In my humble opinion, this aria is far more difficult than the other one that's more known. Should I do a video for the coloratura section prior to this as well?
I don't know music in a technical way, I wouldn't even say I had a good ear. What makes a section of a song difficult? Is it breathing, or just a note most people can't hit, or what. I love music but I couldn't tell you what key someone was in to save my life.
i love how roberta peters (4:45) slowed when she went for that F6! she was like “i’m gonna make sure the audience is aware that i’m a badass soprano” and i am obsessed with that 💜
I can’t understand why no one is talking about Sabine Devielhe… she is for me one of the best soprano in the world and she hit the note at the perfection here !!
I seriously don't think this aria gets enough appreciation, it's just as difficult as the second one, the singer has to show so many different emotions in only a few minutes, in terms of music it was absolutely brilliant how in the beginning of the aria the queen of the night fools tamino by singing in the same scale as her daughter pamina later sings in her aria, and it also sets up the twist of the queen's true colours been revealed in the second aria in such an amazing way by making you think that she's good. An absolutely amazing aria!
Natalie Dessay’s rendition is effortless and her tone is just ravishingly round and beautiful. Joan Sutherland’s vocal control is as always simply out of this world, not to mention of course that her gorgeous timbre is unmistakably recognisable. Finally, Lucia Popp because she is Lucia Popp... always a favourite.
Kathryn Lewek does it for me. The power behind it is so satisfying, especially considering the interpretation of her as an "old witch." Not to mention she can act and move so well while singing this challenging material. That's really hard
I agree, especially for singers like Clara Polito...(1:13) I feel like if the tempo was just a HAIR slower, even just in the build up, she would have nailed it!
@@mortenhjelt823 I forget what passage this while video was covering but I think I meant the whole tempo overall. Not a legato phrase or anything just the slower of the entire tempos in this video, I'm partial to that and I'm definitely not a Mozart or any other composer and I definitely don't sing opera, lol. Just a preference to untrained ears.
Yeah, they are all good singers, Edita Gruberova is remarcable so as Sabine Devieilhe, it's difficult to say...I chose my favourite one who I thought was more balanced between keeping the tempo, tuning and transparence of the voice. Maybe who I "like" the most is note the most perfect, but for me choosing the best means to find equilibrium in many aspects
It is worth noting that Cristina Deutekom was the only one who could reach the highest notes of the second part, exactly in the way they were composed to be sung. Fantastic Cristina! RIP 🎶🩷🎵💕
Aside from 0:07 Diana (the way she quiets and builds the sound again is just masterful), I think 2:30 Elena Mosuc is my favourite. Her notes are so clear and she acts the hell out of the part. As far as just that single note though, 1:52 Kathyrn Lewek's was the best. I don't know what's happening with the costumes for that production, but her High F was the best of the bunch. 2:59 Joan Sutherland was I think the fastest and deserves special mention for the vocal control necessary for such a feat. 4:32 Luciana Serra has a very unique quality to her runs that I just really like.
@@draganvidic2039 The Sutherland clip included here IS from a staged production in Covent Garden, although it IS a half-step lower. She did also record O zittre nicht in the original key, where she ironically went sharp on the high F.
Kathryn Lewek owns this! Unlike the other singers, she is actively acting out her character as well as singing beautifully. The high note was gorgeous.
@@takemyhand1988 okay. So I might be wrong but in context they are kinda the same to me as they are both used to dramatize a song but fioritura is more 'flowery' than melisma and more dramatic in intonation.
@@takemyhand1988 They are both vocal runs (thats what i mean by being the same) but compare any Mariah Carey (know as the queen or melisma) song with her legendary runs to this aria and that's the initial difference.
Agreed! It's all theatrical these days. I love Damrau but she is far from a decent coloratura soprano. Her run was all wobbly and that wasn't anything close to a trill.
@@loveyall1910 That’s especially condescending giving that opera appreciation should not be contingent on knowing anything about the technique, or being familiar with what goes into enabling oneself to sing like that. It’s an art form. Appreciation is subjective and, in my case and many others’, has to do with the emotions I’m conveyed as they pour out of the music and singing. I for instance acknowledge Cristina Deutekom’s seemingly surreal vocal technique, but her rendition of this aria does not go near as to moving me as much as other sopranos’ does. On the contrary, she absolutely turns me off with this specific bit. Cecilia Bartoli is one of the greats. Yet she never had me close to tearing up or feeling anything intense really. If I’m being ignorant, please forgive me for misunderstanding the purposes of art.
Kathryn Lewek's (1:58) high note was gorgeous. She didn't just hit it, she sang it! To me, she stood out from all the rest. Jasna Sajnovic (2:50) also had one of the more melodious high notes, however, her run before that lacked clarity to me. Mado Robin (4:10) legit sounded like a little bird lol, in a good way. Also enjoyed Natalie Dessay at the end there.
