Diana Damrau "Queen of the Night" from The Magic Flute ANALYSIS by Opera Singer
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- Опубликовано: 24 май 2021
- This is one of my all-time favorite aria performances from one of my favorite operas. I spent many years and over 50 live performances as Pamina in The Magic Flute, and watching Diana absolutely slay as The Queen of the Night in this chilling performance gives me major feels. Let's break this down together.
Join professional opera singer Elizabeth Zharoff, as she listens to Diana Damrau performing "Queen of the Night” from The Magic Flute.
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Performed by Diana Damrau - Words and Music by Mozart
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I definitely recommend watching the original video without interruptions, here's the link: • The Magic Flute - Quee...
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Elizabeth Zharoff is an international opera singer and voice coach, with 3 degrees in voice, opera, and music production. She's performed in 18 languages throughout major venues in Europe, America, and Asia. Currently based somewhere between Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth spends her days researching voice, singing, teaching, writing music, and recording TONS. She also plays Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons.
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For me personally Damrau shares first place with Deutekom. ruclips.net/video/YQpTGKXAxqA/видео.html everything is SO clear, it's haunting.
They have told you that you are very beautiful and have divine eyes. And you are very talented, you can see that you know what you are talking about, I am not very knowledgeable about opera, but I learn with you. Greetings from Guatemala City in Central America. Perdón si el inglés no se entiende, usé el traductor de Google.
Hi in the spirit of the Met Opera reviews and in aims to bring more relevance of Opera to people of color, would you be so kind to review Mimi from La Boheme by Puccini performed by Angel Blue? She is maybe one of two great African American soprano I've encountered and I would love to hear what you have to say on her take on the role of Mimi. I personally love Puccini and this opera but I think Ms Blue brings such a mesmerizing take on Mimi. Attached link to the video. ruclips.net/video/XacspEL_3Zk/видео.html
@@davidgarciasanchez1090 you mean besides Denyce Graves, Leontyne Price, Jesse Norman, Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson, WIlliam Warfield, and Kathleen Battle, to name a few?
Personally, I'd choose Sumi Jo as my favourite performer of the Der Hölle Rache aria.
She's the only one I've ever heard to be able to weaponize those arpeggios and not just sing them as technical exercises.
Edda Moser does ti too.
@@YDVDNVRR Yes, I was about to suggest that Paul check out Edda Moser, a true dramatic coloratura soprano, with her natural big dark sound. She does not have to artificially darken it.
@@coloraturaElise actually, she always lightened it when she was singing Mozart.
I would really suggest looking into Christina D.’s version of this. The most technical and precise version of the aria for sure
@@Ryan_K535 I love Deutekom's version...huge voice and so clean....wonderful!
German here. What impresses me is, that I actually can understand most what she is singing. That‘s rare to sing so clearly in that range.
When I was younger I thought I should learn German so I can understand the master works of opera... jetzt weiss ich, dass fast kein Deutscher versteht das...
I'm german as well and I don't understand a single word ^^"
Diana Darmau is german. Sometimes a foreign singer is a little bit off.
Not German here and as long as I may not know the meaning (without translation) I can understand the words. Perfect singing.
I still remember a performance of an unfamiliar modern opera in English (based on the movie The Fly) I heard live on the radio because the lead singer was completely understandable. Every word.
Another thing I think bears mention: Damrau is incredible and clearly understood the assignment, but the costume and makeup artists were also integral to making the portrayal of this character such a smashing success in this production. They're often unsung heroes of the stage world, but they're just as important to bringing the characters to life and telling the audience who these people are through visual storytelling.
indeed! when i was fortunate to see my first operas, as much as the amazing music, it was the lavish, insane set design, costuming and overall production quality that blew me away. Even the floors of the stage were beautiful and opulent! And I'd never seen so many people on stage at one time, nor seen stages and sets so large. And I'd been to a number of "big broadway shows". Not even close!!
