As I've stated many times she is arguably the greatest contralto since Schumann Heink!!! Is there ANY repertoire in which she doesn't triumph. Her Erda is peerless and that Haydn cabaletta with the high D is astounding. I'm not a big Gioconda fan but this performance brought tears to my eyes.
My God, Podles is such a beast. Her voice is a freight train. She takes this so slowly, too, which is impressive. I remember singing this song and sucking at breath sustenance. Nothing can compare to the "sulla tua testa, sulla tua testa vigili la mia benedizion" that hops up to the G. Gorgeous composition and gorgeous interpretation.
I'm a contralto, too, and I feel your pain when no one knows what on earth to do with you when you've got such a deep voice. Mine can get all the way down into a little bit of baritone... I can hit every note in "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis... it's fun watching the facial expressions you get for being a 28y/o girl and doing that ;-)... but they kept giving me parts that were WAY outta my upper range and then wondering why I couldn't do it. Gee, let's think about that for a second. X-)
Absolutnie wybitna i wokalnie, i aktorsko. Nie była aż tak sławna na miarę swojego talentu, gdyż sztuka była dla niej ważniejsza niż popularność. RIP Maestra
Come gestione e timbro della voce e interpretazione intensa mi ricorda molto la Callas, ovviamente ciascuna nei suoi ruoli. Soprano drammatico d'agilità Contralto mezzosoprano
Podles is magnificent. Saw her Azucena in Milwaukee. Tancredi in Warsaw, in Rodelina in Dallas, 2 recitals in Okla City. Probably the greatest opera singer currently before the public. Brava, Ewa.
Ewa's voice has become one of my favorite female voices of all time. Odd as it may sound, I like her voice for some reasons similar to why I like a lot of classic heavy metal voices! Namely Rob Halford. We're talking about voices with consistent vibrato, rather hefty instruments that are steeped in darkness and imbued with the dramatic, though if need be, the lightening and flexibility aspect isn't lost upon by any stretch. I respect their opinion, though really don't care for the purists' point of view that the sections of Ewa's vocal range are too differentiating. Akin to Rob Halford (who got down to a comfortably rumbling tenor's C2) channeling his full voice well into the 5th, (and even at its extreme adopting almost a whistle characteristic when he reached a full C6 once), I completely agree with her frustration with critics pointing this out. She has struck me as a very sensible singer as well as a brilliant one, knowing full well how unhealthy it would be to try to hit certain notes using the wrong part of her voice. I doubt she would want to go for her mid-range whilst sounding masculine. Of course there are fairly obvious tonal changes! That's part of the appeal because there's a really tangible idea of her vocal arsenal, and you just know that she has chosen her role to the best of her ability, and not in accordance to fashion - which seems to be having your voice in one homogenised bar. Very much a correlation between two very different voices liked for the same principles in expression.
Tendrían que haber aplaudido mucho más...lo merecía Ewa. Y es que ese tema de La Gioconda que se repite tantas veces a lo largo de los 4 actos, es sencillamente hermoso. Bravo!!!
I am stunned how she sings all those styles completely appropriate to the period. Here, she is really the best example of an Italian contralto, and I would love to hear here Azucena or other roles, maybe also verismo, e.g. the Principessa in Puccini's Suor Angelica. I love how she makes the music her own - she is a true artist!
You are so correct. I heard her Erda in Seattle and it was as if the earth itself had opened up and sounds from the core were emerging. Spooky, as you say. I have not been privileged to hear her live since then. I'm old enough to have heard Arkhipova late in her career and she may have qualified as a real contralto.
Just heard her at the MET last night and she was awesome. The tempo is a bit faster at the MET, but her singing is moving and incredibly nuanced. Enjoy...and cheer for Ewa!
Ewa Podles, que bonita interpretacion y tremeda voz que tiene, realmente una bencidion de Dios, ni Olga Borodina llena esta aria con su voz, realmente esta aria fue hecha para una contralto y no para una mezzo, que hermosa voz podles! excelente.
