I saw Dame Joan Sutherland live in Pittsburgh not long before she retired. She looked like the grand-mère du Régiment! Then she drew breath to sing and voilà! In an INSTANT she WAS la jeune Marie! Somehow the wrinkles disappeared, the voice was as young and fresh sounding as it was spectacular!
In 1981 I was a supernumerary in Les Huguenots in Sydney and stood up the back of the stage during this complete scene. Dame Joan sang through this fiendishly difficult music perfectly at every performance and every time, the audience went totally wild! How lucky I was!
@@LohengrinO It’s wonderful going from complaining about theatrical productions one day and generally lamenting the state of the art to falling back in love with what opera is all about the next. Thank you, Lohengrin. Like the human voice at its highest artistic level, you and your channel not only bring joy, but hope.
@@LohengrinO for me there is something almost scandi-wagnerian in the quality of sound - and then it flies around at speeds which Astrid and Kirsten could never have managed even to save the Little Match Girl from death.
Simply amazing! To go straight from a humble interview to a studio TV recording (not ideal acoustics, to say the least!) and to still knock it out of the park? That’s our spectacular Dame Joan!
As they are often described, they didn’t flaunt their phenomenal success, but they were very well-aware of who they were. And why not?! The world is full of performers who receive ovations for a fraction of their talents. Fwiw, I met them both a few times backstage - Dame Joan was every inch the diva, while Bonynge, to my surprise, was extremely pleasant and friendly.
If anyone was a better singer than she was, I have surely never heard that person. I heard her live in recital at Brooklyn College in the 80s, as well as in Il Trovatore at the Met. For me her recordings of Martern aller arten and Let the Bright Seraphim are definitive. When I think of those arias, it is her voice I hear singing them.
I swear, she looks like she's reading a recipe while walking around the kitchen to make sure that she has all of the ingredients. Is she even TRYING? Obviously there's a tremendous amount of work happening to make it so glorious, but it just doesn't show!
I saw Dame Joan onstage many times from 1973-1987. Of course she was the epitome of perfect singing, although by 1987 you could see the effort it took to sound so brilliant. As for Meyerbeer, I am seeing my very first opera of his this week - Le Prophete at the Bard Festival. TBH, the more I listen to his music, the more it sounds so beautiful……and entirely vacuous.
@@LohengrinO oh i wouldn’t be so pessimistic. it would only take two or three good apples to revive everything. Just they won’t come from mainstream culture, that’s for sure. But you just hang in there
The singing is marvellous, but not one word could be distiguished. And opera is words AND music, not a river of beautiful sound effortlessly flowing, leaping, dancing. Thanks, all the same, for sharing this!
She is singing it in the Italian translation she had performed at La Scala in 1962, so it has nothing to do with her diction or something, it just is not the usual version you are used to hear in French. And, as as Romance speaker (Portuguese) with only passing knowledge of Italian, I can definitely get many words that she is singing here without even having at a look at a libretto: o lieto suol della Turena, fiore soave, presso a te vogl'io sognar, la terra il lago ripetono amor etc.
She is singing it in the Italian translation she had performed at La Scala in 1962, so it has nothing to do with her diction or something, it just is not the usual version you are used to hear.
She never could sing clearly in any language anyway. We could never distinguish any consonants or any pure vowels …. Just an endless cycle of wahwouwahwou and a endless cycle of forte for top notes and piano for low notes because she had no chest voice. Really incredible that we could make a career singing like that…. Actually not singing but vocalizing only …
@@marcelbureau2753 You sound like an overpassionate - and, exactly because of the little experience, overconfident - neophyte whose formation in Opera was mostly watching videos of "This is Opera" YT channel. Probably in that immature stage where you just found your new favorite diva (Callas, I assume) and then you think you need to put down every other divas that doesn't have the same strengths and characteristics of your new idol. Some day the pendulum will stop swinging and you will reach a sensible balance in which you learn to appreciate the strengths of all the great singers and recognize their flaws, without idolizing one while hating others. For starters, Sutherland's diction was from good to excellent in some years of her career, and even at her worst she never had the Caballé trademark of simply dropping consonants altogether and just vocalizing entire words or phrases, especially in the higher register - and yet virtually nobody picks on Caballé for that bad habit, and for good reasons, because she had so much else that was great for someone who is not a pain in the ass to focus on. Finally, if you think Sutherland could only sing forte higher up and piano lower down, you probably don't know what forte Sutherland really sounded like (a gargantuan Wagnerian-sized dramatic sound) and mistake her mezzo, mezzo piano e piano for forte, or you just haven't heard enough Sutherland (that might explain why you repeat the cliché that Sutherland had no or very weak chest notes - contrary to multiple examples in her discography, especially in comparison with other coloratura sopranos -, not to mention the obvious mistake of thinking that low notes equal chest notes, and every single low note must be sung witha lot of strong chest register)... or maybe you're just way too prejudiced and biased against her to even analyze those things in an objective and dispassionate way. I'll just keep it realistic and say that, obviously, there are several reasons why Sutherland was enthroned as one of the greatest divas of the past century, and it's not because you alone can hear all the flaws, while the large majority of the opera world, including great singers and conductors, were inexperienced and deaf. Don't have way too high a self-esteem, buddy,
@@aprendizercomygor Apparently she sang correctly form few years at the very beginning of her career like is demonstrated in this video: ruclips.net/video/ze8_wmwErFQ/видео.htmlsi=OUqGrYyBadl7kCuz
This is an example of why most people are closed minded about opera. This performer is an acrobat with their vocals but never reaches out to the audience to make a connection as did Scotto, Freni, Callas, Caballe, Tebaldi, Bartoli and Fleming.
