@kgarmaker123 the thing that's so difficult about norma is the ridiculous changes in vocal weight and tessitura required for the same role. Casta Diva is lyric soprano, the end of the first act is dramatic coloratura soprano, In Mia Man is dramatic mezzo/coloratura mezzo and suddenly jumps back up to coloratura soprano the last few measures. from their on it's straight up dramatic soprano until the opera finishes.
Sorry to disagree a bit kgarmaker. I agree about the slow tempo, and the legato isn't perfect, but the trills are low in the register and are tricky for anyone to execute. Shirley copes with them reasonably well. Norma is probably the most difficult role for soprano, for many reasons, but not the least of which is the fact that she sings constantly....she is always on stage and never stops. If Shirley was conserving her voice a bit I can certainly understand why, she absolutely needs too.
Hako2004 more over Verrett copes with this break she had between chest voice and head voice in the low medium,(following her, it came from singing Ulrica and other low mezzos), and the trills are just written on her passaggio. Bumbry has not this problem, she has no break...but she doesn't even try to do the trills. :) it is M. Horne who says that a soprano can go lower without using chest voice than a "mezzo" or Falcon.
The only person to really bring those low trills to life is Callas. Sutherland is able to do them too, but the low register is too weak to make the trills as threatening as they are meant to be.
The sound is good enough.. The problem comes not with the sound, but the slow tempo.. that drags.. ( conductor).. and.. the lack of real legato ... when it is required.. Also the trills were very sloppy and without a good trill its hard to do this scene or this role. Frankly, it is obvious to me she is not singing into her voice in the middle and bottom, to save herself for the top.. and it works, as far as her making the high notes, but it is not right for this music.. Its not muscial.
Shirley Verrett is one of the greatest singers of all times, thanks for upload this. 🙏🏻
@kgarmaker123
the thing that's so difficult about norma is the ridiculous changes in vocal weight and tessitura required for the same role. Casta Diva is lyric soprano, the end of the first act is dramatic coloratura soprano, In Mia Man is dramatic mezzo/coloratura mezzo and suddenly jumps back up to coloratura soprano the last few measures. from their on it's straight up dramatic soprano until the opera finishes.
John Alexander- GREAT TENOR!!!!! Verrett - as always gorgeous! :DD
No. Verrett is great. Alexander can’t even begin to match her.
This is quite a riveting delivery by Verrett and Alexander!
melhor interpretação que ouvi dessa ária perfeita.
At 4:40 something falls, makes quite a bit of noise and a laughter is heard for about a minute LOL
Sorry to disagree a bit kgarmaker. I agree about the slow tempo, and the legato isn't perfect, but the trills are low in the register and are tricky for anyone to execute. Shirley copes with them reasonably well. Norma is probably the most difficult role for soprano, for many reasons, but not the least of which is the fact that she sings constantly....she is always on stage and never stops. If Shirley was conserving her voice a bit I can certainly understand why, she absolutely needs too.
Hako2004 more over Verrett copes with this break she had between chest voice and head voice in the low medium,(following her, it came from singing Ulrica and other low mezzos), and the trills are just written on her passaggio. Bumbry has not this problem, she has no break...but she doesn't even try to do the trills. :) it is M. Horne who says that a soprano can go lower without using chest voice than a "mezzo" or Falcon.
The only person to really bring those low trills to life is Callas. Sutherland is able to do them too, but the low register is too weak to make the trills as threatening as they are meant to be.
At the level of Callas!
Who?
What was this conductor thinking?
What do you mean?
Lauri volpi was right
About what?
About what?
About what?
Of course not.
The sound is good enough.. The problem comes not with the sound, but the slow tempo.. that drags.. ( conductor).. and.. the lack of real legato ... when it is required.. Also the trills were very sloppy and without a good trill its hard to do this scene or this role. Frankly, it is obvious to me she is not singing into her voice in the middle and bottom, to save herself for the top.. and it works, as far as her making the high notes, but it is not right for this music.. Its not muscial.
What the heck does "singing into her voice mean"?. You sound like a failed voice teacher. Besides, how can you judge from the poor sound.