The Great Joan Sutherland singing the cabaletta of Lucia from Act I during her 1979 joint concert with Horne!! She is in SPECTACULAR vocal form!! [Do not forget she was 53 years old at the time!] Hope to enjoy!!
I saw this when it was telecast in the 1970s. I was sixteen at the time, and as I recall, she also sang Violetta's Act I scena, quite superbly. Heady stuff for a teenaged opera fan!
And you certainly DID go on - with such careful splicing, splicing, splicing - it's really very, very good - but it remains the 1971 studio recording ...
And how refreshing to note that any microphones necessary for recording or broadcast are well away from her and discretely out of sight... too many now look like crooners with a mic stuck in front of their noses ... bravo Dame Joan ❤️
Another legendary night for La Stupenda - and the sound clean up is excellent. By the time she got to this showpiece, she had already sung from HOFFMANN, ALCINA, TRAVIATA, SEMIRAMIDE, LAKME, BOHEMIAN GIRL, some in duet with her superb colleague Marilyn Horne. Incredible.
Just before this in the beginning part "Regnava nel silencio" and the reprise..she had a memory lapse and handled it beautifully. The sound in this post is excellent!
Yes, I think most people didn’t notice it. But nobody cared because she was so great nonetheless. I saw her onstage many times, and she always had a memory lapse! If it was a recital, she’d usually stop and start over again, often with a slap to her forehead! But the audience loved her even more when she’d laugh it off!
La voce Certo Ma la dizione è orrenda sembra ingolfarsi ovunque Inoltre dov'è l'espressione ? L'emozione ? Era al meglio qui ? Qui non mi piace per niente Inoltre il timbro è bello ???? Certo ha l'acuto finale e lacoloratura
Quando rapita in estasi Del più cocente ardore Col favellar del core Mi giura eterna fê, Gli affanni miei dimentico, Gioja diviene il pianto, Parmi che a lui d'accanto, Sì schiuda il ciel per me.
Sutherland certainly sang with purity and true intonation. But in her day, she was roundly criticized for her diction. I saw her onstage many times and, although a huge fan, I’d sometimes think, My God, what language is she singing?!
Thank you for honesty, I hate to run anyone down but I was beginning to think I'm crazy listening to Met managers go wild over anna... Artists of pianissimo like Sutherland, Milanov, Caballe, Freni used to be the standard for a reason! Bel canto can't be full forte 24x7. Thank heaven they do have Diana Damrau, Isabel Leonard and others who are trying to do it bel canto... PS the greats all knew that Verdi was a bel canto composer as well as his predecessors. Even great baritones like Milnes and Hvorostovsky (who certainly have their fortes) have said Verdi is bel canto and when the poetry needs it, give us beautiful pianissimi.
I have recently digitized my R2R tape of this concert and posted the more complete audio only version of this number here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y0PRSne-MHQ.html
As she aged her instrument was less reliable, her quality of singing less consistent, but on a good night she was still fully capable of matching even her younger self from the 50s and 60s.
You're confused. Sutherland was one of the most consistent singers who ever lived. Your description sounds more like Callas who was "aged" at 32 and over the hill at 35. This diva delivered breathtaking performances into her 60s, particularly Lucrezia and Bolena.
It was always reliable but it was never as effortlessly beautiful and powerful as it was when she was young. She actually has to do some work here. 15 years earlier she would barely move her eyebrows and it would sound like science fiction.
I prefer her voice later when a effort was needed. When it was too easy I feel strangely cheated - that phenomenal voice should not be that easy! Weird I know! Love Dame Joan x
![Joan Sutherland sings "Quando Rapita in Estasi" Live in 1979 (NYO) [Excellent Sound]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