The first opera I saw had a scene with 50-70 singers/performers on stage, two or three people on twenty foot stilts, and a twenty-to-thirty foot papier mache looking puppet, all at once. It was mind blowing. And the lead singer was sitting down on the ground just calmly bellowing out the most beautiful sounds. And I was in the cheap seats four stories up and could hear everything clearly. I didn't understand how that was possible.
Been obsessed with the opera ever since.
Yes! Especially for these singers! To make such beautiful costumes and tailor fit them in a way that is form-fitting yet allows them enough space for their ability of proper breath control is amazing and so talented! 👏
true, there was another performance by a different director, and that green dress thing is just ridiculous.
Def!
The costume seems to be part of the production ... because there is another version where the queen of the night wears the same dress, but Pamina runs around in a modern cocktail dress ... which doesnt fit the production at all.
tl;dr Costumes can be hit or miss ... and not necessarily because of the costume designers ... sometimes a singer rejects them and fails to fit in.
It’s cliche as hell, but there’s a reason why this recording of this piece will FOREVER be the gold standard way to perform this aria. Absolutely flawless, her acting is on point and she EATS that scenery. Also, can we just talk about the costuming? Breathtaking.
Yes, the costuming and staging are mesmerizing.
Diana Damrau does not just sing or exercise herself on the aria: she is the aria, she lives it. It's so absolutely fabulous!!!!
Listen to Luciana Serra. She’ s the BEST
She has the music IN her. She’s probably the closest thing to song incarnate.
My favourite colature soprano was Lucia Popp (RIP) and she truly nails the Queen of the night.
I disagree, the best is Edda Moser ;)
Side fact: the part where she has to hit the high f's, the character "queen of the night" actually laughs at tamina
kind of... it's more like maniacsl laughter. The Queen of the night loses it in this aria. She sends her (very beloved) daughter to kill her arch nemesis, knowing full well how dangerous this is and that Sarastro is the guy who abducted Pamina beforehand. While the Queen of the night is painted as the "Villain" in the Opera, at a second glance that's not so clear anymore
@@natibuddel so Sarastro is a husband of the Queen of the night?
@@staubicfall7406 actually in the original Source material he isn‘t, but there might be productions where he is portrayed as such.
@@natibuddel One of them being Ingmar Bergman's movie adaptation, which some consider to be one of the best opera movies out there.
And it *is* very good, but don't take it as gospel if you want to analyse the original libretto.
Huh. I need to up my laugh game.
It's not just a high F, it's an extremely difficult-to-achieve F6. Very few sopranos can achieve this tone and keep the pitch value consistent. Damrau does it so effortlessly!
The aria in German is also Diana's native language. She can go straight to evil mother mode. Two arias only...highest paid cast member. Repeated high F is the money. " Park and Bark"...I love it!!!
Diana Damrau IS the queen of the night. Seen her live a few times. She looks like she is not even trying hard most of the time. She is so good. But when she switches it on she takes over the stage immediately.
You are very lucky, I wish I could see her in the Magic Flute.
Frieda Hempel, Frieda Hempel, Frieda Hempel
Yes! She performed this role in a wheel-Chair as well. The best since Edda Moser.
Diana not only owns this role and a number of others, she is a physical double for Meryl Streep, albeit in a slightly more petite package.
Just take a moment to appreciate Elisabeth perfect mix of extensive knowledge of the art and her ability to explain it the clearest possible, but paired with the pure and almost "childish" capacity to amaze so much at the music and trasmit the passion to us. :)
Diana Damrau was mind-boggling. As simple as that.
🙄
She does so well to explain the technicalities. Even a musical ignoramus like me can understand most of what she's talking about.
I posted links the original video and this episode of The Charismatic Voice with this comment: "And then the fan-girl squee (and very good analysis) of why this version is so great.
"
Great work, #ElizabethZharoff!
Agreed! And the comment about this being, in effect, a "custody battle" is brilliant.
Was? Did she retire?
Just a tiny thing: in the opera Pamina has to kill Sarastro. But he is NOT her father. He is the man, Paminas' father gave all his power to when he was dying. The Queen of the nights claims this powers to be hers. So she wants her enemy to be killed and undone the transfer of powes her former husband did.