This is magnificent. At last, a true contralto singing this role. Completely at ease with the tessitura. Beautiful, unforced Italianate singing.Utterly convincing, credible and commited.
sfido qualsiasi cnatante odierna a cantare cosi all'onorevole età di 53 anni...stupenda ...artista straordinaria non adeguatamente celebrata per quanto invece meriterebbe..
"In this famous aria from the first act the blind mother of Gioconda (contralto) unjustly accused of witchcraft by the storyteller Barnaba (baritone), thanks Laura (mezzosoprano) the wife of the noble and powerful Alvise Badoero (basso) who has prevented her from being imprisoned."
Definitivamente Podles es unica, a pesar de un accidente que tuve en el 2004, que practicamente estuve sin cantar buen tiempo, ella penso que ya no daba mas para el canto, pero volvio a trabajar, y siguio adelante, podles es una mujer digna de admiracion, posee una voz bellisima de contralto, una musicalidad extraodinaria, en conclusion jamas he escuchado una interpretacion tan buena del aria de la ciega, es insuperable. This aria sing by podles is the best i have ever heard.
You are a nutbar. Ewa is fantastic here, and her interpretation is amazing. The song is all about blessing the other woman, and she hits the perfect balance of generosity of spirit and sadness (the blindness). Her rall. isn't overdone either. Fantastique!
Pop singer Brandy is a contralto. She has returned to the music scene with the new single, Right Here (Departed). Her debut album on Epic Records, Human, will be released on Nov. 11th. "Human is my most personal album to date," said Brandy. "I have grown so much since my last album. Being able to express myself and my journey through my music is a feeling I can't describe."
I agree also; contraltos are a dying breed - probably because so many female singers push their voices up into the 'money register'! I love Podles' easily produced, unique tone. Even if you listen to her 'O don fatale', her high C flat is perfectly produced - she doesn't swoop up to it or sing around the note; it's sung in the same voice that she always uses. If only more women were content to be contraltos. Ho hum!
If somebody asks me about astounding voices, Ewa Podles is the first to come to mind. Her range ist awesome, only a few singers posssess her musicality
Podles is a beautiful contralto, great tone, very unique, brava! That's why I like Rossini because he's not a contralto hater like everyone else! lol They seriously have to give altos more credit and roles!
A true contralto is as rare as hen's teeth. Eva Podles is a true contralto, and certainly the greatest around today. To hear her sing a role like Ulrica in Verdi's "Ballo" is to be totally spooked out. I've got her performance of it from the Houston Opera from 2009, and I acquired the whole opera just for having her Ulrica, which is only in the second scene of Act I. She's dynamite!
Es una belleza inusual su voz!!! ke voz más rica, de timbre más hermoso, tiene una amplitud vocal impresionante, leí que su voz va desde un do3 a un mi6 más de tres octavas!!! O.O
I don't really care for this particular style of opera (I'm a baroque fan) but Ewa can make me love anything she decides to sing, from Verdi to Russian songs. Luv her.
Jestem rowiesnikiem Pani Ewy ,a wiec nie podaje lat ,ze wzgledu na szacunek dla Maestry. pamietam jej poczatek kariery , jej pierwsze sukcesy w Moskwie , w RIO i wielki szum na jej temat. pamietam , dyskusje na tematy muzyczne i operowe odbywajace sie nie tylko w tzw. srodowisku
Po prostu Maestria. Nie do podrobki . Pani Ewa ma talent , no i spotkała na swojej drodze i" Meneghiniego i Onassisa"i to w jednej osobie /znakomity muzyk , pianista pedagog/ .
Rest in peace Wonderful Ewa!!! 🙏🙏🌿🌿
Meraviglosa,straordinaria, stupenda! 👏👏👏👏
I will never ever stop to listen to her! Ewa Podles is the best of the best
she had an angelic voice, and now God listens to her extraordinary voice! Rest in peace!,🙏🙏
I don't want to hear anyone else sing this. Ewa stole my heart.
As I've stated many times she is arguably the greatest contralto since Schumann Heink!!! Is there ANY repertoire in which she doesn't triumph. Her Erda is peerless and that Haydn cabaletta with the high D is astounding. I'm not a big Gioconda fan but this performance brought tears to my eyes.
