I saw this performance in Paris and the costumes were signed by Kenzo. She was absolutely perfect and it was her last performance as the Queen of the Night !
Dessey is just a luminous singer. What a privilege to hear her sing and perform. I too loved her entrance and exit. It was pure magic and yet so simple to do.
I have had the good fortune to see many productions of Flute and to have been in four of them. This is absolutely the best entrance of any Queen. It is just breathtaking. And I am impressed by how much emotion and acting Dessay was able to put in this just standing and delivering (and undoubtedly holding on to whatever she was holding onto for dear life.) Good job by the director.
Dessay's performance of Olympia a the Met brought the house down. It was an unforgattable experience. The Queen of the Night was composed for a truly rare voice such as a dramatic coloratura.
I got this one in DVD for $14.90 in ebay..I have been looking for a zauberflute with awesome artists and amazing visual efects I love what they did with every scene.!!!!!!!!!!!...happy that I got this one :))
The producer was like that's the best way to tie her down because she jitters and moves quite erratically specially during her Queen of the night aria performance =)
What singing! Everyone pales in her light. She is such a complete musician and actress. Just with her facial expressions and sublime phrasing and coloring of her voice, the whole personality of the queen comes through. Brava.
I love Natalie, I get a bit annoyed at the people who think she is a fading soprano. It is my understanding that her vocal cord operation changed her voice, but did not damage it. I heard her at the Met in Guilio Caesare and I adored her aria.
If my memory does not fail me, Mozart wrote it for his sister in law, who also sang the role of Constanza. If you want to hear a true and rare voice such as a dramatic coloratura, look for Edda Moser's Queen of the Night. In 1973 she alternated with Lucia Popp at the Met in Marc Chagall's produdtion of the Magic Flute. Moser's Queen is pissed and in rage, she means business, is truly amazing parformance.
This is the most visually stunning 'Die Zauberflote', I've ever seen. Although I tend to agree, with all due respect and admiration to Natalie Dessay (who is a fantastic singer), that she is not her best here. It could perhaps be an off-night or around the time before or after her throat surgery - so her voice was not up to its usual standard. But either way, her voice is not totally unpleasant and her voice actually does fairly well as the despondent but wrathful Queen of the Night.
Wow dude, thanks - didn't even know footage existed. I must say, her singing in the 1994 recordings are much better; however, her acting compared to the 2001 recordings is lacking. Phenomenal either way though. Great post.
Die Zauberflote is one of the most performed operas in the entire repertory. This role is written for a dramatic coloratura, but those singers are so rare. Hence you see a lot of lyric coloraturas, like Natalie, sing this role. It's the same with Violetta in La Traviata.
Jose Hill. I agree completely! We need to start hearing Dramatic Coloraturas in this role again! Haven't really heard many since Edda Moser. Although, recently I Hungary, there is one who is quite good. Klara Kolonits.
Natalie will ONLY play this role if she does not come across as really evil. She says that she will not play a "bad" person- you have to admire her for her standards, and she surely has had some wonderful productions mounted for her. Love this entrance!
Justamente estoy trabajando el concepto de vestuario escenográfico para trabajar en un proyecto de puesta en escena de ópera. ver y escuchar esto es profundamente inspirador! gracias!
If you are interested, I have posted the same 2 arias but recorded in 1994... Interesting to compare... She is one of the very very very few coloratura singers / high notes singers that wish to go further than simple sparkling technique, and succeed in it. What I prefer in her singing is how she uses coloraturas to express feelings. And it is quite rare to feel that the Queen of the Night dies have feeling (except a rude anger...)
@MrHbc3 Agreed on the costumes, for sure. When I used the word "standards", I was actually quoting an interview that Ms. Dessay herself had given, so it was her word. It's also why, she said, that she would not perform "Lulu", despite having been contracted for the role very, very early in her career.
@FoxyGrandpa I think she sang it perfectly. I haven't heard any singer after Karin Ott hitting the notes so brilliantly. Yes. Almost like an instrument.
@MrHbc3 Agreed about the costumes! Why do directors feel that the Queen of the Night needs to look ridiculous?! My choice of the word "standards" was taken directly from an interview Ms.Dessay herself had given in a French publication, so it wasn't arbitrary. She also cited it as the reason why she would not perform the role of "Lulu" despite being contracted for it early on in her career.
Actually, that workshop master class is at Juliard and Ms. Callas only sings along with the student during a short period of this aria. It is the student that finishes the coloratura line in O Zittre Nicht. Callas, I don't believe, ever publicly recorded herself hitting any notes above High E. But then again, possibly someone has a lost recording not yet bestowed on the public.
I disagree, especially if you check her 1994 performance of this aria (also on RU-vid.) She's a great actress-- the director and designer had a different concept here, and I don't really 'like' it either, but the singing is awesome. I did love the very end where Miss Dessay sinks back into the floor... I was waiting to hear her shrieking, "I'm MELTING! MELTHING!"
