Shirley Verrett sings superhuman Rossini with trills, fioritura, high note blasts, and chest dives
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ต.ค. 2024
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Gioachino Rossini: L'assedio di Corinto - " Non temer, d'un basso affetto" - Live recording - Metropolitan Opera House - 1975
It's just incredible hearing this titanic voice with real 'slancio' navigate some of the hardest coloratura ever written for the human voice and STILL have enough gas to sing an optional Dflat6 AND top the entire cabaletta with a gigantic B5. Madame Verrett's death was a gigantic loss to classical music. She is SORELY missed.
So beautifully expressed! She was amazing
Although she had retired from performing, her influence as vocal professor and advisor at the University of Michigan, and to the world at large was a tremendous loss.
And people like Merilyn horne get mainstream success. Its just so upsetting that in the operatic community people of color(black people especially) are not value as much
Le même prodige ,la même performance que Callas dans Armida .
C'est absolument incroyable ❤️❤️❤️
I couldn't agree with you more! A true-blue Prima Donna Assoluta, Mme Verrett was one of the greatest superstar divas of her, or any other age.
I heard this aria from The Siege of Corinth for the first time on a Saturday Matinee broadcast live from The Met in 1975,the year I got married.Fifty years later,it still blows me away.Opera rules!
When I think about beauty, the first thing that came to my mind was Shirley Verrett’s voice.
I was lucky to hear her whole career at the Met. She was a great singer, artist, and beauty. She was a giant, and New York adored her.
Eddie Lew: You were fortunate indeed! To witness this in person must have transported you and the entire audience to higher realms! I'm SO glad that this was taped and preserved for us
and future generations! What a magnificent artist!
Was this woman a human being? She had everything: the voice of a mountain with the highest picks and the lowest warm rivers, the musicality of a gentle breeze and a powerful tornado and what a beautiful woman my God!
Lee Martinez she had a name: Great Music
Hello my friend, When referring to females please call them LADIES/"Lady. I was raised by beautiful parents/ Grand parents etc. My heritage is mostly western European & some Middle eastern Native American & 5% Black from Sudan. This is according to my DNA TEST. My wife had hers done because her Mother was adopted by her Croatian relatives. Her mother was a devout Catholic & had a one night stand with a traveling salesman in Indiana. She went to the convent & informed them that she was not keeping the baby & that her sister & her husband wanted to adopt the baby etc. She later became a nun. I apologize for so much detail. Back to the subject on LADIES. My ancestors thought it was very dispectful to refer to females as THAT WOMAN ETC. Thank you for your considerration in this regard my friend. We have always admired Madame Verrett as a regal beautiful very gifted lady. And please be safe during this death dealing pandemic. 😷🙏💙. Arnold Bourbon Amaral
@@arnoldamaral7406 I do not agree with your ancestors, especially from my cultural background but your story seems quite interesting I must say. Thanks for your advice either way. It is always useful see someone else's perspective.
She also was a LOVELY HUMAN BEING !!! I met her in Toronto when she gave a master class! She was so gracious and a wonderful teacher. She was equal to Callas (Callas was my 1st and only true idol)....until I heard Miss Verrett... for the beauty and power of her GORGEOUS voice, her passion, technique, and physically GORGEOUS. She ALWAYS gave me ESCALOFRIOS !!!!! Thank you for posting this...Manoli S !! Fabulous.
What are you talking about?
One of her most fabulous roles. Verrett was in my opinion an assoluta singer, I have very seldom heard her singing anything and not have me admiring her technical, dramatic and musical accomplishment (from spirituals and even jazz songs to Rossini, Wagner, Massenet and Verdi, from soprano to mezzo roles). In her prime she was definitely one of the most complete singers ever.
And Maria Callas thought so too. And that says a lot!!
@@avihuboneh723 I never knew that. It's good to hear! When did she say this? It's always interesting to hear what Callas thought of other singers that came after her. Verrett was one of the few singers that compared to Callas.
What a wonderful artist and such a beautiful human being too.
Grande Shirley!
