I will have to add that Agnes is a great person as well as a wonderful artist. She support Jose Carreras when he needed money for his treatment with more than one ways. She has a great mezzo voice, and she is very expressive
I think Ms Baltsa is one of the all time greats. I love the security of her pitch and the total engagement in her roles. The timbre of her voice is instantly recognizable and unique. We are so fortunate to have her recordings. Thank you for posting.
I fell in love with opera and with Agnes Baltsa in September 1984, in Athens, at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, singing Carmen with Jose Carreras. Simply marvellous. I saw her (them) once more in Massenet's Werther in about 1987.
God, she was terrific. What a fantastic chest voice. Those were the days when singers had real voices. Never heard her sing Azucena but saw her live a few times. Her Eboli was out of this world. And her Carmen was to die for too. But she could be funny also. Her Isabella in L’Italiana in Algheri with Raimondi was great.
Crystal clear crystals!!!!!!!! What I really enjoyed in this recording is that I could clearly hear every word!!!!!!! That makes it very special for me, if I could write down the lyrics while she's singing.. Brava!!!! Crystal clear crystals!!!!!
Thank you so much for this. I saw Agnes Baltsa several times, most notably as Princess Eboli the last time the Royal Opera staged the classic Visconti production. I can't remember the exact year but it must have been late 80s or early 90s. She got a standing ovation after "O Don Fatale". Unforgettable.
@@TristanTzara100 Yes, a very special evening and thank you for sharing your thoughts and bringing it all back. I only got to see Agnes Baltsa perform once, but my, what a performance!
An extraordinary artist. Totally committed, an instantly recognizable timbre. I have such admiration for Agnes Baltsa. Listen to around 5:40 - absolutely gorgeous.
In the recording with Carreras she sings the highest notes of the role. In this one, u can search in the full opera already post. The same day than this great post!
Ίσως να την ήθελα πιο βαθιά, υποδύεται ετσι κι αλλιώς μια γραία, αλλά το συναίσθημα, η εκφορά και η απαγγελία που απορρέουν απο την άρτια εκτέλεσης της αριας επισφραγίζουν την μεγάλη κληρονομιά που άφησε πίσω της η Αγνή και την χαρακτηρίζει ως μια εκ των καλύτερων Mezzo που συνέβαλλαν στην επέκταση της χρυσής εποχής της Όπερας! Και όλα αυτά με την καταπληκτική αντίληψη που διέθεται στο !!ντεμπούτο!! ως Azucena σε μια παραγωγή που λόγω των ισοπεδωτικων κριτικών την ανάγκασαν να μην ξαναερμηνευσει τον ρόλο!
και θα ποστάρω και το κοντρα ντο που τραγούδησε σε άλλη ηχογράφηση στο ρόλο (που σχεδόν όλες οι μετζο παραλείπουν να τραγουδήσουν) και το οποιο μετατρέπει την Azucena σε semi-Assoluta ρολο
There is a seductive quality about her and her singing. Have always associated her with the Rossini, which she executed beautifully. My preference for Azucena is a darker, voice, not necessarily a beautiful voice, but one full of daring and vengeance--Dolora Zajic comes to mind.
It’s interesting to listen to many & take the best of each one, even if it’s one phrase Each has a different interpretation, expression/emotion, diction, phrasing etc… We’re grateful we have youtube!
@@JorgeAl I remember it as well... Agnes was the only one who survived the extremely bad reviews and boos... and I hardly remember smth about her costume as well... but she was the only one who survived the holocaust
Γιώργος Μίχαλος hopefully a video of the production will emerge! So wonderful that a love for Agnes and good singing brings us together in this community!
