ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!! That ever-silvery tone and, the amazing clarity and thrilling ring of incredibly chrystaline high notes. And the best dresser of ANY opera singer I've ever seen.
Music is always about collaboration, and even divas are part of a team. She was without doubt extremely talented, but she earned a reputation for being difficult not through a single incident or production, nor with a particular conductor or fellow singer. She made a habit of it, and people will only put up with so much of that when there are plenty of other singers who will be easier to work with. Being fierce and unapologetic is okay if you're in a fight, but within a company of musicians and technical staff, it's going to come off as arrogant or domineering or bullying ... and it will spoil the experience for everyone. I don't see what being black has to do with it. If she had personal issues that arose from her experiences as a black woman, fair enough, but deal with them away from the rehearsal room, and don't dump them on your colleagues. Plenty of black singers who had longer careers and were loved and respected by their colleagues. Battle herself sang with Jessye Norman, who first came to prominence singing some of the great roles in German opera, in some of the great German opera houses. This was the early 70s, less than 30 years after the fall of the Third Reich. Very few Germans had ever heard or would expect to see an African American woman singing iconic characters in Wagner, Strauss and Beethoven, in German. This was their music, their tradition, and audiences could be very conservative. She was not daunted, and by the time she returned to America, she was an operatic superstar. But she hadn't pissed off the people she worked with, and she returned to Europe to work again and again throughout her career. She always arrived at rehearsals well prepared, she had strong ideas about what she wanted to do, but she did not treat the rehearsal as a run through. She wanted to participate in a creative process with other artists, and that meant leaving her ego in the dressing room. They would have worked to provide the best possible showcase for her gifts, and they knew they were honoured to do so. She made sure they knew she appreciated them. That is how professional musicians work, and they do not like musicians who are unprofessional. It is a great shame, but Kathleen Battle let herself down.
Alright for proper singing! Ms Battle is a stunningly beautiful woman with a spectacular instrument! The drop of the wrap off her arm as she acknowledged the chorus was delicious!!!
SPECTACULAR! She breathes life into every single word with exquisite musicality and musicianship and does take us SOMEWHERE special with that glorious voice ! I think I may have stopped breathing the entire time she sang :))
Knowing a bunch of people who worked with her I've heard all the stories first hand and then some. But I refuse to believe anything who can poke a hole in your heart like that can be all bad. Just amazing.
No matter what stories and reporting that has been out there about this artist the ONE thing is that no one has ever denied her artistry and talent. Yes, people have saud she is Diva, demandin etc but no one has ewver denied her ability - I'm a huge fan, and always have been
I remember being 10 and my fifth grade language Arts teacher had this HUGE poster of Kathleen Battle in her classroom. She had us hear a piece of a song she did and I've been in love with her since! :)
@@valentinomiller6251, yes! But believe it or not, I never knew anything about that concert until earlier this year. I was so moved I made a social-commentary video about it. But thank you for trying to inform me. I appreciate you for that.
People should me more grateful for Kathleen's legacy and let the gossips out the picture. The truth is that she had a huge conflict of interest with Levine and she wanted to impose very specific and huge demands for the productions and that level of artistry demanded by Battle was not permitted by the staff and when you begin to have conflicts with their board of directors you'd better have a great lawyer because their administration is almighty... That's what truly happened the rest is LEGEND.
I'm a fan, and despite everything, no matter what the stories, innuendo, there has never been any challenge to her artistic merit, simply because there can't be. Her voice is sublime.
America missed out on what might've been its golden age of classical music by denying the stage to African American singers, then when allowing them, pretending that being "difficult to work with" is something new in the performing arts world. Miss Battle has always been a class act.
This is ridiculous. There were dozens of successful and very fine singers who took the stage and were worshiped in the 1950s and 60s and 70s. The list is long, but of course I’m thinking of Camila Williams, Adele Addison, Marian Anderson, Gloria Davy, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Martina, Arroyo, Shirley Verett, Grace Bumbry, Felicia Weathers, Leontyne Price, and then, in the next generation, Leona Mitchell, Barbara, Hendricks, Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, Florence Quivar, Roberta Alexander, Mavis Martin … only one of them was truly impossible to deal with at one point in her career, Kathleen Battle. It was a rare tragedy - - but it wasn’t America’s fault.