@@zuri2002 Dessay is an E, Lewek is directly in the middle of E and F. Modern vs. Historical pitch is variable on the HZ the orchestra uses. Sometimes it's a half step (Dessay), some times it's a quarter step (Lewek). One of the many intricacies of the HIP movement!
@@stevenkrage2412 I guess I'll take your word for it then, coz I'm not about to go hunt for details on whether a particular production used modern or historical pitch. Haha I mean I know about HIP, but they really sound like Fs to me.
Kathryn Lewek had the best F6, Joan Surherland and Luciana Sera had the best control of the climax before the note itself, and Elena Mosuc both, just not necessarily has good as the others if we count the note and the build up individually but she was probably the best overall!I also enjoyed Natalie Dessay’s a lot :)
The sheer vocal dexterity and versatility possessed by Dessay will always win me over. She could just toss off those runs like it was an afterthought (though they were always grounded with masterful dramatic skill!).
There is only one truly supported and unscooped F6 here: Deutekom. Moser, despite not fully trained in her chest voice , comes very close, and really has the potential to surpass Deutekom. Her sustained F6 with vibrato in her studio version of O zittre nicht is far better than the live one.
@@theoancioly5035 oh my, that sure is subjective. She was one of my first queens of the night - and I loved it, but I still can't get past the wa-wa technique.
I think all of them did really well! I don't know why but some of them really made me tear up. Diana Damrau, Kathryn Lewek, Elena Mosuo, Joan Sutherland, Luciana Serra, Roberta Peters, Natalie Dessay, are definitely my favourites though.
My first live Queen of the Night was Roberta Peters at the Metropolitan Opera way back in 1967. I thought she was fabulous then and I still think so. I’ve seen live several of these ladies over the years, but not in The Magic Flute.
For me, it's Sabine Devieilhe, Sumi Jo, Natalie Dessay, Jasna Sajnovic, Emma Pearson and Erika Miklòsa! I wish I have a voice like them; they've got such amazing vocal control.
Even if she didn’t sound particulary great on the coloratura, Jasna Sajnovic did a very RINGING high F here. You can hear how it resonates in the room after she has hit it. Formidable.
They're all insanely good! I agree with those who said some of them could have benefitted from it being a touch slower though. This seems technically insane and they're all so talented! My favourites were Kathryn Lewek (that note was stunning), Mado Robin (is she literally a robin that was so birdlike?), and Natalie Dessay (smooth like butter).
Gotta go with Luciana Serra. The tempo is perfect, the trills aren't muddled but crystal clear, and she nails the high F at the end. Perfection. Dessay is a close second, though, very good there as well.
Personal favourites that I go back to time and again are Lucia Popp and Sumi Jo. However, in this video I really like Roberta Peters with her rallantando'd F. Also, while direction is a bit questionable, I really liked Kathryn Lewek, too -- she and Tamino actually feel like they are in the same scene. Lewek is fairly physical (without seeming overly choreographed) and still turns in such nice notes. PS I would wear the heck out of Diana Damrau and Emma Pearson's gowns. They look ✨fabulous✨
I think Edda Moser is the most convincing overall from a voice point of view as she has the imposing dramatic weight to her voice, which others lack (though some might sing the coloratura a bit clearer). Damrau, when one only listens and not sees her acting, has a rather light voice imo and seems a bit laboured on the coloratura imo
I was fortunate enough to see in person Diana Damrau in this role. Her acting was superb, scared the hell out of me. Several stabbed, some with a dull knife, the F6. I prefer a longer visit with a touch of vibrato. But this is about the F6 and Kathryn Lewek is near perfection.
When the singers hold the note longer it gives more meaning to who the Queen of the Night is in Die Zauberflotte which goes with Der Holler Racht. O Zittre Nicht is the crescent wrench that makes the audience feel not just bad but really bad for her and is a cry for help. Der Holler Racht is that same wrench thrown in our faces in shock and horror, someone who the audience has trusted has not just turned on us but is thrown into our faces. Same with Sarastro and his aira O Isis und Osiris which is not only a prayer but him feeling bad about overprotecting Pamina and asking what can I do as a good father. His aira even pops up again in the second act only again sung by the priest who notice his arch from figurehead to the father figure Pamina sees him be.
Several of these singers hit the high F really beautifully, some even have room to be expressive with it instead of just reaching it. But if we talk about sheer technique, intonation and rhythm and who actually sings all the notes (in tune and in rhythm) of the coloratura passage, Luciana Ferro wipes the floor with the rest.
I think I prefer Dessay’s sweeter version in this aria. That said Clara Polito is new to me and I thought she was great. And I cannot ignore Christina Deutekom (I’ve always thought here fioritura was beyond odd it’s not a negative just different and very interesting to listen to) or Luciana Serra’s perfectly placed high notes and smooth legato.