Agnes Baltsa sings GREAT but I think that´s not the proper voice for the role, she is TOO MUCH LIGHTIER AND BRIGHTIER than how the role should be. She is very much leaning into the soprano side from her central mezzo type than the contralto side to which this role was actually better fitted. For sure the original Azucena seems to be a type of assoluta voice that labeled herself then as MEZZO but just for a convention because she couldn´t sang all the commonest soprano roles of her time which were higher beyond her reaches and she kinda dwelled more into the deeper contralto-like ones or more conventional shorter-soprano-ones henceforth becoming the very first true MEZZO at their central-core label. Still the original reference for Azucena and most of the greatest mezzo roles of Verdi and Wagner time were highter contralto-like singers or a type of darker-heavier-lower/deeper assoluta voice which sang all the alto and contralto roles back then as well many lower-soprano ones and therefore created the mezzo singer as we know today expanding it a lot from what was a label for shorter-sopranos who did secondary roles then, thus dissapearing the former alto label, and constricting the contralto only for the true rare deeper lowest female roles very selectively chosen at some very particular types of roles. Azucena was the very first mezzo role however as a new label for a type of singer that was mainly as a ALTO voice and did have as closer forerunners of the same way of singing the Fides role of Le Prophete of Meyerbeer, as well Maddalenna of Rigoletto and Fredericka of Luisa Miller both from Verdi and the very original sound that the Rossinian heroines as Rossina and Angelina did have in the past, and many male-roles at the Baroque and Donizetti repertoire too were. Later on Verdi, Wagner and several French composers mainly kept developing better and better the distintion between a true mezzo and a contralto, erasing the former alto cathegory from the opera being just used for chorus singers. Still there is a lot of trouble as rarely there is a true central mezzo singers who could do equally good the lightier and higher-ones leaning more into soprano - that were indeed the original former mezzo roles of the belcanto either for both secondary and some main characters, rarely for a protagonists - being exceptions the ones at French repertoire as Rachel (La Juivie from Halevy), Valentine (Les Huguenots from Meyerbeer), Selika (L´Africaine also from Meyerbeer) and Leonore (La Favorite from Donizetti), and as well the latter central mezzo or deeper-ones leaning into the contralto-tier and were the former true-alto ones that did actually made the greatest mezzo roles of Verdi, Wagner, Bizet, Saint-Saens, Ponchielli, Clilea, Strauss and so on, so most of modern mezzos even since Baltsa times have been singing unsuited roles for them on whatever side they actually are more into - thus lightier mezzos as Baltsa shouldn´t sing the greatest heavier mezzo types as well the deeper mezzos shouldn´t do the opposite. Central mezzos who did proper justice for both types rarely exist and indeed were already very rare even back then, being mainly just within the French repertoire where this voice kinda developed better for roles as Mignon, Carmen (the original true one), Nicklausse (from Les Contes d´Hoffmann) and Charlotte (from Werther) whereas Italian repertoire barely developed it (Laura from La Gioconda for sure) and German seems that didn´t haved in all (Russian might could have had it but used it for secondary roles - Madame Larina of Eugene Onegin and the Hostess/Innkeeper of Boris Godunov). Now those mezzos are furtherly inexistent today and as the musical tune clef has rised a lot now none of the former voices matches the proper older ones, so true lyrical sopranos actually does lightier mezzos lightier/coloratura-like mezzos sing central-lyrical mezzos, true central mezzos did sing the former dramatical-heavier ones as well lightier/coloratura contraltos, and the real dramatic mezzos actually sing the former true central-lyrical contraltos, the central contraltos sing dramatical-deepeer ones and the true dramatical contraltos no longer exist for females, though males indeed have it a lot being thus the modern lightier-coloratura tenors nowadays.
I always found Baltsa's voice extremely skilled but a little bit on the ugly side. I don't know how much I like the head voice nasality in the chest notes, I feel like Azucena needs a darker core with a heavier placement of the low notes. However, I love the tempo of this recording and she manages to inject as much drama as possible into it.
@@jmiller05 also because of the Sound quality... Karajan was crazy with Sound Quality and when Baltsa sings her best notes, they are multi-dimensional, round and as if with reverb... incredibly Luxurious sound (in Carmen THE most luxurious sound I think along with Troyanos)
@@LohengrinO Well Karajan was a genius of detail. He told Ludwig to listen carefully to the violins in an orchestra in order to replicate the beauty of their overtones. I think Verdi was a bit of a stretch for Baltsa, although her Eboli is very good. Technically I think she did marvellous things with a not particularly natural instrument.
I love her anger and her courage and her voice is something remarkable!!!!
I believe she is one of the greatest Mezzos ever
th-cam.com/video/9MamTn7FSaU/w-d-xo.html
I will have to add that Agnes is a great person as well as a wonderful artist. She support Jose Carreras when he needed money for his treatment with more than one ways. She has a great mezzo voice, and she is very expressive
I think Ms Baltsa is one of the all time greats. I love the security of her pitch and the total engagement in her roles. The timbre of her voice is instantly recognizable and unique. We are so fortunate to have her recordings. Thank you for posting.
Yes, totally agree. She is an Icon!
My favourite mezzo-soprano, exquisite and so passionate!! Thank you for sharing
Brava La Baltsa!! She is one of the greatest Mezzos of the century, her delivery and interpretations are untouched!!
Her fearless ferocity and musicality and chest notes!
@@theon9575 isnt she the singer who uses chest placement almost in her entire range
I fell in love with opera and with Agnes Baltsa in September 1984, in Athens, at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, singing Carmen with Jose Carreras. Simply marvellous. I saw her (them) once more in Massenet's Werther in about 1987.
her Carmen could be heard well in that Devouring-Sounds Pit Herodus Atticus is?
God, she was terrific. What a fantastic chest voice. Those were the days when singers had real voices. Never heard her sing Azucena but saw her live a few times. Her Eboli was out of this world. And her Carmen was to die for too. But she could be funny also. Her Isabella in L’Italiana in Algheri with Raimondi was great.