Ladies and gentlemen, let us be fair and admit that we are witnessing a vocal and artistic miracle here. Thank you Ms Verrett, thanks the uploader. It's a revelation to return to what, alas, has been lost. Thank you, YT.
Ecco una artista! Following Sir Rudolf Bing's departure as director, Sills finally made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera on April 7, 1975 in The Siege of Corinth, receiving an eighteen-minute ovation at her curtain call. Shirley Verrett received an equal number of curtain calls.
Époustouflant !
Un grand moment.
Her ornamentation was wonderful and her interpretation was fantastic. Rossini arias are extremely challenging and very few sopranos can deliver them in a superior way. She sure did !
WOW! She is fantastic. Not only is her Amneris, Lady macbeth and Delila outstanding but she is truly marvellous in Rossini. What agility in her voice. She truly deserved that applause!
Ms. Verrett was of course a great vocalist, but I think it's important to add that she was a great musician. One can hear not only her great voice but also her grasp and understanding of the music which allows her to present a masterful interpretation. It really doesn't get better than this -- this single recording is one of the most remarkable and beautiful performances I've ever heard. Thank you Manoli S. for posting this!
Yes you have nailed it! The same can be said about Elena Obraztsova. 🌹
@@dubbelhenke854 But did Verrett betray Vishnevskaya to the Soviet authorities?
@@hrh4961Its really sad yes....I have read the latters memoirs. Even today some artists in Russia stand behind Putin. ☹️
I had the immense pleasure and great honour of meeting this beautiful lady many years ago when she was performing at the R,O,H, at that time ,I was completely unaware of who she was, I was driving a cab at that time and was called to the Savoy ,hotel to collect a client and drive her as directed , ,I took her and her husband to an address very close to where I lived and told her to phone me at home when she wanted to return to the Savoy, in the 31years I worked in that business ,I carried many famous people the one person I will always remember will be the fabulous ,Shirley Verret
Lucky you my friend!!! Thank you for sharing.
Glad I was able to hear her many times including this performance. Those were great nights. Nothing left of 'those days'. Gone and will never return. Today she would be singing this role dressed as a gay bumble bee, riding the subway in Queens.
When we hear praises these days for this or that singer, you must know the praising party has forgotten what great singing really is. It's this!!
Oh, how true! You took the words out of my mouth.
Very true .
I saw this live and thought, this must be what seeing Callas on a great night was like.
I feel that connection just hearing this.
well put.
She is my cousin. She was an amazing lady.
Lucky you to have such a marvelous cousin! I know us opera fans miss her dearly. She seemed like a wonderful person in addition to a great artist.
Manoli S. A true lady 👩 indeed. No one can replace our FALCON my friend. When she performed Lady Macbeth it made Madame Verrett a true FALCON of the most incredible art form in the world 🌎 para siempre. I never had the privilege to see this great LADY in a Concert/Opera performance. My wife & I always deeply appreciated her great artistic beauty that was so satisfying to hear to sing her heart on stage. She will always be remembered as a true legend never to be forgotten ❤️💕. Thank you so much for this great aria displaying her diverse vocal abilities. Arnold & Linda Bourbon Montoya Amaral.
Ken V. KNyneSaint Were you very close to Madame Verrett? Thank you. Arnold Bourbon Amaral 😊🙌💕✨
@@arnoldamaral7406 I wish! Unfortunately I was not able to meet her. I wasnt able to meet my grandfathers side of the family until about 10 years ago due to him not being in my father's life. I was robbed of my life with her.
Ken V. KNyneSaint Sorry my friend. Thank You for responding 😊🙌💕✨. Arnold Bourbon Amaral
Simply stupendous! To listen to the flowing ease with which she slides up and down the scales, hitting such superlative notes, absolutely convinces me there is a God who gives us such glorious moments!!
THANK YOU, Shirley Verrett, thank you, Signore Rossini, and thank you, Manoli S., for uploading this total delight!
My pleasure
I have listened to most of the Sopranos playing Lady Macbeth but I have never heard anyone come closer to how her and Ms Maria "La Divina" Callas are doing it. They are just so incredible....
