Sumi Jo - "I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls"

Concert with Dmitri Hvorostovsky, St. Petersburg, Nov.2008

The Bohemian Girl
Michael William Balfe
libretto by Alfred Bunn

I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls
With vassals and serfs at my side,
And of all who assembled within those walls
That I was the hope and the pride.
I had riches all too great to count
And a high ancestral name.

But I also dreamt which pleased me most
That you loved me still the same,
That you loved me
You loved me still the same,
That you loved me
You loved me still the same.

I dreamt that suitors sought my hand,
That knights upon bended knee
And with vows no maidens heart could withstand,
They pledged their faith to me.
And I dreamt that one of that noble host
Came forth my hand to claim.

But I also dreamt which charmed me most
That you loved me still the same
That you loved me
You loved me still the same,
That you loved me
You loved me still the same.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Sumi
• Jo

[charleyNZ]

Sumi Jo singing pop? Huh.

[frufruJ]

@charleyNZ It's from an opera named The Bohemian Girl.

[Sweetseve]

So now we thumbs down Asians for not sounding Celtic? I thought it was beautiful.

[thomascow1]

Clear strong beautiful voice, and persona,breath taking thanks

[fonteyn9]

Magnificent.

[VaticanAssassin1]

@rmcinuk Well said rmcinuk. Jo Sumi is an under estimated and under appreciated talent in a business that glorifies mediocrity and showmanship. Her star has steadily risen over the last 25 years to cast her into the forefront of coloratura soprano's, holding her own on stage and on recording with her far more promoted male counterparts. She is a gift that most do not deserve.

[rmcinuk]

Oh! dear another Sunday morning spent sighing over Sumi Jo.

Definitely the best rendition of this truly wonderful sung that I have ever heard. Sumi Jo has performed it many times but this is the one that entrances me.

I have only heard her sing Mozart live and that was one of the very best evenings of my life.

Having lived life to the full for 54 years that is not lightly said.

[Agorante]

@LordoftheTrapdoors Sumi Jo regularly sings the Queen of the Night. Sutherland recorded the arias but the role was never in the center of her repertoire. Too high. Popoplo di Tessaglia goes higher yet (High G). This aria has been recorded by Dessay and Gruberova. Pierette Alarie also recorded it. I knew Alarie slightly - she was tiny as such super high singers usually are. Sutherland was big. She searched for a "tall tenor". She discovered this guy called Pavarotti.

[LordoftheTrapdoors]

@Agorante I don't think Jo can't sing high as Sutherland (and however this aria is lower then top higher range of two both). I'm not sure but I think this version is half tone lower than original Balfe partiture (I think it's a stylistic choice, certainly not because she can't sing higher). About Joan; I never heard her live (and I heard Sumi Jo only once) so I can't compare them.

[Agorante]

@LordoftheTrapdoors You imply that Miss Jo can't sing as high as Dame Joan could. I don't believe that this is true. Sutherland had a huge easy voice with super flexibility. I heard her live many times. In my life time there was never anyone else quite like her. I had heard several famous Normas live before I first heard Sutherland sing it. Wow!

Sumi Jo live has a much more normal sized voice for this fach - rather small. OTOH her voice is probably a whole tone higher.

[rmcinuk]

@operachild

Drag Queen???????

Guess you got your guide dog to type that for you :)

[megapaulsimon]

listened to various renditions of this haunting song and i have to say this is definitely up there with the best and i agree with lordofthe trapdoors comments

[tamanosou]

I love this song, and I'm glad artistically she struck a medium between pop and opera. What gets me about this one is that genre-wise it is not firmly anything really. Even though it was part of an opera it really can be taken as a number of things depending on the stylistic preferences of the artists.

[E8gisell]

This beautiful song from the opera 'The Bohemian Girl' written by the Irish composer Michael Balfe has been given many treatments....it's difficult to beat this one....