If we're going by just the note itself, Kathryn Lewek takes the win. She actually sings it rather than squeaks, the way most sopranos sing high C. For the role overall, gotta give it to Edda Moser. Aside from that, I loved Roberta Peters use of rallentando to be like "no bitch, I am the QUEEN of the night. not the princess of the canaries".
Because hitting the high notes from F6 and beyond constantly isn't healthy for the voice in the long run. Heck, the great Luisa Tetrazinni and other old school coloratura sopranos like to lower their keys when singing such arias
Gruberova was one of the best. Deutecom-to the principal's office! What was that revolting yodeling? Surprisingly many had poor control of their apparatus....
Luciana Serra! Woman's voice is like a bell and it looks effortless! (By the way, Dessay only sing an E's, and Lewek sings between an E/F, as the pitch is historic pitch, not modern, and Sutherland's was transposed down for her because she couldn't sing the top note as written - she didn't even want to do the role, but Covent Garden begged her, so she agreed on those terms.)
Dessay and Peters definitely have the best musicality with their rits to the top F which really add a sense of character to the aria. Sutherland's tempo is just second to none, particularly given the sheer accuracy and clarity she produces too! Though Polito is a close second. Damrau hands down for the acting. Serra for the sheer purity of her top F and Lewak for the excellent quality. Deutekom and Robin for the overall performance - effortless! Levchuk for the costume, absolutely hilarious IMO!
I have missed the opera videos!!! Here are some suggestions for future opera vids: - The "Sempre libera" high E-flat - The Nine High C's (or at least part of that) - The "Che gelida manina" high C - The high B-flat in the opening cadenza of "Je veux vivre" - The cadenza at the end of "Una furtiva lagrima" - The quick part and/or ending of "Largo al factotum", baritones deserve more love! - The very long "Wälse" cry Probably will never be seen or made, since I know this is mostly a musical theater, but here's them anyway. (as for my opinion for this video, I'd probably go with Popp, because she's one of my absolute faves) EDIT: How could I forget the repeated coloratura part including the high E from the Bell Song????
I see what Edita Gruberová was trying to do there. If she had indeed managed to cap that passage off with a goddam B-FLAT 6 she'd have one this easily. Alas, it only came out as a little squeak.
I don't know who the best is but my favorites are Natalie Dessau and Sabine, second. As for Cristina Deutekom, she stole my heart with the triplets in Der Holle Rache 😍, so I'm a fan forever. She is my favorite for that aria.
Great video!!! I agree, this aria is definitely more difficult than the more well known one. Aside from those vocals, this is like a compilation of costume designs for the character, some are good while some are just absurd looking. Diana Damrau did amazing with merging the singing and acting, Mado Robin did it smooth, truly a pioneer in high singing soprano, Luciana Serra and Natalie Dessay did amazing as well. Plus, I think Susanne Elmark is the voice for Danish dubbed of Thumbelina and Pocahontas.
@@draganvidic2039 How is she lip syncing? That clip was from a movie in 1971 (50 years ago) and why would an opera make an opera singer lip sync..In 1974, Deutekom was considered by the New York Times "The greatest Queen of the Night of their time" And if you still don't believe me there are 4 live recordings of her singing in that role: 1968 in the New York Metropolitan Opera 1969 in San Francisco 1969 in Venezia And 1984 in Utrecht
@@techwiz7947 She's still lip-syncing to her own voice, though. Maybe the technology of the time wasn't good enough to capture on-set singing? Or maybe they just didn't want to pay for an orchestra for the entire duration of the shoot? It might have been common practice. I remember seeing a clip from a film of Verdi's Macbeth where Fiorenza Cossotto forgets that she prerecorded the aria come scritto and not the more common variation, so her lip-syncing was obviously NOT in sync. Haha
Regardless of the comparisons, how about realizing what a supreme technical artist and athlete it takes to do this area well? I amvblown away by how amazing many of these great singers are.
Well I am not an opera connoisseur but the one and only who gives me the thrill is Diana Damrau. Her voice is filled with power and emotion combined to her acting performance, which makes me say she surpasses all the others here. Some say her technique is not perfect (how come ?), but all the others look like robots delivering nothing else but sound/noise (except for Nathalie Dessay maybe).
The high F is an incredible achievement on its own but what's interesting here is the vocalise leading to it. As for myself I find Edita Gruberova, Elena Mosuc and Nathalie Dessay very close to how it would be heard in the 18th century. Because the phrase end at the high F but every semi quaver notes should be heard and be a symbol of how much the singer has control and how much important the Queen of the night is important.
