Coloratura Comparison - Mozart: Concert aria K.418 Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio! High Es, Live
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- This is the fourth (and final) entry in my series comparing sopranos singing a section from an aria Mozart wrote for Aloysia Weber. She was his primary soprano artistic muse, gifted with one of the most prodigious coloratura soprano voices in history.
K.418 "Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!" was composed by Mozart as one of two substitution arias for Aloysia to perform when she was in Vienna singing the role of Clorinda in Anfossi’s opera "Il curioso indiscreto" in 1783. It's a totally obscure opera now; if it attracts any interest at all it is because of Mozart's arias.
K.418 is my favorite aria of all time. I have collected every recording (vinyl, CD, live) that I could get my hands on. In my view, K.418 is not just Mozart's greatest aria, but it is the greatest soprano aria ever written! (That sentence reminds me of that line of Mozart's in the film "Amadeus"). It contains everything one could want: a gorgeous, time-suspending, dreamy melody in the primary aria; an oboe obbligato that duets with the soprano soloist adding color and complexity; harmonic and structural sophistication; coloratura flourishes; and very effective use of extremes. One area of contrasting extremes is tempo as the aria moves suddenly from a languid adagio to a brazen allegro, and then races over the finish line with a final thrilling piu allegro. The other is in the score's extreme vocal compass, from a Low B3 to a High E6, two octaves and a fourth (likely the largest vocal range called for in a soprano aria by Mozart, or almost any other composer for that matter). This wide range is emphasized near the end of the aria with a huge upward vocal leap from B3 to D6 (two octaves and a minor third). Perhaps I will do another comparison of just that section.
For now, you’ll hear 24 sopranos in measures 63 to 77, about one minute of music, that features a gradual climb to High E6, and then another echoing phrase that rises to High C#6.
About those High Es: the score from the Mozarteum website shows the three Es are written as one quarter note followed by two eighth notes that are tied and span across two measures. To me that indicates those last two notes should be sung as one quarter note, which would mean a total articulation of two High Es that a quarter note in length each. However, you’ll hear that many of the singers articulate all three notes fairly evenly. As long as the pitch is true, the tone is pure, and the phrasing is musical, I’m not going to quibble as both work fine with the aria’s structure.
K.418 is Mozart at his most sublime, while asking so much in technique and artistry from the soprano. It's worth noting that I'm not the only one who admires K.418 as it is quite popular: according to the Salzburg Festival online archives, K.418 and K.528 have each been performed in concert 22 times there, more than any other concert aria.
Enjoy these 24 sopranos presented in alphabetical order:
(I believe these are all live performances or live radio transmissions)
00:00 Introduction
04:15 1. Kathleen Battle
05:17 2. Gwendolyn Bradley
06:16 3. Paola Cigna
07:14 4. Patrizia Cigna
08:14 5. Laura Claycomb
09:09 6. Sabine Devieilhe
10:03 7. Jodie Devos (1988 - 2024)
10:53 8. Barbara Fuchs
11:41 9. Sylvia Greenberg
12:40 10. Reri Grist
13:35 11. Edita Gruberova (1946 - 2021)
14:37 12. Sumi Jo
15:31 13. Aline Kutan
16:23 14. Marie McLaughlin
17:25 15. Erin Morley
18:23 16. Elizabeth Parcells (1951 - 2005)
19:17 17. Milagros Poblador
20:13 18. Anna Prohaska
21:02 19. Aleksandra Resztik
21:55 20. Beverly Sills (1929 - 2007) (with piano)
22:58 21. Ghillian Sullivan
23:50 22. Jeanette Vecchione
24;44 23. Dorothea Wirtz (from Salzburg performance of "Il curioso indiscreto")
25:33 24. Patricia Wise - เพลง
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Wow... still gruberova my favourite! love her pianissimo notes
Sumi jo is clear and perfect note.
My favorite Mozart concert aria, I’ve loved Sills studio version for many years but I’ve never heard this live one. Thanks for sharing.
I have a personal preference for Reri Grist, although that may be because hers was the first rendition I ever heard. That being said, what a beauty!
Kathleen Battle is the ultimate best! Her voice flows through the notes with such ease, grace and effortless beauty. If angels sing, these is how they must sound! Beautiful!!
Morley wins for me... that crescendo. Thank you again for compiling these!!
Great vocal game! I love this aria and for years it was Sills for me…Sabine is exceptional as well!
I have a similar appreciation and attention due to this aria, and have to say: best video on youtube!
Sills, Sylvia, Sumi Jo and Morley 🥰🥰🥰
Sabine Devieilhe is my favorite ❤
Thank you for this wonderful compilation! Very enjoyable.
