Perle Nere - Operatic disasters - Part 4 

Many people would go see Caballé at any age, even in her much older years because they loved her so much!

Age is no excuse. When you are too old to sing beautifuly, then don't sing - even if it pays the debts.

@@rossmanmagnus stfu

@@piticolsf4748 no random dude im serious. in russia theres one famous singer Pugacheva so she was very good back in the days but then she started smoking no wonder today she sounds like a vintage horn

@@rossmanmagnus yes, please, refrain from articulating anything. Thanks.

Dalek Supreme that one cracked on the high note.

He's an amateur. When Eva Turner sang the orchestra had to work harder to be heard at all.

it's a shame. This is just nepotism

Gotta love that Hollywood star system.

That is just not true, the Staatsoper has an ensemble of 60 singers always on the back burner ready to jump in if someone can’t go on, including Netrebko.

Indeed even finding bad reviews of Netrekbo online is difficult. She is not that beautiful now but she still drags everyone into the trap...

Jim Fitton sorry, but what does Hollywood have to do with any of this?

Lovely comment...

I whole heartedly agree.

God bless you.

Thank you.

Agree !

Yes, yes and three times yes!!!!

Giorgio Tozzi....Cesare Siepi...those were voices

This 100%

jajjajja yessssss....

so microtonally painful

The Carmen before it was also a dying lovebird ='(

Yes it was, come listen to mine instead to recover from that

Dolorosissima

Here here. Rather, hear hear.

I would if I could. Sorry for that.

You're right, but unfortunately that isn't the most painful noise in the video...

At least the first time I the static I wouldn’t have to hear it again…..because it made my ears go deaf.

Well, compared to the singing featured in this video (except for final 'antidote' section of course), it's not that painful to hear.

ME to.SO SAD

Yes me too but say it.... She was still so much better late in her career than newer singers are NOW. Marton was once great.. fantastic..pitch but that wobble just got the best of her.

IKR. She was having such a hard time. ☹

Maestro Classico I heard Marton sing Turandot in Vienna mid nineties and the voice stopped at about A flat. Every high note was plus or minus A flat. Rough night for all.

@@longhorngal9498 There is this kind of singer - Gabrielle Schnaut and now Christine Goerke come to mind - who have one sound that has to be taken as any note above G. I guess you’re supposed to understand it as what is written in the score, but it’s just one pitch.

Cabbale´is my heroin, Siempre

@Lellobeetle, I think this phenomenon happens regularly, because the people who love a particular performer will keep supporting them out of love. In a world where cruelty is too often the first reaction, that there are enough grown ups who would rather help a beloved singer ease gently off the stage, rather than shove them out in the snow for a polar bear to eat, makes me feel a little better about humanity. Opera singers have never been paid what they are worth, especially considering how punishing their work is. They should be paid like football players. So I bet some also still sing because that is the only way they know how to feed themselves. Compassion is supposed to be dispensed generously, not withheld.

Caballé was in Paris a few years ago for a "Leçon de musique" at the Philharmonie. She was there to talk about singing, about the voice, to share her knowledge. Her daughter and a tenor who's her protégé were the designated singers. She was being helped to walk and stand up, and it was very touching. She interacted a lot with the crowd, cracked some jokes, and was speaking in French. Only at the end did she sing a bit (because we were literally begging for it) with her daughter, and I'm telling you, I cried. People around me as well. The theater was full and we had all paid good money to be there, and it was worth every penny. Most touching, amazing musical experience of my life. The standing ovation after the "leçon" lasted so long! People were screaming, throwing flowers - such bliss.

@@uppityglivestockian In his hayday, Pavarotti was only paid $5,000.00 a Opera!! It was only when he formed the Three Tenors, that he became a wealthy man.

@@terrietackett8964 Exactly. As a result of that phenomenal success, all three of them finally earned, and could continue to command, what they truly deserved.

I wonder what is the name of your teacher?

Not true. The legendary Marilyn Horne is teaching.

baritonebynight Horne was bad and can't teach either. Many opera singers, even the great ones were usually terrible teachers because they didn't understand much how they did what they did

There is ONE. A last Jedi

Fr. James Johnson who

Opera's existence would be w impering fart even if the singers were better, if it cant be substained by audience interest then let it die instead of pumping in millions of tax money to support it.