Exactly! Thank you!
I've seen thos at Lyric in Chicago and watched videos of full productions a few times and hadn't remembered just what her beef with Sarastro was. Thanks for clearing it up for me!
@@eEdselEdsel The problem is: this tiny information you get in a spoken dialogue between arias. So if you only listen to he music you miss this information.
Yes I came to say this glad you said earlier...
Thanks! I understood the same, even went to Wikipedia to check and in some translation is written Sarastro is her father. But it isn't.
What I love the most about this performance is that it does not feel rushed or hysterical, it’s pure rage and terrible, focused hatred!
Seriously! The bitter, self centeredness, the desire to see the husband's death is just dripping from her voice. Like, I wouldn't have to be watching to know hate is the emotion being conveyed here.
But feeling rushed, hysterical and conflicted may be part of the character of the Königin der Nacht.
One time I performed this but I we moved it to E minor instead of the lower D minor version and it sounds so much better. I absolutely killed it. Also, I performed it totally naked. Just a last minute decision I made. Hilarious! I'm pretty good at songs and doing performances, but I don't ever record it so don't go trying to look for it because you won't find it. I gotta go now.
@@beckydoesit9331 u have commented this 2 times, stop tootin ur own horn jeez becky
@@beckydoesit9331😂
Friend: " I don't like opera, opera is for fancy ppl!"
Me: "Get dressed! We are going to the Opera! Die Zauberflöte!"
Friend: "wtf?!"
Queen of the night caught every friend.
Keep up the good work!! ☺
@@lirieleth I try.... great musicians deserv the utmost curtesy.
If you are playing in an orchestra I have to bow for you. Not the other way round.
@@tonil6757 Yup
Next Opera try Richard Wagner's "Flying Dutchman" 🙂
I saw the Magic Flute when I was 9 (incidentally my first opera), but in my case I'd already fallen for classical music through Disney's Fantasia and _wanted_ to go. :D I was apparently still singing the music to myself in bed later that night.
It's now been 24 years and my mom and I still go see a new opera every now and then - my favorite is still that first Magic Flute since I found out _years_ later that the tenor playing Tamino was the Finnish voice actor of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White's princes. He still sings today... this voice is such a nostalgia bomb for me (and so beautiful ffff-). ruclips.net/video/YdMeEhnA-8Y/видео.html
Diana Damrau will always be my Queen of the night, she got the voice, she got the acting, she got the pronunciation (she is a german mother tongue), she just kicks it off!
I watch a compilation of performances of this aria. So many were off rhythm on the staccato notes.
Not Diana.
Joan Sutherland and Edda Moser is 10 times better.
@@Royalorgans This is your opinion
@@Royalorgans Edda at least got the rhythm correct but she was shouting a bit too much, particularly at the beginnibg. Dame Joan has a great voice but she pitched it lower. I am going by examples I watched on Mister Golightly's RUclips channel.
@@yana1955 The problem is that with you young singers, you often confuse Drama or Impurities of the voice that make it unique with being incorrect. Edda shoutiness is Drama for thr music not incorrectness.
I agree that Diana Damrau is the best performer of the Queen of the Night.
Her staccato is so flute-like and controlled with just the perfect attack. I'm in awe.
Well yes it is the magic flute lol
When I was a young man I was in the US Army and stationed in Europe from 1972 to 1975. A very wise woman convinced my friends and I to go see a performance of "The Magic Flute" at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. It was a very special kind of performance -- none of the performers were human beings. They were all marionettes, including all the animals and a very large dragon that breathed actual fire. I remember how amazed I was when the Queen of Night marionette cast a spell to silence Papageno and a lock flew from her hand across the stage to lock through his beak.
I remember the speakers used in the small theater. Giant Altec-Lansing cabinets and the sound crew ran them LOUD. The first time I ever rocked out to music that was most certainly not rock. I have no idea who were the recorded actual performers.
Wow, thanks for sharing !
What an amazing, magical moment you lived through🌈
That does sound magical.