I agree. Those two renditions are my favorites, head and shoulders above.
@@manolis.799 Exactly the same here! They are both my absolute favorite Lady Macbeths!
PAULINE TINSLEY IS UP THERE WITH MARIA AND SHIRLEY
What an Artist dear Shirley Verrett was! Rossinian runs, roulades and fireworks from a voice that could turn to deadly nightshade as Lady Macbeth. She always leaves me Awe-struck. I adore her.
What is fabulous here is that with the way the season 1975 was planned she had to sing this mezzo keeping the voice narrow and very agile and to go to open La Scala with the Macbeth's very high range (all the finale have the most exhausting high fortissimi long lines) and a larger volume . She then returned to the met and sang again Assedio. She then sang Adalgisa (and Norma in tour in 1976) combined with Azucena. Continuing with Azucena she prepared the spinto of Amelia in un Ballo, and Mme Lidoine. Then Favorita and Tosca. At that time she wanted really to STOP singing because of her respiratories allergies. About the size of her voice it was in her good evenings a voice very bull like, percussive, round and dark but with metal and even strident! I could hear her from the Foyer de la danse in the back of the stage in Palais Garnier for those who know where it is. She didn't want to try Wagner because she was afraid to get a thick heavy voice, with weight and no more agility. She always tried to sing " narrow" and flexible rather than heavily. She sang the veil sing of Eboli until her last recitals...and Ritorna vincitor at 65 yo.
Wow, I had no idea she was singing such a wide array of difficult roles those years. That lineup is reminiscent of some of Callas’! I love your videos with Verrett and others. I’m envious you got to hear her live.
I kind you hate for having gotten to see my idol😂🙃
What a thrilling, magnificent performance! Who, among the current crop of singers today could come anywhere close to that in vocal perfection?
Fabulous! She set, and still represents, a very high standard.
Tout a déjà été dit dans les commentaires! Quel art du chant et quelle technique🤩🤩🤩 et quelle voix😍
Oui cette prestation est stupéfiante et le commentaire qui la compare à Callas dans Armida est tout à fait pertinent!!!
Io pensavo che solo la Horne potesse interpretare in modo perfetto questa difficilissima romanza, ma qua siamo in un altro mondo.
This is La Stupenda! Perfection in voice.
Absolument magnifique . Une technique ,une étendue vocale ,une vraie science du bel canto .On se croirait transporté au 19 e siècle , à l'âge d'Or du chant avec les Malibran ,Grisi ou Pasta .Elle a le même impact sur moi que Maria Callas .C'est une géante !
The Great, Incomparable and unique Shirley Verrett!
The more I hear, the more I fall in love with that voice, so underrated!
She had a great career and was certainly not underrated.
People used to try to pit her against Grace Bumbry when the truth is they were completely different sopranos. Ms Verrett clearly could handle the demands of Rossinni and other Bel Canto roles that Ms Bumbry couldn't, similarly there were other soprano roles that weren't the great fit that they were for Ms Bumbry and there's nothing wrong with that.
Extremely impressive...
She covers from Low G to high Db here with every vocal technique in between.
Manoli S. Hello goodbye can you dig it
Holy Lord in Heaven!!! Just speechless! Why have I not been listening to her before now! This is coloratura perfection! Such a beautiful voice!!!
Coloratura for the ages.. a true soprano falcon
Manoli S. Totally agree. So hard to find this level of skill these days. The old school training, discipline and wise selection of repertoire! People are barely out of music school and singing Lucia!
@@manolis.799 A rare bird these days hijo. Arnold
@@manolis.799 So true!! I was so blessed, back in 1975 to be able to see her perform live in a solo recital in Los Angeles! She, of course, was phenomenal!!
grandiosa, tecnica perfetta, emissione magistrale, grande esempio della tecnica del belcanto, purezza, slancio, legati e colorature perfetti, sovracuti bellissimi, gravi sonori e convincenti. Grazie per questo documento preziosissimo!!!! Great, perfect tecnique, majestic breath, purity, energy, perfect legato and coloratura, wonderful high and chest notes. thank you for posting this masterpiece of belcanto tecnique!!!!