I think it applies to piano competitions, too. Audience prize is more telling to me of what people like than the judges

I agree. Sometimes, however, I get the feeling that certain singers care more about their paycheck then about the quality of their singing.

Don't talk nonsense. Even when I sing Carmen drunk, I do better than Caballe in this extract. It's a shameful, pathetic disaster.

⁠@@fan2jnrcSeriously…She was in her 80s and had dealed with some serious health problems. Should she have retired earlier? Thinking about her image, yes. But she had every right to perform and her fans wanted to see her, even though they knew perfectly well that the health problems and age had severely damaged the glorious voice. And she knew it too. She did it for the fans and because she loved it. It’s not like she was delusional and overestimated her skills. But considering all that, she managed surprisingly well.

​@@fan2jnrcI'd like to hear you hearing drunk.You must be quite SOMETHING...

​@@flav2689of course and us Spaniards are only an uneducated lot.Me the first.But certainly not with la Superba.

Micah and Modesta ASMR i

I agree. Voiced get better with age when you take care of them, actually

It’s so disheartening to witness a frustrated WANNABEE singer defame great artists because they, and therein their voices, have declined, rather than promoting these artists with performances from when they were at their best. What sort of person needs to do this? Clearly, an insecure, bitter and sad individual.

I mean yes, do sing for yourself - but don't make people pay a big deal to listen to you, otherwise you look greedy or in debt.

"out" ("sing your damn heart out"). But in the shower... ;-)

@@lcuxi Caballè has many fans that would want to hear her sing no matter what. i wouldn't be surprised if she did it for her fans, not for the money.

Wow

Yes! That's what I thought

I visit the Teatro Real to listen good opera and I think people do the same and pay a lot of money waiting for good singers to make them enjoy opera. Those practices are not fair for people who love opera.

@@jsierra88 A great conductor once said: "I prefer a Faust without the C instead of a C without the Faust!" He was right and you and the rest of the Franco-Madrid Opera-visitors are idiots!

Karl Napf "Franco-Madrid" - what the hell?

@@karlnapf5685 Nowadays we usually don't have neither C neither Faust.

Woah, andre bocelli didnt ruin anything. He frankly felt he liked pop music more, so he did tbat instead, he has an amazing voice, but andres music has feeling, this stuff is just shit

Andrea Bocelli has not started this. This is older.

Only a person who hasn't really experienced great operatic singing either in or out of the opera house or concert hall would consider Bocelli an opera singer at all. Yes he recorded the Verdi Requiem but I've heard it done by Price and Pavarotti among others so I know how it SHOULD sound. Don't rely on marketing and publicity to educate you. LiSTEN and educate yourself.

Pavarotti started it...

Dude, they were complaining about the decline of true operatic singing during Carusos time, get over yourself

darkinetix you wrote this comment just for me. However, my untrained ears absolutely heard what a train wreck that was and much that followed.

Stop singing opera when not on hight!

@@mattiheiskanen597 It's very easy to say such a thing on internet, right? I wonder if you would have the courage to say this face to face with Caballé if she was alive... One must not stop doing what makes he/she happy and well just because it might not sound as awesome as it did once.

@@davidmendes9900 Ok, if people pay for hearing so what. Many of them do not understand how it should sound, they do not have the "ear" for that. I would not say it to any directly, I just would not pay to listen.

In my opinion she sang pretty well.

like, any decent tenor does?

Had the privilege to be in the chioir in a production of Aida when he was in good form. What a voice!

Like Ricciarelli, Beherens voice was destroyed by Karajan

His Wagnerian career is a complete mystery.

Probably, only himself.....

There is a reason why amplification is used. I don't like it but I understand it. American opera houses - Met, Chicago Lyric, and San Francisco War Memorial - average about 3,800 seats. Covent Garden, the Statsoper and Munich average about 2,200 seats. The reason is simple. Most of the European houses receive government subsidies. Whereas American houses rely almost solely on box office. American opera is considered "white" stuff and not subject to government subsidies so the opera houses are huge and must rely on the box office. Big houses are fine if you are Corelli or King but not if you have a more normal sized tenor voice. There are singers with big voices today but they are relatively rare. So if a theater wants to mount something like Chenier and none of the half dozen guys in the world who can sing it in an American size theater is available - they talk to a sound engineer.

