Elena Obraztsova as the Witch Ulrica in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera. La Scala, 1978. Conductor: Claudio Abbado. For a free English translation, please see the following: operainenglish....
Obraztsova was a hot and gutsy mezzo soprano. She took the huge Slavic voice she had and laid it on the line. The results were always exciting and electric. Her singing of Ameris, Azucena, Ulrica, and Eoli were always stealing the show from the leading soprano and tenor. It's the Russian thing. Driving force, drama, a heavy Slavic sound with great basement notes. She gave many people some exciting evenings in her day. She's now in charge of a singing school in Russia.
i listened her singing this rol in theatre together with Tomowa Sintow , she was superbe, electrifying , the voice made tremble the whole theatre, full of dramatic vibration , acting as a cinema golden age Diva, something to remember
la più grande ulrica....senza dubbio..impreziosita da una straordinaria cornice orchestrale che esalta le magnifiche nuances infere di una voce forgiata nell'acciaio....sovrana assoluta
I can't express how much I've been waiting for someone to put this up. THANK YOU! Obraztsova is one of the best voices of all time. A true dramatic mezzo with a gorgeous, harsh bottom and a flourishing top.
I asure you, Elena is the best from the best dramsoprano among others. I suppise it is contralto. In fact. Tremendous voice, I have heard her when she was alive twice.
What a cavernous voice, what a chest voice and she could sing soprano arias as well! There are plenty of here on YT. Thank you for sharing this gem of singing.
Absolutely the BEST Ulrica i' ve ever heard! I wish she had performed Lady Macbeth, i am sure it was well into her vocal range! She has the voice of a real dramatic mezzo soprano, but she also has a surprising strength in the upper and lower range.
Lady of the Hell, yessssss, or Queen of the HELL!!!!! :)))) Wonderfuuuuuuuuuuul voice!!!! The best soprano for me is Maria Callas, and the best mezzo is Elena Obraztsova!! I L O V E !!!!!!!!!!!
Meravigliosa Elena. Il Sol grave (Silen-) è incredibilmente profondo. Ma il successivo Do (-nzio!) è letteralmente portentoso, così imperativo, sonoro e lungo, perché giunge dopo che ha dovuto impiegare tonnellate di fiato per cantare in quel modo il Sol grave.
Here is an example of an absolute vocal fearlessness and abandon. Elena is in her best shape, in total control of her voice, nailing the top G5 and jumping into the abyss of the bottom G3, without giving her a split second to calculate or think about how this or that note should sound. She is completely uncompromising and in the rest of the range between the top and the bottom, too, and obviously enjoys it. She shines in every phrase she sings, cutting through the choir and the orchestra like a wind instrument, like a French horn or a trombone. Some lovers of sophistication might accuse her of being less refined than others, who are more delicate. But Verdi’s witches were not meant to be gentle dames in elegant white gloves. They were supposed to be fearsome, ferocious creatures, who throw little kiddies into bonfires. Obraztsova was perfect for those cartoonish evil characters, in my opinion. Unfortunately, not for long.
@@Hans-sg5rg Sure she had. Unfortunately, after she'd stepped over some certain threshold (when she turned 50), she declined rather quickly, in quality of singing. She still sung around, but could not match her younger version of herself. Nothing new.
I know I'm not going to make me friends saying that, but only hot air is coming from so praised Zajick's throat comparing to this. Maybe Obraztsova is not as refined, as subtle, but in that time of scrawny and morbid voices, who can be insensible to this sonorous typhoon ?
That low G slayed my everything. GREATest vooce
I have her singing Delilah
Obraztsova was a hot and gutsy mezzo soprano. She took the huge Slavic voice she had and laid it on the line. The results were always exciting and electric. Her singing of Ameris, Azucena, Ulrica, and Eoli were always stealing the show from the leading soprano and tenor. It's the Russian thing. Driving force, drama, a heavy Slavic sound with great basement notes. She gave many people some exciting evenings in her day.
She's now in charge of a singing school in Russia.
Amazing chest voice ..... probably one of the best versions
i listened her singing this rol in theatre together with Tomowa Sintow , she was superbe, electrifying , the voice made tremble the whole theatre, full of dramatic vibration , acting as a cinema golden age Diva, something to remember
la più grande ulrica....senza dubbio..impreziosita da una straordinaria cornice orchestrale che esalta le magnifiche nuances infere di una voce forgiata nell'acciaio....sovrana assoluta
La più Grande Ulrica! Elena magistrale!!!!!❤
I can't express how much I've been waiting for someone to put this up. THANK YOU! Obraztsova is one of the best voices of all time. A true dramatic mezzo with a gorgeous, harsh bottom and a flourishing top.
I asure you, Elena is the best from the best dramsoprano among others. I suppise it is contralto. In fact. Tremendous voice, I have heard her when she was alive twice.
@@АндрейАлексеев-б6ж She was NOT a contralto. True MEZZO. A high mezzo in fact.
The best ever.
Obratsova es increíble. Que voz portentosa, dramática, electrizante. Debe haber sido memorable verla y oírla en vivo.
Tremenda Ulrica! La primera vez que escucho a Elena en este rol... Realmente una voz con peso! Que Sol 3 magnífico!!!!
Rest in peace you spectacular wonderful singer/actress!!!!
great Alto !!!one of the icons of the opera history !!!!!
She was Russian mezzo soprano ,not contralto ,but her chest voice was developed very well.Lot of overtones !
The goosebumps all over my body! What a powerful voice of Divine Elena! Her Ulrica is just incredible.
