10 Responses

1. Jabe88

   November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

   1

   You prefer Dessay in every role, so I don’t see why you bother to listen to Sutherland.
   I am amazed how you love to compare these two sopranos and always emphasise on how better is Dessay and how inferior is Sutherland…
   Sutherland beats Dessay in most roles and is BY FAR better (voice “hugeness”, breath control, constancy…)

2. sour7lemon

   November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

   2

   I don’t prefer dessay in everything, and I barely ever compare them or even listen to dessay videos. I love this song, so I decided to take a listen. I have every right to my opinion, and if I feel Dessay’s lighter voice in this role is better, so be it.

   And I think its funny how you rant on about me always emphasizing Dessay’s greatness, and in the next sentence you back up your diva. Hypocrite?

   ( I can copy and paste too )

3. Jabe88

   November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

   3

   Again just citing facts!

   (I see you’re doing good at it too!)

4. clearandsunny

   November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

   4

   If you don’t own this concert, go buy it. Recorded in 1983. It’s a vocal tour de force. This particular performance of the Thomas piece, which comes toward the end of the evening, is a miracle. Note, among many seemingly effortless vocal feats, the perfectly poised, clearly bordered staccati on high c.

5. Hako2004

   November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

   5

   I agree ClearandSunny. The high stacci were Db though. The trills were amazing throughout, but particularly the last one before the final B natural. No one, in the history of recorded music, has ever made a trill like this.

6. meltzerboy

   November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

   6

   Although I’m no enthusiast of Dessay’s singing and am an avid fan of Sutherland’s, I think Dessay does a great job with this aria. Of course, Sutherland is also great, but her real tours de force are her singing on The Art of the Primadonna album and her 1977 live performance in concert with Pavarotti. Here one senses a little strain in the voice (she was 56) and the last scale is not perfect. Still, no singer today can perform the piece better, and only Melba’s 1904 recording is superior.

7. Hako2004

   November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

   7

   I agree with you meltzerboy, regarding a little strain in the sound….here and there. Whats remarkable is that any singer would attempt such an exposed piece of music, full of technical hurdles and high notes……in front of a live audience. This music is beyond most sopranos of any age.
   The highest notes don’t get easier with time, so small allowances should be made.
   I disagree about Melba’s recording, which I heard only once.. Sutherland has the best recorded version in my opinion.

8. timsuffolk

   November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

   8

   Sutherland approaching 60 did nothing as embarrassing as Callas did in her 40’s, and Dessey is a pip-squeak in comparison

9. OperaBR

   November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

   9

   It’s nonsense to compare Sutherland and Dessay. Not only Sutherland here is much older (57) than Dessay is today (41), but also she was great in a totally different way from Dessay, whose artistry lays in a distinct style (thankfully, since that means she’s a singer in her own). I think Dessay is the best Ophélie I’ve heard, since she’s performed the entire role dozens of times. As for the Mad Scene, my favourite is young Sutherland, though even at 57 she still ranks as one of my favorites.

10. Grupner

    November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am

    10

    la sutherland è la più grande di tutte….