Maria Guleghina: how NOT to sing (Met, 7 Nov 2009)

"In questa reggia" from Turandot by G. Puccini (Metropolitan Opera NY - 7 Nov 2009).
Soprano Maria Guleghina gives us an example of BAD singing: she screams, she pushes, she scratches, she cracks, she loses her timbre, she's out of tune, she's tired.
Marcello Giordani - tenor.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• soprano
• maria
• guleghina
• opera
• turandot
• puccini
• perle
• nere
• metropolitan
• lirica
• in
• questa
• reggia
• marcello
• giordani
• tenor
• crack

[MsChilbilmil]

by the way, you should give this post the title: "HOW NOT TO RECORD GREAT VOICES!" 

[MsChilbilmil]

This seems to be the unofficial "guleghina-hate-club" - how interesting to see that people actually have time to waste and write such horrible things about the best drammatic soprano of (almost) all times! La Guleghina is a great Turandot, because she DOES NOT scream but sings with emotion and beauty and fear and is vulnerable at times when the music demands it, how do some not hear this?

[Matt75003]

I am not a fan of Ms. Guleghina's, quite the opposite in fact, but I actually think that she sounds rather good here. This is a killer aria, and more than one singer has found it way beyond her means: Caballé, Sutherland (imho), Callas in her complete 1957 recording of the opera… Guleghina is clearly better than most of them, especially considering that this is a live performance. If you want to hear a bad Turandot, listen to Katia Ricciarelli in the Karajan recording.

[wmennisny]

As with nearly all music critics, they spend so much time PICKING AT THE MUSIC that they lose site entirely of the BEAUTY of it. What's the best way to read music critiques? DON'T READ THEM AT ALL. If you listen to a piece and you LIKE it, then it is a good piece, period. Having a discussion about a person like this soprano with SO MUCH TALENT and dissecting it is not only a waste of time, but a crime against creativity in general. If this piece doesn't move you to tears, STICK TO WAGNER!

[quequitoAR]

I'm not particularly fan of Ms. Gulehina, since i've not heard so much of her. There are so many others Turandots out there who can't sing a 10 % of this. I've heard MANY of them here at Buenos Aires (some famous ones; you'd be surprised...) Her high notes are wide-opened, yes, and also in "l'orgolio di tanta purità" she almost cracked the highest note. Come on, people, it's live, it's one the most difficult opening scenes for a role in the history of opera... be reasonable...

[sttar1982]

horrible

[OperaLover79]

@lawyer4817 : It's been released on DVD.... am sure you can buy it at the MEt opera shop or on Amazon

[superjfbm]

i love the clarity of the colors and the general video recording...

[8Goldie]

Do you know how difficult is for dramatic soprano to sing that high notes?! I don't blame her, all her registers are great (looove her middle register, she sounds like bow from chello or kontrabass :)

[ViardotVSGrisi]

a great instrument mismanaged. Ive heard this mess several times at the MET. Loud and coarse.

[asdfopera]

guleghina may not be the greatest turandot. this aria exposes all flaws. guuleghina has flaws, but in the right roles, such as abigaille she's fantastic. the net should have filmed her abigaille this season instead of this turandot!

[vocalissimo1]

Visually spectacular - vocally disastrous.