Sabine is def my new fav, although I have found better recordings of her singing this. Also I agree with the person who said Ms Battle's interp was "seductive." I love that these are all live - nice apples-to-apples. Thank you for doing this work!! I will be watching your channel from now on. #coloratura
Thanks for being a fan of the channel!
omg it's amazing !
"But fate condemns me to weep in silence." Brava to all the ladies - one of my favorites also!
Just to agree with you about the wonderful oboe line with and complimenting the voice, woodwind with the voice was one (just one) of the miracles of Mozart’s vocal writing, another example is the flute in the aria Ruhe Sanft from the opera Zaide.
Regarding a definite appraisal of the different singers and voices, almost impossible, as the recordings are simply too ‘different’ in time (historically) the equipment varies, very clearly the ambience varies greatly, the recording engineers, microphone placement, and very often crucial for voices, the microphones themselves.
From the examples here, for me the 2 French “D”s, albeit 1 is Belgian! Devielhe and Devos are the only ones where the voice doesn’t tend to go to a ‘whistle’ on the very top notes, so they are my preferences.
The interesting part about this aria is that it exposes the high soprano to not just notes octave leaps legato but also their very tone of voice. Many sopranos who perform this have mosquito voices and the entire thing is often lost to a weird vocalise (Sabine). The aria involves a quandary over a Count so there is supposed to be some nobility in the sound. This is not a saucy maid aria. Gruberova who actually possessed the requisite power decided to express the top as a inner ecstasy quietly. Others give more, some avoid the E6. At either way we must remember that pitch has risen since this was composed in the 18th C. The E6 we hear would had sounded more like a D6. Aloysia Weber was documented to have a fruity high soprano with a glittery high acuti extension like a bird. So the top would had a buzzy higher strung agony versus the pale tiny sound in many of these offerings. Offerings 1,10,14,20-24 are more how this would had gone. With 10 Reri Grist being the likely best version in a similar past example.
We obviously disagree on a number of points about how a coloratura soprano should sound and the artistic point in trying to recreate Aloysua Weber's voice, which largely subjective, so let me just point out an undiscutable error in your post: You exaggerate the difference between Mozart' pitch and the current one quite considerably. An E6 using Mozart's tuning fork wouldn't be anywhere near a D6 - in fact, it would be 26 cents higher than a modern Eb6. Not all that much to fuss about, in oyher words,
Kathleen Battle sings the entire passage so seductively! I was captivated with her as I was with no one else. Reri Grist was second for me. There were others I also loved.
Stephen Golden. try Ingeborg Hallstein and you will be amazed. Her voice is truly golden and has a sound both effortless and natural.
Sabine for certain. Effortless pure emotion….perfection
agree
Ladycomb's phrasing is the most refreshing. she uses staccato elegantly to help her phrasing, and she has a certain innate style that befits Mozart's music that only those studied Mozart's instrumental works for will appreciate.
All were beautiful. But Natalie Dessay and Patricia Petibon's versions are my favorites.
I loved it. Judith Blegen sings this very well also....
Hi why is ingeborg hallstein and Beverly hoch not included and Natalie Dessay. I think those are 3 of the best versions ever
Those 3 sopranos are great in their studio recordings (which are already posted on YT by other channels) -- but I do not have *live* performances by those sopranos and this comparison was only of live performances.
@@songbirdwatcher Dessay's live version can be found on youtuber sour7lemon's channel.
hello! I am a new follower and I was fascinated by your channel, I came here for this video!
I don't know if I already have a comparative video, but I think one similar to this would be very nice over another of Mozart's arias "Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben", which, in my opinion, is very beautiful and also difficult to execute. thank you
Could you, please, post Battle's version? I have heard other live recordings of her singing this phenomenal piece, but not this one in particular. Thanks a lot! Also, her picture is gorgeous! Such an impecabble taste you have!
Done!
@@songbirdwatcher I have just heard it! It was fan-tas-tic! Thank you so much! :D
Sylvia Greenberg, and Erin Morley
Sabine Devieilhe 💘💗💞❣💘💗💞❣💘💗💞❣💘💗💞❣💘💗💞❣
Erin Morley, for sustained top note and depth of feeling, 2nd Sylvia Greenway
❤Пение Вселенной ,иначе не скажешь это необычное пение .Восторг необыкновенный.❤❤❤ Брависсимо ооо.
Don't know why several sopranos sing three Es. There are only two high E, the second is tied to the third.
❤❤❤
@songbirdwatcher
Hi, I am writing this on behalf of Ghillian Sullvian who is a Soprano featured in your video. She asks if you have the the recording of her singing the aria, as she does not and would love to hear it in full?
Sure! I’m happy send the full aria via email. You can send me a note to the email listed on the About tab of my channel.
