SHIRLEY VERRETT - The Journey of an Extraordinary Voice
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- Опубліковано 9 січ 2020
- My Facebook Page about Shirley Verrett
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Shirley Verrett, operatic singer (1931-2010) was a voice of exception.
Her was an extraordinary voice made both for Verdi and Bellini, or Donizetti, a kaleidoscope of wild and moire colors. Mixing Mezzo and soprano, her shiny and dark voice covered 3 octaves. Her operatic career started late, flourished first as a mezzo, then gradually, around 1975 as a dramatic soprano capable of vocalizes, while continuing to return to dramatic mezzos. Time proved her right, because she was still singing Macbeth and Aida at 58 years old, preserving until the end a great extension, and vocal power, despite a low medium rather tenuous, and a little put hurt by these continual changes in range.
Another whole level of singer... It's so brilliant and genious
It is not only her glorious voice and her intelligence, she is charismatic, beautiful and the most important: Extremely musical and extremely artistic. Her characters are LIVING.....
A beautiful woman, an exceptional talent and an extraordinary voice.
One of the best voices I have ever heard. Amazing beauty. And technically - absolute perfection!
Una de las sopranos más bellas y con una carrera increíble !!!❤
She was my teacher in the late 90s. There was no UA-cam back then. I am only now hearing these breathtaking recordings.
Thank you. This is the reason why I make so many videos of Shirley Verrett. For a singer of that caliber she had not recorded enough, and a whole part of her artistic legacy stays unknown by a majority of people even American. When you were working with her was she of good advices in the technical aspect, or in other fields? It is not always the case with great singers, you spent your life to know your own instrument but THEN you have to understand all the others.
Wow! How was she as a teacher?
I learned about singing, yes, and ended up on Broadway and at the Met. She taught me so much more about life, how to walk talk and dress and to be a sophisticated person in a sophisticated world. She continues to inspire me...
@@foropera why is she so underrated and unknown in comparison to other Sopranos? I’m stunned I hadn’t ever really heard her name until recently yet she is as good or better than the very best. Stunning singer and instrument
Hers is a storied career. I had the privilege of singing chorus for her in a concert of opera arias around 1986. She opened with Norma and we sang the opening where Norma enters, and she appeared in the middle of the stage among us as if we were people in the scene of the opera and she, the high priestess, walked among us. She then proceeded to give a riveting performance of Casta Diva and Ah, bello a me ritorna
SHIRLEY VERRETT certainly holds her place in the history of opera vocal art as one of the 10 greatest mezzo-sopranos in history. But for sure, it can't even come close to deserving that place in the 10 greatest sopranos in history! And that's the whole truth! I love you SHIRLEY VERRETT!
Verrett was an Artist that gave so much as a Singer, Actor, Musician and as an inspirational woman ,she was truly extraordinary!
I heard Ms. Verrett in a solo recital in 1971. 50 years later I still remember that performance as one of the most exceptional I have heard throughout my life. Later I was fortunate to play in an orchestra where she was soloist. Listening to those two performances taught me so much about music, musicianship, and artistry; lessons I emulated throughout my career. Remarkable talent. Although I never studied with her she was one of my most important teachers.
A beautiful voice!!! Gifted from above.Shirley Verett!! Wow!!!! An unforgettable soprano.
A M A Z I N G V O I C E.....
La Favorita !!!!!!!!!!
What a treasure!
She was a very special LADY 👑.😊🙌💕✨ Arnold Bourdon Amaral THANK YOU for posting.
One of the greatest singing actresses to do it. I was so honored to interview her early in my career. Thank you for sharing this video!
❤fantastic video. One of - maybe the greatest - singer i saw many times in opera. I began to see opera in 1974.
@7:15. I can’t stop listening to this, among the most glorious singing I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard a hell of a lot both recorded and live.
I agree, and it is strange too in a pure soprano role like Jane Seymour. She was mastering the notes above E and F like no mezzo could ever do. Which makes her really different from Barbieri, a real mezzo. Her voice "turns" perfectly on the passagio.
Beautifull voice. Amazing
Nothing to add ❤
una voce straordinaria
I love her! In my opinion she was most likely a soprano (probably a dramatic one, as she pointed out in the video). Her highs were too precise and full for her to have been a mezzo. Most people say she was a Falcon soprano (I really think Christa Ludwig was more of a Falcon than Shirley), but, even though she had amazing lows full of weight and power, I still don't see why not classify her as a soprano, because she was pretty much very confident with her top notes. One thing's for sure, she definitely had a naturally privileged instrument and that's why it is so hard to give her a vocal fach.
I agree with you; she could do a lot with her high notes, other than just hitting them, unlike Grace Bumbry, who is so obvious a Mezzo for that reason. As for her low notes, most dramatic sopranos can have rich chest tones similar to mezzos but not quite as full; color is not necessarily sound.
@@starlove7474 Grace Bumbry was a horrible soprano sad to say. She was a very good Mezzo. Shirley Verrett was not a Falcon she was a spinto soprano. And a great one. Viva La Verrett 💙👑🎵🎼🎶 Arnold Bourbon Amaral
@@arnoldamaral7406 I agree Grace Bumbry was NOT a soprano - she was a fabulous mezzo however- She was an outstanding Eboli ( Don Carlo )
Magnífica la Bumbry la primera dama de Estados Unidos la invitó a cantar a la Casa Blanca y ahí despegó su carrera en América.
naturally more of a soprano but she could sound a dramatic mezzo with contralto extension. and very DRAMATIC, great interpreteur.
Yes, she was hard to categorize. But until the end of her career she sang Ritorna vincitor in her recitals...even if her medium got thinner.
