June Anderson spent the previous weeks before that performance at her mother's side at the hospital, then her mother died just a few days before the performance… Very brave of June to sing that night, and to do it so well. Very grateful.
There are so many perfect things about this presentation that it's difficult to list them all: 1) 5:49 even though she has a light lyrical soprano voice, she makes a perfect transition between mixed voice and pure chest voice without sounding caricatured. 2: 5:55 in the same idea as in the previous point, she continues singing the coloratura sequence with the syllable "ca" instead of ending with the syllable "po", precisely because with the vowel a she can make the transition between the register of chest to mixed voice imperceptibly, it gives the impression that she has always remained in mixed voice, but she actually attacks the first note with chest as the composer requests. 3) 9:19 ends the aria exactly as the composer requests, respecting the score. The final note really gives the impression that we are hearing a cry of despair and not a high pitch without any meaning. 4) Precise and clear diction, you can hear all the notes and all the syllables cleanly and especially without a slurred accent. I don't think she looks like any other singer. Unfortunately, in opera there is this habit of comparing people based on their characteristics, which in some ways are even caricatured in their voice, forgetting to look at each person's individuality. June is one of those: unique and incomparable. I think that's why she stopped singing so early: as she herself said: opera is boring, conductors no longer know how to command an orchestra, much less understand a composer in depth.
Absolutely! She was simply breathtaking! I don't think any singer alive can compete with her interpretation of Lucrezia. Maturity, incarnation, and somptuous sound, even on high notes which remind us of her glorious past. Yes, I confess: I'm in love.
@@crazyorganist1609 To be honest with you, I absolutely adore Sutherland, yet I prefer Anderson's tone of voice. It's a question of personal taste in the end. And at that level of perfection, it is really picking the best pearls in Beluga caviar...
I saw her in several roles and was always impressed by her combination of vocal beauty and emotional commitment to the character. She is, in a strange way, the middle ground between Callas and Sutherland in these demanding dramatic coloratura roles and we are lucky to have had her in the age of both audio and visual recorings.
I was always a great admirer of Anderson, and even met her a couple of times. Very reserved, but gracious. As a bel canto singer, she certainly ranks up there with the very best, and she truly understood the style. It's great that she was still singing so well in 2009, and she has sung Norma, Daphne, and Salome in the last decade. I do miss the final high-Eb; it's exciting and she had high notes galore in her earlier days.
An additional thought here is that this is one scene in which Anderson actually is more accurate than Sutherland in her vocal mastery of the music. We cannot say whether she would also be more emotively expressive than Callas as Callas never sang this role; however, I think here she clearly captures the intense conflicting emotions of the character in a way similar to Callas at her best.
Indeed and because she canceled the Borgia in Paris with Kraus, Sutherland was called to replace her (and Anderson was very flattered than La Stupenda was her “cover”!😉)
And, when you critique someone, don't use hearsay but bring facts to the debate. "she rewrites whole operas to suit her voice" Tell us more about that statement. And before you use that critique, think of sopranos who you like that have transposed or omitted notes they weren't comfortable with. I'm sure in their case you wouldn't define it "rewriting whole operas".
You might have misread :) It's Romani's wife, Emilia Branca, that declared such thing in her book. A Book full of innaccuracies. Donizetti himself only ever stated in letters destined to his brother in law that he was not satisfied with the aria referring to a staging in Rome. He never mentioned once the aria being imposed/requested by Lalande. This isn't a show off aria, it's is a "aria di disperazione" air of despair. He wrote similar arias before Borgia for Bolena, Fausta and Parisina
Si consideramos que esta al final de la representaciòn, es cierto que su voz ya se nota fatigada, pero ... es inengable que hace un trabajo en donde se luce mucho y bien vale un bravo! Una mìnima cosa se le puede pedir a un cantante que sea afinado, y eso es algo que siempre encontramos en Anderson, siempre!
great thanks for this take. wonderful to listen to June Anderson back in great form !!!! very exciting rendition and easier to the ear (and, I suppose,to the eye!) than Groberova in the dreadful Munich production. In this case, never mind the missing Eflats - she is great!
She just doesn't wanna dip down below the staff, I guess. Despite the absence of the almost required interpolated Eb and not so interesting ornaments, I actually find this more respectable than Gruberova's recent turn in Munich. I wonder if either of the great ladies ever sang Lucrezia during their prime. I just don't think Lucrezia is one of those gracious diva-of-a-certain-age roles that would've been more suitable and certainly more pleasant.
as i said, in recital almost everything can go. regarding your vision, i'm not surprised you're a big Fleming fan after your "aka boring" statement but I'm surprised you would enjoy Sutherland as she was always very much adherent to the boring visions of the "small group of scholars" - which included her and her hubby too.
and in later operas as Devereux, Maria di Rudenz, Gemma di Vergy etc. When Borgia was written Airs of despair were too much in fashion to even think it didn't fit or that he didn't want it there - take Bellini's Pirata & Beatrice di Tenda. It was many years after writing it that Donizetti complained about it; in a time where airs of despair were gone and his taste had changed.