![เปิด อาณาจักร หมื่นล้าน "สาระตั้ม" l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3XE0nPF4YkQ/mqdefault.jpg)
In my humble opinion, this aria is far more difficult than the other one that's more known. Should I do a video for the coloratura section prior to this as well?
I don't know music in a technical way, I wouldn't even say I had a good ear. What makes a section of a song difficult? Is it breathing, or just a note most people can't hit, or what. I love music but I couldn't tell you what key someone was in to save my life.
Ps I like the Roberta peterson one
"Martern aller Arten" takes the cake for me.
@@buckybawllz6233 I think it's because there are many notes you have to hit perfectly and the F6 itself is not easy to sing.
@Mister Golightly u should do Mozart popoli di tessaglia next
i love how roberta peters (4:45) slowed when she went for that F6! she was like “i’m gonna make sure the audience is aware that i’m a badass soprano” and i am obsessed with that 💜
Snap. Same for Dessay too! though Peters goes for it even more so!
Yes I am so obsessed also haha
Yeah I was surprised too
If she was a trumpet, she'd be Maynard. The Bomb.
And at that moment all the wine glasses spontaneously shattered.
I can’t understand why no one is talking about Sabine Devielhe… she is for me one of the best soprano in the world and she hit the note at the perfection here !!
The a=was my first answer until I hear Roberta Peters, and one other that make it hard to decide.
She does not
@@draganvidic2039 Hmhm explain…
@@ravens4283 she (dragan) hates Sabine 😄
I think she's a bit Romantic for Mozart
For me is Natalie Dessay. Her runs flow like water and she gives it a sweetness that works for this aria.
She was lovely
She was also pregnant during that specific production!!
Pure Magic 😢😢😢.
She was the only who could take a breath in the correct time and didn't broke the vocal line
Edda Moser👍👍👍👍
Fuck it. They were all so BLODDY DAMN GOOD. anyone who can stand on stage and go through this aria is a winner.
I seriously don't think this aria gets enough appreciation, it's just as difficult as the second one, the singer has to show so many different emotions in only a few minutes, in terms of music it was absolutely brilliant how in the beginning of the aria the queen of the night fools tamino by singing in the same scale as her daughter pamina later sings in her aria, and it also sets up the twist of the queen's true colours been revealed in the second aria in such an amazing way by making you think that she's good.
An absolutely amazing aria!
Natalie Dessay’s rendition is effortless and her tone is just ravishingly round and beautiful. Joan Sutherland’s vocal control is as always simply out of this world, not to mention of course that her gorgeous timbre is unmistakably recognisable. Finally, Lucia Popp because she is Lucia Popp... always a favourite.
Kathryn Lewek does it for me. The power behind it is so satisfying, especially considering the interpretation of her as an "old witch." Not to mention she can act and move so well while singing this challenging material. That's really hard
She sang like she had a grudge to bear, and I love it!!
Have you noticed that almost all of them remain a little bit higher of tune in the last note before the triller? 😂
Lucia popp usually takes it for me and it's no different here. Her technique is perfection and her tone is beautiful. She is my fave.
I like it better when it's just a tiny bit slowed down. Crazy how they all sound so different, and I like when they hold that high note a bit.
I agree, especially for singers like Clara Polito...(1:13) I feel like if the tempo was just a HAIR slower, even just in the build up, she would have nailed it!
But Mozart specifically asked for a short staccato note on the high F, as if the phrase were continuing up to Bb. That’s what I ask of my students
@@mortenhjelt823 I forget what passage this while video was covering but I think I meant the whole tempo overall. Not a legato phrase or anything just the slower of the entire tempos in this video, I'm partial to that and I'm definitely not a Mozart or any other composer and I definitely don't sing opera, lol. Just a preference to untrained ears.
Yeah, they are all good singers, Edita Gruberova is remarcable so as Sabine Devieilhe, it's difficult to say...I chose my favourite one who I thought was more balanced between keeping the tempo, tuning and transparence of the voice. Maybe who I "like" the most is note the most perfect, but for me choosing the best means to find equilibrium in many aspects
Mozart wrote a short F6 but if someone wants to flaunt that high F6 I'm all for it.
It is worth noting that Cristina Deutekom was the only one who could reach the highest notes of the second part, exactly in the way they were composed to be sung.
Fantastic Cristina! RIP
🎶🩷🎵💕
2:20 every time I hear Cristina Deukdom I have to check to make sure that her recordings are too old to be autotuned! The woman is a technical genius!
Serra and Deutekom are the Maestras here.
There's really no competition when it comes to the finest technique.
That rude !!! Any opera singer who apply to hit that note is amazing period.
Aside from 0:07 Diana (the way she quiets and builds the sound again is just masterful), I think 2:30 Elena Mosuc is my favourite. Her notes are so clear and she acts the hell out of the part.
