Thank you for posting this superb example of great singing by Julia Varady! Julia Varady is one of the great singers of the 20th-century. She is one on a very short list of the greatest singers of the late 20th-c. Viva Varady!!!
Varady un tempérament de feu, une personnalité parmi les plus réjouissantes de l'opéra, une femme qui sait prendre des risques et gagner des combats ! Brava Julia.
An Abigaille to end all Abigailles (excuse me, Ghena Dimitrova and Renata Scotto, but what can I do?...) Such treasure of a voice...Marrying feverish, all-consuming, intensity with finesse and lyricism, and what stage presence!
I'm not sure about Cerquetti, but I loved Souliotis in the decca recording. Pauline Tinsley was terrifying And yes of course Callas as you say. Pity Souliotis ruined a fine voice Henry Webb.
Hi there. Well, Cerquetti, just think how young she was and the ease she sung with and she never screamed! I the voice had to grow on me but I love the vulnerability of her sound.
"For the most part, the soloists provided a feast of memorable Verdian singing. As the ambitious Abigaille... Julia Varady met Verdi's ferocious vocal demands head on, but triumphed mainly through dramatic power - a great Mozartian who is also a great Verdian. " (NY Times, 9/13/95). We have not heard anything like this since Callas. Bravissima! Bravi tutti!
I'm returning to this fragment of the Paris Opera Nabucco, and in particular to this fragment, for a hundredth time. The reasons are numerous. First of all, Julia Varady. A killer soprano role, voice-wise, I mean, and not only that. Nobody has yet mastered it with such musical intelligence and technique. The voice comes from nowhere and dissipates into the eternal. She is just the medium, no strain, no explicit tension. A value that has been lost nowadays, hopefully not for ever. Then Jose Cura. Who, among nowadays dramatic tenors could possibly substitute him in this role, which is not so much demanding as regards its length, but so essential for the opera achieving its full fruition. Violeta Urmana producing her utmost qualities at that stage of her career. As regards Ramey, words just fail me. Lafonte sounds to be a top-notch Nabucco, to my ears at least. And everything else. Listen to this performer of Anna in the chorus scene, no second rate feel at all, as is often a case for casting performers for the opera's not main protagonists. Notice 5:26. Abigaille and Ismaele congeal producing statues reminding some Ancient world's art. The direction is bone-melting, no today's nonsense of directors' exposing their subconscious. Not a single gesture which in any way contradicts to the music, not a single, no matter how intently one follows. A jewel of jewels in every sense
Bravo One of the best in history In Abigaille rol.Line ,Fantastic interpretation ,for 54 years old soprano ,she sound young no older than 30 years old.
Many consider Júlia Várady as the only true soprano assoluta after Maria Callas (see also Wikipedia). However, I have the impression that she never gained the fame she deserved. Thank you for the post.
I hate the term 'assoluta.' Most sopranos who are granted the title had severe vocal problems and short primes. Varady might be the only singer who gets called an 'assoluta' that truthfully didn't wreck her voice in one way or another. Even historically, Giuditta Pasta had a very public and bad vocal decline
Indeed, she was, regretfully, underrated. I was at Opera-Bastille for this unforgettable performance. Consequently, I decided to see this Hugh Gall-Robert Carsen production four times during the 1995-1996 season.
@foropera Ah - it went by so fast I didn't see it - thanks! Excellent cast. Onegin has posted her big aria Ben io . . . another fantastic example of fearless singing.
That's odd. I heard her as Senta in a big house and she had no trouble cutting thru the wagnerian orchestration. Even in the huge finale, she soared indefatigablly
Thank you for posting this superb example of great singing by Julia Varady! Julia Varady is one of the great singers of the 20th-century. She is one on a very short list of the greatest singers of the late 20th-c. Viva Varady!!!
NY got very little of Varaday what a loss.
¡Hermosísimo! Ella es una soprano extraordinaria. Han hecho una versión magnífica, a la altura de la de Callas antológica. ¡Muchas gracias!
julia Varady è una stupenda Abigaille, che classe che artista...
Fine singing from Varady. Do we have an Abigaille as good as she today? I think not.
Henry Webb
Varady un tempérament de feu, une personnalité parmi les plus réjouissantes de l'opéra, une femme qui sait prendre des risques et gagner des combats ! Brava Julia.
An Abigaille to end all Abigailles (excuse me, Ghena Dimitrova and Renata Scotto, but what can I do?...) Such treasure of a voice...Marrying feverish, all-consuming, intensity with finesse and lyricism, and what stage presence!
