Rosa Ponselle singing The Nightingale and the Rose for Victor in 1939. From her last recording session before the 1954 Villa Pace LP's. Not quite the same voice that it was 10 years earlier but still wonderful.
@ChaudeB have you also heard Rita Streich sing this? She really sounds like a nightingale rather than a soprano singing! Faultless. My favourite sop is also Callas because she moves me like no other. But I also love Amelita Gallicurci, Conchita Supervia and so many others who trained so devoutly in those days and it showed. The duet Ponselle does with EZIO PINZA - ALZATEVI... LA VERGINE DEGLI ANGELI - LA FORZA DEL DESTINO on this site is sublime.
Until now Callas was my favourite. She still is, but now i fell in love with Rosa Ponselle. Her voice goes straight to the heart!! It is so incredibly clear!! Her technique is perfect, i think!!The difference to la Callas is, that Ponselles voice is so smooth! No cracks! But so much expression, soul!!! I still love Callas, also because we have more recordings of her, luckily, but Ponselle is so much better! She has the voice of an angel! Forget Renata Tebaldi!(who was also a great singer)
Ponselle herself referred to herself as a freak of nature. You can discuss great singers objectively as well as subjectively. For example, as great as Caruso and Gigli were, I've never been able to warm up to them completely. But I certainly appreciate and understand what a phenomenon they were. Criticism is based on personal criteria and different qualities are important to different people. Some of us, including me, just don't care for the sobs and strained high notes of many Italian voices.
Actually I am 54 years old. My birth year is wrong in the system and I do not know how to change it . I was born in 1955. I knew Ponselle in the last several years of her life. Knowing her was the greatest experience of my life. She was a very warm down to earth lady. I miss her
@ChaudeB have you also heard Rita Streich sing this? She really sounds like a nightingale rather than a soprano singing! Faultless. My favourite sop is also Callas because she moves me like no other. But I also love Amelita Gallicurci, Conchita Supervia and so many others who trained so devoutly in those days and it showed. The duet Ponselle does with EZIO PINZA - ALZATEVI... LA VERGINE DEGLI ANGELI - LA FORZA DEL DESTINO on this site is sublime.
AEmylia24 7 months ago
***** 10 *****
tukilala 1 year ago
more than wonderful! I've never heard her voice come through so well before. It's like hearing her for the first time all over again....
Greatheil 1 year ago
Until now Callas was my favourite. She still is, but now i fell in love with Rosa Ponselle. Her voice goes straight to the heart!! It is so incredibly clear!! Her technique is perfect, i think!!The difference to la Callas is, that Ponselles voice is so smooth! No cracks! But so much expression, soul!!! I still love Callas, also because we have more recordings of her, luckily, but Ponselle is so much better! She has the voice of an angel! Forget Renata Tebaldi!(who was also a great singer)
ChaudeB 2 years ago
Wonderful!
Does everyone have an english text of this song?
opernair 2 years ago
Lets be civil. Be specific about why you prefer some voices over others.
merrihew 2 years ago
Ponselle herself referred to herself as a freak of nature. You can discuss great singers objectively as well as subjectively. For example, as great as Caruso and Gigli were, I've never been able to warm up to them completely. But I certainly appreciate and understand what a phenomenon they were. Criticism is based on personal criteria and different qualities are important to different people. Some of us, including me, just don't care for the sobs and strained high notes of many Italian voices.
merrihew 2 years ago
I know people who knew her as well and speak very fondly of her.
merrihew 2 years ago
Actually I am 54 years old. My birth year is wrong in the system and I do not know how to change it . I was born in 1955. I knew Ponselle in the last several years of her life. Knowing her was the greatest experience of my life. She was a very warm down to earth lady. I miss her
Giovannifabuloso 2 years ago
Ponselle died in 1981. You claim you are 29. Do the math.
merrihew 2 years ago