Joan Sutherland - Met 1974 - A tribute 

Joan later used to call herself in this role, jokingly, "The Biggest Doll in the Business." There was nothing she couldn't do. The most wonderful singer of our lifetimes.

The very first time I heard her live was in this role at the Met. She was already my favorite soprano of all time from recordings, but I was blessed to hear her numerous times in the following years. When she and Marilyn Horne sang Norma at San Francisco Opera in 1982, I bought tickets to all seven performances. There hasn't been anything like her since she retired, and there wasn't anything like her before, either. Her voice was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

Joan showed everybody how to do this role and is still an inspiration to the many singers that have followed. The speed at which she is able to deal with the difficult descending triplets is amazing. It must also not be forgotten that she not only sung the Olympia role in this opera but all three main "heroines" requiring a different character and tessitura for each role. She was definately "La Stupenda" and probably the greatest coloratura of the twentieth century. My all time heroine.

Wow! Thanks for this rarity. It's an excellent reminding for all of us of Sutherland's irresistible combination of voice, technique, charisma and, yes, dramatic commitment. I'm pretty sure that, after her passing, people will more and more recognize that Sutherland wasn't only a great singer, but a musician of the highest quality, with an almost unsurpassed ability to convey nuances and sheer ecstasy to her singing and, in most occasions, an excellent interpretation on stage.

How wonderful to see live footage of Dame Joan and understand both her musical intellect and her stagecraft as an actress. This is a gem of her unparallelled art.

Unquestionably one of the most impactful voices I ever heard live. In her prime, Dame Joan's voice was not only huge, but gorgeous. Her trill was perfection and it never failed to glow in a theater the size of the Met. She produced floods of tone as Lucia, as Elvira, as Leonora, as Marie, Esclarmonde, the three heroines of The Tales of Hoffman. The velocity of her coloratura was miraculously fast. Only Sills had something of the same speed. Splendor--that was what Dame Joan produced.

I heard her live twice. Once in an concert of Mad Scenes in Washington, D.C and once in a recital in Munich. She was 59 and 60 years old. It was the most amazing voice I have ever heard. A nearly perfect technique and a rich, sumptuous voice and gigantic high notes that you don't really get in recordings. I have never heard anything like it.

This aria with her color voice was fantastique! The perfect mix, dramatic timbre with agility!!! Joan lover

Dame J could do it alll~. Her speed an regularity on this area never ceased. Even in the gala concert with Marilyn Horne in the 80's she still killed it~! Brava~!

Joan Sutherland was a genius...we are so lucky, those of us who heard her live, to have lived in a time to hear "La Stupenda"....and she was a dear person...still a Diva but never forgot where she came from. Larger than life, a voice to end all voices....

La Stupenda magnificant as always

No wonder she was called La Stupenda! I saw her quite a few times in the theater - her voice was big, lush, and beautiful. And her technical resources are almost without parallel. The idea of a Verdi-sized voice singing Olympia up in the stratosphere. She makes it look so easy.

Amazing. I know I am not alone when I say "thank you so much" for this treasure.

Can you believe coloratura and staccato like that and a Norma like she did?!

simply the best. A most outstanding singer. And a lovely personality to top it.

Stunning ! And the costume, make up too!

What a jewel to remember an outstanding artist - thank you for posting

To the last two posters: One says sharp, one says flat. For this challenging aria, she is near perfect. Do you know the extremely high tessatura she is singing in the E flat key? Are you kidding? Is this kind of singing possible? La Stupenda. And she is almost 50 yo here. She trills on a high C spinning around. There are FIVE high E flats above high C's here. Four of them in staccato. She is almost 50 HERE! Of course the Met went crazy and gave her an ovation to shake the Met forever. Wow!

Unbelievably amazing voice. Definitely no one like her. Superb singing talent.

I'll never forget, (and I can say that now with confidence as it is 42 or 43 years after the fact) my reaction to Sutherland's astonishing high Eflat (at about 7:44 )as her voice seemed to soar like a laser beam from her mouth to my ear. I thought, " so, a human being can actually make such an incredible sound...". It seemed otherworldly. And yes, it was at the Met in '74, possibly this very performance and her Olympia the doll was all together, -acting and singing-, a spectacular accomplishment.

As close to perfection as it will ever get. Sublime and gorgeous - thanks for posting.