She is stabbing little Pamina's heart with each staccato. Just incredible. My favourite Queen of the Night performance ❤️
She put so much raw power into her aria that you feel like you'd get your ribs broken, teeth knocked out, and two black eyes if you were standing in front of her while she was singing it. A weaponized yet beautiful voice.
Exactly as Mozart intended. He would appreciate her performance 🎭
I was lucky enough to see this opera live at the Royal Opera House in London my first opera and I was surprised there was no amplification (I wasn’t expecting it) the power of the opera singers and the orchestra blew me away. A fantastic experience that I would highly recommend
I wish I wish I wish I could have seen her perform there or anywhere.!
@@Mahlercougar for the record, she's great in other roles, as well so try to catch her somewhere and you won't regret it. I've seen her in Traviata at ROH and she was great. Not just an amazing singer, but a great actress as well. It's quite amazing these days how much opera singers have to do (hit all those notes, act convincingly, infuse the performance with emotional meaning) and most of them that I've met have been down to earth, too.
Watching you watch Diana, is like watching a small child being scolded by her mother.
You flinch as if you were actually there.
You are awesome.😍
Yes, Diana has a great voice but, to me, what makes this such an outstanding performance is her portrayal of the character. "The Queen of the Night Aria" makes makes it sound magical and fairylike and I don't like it. I much prefer its actual name "Der Hölle Rache koch in meinem Herzen" (Hell's vengence boils in my heart). It's so much more descriptive and powerful. The Queen of Night is the villain of the story and in this aria she is telling her daughter that if she doesn't kill Sarastro, she will no longer be her daughter. Diana perfectly brings the words to life with her voice and her expressions and even if you don't speak German you can tell what's going on. She puts Malefica and The Evil Queen to shame :P
Well, she is obviously from the Unseelie court if fae. And remember even the Seelie court are scary and dangerous.. ;)
Review him and ask for his story his. He has over come so much and just loves music and has suffered most of his life with schizophrenia.
And let's not forget she was the only normal character in the entire opera lol
Totally agree! Well said.
hell's vengeance boils in my heart sounds dope as fuck
Not only she's singing those crazy notes, but she's also acting her role perfectly. Like is she even real wow!
I can imagine the first singer bursting into laughter when she received the sheet music for this. “You want me to sing WHAT?!”
The song was originally written for Mozart’s sister in law that could absolutely kill anything she sung.
@@shineayandrews1869 he also didn’t like his sister in law so he made it hard on purpose 😂
@@christineburnett5066 most comment say this but another commenter told another thing.
He said mozart actually wanted to show off her sister in law's vocal abilities.
There was another woman he hated so he made a song for her with very quickly change of ranges so that she would look like a nodding chicken while singing it
@@christineburnett5066 even if that's true, she earned his respect with this. delirious with fever, he spoke of her performance admiringly on his deathbed.
AT LEAST, FINALLY THE TEACHERS AND VOCAL COACHES ARE REACTING TO THIS PIECE OF ART. I HOPE THIS INSPIRE MORE PROFESSIONALS TO TEACH US IN A REACT LIKE THIS!!! 🤩
Vocal folds goes wacka-wacka-wacka
My new favorite phrase
7:05
From a previous era, Cristina Deutekom is still for me the most formidble Queen of the night ever. The power and control of her voice just unbelievable. No acting, her own presence and her voice do the rest.
Diana is the whole package. Those super high notes, the evil demeanor, the expressions, the acting. The best queen of night, even though Luciana Serra and many of the older sopranos have more technical perfection. Diana is pure electricity in this role. Just like how Mozart would have intended it to be.
is that not the best costume ever?!
I think it's the "Bride of Frankenstein" hairdo!!! Love it.
The eyebrows definitely help make her look very evil! I love everything about this performance! 😁👍❤️
I’m not an opera aficionado, but I instinctively understood that her version is superior. As a performer, I could discern between someone who sings the notes correctly and Diana who delivers technicality and emotion. Thank you for giving me a newfound and deeper appreciation for her performance.
Look at the 2 minutes prior this aria, even without understanding German this is wonderful, Diana's acting is outsanding !
This is the best reaction , by far .
