I came here after watching Netrebko and Gheorghiu and Freni just acts rings around them (and everyone else). She's remarkably still. Everything is in the voice. She's so careful to limit her movements. The forceful nod at "O Oenone" and the extraordinary jerk of her head to Cossotto at "audacissime impure" which brought Cossotto to her feet. Sensational. Genius. The translation is off though at the end.
Your summation of this remarkably well staged and extraordinarily acted opera is accurate. The title role of this, seldom staged and beautiful opera on this occasions is well placed in the hands of both, Freni and Cossotto and they both produced a magical evening. However , I believe that, Magda Olivero's rendition of Adriana Lecouvreur's role, will be the golden standard.
Freni, like Alfredo Kraus, managed her voice very well and thus had a long career which benefitted all of opera and all opera fans. She did not take on roles that were beyond her and so was able to bring to the roles she did take a special combination of vocal beauty and emotional sincerity. This clip is clear proof of her dramatic abilities as well as the beauty of the voice right to the end of her career.
Wilson Watt Freni was a great artist, but she indeed did take on a few roles that were wrong for her - Aida, Elvira in Ernani - but she dropped them quickly to keep the bloom in her voice. I saw her as Mimi and Manon Lescaut in the theater, both sublime.
@@wotan10950 I agree with you on her Ernani. She even stated that it was too ta ta ta for her. but her Houston Aida? Magnificent! Beautiful, fresh, and full of power and ease? Have you heard it?
Splendid, one of the best interpretations ever, with Cossotto a true tigress. Even when she is not uttering a single word, her acting abilities are those of the greatest artists ever. Nobody is coming even remotely close to those two ladies. And Cossotto's commanding stage presence is outstanding!
Let it be Phædra then! Let it be Freni! This opera is a lot of fun. It’s very camp and has moments of highly exaggerated beauty. When the voices are truly full and the delivery authentic it’s a great night out. And when done expertly this opera can be chilling.
Bellísima y esquista digna al ocupar el trono que la Tebaldi deja tras su retiró de los escenarios la Freni grande entre las grades tu estrella fulgurante sera por siempre
Thank you! I was fairly sure it was Mirella Freni. Adriana is one of my favorite operas. It's a tragedy that it is so rarely performed in US opera houses.
Bravissima Fiorenza Cossotto. Non ai livelli della Principessa di Bouillon di Giulietta Simionato, assolutamente inarrivabile e imbattuta nel ruolo, ma il colore è proprio bello, come meraviglioso il recitar cantando. La stupenda personificazione di Adriana Lecouvreur rimarrà, sempre, Magda Olivero e il binomio Olivero-Simionato è assolutamente imprescindibile, peró Mirella Freni é decisamente notevole e brava, come sempre.
Jamais égalé cet version avec mirela freni cette adriana un diamant pur cet opéra délicat raffiné ou la musique est belle du début à la fin vous prend l´àme 🙏🙏🎩🎼💐
Man ! Freni ! What a singer ! She has come a very long way from _Micaela_ with Price & Corelli. That recording was the first time I heard her. I was really moved by her vocal-performance, especially the one aria of _Micaela._ Seeing her in this scene ... A Totally Different Character ... to be sure ... but Phaedra's Monologue ?! ( From _Micaela_ to _Phaedra's Monologue !_ What a magnificent set of vocal-cords. ) I've never heard any soprano who came close to Scotto's reading of the Monologue ... Freni -- at last ! -- is that singer ! Not to take anything away from Scotto's performance ... but these two singers ... in this scene ... are like twin sisters ! Two women from the same Country w / a command of their Language ! AND yet ... they are powerfully-different. Thanks Bro.( Mr. Kingston ) ! This was the perfect ending to the great day I had ! _[ June 25, 2022 ; 12:32am ; USA. ]_
You think this is good? Try her performance of this at the Met in the early 90's. Most stunning performance I've ever witnessed! I was floored!!! Her upper register pealed the paint off of the wall. Trust me. I was there!
Not quite. Performed in Chicago and at the Met in 1963, 1969, 1978, 1994, 2008 and 2009! (Bing hated the "wretched opera.") But it does need a super Adriana. Saw it twice, at the Met and Chicago, each time with Tebaldi.
However, Caballe did sing it at the Met, also with Cossotto. I saw that production and was stunned by an opera which is not really top tier but can become so with great singers. One thing stands out in my memory. At the end of the second act aria of Adriana, Caballe took the high end note piano and held it so long I think we all thought she would run out of breath. Just when you though she would stop she did diminuendo to ppp and held that for at least another 5 seconds [an eternity in terms of vocal production]. It may not have been exactly as the composer wrote it but it was the incredible demonstration of voice that a diva must do sometimes.
Wilson Watt I saw them at the Met too, along with Carreras. I met Caballe backstage and she gave me an autographed photo of holding the head of John the Baptist!!! I couldn’t imagine why she gave that picture to me!
Bellissimi, nella tradizione, col una voce bella e ricca, e con un declamato pulito e non sguaiato. Peccato non arrivino le i di "mai, mai" debba arrossir. Ma è una inezia.
After Magda Olivero, Renata Tebaldi; Mirella Freni was the best on Phedra Monologue. Fiorenza Cossotto an amazing Princess di Boullion Bravi 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏❤️🌷🌺👏
Definetly Cilea's was the most theatrical dramatic music composer. His pieces always feel so dramatic and so trully sad. I don't think Verdi or even Puccini get so close.
Scolastica suona meglio ? Se non avesse avuto alle spalle il Partito, sarebbe rimasta una delle tante. Non trovo personalità in questa voce, tantomeno nella presenza scenica.
Tutt’altro. È stata un’edizione memorabile dopo tanti anni di assenza alla Scala. Mirella Freni cantava e recitava sempre con grande classe e perfetto controllo della voce.