I saw her in her Covent Garden farewell in this role in 1988 twice. She did have to husband her resources a bit on opening night but at the last performance she pulled out all the stops for the final scene and the final cabaletta she sounded on top form. Amazing really!
They pretty much recomposed this cabaletta to fit her voice and transposed it down so that she could hit a D in the end. She’s one of my favorites, but I never found this role to be a good fit for her.
I think it was a good fit for her, but that she sang it a bit late. She’s never been my cup of tea, but I think she sounds good here, all things considered. She had earned the right to transpose.
@@ER1CwC Singers used to transpose at the time of Bellini and Donizetti all the time, probably more than nowadays. The reason I say it was never a good fit for her is that the role has a lot of music that requires slow cantilena legato singing. And as she and her husband have said several times in interviews, legato singing is something that she struggled with. The role also requires excellent diction and a grandiloquence of utterance, especially in the recitatives, which she also struggled with. When you listen to Callas sing Giudici, ad Anna, or Sedizioze Voci in Norma and then listen to Sutherland, the difference is immediately clear.
@@Shahrdad Yes, but that would apply to many of the other roles she sang, including Norma, Lucrezia Borgia, etc. Her Norma is not to my tastes, but I can’t say that she wasn’t born to sing that role. The only major difference I see between Anna and the other dramatic bel canto roles was that she only got to Anna late. Slow legato singing is probably something that the dramatic coloratura voice types find difficult. Callas had to work hard on it too. Casta diva was never the highlight of her Norma, for example: Big lyric sopranos like Caballe find it more congenial, but of course find other parts of those roles more difficult.
@@ER1CwC I never cared for her Norma or Lucrezia either. Callas never really struggled with legato singing, and her often cello-like legato was absolutely exemplary. Where as Joan could often fall into the infamous "mooning and mooching" in slow music, Callas never lost the forward momentum or resorted to scooping. I do love Sutherland in fast music, such as the cabaletta to the Masnadieri aria. Her singing of Handel was also spectacular and hasn't been bettered.
@@Shahrdad I’d agree that music with movement was favourable for both of them, but I’m not sure about whether they were that far removed when it came to lyric singing. Callas didn’t scoop etc,, but her voice would rebel in different ways. I think the oft-cited example of Depuis le jour is a good point of reference. Even in 1954, she found it difficult, let alone 1961.
Indeed. She sang both of the big scenas down a tone from Eflat to Dflat by this stage. Probably around 19th century pitch though. Of course one would have liked her to sing and record it the 1960s which I think was posited but deferred.
@@Feisenbach Most singers, even very famous ones, transposed music...Pavarotti, Sills....the list would be long. Sutherland did too, but she transposed up and down. So what.
Potato buo buo buo juoo juoooo. Why everyone is so hard on Callas and this woman can do half things goobeling around and anybody cares. (Some notes are amazing but as a whole…) bluo bluo with and high E
Buo buo buo You know nothing, her sound, presence and technique are far beyond the wobbly Greek… she didn’t live or sing long enough… you believe in generous Callas recordings, and legend without hearing her in a hall,the real judge of technique and projection… I did… Sutherland was a miracle… believe your myths… enjoy it
@@lastupendaboy you did hear Callas? Where? In your wet dreams. Are you 80? Lastupenda was like a gigantic mecanic drag with a wonderful voice, bad musicality, and the need of full assistance from her husband to produce something with some kind of musical sense… horrible italian, horrible actress, so I am sorry but she is a good singer with nothing to add to the Opera more that a few acrobatics and high Es, Callas is a monster of art, brought back roles completely forgotten, a musicologist, a great actress, and over all a superb musician. At in any case, is a matter of taste and opinion, you like Sutherland listen to her… end of quote.
@@lastupendaboy oh please “the wobbly greek” hahaha, did you hear her life? Are you 80? Regarding Dame Joan, we can discuss her voice as that is a matter of taste… but as an actress Sutherland had the grace of a stuffed Turkey dress like a drag, and as a musician she couldnt sing a folk song without the constant coach of her husband. So she was a good singer, Callas was a great artist and musician that brought back many operas,… is like compare a good piano with a good piano+ Rubinstein… but continue hearing Sutherland, if you like it… why not… just dont hear Callas… she is too deep for you. You dont get her… so continue with Joan.
Sutherland the best!!!! Sutherland recording of Anna Bolena=THE BEST!!! Sills=like it, but it is overembelished, Callas=dramatic, but not in good voice, to many cuts, mono, Suliotis=complete, but not in good voice, Caballé=disaster at La Scala, Gencer=good, but live and incomplete. I agree that a Sutherland recording 15 years previous would be better, much better. Here greater concurrent always was she herself younger.
Vado H.: Decca made a recording of ANNA BOLENA with Marilyn Horne and Nicolai Ghiarouv (sp) about 15 years before this concert but with Elena Souliotis. Unfortunately not a performance worth preserving. Martin Bookspan made reference to the 1956 Bergamot revival of ANNA BOLENA with Callas. But he is mistaken. Callas only sang ANNA BOLENA at La Scala in 1957 and 1958. The host made reference to s revival of ANNA BOLENA in 1957
Astonishing singing. We'll not see her like again!
We certainly won't
I was privileged to hear her throughout the 80s and she certainly was the greatest singer I have ever heard.
What a great job for a woman of almost 60 years.
What very good trills and a perfect high D flat at the end of 4 hours of heavy singing.
Yep..Prima donna assoluta!
I saw her in her Covent Garden farewell in this role in 1988 twice. She did have to husband her resources a bit on opening night but at the last performance she pulled out all the stops for the final scene and the final cabaletta she sounded on top form. Amazing really!