As far as just that single note though, 1:52 Kathyrn Lewek's was the best. I don't know what's happening with the costumes for that production, but her High F was the best of the bunch.
2:59 Joan Sutherland was I think the fastest and deserves special mention for the vocal control necessary for such a feat.
4:32 Luciana Serra has a very unique quality to her runs that I just really like.
I 100% agree with you!
Mosuc later got a wobble like a car alarm.
Sutherland had no F live on stage so she didn’t sing the role.
@@draganvidic2039 The Sutherland clip included here IS from a staged production in Covent Garden, although it IS a half-step lower. She did also record O zittre nicht in the original key, where she ironically went sharp on the high F.
@@draganvidic2039 The complaining expert of yt...
looks like she just walked in on Tamino 'rescuing' Pamina if you know what i'm saying...
Kathryn Lewek owns this! Unlike the other singers, she is actively acting out her character as well as singing beautifully. The high note was gorgeous.
agreed!
She holds that F6. You know it’s an F6 and doesn’t squeak it out.
Unlike when she wore Julie Taymor's costume for the same role.
I really love Dessays potrayal of the Queen, both on a musical level and on an acting level. She's wonderful.
*Christina Deutekom* was the most effortless; very "unique" fioratura 👀
*Diana Damrau* had the best acting plus I love the dynamics she used. ☺️
What is fioratura?
@@takemyhand1988 an embellishment of a melody, especially as improvised by an operatic singer.
@@clarissakrigger4599 how is it different from melissma?
@@takemyhand1988 okay. So I might be wrong but in context they are kinda the same to me as they are both used to dramatize a song but fioritura is more 'flowery' than melisma and more dramatic in intonation.
@@takemyhand1988 They are both vocal runs (thats what i mean by being the same) but compare any Mariah Carey (know as the queen or melisma) song with her legendary runs to this aria and that's the initial difference.
So hard to decide, but...
3.Dessay, simply beautiful like a bird
2.Serra, amazing tecnique and precense
1.Popp, just a star!
I love the fact that people in the comments act as if Cristina Deutekom and Luciana Serra didn't dominate the vocal part of the role...
These ppl praise anything BUT actual good opera singers with developed head voice and have squillo in their singing 😭 it’s so hilarious
Deutekom did the best. She in fact is the best soprano in this video.
Agreed! It's all theatrical these days. I love Damrau but she is far from a decent coloratura soprano. Her run was all wobbly and that wasn't anything close to a trill.
@John Wallace exactly, and I know she's a monster! Still,Luciana Serra is my favorite on this particular aria
@@loveyall1910 That’s especially condescending giving that opera appreciation should not be contingent on knowing anything about the technique, or being familiar with what goes into enabling oneself to sing like that. It’s an art form. Appreciation is subjective and, in my case and many others’, has to do with the emotions I’m conveyed as they pour out of the music and singing. I for instance acknowledge Cristina Deutekom’s seemingly surreal vocal technique, but her rendition of this aria does not go near as to moving me as much as other sopranos’ does. On the contrary, she absolutely turns me off with this specific bit. Cecilia Bartoli is one of the greats. Yet she never had me close to tearing up or feeling anything intense really. If I’m being ignorant, please forgive me for misunderstanding the purposes of art.
Kathryn Lewek's (1:58) high note was gorgeous. She didn't just hit it, she sang it! To me, she stood out from all the rest.
Jasna Sajnovic (2:50) also had one of the more melodious high notes, however, her run before that lacked clarity to me.
Mado Robin (4:10) legit sounded like a little bird lol, in a good way.
Also enjoyed Natalie Dessay at the end there.
Lewek and Dessay's notes were E's not F's, as they're performing at historically-informed pitch, not modern!
@@stevenkrage2412 Are you sure? I checked the notes on a digital keyboard, they sound like Fs to me.
@@zuri2002 Dessay is an E, Lewek is directly in the middle of E and F. Modern vs. Historical pitch is variable on the HZ the orchestra uses. Sometimes it's a half step (Dessay), some times it's a quarter step (Lewek). One of the many intricacies of the HIP movement!
@@stevenkrage2412 I guess I'll take your word for it then, coz I'm not about to go hunt for details on whether a particular production used modern or historical pitch. Haha I mean I know about HIP, but they really sound like Fs to me.
I checked also Leweks recordings in the second part on our Bechstein piano. That s no F. It s a E or even lower. Kammerton A 315 hz or deeper.
Kathryn Lewek had the best F6, Joan Surherland and Luciana Sera had the best control of the climax before the note itself, and Elena Mosuc both, just not necessarily has good as the others if we count the note and the build up individually but she was probably the best overall!I also enjoyed Natalie Dessay’s a lot :)
The sheer vocal dexterity and versatility possessed by Dessay will always win me over. She could just toss off those runs like it was an afterthought (though they were always grounded with masterful dramatic skill!).
