Maria Barrientos - Bell Song from Lakme (Delibes)

A request for some Maria Barrientos. Here singing the Bell Song (Ou Va La Jeune Hindoue) from Delibes' Lakme. Recorded for Columbia in 1917. Barrientos (1884-1946) was a highly regarded coloratura soprano of her time. Not a large voice but with a distinctive limpid quality. A stage presence aided by her slender figure and beauty. She sang at the Met from 1916 to 1920 and retired from the stage in 1924. She made a few early Fonotipia discs but recorded for Columbia during her prime. Unfortunately, acoustic Columbia discs were generally not well recorded and were pressed on noisy shellac. It takes a bit of imagination to appreciate her. However, there is a 1928 electric recording of her on YT which reveals her voice more accurately.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Barrientos
• Delibes
• Lakme
• Bell
• Song
• Columbia

[65attila]

MB is matvelous here and another favorite of mine is by Antonina Nezhdanova who also could fly with eas but I wish she wouldn't slide up to notes as much. The special glory of AN is the warmth of her tone. trill and wistful feeling. I am glad I own both + Amelitta . Luisa., Mady Mesple , Sutherland To me they are different gems on a glorious piece of jewerly

[paulostroff99]

Superb!  TY.

[AulicExclusiva]

I agree about the cuts, but still find it hard to resist the warm voice.

[tightlygagged]

She does NOT 'vocalize' up to the final E, she sings intervening notes INCLUDING a sustained D sharp which continues to the E WITHOUT a breath: ABOUT A HUNDRED TIMES MORE DIFFICULT than the simple skip to the E, and the ANTITHESIS of 'cheating'. I laughed for five minutes at that asinine comment.

[AulicExclusiva]

Notice how I already got a black (red) mark for transgressing on the subject of the Only Soprano In History, She Who May Not Be Criticised.

There is nothing I loathe more than the Stupid Diva Fanatic.

[meltzerboy]

Only, Callas sings such things better than most Latin coloraturas, surely better than De Hidalgo. Her "Shadow Song" is wonderful, particularly the scales representing the shadow. Second only to Galli-Curci's acoustic recording, and perhaps Tetrazzini's two versions.

[AulicExclusiva]

One just wonders what De Hidalgo thought of the big fat girl with the huge black voice, and whatever possessed her to teach her to sing things like the Bell and Shadow songs!!! (Which, by the way, she sings in "fixed position" style, just like a Latin Koloratur from the 1920s!)

[meltzerboy]

I like Callas' singing of the Bell Song, and she does put drama into the scene (so does Tetrazzini, to a lesser extent, in the aria). But what chutzpah on Callas' part to sing this aria in the first place! A little like Melba's singing Brunnhilde.

[AulicExclusiva]

Pons' several versions are among her best records. I just don't care for her little whistle voice, that's all. I know the Clairbert and Ben-Sédira singles. And though you don't care for Mado Robin, she sang this rather well. Frankly, no one can hold a candle to Maria Callas in this scene. She sings so very well in her 1956 performance with Tullio Serafin, and actually makes sense of the words, puts some drama into the Bell Song! That's a first!

[meltzerboy]

I meant too abridged, not too rushed. The opening is quite beautiful, before "La-bas dans la foret plus sombre...." The word "charmeurs" doesn't sound quite right either. But lovely singing.