@@CameronGuarino Where do you get the idea that she's lip syncing in that performance? Her breathing matches the performance and I see no incongruities between the words and her lip movements. There don't seem to be any articles about it anywhere either.
But she also had the most subverted version of the magic flute with creepy looking transvestites--bald fifty year old men--playing the roles of women in the background which distracted utterly from the piece. Sydney Opera House is famous for its Weimar level of subversiveness which is why us Aussies want it defunded. If it cannot succeed itself it shouldn't occupy prime real estate, pulling in a few million a year when the rent of that space alone would be tens of billions.
I like her cold, hard stare! And how she throws off the 16th-notes like easy-peasy. I love her approach to the aria and the character. There’s a brilliant DG recording from I think the early ‘60s.
I agree her vocals are stunning. If I were just listening, it would be amazing. But that "just doing her usual chores" flat affect kills it for me as a performance. I don't know if that was a choice by her director or if she couldn't maintain the focus and posture necessary to nail the vocals while also moving around the stage and emoting. (No insult intended. It's totally valid if that's the case.) Either way, what I assume is supposed to be an icy stare, looks like bored apathy to me which does not do justice to what's happening in this scene.
@@dannil9878 But i can tell you her stare is like the queen she lived under. Perhaps you aren't aware of our former queen Wilhelmina. Or that she is Dutch and we have a monarchy here still.
Diana Damrau, she's in the skin of the sinister queen crying out for revenge, and she is also the powerful matriarch of the clan, she is just in character, queen and mother enraged and full of pain. That's a soprano and actress a package all in one. Perfect.
How many of you have seen Anna Skibinsky? I think she's even better than Damrau. Her voice is richer and stays that way throughout the staccato piece. Damrau thins out her voice to get the control. ua-cam.com/video/bLFG1-SEZPk/v-deo.html
Popp has always been my favorite. The "Sutherland Style" is quite evident ... sloppy diction, not always on pitch. That 1950's "roundness" of tone common to Callas and Sutherland. Popp's diction is flawless (one can follow the libretto, syllable by syllable), and her pitch is perfect. Popp hits the notes and caresses loves each one. Others make it seem equally effortless but seem to "hit and off" like a xylophone.
A diferencia de lo que dice mucha gente, yo creo que el estilo sin prisas de Popp es más difícil, pues es más fácil que se quede sin aire. Es la primera vez que escucho su versión y me ha encantado!
I have always loved Diana Damrau, but Lucia Popp does this the best. Beautiful music must be savored, like a warm hug, and she takes time and shows her love for every gorgeous note.
I'm with you all the way. Other performers may have "acted" the role better, but Lucia Popp sang it the best. I know what you mean and love the "no hurry" style. Every note was held to the proper length and not clipped off. Her tones are rich and powerful. The only thing I don't know was whether the slightly slower style was her idea or not. The recording I have of Die Zauberflöte has Werner Klemperer conducting and he *never* rushed Mozart. (I have a recording he did of the 40th symphony that will make you tear up.) I can't stand when the conductor thinks you have to play Mozart like a crazy horse trying to escape a burning house.
Her rendition is not my favorite, which is really just a matter of personal preference and not a judgement of the performance. But I've heard it said repeatedly and I tend to agree, it is probably the best staging of the role, her acting, the costume, make-up, direction, all come together beautifully.
I have to agree! Plus leading up to the notes her interpretation was simply stellar! Some sounded as if they were repeating the same note just rhythmically getting there. With Diana you could hear the individual notes leading up to the climax!
Christina Deutekom and Edda Moser are the best for my untrained ear, but Damrau did a good job acting. Christina is also unreal for singing this so effortless.
Diana Damrau is the definitive Queen of the Night. She performed in both musical and dramatic terms. Such a powerful performance. The madness comes through. I'm sure it helped that this is in her native German. I always think it helps native speakers - one less thing to worry about!
I'm not sure about that. Professional singers have to study these languages seriously, to be fluent in them, not just to learn lyrics. And a song like this will have been sung so many times and is so well known as part of the Opera Canon, that I'm really not sure that not having German as a first language is an impediment. I came up in the world of ballet, and though it isn't my native language, I still think in French when it comes to dance. I think it has a lot to do with when you're exposed to something, how much of it, how open your mind is, etcetera.
Papp seems to hit the notes the best, but we can't see her act, she does hit every note perfectly and more clearly than any of the others..the high stacaatto is almost not human , the little echo gives it more power, plus she's slovak so wanting to do in her old man is kind of a given lol.. "Slobidan drink too much, chase other woman ..bastard!!!! I make daughter do it, make use for her :)" see it works, Mozart knew...
Edda Moser sings mutch better. Diana Damrau has already ruined her voice. If you listen to her nowadays nothing is left because of her lowsy technique.
Diana Damrau hit each of the notes just before the high trill. Most of the others slid through them. Of course i'm influenced also by her dramatic costume and makeup.
Agreed - I'm not a singer, but I am a classical musician (of sorts) and everyone fudging those notes sticks out to me almost as much as a sour note. A couple of the singers weirdly off from the orchestra too...
Diana Damrau and Lucia Popp. Lucia’s high Fs are so perfect they sound like a flute; I also love how she slows down the staccato notes to allow us to truly savor their beauty. Diana is the whole package.
i thought the exact same as this, Damrau overall on tune and time for every note Lucia for up top just slightly nicer texture on F6 and as you say very 'flute like'
@@firedragon2938 My picks exactly! However, no one, and I mean no one. can ACT the part and sing it perfectly as Diana. Although I would love to have seen Southerland live and seen haw she interpreted the role.
That's the thing with most performers in the 20th century. They will purposely perform a piece super under tempo, just to fit in vibrato. Don't know why, but that's a pattern that I've noticed.
@Cruz Sanchez es verdad, escucha la version de Maria Callas, yo creo que le bajan el tempo ya que ese rubato antes de las notas con vibrato se les hace dificil a tempo mormal
Exactly. She IS the queen of the night. These others were trying to be the queen of the night. She also hit the notes BEFORE the trills. They were actually staccato. The others were a bit more slurred.
Cristina Deutekom is the best for me here (and forever). Her voice, that volume, that diction, that precision in every tone, that strength and power in her voice are unsurpassed. She opens the sky with her voice and sends all the angels down from it!
I love how Edda Moser stops acting entirely to “perform” the ending staccato. As if she’s telling the audience “I know you’re listening intently to this particular part and the 4th wall has already been broken for this performance, anyway.” However, I have always thought Natalie Dessay was the best actress in this rôle.
Plebeian or patrician close your eyes, really listen to the music, feel in in your soul, pick your favourite and I dare anyone on your behalf to say “you got it wrong”.
Mozart stayed trolling. I'm a violinist so I'm more used to his orchestral pieces. But... just when you think he's ready to be serious.... he throws something that sounds kind of playful up in there. When I see his music, he comes across as a composer that didn't take himself too seriously. I doubt he wrote any of his pieces with a straight face, and he was DEFINITELY trolling with this aria 🤣
I get that the staccatos are wickedly hard to do. But the tempo on so many of those was just.. Painful. Diana in my opinion had the best theatrical "attack" on the notes, along with sense of timing. Though Erika had a much faster tempo than everyone else and nailed that tempo.
Couldn't agree more, mate. I already loved the Diana interpretation, she's just brilliant. Yet, I was expecting Erika to be unable to sing it that fast... but she nailed it too. Loved them both.
When it comes to staccatos no one beats Cristina Deutekom. She's a beast. Just listen to the whole aria. I've never heard such a vivid and strong voice. But in interpretation I think Diana is the best.
Can we also appreciate the acting in some of them? I like how each one had a different approach to the role; For example: Diana's was more of like an angry psycho mom when Natalie's was more of a desperate one, unlike Cristina's that was like an emotionless robot (in a good way) and Erika's was like a total lunatic.