Grazie per il tuo commento. Verrett era una artista unica.
@@manolis.799 davvero, sono felice di averla trovata, sarà tra i miei modelli di canto per il mio studio, grazie ancora.
Più di venti anni fa, mi è mancato il suo concerto a Siena...
It was so exciting to hear this performance.
I had the pleasure of hearing Verrett in Boston with Sarah Caldwell conducting (Macbeth; Orfeo with Benita Valente; Aida w/James McCracken and Elizabeth Connell; Otello with McCracken), and in recital at Symphony Hall (bravo for her interpretation of three Pergolesi songs);
At the Metropolitan Opera (Siege of Corinth with Sills, Norma as Adalgisa with Caballe and as Norma (w/ Joy Davidson as Adalgisa and John Alexander) on Met tour in Boston); Dialogue of the Carmelites (w/Ewing and Crespin); Don Carlo (w/Caballe) ; Tosca (w/Pavarotti); La Favorita (w/Pavarotti); Il Trovatore (w/McCracken); and
The San Francisco Opera (Macbeth; L'Africaine w/Domingo; Samson and Delilah w/Domingo) and conduct a Master Class on July 28, 2004). I sat next to a gentleman at Samson and Delilah and as we talked I told him how much I loved Shirley and when we introduced ourselves his name was Leon Verrett, her father.
One more story: When Verrett sang Macbeth in Boston at the Orpheum on Washington Street, the theater had seen better days. There were boxes on the side of the stage. I and a friend "unofficially" sat in the box and when Shirley got close she could clearly see that we were wearing cat glasses. When we went backstage after the performance, Shirley smiled, shook her finger and said "you boys were very naughty tonight."
Shirley Verrett was a supreme artist who never disappointed. She Never Walked Alone.
Thank you for sharing your experiences my friend. You’re very lucky to have seen such a superb artist in so many different roles, and to have met her family and her. I do have one question, you said you saw her in Orfeo was this Gluck or Monteverdi’s?
@@manolis.799 Gluck
my favourite opera singer
the word incredible is not saying enough to describe this superb sound
Love her. One of the greatest.
volevo anche aggiungere: dizione perfetta, quanto è tanto più bello sentire un'opera scritta in italiano cantata con la corretta dizione!!! what a perfect italian pronounciation!!
One of the great voices of the operatic stage. This is sheer stunning!
Incredibile voce dal timbro sensuale ed unico, spettacolare artista, bellissima donna. Meriterebbe tutti gli onori ed i riconoscimenti che ancora oggi si danno alla Callas. La sua Lady, la sua Dalila, la sua Carmen , la sua Tosca fanno parte della storia della lirica.
The very heart and soul of bel canto, especially with those extended vocal lines. Hoomeyow!!
What an artist ! She was sensational up or down her range , which was great from top to low notes !
A parte MOISE ET PHARAON e lo STABAT MATER non credo abbia mai cantato nulla di ROSSINI. Eppure,ecco una grande rossiniana: contralto e soprano.l'ideale per risolvere l'eterno problema su a chi affidare i ruoli del Rossini/COLBRAN. Io la ricordo dal vivo nel MOISE, STABAT e splendida Didon nei TROYENS. God bless you, Shirley, wherever you are. We miss you.
I'm new to opera and have zero musical knowledge. I first heard about Shirley Verrett on some documentary and the beauty of her voice drew me to opera. That was about ten years ago. After I discovered Rossini on NPR in 2014 I started to listen to more of it and I think Shirley has the most pleasant, beautiful mezzo-soprano voice I've ever heard. Her voice has all of the lovely feminine qualities of a soprano but also depth and richness without that masculine or androgynous sound so many other mezzos have in opera.
Welcome to the wonderful world of opera!!!
Dark Feather Welcome indeed my friend to an incredible journey to the most beautiful art form in the world🌎 my friend. You've have chosen a great path in life. Arnold Bourbon Amaral 👏🔥💯👍
She was actually a dramatic soprano.
I love Shirley, but she was not a dramatic soprano. She was a unique voice type but not dramatic despite singing some of the heavier Italian roles.