Thank you for this beautiful and thoughtful compilation !
Caballé&Verret sang a very high level duetti ! Amazing in Lucrezia Borgia or Maria Stuarda !
Une magnifique cantatrice ,légendaire .Une voix magnétique et addictive .Une personnalité hors du commun ,une grande actrice également .C'est l'autre Callas .
She was gorgeous
Extraordinary voice! MacBeth Verdi was along with Callas were the best interpreters of this Opera in my opinion.
Callas la DIVINA !!!❤
Vocalement ,elle se rapproche du type de voix " Falcon ".Elle est extraordinaire .♥️
Can't imagine why so many think she's not that well known and appreciated.
Shirley Verrett was a major star in her day. I heard her for the first time in her MET debut as Carmen and later in concert, as Lady Macbeth, Aida etc. It was a very special and very beautiful voice and she was a big presence on stage with charisma to spare and musicality and seemed to be able to do anything but... What none of your are saying, and this is true, the shift from Mezzo Soprano to Soprano left the voice with a bit of a hole as she ascended to the upper extension. Listen to the Macbeth aria at 16:45. The top was not a soprano top. The excerpt from the Verdi requiem 2:16 demonstrates that. She was a mezzo with an extension and able to sing some of the soprano roles but at a cost to her voice.
All that said she was great. If I recall correctly Claudio Abbado was to conduct Don Carlos at the MET and had expected her as Eboli and when she wasn't in the cast he walked finding out Irene Dalis was singing the role and never came back to the MET.
Irene Dalis was also great and more forgotten because she had but one commercial opera recording and a long ago lost recital now available at Opera depot. She was great but lack the glamour and vocal beauty of Verrett ua-cam.com/video/jKj6UcBgVrg/v-deo.html
A falcon landed on earth returns to the heavens.
Какая роскошная ,красивая и талантливая.
Where was the 1987 Lady Macbeth given? I wonder why the Met never booked her to sing the role...
David Perkins: in San Francisco. It might be 1986 as well, I don't remember.
The Met is famous for making some really dumb casting decisions
@@puppetoz and they continue to follow that miserable tradition idiots
She was an extraordinary voice . For me she is un categorizable she excelled in spinto pieces like Aida , Macbeth ... even Dramatic soprano roles like Tristan und Isolde and Medea . Even all of Donizetti and Rossini and Bellini’s coloratura soprano roles , in addition to all of the dramatic mezzo roles too . She reminds me a lot of Florence Quivar . Similar story . What are the songs at the 6:58 mark and 9:33 mark ?
Will 2: The arias you mention are from: Kurt Weill- Mahagonny, and from: Blue Beard's Castle, Bartok, 6th door. Black voices are often very hard to put in a box, yes! Too many possibilities.
foropera
Yep . When I was in College I was on a musical and academic scholarship. I was a dramatic leggiero tenor but my voice went all the way up to a Bflat under soprano High C let alone tenor high C . I literally trained as a true counter tenor and even took on Bigger tenor spinto and lyric roles .But I made the mistake that young people make and didn’t know how to say know . Gospel, Rock , Wagner ... Donizetti whatever it took a toll , but my voice was restored. But not before developing nodes while singing as a backup singer for a gospel artist and learning Calaf. I was far too young for that . I could also go very low too and my teachers were literally telling me that classical music would be challenging for me because I was a Black male . They were right .
@@foropera Exactly
We often have large Ranges
I can also sing Soprano and Alto
My Itslian teachers say Soprano my Russian Teacher say mezzo or Alto
Very often we can sing both
Because we sing in our churches from Children whatever Voice is needed!
❤
I can’t identify the opera at 7:15 can anyone advise me please. Sounds almost certainly Bellini. What fabulous singing.
Jane Seymour's entrance aria in Anna Bolena. Donizetti.
@@foropera Thanks very much. At times Donizetti and Bellini sound so alike, both masters of bel canto.
What is she singing at 2:38?
"Ich wandte mich" from the 4 serious songs by Brahms.
@@foropera thanks!
@@foropera thanks
Being a mezzo is overrated. She’s lucky to eventually sing soprano. I wish realistically my voice was a soprano.
You are delusional, dear.
Is underrated. very underrated.
Emily Greene ::
A great mezzo-soprano will always ( well ... mostly ) be more dynamic than a soprano, unless that soprano has a formidable lower-register.
Many things are said and written about JS.
Many things are said and written about MH.
No matter what is said or written about both ... MH always made JS sound better in their duets. Technically, MH's virtuosity / speed-of-delivery was better than JS's.
I forced a friend, who didn't have any interest in opera, to listen to them in a very long duet --- w / the headphones on so he wouldn't be distracted ! After his ordeal, I asked him how he liked it ::
"I liked the man's voice !"
Mezzo-sopranos are not "overrated". They are one of the rock-solid foundations of opera !
It's not always about high notes, it's pretty-much expected from female singers ... but a woman who can compete w / a man for low notes ( w / the man losing ! ) is one of the wonders of this music.
_🎗 ( We didn't mention Contraltos._ _Dear God ! Contraltos ! )_
_🎗 Romina Boscolo ! On YOU-TUBE !_
_Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera._
SHIRLEY VERRETT AND GHENA DIMITROVA ARE ABSOLUTELY MY FAVORITES EVER. I "USED" TO LOVE CALLAS TO DEATH. LISTENER TO HER FOR 2 DECADES. I WAS OBSSESSED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT I CAN'T LISTEN TO CALLAS ANYMORE-MAINLY IN PUCCINI THAT I ACTUALLY NEVER REALLY THOUGHT HER VOICE WAS RIGHT. CALLAS'S TURANDOT I FIND AN ABOMINATION.