It's great to see someone who is actually qualified to break the performance down.
Very professional . Kudos!
I know it's all about the singing (and bravo Diana Damrau!) but can we give it up for the costume and set designers for this show? This is honestly the most gorgeous rendition of the Queen of the Night Aria I've seen footage of. Dress, staging, blocking, lighting, props, sets, costume, hair, make-up - everything on point!
Diana Damrau has presence. There is a definite intimidation factor that makes that performance better. She looks like she is gonna kick that girl's ass. Edit: Love that wide shot at 17:26. Its entirely this one woman as the physical embodiment of ultimate power influencing this one young innocent girl to do her bidding. Awesome shot. LOOK. AT. THAT. SHIT.
Yep, very well played from both actors. The funny thing is Dorothea Röschmann (Pamina) is older than Diana. :D
I agree. In the older version most just stood still like a log and command the deed must be done. And they didn’t give out much emotion. Diana Damrau’s version, she force the deed must be done. You can feel that intense aura around her. Not only her note runs and tones also her emotions and movements. Everything was a masterpiece. She’s haughty and angry when she sing high, loving switched to angry when she sing low to high. It’s crazy. Most scary was that she made it seems so easy. It’s kind like hey this is easy to sing, let’s sing this. Diana Damrau are truly one of the most unique genius opera singer.
My parents took me to a children’s version of the magic flute when I was about 3 or 4 years old. I simply loved it, and that was the first time I asked them for violin lessons because I loved the orchestra just as much as the vocals. Now I’m 14 years old. I’ve been playing the violin for about 8 years and I love it even more now than back then. During the homeschooling time this year, Lindsey Stirling’s music saved me from my depressions and I love playing her songs so much. So basically this “Queen of the Night” (“Königin der Nacht” in German ) is the reason I got back my life joy and play in my school’s sinfonia orchestra now ❤️
@kxra06 Thank you for sharing that wonderful story! It's great to hear how therapeutic music can be. By the way, you might like to look up the story of Christoph Koncz performing recently with Mozart's own violin.
Yes! Looking forward to this. This is the musical equivalent of a Darth Vader force choke, both in the intimidating gesturing of the character and in the general vibe. The lyrics are basically "join me, and we will rule the world together", she is inciting her daughter to kill an enemy in revenge, and this means they will take all power to themselves.
I think we found our girl's girl crush. Can't blame her, that woman is a force of nature, an instrument of the gods
I went to National English Opera to watch the Magic Flute, I was absolutely captivated by this aria, it was sung in English, but watching the German version with Deana Demrau and I have been addicted since. Her voice is beautiful and so absolutely pristinely perfect. When she reaches the top F it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end! Absolutely perfect!
I've listened to several sopranos sing this amazing aria and by far my all time favorite version is that of Diana Damrau. She makes it look so easy and delivers a very convincing dominating Queen who is not to be reckoned with! Love Her voice and deliverance.
“Park and Bark”. LMFAO. It’s such a a perfect description of some of the singers I’ve been on stage with!
And you are who? Not trolling. Just curious.
my absolute favorite part about her singing this is how clean her sixteenth notes are going into the fun part. So many people either glissando thru them or sing them extra muddy, but hers are perfect. You can even hear the grace note clearly. It's so good.
Diana isn’t only the best opera singer I’ve ever heard I think she is the best technical musician I’ve ever heard. Incredibly accurate and articulate.
What impresses me is she is doing so much at once, and every single thing she is doing is challenging and takes talent and skill on enormous levels, and she is doing all the things at once. Not only is it an INSANELY technically on point performance of an extremely difficult aria. But she is also acting, not only physically but with her voice. It's just insane.
This was already one of my favorite performances. Hearing how challenging it was to actually pull off just made me appreciate it soooo much more!
Another proof classical music and metal aren't so far from each other. The lyrics, the composition, tons of dissonance, the portrayal of an evil character, it's all so metal, in a way. Amazing performance by Diana!
