of the "Wagner voice" was very different back then. Wagner himself had advocated for "Italianate" sound and Italian-trained voices as the most suitable for his operas. Also, at that time, the opera houses were still much smaller than today, so was the sound of the orchestra, and the pitch somewhat lower. They were so lucky those singers back then. A whole new pedagogy had to be invented to deal with the "super-sized" American idea of an opera house.

[ziggylennox2012]

But she wasn't a Dramatic soprano, she was spinto soprano with a great coloratura.

[markhh]

Wow this is something else. Her breath control was phenomenal. Remember that Lehmann was the leading Wagnerian soprano of her time to appreciate how amazing this is. How many Brunnhildes can you think of that have a perfect trill and a solid high d-flat at their command? The sound is really quite fine for 1907.

[mountainsong100]

@KlassikFan2007 glad you heard the beautiful musical line.. Sutherland may have heard this recording... as she also had that beautiful long singing line... true musicians one can always tell when the music is slow and the line is so clean and commands one to listen..fast notes carry themselves...

[primohomme]

@gilgameshdue

Their voices were quite different though

Lili Lehmann did not have a strong contralto-like chest range like Callas

And Callas didn't have light coloratura up to F6

[OrpheuCe]

@ONeirda  REMEMBER, at 26 she sung all the RING!!!!!! and wen she recorded her first time she had around 56 y.old...so She was really something very special!!!!!

[gmmix]

This is an incredible Casta Diva! Her vocal line is so clean and focused. Thank you for this posting.

[KlassikFan2007]

beauty per se... thanks for posting