Crystal clear crystals!!!!!!!! What I really enjoyed in this recording is that I could clearly hear every word!!!!!!! That makes it very special for me, if I could write down the lyrics while she's singing.. Brava!!!! Crystal clear crystals!!!!!
diction is so hard to be preserved in this level of singing... most great ladies from a scale 1 to 10 take 2 on diction
Thank you so much for this. I saw Agnes Baltsa several times, most notably as Princess Eboli the last time the Royal Opera staged the classic Visconti production. I can't remember the exact year but it must have been late 80s or early 90s. She got a standing ovation after "O Don Fatale". Unforgettable.
It was 1989. She was a force of nature and her performance was one that I have cherished since
@@grahamlucas5067 Thanks for the reminder. It was indeed a very special evening.
@@TristanTzara100 Yes, a very special evening and thank you for sharing your thoughts and bringing it all back. I only got to see Agnes Baltsa perform once, but my, what a performance!
LOVE THIS. Thank you. She's one of my all time favorite mezzos
An extraordinary artist. Totally committed, an instantly recognizable timbre. I have such admiration for Agnes Baltsa. Listen to around 5:40 - absolutely gorgeous.
She was the best mezzo I heard and saw (so 1976 and onwards to this very day).
merci , j'adore cette voix et quelle interprétation !
Brava Agnes! 👏👏👏👏
.... I find beautiful her and brave this artist... always thank you my dea Lohengrin0 🇮🇹🙋🇮🇹🙋🇮🇹🙋🇮🇹Elsa
Mezzosoprano lírica..🥲👏
Very well sung !
Her diction is incredible
That is because she doesn't constricts her voice
In the recording with Carreras she sings the highest notes of the role. In this one, u can search in the full opera already post. The same day than this great post!
on to it
At her prime she was excuisit!!! Herbert Von Karajan said about her that she is the greatest dramatic mezzo soprano of our times.
@@theon9575 what happened with B. Nilsson?
@@Caprieye789 More Passion, more Passion frau Nilsson, imagine you are not getting paid for this (H v Karajan)
WHAT A TREAT!1
What a Gypsy Queen!
First piece is Condotta ell’era in ceppi.
Pure chest.
Ίσως να την ήθελα πιο βαθιά, υποδύεται ετσι κι αλλιώς μια γραία, αλλά το συναίσθημα, η εκφορά και η απαγγελία που απορρέουν απο την άρτια εκτέλεσης της αριας επισφραγίζουν την μεγάλη κληρονομιά που άφησε πίσω της η Αγνή και την χαρακτηρίζει ως μια εκ των καλύτερων Mezzo που συνέβαλλαν στην επέκταση της χρυσής εποχής της Όπερας! Και όλα αυτά με την καταπληκτική αντίληψη που διέθεται στο !!ντεμπούτο!! ως Azucena σε μια παραγωγή που λόγω των ισοπεδωτικων κριτικών την ανάγκασαν να μην ξαναερμηνευσει τον ρόλο!
και θα ποστάρω και το κοντρα ντο που τραγούδησε σε άλλη ηχογράφηση στο ρόλο (που σχεδόν όλες οι μετζο παραλείπουν να τραγουδήσουν) και το οποιο μετατρέπει την Azucena σε semi-Assoluta ρολο
How come‼💎
There is a seductive quality about her and her singing. Have always associated her with the Rossini, which she executed beautifully. My preference for Azucena is a darker, voice, not necessarily a beautiful voice, but one full of daring and vengeance--Dolora Zajic comes to mind.
Ebe Stignani forever: th-cam.com/video/iNF-eYFyMKc/w-d-xo.html
Elena nicolai
Elena cernei
Alice cucini
Gabriela besenzoni
Cossotto
Obratzova of course too
It’s interesting to listen to many & take the best of each one, even if it’s one phrase
Each has a different interpretation, expression/emotion, diction, phrasing etc…
We’re grateful we have youtube!
Ewa podles !
Amazing
Sadly only Vienna managed to hear her Azucena. The production bombed and she withdrew the role from her repertory.
considering who sang Leonora that explains all :D... but she is fantastic as Azucena
@@LohengrinO the tenor was a mess too!
@@JorgeAl I remember it as well... Agnes was the only one who survived the extremely bad reviews and boos... and I hardly remember smth about her costume as well... but she was the only one who survived the holocaust
Γιώργος Μίχαλος hi there, the production was not well received and sadly Agnes did not sing Azucena again ...
Γιώργος Μίχαλος hopefully a video of the production will emerge! So wonderful that a love for Agnes and good singing brings us together in this community!
Complete performance: th-cam.com/video/9MamTn7FSaU/w-d-xo.html
Thank you!