Totally! Early death metal - Queen of the Night is fierce. There are lots of opera loving metal heads, by the way :-)
Couldn't agree with you more
@@suzetteemberton4368 i am one of those metal heads that love opera 😁 I blame a combination of Nightwish, and lately Ayreon for introducing me to the “Operatic” side of metal and then Mozart and Wagner haha
@@suzetteemberton4368 yup Mozart resurrected would be hanging out with Babymetal or Rammstein. He would love the crowd involvement.
classical was the metal of it's day.
Do you want to know why Diana does it so good? She has done this opera over a thousand times in the past 15 years. She has been working on the Queen of the night since she started opera. She is unbelievable. Absolutely flawless. 10 out of 10. The more she does it the better she gets. It’s wild to watch. Sopranos have to be in shape otherwise you can never sing this. You have to be in shape otherwise you can’t do this.
Such a great privilege for you to share stage with Diana Damrau. There’s no one that can interpret that aria (vocally and dramatically) better than her! My dream is to see her perform this opera live, I don’t care where I have to fly into in the world, I’ll do it!
Diana Damrau is one of the artists with the best interpretation of each of her characters. Not only does she masterfully interpret the arias, she puts her heart and soul into it. I love her interpretation of Olympia too.
I first became aware of this aria while watching the movie “Amadeus” in 1984 and I became enchanted by it. It have never left me. I am excited to watch Elizabeth’s take on it!
Exactly the same with me. I remember being amazed by it when I heard it in Amadeus.
Щедевр, восхищаюсь👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹
Doesn’t matter how many times I hear Diana’s performance of this it always sends shivers down my spine. The best of the best!
I'm amazed that this voice expert can point out such details of expert singing. I've never seen anyone like her.
The characterization is just out of this world. The portrayal of the character, the mannerisms, body language is just top notch. Add the outstanding vocal performance, I can see why this is regarded as one of if not the best performance of this piece
Her range is tremendous. I love watching rehearsal videos of her working on different pieces. So fluid, so effortless in her performance.
I haven't heard ANYONE sing this aria with more beauty, passion, fire and integrity. There may be others who perhaps are technically perfect, but no-one can capture this character the way she can. I LOVE hearing and watching this brilliant, brilliant woman!❤❤❤❤
A little correction: Pamina os supposed to kill her mother's enemy (Sarastro), not her father. Her father is already dead. The queen of the night mentions it in her first dialogue with Pamina.
Really technically good, plays a scary role on stage, but is actually a total sweetie offstage? ...So she's the Dio of opera?
In my experience (more than 20 years singing opera) the scary or mean characters onstage are almost always played by the nicest members of the company.
@@ricktalbott4279 That is really hard, because you are supposed to play a character that is really far from you. Not only you are technically singing, but you are also acting a role.
diana is AMAZING in her range as both a singer and an actress. also, yes, such a sweetheart offstage. her family is precious as well; she has two songs w/ singer nicholas teste and they're adorable
Oh, shut up.
I love that I came to an opera video and found dio in the comments
When she's running through those beautiful arpeggios it reminds me so much of some of the extremely technical runs of harmonics in violin pieces. Things like Paganini, or Carmen Fantasy. It's amazing how precise and resonant she is while using a living biological instrument. Kind of insane.
I totally agree with you! Diana Damrau OWNS this role! I watched a video of 'who did the staccatos best', and she was the only one who made it looks effortless. And the menace she puts into the role! There's one point she makes eye contact with the audience. and I get chills!
I also love her "o, zittre nicht". She is absolutely mind-blowing
My favorite aria! One of my best memories was taking my mom to a performance of The Magic Flute at the Santa Fe Opera.
I had a boyfriend who didn't like Opera and I played him this aria. I was like, "that's a person! That's not an instrument. That's a woman's human voice doing that. It's absolutely amazing and beautiful!" He was adequately impressed.
I have watched Diana Damrau's Queen of the Night lots of times. The best opera performance of all time. Her costuming is brilliant too.
I have adored this aria performance for so long! The voice beyond every voice, and her dramatic delivery--staggering!