Mister Golightly The Queen of the Night is supposed to be angry, scheming, menacing and evil. Definitely not desperate. Diana was perfect, I thought. She scared me! LOL! I played one of The Three Ladies in a local performance of this opera years ago. I'm a mezzo who would have loved to have been a coloratura and performed this aria. It's a fun part to sink your teeth into! But hey, at least I got to play Dorabella in Cosi. That's a wonderful part, too, but quite different, obviously. Love Mozart.
Dazzling Deb oh no I know! The aria doesn't talk about the love of the puppies lol! That's amazing! I would love to hear you, do you have any recordings?
My goodness when all of them hit those notes, it sounded unworldly. They each had gifts they brought on board and were all amazing. Thank goodness we have those who can carry the torch so our childrn can hear these as well.
Imagine showing this person hearing this for the first time and thinking, “wow, amazing.” And then someone goes, “It’s called queen of the night, by Mozart.” “That’s amazing!” “It’s about a mother telling her daughter to commit murder.”
Diana Damrau is THE Queen of the night, she sings in her mother tongue, so it feels so much more natural, putting aside the staccato which can be done regardless the language.
German native here: It's also the mother tongue of Edda Moser. Imho she did it best, she delivers the "message" the right way. And her high notes are above top tier.
For me, it’s Edda Moser, and it’s not just about the staccato. Her whole performance emanates the fiery rage of her character so well!!! Her voice is rich and luscious and every note is given immense energy!!! Sublime🤩
sociopathic best performance sung by Edda Moser. Diana Damrau an iconic acting. Kim Soo-Yeon pitches wonderful - but I miss the hatred in her face and body language.
0:14 The beautiful standard 0:47 Nightmare fuel 1:14 Crying while staring into your soul 1:47 ViBrAtO 2:19 The Soulless Stare 2:50 The flat-top screamer 3:20 More notes than pixels 3:52 Child abuse 4:22 The regal queen 4:53 My grandma in the shower 5:24 I take it back this has less pixels 5:54 purple 6:36 *BELLOW*
Why is no one talking about Susanna Elmark? It was satisfying to have a little smoothness to the song but also have that sharp staccato all at the same time
I love the way her staccato's sound like evil laughter. The music/singing makes sense when it sounds like laughter. With the others, they sound like randomly inserted bird sounds.
That first woman, whom I've never seen nor heard of before now, Diana Damrau, came in like a force of nature, stealing the show not just with her singing, but with her very presence. She embodied madness. And she nearly knocked me over with her strong stage presence. Diana did not play Queen of the Night, she came in and WAS a night storm, a storm of howling, icy winds, and cut-glass stars you almost feel piercing your flesh. Luciana had all the control in the palm of her hand. Queen of the Night? Queen of Control. And she knew it. You could see her planning evil deeds as she sang -- deeds done under the darkness of night.
Diana D. for me is the complete package, with clarity and ease of notes, great timing, and superb acting (so evil!)...Sumi Jo is a very close second in the musicality (not so much the acting).
I agree with you, but you mention that Sumi Jo was singing as a concert performance and I think this is an outdoor concert with microphone, so she can't move and act much. In my professional opinion all of those great ladies sing amazing, every one of them with unique sound and technique, and also in individual artistic mode. Otherwise my favourite one is also Damrau.
They are all marvelous. Extraordinary. But Diana Damrau has all package. Expression, emotion, acting. You can feel the freaking power of rage all around the theatre... she the Queen for me ❤
That’s the performance I share most with non-opera people because overall package is indeed impressive, but I have to agree with the above comment.the stage, costumes etc for Damrau are all great but what Deutekom does voice-wise puts her ahead when I look at it as a more serious opera fan/singer. Most of these women have their place in the top though.
@@techwiz7947 She is an incredible talent, but she is not the best in this sequence of singers. There are several things that are "lacking" compared to some of the others. She is NOT bad at it all, but certainly she is not great or the best at it all in any sense of the word. She misses notes leading up to the climactic trills and does that every single time especially as compared to Diana. That is a simple fact of observation. She (Deutekom) is incredibly talented by the way. Truly.
Thank you so much for putting this together! What a great way to really learn how to discern a good performance by putting all these stellar talents together for a quick comparison.
as a classically trained soprano, these women are legends that I aspire to emulate but if be lying if I didn’t say this didn’t intimidate me like a HELLA of A LOT
I would probably agree. She appears to be perfectly in tune, but she also has some sinister menace and scheming bubbling just under the surface. For this role, and for this aria, I think such a stage presence is necessary. The makeup and outfit make this the perfect whole for me.
I would definitely consider Danmrau one of the worst ones, her voice is unsuitable to this role and her acting is ridiculuous at its best. Unlistenebale and unwatchable.
I was inspired to hear all the full recordings of them all and found they all have their individual strengths. Cristina Deutekom sang the triplets in the second part magnificent;y and I think the best. Overall in my humble opinion Diana has it but I loved Lucia Popp. I can't stop listening to them all. A good additional test would be to evaluate the queen's first aria in Act 1 and how they compare. That too is a wonderful aria.
I would have to say diana has put in the most work and is the best fit. Not only can she sing the piece the best, with the most clarity and perfect tone, she is able to act and move freely; others had to stand still for the higher notes to focus, Diana is girfted.
Kid Kittrell that is true...she moved her body like a true actress. Thank u for mentioned that. But Natalie Dessay did try to express herself in herown gesture
Clark Kent actually the style of singing doesn’t matter. If the singer uses healthy technique it should just soar. If they are having surgery it’s not because of the opera style it’s because they aren’t using technique. Not to diminish how amazing they are for even getting those high f’s out, but not every soprano needs to be singing them.
Setting aside debates about who's the "best," can we just appreciate that there are so many different ways to interpret this character, all of them equally terrifying? Some of the singers stand firmly, treating the staccato like a stately speech. Some are filled with rage and fling the notes at their fellow actress like they're deadly weapons. Some interpret the music as maniacal laughter, and some as shrieks of distress and insanity. We all have our preferences for which version is most effective, but every single person here is pulling out all the stops for both their acting and their singing. It's a marvel to behold.
Debates are good if inteligent people talk, you can learn something new when listening to others opinions and have you seen title of video? Its not THESE ARE BEST! Its WHO IS BEST? You cant expect people will ignore question especially if opera is their passion and some of them are here to express their opinion :) :).
Funny how they all interpret that piece differently. The words remain the same but each one evokes different emotions. I must say I love Diana Demrau but, for me the best interpretation that feels more honest to the piece would be Natalie Dessay. When she throws her daughter to the ground and instead of anger she is in a state of shock for what she had just done. Feelings of shame and guilt. But, at the same time feeling justified doing so.
Charles Blackstone shame for what she’s done? She didn’t do anything, the Queen is demanding that her daughter kills Sarastro or else’s she’ll be disowned for ever
Charles Blackstone i think Diana was best, because some think the staccatos were based on Mozart’s mom screaming at him, (not sure if this is true) so Diana was like this in the way she shouting at her daughter with the staccatos.
W-O-W!!! Tough one! Cristina Deutekom vs Diana Damrau, for sure, with Damrau shining with her performance. Lucia Popp also renders a great presentation.
That was a really standard tempo fifty odd years ago. Slightly easier until you get to the long triplet runs, because that's when you shift from staccato to legato and the phrases are longer and more varied in register - all of which requires more air.
@@aydenkelly6274 I was wondering about that. It seems easier and more natural but requires more skill. I really wish the sound quality of these would be comparable.
Cristina Deutekom is my absolute favorite out of all these. They’re all amazing in their own respects, but Cristina makes the notes look so effortless. She has such amazing control of her vocals. And her facial expression is perfectly emotionless and narcissistic. She really fits the part… she’s got the whole package.
