Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe sing Imogene's Mad Scene, "Col sorriso d'innocenza" the finale of the opera "Il Pirata" by Vincenzo Bellini. Parterre Box
She learned the best breath control and everything about breathing for opera preparation from her early teachers whom she discusses and credits . She said in an interview that she practiced and employed these techniques throughout her career and it paid off. Don’t know if schools today put enough emphasis on that, but they really should if they don’t.
@@Orfeus80 you are the synonym of bad taste hahha, yeah she sounds better than Caballé. By the time Callas sang this, she was La Divina not, la fatty caballé period
The best, even better than Callas in Il pirate, she was one of the greatest 3 or 4 of 20th century no doubt. But in Il pirate...she was the only!!!! Bravissima Caballé.
Está bien la montse pero no creo que mejor que callas, una digna heredera sí, en cuanto al trabajo musical belcantista, pero ni su voz es assoluta ni se acercó a la clase de actriz que callas fue. Igualmente me gusta mucho la caballé. Las he oido a una seguida de la otra y pues existiendo la grabacion de callas la verdad q no encuentro sentido a la otra, la obra brilla en cada pasaje con callas, lo dramatico desaparece con caballé, no vivo para comparar pero en el caso de esta obra es demasiado obvio, solo escuchar la palabra horrore en una y en la otra , aunque yo hubiera tomado el mismo camino que caballe con una voz de soprano lirico, creo q hizo bien al elegir ese repertorio y "adecuar" su voz a el pero ese registro medio velado siempre le juega en contra, igualmente gracias a la caballet por todo lo q nos entregó.
@@mariojimenez762I prefer Caballé here. Callas’ voice was in severe decline when she took on Il pirata. I guess she had some fine dramatic moments, but I am not a fan of trying to make psycho-dramas out of bel canto operas. In this repertoire I need to hear effortless, steady, pitch-dominant legato singing coming from a singer with their head up, and not covered, chin-on-chest, unsteady, facing-the-floor singing. But hey, many people love the “late” Callas in this. I’ll take her 1952 or 1955 Norma, her Berlin Lucia, her EMI Tosca, I puritani, Lucia, and Cavalleria in a heartbeat over anyone else’s. Montse gets Il pirata.
Tiene razón, nos lamentábamos de Aliberti en comparación con Callas y Caballé y hoy la echamos de menos cuando oímos a la Yoncheva... ¡Que bajo ha caído el mundo de la ópera!
No one has equaled her interpretation of this fiendishly difficult aria she sails through it with Grace and aplomb; not even Callas and this from a Callas fan.
Its also about preference, and personal taste. I love Callas, but there is no way to arrive at a "score" to rate performances to each other ......not matter what the old opera queens tell you 😎😎😎
I don't know when or where this performance took place, but there is no doubt that Caballé is great here. But she is nowhere near Callas in this, even with more beautiful tones and complete technical command. Even in 1959, past her prime, Callas surpassed all comers. Here is the evidence from Hamburg in 1959. The aria starts at 1:10.16. th-cam.com/video/VC1QitfkbZI/w-d-xo.html. There are several factors that (for me) make the difference, and these include voice tone and pathos. Mostly, however, I think the difference is that Imogene was not a character through whom Montserrat could express her own life, while Maria found Imogene to be a vehicle that she could use to tell the world who she--Maria--really was. Callas' performance is a self-revelation; Caballé's is about beautiful singing.
I just listened to Rene Flemings poor attemp of Bellinis mad scene & I actually felt bad for her.It was so bad 😵as she struggled with the cabaletta 😢.Her beautiful lyric voice was all over the place. Arnold Bourbon Amaral
I wish I knew about these things. Some of these conductors can be jerks, right? She didn’t look too happy when she left the stage. Thanks for pointing this out. Now I know why.
@@debbiejohnson2789 The same happened with her debut in Turandot, as the slave Liù. In the Turandot with Nilsson, the director did not want Caballe to participate. Nilsson said "if she goes, I'll go." Thanks to this noble act of Birgit Nilsson, Caballé drove the public crazy with her "Signore Ascolta" and the scenes of Liù's death.