Listen to Souliotis, Tinsley, Cerquetti and of course Callas
I'm not sure about Cerquetti, but I loved Souliotis in the decca recording. Pauline Tinsley was terrifying And yes of course Callas as you say. Pity Souliotis ruined a fine voice
Henry Webb.
Hi there. Well, Cerquetti, just think how young she was and the ease she sung with and she never screamed! I the voice had to grow on me but I love the vulnerability of her sound.
"For the most part, the soloists provided a feast of memorable Verdian singing. As the ambitious Abigaille... Julia Varady met Verdi's ferocious vocal demands head on, but triumphed mainly through dramatic power - a great Mozartian who is also a great Verdian. " (NY Times, 9/13/95). We have not heard anything like this since Callas. Bravissima! Bravi tutti!
I have come back 10 years later to listen to this great singer. My opinion has not changed. Bravissima!
I'm returning to this fragment of the Paris Opera Nabucco, and in particular to this fragment, for a hundredth time. The reasons are numerous. First of all, Julia Varady. A killer soprano role, voice-wise, I mean, and not only that. Nobody has yet mastered it with such musical intelligence and technique. The voice comes from nowhere and dissipates into the eternal. She is just the medium, no strain, no explicit tension. A value that has been lost nowadays, hopefully not for ever. Then Jose Cura. Who, among nowadays dramatic tenors could possibly substitute him in this role, which is not so much demanding as regards its length, but so essential for the opera achieving its full fruition. Violeta Urmana producing her utmost qualities at that stage of her career. As regards Ramey, words just fail me. Lafonte sounds to be a top-notch Nabucco, to my ears at least. And everything else. Listen to this performer of Anna in the chorus scene, no second rate feel at all, as is often a case for casting performers for the opera's not main protagonists. Notice 5:26. Abigaille and Ismaele congeal producing statues reminding some Ancient world's art. The direction is bone-melting, no today's nonsense of directors' exposing their subconscious. Not a single gesture which in any way contradicts to the music, not a single, no matter how intently one follows. A jewel of jewels in every sense
Mrs. Varady is just Superb here. Brava!
Bravo One of the best in history In Abigaille rol.Line ,Fantastic interpretation ,for 54 years old soprano ,she sound young no older than 30 years old.
Decisamente edizione splendida,voci superbe,con fuoco,con passione BRAVI TUTTI!!!!!!!!
Hangjáról szuperlatívuszokban lehet csak beszélni...1.000x BRAVISSIMO!
Herrliche Julia Varady! Aber auch die anderen Sänger sind hervorragend.
Superb. This is a great performance
Many consider Júlia Várady as the only true soprano assoluta after Maria Callas (see also Wikipedia). However, I have the impression that she never gained the fame she deserved.
Thank you for the post.
I hate the term 'assoluta.' Most sopranos who are granted the title had severe vocal problems and short primes. Varady might be the only singer who gets called an 'assoluta' that truthfully didn't wreck her voice in one way or another. Even historically, Giuditta Pasta had a very public and bad vocal decline
Indeed, she was, regretfully, underrated. I was at Opera-Bastille for this unforgettable performance. Consequently, I decided to see this Hugh Gall-Robert Carsen production four times during the 1995-1996 season.
Gran Interpretación de Julia Varady
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!
Simplemente maravillosa...
Magnificent
@foropera Ah - it went by so fast I didn't see it - thanks! Excellent cast. Onegin has posted her big aria Ben io . . . another fantastic example of fearless singing.
Bravisisssssssima!!!!
Fabulous messa di voce on C6 at 4:33.
W O W!!!!!!!
BRAVA VARADY!!!!!!!!!
La Stradi-Varady !!!
One of my idols :)) can you please identify the other singers? thanks :)) and thanks for all those great Verrett videos you post!
Sorry, 13 years later I see your comment 😮, young José Cura and Violeta Urmana
Is there any DVD or BLURAY from this performance that can be bought?
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Jose Cura and Violeta Urmana at the beginning of their carreers!!
Yes! and Cura is as horrible as always.
I love Varady, I heard her live in this role, although good, the voice was not large enough and did not penetrate the orchestra.
That's odd. I heard her as Senta in a big house and she had no trouble cutting thru the wagnerian orchestration. Even in the huge finale, she soared indefatigablly
She had some huge notes, chest ones and high medium, even in the big Opera Bastille, in Paris...So it is very strange.