Facial expression depends on current situation. Being emotionless during scene like this looks good on closer camera. If you are in opera house, lets say.... over top facial expression + body movement is crucial to show drama. Thats why acting on camera and acting on stage cant be same.
Diana Damrau for sure. This piece is supposed to be sung aggressively to express a mother's rage to her daughter and commanding her to kill her rival or else she'd be disowned. Edit: a lot of people seem to misunderstand what I meant by she sang it the best. I was referring to her stage presence and presentation. I know her vocals aren't the best but what good is having the best set of vocal chords if they don't know how to convey the right emotion.
I felt Cristina Deutekom's coldness which I believe fits the part perfectly... it's supposed to be a frightening raving of a scheming mother, so the added theatrics or even minus the theatrics with just the singing - it doesn't have the same effect. Bravo to Cristina, that was mighty convincing, especially if someone is seeing it for the first time.
Christina Deutekom still my favorite, she could switch from lower notes to highest so fast and effortlessly. Her notes accuracy and pronounciation is really clear too. Maybe in term of acting she is quite flat, but for singing she is so WOW for me.
Kim Soo Yeon looks like she's doing it alone in front of a mirror, not on stage in front of thousands of paying customers. Having the best Slap Shot in the world doesn't mean a thing if you can't skate.
Cristina Deutekom seems like she's not acting 'cause she's not moving at all, but I think she actually knows this is not for the stage but for the camera, so that's the best acting. Her stare is terrifying and her voice is maddly sublime.
Damn straight. I'd also say that her harsh, quasi-Wagnerian vocal tone fits this aria like a glove; the Night Queen's villainy is far more convincing than Damrau's because of it. It's rare for a soprano to have a dramatic voice that can still hit F6 without trouble.
Diana Damrau is absolutely the best performer of it nowadays, no doubt. But, Lucia Popp is better cause she is the only singer that doesnt rush the notes and can flawlessly performe them in a crystal clear way even at slower pace. Bravo Lucia!!!
@@uniformitydubliner9691 scooping is basically when you can't get the note at first so you sing a mixture of notes to finally get to it. Not really noticeable to someone who hasn't trained their ears for it.
Diana will ALWAYS be the true Queen of the Night to me. she just captures the total essence of the character, she brings it to life and embodies it so well. from the music point of view, she draws them out enough to make your heart jump along with each one. there's so much emotion, and you can feel the anger radiating upon every staccatoed note. it's beautifully well done. she's phenomenal, and definitely sang the aria best, although the rest are very good as well.
I love your description of Diana Damrau's performance. Can you imagine Mozart laughing demonically as he presents this aria to the soprano to sing? She'll never get it right. She'll collapse in a puddle of
I've watched dozens of opera singers sing this aria and have even seen "The Magic Flute" live at the Baltimore Opera. Diana Damrau is hands down the best I've ever seen. Yes, Sumi Jo and Lucia Popp are good. Yes, they sound pretty and have a nice, clear tone, and are fast, etc. But they're all technique and completely lack expression & storytelling. The sing the aria as if the Queen of the Night is taking a leisurely stroll through the garden and chatting casually to a nightingale, instead of portraying an angry & vengeful queen forcing/manipulating her daughter Pamina to murder Sarastro, as Mozart intended. When I watch Damrau, she's the only one who can capture the queen's sinister darkness in its entirety. I love how she even adds a certain "shrillness" to her tone in order to give her character more dimension. I got chills when I watch her. Diana Damrau IS the Queen of the Night. Plus, her charisma and stage presence is insanely powerful and incandescent.
Agreed. Diana Damrau is the only one who can do the technically impossible AND add full expression to the music. Just listen to her drop to near pianissimo at 0:31.
i think i read the comment here somewhere and it TOTALLY changed my perspective on the song. During the staccatto part, she's not singing...she's laughing. Totally changed how i viewed Damrau's performance after that.
she's in the skin of the sinister queen crying out for revenge, and she is also the powerful matriarch of the clan, she is just in character, queen and mother enraged and full of pain. That's a soprano and actress a package all in one. Perfect.
How lucky are we to be able to hear all of these incredible voices/performances. I probably lean toward Diana Damrau, but the slower temp/cadence of Lucia Popp is, to me, wonderful
I totally agree with this video but I wonder if a better recording of Joan Sutherland would be unbeatable that range through the lower notes to the coloratura staccato
Also her soft inflection on the "Du" kind of puts a soft of threatening tenderness in the mix that adds to the idea of a mother pressuring her child into something they wish not to do.
Agree! Her voice and control of it is a marvel. It's almost a sound effect! Unfortunately she slurs most of the words, which irks me because it's my native language.
Diana Damrau by far had the best stage presence, all while singing effortlessly and with conviction! Her ability to step into the character so convincingly made me feel like her eyes burnt into the back of my head through my computer monitor! 😂
Diana Damrau Takes the role of Queen of the Night to a whole new level. All these performers are at the top of their game, yes of course they are, BUT Diana IS the Queen of the Night, the pinnacle of coloratura in dramatic art. GO GIRL !!!
I'd only ever heard Diana Damrau's version before, and I *might* have liked more Sumi Jo in terms of staccato and speed, but Diana still gets the top spot considering the whole performance. Her acting was top-notch and consistent for the whole time
Not the ideal role for her, and not the best performance here. But hands down the most gloriously beautiful tone compared to all the others. Almost otherworldly in its beauty!
That's true but i feel like she was not so perfectly in tune like the others. I mean, of course she was incredibly, godly good, just not maybe as perfectly precise as Dian Damrau for example
That was a live recording, she isn't moving much because that crown was HEAVY but she also sings in a very relaxed way, not really moving her face much. She is pitch perfect, listen to the full recording. The sound is like clockwork! Her singing is my favorite, but acting is a bit bland.
Cristina Deutekom is "my" queen! First version I got to know and never found one that could outstand it. But all these singers are amazing, it's really a matter or personal choice.
Everyone was great, but IMHO Edda Moser was terrifying as she should be, and only in her version that ''a-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" is actually a laugh. So she realizes her power and just laughs being full of desire for revenge.
Oh, now it makes sense! Thank you for that, I watched the whole thing again with that in mind. I think the glam rock space vampire (Erika Miklosa) is my favourite!
diana damrau is the ENTIRE THING. The notes on point, her facial expression and tone is vengeful and evil, her makeup and costumes is... well, everything, and just the aura she radiates screams vengeance and anger. (though edda moser is literally so sassy i love it just look at her FACIAL EXPRESSIONS she makes it look easy...)
@@based9930 You can't be serious. Do you have a fair understanding of how the human voice works? Because Diana is doing things here that are astonishing and that require massive amounts of training, technical and natural ability, extreme muscle control, and total mastery of her breathing/air flow. For example, the way she attacks the stacatti section with complete clarity of voice means that her onset to the notes is happening 100% simultaneously, her vocal chord closure and her air flow are occurring at EXACTLY the same time at EXACTLY the correct pitch. No glottal stop, no excess breath, no vocal fry, no glissando, NOTHING to assist her in the onset of the note and the sound that she wants to produce. Her voice is just working in tandem with itself to make the sound that it needs to make 100% perfectly (I mean technically perfect). Or the fact that this aria (at later points) jumps quickly between octaves and, in this performance, SHE'S NOT WEARING A MIC. There is only a mic on the stage floor for recording purposes. Beyond that, she is on her own singing over a full orchestra. In order to make her lower notes as audible as the higher ones, especially quickly when the aria jumps octaves, she needs to control where and how much she's using her breath as well as the shape of her vowels, otherwise she (or any singer) would tire out too easily and be unable to complete the performance. Yet if you watch her perform the entire thing, you don't even notice her getting tired (because she doesn't) nor do you realize that she isn't wearing a body mic (because she is a stunning professional). It's fine to not care for her or the performance. But to claim that her vocals are similar to a "jackhammer" when you don't have the full scope of what she is achieving here and what is required for it is just silly.