Я стала оперной певицей благодаря Джоан Сазерленд. Именно ее голос произвел на меня в детстве огромное впечатление.Эту певицу считают феноменом и очень любят в России.
I saw Dame Joan Sutherland live in Pittsburgh not long before she retired. She looked like the grand-mère du Régiment! Then she drew breath to sing and voilà! In an INSTANT she WAS la jeune Marie! Somehow the wrinkles disappeared, the voice was as young and fresh sounding as it was spectacular!
Those late performances were miraculous. How did she do it? And after constant singing for 40 years? Joan stands alone.
How very blessed you were!
@@seniorskateboarder5958 It was unforgettable!
In 1981 I was a supernumerary in Les Huguenots in Sydney and stood up the back of the stage during this complete scene. Dame Joan sang through this fiendishly difficult music perfectly at every performance and every time, the audience went totally wild! How lucky I was!
I heard and saw Joan live years ago and she was the greatest singer I ever heard! Her high notes were sensational !
Ah, the voice that always reminds me of ripe strawberries and fresh cream. What a treat this fine summer day!
She reminds me off white marble which by pure magic it has immense elasticity
@@LohengrinO It’s wonderful going from complaining about theatrical productions one day and generally lamenting the state of the art to falling back in love with what opera is all about the next. Thank you, Lohengrin. Like the human voice at its highest artistic level, you and your channel not only bring joy, but hope.
@@LohengrinO for me there is something almost scandi-wagnerian in the quality of sound - and then it flies around at speeds which Astrid and Kirsten could never have managed even to save the Little Match Girl from death.
Simply amazing! To go straight from a humble interview to a studio TV recording (not ideal acoustics, to say the least!) and to still knock it out of the park? That’s our spectacular Dame Joan!
She is Phenomenal, but there was never nothing Humble in the Bonynges, pseudo-humble yes... and it is written all over their faces :D
@@LohengrinO False humility is much more arrogant than people knowing what they do and not being shy for it. Isn't it ??!!
As they are often described, they didn’t flaunt their phenomenal success, but they were very well-aware of who they were. And why not?! The world is full of performers who receive ovations for a fraction of their talents. Fwiw, I met them both a few times backstage - Dame Joan was every inch the diva, while Bonynge, to my surprise, was extremely pleasant and friendly.
Saw her live in 4 performances in the 70’s & 80’s!!!❤️
This channel must be most subscribed channel on RUclips
Saw her with San Francisco opera in the early 1970s. Amazing voice and control.
as Esclarmonde? u were there? she sang those performances in Turandot vocal mode...
If anyone was a better singer than she was, I have surely never heard that person. I heard her live in recital at Brooklyn College in the 80s, as well as in Il Trovatore at the Met. For me her recordings of Martern aller arten and Let the Bright Seraphim are definitive. When I think of those arias, it is her voice I hear singing them.
Oooh, get you.
Geniale!!! ❤
I swear, she looks like she's reading a recipe while walking around the kitchen to make sure that she has all of the ingredients. Is she even TRYING? Obviously there's a tremendous amount of work happening to make it so glorious, but it just doesn't show!
completely effortless, that was dame Joan's secret deal with God
@@LohengrinObeautifully put. ❤️
I believe Richard once said " Joan doesn't know how great she is." He certainly had a time convincing her!
Che Gioia per le orecchie !!!! 💯
0:51 Princess Leia long before Star Wars... I wonder where dame Joan got this Iconic hairdo from... whose hairstylist trademark was it
Yes! She was super Wig-Tastic! Princess Leia meets Die Walküre! But oh, that voice!
It was a popular hairstyle in the 1960s. Every hairdresser would have had the skill back then!
Ίσως η μεγαλύτερη δραματική κολορατούρα σοπράνο τού περασμένου αιώνα. Είναι απίστευτη!
Ας είσαι καλά, φίλε μου.
Not to mention one needs an orchestra with exceptional musicians
Sutherland est pays de la Tourraine et nessuna altra. How wonderfull she sings om the highest level of her possibilities❤❤
I got to sing with her several times at San Diego Opera.