I am not talking about a note or two, nor am I talking about embellishing the second time a melody is repeated in a caballetta, I am talking about rewriting the entire melodic line and say that the license that is being taken is in the "tradition": of great sopranos who sing the bel canto repertoire. Thats a dodge. This is what Devia does and you know it.
I don't think tossing in a high G out of context is something to condemn, nor is it elaborating a particular cadenza or whathaver as long as it's consistent and also, respectful of what you're singing. Keep in mind these scores are art and reinventing them is hardly a form of artistry to me. If that were the case then these so called artists should compose their own arias. Besides, it's not like these composers left ALL THAT MUCH room for personal interpretation, the did set boundaries.
Sorry, no. First of all, this is Donizetti, not Rossini. And she is plagued by the usual intonation and precision problems. But I'm surprised she sounded this compromised in 2009, athought she had been omitting the big high notes for a decade prior.
@magicmonkichi I didn't think it would have been this good either.... probably because she's way past her prime of the late 80's, and she's just had a quiet career lately. But wham!
She vocalizes very well, That is not the same as sings well.. To be the queen of belcanto you must also interpret music and be MUSICAL, have excellent technique, and respect the composer.
I think you really need to listen to Mariella Devia, the Queen of Bel Canto at 61 years old still doing Borgia with better voice and quite frankly better taste for Bel Canto.
Sorry but "Hello I'm also a big voiced canarybird singing like Sutherland with no low notes but extra birdy happy ornamentations though I'm going to die".,,
June Anderson spent the previous weeks before that performance at her mother's side at the hospital, then her mother died just a few days before the performance… Very brave of June to sing that night, and to do it so well. Very grateful.
As usual a fabulous soprano one of the great voices
There are so many perfect things about this presentation that it's difficult to list them all:
1) 5:49 even though she has a light lyrical soprano voice, she makes a perfect transition between mixed voice and pure chest voice without sounding caricatured.
2: 5:55 in the same idea as in the previous point, she continues singing the coloratura sequence with the syllable "ca" instead of ending with the syllable "po", precisely because with the vowel a she can make the transition between the register of chest to mixed voice imperceptibly, it gives the impression that she has always remained in mixed voice, but she actually attacks the first note with chest as the composer requests.
3) 9:19 ends the aria exactly as the composer requests, respecting the score. The final note really gives the impression that we are hearing a cry of despair and not a high pitch without any meaning.
4) Precise and clear diction, you can hear all the notes and all the syllables cleanly and especially without a slurred accent.
I don't think she looks like any other singer. Unfortunately, in opera there is this habit of comparing people based on their characteristics, which in some ways are even caricatured in their voice, forgetting to look at each person's individuality. June is one of those: unique and incomparable. I think that's why she stopped singing so early: as she herself said: opera is boring, conductors no longer know how to command an orchestra, much less understand a composer in depth.
Absolutely! She was simply breathtaking! I don't think any singer alive can compete with her interpretation of Lucrezia. Maturity, incarnation, and somptuous sound, even on high notes which remind us of her glorious past. Yes, I confess: I'm in love.
Joan Sutherland
@@crazyorganist1609 To be honest with you, I absolutely adore Sutherland, yet I prefer Anderson's tone of voice. It's a question of personal taste in the end. And at that level of perfection, it is really picking the best pearls in Beluga caviar...
@@williammaddox3339 Refer to my reply to Crazy organist: it is a question of personal taste when you are talking about the bests of the bests...
One of the all time Great Dramatic Coloraturas. Fantastice Singer!!!!
I saw her in several roles and was always impressed by her combination of vocal beauty and emotional commitment to the character. She is, in a strange way, the middle ground between Callas and Sutherland in these demanding dramatic coloratura roles and we are lucky to have had her in the age of both audio and visual recorings.
I was always a great admirer of Anderson, and even met her a couple of times. Very reserved, but gracious. As a bel canto singer, she certainly ranks up there with the very best, and she truly understood the style. It's great that she was still singing so well in 2009, and she has sung Norma, Daphne, and Salome in the last decade. I do miss the final high-Eb; it's exciting and she had high notes galore in her earlier days.
An additional thought here is that this is one scene in which Anderson actually is more accurate than Sutherland in her vocal mastery of the music. We cannot say whether she would also be more emotively expressive than Callas as Callas never sang this role; however, I think here she clearly captures the intense conflicting emotions of the character in a way similar to Callas at her best.
June Anderson was offered Lucrezia Borgia several times in her early career, even with Alfredo Kraus
Indeed and because she canceled the Borgia in Paris with Kraus, Sutherland was called to replace her (and Anderson was very flattered than La Stupenda was her “cover”!😉)
Beautiful! Brava, June!