Dame Joan is so magnificent and the terrific ‘70s I had forgotten how great this performance was!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I saw my first operas when the Met went on tour in Spring, 1974, and this was my second opera (same time frame, same production). I was bowled over by Joan's singing (and her acting- the audience laughed more in the heartland!) then, and even more so, now, that I know more about singing. And those arm movements I remembered to this day! Amazing to think I later sang with her in the SDO Chorus on a number of occasions. She was a marvelous human being, and a voice given by God.

The most wonderful time I had seeing a live operatic performance was when I saw Dame Joan sing as Rosalinda in "Die Fledermaus" in San Diego in 1980. I will never forget her astonishing vocal attributes! Her high D naturals over the orchestra were so large and so clear, and she was obviously having a great time.....and everyone in the audience had one too! I have heard that there are a lot of pirated recordings of these performances, but I have never been able to find any. If anyone has copies, please put them on U-Tube!

You'd think, given the miracles that are now possible in audio and digital engineering, that a tape like this - which has got plenty going for it as it is - could be re-mastered and released commercially, especially while there is still substantial interest in Sutherland and Domingo.

Sutherland had a great sense of humor about herself [in interviews she often joked about whether her sobriquet "La Stupenda" was about her voice or her size: 6foot 2 inches] and also talked about how difficult it was for her to feel comfortable moving on stage. I imagine here she is fully enjoying satirizing those critics of her while at the same time bringing absolute perfection to this scene.

So amazing! Dame Joan was the greatest coloratura soprano of the 20th century. She was a dramatic coloratura because of the almost Wagnerian size of her voice. In the theater, where I heard her many times, it almost sounded as if she had a microphone and a speaker system on her body; the projection of the sound was so properly placed and gorgeous notes way above the staff just rolled out of her. She always seemed to be a nice diva; one never heard of any fuss or tantrums. She was the greatest of the great ladies of the operatic stage. A couple of very fun recorded performances, for those who are interested, would be "Die Fledermaus" and "The Daughter of The Regiment", both done later in her career, but she is still in outstanding voice and showing off her great comedic skills.

I heard her debut in the production 4 years earlier, in Seattle, when she first essayed all 4 roles in the same evening, in Bonynge's performing edition. She's actually in even BETTER voice here. To the poster that comments that her attack on the final E flat is a bit under pitch initially and without the ample vibrato of her earlier years, I would agree. However the aria is the first thing she sings all evening and it's almost cruel to be asked to be totally warmed up for it, knowing the sheer length of the music one has to essay throughout the evening ahead! I can testify to the HUGE sound she hurled into the auditorium. Indeed the final quartet, in Bonynge's version, was almost Wagnerian in its impact and the crowning E-flat almost took paint off the ceiling! Sutherland and Nilsson were the two voices of historical impact that I was lucky enough to hear "live" in the theater. And by historical, I mean on a par with Caruso, Ponselle, Ruffo and Flagstad in terms of the instrument with which they were blessed. They were all driving Rolls Royces, whereas most singers make do with Corvettes. . . . .

Congress should do something useful and make the Met RELEASE THIS!!!!!!!

Wonderfull and great La Sutherland!!!!Bonynge's version is for me the best. Read about it and all will understand what he have done. he was a great conductor and researcher. A Pity that the MET didn't release it. Domingo of course fantastic and Tourangeau also.

I love you Joan❤️

Bravo...

I’m not a huge Sutherland fanatic but this is amazing! And whe she started spinning on her trills.. I lost it! Brava La Stupenda! ❤️

Top class Dame Joan and very witty.

What can we all say but thank you for this, another bit of history that Pray remains here and is not erased. Would it not be amazing if the Met released this as a tribute. Please for us all do so!

Extraordinaire Stupenda !

I don't know how this film ever saw the light of day, but I'm sure glad it did. What a treasurable document this is!

Joan sings for the Lord

True staccato notes!

Simplement extraordinaire. Une telle puissance alliée à une telle vélocité vocale et une telle précision, est tout simplement phénoménal. Oui, sans aucun doute une des plus grandes cantatrice de l'histoire de l'art lyrique.

Oh I love this so much.

Impressionnante la Stupenda !

La mejor de las mejores ejecuciones que halla visto en actuacion y técnica 🤩🤩🤩🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍

Magnifica !

Unbelievable !

