Montserrat Caballé-Il dolce suono

mad scene from Lucia di lammermoor

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Montserrat
• Caballé
• lucia
• lammermoor
• mad
• scene
• donizzetti
• il
• dolce
• suono

[yodavidnavarro]

Great Caballé! The most beautiful tone ever heard!

[AmericanEvita]

NO! Sorry..although this is beautiful and grand....it's just not suited to the part of Lucia...this aria I like sang with more of a sick, haunted sound...and the coloratura ought to be you know..really high and bird like and you wonder just how she did that....Caballe's grand dramatic , healthy mature voice didnt match with the frail sick Lucia role

[rodrigosaenzable]

Simplemente espectacular!!.

es impresionante la técnica de la Señora!!,

sin duda es la mejor interpretación que he escuchado de esta aria tan hermosa!!.

[flicfan416]

In spite of what all the interpretational pedants are saying, that pianissimo at the beginning made me drop my knitting. No one can touch this woman

[Zva26]

@tuadolcefanciulla I heard a staged performance in Chicago many years ago. I think it was Freni and Kraus. Freni had no E flats, and I thought that she shouldn't have sung the role. In fact, Freni was singing the role "come scrito". I had become so used to the Joan Sutherland embellishments and top E flats that I never at that stage even IMAGINED that those decorations weren't sanctioned by Bellini. People need to learn these things, and they do gradually.

[Zva26]

@tuadolcefanciulla - THAT is certainly true! The plot of Lucia is pretty stupid, but we can say that about most opera plots. It's the music that makes it live. In fact, I personally prefer Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda, Roberto Devereux, Poliuto, and the two comedies ("Pasquale" and "L'Elisir"). And you're right ---- people need to be educated about embellishments and E flats that were never required by the composer. I fell into the same trap many years ago until I studied and learned more.

[tuadolcefanciulla]

@Zva26 What could be MORE dramatic than a young woman deeply in love, who believed she gave her

vows of marriage to her beloved Edgardo, forced to marry against her will. I'm sorry she didn't kill her brother. The husband forced upon her never knew he was a political pawn for the brother's benefit. The brother deserved to be killed, and the unwanted suitor, released with an apology. HUMMMPH!! Ah, but it's opera. GAWD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No Oscars for script here :~)

[tuadolcefanciulla]

@Zva26 Yes indeed. That is also true of Sempre Libre in Traviata. There was never an Eb written.

People have come to expect to hear that. The Renee Fleming, Villazon DVD is a gorgeous

production & Renee, who's perfectly capable of an Eb (her Thais DVD) chooses not to do so.

I'm not against embellishments, but audiences ought to educated, as you've done, to the fact

that this practice is not REQUIRED by the composer. One should not fault the singer who

chooses "come scritto".

[Zva26]

@tuadolcefanciulla - I heard Maria Callas say in an interview that she considered Lucia di Lammernmoor a dramatic soprano role, not unlike Anna Bolena. Callas sang a very dark and somber Lucia, in keeping with her concept of the role. Callas had the technical command in her prime to sing E flats, but as the years went on, the erstwhile command declined. She sang Lucia in Dallas without ANY E flats. Her performance was so riveting that audiences couldn't have cared less. Viva Caballe!

[Zva26]

@tuadolcefanciulla - It's very unfortunate that people don't realize that top E flats were RARELY ever written into the original scores of operas. There are no written E flats for soprano in "Puritani" or "Sonnambula" either. Caballe's approach to Lucia is exactly what Donizetti wanted. Sadly, all sopranos since the 1860's included top E flats and trills. Donizetti never wrote them. Caballe sings the role "come scrito" and is to be respected and admired for so doing.

[tuadolcefanciulla]

@Zva26 Thank you for your factual comment about the Eb. I think Monserrat gives a very touching and exciting rendition here. I enjoy the range of color, from delicate saddness, to impassioned despair. Monserrat is so musical and flexible, I'm sure she is singing this as

the character that she envisions Lucia to be. She is a singer with tremendous control over her voice.

I believe she renders her musical interpretations by decisions, not by limitations.

[Argentynegal]

What I have always admired in Montserrat's style is that she has perfect control over her breathing. She can even sing lying flat on the ground without impairing the quality. Very few singers can do that.