@@carag2567 I am a singer, i know what is required. She sings like someone who is punching you in the face the whole time. She has no concept of grace.
@@based9930 I'm a singer too. And I'm finding it funny that you interpret the Queen of the Night aria as something to be executed gracefully 😂 It is the story of a wickedly furious mother (who has the vengeance of Hell boiling in her heart) charging her daughter with the murder of said daughter's father. And then handing her the knife to do it with and casting a spell over her at the first sign of protest. Gracefully, you insist? This is a song wrought with fury, passion, hatred, obsession, and maniacal rage. If grace is what you seek, may I point you in the direction of Madame Butterfly perhaps? Poise may be a more appropriate term for this role. And one cannot say that Diana is not poised. She maintains her posture and presence for the sake of her vocal performance and to fit seamlessly into her character at all times. Even her face, her unflinchingly determined yet terrifying countenance, never slips. She's the definition of poise.
@@based9930 Plus there were easily six other people in this montage who were less graceful than Diana. About as much grace as an open umbrella being dragged through a storm sewer. I know that was bitchy but still.
I, too, liked Suzanne Elmark's singing the best. The reason: all the other sopranos had wide vibratos on the lower notes making the pitch difficult to discern. Ms. Elmark's voice was free of overly-wide vibrato, which--for me---resulted in a much more pleasing listening experience.
Thalia Rice oh, I completely disagree. the point of the aria is to feel the Queen of the Night’s anger at her daughter for wanting to join Sarastro’s brotherhood. performers like Diana Damrau played that straight, portraying intensity and fury, but Suzanne Elmark chooses instead to play a more manipulative and controlling mother. she’s laughing while singing the line “You’ll be my daughter nevermore”, which is just SO coldblooded. as someone who grew up with a VERY controlling mother I feel like I’m pretty qualified to say that it’s a really chilling interpretation and pretty subversive, especially against the other versions in this video. she’s an actress and a vocalist, and as far as I’m concerned, she checked both of those boxes with ease in this performance. actually, I’m pretty sure the only thing Mozart is “turning in his grave” at is the lack of emotion in most of these clips.
Diana Damrau had the best characterization without compromising her tone.
she’s lipsyncing in that performance but still impressive nonetheless
Also best costume
@@CameronGuarino Where do you get the idea that she's lip syncing in that performance? Her breathing matches the performance and I see no incongruities between the words and her lip movements. There don't seem to be any articles about it anywhere either.
But she also had the most subverted version of the magic flute with creepy looking transvestites--bald fifty year old men--playing the roles of women in the background which distracted utterly from the piece. Sydney Opera House is famous for its Weimar level of subversiveness which is why us Aussies want it defunded. If it cannot succeed itself it shouldn't occupy prime real estate, pulling in a few million a year when the rent of that space alone would be tens of billions.
Dr. Lex Winter Men have played women upon the stage from the beginning.
The costumes for this character range from understandably fantasy like to robocop
There's a version with diana damrau where She's dressed like a broccoli 😭😭😭
sergio vela it’s Soooooo funny 🥦🥦🥦🥕🥕🥕
sergio vela I had to check it after your comment and MY GOD the resemblance to a broccoli is uncanny
Looked more like leftovers in my fridge than robocop.
sergio vela Isn't that the same version where the queen's daughter looks like a carrot?
One of the most difficult pieces in Opera had to be a Mother shouting at her Daughter
Kakskakdkskskssks
Imagine if you were just a regular teenage kid and your mum suddenly starts belting this out.
😅😅😅😂😂😂
@@natlegend i would be so confused af 😂
Opera? That's just how my mom shouts at me
Cristina voice is simply flawless and she looked like she's just doing her usual chores effortlessly..
I like her cold, hard stare! And how she throws off the 16th-notes like easy-peasy. I love her approach to the aria and the character. There’s a brilliant DG recording from I think the early ‘60s.
But totally expressionless.
I agree her vocals are stunning. If I were just listening, it would be amazing. But that "just doing her usual chores" flat affect kills it for me as a performance. I don't know if that was a choice by her director or if she couldn't maintain the focus and posture necessary to nail the vocals while also moving around the stage and emoting. (No insult intended. It's totally valid if that's the case.) Either way, what I assume is supposed to be an icy stare, looks like bored apathy to me which does not do justice to what's happening in this scene.
@@dannil9878 But i can tell you her stare is like the queen she lived under. Perhaps you aren't aware of our former queen Wilhelmina. Or that she is Dutch and we have a monarchy here still.
She does make it look effortless
Umm everyone is wrong the winner is me trying to do this alone in my bedroom after watching this
sksksk same lol!!!
@Vibhuti Jani me too and my cat's ears are bleeding
Same 😂
frrr
@Vibhuti Jani - stick to the latest Bollywood number...
Diana Damrau, she's in the skin of the sinister queen crying out for revenge, and she is also the powerful matriarch of the clan, she is just in character, queen and mother enraged and full of pain. That's a soprano and actress a package all in one. Perfect.
I love her acting and her staccato is so crisp.
Deutek is much better.
The same opinion
How many of you have seen Anna Skibinsky?
I think she's even better than Damrau. Her voice is richer and stays that way throughout the staccato piece. Damrau thins out her voice to get the control.
ua-cam.com/video/bLFG1-SEZPk/v-deo.html
@@cantorkay Damrau is awful! Anna Skibinsky is MUCH better than Damrau. But I still prefer Deutekom and Tetrazzini.
As an alto, this whole thing scares me.
You are not the only one. I sing so low. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Alto isn't a range. It's a role.
@@greatestever184 we are talking about the notes, so about our vocal range not the role.
As a tenorette, it appalls me
im a soprano 1 and this terrifies me.
Lucia Popp. Brilliant. Longer, than the others "Queen of no hurry" style. Real Queen.
Popp has always been my favorite. The "Sutherland Style" is quite evident ... sloppy diction, not always on pitch. That 1950's "roundness" of tone common to Callas and Sutherland. Popp's diction is flawless (one can follow the libretto, syllable by syllable), and her pitch is perfect. Popp hits the notes and caresses loves each one. Others make it seem equally effortless but seem to "hit and off" like a xylophone.
A diferencia de lo que dice mucha gente, yo creo que el estilo sin prisas de Popp es más difícil, pues es más fácil que se quede sin aire. Es la primera vez que escucho su versión y me ha encantado!
I have always loved Diana Damrau, but Lucia Popp does this the best. Beautiful music must be savored, like a warm hug, and she takes time and shows her love for every gorgeous note.
I'm with you all the way. Other performers may have "acted" the role better, but Lucia Popp sang it the best. I know what you mean and love the "no hurry" style. Every note was held to the proper length and not clipped off. Her tones are rich and powerful. The only thing I don't know was whether the slightly slower style was her idea or not. The recording I have of Die Zauberflöte has Werner Klemperer conducting and he *never* rushed Mozart. (I have a recording he did of the 40th symphony that will make you tear up.) I can't stand when the conductor thinks you have to play Mozart like a crazy horse trying to escape a burning house.
She also hits every note bang in the middle. Every single note.
Don’t you just hate it when a interestingly dressed woman is singing high af notes while threatening you with a knife
Hillary Rodham Clinton comes to mind
Hahaha
Naomi Yokoi it’s how i wanna die
This interestingly dressed woman is a representation of everyones mom, so just picture ur mom screaming at you
Sounds like what I wish my Saturday nights were like
Diana pulled off the cadence section 100% perfectly, it's scary perfect. Gosh
la meme ua-cam.com/video/6jB5387uxuU/v-deo.html this one is also very good
I agree
Lucia popps did the candence as well
This. Diana is amazing and played the part, and sang the notes, perfectly.
diana's version has always been my favourite
Diana Damrau was just brilliant. Her musicality and acting are perfection.