A LOS 44 AÑOS....................ERA EL MOMENTO MAS MARAVILLOSO PARA SEGUIR SIENDO LA MEJOR ......20 AÑOS DESPUES............SEGUIA SIENDO LA MEJOR..............A LOS 63...O 64........ERA UNA RETIRADA......CON UNA VOZ IMPONENTE.LLENA DE HISTORIA Y DE GLAMOUR LEGENDARIO.....................LLENO DE AMOR................................CON SUS OSCURIDADES VOCALES..............CON SUS AGUDOS IMPETUOSOS.............A LOS 63 AÑOS CONMOVIA TODO UN TEATRO.Y A MILLONES DE SEGUIDORES EN EL MUNDO DEL CANTO ....UN CANTO FUERA DE STE MUNDO...............EL CANTO GRANDIOSO DE JOAN SUTHERLAND.................

DAME JOAN was simply the greatest...... the most important soprano of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Is it any wonder the MILANESI (la Scala) attributed the title of LA STPENDA upon her!!!!!!! God Bless you Joan and R.I.P.+ dearest lady! (September 22, 2021)

It is very unfortunate that this was never aired as I saw this incredible performance. The trio of extraordinary singers were impressive...!

Great.. clear high voices and she played it funny.

I was at one of those Hoffmann performances with Sutherland and Domingo, and I certainly never expected to see it again on RU-vid or anywhere else. It was taped, but never released or televised. Having seen Joan in the theater quite a few times, the marvel was that she had a nearly Wagner-size voice that she was able to do the wildest things with!

La Stupenda!

Thanks a MILLION for posting this! It's simply incredible!!!

Thank you for sharing this treasure

Thank you so much for posting this brilliant video. I have this on CD, but how wonderful if this would be made available on DVD. Marvellous performance by a unique talent. And how lovely to see Domingo so young.

MARAVILLOSAAAAAAAAAA

SIEMPRE HA SIDO ASI DE FABULOSA...........IMCOMPARABLE....INAUDITA......DE OTRO MUNDO........Y YA NO CORRIA EL AÑO 1960..SINO EL 1974...PERO ELLA ERA LA VOZ POR SIEMPRE.......SUPERPODEROSA Y PREFESIONAL.....PERO DE OTRO MUNDO....ELLA ESTABA ECHA DE OTRA PASTA.....ES UN CASO UNICO EN LA OPERA...........NACIO PARA HACER FELIZ CON SU VOZ ENORME..........NO LE HACIA FALTA HACERLA TENER LA VOZ.......SIMPLEMENTE LA TENIA......SOLO ERA SUBIR AL ESCENARIO Y HACER DE EL SU CASA.......TODOS LOS ESCENARIOS

She's amazing.I love how she bows in character ! lol Thank you for uploading this!

What a voice!

Brava Joan

I seem to remember that the only flaw in her performance that night was the rather straight Eb here (nerves probably--remember this was VERY early in the days of live telecasts or taping). But she made up for that note with an Antonia trio of blinding brilliance and emotion, as well as the final Quartet (usually sung as the Septet in the Giulietta Act). And the rest of the Doll is a miracle, half again as fast as the slow dolls today and more accurate!

Great video!!! Thanks. Can we have some more clips from this performance? God Bless you Great Joan! Rest in peace. I feel myself as if i lost someone from my family.

Magnífica Joan, que bella voz y que gran técnica tenía, realmente grande entre las grandes, su Lucía para mi es inigualable

RARE! Thank you!

What a great tribute and performance. What a pity this plan was never realized. As a singer she could sing a much wider repetoire than she did because of the size and range of her voice. As an actress - Comedy was her forte. She moves with ease - is not in the least self-conscious and spins like a top while trilling on a high C.

Absolute perfection.

La Gran Soprano Koan Sutherland Maravillosa como siempre!!!

ELLA ERA UNA CANTANTE DE OPERA.......EN TOD REGLA..............Y SIN PARANGON.....................INDISCUTIBLEMENTE UNICA VOZ EN EL PLANETA...................