Edda Moser the best, listen her please. It's fantastic. Thanks, perfect voice compilation
Gruberova is the Best ❤
Winners: Reri Grist, Sumi Jo, Erin Morley, Beverly Sills
Fascinating exercise. While I'm pretty much in awe of anyone who can do this, I definitely heard nuances when presented with these in a compare and contrast format. I was not at all familiar with many of these singers, so that was interesting too. As far as my personal preference - I don't care so much about the Es as I do that the singer sound as if they are inside the song (although I don't care for it when the E sounds like a different vowel than the notes that lead up to it, and nor does our dog!). I understand that this was just live performances - but considering these are recordings, and studio recordings are recordings, that seems slightly arbitrary ;-).
Not arbitrary in my view. I selected live performances because it's make-or-break -- you get one chance, in front of a live audience staring at you. In a studio recording, there is still some pressure (ie, the cost of studio time and orchestra), but the environmental conditions are definitely in the singers' favor, and there is always the option for a retake -- and the engineers can help enhance the voice.
Hey ! Thanks for this video ! Everytime I see this aria listed, I can't wait to hear whomever sings it. ( It's vocal-decadence. ) Your description is much-more informed AND it's easy to understand why you consider it the greatest soprano aria ; too bad, just because it's a soprano song, doesn't mean every soprano can sing it. A real virtuoso-soprano w / the purest of voices would definitely be more specific ( not being critical of your professional description ).
What do you think of _Sophie's_ aria ? I've heard Battle sing it. She was also compared w / other sopranos in that song. Her version was nothing like anything I'd ever heard from a female voice ... w /o exaggeration ... it was unreal that a human voice, in that isolated phrase, could make that sound. If she had been singing in the wild ... the female birds she would have attracted.
... more likely the male one's!
@pjkhunold Yes ! That, too, is possible, but males sing to attract females.
13/ 16/ 20/ 22.. wow
I adore Edita Gruberova❤
Perfect E.
Sills and Sumi Jo win it for me. But nobody does a pianissimo better than Gruberova.
I wish Callas sang this song, she had the perfect chest for the low B and all of the high notes, can't wait for the low B comparison!
Callas would not have been very comfortable in the high sustained stuff.
@@tamerlano when she was younger, she would have had no problem
Battle sings CIRCLES around everyone else! It is not even fair to compare her version with the others. Not a single bad singer in this marvelous list, and yet, what a showdown she delivers. The greatest vocal piece ever, indeed! Thank you so much for posting! The longing in the adagio is truly remarkable.
I agree. I came back to Kathleen at the end of the video. There were several singers I really liked, even loved. But no one sings the entire clip as seductively as Kathleen. Truly, there is no comparison.
Please also listen to Mariella Devia! She is too often forgotten
I adore Devia. I wish she had included this aria on her Mozart recital/concert disc from 1998.
Not by me. I adore her SO much.
9 Sylvia Greenberg is also amazing
no Dessay?
where is Ingeborg Hallstein?
This is only live performances, and I don't have Hallstein singing this one live. Only her studio recording. She did sing it live at a Salzburg Festival concert in 1969, but sadly, I don't have that version. Something to keep an eye out for!
I think Ms. Battle's version with Andre Previn is better than even this version. And that leap at the end is the best part! Why leave it out??
Greenberg, then Battle
th-cam.com/video/A81zbskPpkU/w-d-xo.html Maria Rădeanu, young soprana, 24 years, min: 4,48-5
Reri Grist
Is Gagnon playing on the Sills clip? Lousy playing.
There is not even Natalie Dessay ???
I don't have Dessay doing this aria live, only her (wonderful) studio recording. Surprising, but true!
@@songbirdwatcher here is the link : th-cam.com/video/2U4727JKEpw/w-d-xo.html
@@songbirdwatcher Just love the interpretations from Natalie Dessay. Please, consider comparing the last "d'a-mor non par-la---te" resolution between all of them. As far as I know the resolution from Natalie is the most beautiful for me.
By the way, congratulations for the idea of these comparissons.
@@songbirdwatcher th-cam.com/video/UpJmr8h8pgk/w-d-xo.html
What, not even Natalie Dessay ???😪
For me it's Reri Grist and Erin Morley who both maintained a vibrato on the top note with a beautiful round sound and seemed to be at ease when reaching it.
What I heard when Katleen B sang, delighted my ears!! Every note had shape!
Aquí falta RITA STREICH. La mejor de todas.
This compilation is only of live performances -- Streich's only recording is in a studio.
Sills without a doubt…. But you forgot Margaret Price and Mariella Devia
Gruberova is the worst in my opinion
None of them come anywhere close to Ingeborg Hallstein. She is the only one who brings out the sweetness and beauty of tone of this wonderful aria in the way that Mozart must have intended.