The PHENOMENON attacks Donizetti and......WINS !
Sutherland Stupenda !!!!❤
They pretty much recomposed this cabaletta to fit her voice and transposed it down so that she could hit a D in the end. She’s one of my favorites, but I never found this role to be a good fit for her.
I think it was a good fit for her, but that she sang it a bit late. She’s never been my cup of tea, but I think she sounds good here, all things considered. She had earned the right to transpose.
@@ER1CwC Singers used to transpose at the time of Bellini and Donizetti all the time, probably more than nowadays. The reason I say it was never a good fit for her is that the role has a lot of music that requires slow cantilena legato singing. And as she and her husband have said several times in interviews, legato singing is something that she struggled with. The role also requires excellent diction and a grandiloquence of utterance, especially in the recitatives, which she also struggled with. When you listen to Callas sing Giudici, ad Anna, or Sedizioze Voci in Norma and then listen to Sutherland, the difference is immediately clear.
@@Shahrdad Yes, but that would apply to many of the other roles she sang, including Norma, Lucrezia Borgia, etc. Her Norma is not to my tastes, but I can’t say that she wasn’t born to sing that role. The only major difference I see between Anna and the other dramatic bel canto roles was that she only got to Anna late.
Slow legato singing is probably something that the dramatic coloratura voice types find difficult. Callas had to work hard on it too. Casta diva was never the highlight of her Norma, for example: Big lyric sopranos like Caballe find it more congenial, but of course find other parts of those roles more difficult.
@@ER1CwC I never cared for her Norma or Lucrezia either. Callas never really struggled with legato singing, and her often cello-like legato was absolutely exemplary. Where as Joan could often fall into the infamous "mooning and mooching" in slow music, Callas never lost the forward momentum or resorted to scooping. I do love Sutherland in fast music, such as the cabaletta to the Masnadieri aria. Her singing of Handel was also spectacular and hasn't been bettered.
@@Shahrdad I’d agree that music with movement was favourable for both of them, but I’m not sure about whether they were that far removed when it came to lyric singing. Callas didn’t scoop etc,, but her voice would rebel in different ways. I think the oft-cited example of Depuis le jour is a good point of reference. Even in 1954, she found it difficult, let alone 1961.
Not impressed with this one. Once you hear Maria Callas sing it, everyone else sounds bad I guess.
Listen to Beverly Sills also.
Callas, Callas, Callas!!!!!!
Both Callas and Dame Joan bring different interventions to our ears. However, Sutherland's agility and power surpasses Callas's
Pitched down.
Indeed. She sang both of the big scenas down a tone from Eflat to Dflat by this stage. Probably around 19th century pitch though. Of course one would have liked her to sing and record it the 1960s which I think was posited but deferred.
Of course. It was Sutherland, Queen of transposition.
@@Feisenbach queen of coloratura.
@@Wotan123456789 Queen of transposed coloratura.
@@Feisenbach Most singers, even very famous ones, transposed music...Pavarotti, Sills....the list would be long. Sutherland did too, but she transposed up and down. So what.
Potato buo buo buo juoo juoooo. Why everyone is so hard on Callas and this woman can do half things goobeling around and anybody cares. (Some notes are amazing but as a whole…) bluo bluo with and high E
Buo buo buo You know nothing, her sound, presence and technique are far beyond the wobbly Greek… she didn’t live or sing long enough… you believe in generous Callas recordings, and legend without hearing her in a hall,the real judge of technique and projection… I did… Sutherland was a miracle… believe your myths… enjoy it
@@lastupendaboy you did hear Callas? Where? In your wet dreams. Are you 80? Lastupenda was like a gigantic mecanic drag with a wonderful voice, bad musicality, and the need of full assistance from her husband to produce something with some kind of musical sense… horrible italian, horrible actress, so I am sorry but she is a good singer with nothing to add to the Opera more that a few acrobatics and high Es, Callas is a monster of art, brought back roles completely forgotten, a musicologist, a great actress, and over all a superb musician. At in any case, is a matter of taste and opinion, you like Sutherland listen to her… end of quote.
@@lastupendaboy oh please “the wobbly greek” hahaha, did you hear her life? Are you 80? Regarding Dame Joan, we can discuss her voice as that is a matter of taste… but as an actress Sutherland had the grace of a stuffed Turkey dress like a drag, and as a musician she couldnt sing a folk song without the constant coach of her husband. So she was a good singer, Callas was a great artist and musician that brought back many operas,… is like compare a good piano with a good piano+ Rubinstein… but continue hearing Sutherland, if you like it… why not… just dont hear Callas… she is too deep for you. You dont get her… so continue with Joan.
Sutherland the best!!!! Sutherland recording of Anna Bolena=THE BEST!!! Sills=like it, but it is overembelished, Callas=dramatic, but not in good voice, to many cuts, mono, Suliotis=complete, but not in good voice, Caballé=disaster at La Scala, Gencer=good, but live and incomplete. I agree that a Sutherland recording 15 years previous would be better, much better. Here greater concurrent always was she herself younger.
Vado H.: Decca made a recording of ANNA BOLENA with Marilyn Horne and Nicolai Ghiarouv (sp) about 15 years before this concert but with Elena Souliotis. Unfortunately not a performance worth preserving.
Martin Bookspan made reference to the 1956 Bergamot revival of ANNA BOLENA with Callas. But he is mistaken. Callas only sang ANNA BOLENA at La Scala in 1957 and 1958.
The host made reference to s revival of ANNA BOLENA in 1957