Last year I saw her as Lady Macbeth in Kyiv opera house. I will never forget that amazing performance. It was just outstanding, I literally stopped breathing when she performed sleepwalking scene (second act). Fantastic singer and actress.
an amazing performer.....personally I think a unique soprano and one of the worlds finest voices heard for many years, she is so highly under- rated...her range is amazing..!!!
We were lucky enough to see Ms Monastyrska this May in Kiev. She celebrated Kiev Days in her native city by singing at the free outdoor concert held in front of the Bell Tower of St Sophia with the Ukranian National Philharmonic. She sang Pace, Pace mio Dio from Verdi's La Forza del Destino and as well as Vissi d'Arte from Tosca by Puccini. To use a baseball metaphor, she knocked it out of the park. It was a celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the bringing of Christianity to the Rus.
Дядьку.я теж патріот Украіни,але так вийшло.що італійська оперна школа випередила украінську і набагато.Чули дзвін про японців ,але вони Чіо не сприймають ,як свою етнічну.Фіделіо треба було написати,хоча би як одну оперу,Бетховену -СИМФОНІСТУ,вона не зовсім вдала,німці кайф отримують від Вагнера і ім на всю іншу музику насрати. Як казав Маяковський- Вы любите розы? а я на них срал! стране нужны паровозы, нам нужен металл! Німцям НУЖЕН ВАГНЕР. Ви зовсім не в темі,як зараз кажуть.То не треба звіздеть,тому шо по Вашому поверхньому світогляду люди будуть вважати ,що пів краіни хизуються нібито украінським вихованням,а у дійсності є нежолугими йолупами!
Володимире Мовчан, обидві співачки - Цісик і Монастирська - по-своєму прекрасні!.. Але вони абсолютно різні і порівнювати їх - це демонструвати лише свою думку меломана, а не професійний погляд!
Beautiful voice, well sung. I think it a pity she does not have a natural feeling for the stage, maybe it will come . This scene is difficult to pull of, 5 minutes of moaning you are never going to see your homeland again is not easy.
She's been criticized for unclear diction. It may be because she's not Italian, but I don't think that's what it is, because once I know the words to the aria she sings, then I hear every syllable. I think it has to do with her big instrument making a thick tone/vibrato. What I notice is that light coloraturas or baroque artists can be heard better because their tone is more straight and thin. Sopranos sing so much high off the speaking pitch anyway, it's hard to hear what they say.
Many singers of the past didn't have "scenic talent." The problem is video has us staring right into their face, while on a stage in a theater we wouldn't notice it as much.
sopranosfogatoacuto It has mostly to do with the fact that her native language is a slavic one.It was much the same with Vishnevskaya, Arkipova, Obratsova & co. Modern day singers like Netrebko, Borodina and Hrorostovsky have come a long way to shed the image 'old school Soviet singers' once had.
Sorry, American singers are expected to have great diction in all languages. I know because I've been there. So, Russian placement is different....so is English, French Italian etc. She is a professional and it is part of the requirement.
gerardsatamian Sondra voice is gone. I just saw a il Trvatore & she was really struggling so Sad. Prefer Madame Price in her PRIME & Caballe. Of Callas was spectacular in Mexico City. The perfotmace @ Arena de Verona with the up & coming Saioa Hernandez in 2019 August was outstanding, I wish they would post the entire Aida. The rest of the cast was not adequate for this venue. Arnold Bourbon Amaral
I am not so kin on her voice and her diction. This is defintely a big dissapointment for me as I love this Opera but really felt nothing when I saw it back in 2012.
She has a lovely instrument...very Slavic. Her diction is very bad so consequently there is vey little expression even though she is following the composer's dynamics. Compare her to someone like Aprille Millo for example. I think she needs acting coaching.