And, when you critique someone, don't use hearsay but bring facts to the debate.
"she rewrites whole operas to suit her voice"
Tell us more about that statement.
And before you use that critique, think of sopranos who you like that have transposed or omitted notes they weren't comfortable with. I'm sure in their case you wouldn't define it "rewriting whole operas".
You might have misread :)
It's Romani's wife, Emilia Branca, that declared such thing in her book. A Book full of innaccuracies. Donizetti himself only ever stated in letters destined to his brother in law that he was not satisfied with the aria referring to a staging in Rome.
He never mentioned once the aria being imposed/requested by Lalande.
This isn't a show off aria, it's is a "aria di disperazione" air of despair. He wrote similar arias before Borgia for Bolena, Fausta and Parisina
I dont' know why but..i didn't think this'd be as good as it is :D
. I really like Anderson, just didn't anticipate a Lucrezia from her ^_^ Brava ~!
it truly irks me that this opera is not performed with greater frequency
Well, that´s nice of you. Thanks Tommy
Si consideramos que esta al final de la representaciòn, es cierto que su voz ya se nota fatigada, pero ... es inengable que hace un trabajo en donde se luce mucho y bien vale un bravo! Una mìnima cosa se le puede pedir a un cantante que sea afinado, y eso es algo que siempre encontramos en Anderson, siempre!
always brava!!!
Brava June!!!!
great thanks for this take. wonderful to listen to June Anderson back in great form !!!! very exciting rendition and easier to the ear (and, I suppose,to the eye!) than Groberova in the dreadful Munich production.
In this case, never mind the missing Eflats - she is great!
The killing section from 5:57 is the best ever, much more natural than Grub's and much better handled than even Devia. She does a terrific job.
She just doesn't wanna dip down below the staff, I guess. Despite the absence of the almost required interpolated Eb and not so interesting ornaments, I actually find this more respectable than Gruberova's recent turn in Munich. I wonder if either of the great ladies ever sang Lucrezia during their prime. I just don't think Lucrezia is one of those gracious diva-of-a-certain-age roles that would've been more suitable and certainly more pleasant.
as i said, in recital almost everything can go.
regarding your vision, i'm not surprised you're a big Fleming fan after your "aka boring" statement but I'm surprised you would enjoy Sutherland as she was always very much adherent to the boring visions of the "small group of scholars" - which included her and her hubby too.
and in later operas as Devereux, Maria di Rudenz, Gemma di Vergy etc. When Borgia was written Airs of despair were too much in fashion to even think it didn't fit or that he didn't want it there - take Bellini's Pirata & Beatrice di Tenda.
It was many years after writing it that Donizetti complained about it; in a time where airs of despair were gone and his taste had changed.
I am not talking about a note or two, nor am I talking about embellishing the second time a melody is repeated in a caballetta, I am talking about rewriting the entire melodic line and say that the license that is being taken is in the "tradition": of great sopranos who sing the bel canto repertoire. Thats a dodge. This is what Devia does and you know it.
@CatalinaDM56 Anderson knows very well what she is singing, and she does it remarkably well. Gruberova never had the faintest idea.
I don't think tossing in a high G out of context is something to condemn, nor is it elaborating a particular cadenza or whathaver as long as it's consistent and also, respectful of what you're singing. Keep in mind these scores are art and reinventing them is hardly a form of artistry to me. If that were the case then these so called artists should compose their own arias.
Besides, it's not like these composers left ALL THAT MUCH room for personal interpretation, the did set boundaries.
Sorry, no. First of all, this is Donizetti, not Rossini. And she is plagued by the usual intonation and precision problems. But I'm surprised she sounded this compromised in 2009, athought she had been omitting the big high notes for a decade prior.
@magicmonkichi I didn't think it would have been this good either.... probably because she's way past her prime of the late 80's, and she's just had a quiet career lately. But wham!
She was hardly past her prime in the late 80's......what a stupid ass remark. Have your ears checked and make sure they attached.
Why didn't she sing this role earlier? And didn't she quote she didn:t like Donizetti?
i thought she sounded great. although i miss her e-flats!
TO PIEKNY GLOS ALE SLYCHAC JUZ NIESTETY WIEK
"Adesso è morto" it's more expressive an octave down.
She vocalizes very well, That is not the same as sings well.. To be the queen of belcanto you must also interpret music and be MUSICAL, have excellent technique, and respect the composer.
I think you really need to listen to Mariella Devia, the Queen of Bel Canto at 61 years old still doing Borgia with better voice and quite frankly better taste for Bel Canto.
Didn't mean to be mean, my dear, just that I felt obliged to defend Gruby :(
someone calling him/herself birgitnilsson wouldn't have any better idea than Gruby
Sorry but "Hello I'm also a big voiced canarybird singing like Sutherland with no low notes but extra birdy happy ornamentations though I'm going to die".,,