Sì, vendetta...Maria Callas/Gobbi/Serafin & Joan Sutherland/Milnes/Bonynge

Two different conductors
Two different Gilda's
Two different Rigoletto's

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Giuseppe
• Verdi
• Rigoletto
• 1955
• Tullio
• Serafin
• Maria
• Callas
• Tito
• Gobbi
• 1971
• Richard
• Bonynge
• Joan
• Sutherland
• Sherrill
• Milnes

[diuscorvus]

Serafin/Gobbi/Callas. Callas's Eb is thinner and has a wide vibrato, but the portamenti up and down are tasteful; she also pronounces her words so one feels it's Gilda singing. Every other note of hers is tighter than Sutherland's - S. had a slow wobble across her range. Gobbi is also vastly superior to Milnes. I think Bonynge is the worst thing musically that happened to Sutherland. His slack tempo sounds like a doleful attempt at Wagner, and the acceleration reminds one of a marching band.

[Remalia19]

@diuscorvus Although I'm just starting to understand conducting I believe that Bonynge's conducting is a little boring in contrast with Serafin's which has got a lot of expression and intensity!

P.S.: Maria or Joan had a slow wobble across her range?

[Ariadne7710]

@diuscorvus You are 100% right about Bonynge. He was not a conductor, he was his wife's accompanist. He conducted to accommodate her not to interpret the opera in the way that the composer intended. Sutherland's interpretative skills would have benefited greatly if she had the opportunity to work with really great conductors like Serafin, Giulini, Karajan, Bernstein, etc than exclusively with her husband who was a very mediocre musician. A great voice and no interpretation. A great pity.

[Remalia19]

@Ariadne7710 You're so right! Even though I think that Joan didn't have that natural acting ability that others had, if she had collaborated with real conductors she would have been a greater interpreter. Nevertheless, I still enjoy her!

[emma41093]

Joan Sutherland/Milnes/Bonynge. I loved both and the slightly slower tempo of Serafin's was lovely but Joan tipped the balance (as usual in my case).....My god what an Eb!!

[Remalia19]

@emma41093 Generally the tempo of Serafin's conducting is quite slow but it gets faster towards the end! This switch really works for me! Oh, what can I say about Joan? Each time I hear this, it's like the first time!

[MegaCavatina]

Definitely Callas, who makes the listener FEEL the music. One note, whether on or off, isn't going to make that much difference in the totality of the experience. Sutherland has no feelings in her singing, leaves me cold.

[marylambcarter]

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[CaptFitzbattleaxe]

Both fabulous for different reasons.

If I had to pick one, it would be the Sutherland/Milnes/Bonynge recording. The singing sounds so natural. And the E-flat! So wonderful...

[Remalia19]

@bellini7verdi Joan era y es una diosa!!!

[bellini7verdi]

sutherland actua como las locas..........loca de amor por la opera........soberbia.......fu­lgurante......acaparadora.....­.y fulminante.........como corresponde al aria..........soltar de dentro el alma y el cuerpo.....y eso hizo ella....la unica que lo hizo........las demas lo disfrazaron todo con otras cosas.......pero ella lanzo la voz hasta llevarla a la locura......la locura del arte...y el amor a la opera......su propia voz y alma.......inalcanzable.......­.