There is so much air in the high notes it's thrilling!
Also acting!!!
Her rendition is not my favorite, which is really just a matter of personal preference and not a judgement of the performance. But I've heard it said repeatedly and I tend to agree, it is probably the best staging of the role, her acting, the costume, make-up, direction, all come together beautifully.
I have to agree! Plus leading up to the notes her interpretation was simply stellar! Some sounded as if they were repeating the same note just rhythmically getting there. With Diana you could hear the individual notes leading up to the climax!
Spot on!!!!
Christina Deutekom and Edda Moser are the best for my untrained ear, but Damrau did a good job acting. Christina is also unreal for singing this so effortless.
I love how this is german (my native language) and I understand a total of like 3 words. Still beautiful tho
Hahahahaha imagine me, a Spanish speaker trying to follow the lyrics and translating at the same time!
lor vade thats impossible haha!
I mean...this video contains only six words...
OmegaRaptor CH yes true but I was more referring to the whole song.
The “meine Tochter nicht“ is all I can get xd
Diana Damrau is the definitive Queen of the Night. She performed in both musical and dramatic terms. Such a powerful performance. The madness comes through. I'm sure it helped that this is in her native German. I always think it helps native speakers - one less thing to worry about!
I'm not sure about that. Professional singers have to study these languages seriously, to be fluent in them, not just to learn lyrics. And a song like this will have been sung so many times and is so well known as part of the Opera Canon, that I'm really not sure that not having German as a first language is an impediment. I came up in the world of ballet, and though it isn't my native language, I still think in French when it comes to dance. I think it has a lot to do with when you're exposed to something, how much of it, how open your mind is, etcetera.
Papp seems to hit the notes the best, but we can't see her act, she does hit every note perfectly and more clearly than any of the others..the high stacaatto is almost not human , the little echo gives it more power, plus she's slovak so wanting to do in her old man is kind of a given lol.. "Slobidan drink too much, chase other woman ..bastard!!!! I make daughter do it, make use for her :)" see it works, Mozart knew...
@@planegaper it seemed slowed down tho, Popp's
Maybe, as a German, she can feel it better. ;)
visualdog you are wrong there is one better performance
Most of them had to almost stop acting to hit THAT note... Except Diana Damrau, Diana stays in character 100%!! 🔥 🔥
I think you make an excellent point!
Was amazing ❤🔥
This is my thought, they are all utterly amazing. As in next level, goddess like voices, but only Diana was able to act AND sing
Diana damrau is good at interpretation, can reach the note but not having enough power to get it forte
That performance of Damrau was pre-recorded though , not live as the others.
Diana Damrau, no contest. Everything is perfect. The pitch, tone, timing and her acting are all magnificent.
Edda Moser sings mutch better. Diana Damrau has already ruined her voice. If you listen to her nowadays nothing is left because of her lowsy technique.
Exactly,only acting is magnificent.I wonder how another people cannot hear wrong intonation and force needed to produce that tone…
Not the timing.
I agree but I don't think there is much in it.
She was the worst imo
No one:
The mosquitos in my ear when I’m trying to sleep:
yez
HAHAHAHAA
That’s so randomly hilarious that I’m scaring myself with my own cackling
It's 2 am, and i'm trying not to burst out laughing so I won't wake up my whole family.
The best mosquitos
Did somebody force Kim Soo-Yeon to perform at gunpoint? She looks terrified. BLINK TWICE IF YOU NEED HELP, KIM.
PrincessPanFry lol
PrincessPanFry lmfao
PrincessPanFry LOL
Well she is Korean so she may not be confident about singing a whole opera aria in German.
PrincessPanFry The sixteenth notes were also kind of a jumble with her
Diana Damrau hit each of the notes just before the high trill. Most of the others slid through them. Of course i'm influenced also by her dramatic costume and makeup.
I also noticed how she got every single note instead of sliding thru them. She has my vote.
Agreed - I'm not a singer, but I am a classical musician (of sorts) and everyone fudging those notes sticks out to me almost as much as a sour note. A couple of the singers weirdly off from the orchestra too...
The Orchestra managed to exactly match her perfect pitch.
It also seems that some of them were going too fast on the high parts. I am not a musician, just listening to this magical piece.
True but Cristina Deutekom did it really clean as well.
Wow Lucia Popp has a very soft tone, like even at the highest notes she sounded like so peaceful, loved it
my favorite too. She makes effortless
Diana Damrau and Lucia Popp. Lucia’s high Fs are so perfect they sound like a flute; I also love how she slows down the staccato notes to allow us to truly savor their beauty. Diana is the whole package.
i thought the exact same as this, Damrau overall on tune and time for every note Lucia for up top just slightly nicer texture on F6 and as you say very 'flute like'
Couldn’t describe it better period
Amen☺️
@@firedragon2938 My picks exactly! However, no one, and I mean no one. can ACT the part and sing it perfectly as Diana. Although I would love to have seen Southerland live and seen haw she interpreted the role.
Nah Florence foster Jenkins is so much better
@@nathantaylor115 at sounding like a dying chicken sure!
Shoutout to all of them for having the breath support to hit those notes 👏
Those notes don't require a lot of breath
Anyone who can hit these notes are amazing!
I totally agree! I wish I could hit notes like that! Bravo to these talented ladies...
- crescent422 - Defiantly! I wish I could. I’ve got close
erm I can whistle it :D
I can hit the notes
LOL i am a boy XD
- crescent422 - I can and I’m a boy
Cristina Deutekom - absolutely effortless, smooth and rich - best version, outstanding :) x
Listening to Lucia I can just hear my dad aggressively clapping his hands at me, yelling, "TEMPO! TEMPO!"
That's the thing with most performers in the 20th century. They will purposely perform a piece super under tempo, just to fit in vibrato. Don't know why, but that's a pattern that I've noticed.
Soo true, compared to the others I suddenly felt like listening to a slowed record :'D
Same with Natalie Dessay, I felt except I think she's speeding up? It's hard to tell. Maybe it's just me listening to them all in a row
Yes, in the XX century the baroque sometimes was played like romanticism
@Cruz Sanchez es verdad, escucha la version de Maria Callas, yo creo que le bajan el tempo ya que ese rubato antes de las notas con vibrato se les hace dificil a tempo mormal
Diana Damrau delivers the performance in every way - voice, "face", body
Damrau has the whole package.
Exactly. She IS the queen of the night. These others were trying to be the queen of the night. She also hit the notes BEFORE the trills. They were actually staccato. The others were a bit more slurred.
exactly!!!
Yesss
I love Diana Damrau.
I can just imagine someone singing this live and just have a large voice crack
LunarJupiter Gaming underrated comment😂
LunarJupiter Gaming my worst fear!!
God. Frickin. Forbid.
oh no
oh no....
Florence Foster Jenkins. That’s all I’m going to put here.
Cristina Deutekom is the best for me here (and forever). Her voice, that volume, that diction, that precision in every tone, that strength and power in her voice are unsurpassed. She opens the sky with her voice and sends all the angels down from it!
yeah i love her the most out of this video,but i love the 2nd's act too.all too good.
She doesn't really reach the high F as precisely as Damrau and others in this video did.
@@dreMinglenswhat? She sang all the keys perfectly. Actually, she is the only who sang it the right way. Listen for her full version.
@@vylon1075 Not really.. I listened to it multiple times and her high F did not sit right with me, unlike Damrau’s, which was on point.
La Deutekom prevale su tutte
Cristina Deutekom - Best stacatto
Edda Moser - Most powerfull voice
Diana Damrau - Best one acting
Yep!
I love how Edda Moser stops acting entirely to “perform” the ending staccato. As if she’s telling the audience “I know you’re listening intently to this particular part and the 4th wall has already been broken for this performance, anyway.”
However, I have always thought Natalie Dessay was the best actress in this rôle.