@Kay Young No, it is their vocal tract which is the amplification. The diaphragm is an inspiratory muscle.

@@Agorante you know calling TIMBERRR!! when a tree is cut down can be heard for miles......human voices is quite cable of reaching far cutting through orchestra in a more closed place like a threatre

@@Agorante *_::_* _If they continue to "turn to sound engineers" then we, the audience, are being cheated. ( What ) we are getting is fake / artificial / mechanical / the latest advancement in amplification technology ?_ _The Houses you mentioned have been around for some time & some for hundreds of years. ( Why ) is this only recently becoming a problem ? ( Why ) are ticket prices so high as the volume & vocal quality decline ? ( What ) happened to Jose Cura's heroic "Samson" ? ( Will ) amplification help him sing "Pagliacci" less badly ? ( Should ) singers travel for important performances _*_WITH_*_ their Vocal Coaches ? ( Isn't ) it tragic that _*_ONLY_*_ thin "attractive" people can be considered lovers ? ( Did ) people demand Montserrat Caballe lose weight before singing her ravishing "Norma", at least the one in Japan ?_ _In America, we are getting less food in the packages, but the price is the same OR higher ! ( How ) do people reconcile this kind of rip-off ? They Don't ! We just pay the price & wait for the next "vocal" swindle._ _The people in Europe are vocally protesting the vocal fraudulence AND I'm sure the absurd productions. The more people protest, the less likely management will want to face hundreds / thousands of dissatisfied patrons ; unfortunately, people here are more tolerant / grateful / unaware / stupid Americans._ _Secondly ( @deadwalkie ) the men at Florence wanted to duplicate or enhance Greek Dramas, but according to some Historians, they didn't have enough Historical Documentation to Emulate the Greek Tragedies ; as a result, the Florentines created something completely New & Different._ _People give the _*_Ancient_*_ Greeks credit for Everything ! While treating _*_Modern_*_ Greeks like Turks._ _I have read accounts as stupid as people saying Opera was created by the Ancient Greeks._ _The Italians ! Created Opera ! They are The Masters of this Art They Give To The World AND They Always Will Be ! It Is The Italians _*_NOT_*_ the greeks !_

@Nicholas Ennos Al Jolson is the exception that proves the rule. Jolson could be heard in large theaters without amplification but he was replaced in the next generation by "crooners" like Crosby who had smaller but smoother voices and so needed a mic. Jolson had a strange voice. It was hardly beautiful. But it was piercing. Crosby recorded "In the Blue of the Night'" and other big romantic ballads. By contrast Jolson sang "novelty" numbers often in blackface. Jolson spanned the introduction of talking pictures, radio crooning, and microphones. The new technology potentiated new singing styles. Many early twentieth century opera singers had begun in vaudeville. Rosa Ponsel, Leonard Warren and many others first sang in huge vaudeville theaters and found the opera stage congenial. Sinatra couldn't have survived in vaudeville but became an immortal singing star after the microphone was invented. Why are you arguing with me? Everything I've said is well known and not controversial.

@Jerry you made me lol.

Jajjajaa

nessun canti... sorry, I'm a grammar nazi

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha!

Leander is amazing, love her voice!, but what even *happened* there?!

@@rowantucker7010 I am just discovering LEander. Now, I ahve a Swedish Trinity: Nilsson, Bjoerling and Leander.

Or Callas

Couldn’t Kati’s say, or sing, no?

She asked - was not pushed . Nor is she now.

VERY SAD THING

,,Fach" is an artificial construct and has pigeonholed singers who could likely do more and not feel restricted. Amerikaner lieben das Wort, ohne es eigentlich zu verstehen.

She was always overrated and voice went away very quickly

👍👍👍

That doesn’t make any sense. They actually did opera a favour, when introducing it to people outside the genre. How was that the end? The end was when the standards dropped so low that mediocre singers could go through. Or are you seriously implying The Three Tenors were bad? Or even mediocre? If so, I’m not wasting my time here. I’m not saying they were the best of all times, but phenomenal either way. Especially Pavarotti, who sadly passed away way too soon.

THEY should have REFUSED that stupid $$$ idea

They introduced it to people that should be introduced to it

Omfg, could you be any more pretentious? 🤡

@@Porn05Mouth How is this pretentious? He speaks truth, and so does the maker of this video. Why are you here?