Agnes Baltsa sings GREAT but I think that´s not the proper voice for the role, she is TOO MUCH LIGHTIER AND BRIGHTIER than how the role should be. She is very much leaning into the soprano side from her central mezzo type than the contralto side to which this role was actually better fitted. For sure the original Azucena seems to be a type of assoluta voice that labeled herself then as MEZZO but just for a convention because she couldn´t sang all the commonest soprano roles of her time which were higher beyond her reaches and she kinda dwelled more into the deeper contralto-like ones or more conventional shorter-soprano-ones henceforth becoming the very first true MEZZO at their central-core label.
Still the original reference for Azucena and most of the greatest mezzo roles of Verdi and Wagner time were highter contralto-like singers or a type of darker-heavier-lower/deeper assoluta voice which sang all the alto and contralto roles back then as well many lower-soprano ones and therefore created the mezzo singer as we know today expanding it a lot from what was a label for shorter-sopranos who did secondary roles then, thus dissapearing the former alto label, and constricting the contralto only for the true rare deeper lowest female roles very selectively chosen at some very particular types of roles. Azucena was the very first mezzo role however as a new label for a type of singer that was mainly as a ALTO voice and did have as closer forerunners of the same way of singing the Fides role of Le Prophete of Meyerbeer, as well Maddalenna of Rigoletto and Fredericka of Luisa Miller both from Verdi and the very original sound that the Rossinian heroines as Rossina and Angelina did have in the past, and many male-roles at the Baroque and Donizetti repertoire too were.
Later on Verdi, Wagner and several French composers mainly kept developing better and better the distintion between a true mezzo and a contralto, erasing the former alto cathegory from the opera being just used for chorus singers. Still there is a lot of trouble as rarely there is a true central mezzo singers who could do equally good the lightier and higher-ones leaning more into soprano - that were indeed the original former mezzo roles of the belcanto either for both secondary and some main characters, rarely for a protagonists - being exceptions the ones at French repertoire as Rachel (La Juivie from Halevy), Valentine (Les Huguenots from Meyerbeer), Selika (L´Africaine also from Meyerbeer) and Leonore (La Favorite from Donizetti), and as well the latter central mezzo or deeper-ones leaning into the contralto-tier and were the former true-alto ones that did actually made the greatest mezzo roles of Verdi, Wagner, Bizet, Saint-Saens, Ponchielli, Clilea, Strauss and so on, so most of modern mezzos even since Baltsa times have been singing unsuited roles for them on whatever side they actually are more into - thus lightier mezzos as Baltsa shouldn´t sing the greatest heavier mezzo types as well the deeper mezzos shouldn´t do the opposite.
Central mezzos who did proper justice for both types rarely exist and indeed were already very rare even back then, being mainly just within the French repertoire where this voice kinda developed better for roles as Mignon, Carmen (the original true one), Nicklausse (from Les Contes d´Hoffmann) and Charlotte (from Werther) whereas Italian repertoire barely developed it (Laura from La Gioconda for sure) and German seems that didn´t haved in all (Russian might could have had it but used it for secondary roles - Madame Larina of Eugene Onegin and the Hostess/Innkeeper of Boris Godunov). Now those mezzos are furtherly inexistent today and as the musical tune clef has rised a lot now none of the former voices matches the proper older ones, so true lyrical sopranos actually does lightier mezzos lightier/coloratura-like mezzos sing central-lyrical mezzos, true central mezzos did sing the former dramatical-heavier ones as well lightier/coloratura contraltos, and the real dramatic mezzos actually sing the former true central-lyrical contraltos, the central contraltos sing dramatical-deepeer ones and the true dramatical contraltos no longer exist for females, though males indeed have it a lot being thus the modern lightier-coloratura tenors nowadays.
I always found Baltsa's voice extremely skilled but a little bit on the ugly side. I don't know how much I like the head voice nasality in the chest notes, I feel like Azucena needs a darker core with a heavier placement of the low notes. However, I love the tempo of this recording and she manages to inject as much drama as possible into it.
something in the phrasing and her commitment to the score makes this delivery highly dramatic In general she has one of THE most unusual voices
@@LohengrinO Indeed, she was a very good musician, which I think is why Karajan liked her so much.
@@jmiller05 also because of the Sound quality... Karajan was crazy with Sound Quality and when Baltsa sings her best notes, they are multi-dimensional, round and as if with reverb... incredibly Luxurious sound (in Carmen THE most luxurious sound I think along with Troyanos)
@@LohengrinO Well Karajan was a genius of detail. He told Ludwig to listen carefully to the violins in an orchestra in order to replicate the beauty of their overtones. I think Verdi was a bit of a stretch for Baltsa, although her Eboli is very good. Technically I think she did marvellous things with a not particularly natural instrument.