Lucia Popp...always the best
There is only one truly supported and unscooped F6 here: Deutekom. Moser, despite not fully trained in her chest voice , comes very close, and really has the potential to surpass Deutekom. Her sustained F6 with vibrato in her studio version of O zittre nicht is far better than the live one.
Hi omg you are here with me too 😂
Agreed.
Roberta Peters' F is scooped and unsupported???? you may not like her timbre - but she was a miracle!
Cristina deutekon is the best coloratura
@@theoancioly5035 oh my, that sure is subjective. She was one of my first queens of the night - and I loved it, but I still can't get past the wa-wa technique.
Why is no one talking how perfectly crisp 0:30 was
Because it is sabine
I think all of them did really well! I don't know why but some of them really made me tear up.
Diana Damrau, Kathryn Lewek, Elena Mosuo, Joan Sutherland, Luciana Serra, Roberta Peters, Natalie Dessay, are definitely my favourites though.
Why is no one talking about Margarita Levchuk's hat? It's more fabulous than any F6 ever recorded.
My first live Queen of the Night was Roberta Peters at the Metropolitan Opera way back in 1967. I thought she was fabulous then and I still think so. I’ve seen live several of these ladies over the years, but not in The Magic Flute.
How was her voice at the scene, some people said her voice was too small to be heard.
For me, it's Sabine Devieilhe, Sumi Jo, Natalie Dessay, Jasna Sajnovic, Emma Pearson and Erika Miklòsa!
I wish I have a voice like them; they've got such amazing vocal control.
Even if she didn’t sound particulary great on the coloratura, Jasna Sajnovic did a very RINGING high F here. You can hear how it resonates in the room after she has hit it. Formidable.
They're all insanely good! I agree with those who said some of them could have benefitted from it being a touch slower though. This seems technically insane and they're all so talented!
My favourites were Kathryn Lewek (that note was stunning), Mado Robin (is she literally a robin that was so birdlike?), and Natalie Dessay (smooth like butter).
I liked how Roberta Peters sustained that F!
All these ladies are super-- I'm absolutely captivated that some of those costumes though
Gotta go with Luciana Serra. The tempo is perfect, the trills aren't muddled but crystal clear, and she nails the high F at the end. Perfection. Dessay is a close second, though, very good there as well.
A lot of legends here! For this area, I adore Luciana Serra and Dessay, queens of the coloratura. Each note is so clean and the staccato is perfect!!!
I love how they all seem to do different lengths for the F6 but some of them just hold it just enough that it just, ugh, it sounds so perfect
2:23 reminds me of when Tarzan shouts.
Sounds like a broken recording
@@datle2863 It sounds like a turkey yodeling
Personal favourites that I go back to time and again are Lucia Popp and Sumi Jo.
However, in this video I really like Roberta Peters with her rallantando'd F. Also, while direction is a bit questionable, I really liked Kathryn Lewek, too -- she and Tamino actually feel like they are in the same scene. Lewek is fairly physical (without seeming overly choreographed) and still turns in such nice notes.
PS I would wear the heck out of Diana Damrau and Emma Pearson's gowns. They look ✨fabulous✨
Perhaps Diana Damrau is not perfect but she definitely is the best in acting! No other queen was ever so scaring!😱😱😱
I think Edda Moser is the most convincing overall from a voice point of view as she has the imposing dramatic weight to her voice, which others lack (though some might sing the coloratura a bit clearer).
Damrau, when one only listens and not sees her acting, has a rather light voice imo and seems a bit laboured on the coloratura imo
Never heard of Roberta Peters, but hers was the most open and free high F I heard. Really great. Can only aspire to be as good as her
I was fortunate enough to see in person Diana Damrau in this role. Her acting was superb, scared the hell out of me. Several stabbed, some with a dull knife, the F6. I prefer a longer visit with a touch of vibrato. But this is about the F6 and Kathryn Lewek is near perfection.
You're so lucky, I wish I was there !
DESSAY! Just flawless and effortless, so clean and rounded sound
The Queens Moser, Deutekom and Damrau always win ✨
Agreed
Wow, how the second sopranist is singing "auf ewig dein" after the high f at 0:30, awesome!
I love the opera videos, I watch a video and the aria to my playlist. makes me feel sophisticated lol
Haha!! I'll try to make more!
When the singers hold the note longer it gives more meaning to who the Queen of the Night is in Die Zauberflotte which goes with Der Holler Racht. O Zittre Nicht is the crescent wrench that makes the audience feel not just bad but really bad for her and is a cry for help. Der Holler Racht is that same wrench thrown in our faces in shock and horror, someone who the audience has trusted has not just turned on us but is thrown into our faces. Same with Sarastro and his aira O Isis und Osiris which is not only a prayer but him feeling bad about overprotecting Pamina and asking what can I do as a good father. His aira even pops up again in the second act only again sung by the priest who notice his arch from figurehead to the father figure Pamina sees him be.