This is stunning 🙏🏻🙏🏻❤❤🇦🇺🇦🇺

Wow what a great clip~! Thank you ^_^. Brava La Stupenda, we'll miss you

si diverte come una pazza...e mette a frutto la sua altezza come gioco delle parti....molto figlia qui della Figlia del Reggimento che le ho visto interpretare in maniera sublime... secondo me è il vertice della musicista e Studiosa......se penso ai ruoli interpretati mi vien mal di testa....In camerino era di una dolcezza infinita e a Venezia dopo un recital Trionfale... mi fece vedere ...una moneta da cinque lire ;che il maestro Tullio Serafin le diede dopo le prime prove di Lucia che lui volle a Londra dopo la Callas, dandola le disse; ma Signora merita un premio...avendola sentita in Italia nel 1960 interpretare a Venezia l'Alcina...la portava al collo dorata,come porta...Fortuna, ci abbracciammo commossi Grazie ..e Chapeau.Ho il suo autografo...di quella sera che Dio la abbia in gloria.

Bravissima!

DANKE....wirklich wunderbar!

esta aria la hizo en años anteriores...en una grabacion de estudio......y con la voz mas fresca....todabia que por aquel entonces.......y era una pasada de poder absoluto...de belleza extrema...y ...mejor no la escuchen...porque deja sin aliento...y puede ser malo para la salud.....tanta belleza extrema.....

grandiosa!!!!!!!!

bravoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I wonder what’s the reason 10 idiots voted down this video. I have NEVER heard a better rendition of this aria by ANYBODY else.

Thank you so much for posting this! Had no idea it existed. Great tribute.

The amazing thing was that she did the three parts. Sutherland was doubtlessly a blessed voice. She deserves her title as La Stupenda.and she was an extraordinary technician as Pavarotti put it. I personally could never warm up to her husked pronounciation but was always in awe of her coloratura skills, the runs, the staccati...well you know the fireworks which in se is great art. But her Esclarmonde sounds like Olympia amd Olympia sounds like Lucia. Not that I mind but she was never the person she was supposed to impersonate. But one of the greatest of all times and a valorous heiress to Luisa Tetrazzini and Adelina Patti.

I think as an answer to these comments La Stupenda would say: 'Well, you can't please everyone!'

I heard from a reliable source that Richard Bonynge has an original copy of this tape in his collection, but it has never been released. I don't know if that's because of copyright or union reasons, but it exists. My guess is that someday, if we live long enough, we'll see a good copy of this performance.

Amazing.

There never has been nor will there ever be a voice as beautiful as Dame Joan's.

INCREDIBLE performance, as usual, but one thing I couldn't help but notice: Sutherland's massive biceps! Look at those guns!

QUE PASADA POR DIOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Spalanzani needs to send a few Olympias like this to today's opera houses.

At some point, darling Fi, think about the condition of the car and note that she is driving it carefully enough to be able to let it go onto 'automatic' - to a degree - that her phenomenal technique would get her through the rather complex and disciplined requirements of a fiendishly complicated piece of singing. And no pressure - a hugely EXPENSIVE new Met production to be beamed around the world ...

and after that dessay has the courage to say that she was not an actress!!!!

She actually attacks it slightly flat, but quickly fixes it. It just sounds slightly strained and without much vibrato, its different from the fuller Ebs she had when she was younger. However, she was 48 here, so Im not knocking her. She did this production again 10 years later with this scene lowered a semitone, but its still great.

Bellini Verdi. COMPARTO TUS COMENTARIOS! ! !

👏👏👏👏🌹

Do you think that Joan was having fun showing all of her critics that being dramatic is in the voice and the body. Here she seems to be exaggerating many of the types of body movements [atiffness, jerky movements. neutral face,] which people often accused her of while still producing probably the finest vocal performance of this very difficult aria as though it is just a folk song. The perfect Olympia.

No one comes close

aww i love joan, but seriously, she looks like the witch from hansel and gretel in that outfit.

IROS.............AL UNIVERSO..........PARA PERDEROS.............QUE TENEIS ESPACIO PARA ELLO............PERDEROS............ES ALGO COMO DECIR........COMPRAROS UN BOSQUE Y PERDEROS EN EL.................

Lighting and sound problems? !!!!!!!!!!!

YA HUVIERAN QUERIDO PARA SI LOS CASTRATIS......NI TAN SIQUIERA DE CERCA...........................

Disculpen la Opera es los cuentos de Hofman?

Her name is SUTHERLAND

and 11 years later she was still singing it in Australia - slight transposition down, but still amazing ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QYHA3bloPog.html.

Subtitle, please so we know what she is singing.