@@manolis.799 She was a dramatic soprano. Has nothing to do with loving her or not loving her. That was her fach.
From top to bottom of her range - which was great - she was terrific !
it's just not fair to be this good! lol. Verrett is 'one of those' you don't think can 'talk', open's her mouth and BAM...that voice!
Unforgettable
Don't know how I got here but I'm glad I did her voice is amazing.
Welcome!!! Stay a while!
@@manolis.799 WORD!!!
It can't get better than this, live!
Stunning, impressive and high class ! 👍🏽💕
Superb!!!
Stupendous!
Grande classe ed eleganza
Wonderful !!!
This is marvellous.
Mezzo soprano it is superhuman!!!
@@manolis.799 Our Falcon HIJO. VIVA MADAME VERRETT.👑 Arnold 💙😷🙏
Jaw dropping
N. Lidar they said the applause went on for 15 minutes
Manoli S. Who is they I asked you?
I see what you did there. Very funny lady.
SPLENDID-Thanks for uploading
Just beautiful.
Beautiful!
Tks TH-cam, what a love i have for shirley ❤
Wow! All I can say... Thanks for sharing!
Fabulous!!! thanks so much ! these singers are really from another century~at all levels :)
The pleasure is mine! And yes they are all absolute legends at their craft.
iplx57 I think she may be a Vulcan or Romulan!
Manoli S. Apart from her impersonation of Neocle in her 1969 La Scala debut, did Marilyn Horne sing "L'Assedio di Corinto" on other occasions or that was the only time?
Leaving comparisons aside, Verrett is marvellous in this role!
Eduardo Braivein no idea... was never a Horne fan
@@manolis.799 Horne is nasal!
Superb!
Brava!
Awesome!!!!
*Oh my Goddess!*
Not surprised that the audience started applauding mid-way through, but it must have been off putting. Still, they gave the deserved ovation at the end. Surely one of the great live recordings.
Wow!
Fabulous singing. Only Horne could equal her but we don't really think of Verrett as a Rossini singer really. I was lucky to hear her Delilah in 1981 in London with Vickers and in concert with Bumbry 2 years later. That was a really exciting night. I wish I'd heard her in Verdi though.
For those not familiar with Ms. Verrett's art, listen to her performance from La Scala of Vieni t'affretta.
Yes the audience is in hysterics!
Her voice remember me a sharper knife that entry in my body. Absolutely beautiful... even this is the aria of Horne for excellence
Rossini was really her niche. Would have never guessed, having heard her only in Verdi.
Yes Madame Verrett could seamlessly sing anyting. I'm glad you enjoyed it like the rest of us. Take care my friend during this pandemic & be safe 😷🙏 Arnold Bourbon Amaral
Chi può cantare così oggi? Nessuno , bisogna accontentarsi delle mezze calzette che offre il mercato vocale!
Si Nessuno!!!
Samuel6969ify, meno di mezze calzette. Beh, qua' meglio della Horne...pare la Callas.
@@giudiciadanna4550 siamo comunque fra artiste stellari, oggi il deserto ...
@@numetutelare , ma certamente, la Verrett e' stata una cantante eccelsa, una vocalista di prim'ordine, un'interprete assoluta, veramente una simile alla Maria, nulla era tralasciato. Come rossiniana, anche se l'ha frequentato poco, la trovo stratosferica e il suo Neocle resta il migliore. La Horne e' grande ma spesso calcava la mano e poteva risultare grossolana (per carita', stiamo parlando di colossi). Inoltre lo charme che aveva la Verrett, il languore e il potere di seduzione della voce e del fisico, mancava nell'altra...e poteva tranquillamente cantare pure Norma e compagnia bella. Oggi il deserto!
Brava
She’s absolutely on fire here... some of the greatest singing of that decade (70s) for sure
Manoli S. INDEED my friend INDEED. Arnold Bourbon Amaral
O M G !!!! R e s p e c t
Gracias
She sure stole the show from Sills that night. I was there.