@@Antonio-qm3bi Thank you so much for this story. It's so important to see these phenomenal singers as people...and perhaps as people first. That Nilsson would recognize this injustice to a fellow artist and simply refuse to let it stand. I had little room to grow in my estimation of her as a singer for the century, I didn't know that she matched that talent with character and pluck. When will we see their likes again?
machovoce6826, and what is the "Bellinian line" exactly? The conductor who "sucks" happens to be Carlo Felice Cillario, one of the most respected conductors of his time. He and Caballe collaborated on many occasions. He conducted her Covent Garden debut of La Traviata in 1972, and later on conducted her commercial recording of "Norma" with RCA. The aria here is from a concert in Paris 1966. Conductors who "suck" do not get to perform at these levels, especially back in that era. Perhaps the orchestra also lacks the "Bellinian line". All the best to you.
One of the great prima donnas of the 20th century in full bloom. There is no one before the public today who can even approach this.
Macho Voce Only Saioa Hernandez 👑
She learned the best breath control and everything about breathing for opera preparation from her early teachers whom she discusses and credits . She said in an interview that she practiced and employed these techniques throughout her career and it paid off. Don’t know if schools today put enough emphasis on that, but they really should if they don’t.
Her son was born in 1966. I wonder what month this was.
@@debbiejohnson2789 she was 5 months pregnant here 🥰
@@judyjones2475 experta en MC, recuerdo un desmayo en la traviata, pero esa era Montsita.Gracias por la información.
At this time, there is NO soprano delivering like La Superba.
This is vocal purity and real belcanto.
Marvelous!
Callas and Sutherland come to mind bot better soprani than Caballe
@@WelshHomo87 those two were great in other roles. None of them sang Pirata like Caballe.
@@Orfeus80 hell no, CAballe sounds like my grandma in il pirata. Callas voice was divine.
@@ir3356 maybe we should hear your grandma. By the time Callas sang this, her voice was wobbling like a pot of divine jello. Lol
@@Orfeus80 you are the synonym of bad taste hahha, yeah she sounds better than Caballé. By the time Callas sang this, she was La Divina not, la fatty caballé period
my heart, be still - you brought me so many moments ....
God bless you Montserrat. You were the best. LOVE for ever, la Superba.
Adios MARAVILLOSA , oírte en el teatro , fue una de las grandes emociones de mi vida.
Pure magic. Soulful & beautiful. Thank you
Une merveille !
Magique !
Divine. And mid-pregnancy to boot.
Stupenda unica
Bravissimo
She is a goddess.
Chapeau!!
so epic!
I love Callas, but… in this Caballe is the queen absoluta
Such a lesson of style... plus a glorious voice and interpretation.. when was it recorded?
First known TV recording. Paris debut 1966
Thank you
The best, even better than Callas in Il pirate, she was one of the greatest 3 or 4 of 20th century no doubt. But in Il pirate...she was the only!!!! Bravissima Caballé.
Eduardo Oliveros Anca After CALLAS our Montse was her successor. Now we have SAIOA HERNANDEZ.
Está bien la montse pero no creo que mejor que callas, una digna heredera sí, en cuanto al trabajo musical belcantista, pero ni su voz es assoluta ni se acercó a la clase de actriz que callas fue. Igualmente me gusta mucho la caballé. Las he oido a una seguida de la otra y pues existiendo la grabacion de callas la verdad q no encuentro sentido a la otra, la obra brilla en cada pasaje con callas, lo dramatico desaparece con caballé, no vivo para comparar pero en el caso de esta obra es demasiado obvio, solo escuchar la palabra horrore en una y en la otra , aunque yo hubiera tomado el mismo camino que caballe con una voz de soprano lirico, creo q hizo bien al elegir ese repertorio y "adecuar" su voz a el pero ese registro medio velado siempre le juega en contra, igualmente gracias a la caballet por todo lo q nos entregó.
