Kathleen Battle - Zerbinetta's Monologue - R. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos (Part 1)

Kathleen Battle sings Zerbinetta's Monologue, "Großmächtige Prinzessin", from the opera Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss. Metropolitan Opera. James Levine conducting.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• kathleen
• battle
• zerbinetta
• ariadne
• auf
• naxos
• jessye
• norman
• james
• levine
• metropolitan
• opera
• richard
• strauss

[pedrofribeiro]

@FoggyRoad81 Again, it's NOT transposed down.

[pedrofribeiro]

@goldenthroat86 It's not transposed.

[babs22hh]

after hearing laura claycomb sing this role I like her voice type better-- leggerio-- for this role than battle's sweet soubrette sound... sometimes Battles timbre towards the upper register thins and has an airy quality that I dont like. Claycomb loses less core of her tone because her voice is naturally more full bodied...perhaps a matter of personal taste... I just like listening to sopranos where the tone is full and timbre is slightly darker from top to bottom. what do you think?

[baritonebynight]

@RoOodOoOloOmeg I thought you were a high note whore as well, glad to know you're not.

[RoOodOoOloOmeg]

@baritonebynight Agree =) I thought you were one of the money notes lover. I love any aria well interpretated with or without money notes. Sills had a great comic instinct. I would say she's the one I love the most, befores Callas and Sutherland of course.

[baritonebynight]

@RoOodOoOloOmeg Its not about taking away credit from Beverly Sills. Singing high notes does not make one a better singer than another. Sills is exceptional in many many ways. I would say her diction and interpretations and lightening fast accurate coloratura are her best qualities....I would never even think about saying she had a top F. So what? Many people do, but not many people could do eveything else she did hense why she is one of the greatest singers of the 20th century.

[baritonebynight]

@VoiceVirtuoso I am a failed singer myself, and proud of it! That said, I think Battles' breath support is exceptional...you can hardly see her breath and even at this stage of her career she has complete command over her instrument. It irks me when voice students give advice to world class singers, or even to thoes of us who arent' world class but have sung professionally.

[RoOodOoOloOmeg]

@baritonebynight well she did hit a high F by the end of a video. jeje I took my fork and listened to it. Of course is hard for her, you're right, since I listened thoroughly. Anyway, I wouldn't take away her credit because the extra cadenzas are like hell and the bold high F is still there.

[baritonebynight]

@RoOodOoOloOmeg In the 1969 concert version that is here on youtube, the top F# is simply omitted. Apparently Sills did attempt the F#s in at least one performance, but no known recording exists of it unless it has surfaced in recent months as a pirated recording.

[RoOodOoOloOmeg]

@baritonebynight she didn't omitted those high F#'s.

there's a recital in which she interpretates the original version in the traditional key, kind of a mix of cadenzas in a lower pitch.