I disagree, interpretation is so important and has a great impact on the voice as well. Btw many teachers tried to teach me with support and said it is the most essential thing for good singing...well if it was it would have made me better, but it didn't. A free balanced voice is not achieved by breath support, it certainly wasn't for me and so many of my colleagues

Totally agree, but for me the worst is Klaus Florian Vogt. That is no helden tenor, and not even a good lyric. The voice may not be truly ugly, but it is totally lacking in color, much like the sound of a gnat buzzing around your ear.

@@123heldentenor THANK YOU. HIS WAGNER SINGING IS THE BLASPHEMY OF THE GREAT MUSIC.

Ja Edgar das stimmt,wenn er net von seiner Frau überall hin mitgeschleppt würde,kein seriöses Haus würde Ihn engagieren, sie müsste längst auch von der Bühne verbannt werden. Beide einfach nur schlimm.

who is vogt's wife?

@@biancacastafiore8760 I think he means Eyvazov and his wife.

I totally agree, anyone can have a bad day.

Where did you find many beautiful voices today? Just funny to listen.

tfleiter its not because they have a bad day they have shitty technique and rarely have good days

Many opera goers are more interested in the stage presence and acting ability of the performers than prodigious voices...if the heard a great operatic voice from 50 years ago they would have an epiphany of sorts. But if a huge voice wobbles a little or is a little off pitch I understand. ...unless they don't like to hear Josh grobanesque voices that are pretty but to small to be heard

Today it is not important to be a great artist. Nowadays it is more important for theaters to have a regisseur, that is more famous than more "innovator" and "original". It is not uncommon, then, to mount a Rigoletto on the Planet of the Apes, as in Munich. I remember Berganza saying: if I went to the Louvre and hit the "Gioconda" with a hammer, I'm sure to go into the prison. Why does not it happen with Rigoletto, Carmen or Barbiere di Siviglia? The opera must be comprehensive: all languages (I mean, lights, costumes, dramaturgy, music, scenery, etc.) MUST BE CONCORDANTS. Without this principle, we can bid farewell to the opera and its incredible artistic strength. But we have a new big problem: soon we will not have an audience that understands the true art in the opera. We are already full of singers without technique. And when one appears with a little technique, it seems that the public does not like it!

+MadonnaImperia Yes.It is her and very beautiful, I agree.

No Bjorling cracks?

When have you ever heard Bjorling crack ????

Leontyne Price ..Jesse Norman...they had voices...Anna Netrebko is forgiven all because she can make any role sexy...case in point Lady Macbeasts...err I mean Lady Macbeth

Bloop... bloop... and bloop.

vampireratt that’s like trying to compare a dramatic to a coloratura. The vocal folds aren’t even the same; totally different sounds. You may prefer one or the other, but that doesn’t mean one is less than the other. NONE of these women are perfect. They’re all amazing in their own ways, though.

@@adaj472 What I'm saying is that Anna Netrebko sometimes sings a little flat....and takes on Roles not suited for her voice.

vampireratt lol look, it is physically impossible to never sing flat ever. Even the most seasoned professionals (yes, even the oldies) have sung sour notes in their careers. If they haven’t, they don’t have careers. As for Anna, I disagree. She’s got a gorgeous voice and her technique gets better with time (female voice doesn’t even fully mature until 30-35). People just hating on her because she’s “new school”.

I'm glad you had the guts to point out this favouritism towards Netrebko and her husband. But she has a beautiful voice not to mention her beauty so she will always be in demand. It's sad to hear about the use of amplification in classical vocal recitals, opera and oratorio! Originally the diaphragm and correct placement of the voice was the power behind vocal projection! Vocal coaches and voice teachers must be tearing their hair out in frustration! I'm disappointed that there are cliques even at this level of classical singing. It's very small minded and parochial not to mention childish.

@@melmatthews5876 If her voice is so beautiful why was she wobbling in this clip?

She’s completely forgotten how to sing, her last decent performance was her Bolena at The Met, after that the voice became cloudy with imitation-Callss chest notes😅😅😅

+Lachlan Argyle more likely than from Monty Python's Flying Circus

True!

Caballe was in very poor health when she sang Carmen’s Habanera.

Tasteless comment

It's Bonny Tyler?

Morgan Alan Hildegard Behrens !!