@@forrestjones9994 Dessay acting is beyond horrible...
Erick Miklosa - scariest
Agree 100% 👏🏻👏🏻
Mozart trying to kill the audience with his notes
Trying to kill his mother in law, fun fact.
And 'Mo' does quite a job of it too. Scary enough to need a beer afterwards, a real tall beer I might add.
It's like sitting in front of the piccolos
i think he tried to kill the singers hahaha
'Too many notes'.
Since I am a complete plebian when it comes to opera I'll just say that every lady here sounded really good
I completely misread your comment and thought you wrote "lesbian" instead of "plebian" for a few moments and was beyond confused there...
@@Linhdoesstuff Well, that would also make sense.
@@Linhdoesstuff 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@zarquondam
Blimey. What a badical username is yours
Plebeian or patrician close your eyes, really listen to the music, feel in in your soul, pick your favourite and I dare anyone on your behalf to say “you got it wrong”.
Cristina Deutekom!!! BEAST!
she didnt ACT the part. she was a statue. spectacular singing but truly boring acting. opera is BOTH.
Mozart be like : "I don't care..one day somebody gonna sing it.."
Actually, he had his sister in law, Josepha Hofer, in mind when he wrote that aria. She was a soprano and the first singer who performed that piece.
@@danielthompson5554 I thought he hated her and wrote it knowing she was going to fail?
@@raymiller5895 lol I never heard that
@@raymiller5895 no, he knew she could sing it right
Mozart stayed trolling. I'm a violinist so I'm more used to his orchestral pieces. But... just when you think he's ready to be serious.... he throws something that sounds kind of playful up in there. When I see his music, he comes across as a composer that didn't take himself too seriously. I doubt he wrote any of his pieces with a straight face, and he was DEFINITELY trolling with this aria 🤣
2:50 Susanne did amazing, I think she was the only one who actually made me think “Oh, the queens laughing at her daughter?”
I truly understand zero of this and Suzanne and Erika are the only ones that seems to be laughing
@@nay5783 i agree with you both, and those two are my favourites
I found Susanne's voice to be very light and weak, and she was pushing it past it's resonance.
I thought it was musical screaming at the daughter
Truth!
Devil works hard
But the opera singers work harder
Just read this at 666 likes.
First and foremost: they are all formidable. To me one stands out because of her apparent effortless perfection and that is Christina Deutekom
I get that the staccatos are wickedly hard to do. But the tempo on so many of those was just.. Painful.
Diana in my opinion had the best theatrical "attack" on the notes, along with sense of timing.
Though Erika had a much faster tempo than everyone else and nailed that tempo.
Couldn't agree more, mate. I already loved the Diana interpretation, she's just brilliant. Yet, I was expecting Erika to be unable to sing it that fast... but she nailed it too. Loved them both.
Lucia’s recording was way too slow, def a no from me.
@@marie-vy4mc Indeed. Even if I'd love to be able to do it that way at least.
When it comes to staccatos no one beats Cristina Deutekom. She's a beast. Just listen to the whole aria. I've never heard such a vivid and strong voice. But in interpretation I think Diana is the best.
Erica is so scary!!! I love her character.
Diana is the best coloratura sop who performed it in this compilation.
I like how Susanna Elmark made the staccatos seem like the Queen's laughter at the daughter's decision
Exactly. The Queen of the Night is a nasty piece of work and she is mocking her daughter. Nicely done.
Jacqueline S. Shirtliff No, not at all. In a Strange manipulating and twisted way she wants the best for her daughter
Whichever, I thought she had the most even vocal quality throughout, and a very nice quality it is.
I agree, but I also like how great her intonation was!
Diana owns the song
Can we also appreciate the acting in some of them? I like how each one had a different approach to the role;
For example: Diana's was more of like an angry psycho mom when Natalie's was more of a desperate one, unlike Cristina's that was like an emotionless robot (in a good way) and Erika's was like a total lunatic.
Lol yeah Cristina was scary/intimidating. I'd be the most afraid of her. She was all up in Pamina's face too.
Susanne looks like she's laughing on the highest notes, a marvelous effect. And poor Soo-Yeon is concentrating too much to twitch a single muscle.
Mister Golightly The Queen of the Night is supposed to be angry, scheming, menacing and evil. Definitely not desperate. Diana was perfect, I thought. She scared me! LOL!
I played one of The Three Ladies in a local performance of this opera years ago. I'm a mezzo who would have loved to have been a coloratura and performed this aria. It's a fun part to sink your teeth into! But hey, at least I got to play Dorabella in Cosi. That's a wonderful part, too, but quite different, obviously. Love Mozart.
Mister Golightly .
Agree with you.
Dazzling Deb oh no I know! The aria doesn't talk about the love of the puppies lol! That's amazing! I would love to hear you, do you have any recordings?
My goodness when all of them hit those notes, it sounded unworldly. They each had gifts they brought on board and were all amazing. Thank goodness we have those who can carry the torch so our childrn can hear these as well.
Diana Damrau. The only one who kept in charecter durimg the high notes
Yes, but that character was the delightful one of the lovely Diana Damrau first and foremost, rather like Bette Davis on the screen.
Erika did tbf, if she isn’t look at the audience the whole time
Agreed
Diana is terrible.
Diana Always!! The best forever!! Amazing!!
Imagine showing this person hearing this for the first time and thinking, “wow, amazing.”
And then someone goes, “It’s called queen of the night, by Mozart.”
“That’s amazing!”
“It’s about a mother telling her daughter to commit murder.”
Murder
I thought it was about a mother telling her daughter to murder her enemy or she'll abandon the daughter. Not sure if it's true though
JKOT05 thanks for the correction
@@xiennta she wanted her to murder her own father. I think
@@elina2463 I think the mother wants her daughter to kill Sarastro(who is the daughter's lover) or else she'll be forsaken.
Diana Damrau is THE Queen of the night, she sings in her mother tongue, so it feels so much more natural, putting aside the staccato which can be done regardless the language.
i agree
She's just appalling.
German native here: It's also the mother tongue of Edda Moser. Imho she did it best, she delivers the "message" the right way. And her high notes are above top tier.
Susanne Elmark sang in her native tongue too, in a Danish translation. And she did it well. But she comes Third after Edda Moser and Diana Damrau.
@@Kriegbaum1000 Oh, I highly recommend you listen to Deutekom until you realise how bad Damrau is. Just a suggestion.
For me, it’s Edda Moser, and it’s not just about the staccato. Her whole performance emanates the fiery rage of her character so well!!! Her voice is rich and luscious and every note is given immense energy!!! Sublime🤩
sociopathic best performance sung by Edda Moser. Diana Damrau an iconic acting. Kim Soo-Yeon pitches wonderful - but I miss the hatred in her face and body language.
I agree. For me, Edda Moser is perfect in this role
She SCARY!!
0:14 The beautiful standard
0:47 Nightmare fuel
1:14 Crying while staring into your soul
1:47 ViBrAtO
2:19 The Soulless Stare
2:50 The flat-top screamer
3:20 More notes than pixels
3:52 Child abuse
4:22 The regal queen
4:53 My grandma in the shower
5:24 I take it back this has less pixels
5:54 purple
6:36 *BELLOW*
This is perfect lmao
@Kelly Fischer Agreed Popp is ifinitely better than Damrau.
OMG THIS IS PERFECTTTTTTTTT IM LMAO
3:20 her 'more notes' are actually in the sheet so i think hers is the best
I'm crying in vibrato
Is it just me, or does Kim Soo-Yeon look terrified while singing this?
I think she was in character of the angry mom
I agree! But I personally think all of them are, they just cover it good
@@sophiaseth2769 you mean tiger mom?
It is scary to attempt
I don't know how to describe it but it felt like something went wrong at the debut of her high note ....