This was a performance made for the ROH ( Royal Opera House ) live. Just like MET, ROH started to roll out live performances for people all over the world in cinemas. They prepare a lot for these special performances. Thanks to these i can be in NY or London opera every month of the season. I miss this so much during the pandemic.
Omg. This aria is my first love, I was OBSESSED with the magic flute when I was really little (4!) I'm so excited.
So funny, same here!!! I loved this aria eversince, and when I first saw this opera live, I tried to sing this (with no vocal abilities and no technique and just being a little kid xD) and my aunt kicked me really hard to stop me because I was both really bad and really loud xD
Haha same here
Dude, this is the first video I’ve seen of yours and you are just awesome. I love your attitude, how stoked you are about the details, and just how excited you get. So awesome. Really useful video, too! I am going to attempt this piece, so your insight was super useful. Great video!
I love Cristina Deutekom in this aria, her voice does not seem human when she sing this. Can you make a comparison between these two astounding artists? Also, I always thought that the doll in your background shelf was the queen of the night.
It is so great to hear a professional talk so glowingly about another professional. Most people would be jealous of the other artist.
I've seen the Diana Damrau video before and it gives me shivers every time. I loved watching it again through you though, because I learned a lot of things I never knew. She sings the Aria beautifully of course, but having the technique behind it all explained makes it all the more impressive!
I agree with you 100000% the first time I saw her perform this I was flat on the floor TOTALLY floored and had to be mopped up! She made the queen COME ALIVE LIKE NOBODY ELSE DID OR COULD
LOVE THIS VOCAL COACH! HER ear and way of explaining things is spot on
One small tweak to the story. Sarastro is NOT her father. When Pamina’s father died he gave to sun disk and Pamina’s welfare into Sarastro’s care.
In that producction the queen says before the aria "...my dearest daughter, your mother can no longer protect you! My power dissapeared when your father died. Your father gave the sun disk to the iniciated! He told me: Woman, my time has come. I leave all my richness to you and my daughter, but Sarastro will irrevocably be the master of the sun disk. Don't try to accomplish what's beyond a woman's reach, it is your duty that you let yourself and your daughter be guided by wiser men" and pamina goes like "then I've lost that young man forever" (The hot prince the queen sent to infiltrate Sarastro's cult and rescue her, but ended up joining it instead). So the queen looses her shit (very understandably, in my oppinion) at how her daughter is more concerned about not seeing a guy she just met than to having heard they where deprived of their rights and inheritance, just because they're women, and basicly tell her to get her ass back to the cult she just escaped from, kill their leader and get what's rightfully theirs or she won't be her daughter anymore.
@@brunobisio2406 I don't like to dig in that part of the Magic Flute. It is still a pretty misogynistic piece.
@@lacdirk @Dirk Lac I agree, but I don't think we can expect much more from an opera written 230 years ago. I think it's interesting though, how badly the plot can age over time to the point it doesnt make sense for the queen to be the bad guy anymore. Maybe that's why they changed the plot in the production Elizabeth was in
@@lacdirk if you don't like that part you probably hate when the arab dude tries to rape pamina, yea things have changed since Mozart's time.
@@cb1503 Well, there is the suspicion of racism there, but at least we're not supposed to root for him ...
I have watched her sing this a hundred times. It's stunning every time.
Thank you for this amazing analysis! Diana Damrau is my favorite too! Her technique, her pronunciation and her acting are just flawless! The way she lives the role of the Queen of the Night is so impressive and so real! She lives every role and she really is an adorable person in real life. I love her!
I just watched this after watching the aria video a couple of times and you helped me understand better exactly how special and difficult it is that Ms. Damrau is doing with her voice. I know NOTHING about opera but have always loved Mozart, and when I stumbled upon this video of the aria I was captivated by her presentation! Her voice and presence is magical! Thank you for the analysis, and an even better understanding of how truly special this performance was.
One of the best pieces of music ever written. A piece that very few voices and handle. Definitely a gift from the heavens
Hi Elizabeth, I loved this performance. Diana's voice was clear, perfectly focused, powerful, and simply amazing. Her make-up, hair, and costume were also excellent, and her facial expressions were incredible, especially her eyes. Put everything all together, and you have vocal/theatrical perfection. Thank you, Elizabeth!!! 💙
What a wonderful video!!!