What a cavernous voice, what a chest voice and she could sing soprano arias as well! There are plenty of here on YT.
Thank you for sharing this gem of singing.
wunderbar,
die singt wirklich alles oder nichts
und es ist nie nichts, es ist immer alles
grandios
Excellent!
Bellissimo brano, grande esecuzione, fantastici costume e scena!!!
Ah,that woman!!!Ah,that woman!!!She's just unbelievable!!!!
Вы так правильно говорите. Елена Васильевна замечательна! Во всём своём творчестве и очень особенная.
Che voce!
Beautiful ,dramatic Verdi aria!
FANTASTICA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Questa è OPERA! BRAVISSIMA ELENA!!! 💕💕💕
She is an Art.
This is my favorite video on TH-cam!!!!!
The BEST ULRICA EVER !!
Really? th-cam.com/video/zD6skGztrTA/w-d-xo.html
@@lesindorf-904videos невероятно
Absolutely the BEST Ulrica i' ve ever heard!
I wish she had performed Lady Macbeth, i am sure it was well into her vocal range!
She has the voice of a real dramatic mezzo soprano, but she also has a surprising strength in the upper and lower range.
Podles...
@@greatmomentsofopera7170 Finally someone says it! Has anyone sang Ulrica with more infernal depth?
@@greatmomentsofopera7170 Exactly! Ewa Podleś is absolutely fantastic! ❤️
impareggiabile ulrika
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Love it!!!!love her
the best ulrica ever
Podles...
Really? th-cam.com/video/zD6skGztrTA/w-d-xo.html
@@greatmomentsofopera7170 Pally th-cam.com/video/zD6skGztrTA/w-d-xo.html
wonderful - very strong and beautiful voice - thank you for these video - I was yesterday in the Stadttheater Berne in Un Ballo in maschera. Nice.
Obratzsova!! Really impresive as a Ulrica wow !!!❤
Love her ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Lady of the Hell, yessssss, or Queen of the HELL!!!!! :))))
Wonderfuuuuuuuuuuul voice!!!!
The best soprano for me is Maria Callas, and the best mezzo is Elena Obraztsova!!
I L O V E !!!!!!!!!!!
Meravigliosa Elena. Il Sol grave (Silen-) è incredibilmente profondo. Ma il successivo Do (-nzio!) è letteralmente portentoso, così imperativo, sonoro e lungo, perché giunge dopo che ha dovuto impiegare tonnellate di fiato per cantare in quel modo il Sol grave.
To me, there is no photo finish : Ulrica IS Obraztsova - or the reverse is you prefer IoI
Dramatic and intense, but I still think Ewa Podles is the most spine-tingling in this role...
"More to the bottom - more vulgarity it gets." and that,that's the best part!!!No comment!Case closed!!!
Нет ей равных,Великая певица ,она Человечише 🙏💔
Simionato, Stignani, Obraztova, Barbieri y Quivar son las mejores mezzosoprano verdianas que han existido en la ópera.
What about Irina Arkhipova?
Домингес?
Коссотто?
Stupenda
Лена лучше всех в мире пела эту партию
I am privileged to have heard Podles' Ulrica at Houston Grand Opera, a couple of weekends ago.
Here is an example of an absolute vocal fearlessness and abandon. Elena is in her best shape, in total control of her voice, nailing the top G5 and jumping into the abyss of the bottom G3, without giving her a split second to calculate or think about how this or that note should sound. She is completely uncompromising and in the rest of the range between the top and the bottom, too, and obviously enjoys it. She shines in every phrase she sings, cutting through the choir and the orchestra like a wind instrument, like a French horn or a trombone. Some lovers of sophistication might accuse her of being less refined than others, who are more delicate. But Verdi’s witches were not meant to be gentle dames in elegant white gloves. They were supposed to be fearsome, ferocious creatures, who throw little kiddies into bonfires. Obraztsova was perfect for those cartoonish evil characters, in my opinion. Unfortunately, not for long.
Didn't she have a long career?
@@Hans-sg5rg Sure she had. Unfortunately, after she'd stepped over some certain threshold (when she turned 50), she declined rather quickly, in quality of singing. She still sung around, but could not match her younger version of herself. Nothing new.
I know I'm not going to make me friends saying that, but only hot air is coming from so praised Zajick's throat comparing to this. Maybe Obraztsova is not as refined, as subtle, but in that time of scrawny and morbid voices, who can be insensible to this sonorous typhoon ?
PonselleLover Zajick and Obraztsova best mezzo-sopranos ever
Jedino Fedora Barbieri moze da joj konkurise u ovoj ulozi,a ona ima totalno drugaciji senzibilitet...za mene su jednake,ogromne i neponovljive!!!
There is some majestic power here, but I prefer Giulietta Simionato as Ulrica.
@fabiocasadeiturroni
maybe therefore she was allowed to sing abroad...
is doesn´t get more ulrica than this hahha... I admire hwo she fears NO note at all
th-cam.com/video/zD6skGztrTA/w-d-xo.html
toujours un faible pour la Obraztsova
I love simionato but Ulrica is not for her ,!
More to the bottom - more vulgarity it gets. But not so bad in relation to the rest of her works.
caspiman if you want a tiny, unreleased sound then listen to any modern opera singer.
A Mezzo SHOULD sound dark and be able to use the chest voice, otherwise it is not a Mezzo.
@@larissamontero True!! I miss the huge beautiful chest tones of the old singers. Now is just collapse head voice and I hate that