I am proud that Swenson reigned, even if for a short time. She was and is phenomenal. American, down to earth, musical, gorgeous tone, diction, comportment.
BRAVISSIMA, I love her clean coloratura and perfect legato!! No unnecessary stress and strain on the voice compared to many other singers these days unfortunately... She's a an amazingly elegant lyric coloratura!!
Now we have to deal with the caprino of Oropesa or the indulgence of Sierra. Sierra being the better but nothing like the pearly tones of Swenson. She truly was spectacular. Really. I'm very critical. And a HEALTHY voice.
Ruth Ann Swenson is stellar. One of the most unique and beautiful voices of our time as well as a gifted artist and musician. Hearing her live is such a joy. Thank you Ruth Ann for being such an inspiration! :)
Just came from a Callas version of this and it's always so interesting how different singers will interpret this song! Maria's version felt like a wild fire; a rambunctious youth that yearned for a grand life changing love. Swenson's on the other hand feels more dreamy; like she has already fallen in love with the idea of love itself. Such amazing and talented singers to take the same song and score, but make me feel such different things about the character they play!
Merveille des merveilles Madame SWENSON.Sa voix est un pur chef-d'oeuvre.Je ne trouve pas de mots assez forts pour dire mon admiration à cette DIVA,tombée du Ciel.Ecoutez toutes et Tous ses AIGUS.Daisy CLER
I listened through half of youtube to get here! She has the most controlled voice from all the singers I heard singing this song! Its not painful to the ear. Bravo!
I have just discovered Swenson through this aria and oh my goodness! She makes it effortless. This is why we take our lessons seriously, people. We want to be just as effortless as this performance right here.
Yes, I am just dicovering her (discovered her on her Lucia) I think she's my new model !!! Her voice is just velvet and, as you say it, so effortless !!! I am just amazed.
An excellent example of Ruth Ann at her best. The piano attack on the final hi C - followed by a flawless crescendo - is worth the price of admission alone!
Her voice is like the richest gold; bright and warm. And her voice also has the smoothness and flexibility of the finest silk. This is one of the best versions of Ah! Jeux Veux Vivre that I've ever heard. Swenson may not be the most brilliant actress, but her angelic voice and genuine enthusiasm while singing more than make up for that.
Agree...but seriously, there are very very few brilliant actors in the opera world. It's hardly a caveat worth mentioning because there are even fewer voices like RAS.
I know I shouldn't say it, but I will: This is my voice teacher's wife! (He's her voice teacher too) It's a little scary when you're performing a university opera and you know that Ruth Ann Swenson is out in the audience watching you. Lol. Unfortunately, I still haven't seen her perform live yet.
Wow--people just are just not vanilla on Netrebko--she elicits strong pros and cons all over RU-vid...In the mean time, Ms. Swenson is so professional, sings so cleanly and nails the high note-- and really makes us hanker for those Harry Winston's and Tiffanay's!! Marilyn M. should have sung this!
I made the same comment on this video 3 years the last time I listened to it, the high C at the end is very sharp, she often sings big climactic high notes above pitch and sits on them.
Unfortunately, I can't hear this very well on my computer...Ruth Ann is wonderful and I actually remember her audition for the Merola Program I think it was 1981 at UT-Austin? I was a student there at the time. It was a jaw dropping audition if I am thinking of the right soprano.
***** Danke für die Aufklärung, lieber Herr Gurtner. Ist schon klar, um was es sich bei den dicken Dingern handelt, aber ich wollte halt diskret sein. Wie schnell wird man heutzutage als Sexist verunglimpft!
I saw Netrebko sing the Lucia at HD and I remember thinking what the fuss was all about; then I saw her Sempre Libera video and I got it but I don't think I've heard anything that good since
I think she's fantastic. But so is Anna Netrebko, and Natalie Dessay, and Diana Damrau and...Why choose? I've seen them all live, and they're all incredibly talented, and different, and the world is far richer for the variety.
@Watchawahha After my rash last comment, I looked at comments in context and better understood your reply. I see your point, and I think you and arpeggio are actually on the same page. I think everyone would agree she looks great here. I think all of us would agree that voice and artistry should be the most important thing in opera not looks. I am not sure btw why she lost roles at the Met, but it came close after she had breast cancer.
@xgianpatrick Your critique is a bit over the top wouldn't you say? You should post a video of yourself performing at the height of your operatic splendor. I am sure it would leave us amazed!
I really do think that, as is "beauty in the eye of the beholder", then attributes of a singer is "in the ears of the listener"!! Personally, I love Netrebko's voice, and her choices, most of the the time...but she HAS taken on stuff that was not for her - and, as many other singers who have done likewise, they have been a disaster!!! As for her french diction, well, she's russian, and a lot of other singers, are, apparently, fluent in french (Caballe, Gruberova, Callas, etc.)
her timbre is darker than K. Battle's and much more "womanly" to my ear... I LOVE her crescendo at 3:53! Kbattle has that soubrette girly sound.and Netrebeko should stay away from coloratura/belcanto and stick to spinto stuff like TOSCA forgoodness sakes..NO LUCIA!
@jimmymartinezzz Da sempre sostengo che la Netrebko non ha la flessibilità, la messa di voce, gli arpeggi e le scale cromatiche della coloratura sono raffazzonate, inoltre a parte le facce "d'espressione" che sono altro dal senso artistico interpretativo ha problemi negli acuti spesso lanciati e malamente tenuti "tenuti". Non si tratta di gareggiare, ma solo di stabilire chi é una cantante lirica e chi lo sembra...un po' come Bocelli che é un buon cantante... punto, la lirica é altro.
Asuma anuka rot otkroy, teper skaji aaaa. A be shto delayet? Asuma vi na kakoy stantsii, Ya na stantsii Al Capone. Eto uje Pedik Matematik passajiru, uvajayemomu. Kakiye litsa, kakiye litsa... Asuma vi pochemu meksikov ne lyubite, ne poymyosh. Asuma snachalo ubili Indian Americans, Turkey is ours, potom FBI ubil Che Guevara. Kakiye xoroshiye, pyaterka. Asuma Grex smeyatsa. Vorb en mnatsel. asuma za dvesti let nikagdo ne oshibsya, Eto uje Bill Clinton Narodu. A tebe yest dvesti???
Putin na Rakete katayetsa. Mashina v Rossii Raket nazivayetsa. Lolz. Ne Mitsubishi???? Rebenok dal, sshas eto tselaya Industriya, von Prada, Dolce I Gabbana, pravilnoye imya postavil, srazu spros. Kalosh eto uj nemtsi vsegda v mode... v selskaxozyaystvennom, eto uje Russkiye. Selskoxozyaystvennuyu kulturu predstavlyayut.
Beautiful voice... fabulous rendition... Brava!Ps. But that hair... GOD!!!... someone should had told her, she wasn't 20 yo anymore. Too much hair, too long and she wasn't precisely a svelt woman. No, No, No!