Several of these singers hit the high F really beautifully, some even have room to be expressive with it instead of just reaching it. But if we talk about sheer technique, intonation and rhythm and who actually sings all the notes (in tune and in rhythm) of the coloratura passage, Luciana Ferro wipes the floor with the rest.
In this challenge, Roberta Peters does it for me. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I have to say Diana Damrau, she’s my absolute favorite, I hope she’s an option in this video but if not I’ll go with Natalie Dessay, she’s glorious.
It truly baffles me how there are people who will hear this aria and still say Damrau is the best QotN...
Agreed
She's the best!
Recognise it
Diana, Sabine, and Natalie... my ears feel so blessed!!! 😭😭😭
The three worst we have…
Congratz!
@@draganvidic2039 I knew my comment would be troll bait... 🤣🤣🤣!! Who are your favorite(s)?
I think I prefer Dessay’s sweeter version in this aria. That said Clara Polito is new to me and I thought she was great. And I cannot ignore Christina Deutekom (I’ve always thought here fioritura was beyond odd it’s not a negative just different and very interesting to listen to) or Luciana Serra’s perfectly placed high notes and smooth legato.
If we're going by just the note itself, Kathryn Lewek takes the win. She actually sings it rather than squeaks, the way most sopranos sing high C. For the role overall, gotta give it to Edda Moser. Aside from that, I loved Roberta Peters use of rallentando to be like "no bitch, I am the QUEEN of the night. not the princess of the canaries".
Dessay clearly!! The ease, the lightness, the elegance, simply the best
Some of them sounded considerably lower than the others... That was pretty interesting.
Because hitting the high notes from F6 and beyond constantly isn't healthy for the voice in the long run. Heck, the great Luisa Tetrazinni and other old school coloratura sopranos like to lower their keys when singing such arias
As Oliver said, some sopranos sing this aria in a lower key, e.g. Joan Sutherland sings this a half-step lower.
Emma Pearson KILLED IT that transition to the high note was so fluid!!
After viewing again I’d have to vote for Roberta Peters. Not just a squeak like a few.
Gruberova was one of the best. Deutecom-to the principal's office! What was that revolting yodeling? Surprisingly many had poor control of their apparatus....
Luciana Serra does the BEST F6 EVER!!! How powerful and rotondo!!! Her high note like a laser!
I love Gruberova's acting. And Natalie's F.
moser and deuketom sing this aria so amazingly, but i also really liked lewek on this f6!
You can't really tell how huge Lewek's voice is on this recording or the richness of her timbre. She's amazing live!
This aria is soooo underrated!
Love your name!
Luciana Serra! Woman's voice is like a bell and it looks effortless! (By the way, Dessay only sing an E's, and Lewek sings between an E/F, as the pitch is historic pitch, not modern, and Sutherland's was transposed down for her because she couldn't sing the top note as written - she didn't even want to do the role, but Covent Garden begged her, so she agreed on those terms.)
Dessay and Peters definitely have the best musicality with their rits to the top F which really add a sense of character to the aria.
Sutherland's tempo is just second to none, particularly given the sheer accuracy and clarity she produces too! Though Polito is a close second.
Damrau hands down for the acting.
Serra for the sheer purity of her top F and Lewak for the excellent quality.
Deutekom and Robin for the overall performance - effortless!
Levchuk for the costume, absolutely hilarious IMO!
I have missed the opera videos!!! Here are some suggestions for future opera vids:
- The "Sempre libera" high E-flat
- The Nine High C's (or at least part of that)
- The "Che gelida manina" high C
- The high B-flat in the opening cadenza of "Je veux vivre"
- The cadenza at the end of "Una furtiva lagrima"
- The quick part and/or ending of "Largo al factotum", baritones deserve more love!
- The very long "Wälse" cry
Probably will never be seen or made, since I know this is mostly a musical theater, but here's them anyway.
(as for my opinion for this video, I'd probably go with Popp, because she's one of my absolute faves)
EDIT: How could I forget the repeated coloratura part including the high E from the Bell Song????
What about the high note in Vissi d'Arte?
@@lissandrafreljord7913 It's quite thrilling, so I guess
Susanne Elmark and Lucia pop are my favourite!
I see what Edita Gruberová was trying to do there. If she had indeed managed to cap that passage off with a goddam B-FLAT 6 she'd have one this easily. Alas, it only came out as a little squeak.
Edda Moser for me. The power behind her voice just gets me every time!
Yeah. To me everything about her voice us all the character should be.
Christina Deutekom got my attention❤
Fun fact: Mozart mentioned this particular note shortly before he died
"Quiet, quiet! Hofer is just taking her top F!"