Why is no one talking about Susanna Elmark? It was satisfying to have a little smoothness to the song but also have that sharp staccato all at the same time
sofia berzosa I totally agree, I love how smooth it all sounded
She was quite good.
Because the text isn’t smoothy at all!
I love the way her staccato's sound like evil laughter. The music/singing makes sense when it sounds like laughter. With the others, they sound like randomly inserted bird sounds.
Yeah the staccs are on point but the slurs just don’t do it for me.
Diana Damrau. Perfection.
That first woman, whom I've never seen nor heard of before now, Diana Damrau, came in like a force of nature, stealing the show not just with her singing, but with her very presence. She embodied madness. And she nearly knocked me over with her strong stage presence. Diana did not play Queen of the Night, she came in and WAS a night storm, a storm of howling, icy winds, and cut-glass stars you almost feel piercing your flesh.
Luciana had all the control in the palm of her hand. Queen of the Night? Queen of Control. And she knew it. You could see her planning evil deeds as she sang -- deeds done under the darkness of night.
Diana Damrau is a QUEEN
She is the definitive queen of the night.
Excuse me, that's present ERA.
Luciana sang this perfectly
Diana also sang perfectly but with more acting, very dramatic!
You might enjoy watching Diana Damrau in these clips.
ua-cam.com/video/lJJW0dE5GF0/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/pZcaf9GfyWs/v-deo.html
Diana D. for me is the complete package, with clarity and ease of notes, great timing, and superb acting (so evil!)...Sumi Jo is a very close second in the musicality (not so much the acting).
I agree with you, but you mention that Sumi Jo was singing as a concert performance and I think this is an outdoor concert with microphone, so she can't move and act much. In my professional opinion all of those great ladies sing amazing, every one of them with unique sound and technique, and also in individual artistic mode. Otherwise my favourite one is also Damrau.
Agreed
They are all marvelous. Extraordinary. But Diana Damrau has all package. Expression, emotion, acting. You can feel the freaking power of rage all around the theatre... she the Queen for me ❤
I think Cristina Deutekom has all of the all package.
That’s the performance I share most with non-opera people because overall package is indeed impressive, but I have to agree with the above comment.the stage, costumes etc for Damrau are all great but what Deutekom does voice-wise puts her ahead when I look at it as a more serious opera fan/singer. Most of these women have their place in the top though.
@@techwiz7947 Surely you Jest!!!!! Lol. You are attempting to make us all laugh, Right?
@@tonyeads6968 That technically means you think she is bad at it.
@@techwiz7947 She is an incredible talent, but she is not the best in this sequence of singers. There are several things that are "lacking" compared to some of the others. She is NOT bad at it all, but certainly she is not great or the best at it all in any sense of the word. She misses notes leading up to the climactic trills and does that every single time especially as compared to Diana. That is a simple fact of observation. She (Deutekom) is incredibly talented by the way. Truly.
Thank you so much for putting this together! What a great way to really learn how to discern a good performance by putting all these stellar talents together for a quick comparison.
I had no idea that the staccatos were supposed to be laughter oops
my gosh. hilarious
Wait that's supposed to be laughs?
That's actually really cool
HAHAHAHAHAHAH :
I'm only laughing like this from now on
as a classically trained soprano, these women are legends that I aspire to emulate
but if be lying if I didn’t say this didn’t intimidate me like a HELLA of A LOT
Bert BITCH SAME THESE WOMEN ARE QUEENS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. Makes me not want to practice sometimes if I'm honest.
Freaking same
Can Ernie sing soprano?
Bert I get tingles each time I get intimidated
Bert is a soprano??
I think Diana Damrau is my vote. She seems the one who is neither rushing through them nor dragging them out.
I would probably agree. She appears to be perfectly in tune, but she also has some sinister menace and scheming bubbling just under the surface. For this role, and for this aria, I think such a stage presence is necessary. The makeup and outfit make this the perfect whole for me.
diana damrau！seconded！
I would definitely consider Danmrau one of the worst ones, her voice is unsuitable to this role and her acting is ridiculuous at its best. Unlistenebale and unwatchable.
@@bikkies Stage presence? Hers is so poor that she looks like a bad silent era actress!
I was inspired to hear all the full recordings of them all and found they all have their individual strengths. Cristina Deutekom sang the triplets in the second part magnificent;y and I think the best. Overall in my humble opinion Diana has it but I loved Lucia Popp. I can't stop listening to them all. A good additional test would be to evaluate the queen's first aria in Act 1 and how they compare. That too is a wonderful aria.
bibble from barbie’s mermadia is the winner in my heart
venska lol
venska yesssssss
ahahah yes bibble for the win
No one can beat queen bibble 🙌🙏
true true
I would have to say diana has put in the most work and is the best fit. Not only can she sing the piece the best, with the most clarity and perfect tone, she is able to act and move freely; others had to stand still for the higher notes to focus, Diana is girfted.
Kid Kittrell that is true...she moved her body like a true actress. Thank u for mentioned that. But Natalie Dessay did try to express herself in herown gesture
Dessay would have been better off doing nothing on the acting piece. It end up looking like a neurological condition.
Clark Kent really? Diana doesn't sing anymore??
Clark Kent Wow. Jeez. Sheesh. 😕
Clark Kent actually the style of singing doesn’t matter. If the singer uses healthy technique it should just soar. If they are having surgery it’s not because of the opera style it’s because they aren’t using technique. Not to diminish how amazing they are for even getting those high f’s out, but not every soprano needs to be singing them.
Setting aside debates about who's the "best," can we just appreciate that there are so many different ways to interpret this character, all of them equally terrifying?
Some of the singers stand firmly, treating the staccato like a stately speech. Some are filled with rage and fling the notes at their fellow actress like they're deadly weapons. Some interpret the music as maniacal laughter, and some as shrieks of distress and insanity.
We all have our preferences for which version is most effective, but every single person here is pulling out all the stops for both their acting and their singing. It's a marvel to behold.
Debates are good if inteligent people talk, you can learn something new when listening to others opinions and have you seen title of video? Its not THESE ARE BEST! Its WHO IS BEST?
You cant expect people will ignore question especially if opera is their passion and some of them are here to express their opinion :) :).
Not equally terrifying, Kim Soo-Yeon doesn't have this part (at least as included here), more like Pamina singing her mother's part.
Diana Damrau: perfect acting
Sumi Jo: perfect tune
Luciana Serra: perfect stacato.
Lucianna sounded like a keyboard!! 😳😳😳 the ability man.
Combine the three and you have the perfect performance
I really agree with you altough I think not only Diana Damraus acting was great but also her technik
Luciana!
Edda Mozer
Funny how they all interpret that piece differently. The words remain the same but each one evokes different emotions. I must say I love Diana Demrau but, for me the best interpretation that feels more honest to the piece would be Natalie Dessay. When she throws her daughter to the ground and instead of anger she is in a state of shock for what she had just done. Feelings of shame and guilt. But, at the same time feeling justified doing so.
Charles Blackstone shame for what she’s done? She didn’t do anything, the Queen is demanding that her daughter kills Sarastro or else’s she’ll be disowned for ever
Charles Blackstone i think Diana was best, because some think the staccatos were based on Mozart’s mom screaming at him, (not sure if this is true) so Diana was like this in the way she shouting at her daughter with the staccatos.
It's his mother-in-law in Amadeus. Purely anecdotal of course.
@@gavinrogers5246 Well the piece was written for Mozart's sister in law. Take that any way you will.
0:14 Diana Damraw
0:46 Erika Miklósa
1:13 Kim Soo-Yeon
1:45 Lucia Popp
2:17 Cristina Deutekom
2:49 Susanne Elmark
3:20 Sumi Jo
3:52 Natalie Dessay
4:22 Joan Sutherland
4:52 Luciana Serra
5:24 Edda Moser
5:54 Edita Gruberová
Lucia popp but a little faster haha
It's *Dame* Joan Sutherland
Where is JONA VIRAY
@@gilarellano2532 pa-update mo na😂
Damrau*
W-O-W!!! Tough one! Cristina Deutekom vs Diana Damrau, for sure, with Damrau shining with her performance. Lucia Popp also renders a great presentation.
