Maestro Domingo is the King of Opera because he challenged himself to do this at this stage of his career when no one else would dare. He's fearless. His voice and his acting are peerless. Only the petty, like the Carusians and the Pav Peeps, fail to admit it. What I just watched in this clip was riveting.
absolutely sublime. E. Soderstram as the countess is beyond haunting! Her face @ 8:57 is incredible. She as no other embodies the countess, risen from the dead. Superb acting...thank you so much for posting this.
After seeing this production recently from the Met's belfry, I wanted to see it in video. This performance is on Met on Demand, and it's a hum-dinger, if you'll pardon the expression; nothing else says it. The Queen of Spades is my favorite opera, I've seen it at the Bolshoi too (in that rather odd one set in a mental hospital), other versions on RU-vid, and the one with Mödl as a great Countess. But this video, with all the top-notch performances including Gerghiev's, may be the best of all. And this scene may be the best of all the Countess-ghost scenes. Mödl's is tremendous, but the one you posted, where she bursts out of Hell (apparently), repeats what Ghermann did to her (the hand over the mouth, etc.), and her glee and Ghermann's terror give me chills just writing about it. I'm almost sorry you posted it, because now I'll come back and watch it over and over. I wasn't sure Domingo could do this role, but he sure did, and young Hvorostovsky's triumph as the Prince--Boy, THIS is opera!
It is heartening to read your post. You really "understand" opera. I wish there were more persons like you directing opera, and leading the major opera houses. I adore this beautiful opera. I have seen four different videos of it, and although all four are good, this one from the Met is the best.
@@Sam_Lee_ Thank you! And thanks for your recommendation of the Tchaikovsky article. I saw Queen of Spades at La Scala last year on the eve of the invasion of Ukraine. Gergiev conducted, and it was probably his swan song in the West. It was a hum-dinger too.
@@Sam_Lee_ I just watched it again, got chills again. This still takes the cake, if you'll pardon another slangy but spot-on expression. THIS is opera!
I've seen at least two of the Russians, including Atlantov and Galouzine. It's been a while, and they weren't in closeup and I don't remember them that well, but Domingo's performance may top theirs.
Elisabeth Söderström had a russian mother who came to Sweden when Lenin and the communist started the russian revolution in 1917.Elisabeth was born in 1926.Her father was swedish
