THE TEN GREATEST SOPRANOS Heard Live 10 Jessye Norman

This is a selection of videos of the Ten Greatest Sopranos I had the joy to hear in live performance. The order is simply when I first heard them. They are all from my impressionable student days, chosen because every one of these great singers gave performances as vivid to me now as when I first heard them. Every one was more than just a voice and they all sang, in their very different ways, so as to move, excite and enchant.

Jessye Norman was just beginning her international career when she was invited to sing Cassandra in The Trojans at Covent Garden in 1972. I heard her many times in rehearsal as she prepared the role. Immediately her huge, majestic voice reminded me more than anyone else I heard, of Kirsten Flagstad. Here was a very big star indeed.

What I found so attractive was that, apart from the sheer glory of the tone, there was an eagerness and enthusiasm about her singing as well as a delicious, self deprecating mockery offstage.

As is well documented, she has become a thrilling, powerful and sensitive interpreter and I am so glad to have heard her at the start of her world wide success.

"Les Troyens", Berlioz huge masterpiece in five Acts, is comprised of two operas, "The Siege of Troy" and "The Trojans in Carthage". In this scene, which is the conclusion of the first opera, the city of Troy is about to fall into the hands of the besieging Greek army. The prophetess Cassandra encourages the women of Troy to take their own lives, rather than submit to their conquerors.

Category:

Music

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• Ten
• Greatest
• Sopranos
• Heard
• Live
• Jessye
• Norman
• The
• Trojans
• Berlioz
• Covent
• Garden
• Opera

[Liwah]

What's the name of this ensemble piece?

[CharlotteinWeimar]

"Tous ne periront pas", the finale to "The Siege of Troy" the first of the two operas which make up "The Trojans"

[CharlotteinWeimar]

If you heard this great singer live, please post a description.

[lewisrozenberg]

I have heard Jessye Norman live on three occasions - once in a concert performance of Erwartung, and twice in recital. The emotional impact of Ms. Norman's singing is nigh to unparalleled in my experience. After the third performance, I was persuaded by a friend to queue to meet her. I found her charismatic and charming, and I was honoured to be able to tell her that she was the reason I was training to be a singer (I now have an international career, and am writing this using a nom de plume).

[CharlotteinWeimar]

Thank you for your fine comment. I am glad you have also made a successful international career and that she inspired you in your work.

[garthastro]

I heard Jessye live every year between 1984-1989, beginning with the most incredible performance of the 4 last songs I ever heard. Sometimes she was in "soprano" voice, sometimes not. The voice was always huge, rich and pulsating with color and the artistry was always of the highest order. She became mannered towards the late '90s and her recital programs got lower and lower, but she remains one of the most inspiring artists I have ever seen.

[cantorandopera]

I also heard Ms Norman early on - as I was pregnant I remember it was the summer of 73. She was not known at that time and she wowed me. A few years later we moved to Boston and I heard her again in Mahler with the Boston Symphony under Ozawa. She had this glorious sound it seemed to come from the bowels of the earth without any undue vibrato - just glorious round tones. It was a HUGE voice but refined in every way.

[Maripudelmonaco]

RENATA TEBALDI !!!!!

[lewisrozenberg]

@thomastmwc Excellent detective work.....



[thomastmwc]

@lewisrozenberg I know who you are :)

[reviewsvoiceontube]

Jessye Norman- she owns a beautiful voice rich in color with a large range and if demanded huge volume a very good precise technique and control and a natural felt joy of singing-a very intelligent singer and artist by all means and so naturally at the same time-I adore her-she is wonderful.

[newhotmailit]

WOW

[AleksandraPlamenac]

I heard her live in Moscow twice and I couldn't sleep normally several days after that

She is soo wonderful that I really don't know how to explain what happend on the stage - it seemed to be something angelic and celestial, I felt like wondering in some other domension... She is just BRILLIANT!!!

[mwdot12]

Love her, love her, love her!! Although, this chorus is INTERESTING....where was this?

[lsauke]

@CharlotteinWeimar  - curious to me that you include norman before price. i have always felt like norman's voice was on the verge of 'running wild or off'. she is a great singer and i heard her sing live many times, but for me price was truly bewitching and gorgeous where norman, well, i don't know - just kind of 'thick' and not clear. - differences in taste no doubt.

[wTrevorh]

Stupendous! Thank you for sharing.