Marilyn Horne - Dove Sei, amato bene? "Rodelinda"

Marilyn Horne in concert singing the aria from Handel's Rodelinda. Munich, 1990

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• horne
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• munich

[baritonebynight]

The "Unnecessary warbling" or "parlor organ" comments tell me that these posters are uninformed. The vibrato is idiomatic and is produced when a well trained voice is well supported. Few singers are as well respected or accomplished as Ms Horne. In her prime there was nothing that she could not sing, and she still has plenty of voice left at 74. Not appreciating her timbre is one thing, not respecting her technique is ignorance. Baroque singing IS Bel Canto. Same technique is required.

[philomelodia]

Hate to tell you this but Baroque singing is a form of Bel Canto singing. Bel Canto means "beautiful singing". What Rosini and his contemporaries were doing was writing and singing in a long-standing tradition that went back to the 17th century, through the entire 18th century (this includes Handel's music) and then ended in the late 19th century with the advent of verismo operas such as the works of Verdi and Puccini. Horne is actually known for her Handelian singing.

[baritonebynight]

@tkgsingsct Yes I know, although I'm glad we have discontined the practice!

[tkgsingsct]

@baritonebynight Castrati (the most accomplished, anyway) also spent years, sometimes decades, from very young ages, in extensive training barely comprehensible by today's standards.

[tkgsingsct]

@baritonebynight Good point. When you consider that the aria was written originally for the castrato Senesino, it's not surprising that modern singers have difficulty following Handel's instructions precisely. Castrati tended to have large thoracic cavities because their bones (ribs) never got the signal from puberty to stop growing. By all contemporary accounts, the finest among them (like Senesino) were capable of remarkably extended phrasing, among other remarkable vocal calisthenics.

[baritonebynight]

@tkgsingsct I should have been more clear. The score that I have is marked largo. Most singers do not sing it largo because they have trouble completing the long phrases at the slow tempo. Ms Horne wishes are to respect the text and the composer, not to simply show off. Not her style at all, she's one of the most intelligent singers/teachers in the biz, IMHO.

[tkgsingsct]

@roolion100 I like this comment, because everyone *is* right. All music and its appreciation is subjective experience. Personally, I prefer countertenor interpretations of this role/aria, but being a countertenor myself, I'm probably biased. :)

[tkgsingsct]

@baritonebynight hmmm...I'm not sure that's admirable, if true. I prefer to believe that the tempo reflects her (and the conductor's) interpretation and expression. I'd prefer not to assign the tempo choice to the status of a stunt or pedagogic demonstration. If a singer is just creating sound effects, I couldn't be less interested. If s/he is singing with artistic expression in order to communicate meaning and emotion, I'm there. I think that's what Ms. Horne's intention is with this recording.

[baritonebynight]

@tkgsingsct She sings it very slowly because she CAN.

[roolion100]

Everybodys right. Can't bear prissie opera luvvies. Of course MM is formidable, however, this is by no means her best performance and she is not at the top of the arch in her voice, trust me I heard it many times live. She might of considered singing repotoire at this point which consisted of less chest notes and lessening the tightness in her mask sounds. She's still a cracker.

[tkgsingsct]

@tkgsingsct  - and really, her baroque ornamentation is excellent, actually probably somewhat conservative in regard to historic accuracy. I dislike both Spanos' and Jarousskyi's interpretations, too...effeminate for me; Bertarido is a powerful, masculine role. I much prefer David Daniels and Andreas Scholl (two very different interpretations) for this role.

[tkgsingsct]

As a countertenor learning this aria, I decided to listen to the incomparable Ms. Horne's interpretation. The tempo does seem a tad slow, but the timbre is probably very similar to Senesino's (castrato), the original singer. Horne's critics have often remarked about the "beefiness" of her sound and its practically masculine quality. I imagine this could be very similar to the castrato timbre. Today's countertenor singing is an approximation, but I tend to prefer it, except for Ms. Horne's.