@@jondavwal13 I strongly disagree that Grist's Zerbinetta was better. Yes, she was every bit as good as a performer. Grist is an outstanding singer, by any measure, but I do think Battle rendered a superior Zerbinetta. Have you ever head the live performance issued by DG, from '86? It is incredible, truly impressive. The effortlessness of the delivery is uncanny.
Yes, she does look good here. I have seen her live many times, with the most recent being last year. She still looks the same at 64. She did put on a little weight though.
1:05 Doesn't he look like a frat boy? lol Anyhow, Kathleen is amazing here but it might have been more fitting if Reri Grist, who was the original singer and still going strong vocally at the time, was asked to perform......
Wherever there is a black woman being excellent, there will be a fixation on rumors of them being difficult, uncooperative, rude, angry etc This is something I wish my voice teacher had told me about the industry when I started out.
It's time for her to receive her Kennedy Center Honors🎉
Absolutely spectacular!!! Total perfection.
ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!! That ever-silvery tone and, the amazing clarity and thrilling ring of incredibly chrystaline high notes. And the best dresser of ANY opera singer I've ever seen.
I still never tire of watching this performance. She is absolutely mesmerizing.
I love how she shaped her mouth into horn 😍 I wish I can get my lips the flexible no tension
One of the greatest artists of our time
Amen to that!
What a SPECTACULAR ending... effortless and so perfect! How can that top note not bring you to tears at its sublime power and finesse???
She is as beautiful as she performs......WOW. The Clintons are in awe!
I see why people hate on her. She's fierce, black, unapologetic, sings like an angel, and gives you gowns for your nerves. Carry on!
Very well said!!!❤❤
👍🏾💯
We already know what it is!
PREACH!
Music is always about collaboration, and even divas are part of a team. She was without doubt extremely talented, but she earned a reputation for being difficult not through a single incident or production, nor with a particular conductor or fellow singer. She made a habit of it, and people will only put up with so much of that when there are plenty of other singers who will be easier to work with. Being fierce and unapologetic is okay if you're in a fight, but within a company of musicians and technical staff, it's going to come off as arrogant or domineering or bullying ... and it will spoil the experience for everyone. I don't see what being black has to do with it. If she had personal issues that arose from her experiences as a black woman, fair enough, but deal with them away from the rehearsal room, and don't dump them on your colleagues. Plenty of black singers who had longer careers and were loved and respected by their colleagues. Battle herself sang with Jessye Norman, who first came to prominence singing some of the great roles in German opera, in some of the great German opera houses. This was the early 70s, less than 30 years after the fall of the Third Reich. Very few Germans had ever heard or would expect to see an African American woman singing iconic characters in Wagner, Strauss and Beethoven, in German. This was their music, their tradition, and audiences could be very conservative. She was not daunted, and by the time she returned to America, she was an operatic superstar. But she hadn't pissed off the people she worked with, and she returned to Europe to work again and again throughout her career. She always arrived at rehearsals well prepared, she had strong ideas about what she wanted to do, but she did not treat the rehearsal as a run through. She wanted to participate in a creative process with other artists, and that meant leaving her ego in the dressing room. They would have worked to provide the best possible showcase for her gifts, and they knew they were honoured to do so. She made sure they knew she appreciated them. That is how professional musicians work, and they do not like musicians who are unprofessional. It is a great shame, but Kathleen Battle let herself down.
her voice is perfection she is absolutely beautiful.Its ridiculous its just ridiculous
Spectacular, crystal clear voice.
WOW!!!! To all the haters out there, go somewhere. I just love her.
Hassen ist verkehrt .
Musik soll verbinden.
Kein Neid, keine Konkurenz. Die Liebe zur Musik😊
She sang perfectly. Yet she was a monster to her fellow mates
This is probably one of the best live performances I have ever seen. She has such technical control of her voice.
Alright for proper singing! Ms Battle is a stunningly beautiful woman with a spectacular instrument! The drop of the wrap off her arm as she acknowledged the chorus was delicious!!!