She sounds very sopranoish here! She had a fabulous breath support and her singing was always connected to the breath! She was ALWAYS a real soprano on the heavier side reason why she could sing and have decent presence in her low voice. Plus she black!! In the African American community most people talk way lower, reason why a lot of black female singer have an ability and passion to sing low.
Totally agree, she always has been a true soprano.
She really was! Probably a Spinto soprano. She does not have the depth of a real dramatic by any means!
@@beachfanatic2010 and what are your thoughts on her Isolde?
It’s too loud!!! She is great in everything she sings including Isolde. Her liebestod was great but too screamy for my taste. “Mild und leise” means calm and quite!!! That aria is really for a dramatic voice because when the real huge voices sing soft they are still very loud like Callas or Nilsson. Dramatic voices have a depth and girth!!!!! That other voices simply do not have!
@@beachfanatic2010 She did though before she retrained to a soprano, just listen to her "O don fatale" or "mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix"
🇧🇬💐O, WONDERFUL,👌 MAESTRA!!!🐘🍀
🌹BRAWISSISSISSIMO, MAESTRA!!!!!🦄
🌸BRAWISSISSISSIMO!!!🐞🦉🏡🌞♾🌈🎼🎶🎵
Phenomenal singing. Could you please upload some excerpts of Beverly Sills in this performance as well?
I’ll look into it. I don’t have the complete performance as of now but I will see if I can get my hands on one.
Manoli S. Thank you.
@@manolis.799 I love our Bubbles 🎶🎵🎼 Hijo. Arnold
hello, do you know there were two broadcasts of this work with verrett???
No I did not know that! Wow!
More Verrett live here:
th-cam.com/video/ipXlaJwHgJY/w-d-xo.html
WoW! Thank you sooo much!
better vocal technique than Foghorne.
If there can be more than one God, there can be more than one divine....
More Verrett live:
th-cam.com/video/ipXlaJwHgJY/w-d-xo.html
Tutto ella poté
Δεν ειναι τυχαιο που της δοθηκε το προσωνυμιο “Βlack Callas” …….φανταστικη!!!!!!!!!!!
Goddess! I much prefer he to Horne!
@Barone Vitellio Scarpia Exactly!
@Barone Vitellio Scarpia Yes, it's a great video. Verrett was a great Dalila. Not my favourite, but nevertheless great.
@Barone Vitellio Scarpia Yes she is!
I'm not generally in the business of comparing singers... but if i was 👀 There's no getting around the fact that Verrett quite literally sings circles around Horne in virtually all repertoire they share 😗
@@CASantos Oh is that what you call it. Singing. Horne is so overrated. 😳 Arnold Bourbon Amaral
I always have a bit of a problem with how Verrett approached her lower register. There is a slight nasal, airy quality that lacks the true androgynous chest tones needed for this kind of repertoire IMO.
That said, all the scales, high notes, coloratura, resonance between all registers is fantastic here. She was the absolute definition of a falcon- a strong middle voice that could blossom upwards like a dramatic soprano, but still retained the density of a mezzo in the lower portions of her range. Her voice sounds so fresh here too, truly gorgeous.
Nobody cares about your opinion-lol!
You're stupid
Sad response.
@@mariomazzi7894 i do:) ... more that i care for your immature insecure little remark
You can’t even compose a proper sentence! Lol! You’re an idiot!
YOU ONLY GET TO THE MET BASED ON TALENT ! SHE HAD IT !
Talent and an unfailing intellect
Maybe up until the 80s... But nowadays? MET and talent? lol
metropolitan1966 heh heh...
Sadly The Met is no longer the place to hear great singing. Capitalism has turned it into a second rate shadow of its former glory.
@@manolis.799 it used to be Mecca and now it's Babylon. And those miserable conductors and directors not to mention the general director GELB . I haven't been to the Met in almost 20 years. Or Chicago or San Francisco they all suck big time. The only opera singer I'd see today is Hernandez. 👑 and possibly Rebeka. So hopefully in May Hernandez will be performing Tosca at Seattle Opera. The miserable Met doesn't deserve her. Arnold Bourbon Amaral.