Maria Stuarda Contest - Janet Baker - Rosalind Plowright

After seeing a contest for this posted, and then having my comments deleted, I thought it would be a wonderful idea to SEE these wonderful ladies in action!
I have tried to brighten up the picture of the Sutherland video, so you could at least see the slap. Again a score of 1-5 for singing/characterization:

Edita Gruberova - Agnes Baltsa - 1989
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLDlBSP_15A

Montserrat Caballé - Bianca Berini - 1978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4TqGsN8RJo

Janet Baker - Rosalind Plowright - 1982
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuwYPoaSBiI

Katia Ricciarelli - Glenys Linos - 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcvR5tN-4yE

Tiziana Fabbricini -Gloria Scalchi - 1997
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJxD_hjjekg

Gabriele Fontana - Joyce DiDonato - 2005
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htmLc6XHJQk

Joan Sutherland -Huguette Tourangeau - 1977
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OLpZGSrVYk

Ashley Putnam - Marisa Galvany - 1981
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSrlAN-nq0M

Category:

Music

Tags:

• baker
• opera
• donizetti

[dangmills]

Ugh, if only it wasn't sung in the worst language for opera... it would've been one of the best on my list

[OLIVCHEN77]

The both are nearly so good as leyla & Shirley. BRAVI

[Capercaillie100]

This is great acting as well as singing. And the "...dishonored..." and "bastard" lines have such emotional impact!

[cmhmuscle]

Baker always amazed when she went high and sounded like a really full soprano, not a mezzo just attempting to go high. Listen to her live recital recording of Purcell's "Lord , what is man..." Incredible.

[Drelnis]

Although of course all of us know by heart the Italian libretto and the English translation of these operas of the standard repertoire, because I don't speak Italian, having the phrase "You dishonored the throne of England" sung in a language I immediately recognize and not through a translation (even though the meaning of the translation registers and is acknowledged), is such a powerful experience.

[Drelnis]

@StevenLivesay Me too! I enjoyed it very much, a very refreshing translation which does not obscure the pronounced sounds, which I find many translations do.

Can anyone with divine ears decipher the English lyrics? Or is the English libretto availalbe somewhere?

[tmarkgrundy]

@philwthomas What does the language matter? It is this attitude that turned opera into a niche, high brow art form. Far better that the audience can understand what is happening.

[Turand0t]

As a matter of fact it's not that inappropriate do it in English, being that this is the Queen of England and the Queen of Scots, although I know it was written in Italian obviously.

[philwthomas]

Had this performance been in Italian it would have been one of the greatest oper recordings of all time. Awesome!

[amonasro100]

I hasve seen the first night of this production in 1971 or 1972 at Sedlers Wells ( Colosseum) in London.

Janet Baker was unforgettalbe I dont remember who did Elisabeth, I think it was either Pauline Tinsley or Rosalind Plowright ? I still remember with great joy

even I am German and Opera in English was totally new for me at this time.