I know this is my own channel, but I’m listening to this again and it’s just a miracle. Fleming is the greatest Strauss soprano of all time and here, live in 1998, the greatest ever exponent of this role. Her recording of this duet the same year with Eschenbach and Bonney and he Vienna Philharmonic is the only recording that equals and surpasses this one. My god!
Poor Christine Schäfer, sounding so radiant here. She has disappeared from the scene. So has Barbara Bonney, another beautiful light lyric. What happened to them?
Barbara Bonney retired to settle into a more regular teaching life. She said that her voice hadn't thickened and so she couldn't sing bigger Mozart roles like the Countess or Donna Elvira and she didn't want to continue singing soubrette parts into her 50s. Schäfer's voice declined somewhat, but it's typical for soubrettes to retire earlier as there's not so many maturer parts for them. Bonney teaches internationally also now runs a dress shop aimed at singers.
Great moments of opera That makes sense. There are no light lyrics at the moment matching the once-radiant Bonney and Schäfer. Maybe Julia Kleiter or Anna Prohaska? But don't think they are or will be at the level of the former.
I agree with this - Barbara Bonney's retirement left a real hole in the operatic landscape... and small voices are meant to be the most common! But her's was a special insturment - that incredible purity allied to a properly developed middle voice, a great all round technique and that level of interpretative nuance is not a common thing. I was also very partial to Kathleen Battle in her prime years, but she seems a size smaller even than Bonney. Her Zerbinetta in particular I think is unmatched.
I know this is my own channel, but I’m listening to this again and it’s just a miracle. Fleming is the greatest Strauss soprano of all time and here, live in 1998, the greatest ever exponent of this role. Her recording of this duet the same year with Eschenbach and Bonney and he Vienna Philharmonic is the only recording that equals and surpasses this one. My god!
Finally I've found my beloved Christine Schäfer as Zdenka here! Thank you so much !!
K very glad! Both singers in their prime here :)
Poor Christine Schäfer, sounding so radiant here. She has disappeared from the scene. So has Barbara Bonney, another beautiful light lyric. What happened to them?
Barbara Bonney retired to settle into a more regular teaching life. She said that her voice hadn't thickened and so she couldn't sing bigger Mozart roles like the Countess or Donna Elvira and she didn't want to continue singing soubrette parts into her 50s. Schäfer's voice declined somewhat, but it's typical for soubrettes to retire earlier as there's not so many maturer parts for them. Bonney teaches internationally also now runs a dress shop aimed at singers.
Great moments of opera That makes sense. There are no light lyrics at the moment matching the once-radiant Bonney and Schäfer. Maybe Julia Kleiter or Anna Prohaska? But don't think they are or will be at the level of the former.
I agree with this - Barbara Bonney's retirement left a real hole in the operatic landscape... and small voices are meant to be the most common! But her's was a special insturment - that incredible purity allied to a properly developed middle voice, a great all round technique and that level of interpretative nuance is not a common thing.
I was also very partial to Kathleen Battle in her prime years, but she seems a size smaller even than Bonney. Her Zerbinetta in particular I think is unmatched.