I don't know who the best is but my favorites are Natalie Dessau and Sabine, second. As for Cristina Deutekom, she stole my heart with the triplets in Der Holle Rache 😍, so I'm a fan forever. She is my favorite for that aria.
Great video!!! I agree, this aria is definitely more difficult than the more well known one. Aside from those vocals, this is like a compilation of costume designs for the character, some are good while some are just absurd looking. Diana Damrau did amazing with merging the singing and acting, Mado Robin did it smooth, truly a pioneer in high singing soprano, Luciana Serra and Natalie Dessay did amazing as well. Plus, I think Susanne Elmark is the voice for Danish dubbed of Thumbelina and Pocahontas.
I love Cristina Deutekom's work, but when she did the coloratura, she sounded like "gogogogogagoago"😅
Gruberova and Popp, both Slovak sopranos. Honorable mention: Duetkom 🐓🐔
I don’t know who sang it better there all so good 😊
Damaru, Dessay, Luciano Serra are my three favorites! With Sabine coming in after that....
Why is Rita Streich never included in the videos? I honestly believe she would have one-sidedly won both videos. Maybe that is the reason haha
Lucia Popp 💓
Dessay has the most beautiful voice .
Luciana Serra forever... She is the "Queen of the Night"
This aria is so challenging, I can't breathe seeing them all trying to get the note right and almost all of them getting it wrong
Gruberova's precision and clarity are unmatched, although she does suffer from plainness and lack of emotions.
Sumi jo ❤
Εdda Moser, the best Queen of the Night. (One of the best in general).
It's always Diana Damrau for me
Same!!! She sings and act at the same time in such a cool way!
I live how Deutekom moves her mouth to reach the notes 😍
It’s not live. She’s lipsynching.
@@draganvidic2039 now im sad and you broke the magic :( 😂
@@draganvidic2039 How is she lip syncing?
That clip was from a movie in 1971 (50 years ago) and why would an opera make an opera singer lip sync..In 1974, Deutekom was considered by the New York Times "The greatest Queen of the Night of their time"
And if you still don't believe me there are 4 live recordings of her singing in that role:
1968 in the New York Metropolitan Opera
1969 in San Francisco
1969 in Venezia
And 1984 in Utrecht
@@techwiz7947 She's still lip-syncing to her own voice, though. Maybe the technology of the time wasn't good enough to capture on-set singing? Or maybe they just didn't want to pay for an orchestra for the entire duration of the shoot?
It might have been common practice. I remember seeing a clip from a film of Verdi's Macbeth where Fiorenza Cossotto forgets that she prerecorded the aria come scritto and not the more common variation, so her lip-syncing was obviously NOT in sync. Haha
Regardless of the comparisons, how about realizing what a supreme technical artist and athlete it takes to do this area well? I amvblown away by how amazing many of these great singers are.
Lucia Popp, obviously. She makes it sound both easy and beautiful, 10/10
The F barely sounded.
They are all fantastic and of a high level, but I particularly like the fragility of Nathalie Dessay
Only it is not meant to be fragile at all. It’s supposed to be loud and angry….
Please can we have Frozen’s “FIRST TIME IN FOREVER” climax, who sang it best? It would be sick! 💙❄️
Thank you x
Well I am not an opera connoisseur but the one and only who gives me the thrill is Diana Damrau. Her voice is filled with power and emotion combined to her acting performance, which makes me say she surpasses all the others here. Some say her technique is not perfect (how come ?), but all the others look like robots delivering nothing else but sound/noise (except for Nathalie Dessay maybe).
"So how many ornaments should there be?". Mozart: "yes"
This is beside the point but the middle part (right after they inhale) always reminds me of King Ghidorah's old cackling sound 💀
LMAO
Luciana Serra foi impecável. Arrepiei
The best is Diana Damrau.
She sings it perfectly with a so technic. The others have difficulties.
Edita Gruberova is my favorite! RIP Edita
Wilma Lipp is my favorite QON....she's not listed here...yet a concert performance by an unremarkable singer with a flat F is.
I'm sorry, but when Cristina Deutekom did the continuous turns at the end of the aria...I died (2:22)
Anyone else feel like Diana Damrau was beat by Elena Mosuc? HER WHISTLE, SO CLEAN, CRISP, CLEAR, AND RINGING! That was astounding!
The high F is an incredible achievement on its own but what's interesting here is the vocalise leading to it. As for myself I find Edita Gruberova, Elena Mosuc and Nathalie Dessay very close to how it would be heard in the 18th century.
Because the phrase end at the high F but every semi quaver notes should be heard and be a symbol of how much the singer has control and how much important the Queen of the night is important.
I heard BIANCA MIHAESCU and nothing compares since.
Pestera Romanesti Regina Noptii Bianca Mihaescu