M. Antonio Sims - Yes, she did the damn thing. The full presentation.
Her voice is unique indeed and fabulous. I haven't heard of any other singers who can match Ms. Kathleen Battle's talent.
MAGNIFICENT!!! BRAVO!!!
Kathleen is a goddess with a voice of an angel. BRAVO!
Bravo Ms. Battles...that voice that God blessed you with.
That last note. She's spectacular.
That last note....simply divine!!!!!
Perfection. I saw her years ago in a series of La Fille Du Regiment, and she was fantastic.
Whenever Kathleen Battle came on stage, three exquisite things came on stage: her physical self, her voice...and her gown.
Seamless, silken, glorious, universal, magnificent!
She had me in tears at the end. Stunning
SPECTACULAR! She breathes life into every single word with exquisite musicality and musicianship and does take us SOMEWHERE special with that glorious voice ! I think I may have stopped breathing the entire time she sang :))
Sunjoyrai, I love your comment.
@@TheWriterWalker Thank you! I LOVE her! 2021 and her voice and artistry remains unmatched.
@@sunjoyrai, amen, brother!
Beautiful and has the voice of an angel !
Ms. Battles, when YOU sing this song, my heart my whole soul and body vibrate at a higher frequency. Oh, thank you for this beautiful performance.
when Kathy decides to teach a lesson she teaches wow!
Knowing a bunch of people who worked with her I've heard all the stories first hand and then some. But I refuse to believe anything who can poke a hole in your heart like that can be all bad. Just amazing.
No matter what stories and reporting that has been out there about this artist the ONE thing is that no one has ever denied her artistry and talent. Yes, people have saud she is Diva, demandin etc but no one has ewver denied her ability - I'm a huge fan, and always have been
Cathleen: ever so magnificent and breath-taking...I just love your singing, so full of hope and love...
LOL..now that's how a DIVA exits a stage!!!!
TRUE
Yep.
“LET THEM”
Absolutely moving and GORGEOUS!!!❤️🎶🥰
Just a gorgeous voice!!
It was all genius all the way, but that bit with the satin shawl was EVERYTHING!
My God! That woman and her voice!
I remember being 10 and my fifth grade language Arts teacher had this HUGE poster of Kathleen Battle in her classroom. She had us hear a piece of a song she did and I've been in love with her since! :)
Wow!!! Wow! Wow!!!!!! Truly magnificent!!! A class act!
It’s all about the wrap action at the end…. Diva! Love her ❤️
That was Ravishing. She is a true Artist.
She´s wonderful!!!
Diva! Diva! Diva!
Simply Sublime!
Brilliant!!
Happy 73rd Anniversary Of Life
Friday, August 13, 2021
Our Dearest & Most Precious Kathleen Battle
You Are A Special Gift To Us All!
That's what I call a BIG FINISH!!!
Simply magnificent!!!!
My Stevie.. My DEEPEST LOVE & Prayers for you over the loss of your baby brother..it's so sad ..I LOVE YOU STEVIE
Happy 72nd Anniversary Of Life
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Our Dearest Soprano, Kathleen Battle
Can't believe that a human being has such artistry. AI should capture her voice for future use for the recording industry.
Just gorgeous
She sounds and looks SO HOT!
Yes Diva! YESSSSSS!!!!
breathtakingly
chills everytime! although, i am afraid my computer screen is going to crack!
Lol! Good one.
I just LOVE HER :-)
TatanBrown, ten years later, so do I. :-) And I'm super-late to the party! Lol.
Sorry, but not more than I. She is absolutely fantastic!
@@valentinomiller6251, lol! I love this kind of competition.
@@TheWriterWalker have you seen Norman and Battle in "Spirituals in Concert"? It is a must-see.
@@valentinomiller6251, yes! But believe it or not, I never knew anything about that concert until earlier this year. I was so moved I made a social-commentary video about it. But thank you for trying to inform me. I appreciate you for that.
BTW I hope to have a wife one day who looks like that at 45..... : p
when i listen to her sing the hair on the back of my neck stands up and i get covered in goose bumps.......too bad she was so difficult to deal with
Ms. Battle KILT it! YAAAEEESSSZZZ!
