FIERY Marisa Galvany - ATTILA - Verdi - Part TWO

MARISA GALVANY (1936- ) sings "Santo di patria" from Verdi's ATTILA...with a gusto rarely paralleled. It's difficult to believe that when at the Met she was given some Wagnerian roles to sing.

Galvany is seen (on the right, in the video) in a dressing room at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1979. The young lady in the blue dress is unknown to gmmix.

Marisa COULD and DID sing just about everything...and made every performance memorable. I sat in the front row at her final public apperance in Carnegie Hall about three years ago, when she was 68. She brought down the house!

Some reference books refer to her as a mezzo-soprano. That aside, she COULD and DID sing things within a 3-octave range. Not unlike Callas, whom she admired, she sang an Aida in Mexico City and took the high e-flat ending---and held it---at the end of the Triumphial Scene. The audience went wild.

From a sound standpoint, this video is somewhat lacking as the original recording was on a reel-to-reel tape that has begun to deteriorate. The recording itself was done from the audience.

NO, Marisa Galvany is no relation to the legendary coloratura soprano, Maria Galvany. Marisa was born Myra Beth Genis in Paterson, New Jersey.

She made her debut as Tosca in Seattle in 1968. She then sang with the New York City Opera (1972-74; 1978-1981). She was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in 1979 where she made her debut as Norma. She was at the Met during the seasons of 1978-'79 and 1984-'85.

In the eyes on many, she was one of the most remarkable singers of the century. She appeared in lead roles in Traviata, Lucia, Macbeth, La Juive, Maria Stuarda, Masked Ball, Mefistofele, Medea, Mme Butterfly, Nabucco, Salome, Trovatore, Marino Faliero, Turandot, etc., etc.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• gmmix
• Marisa
• Galvany
• Attila
• soprano
• Metropolitan
• Opera

[GoldenAgeSunshine]

It's just INCREDIBLE! OMG! As I've already stated under another excerpt, Marisa is hardly known in Europe, what a ridiculous, non-sense shame (like many other artists, probably.) She's a thrilling drammatico-coloratura of the 1st rank. Bless Her.

[gmmix]

@GoldenAgeSunshine Thank you for your sentiments, which parallel mine exactly. In the last paragraph of my Galvany commentary there's a list of operas in which she appeared. I have copies of all of these and hope to post more excerpts in the future. Additionally, there are perhaps 10 recital recordings, virtually all from reel-to-reel tapes.

[hotelvillaexc]

What a shame for our time that such an INCREDIBLE singer had to sing this just with a piano !!! Her talend put her out of circuit. The opera mafia is a shame. She, Gencer and Negri had been the most neglected huge talents of your time.

[gmmix]

I couldn't agree more with the sentiments expressed by hotelvillaexc.

[operabuff1]

Magnificent, outstanding. I wish there were more recordings of Marisa Galvany available. She was an incredible singer.

[raigekimaru]

she SCREAMED those high Ebs! her power and temperament remind me of edda moser

[raigekimaru]

@hotelvillaexc

true dat. amazing vocal abilities, fiery intensitive and charisma that is straight up diva =)

[raigekimaru]

@GoldenAgeSunshine

no, she is a soprano sfogato: an extremely dark, dramatic soprano voice that can cross over into the mezzo repertory but also possessing incredible agility and an extended. a dramatic coloratura would be like Joan Sutherland or Edda Moser. the color is brighter, the agility greater and the high notes easier.

PS: you're right tho, the fact that woman isn't more famous is whack =)

[andreasscholl]

This is amazing!!!!!!

Such a booming voice, great.

[jacekpta]

głos Marisy Galvany jest zdumiewający, lekki,a przy tym dramatyczny, niezwykła skala, po prostu Wspaniała!!!!

[BeauTenor]

hehe...this made me smile. What an amazing, totally underrated singer. Had she been on the scene in her prime today, things might have been different. When you're a contemporary of singers like Sutherland, Sills, & Caballe, there's really no way to get noticed. The pool was MUCH more crowded then. That final E flat is UNBELIEVABLY good; one of the best I EVER heard.

[robertdonkers]

Yes, and add Magda Olivero and PAuline Tinsley to the list.