I don't know what I enjoyed the most, the aria itself, your explanation or your reactions to Diana's performance.
Just pure plesure to watch.
Congratulations!!!
Thank you very much.
I don't know much about opera, but I've watched this performance in amazed disbelief many times.
I've watched a bunch of your metal reactions (your first Devin video brought me here) but this is the first opera one I've watched and I need to go back and watch ALL THE THINGS. This is awesome.
I love Natalie Dessay as well. But Diana Damrau scares the shit out of me. She looks like an escapee from an asylum. Poor Pamina.
I'm glad you said so. Natalie is actually technically better both in terms of enunciating the grace notes and being consistently in tune. Although I love Diana Damrau, she's actually out of tune for much of this performance and her entrance into the 8 repeated notes is never clean. Natalie's on the other hand is dead letter perfect.
Wow. Thrilled to find this My favorite aria. I’ve watched this performance by Diana and others. I’m so appreciative of the insights you provide. Thank you.
There is nothing more wonderful than seeing you truly geek out. Bravo!
15:35 So cool that Elizabeth has worked with Diana Damrau and can provide the insight on working with her and what a great person she is! Another example of Elizabeth's serious opera cred.
The Gold standard of portrayals in this hard-as-nails Coloratura aria. Diana shows her Dark Side, looking and feeling this part. Kill Sarastro and gimme my Sun Circle back, daughter, or you are disowned and cursed!. A most metal performance. A definitive gateway drug to all who want to learn opera; worked for me!
This is such valuable commentary, especially for aspiring future Queens of the Night, like me. I have loved Diana’s performance for years and this analysis further divulges what makes it so exceptional.
Gaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Every time I hear & watch her, I get goosebumps & teary-eyed.
Did anyone else go & binge watch a bunch of her performances afterwards? 🙋♀️
I always gets chills when I hear Diana sing this, I've heard loads of singers perform this over the years, but none have ever nailed it like Diane. Thanks for sharing with us 💖💖💖
Diana Damrau exudes emotion and has that amazing energy that makes her character even scarier and much much better. I love der zauberflöte!
my favourite rendition of this role and aria is by another german soprano: Edda Moser.
She was outstandingly dramatic and fierce, while having such a splendid voice.
(She is also the one who recorded this aria which then was placed on one of the voyager probes that are in interstellar space now.)
I agree... It's a very difficult aria and Diana Damrau's mesmerizing interpretation has the most perfect pace and energy among all sopranos who ever sung The Queen of The Night... Völlig Wunderbar!
Love Diana Damrau. Such an incredible voice, and I think the best ever performer of this aria. Comes across as being a lovely lady in all of the interviews that I've seen of her. Super choice, thank you.
Oh man! Diana is so good! I found her about 12 years ago when looking for this aria to soothe my then 2 year old son. I was completely taken by her performance, I had heard many different soprano's sing this before, had seen many live performances of the Magic Flute, but this, this was just something else! I was in tears by the end!
PS> It worked a treat on my son too! :)
You’re both amazing. Thank you!
I was thrilled to come across this video! This lady’s expertise and experience as Pamina is validating my opinion of Damrau in this performance!
The first time I heard the magic flute was in the movie "Amadeus" and I liked it so much that I looked for it on RUclips, in this way I got to the video of Diana Damrau and it is definitely an insurmountable performance
Great breakdown of the aria. Thanks. And yes, those eyes.
Diana is probably in greatest coloratura soprano ever. Your analysis was really great to watch.
Diana is a superb singer actress. She actually acts the role, most sopranos stand and sing, especially this beast of an aria. But her vocal delivery is beyond belief here. Every arpeggiated note, including the high F is perfectly in pitch, and I've never heard another soprano accomplish this, certainly not live. Despite the fact this is usually sung by a more dramatic soprano, nobody, and I mean nobody can touch Diana - she owns this role. (Her Pamina is spectacular too).