Where have all the true Divas gone?
1993 Kennedy Center honored Stephen Sondheim!
Bravo
This is Somewhere from West Side Story with libretto by Stephen Sondheim, who was an honoree.
People should me more grateful for Kathleen's legacy and let the gossips out the picture. The truth is that she had a huge conflict of interest with Levine and she wanted to impose very specific and huge demands for the productions and that level of artistry demanded by Battle was not permitted by the staff and when you begin to have conflicts with their board of directors you'd better have a great lawyer because their administration is almighty... That's what truly happened the rest is LEGEND.
I'm a fan, and despite everything, no matter what the stories, innuendo, there has never been any challenge to her artistic merit, simply because there can't be. Her voice is sublime.
🌹 lovely
wow
Diva!
America missed out on what might've been its golden age of classical music by denying the stage to African American singers, then when allowing them, pretending that being "difficult to work with" is something new in the performing arts world. Miss Battle has always been a class act.
This is ridiculous. There were dozens of successful and very fine singers who took the stage and were worshiped in the 1950s and 60s and 70s. The list is long, but of course I’m thinking of Camila Williams, Adele Addison, Marian Anderson, Gloria Davy, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Martina, Arroyo, Shirley Verett, Grace Bumbry, Felicia Weathers, Leontyne Price, and then, in the next generation, Leona Mitchell, Barbara, Hendricks, Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, Florence Quivar, Roberta Alexander, Mavis Martin … only one of them was truly impossible to deal with at one point in her career, Kathleen Battle. It was a rare tragedy - - but it wasn’t America’s fault.
See Bill's facial expression. He looks like he's exhausted coming down from an LSD trip.
Did she use a Microphone? Angelic
do you know who she was honoring? was there an opera singer getting the award?
😍😍😍😍😍
❤❤❤
SHE WOULD MAKE A GREAT CLEOPATRA IN MY OPERA OF
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
ON OUR SITE TYBURNOPERAS.
And thank God for that.
There's another great video of Miss Battle singing "I Feel Pretty" from the same musical:
th-cam.com/video/ZQmbxFmImbA/w-d-xo.html
Reri Grist is/was no Kathleen Battle.
That is so untrue. Battle is wonderful, but Grist was every bit as good. And her Zerbinetta was better.
@@jondavwal13 I strongly disagree that Grist's Zerbinetta was better. Yes, she was every bit as good as a performer. Grist is an outstanding singer, by any measure, but I do think Battle rendered a superior Zerbinetta. Have you ever head the live performance issued by DG, from '86? It is incredible, truly impressive. The effortlessness of the delivery is uncanny.
They are both fantastic singers, of different generation and style (although they both had a high light soprano voice).
She had a lot of help but she didn't need it!
Yes we they need that. You can't imagine how beautiful it is to CONGREGATE WITH ALL VOICES!
Who was the prize winner she was singing for?
Stephen Sondheim
Yes, she does look good here. I have seen her live many times, with the most recent being last year. She still looks the same at 64. She did put on a little weight though.
Black genius
süß
Who was the honoree for this segment?
I would think Leonard Bernstein.
Stephen Sondheim. This is 1993. Bernstein was already dead.
1:05 Doesn't he look like a frat boy? lol Anyhow, Kathleen is amazing here but it might have been more fitting if Reri Grist, who was the original singer and still going strong vocally at the time, was asked to perform......
Grist stopped performing in 1991 at age 59. She's 86 now.
CLINTON DROOLING 🤤
I Will Hide No More...
Get Over YourSelf Right Now...
Do Something & I Will Shut Up..
Until Then..I Will Not SHUT UP & Be Quiet..!!!!!
binkie
GUUUUULPING breaths lol
That's right. Reri Grist was a total professional, far more musical, and not at all rude and unprofessional like this horrible woman
Wherever there is a black woman being excellent, there will be a fixation on rumors of them being difficult, uncooperative, rude, angry etc
This is something I wish my voice teacher had told me about the industry when I started out.
❤️❤️❤️