That must have been awesome!
I saw Dame Joan onstage many times from 1973-1987. Of course she was the epitome of perfect singing, although by 1987 you could see the effort it took to sound so brilliant. As for Meyerbeer, I am seeing my very first opera of his this week - Le Prophete at the Bard Festival. TBH, the more I listen to his music, the more it sounds so beautiful……and entirely vacuous.
Thank you so much ❤ Wonderful singing❤❤❤
just wonderful? we wont hear anything like it again...
@@LohengrinOI remember seeing this special on TV about 1964... I was already a fan
@@LohengrinO oh i wouldn’t be so pessimistic. it would only take two or three good apples to revive everything. Just they won’t come from mainstream culture, that’s for sure. But you just hang in there
❤❤❤❤❤❤
She’s so cute !!!!
Cute? lol. Understatement
The singing is marvellous, but not one word could be distiguished. And opera is words AND music, not a river of beautiful sound effortlessly flowing, leaping, dancing.
Thanks, all the same, for sharing this!
She is singing it in the Italian translation she had performed at La Scala in 1962, so it has nothing to do with her diction or something, it just is not the usual version you are used to hear in French. And, as as Romance speaker (Portuguese) with only passing knowledge of Italian, I can definitely get many words that she is singing here without even having at a look at a libretto: o lieto suol della Turena, fiore soave, presso a te vogl'io sognar, la terra il lago ripetono amor etc.
Если она пела бы четко слова, не было бы тогда такого красивого звука.
i don't feel like being an a*hole today so i will just keep my mouth shut
yup me too
What language is she singing in? It's O beau Pays, but it definitely doesn't sound like it was in french
She is singing it in the Italian translation she had performed at La Scala in 1962, so it has nothing to do with her diction or something, it just is not the usual version you are used to hear.
@@aprendizercomygor oh I see. Thanks..
And by the way, i didnt mention anything about diction. Just was wondering what language she was singing in
She never could sing clearly in any language anyway. We could never distinguish any consonants or any pure vowels …. Just an endless cycle of wahwouwahwou and a endless cycle of forte for top notes and piano for low notes because she had no chest voice. Really incredible that we could make a career singing like that…. Actually not singing but vocalizing only …
@@marcelbureau2753 You sound like an overpassionate - and, exactly because of the little experience, overconfident - neophyte whose formation in Opera was mostly watching videos of "This is Opera" YT channel. Probably in that immature stage where you just found your new favorite diva (Callas, I assume) and then you think you need to put down every other divas that doesn't have the same strengths and characteristics of your new idol. Some day the pendulum will stop swinging and you will reach a sensible balance in which you learn to appreciate the strengths of all the great singers and recognize their flaws, without idolizing one while hating others.
For starters, Sutherland's diction was from good to excellent in some years of her career, and even at her worst she never had the Caballé trademark of simply dropping consonants altogether and just vocalizing entire words or phrases, especially in the higher register - and yet virtually nobody picks on Caballé for that bad habit, and for good reasons, because she had so much else that was great for someone who is not a pain in the ass to focus on.
Finally, if you think Sutherland could only sing forte higher up and piano lower down, you probably don't know what forte Sutherland really sounded like (a gargantuan Wagnerian-sized dramatic sound) and mistake her mezzo, mezzo piano e piano for forte, or you just haven't heard enough Sutherland (that might explain why you repeat the cliché that Sutherland had no or very weak chest notes - contrary to multiple examples in her discography, especially in comparison with other coloratura sopranos -, not to mention the obvious mistake of thinking that low notes equal chest notes, and every single low note must be sung witha lot of strong chest register)... or maybe you're just way too prejudiced and biased against her to even analyze those things in an objective and dispassionate way.
I'll just keep it realistic and say that, obviously, there are several reasons why Sutherland was enthroned as one of the greatest divas of the past century, and it's not because you alone can hear all the flaws, while the large majority of the opera world, including great singers and conductors, were inexperienced and deaf. Don't have way too high a self-esteem, buddy,
@@aprendizercomygor Apparently she sang correctly form few years at the very beginning of her career like is demonstrated in this video: ruclips.net/video/ze8_wmwErFQ/видео.htmlsi=OUqGrYyBadl7kCuz
Extraterrestre
This is an example of why most people are closed minded about opera. This performer is an acrobat with their vocals but never reaches out to the audience to make a connection as did Scotto, Freni, Callas, Caballe, Tebaldi, Bartoli and Fleming.
your choice of favorite singers is most interesting :D
Nonsense comment
Я стала оперной певицей благодаря Джоан Сазерленд. Именно ее голос произвел на меня в детстве огромное впечатление.Эту певицу считают феноменом и очень любят в России.
@@vic-iv2ffВы правы