1966 Vilja Lied - Joan Sutherland - The Merry Widow 

No words for this performance. Out of this world.

Utterly brilliant. I saw her backstage when her husband directed an opera in San Diego. I was a lowly chorister. Just looked her up.... she died on my birthday, 10/10/10. Glorious voice and brilliant artist.

The Queen of opera RIP

The unmistakable voice of the incomparable Joan Sutherland.

Sutherland and Lehár ! Listening to them now, Is like a dreaming again!

Unparalleled!

La più grande Una cantante irraggiungibile! La adoro la mia cantante preferita

Colore di voce stratosferico, musicalita', perfezione, simpatia. Una vera regina.

OMG!!! This is perfect in EVERY way!!

Others may be technically perfect but Joan is the only one who brought a tear to the eye simply by the emotional quality of her voice. So rare, so fine.

Bravo!!!

Sigh.. so perfectly beautiful.

@ChrisStockslager Very true. Joan was incredibly consistent in the high standard of singing she delivered throughout a remarkable career. The blemishes are very small and very few.

Marevellous voice..

La Stupenda, sempre stupenda.

Wonderful! Although it must be said itt was half way through before I realised she was singing in english.

She had such an interesting technique.....the mushy diction probably was a "side effect".....her technique plus her natural endowment of (huge) voice really was a remarkable combination.

The best HANDS DOWN!

There once was a VIlja, a witch of the wood, A hunter beheld her alone as she stood, The spell of her beauty upon him was laid; He looked and he longed for the magical maid! For a sudden tremor ran, Right through the love-bewildered man, And he sighed as a hapless lover can. Vilja, O Vilja! the witch of the wood! Would I not die for you, dear, if I could? Vilia, O Vilia, my love and my bride, Softly and sadly he sighed. The wood maiden smiled and no answer she gave, But beckoned him into the shade of the cave, He never had known such a rapturous bliss, No maiden of mortals so sweetly can kiss! As before her feet he lay, She vanished in the wood away, And he called vainly till his dying day! Vilja, O Vilja! the witch of the wood! Would I not die for you, dear, if I could? Vilia, O Vilia, my love and my bride, Softly and sadly he sighed. Vilja, O Vilja! the witch of the wood! Would I not die for you, dear, if I could? Vilja, O Vilja, my love and my bride! Softly and sadly he sighed. Sadly he sighed, "Vilja!"

Brava

One of the most beautiful voices. But I'm biased - she was Australian as well !

ANNA .MARTÍ.🐾🐾❤.QUINÁ 🐾 🐾 GRÁNT SOPRANO VÁ SÉ ... JOAN SUTHDERLAN MARAVALLOSA BELLÍSIMA Í PRESÍOSA VEÚ.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏❤❤❤🦋🌷🌹💞🌲🍀⚘🌺

@CaptFitzbattleaxe It was probably her. Odds are, this is one solid take, and besides that little crack, this was the best take. To me, it makes it obvious that even Joanie was human, something I often forget when listening to her flawless recordings. Besides the crack here, I can only think of one or two other cracks, and a few sharp or flat Ebs and Es. Not bad for a forty year career!

Lehár Ferenc csodás zenéje!!! / Franz Lehar / és gyönyörű hang: Joan Sutherland

I only hear vocals, only Vilja you can understand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course.

Beverley and Joan are the best! Others are close but in my opinion these 2 ladies can't be beat.

@ChrisStockslager Agreed on all scores.

@vocalissimo1 Weird, never noticed that before. It could be a recording problem too. Hard to tell.

Have you folks heard kimmy skota's rendition of this with André Rieu & his Johann Strauss Orchestra? I found that one amazing. I will go look up more Joan Sutherland now.

@CaptFitzbattleaxe Indeed you did! Ta for the videos! :)

Who can upload Dame Sutherland's Love Live Forever, please??

The tone is ravishing and the phrasing exquisite, but I have always been slightly troubled by the very uncharacteristic middle voice crack at 2.53. How did the sound engineers let it get through?

Not a patch on June Bronhill, in my opinion.

Beautiful song and singing. I am waiting for Amira to sing this on a big stage in front of a bid orchestra as good as J S is Amira will top it as there is no one I would listen to hour after hour other than her.

4:32 :)

I believe it is a recordin error not Joanie. :).

@emma41093 Told ya.

is she singing the english version? its certainly not the german version

Well sung, but the only thing that can be made out is "Vilja, oh Vilja", the rest is one blur of vowels and consonants.

My Favorite performer for this one is Renee Fleming

Dame Joan had the most perfect voice, but Kimmy Skota from Africa is also stunningly beautiful with this song. As she is with so many others. Ron Aubrey

Lovely, but not as good as June Bronhill who has perfect diction.

Very good vocal technique and that's it. Joan Sutherland does not sing with her soul. It doesn't convey anything. There are much better performances with Elizabeth Harwood (70s), Anna Moffo (60s), Renée Fleming (90s), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (mid-20th century). It is also preferable for the operetta to be performed in German or Hungarian.

Beautiful timbre, but diction unclear. Listen to Fleming.