Natalie Dessay - Oh nube che lieve / Nella pace del mesto riposo (Score Animation)

From Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda". The role was written originally for the great Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis who also originated the role of Elisabetta in "Roberto Devereoux" and "Gemma di Vergy", later on (finally) when the opera was able to be premiered, it was sung by Maria Malibran for whom the fabulous florid passages in the cabaletta were added.
The role goes from low A-flat to high C and it exploits the huge constrasting changes in tessitura which are common in the Assoluta repertoire.
Sadly we don't have a recording of this aria with the Malibran cabaletta by an Assoluta, but in this recording Natalie Dessay does a very good job (though with an evident weakness in the middle-low register during the cabaletta) but still manages to sing a decent low A-flat and her florid passage work is wonderful.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• maria
• stuarda
• donizetti
• oh
• nube
• che
• lieve
• nela
• pace
• del
• mesto
• riposo
• malibran
• giuseppina
• ronzi
• de
• begnis
• soprano
• sfogato
• assoluta

[marioegorga]

Sutherland and Callas are perhaps the closest thing to Maria Malibran's tessitura.. The Stuarda score is miles to heavy for Dessay.

[primohomme]

@marioegorga

Yes, but Maria Stuarda is not really a dramatico coloratura role, but yes...Natalie does show a weakness in the middle-low which is not ideal for Maria Stuarda, and it's a role that would suit a voice like Maria Callas better. Joan Sutherland also sang it beautifully, though sans the low A-flat.

[coryisawake]

By 1830, Donizetti's embellishments were spare and used only to deliberately with a particular emotion in a character.

When singers like Dessay, Netrebko and Meade decide to throw in unwritten ornaments and high notes (though it MAY make things exciting), it totally derails the plot and lowers the overall impact of Donizetti's markings.

The result is an audience that is waiting for the next high Eb, rather than losing itself in the work and empathizing with the personages.

[coryisawake]

I pray that the day will never come where singers like Dessay/Jo are offered this role; perhaps they just recorded the aria for the beauty of the music.

[gustavojoris]

It is brilliantly sung! Very good technically and with appropriate style.

[FeelinMinnesota]

I don't like it. Besides her voice not suiting the role at all, she resorts to scooping some parts. Natalie's voice doesn't suit bel canto at all. I find it better for lakme or something like that...