My God, Podles is such a beast. Her voice is a freight train. She takes this so slowly, too, which is impressive.
I remember singing this song and sucking at breath sustenance. Nothing can compare to the "sulla tua testa, sulla tua testa vigili la mia benedizion" that hops up to the G. Gorgeous composition and gorgeous interpretation.
One of the most beautiful vocal performances of this aria that I have yet to hear. BRAVA, indeed!
Fast unbeschreiblich, diese Stimm- und Wortgewalt!!!
Ewa Podles is the best singer in the world. No other singer can put so much love and emotion into music. Thank you, Ewa!
Ewa is a real contralto. She has the base, the high notes, the tessitura and the ambitus. Marvelous!
Magnificent- Rest in Peace
It would be worth buying a ticket just to hear her sing that aria. Such a moving singer .
she has one unbelievable voice that has so many tones.And this is very difficult.She is blessed!!
I'm a contralto, too, and I feel your pain when no one knows what on earth to do with you when you've got such a deep voice. Mine can get all the way down into a little bit of baritone... I can hit every note in "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis... it's fun watching the facial expressions you get for being a 28y/o girl and doing that ;-)... but they kept giving me parts that were WAY outta my upper range and then wondering why I couldn't do it. Gee, let's think about that for a second. X-)
If the last thing I heard on this earth was the voice of Ewa, I'd die a happy man!
Magnificent voice👏👏
❤❤❤❤❤❤
Absolutnie wybitna i wokalnie, i aktorsko. Nie była aż tak sławna na miarę swojego talentu, gdyż sztuka była dla niej ważniejsza niż popularność. RIP Maestra
So beautifull... I´m literally crying. Such a wonderfull voice. I never heard it before.
Beautiful contralto!
Come gestione e timbro della voce e interpretazione intensa mi ricorda molto la Callas, ovviamente ciascuna nei suoi ruoli.
Soprano drammatico d'agilità
Contralto mezzosoprano
Not only her voice and technique are divine, she is by far the best actress in the Opera world. As Callas was once...
Podles is magnificent. Saw her Azucena in Milwaukee. Tancredi in Warsaw, in Rodelina in Dallas, 2 recitals in Okla City. Probably the greatest opera singer currently before the public. Brava, Ewa.
Ewa's voice has become one of my favorite female voices of all time. Odd as it may sound, I like her voice for some reasons similar to why I like a lot of classic heavy metal voices! Namely Rob Halford. We're talking about voices with consistent vibrato, rather hefty instruments that are steeped in darkness and imbued with the dramatic, though if need be, the lightening and flexibility aspect isn't lost upon by any stretch.
I respect their opinion, though really don't care for the purists' point of view that the sections of Ewa's vocal range are too differentiating. Akin to Rob Halford (who got down to a comfortably rumbling tenor's C2) channeling his full voice well into the 5th, (and even at its extreme adopting almost a whistle characteristic when he reached a full C6 once), I completely agree with her frustration with critics pointing this out.
She has struck me as a very sensible singer as well as a brilliant one, knowing full well how unhealthy it would be to try to hit certain notes using the wrong part of her voice. I doubt she would want to go for her mid-range whilst sounding masculine. Of course there are fairly obvious tonal changes! That's part of the appeal because there's a really tangible idea of her vocal arsenal, and you just know that she has chosen her role to the best of her ability, and not in accordance to fashion - which seems to be having your voice in one homogenised bar.
Very much a correlation between two very different voices liked for the same principles in expression.
RiP Ewa.
Her voice is mesmerizing. This is the third time I've watched this video in the last hour.
Beautiful song 😍 great singer.
Ewa proves that there are no small parts, only small singers. She's astounding.
La Cieca is not a small part at all
Small parts are when you appear in one act for a few scenes without an aria or any meaningful tune, so that cannot be right.
You never see the audience applaud after this aria which is truly beautiful. And the way Podles sings it... she's a league of her own.
Das Beste was ich je hörte im Contra -Alt !
Splendida Eva Powdles in a great Cieca !!!❤
Primadonna absoluta !!!!!!!!!!
Her voice is like a pitiful lament that can only be overcome by an incomparable voice like Eva's. Magister interpretation and best performance.
