rosa ponselle tacea la notte placida.tributeonher113birthday

The voice

Rosa Ponselle's voice was one of extraordinary beauty and voluptuousness. In its richness and depth, it has been compared by commentators at various times to port wine, maroon velvet and dark chocolate. Luciano Pavarotti, who visited Villa Pace and vocalized with Ponselle when she was nearly 80 years old, likened her still-intact voice to "the color of amber." The voice was absolutely even in its scale, from top to bottom, with all vocal registers seamlessly integrated and no audible changes of gear. Her legato singing was exemplary. She could sing at all dynamic levels, from a powerful forte to a gossamer pianissimo that carried to all corners of the opera house, and she could execute a perfect messa di voce in all parts of her range. In her early years, she had a two-octave range from low C to high C. She possessed an exceptionally rich and mellow middle and lower register.
In weight and caliber Ponselle's voice was a true dramatic coloratura soprano, capable of encompassing all the demands of roles like La Gioconda and Norma.
Added to the above, Ponselle was a sensitive musician and an imaginative interpreter. She was a quick study and could sight-read with accuracy. She possessed an excellent sense of rhythm. She was a convincing and intense actress, at times (in the opinion of some critics) pushing drama and intensity past the bounds of good taste. One can hear something of this in the denunciation scene in a 1935 performance of La traviata, during which Ponselle's Violetta sobs and cries out and grows increasingly (and audibly) hysterical as Alfredo berates her.

The following recordings best demonstrate the various aspects of Ponselle's voice discussed above:
Range, timbre, pianissimo: "Suicidio!"
Trill and coloratura: "Ernani, involami" and "Mercè, dilette amiche" ("Bolero")
Legato: "Tu che invoco" and "O nume tutelar"
Dynamic control and messa di voce: "Pace, pace, mio Dio"
"English wikipedia"

Category:

Music

Tags:

• opera

[glitters22]

Bravo Rosa que l'on aime tant!

[jfsanin]

thanks

[rubyedelman]

perfectissimo

[bodiloto]

Sublime !

[yguevarar]

Un homenaje a una gran diva

[susanadelorenzo]

Qué hermoso homenaje.

[sonypozo]

mi diva ponselle como ella no hay en el mundo porque aparte de su voz era su manera de expresarse, muy lindo tu video

[DerrocheDeAmorPasion]

Extraordinary! And how marvelous to have people like you to preserve and celebrate such marble! Thank you!

[racheleleeba]

Magnificent. Great tribute.

[meltzerboy]

Rich, luscious tone, superb technique, and artistic phrasing are found in virtually all of Ponselle's recordings. Always a pleasure to hear such a voice! Thank you.