Trills, Runs, Roulades, Fiorature, embellished with everything but the god damn kitchen sink! When does this woman take a breath?? And she makes it all seem so effortless, like a day at the park.
Sills said this was one of her most difficult & memorable & favourite roles. Her diction ( like in probably everything she sang ) was spot on. And thank god she had the brilliant Roland Gagnon in her career do her coloratura embellishments. Many people don't get it that in many florid "show case" roles good olympic embellishments are a big part of it. Not every singer can do Wagner. AND not every singer can do good coloratura singing.
I don't like orgasms during coloratura, either. What a marvelous phrase and one worth remembering! That is really funny. I have listened to the Sutherland recording many times, and it is wonderful, but I have to admit, Sills' ability to embellish the notes is outstanding, and I actually prefer the faster tempo. What a pro she was. Her ability to communicate a sense of joy and passion is second to none. Brava!
This is my favourite Sills footage ( thanks again guys )It seems to be the ONLY extant filmed record of Sills as Cleopatra. So THIS is what it was all about! She must get dizzy from circling the couch so often..poor thing.
No one can touch her embellishments in this aria! I love this performance. I keep looking for other intrepertations on RU-vid, but always come back to this one.
As countless other have had, I too had the great pleasure of hearing her live. We all have had our lives brightened by her singing. Thank you youtube for giving us this pleasure over again.
Had to comment AGAIN! This BLOWS YA away like nothing else!!! Brilliant, endless fireworks at a shotgun tempo. There is NO ONE singing today with this command and authority... A lesson to younger singers who give too much too early.
As a huge fan of Sutherland's Cleopatra, I think Silsl is better than La Stupenda in this role. This, along with her Elizabeth in Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux" and her Pamina in Rossini's "The Siege of Corinth" is enough to place Sills among the greatest coloraturas of our time.
Thank god that NYCO did. They launched Beverly to legend status with this opera. And I agree, Norman Treigle's coloratura was amazing. I was just listening to his "A lampo del armi" today and Im always amazed when I hear it.
I've only heard one thing of hers i haven't loved. But wow, can she sing! Her Lucia, Baby Doe, Violetta, Anna Bolena, Rosina, ALL amazing. Thanks for the great video.
Many years ago I drove from SF down to LA to see Sills in "Manon." The afternoon of the performance I went to the killer whale show at Marineland and who should walk in but Sills, her husband and her daughter. That night she was magnificant. And how else would this be staged??? It is opera seria for god's sake. I hope no one was expecting "dramatic tension."
Another little comment... This is a rare, and valuable piece of video. I just wish we had Norman Treigle on you RU-vid (though I will search!). She did this with this incredible bass who could do REAL coloratura even though he smoked three packs of cigarrettes a day, as the opening performance at the NYC Opera, on a day that Antony and Cleopatra was opening at the Met, because the Met wouldn't hire American opera singers unless they were necessary to "fill in" at the last minute.
Excellent coloratura!! She was great as her voice had a sheen of metal and a bitter, heavier dramatic tone and Joan Sutherland's was even more grand and larger, were the greatest, the closest today are Natalie Dessay and Sumi Jo. p.s. the first 2 classic divas had perhaps the most amazing lightning fast trills ever heard
Very good, especially considering the era it was recorded. I prefer the tonal beauty of Lezhnevas recording here on youtube. But still very good baroque interpretation here during a time where everyone was still trying to sing Händel as if it was Verdi or Wagner....
I've been in mourning for a week, hanging out her and at beverlysills dot com every night. I hope more videos of her work are released. Unfortunately many early ones were never recorded.
(continued): So NYC fought back with an original type production of one of the very HARDEST Handel operas and coloratura operas (because both the leads have to do it) ever created.
"period style" lol in the baroque period, singers always did a little walk around their divans in the interludes still, 'lest we forget', i suppose. (though i make fun of her uninformedness, it's still Bubs.)
This is staged as it would have been in Handel's time. Purposefully. Don't blame Bubbles for the staging. And Bubbles was glorious. AS a COLORATURA, I can tell you that she executes this flawlessly - and it was sung fast orginally if you know anything about Handel. I doubt you sing, just armchair criticize. Pretty rancid of you to do that right now, after she just passed.