I love this song and this kind of voice!!! So wonderful a true contralto did justice as it should be for this beautiful masterpiece!!! Ewa RULES!!!
This is the best interpretation of The Cieca, Podles you are unique! You really feel this aria.
Steely, almost gender neutral moments like 0:51 make me utterly spellbound by this amazingly versatile voice.
Exactly. 0:51 sends shivers up my spine.
wow she was amazing, i wish i could hear her live!
Absolutely magnificent. I will have to be in NY next year for her Met performance. This is gorgeous, committed singing!!!
Nessuna come lei!
Bravissima, cara Ewa!
Tendrían que haber aplaudido mucho más...lo merecía Ewa. Y es que ese tema de La Gioconda que se repite tantas veces a lo largo de los 4 actos, es sencillamente hermoso. Bravo!!!
Amen to that! I sing mezzo-soprano and this woman's voice totally blows me away. Fantastic!
Abgeblich wird mit dem Begriff "Wunder zu oft um sich geworfen, ein paar Jahre jünger war sie es, selbst heute ein Denkmal "
She is fantastic! 😍
Absofreakinglutely AWESOME!!!
😎😎😎
I am stunned how she sings all those styles completely appropriate to the period. Here, she is really the best example of an Italian contralto, and I would love to hear here Azucena or other roles, maybe also verismo, e.g. the Principessa in Puccini's Suor Angelica. I love how she makes the music her own - she is a true artist!
You are so correct. I heard her Erda in Seattle and it was as if the earth itself had opened up and sounds from the core were emerging. Spooky, as you say. I have not been privileged to hear her live since then. I'm old enough to have heard Arkhipova late in her career and she may have qualified as a real contralto.
Just heard her at the MET last night and she was awesome. The tempo is a bit faster at the MET, but her singing is moving and incredibly nuanced. Enjoy...and cheer for Ewa!
Będzie jej brak!😢
Listen to her singing the 'Maidens Song' from Alexander Nevsky!!!! Amazing voice and emotion.
¡Grandisima! Ewa Podles, inigualable.
that's so beautiful. BRAVO!!
It seems great how Ewa sang her part of "La Cieca" in this unforgettable performance at Teatr El Liceu in Barcelona in 2005. Excellent!!!
Perfect example of a contralto. Wonderful range.
Insuperable interpretación.!!
Ewa Podles, que bonita interpretacion y tremeda voz que tiene, realmente una bencidion de Dios, ni Olga Borodina llena esta aria con su voz, realmente esta aria fue hecha para una contralto y no para una mezzo, que hermosa voz podles! excelente.
❤️🇱🇨!!!
Bravissima, è così che si canta!
This is magnificent. At last, a true contralto singing this role. Completely at ease with the tessitura. Beautiful, unforced Italianate singing.Utterly convincing, credible and commited.
sfido qualsiasi cnatante odierna a cantare cosi all'onorevole età di 53 anni...stupenda ...artista straordinaria non adeguatamente celebrata per quanto invece meriterebbe..
"In this famous aria from the first act the blind mother of Gioconda (contralto) unjustly accused of witchcraft by the storyteller Barnaba (baritone), thanks Laura (mezzosoprano) the wife of the noble and powerful Alvise Badoero (basso) who has prevented her from being imprisoned."
I'm going to see Podles both as Ulrica and the Marquise from La Fille Du Regiment this fall at Houston Grand Opera. Can't wait!
Contraltos can also have glorious velvet, creamy high notes too. If there are any low-voiced women reading this, be proud of this as it is rare!
Thanks Ewa. We wait for you expectantly inVic
EWA is fantastic
divine, sublime, exquisite, bellissima!
thanks
Es increíble la soberanía de su canto.
Definitivamente Podles es unica, a pesar de un accidente que tuve en el 2004, que practicamente estuve sin cantar buen tiempo, ella penso que ya no daba mas para el canto, pero volvio a trabajar, y siguio adelante, podles es una mujer digna de admiracion, posee una voz bellisima de contralto, una musicalidad extraodinaria, en conclusion jamas he escuchado una interpretacion tan buena del aria de la ciega, es insuperable. This aria sing by podles is the best i have ever heard.