@@mariojimenez762I prefer Caballé here. Callas’ voice was in severe decline when she took on Il pirata. I guess she had some fine dramatic moments, but I am not a fan of trying to make psycho-dramas out of bel canto operas. In this repertoire I need to hear effortless, steady, pitch-dominant legato singing coming from a singer with their head up, and not covered, chin-on-chest, unsteady, facing-the-floor singing. But hey, many people love the “late” Callas in this. I’ll take her 1952 or 1955 Norma, her Berlin Lucia, her EMI Tosca, I puritani, Lucia, and Cavalleria in a heartbeat over anyone else’s. Montse gets Il pirata.
Звезда . Супер.
please don't compare Caballe with Callas. Just enjoy the greate performance
Che dire... i bei tempi andati.. l'unica erede della Callas come Lei stessa disse...oggi abbiamo la Yoncheva.. ahimè
Sono d'accordo sulla Caballè, ci mancherebbe altro! Ma smettiamola di demonizzare i cantanti d'oggi sempre e comunque.
Tiene razón, nos lamentábamos de Aliberti en comparación con Callas y Caballé y hoy la echamos de menos cuando oímos a la Yoncheva... ¡Que bajo ha caído el mundo de la ópera!
m calos, la Callas non disse un bel niente...anzi...e' pura mitologia.
@@brunomingardi8600 , il fatto e' che i cantanti d'oggi si impegnano e studiano poco, sono superficiali...non gliene frega niente insomma.
Qui est la Yoncheva ?....
Oh to be sitting in the audience then...
No one has equaled her interpretation of this fiendishly difficult aria she sails through it with Grace and aplomb; not even Callas and this from a Callas fan.
David Mollina Is that true?
I thought Callas was the best
of the best.
Whoa!
@@georgcorfu lol
Its also about preference, and personal taste.
I love Callas, but there is no way to arrive at a "score" to rate performances to each other
......not matter what the old opera queens tell you
😎😎😎
She was the best on this role. Y punto😄
Without a doubt.
4:46 8:30 10:08
I don't know when or where this performance took place, but there is no doubt that Caballé is great here. But she is nowhere near Callas in this, even with more beautiful tones and complete technical command. Even in 1959, past her prime, Callas surpassed all comers. Here is the evidence from Hamburg in 1959. The aria starts at 1:10.16. th-cam.com/video/VC1QitfkbZI/w-d-xo.html.
There are several factors that (for me) make the difference, and these include voice tone and pathos. Mostly, however, I think the difference is that Imogene was not a character through whom Montserrat could express her own life, while Maria found Imogene to be a vehicle that she could use to tell the world who she--Maria--really was. Callas' performance is a self-revelation; Caballé's is about beautiful singing.
There has been Callas Caballé and Netrebko❤❤❤
I just listened to Rene Flemings poor attemp of Bellinis mad scene & I actually felt bad for her.It was so bad 😵as she struggled with the cabaletta 😢.Her beautiful lyric voice was all over the place. Arnold Bourbon Amaral
The conductor sucks. First of all he's rushing her and second of all he has little command of the Bellinian line.
I wish I knew about these things. Some of these conductors can be jerks, right? She didn’t look too happy when she left the stage. Thanks for pointing this out. Now I know why.
@@debbiejohnson2789 The same happened with her debut in Turandot, as the slave Liù. In the Turandot with Nilsson, the director did not want Caballe to participate. Nilsson said "if she goes, I'll go." Thanks to this noble act of Birgit Nilsson, Caballé drove the public crazy with her "Signore Ascolta" and the scenes of Liù's death.
@@Antonio-qm3bi Thank you so much for this story. It's so important to see these phenomenal singers as people...and perhaps as people first. That Nilsson would recognize this injustice to a fellow artist and simply refuse to let it stand. I had little room to grow in my estimation of her as a singer for the century, I didn't know that she matched that talent with character and pluck. When will we see their likes again?
machovoce6826, and what is the "Bellinian line" exactly?
The conductor who "sucks" happens to be Carlo Felice Cillario, one of the most respected conductors of his time. He and Caballe collaborated on many occasions. He conducted her Covent Garden debut of La Traviata in 1972, and later on conducted her commercial recording of "Norma" with RCA. The aria here is from a concert in Paris 1966. Conductors who "suck" do not get to perform at these levels, especially back in that era. Perhaps the orchestra also lacks the "Bellinian line". All the best to you.