You are a nutbar. Ewa is fantastic here, and her interpretation is amazing. The song is all about blessing the other woman, and she hits the perfect balance of generosity of spirit and sadness (the blindness). Her rall. isn't overdone either. Fantastique!
Divina, divina!!
Pop singer Brandy is a contralto. She has returned to the music scene with the new single, Right Here (Departed). Her debut album on Epic Records, Human, will be released on Nov. 11th.
"Human is my most personal album to date," said Brandy. "I have grown so much since my last album. Being able to express myself and my journey through my music is a feeling I can't describe."
Magnifica!!! Emocionante y admirable!!!
I agree also; contraltos are a dying breed - probably because so many female singers push their voices up into the 'money register'! I love Podles' easily produced, unique tone. Even if you listen to her 'O don fatale', her high C flat is perfectly produced - she doesn't swoop up to it or sing around the note; it's sung in the same voice that she always uses. If only more women were content to be contraltos. Ho hum!
Totally beautiful. Her acting is fantastic too!
The last one to follow the Bel Canto tradition of coloratura contralto! Sing along the Angels' Choir, Maestra!
If somebody asks me about astounding voices, Ewa Podles is the first to come to mind. Her range ist awesome, only a few singers posssess her musicality
Total artistic commitment- gives me chills. The applause should have been bigger. This is touching.
heartwrenchingly beautiful
Podles is a beautiful contralto, great tone, very unique, brava! That's why I like Rossini because he's not a contralto hater like everyone else! lol They seriously have to give altos more credit and roles!
Brava Ewa! She will sing this role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in October 2008.
A true contralto is as rare as hen's teeth. Eva Podles is a true contralto, and certainly the greatest around today. To hear her sing a role like Ulrica in Verdi's "Ballo" is to be totally spooked out. I've got her performance of it from the Houston Opera from 2009, and I acquired the whole opera just for having her Ulrica, which is only in the second scene of Act I. She's dynamite!
A contralto is the voocal range between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano that is usually applied to female singers.
Es una belleza inusual su voz!!! ke voz más rica, de timbre más hermoso, tiene una amplitud vocal impresionante, leí que su voz va desde un do3 a un mi6 más de tres octavas!!! O.O
Обожаю...
I'm from Contralto on wiki, too. :-D It was worth the trip, though. What a rich, dark voice!
me too - beautiful velvety voice...
FANTASTIQUE !!!!!!!!!
MAGNIFIQUE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looked up for Grace Jones on wiki and ended up here too! :D
Qué gran voz tiene Ewa Podles. Casi no he escuchado a contraltos. ¡¡Qué voz tan enigmática!!
Laura di questa edizione è un altro splendido contralto...Elisabetta Fiorillo! :-)
I don't really care for this particular style of opera (I'm a baroque fan) but Ewa can make me love anything she decides to sing, from Verdi to Russian songs. Luv her.
contraltos have got to be the most diverse fach there is. I haven't found any two that sound remotely alike
Wow..she can sing like a man. Amazing!
Searing. You expect to see the stage shaking under the emotion she is pouring out.
Podles I love ur voice!
she must be electrifying in the theater!
Grandiosa!!!
Amazing voice
omg she's freakin amazing!!!!!! wat a contralto
This woman is incredible.
I am jealous of her mad contralto skills.
(I'm a lowly soprano with a chest voice-in-training.)
Simply the best!
Yep, somebody on wikipedia seems to regard this quite favorably.
Jestem rowiesnikiem Pani Ewy ,a wiec nie podaje lat ,ze wzgledu na szacunek dla Maestry. pamietam jej poczatek kariery , jej pierwsze sukcesy w Moskwie , w RIO i wielki szum na jej temat.
pamietam , dyskusje na tematy muzyczne i operowe odbywajace sie nie tylko w tzw. srodowisku
Po prostu Maestria.
Nie do podrobki .
Pani Ewa ma talent , no i spotkała na swojej drodze i" Meneghiniego i Onassisa"i to w jednej osobie /znakomity muzyk , pianista pedagog/ .