Lucia Popp for beautiful tone. I've never heard that aria at that slower tempo.
That was a really standard tempo fifty odd years ago. Slightly easier until you get to the long triplet runs, because that's when you shift from staccato to legato and the phrases are longer and more varied in register - all of which requires more air.
and it sounds heaven
@@aydenkelly6274 I was wondering about that. It seems easier and more natural but requires more skill. I really wish the sound quality of these would be comparable.
Her second F6 sounds slightly unclean to me, but I agree she's among the best here overall.
I actually prefer the slightly slower tempo. Everything else feels rushed, like they're just trying to get that part as quickly as possible.
My girl Sumi Jo did it while dressed as a coffee filter
😂
LMAO
😂😂😂😂
Too bad the audio quality in this clip was total garbage. She's one of the best
😂😂😂😂
Cristina Deutekom is my absolute favorite out of all these. They’re all amazing in their own respects, but Cristina makes the notes look so effortless. She has such amazing control of her vocals. And her facial expression is perfectly emotionless and narcissistic. She really fits the part… she’s got the whole package.
Most accurate comment so far
You're the only one who was paying attention, Jason.
@@RyanPatrickOwens thanks :)
Wrong. But good try Ig
Facial expression depends on current situation. Being emotionless during scene like this looks good on closer camera. If you are in opera house, lets say.... over top facial expression + body movement is crucial to show drama. Thats why acting on camera and acting on stage cant be same.
Wow! I marveled at ALL of them. Thrilled to hear each one. How the hell does ANYONE sing like that??
Lots of practice, good coaching and training.
Diana Damrau for sure.
This piece is supposed to be sung aggressively to express a mother's rage to her daughter and commanding her to kill her rival or else she'd be disowned.
Edit: a lot of people seem to misunderstand what I meant by she sang it the best. I was referring to her stage presence and presentation. I know her vocals aren't the best but what good is having the best set of vocal chords if they don't know how to convey the right emotion.
Yes her performance was miles above the others. I don't know about vocally, but her intensity plus her voice make her hard to beat.
Aber natürlich!
I agree, although Lucia was also really good
I agree Diana Damrau
Her interpretation and acting was in deed the best. Her vocals clearly WERE NOT.
Diana Damrau is for me the best, for nuances, depth, tempo and interpretive technique.
Pedro Gonzalez I agree fully
wrong question.. it should be ‘who wore the worst costume?’ THAT is a question worth discussing..
Tbh Susanne has the worst and Cristina has the best dress
2:50 Take a look for your self
She looks worser than the Broccoli
Cuz she a wizard
We could go on for ages about just that.
@@techwiz7947 really? i would say Erika or Natalie had the worst dress but thinking now i may agree
Susanne looks like a wizard not a queen
I vote for the nee york metro opera version
I felt Cristina Deutekom's coldness which I believe fits the part perfectly... it's supposed to be a frightening raving of a scheming mother, so the added theatrics or even minus the theatrics with just the singing - it doesn't have the same effect. Bravo to Cristina, that was mighty convincing, especially if someone is seeing it for the first time.
Christina Deutekom still my favorite, she could switch from lower notes to highest so fast and effortlessly. Her notes accuracy and pronounciation is really clear too. Maybe in term of acting she is quite flat, but for singing she is so WOW for me.
I agree I find her performance also the most fascinating.
She sounded like a bird.... So unique
my favorite too. Sounds so effortless and almost relaxed, most of them sound kind of strained
But... I thought her acting is the best or one of the bests
My favorite also.
1. Cristina Deutekom (best staccatos so far!!)
2. Diana Damrau (love her acting!!)
Plus the scene and costume made Diana's so cinematic
I like Diana, Lucia and Natalie's the best.
that in the video of Diana is not her but an actress looks at the original video, and then the best staccato makes it luciana serra
hear hear
@@this_is_gianluco9153 that IS definitely Diana Damrau.Famous performance.
Kim Soo Yeon looks like she's doing it alone in front of a mirror, not on stage in front of thousands of paying customers. Having the best Slap Shot in the world doesn't mean a thing if you can't skate.
Arthur Davis i’m a hockey playing Canuck and I approve of this comment
Arthur Davis
and she missed the the 16th notes before the high F, it sounded like a gliss
Agreed
She looks really nervous
Moser is so free singing this, but Cristina Deutecom is the best. She's breathing fire.
The one who’s free singing this looks at me while I’m watching this
Cristina Deutekom seems like she's not acting 'cause she's not moving at all, but I think she actually knows this is not for the stage but for the camera, so that's the best acting. Her stare is terrifying and her voice is maddly sublime.
deutekom has the most ring to it. daamn she was way more metal than metal singers xD
@@glowiever LOL, you're right! and only through the power of her eyes
She is my favorite, but everyone great
Damn straight. I'd also say that her harsh, quasi-Wagnerian vocal tone fits this aria like a glove; the Night Queen's villainy is far more convincing than Damrau's because of it. It's rare for a soprano to have a dramatic voice that can still hit F6 without trouble.
:)
Diana Damrau did it perfectly, her acting and singing were sublime
Her technique is awful
@@xxsaruman82xx87 your technique is awful
@@scifisyko You must have incredible ears, to be able to hear something that has never been recorded.
@@vibepolice499 haha yes
@@xxsaruman82xx87 I am sure your technique is better.
Cuz you got a big troll mouth. LOL
Diana Damrau is absolutely the best performer of it nowadays, no doubt. But, Lucia Popp is better cause she is the only singer that doesnt rush the notes and can flawlessly performe them in a crystal clear way even at slower pace. Bravo Lucia!!!
I agree 100% on both counts. This is one test where an F6 scores higher than an A+.
And I think it's painfully slow and loses momentum. 🤷♀️I love Lucia's voice, but I wonder if the tempo was her decision or the director.
Lucia is also the only one to get that the fully glowy upper resonances on that first "meine".
Yes, her stacatto has a very hornlike quality, with perfect attack and release. Tough choice though!
@@eiremerald She's singing in the legato style, which is probably closer to the style contemporaneous to Mozart than Miss Damrau
my vote is for Diana Damrau because she can hit every note perfectly and combine them with her face and body expressions accordingly. Bravo Diana!!
Lucia Popp hits every note perfectly… with no scooping, amazing
100% and for some reason her voice is so clear
What is "scooping"?
@@uniformitydubliner9691 scooping is basically when you can't get the note at first so you sing a mixture of notes to finally get to it. Not really noticeable to someone who hasn't trained their ears for it.
А я недавно слушала Иму Сумах. Сравните.
Helps that it's such a slowed down tempo. 🤔
Diana will ALWAYS be the true Queen of the Night to me. she just captures the total essence of the character, she brings it to life and embodies it so well. from the music point of view, she draws them out enough to make your heart jump along with each one. there's so much emotion, and you can feel the anger radiating upon every staccatoed note. it's beautifully well done. she's phenomenal, and definitely sang the aria best, although the rest are very good as well.
Tianna Marie how did u get Mozart picture
hq
ahahaahhahhaha !!!
I love your description of Diana Damrau's performance. Can you imagine Mozart laughing demonically as he presents this aria to the soprano to sing? She'll never get it right. She'll collapse in a puddle of
I've watched dozens of opera singers sing this aria and have even seen "The Magic Flute" live at the Baltimore Opera. Diana Damrau is hands down the best I've ever seen. Yes, Sumi Jo and Lucia Popp are good. Yes, they sound pretty and have a nice, clear tone, and are fast, etc. But they're all technique and completely lack expression & storytelling. The sing the aria as if the Queen of the Night is taking a leisurely stroll through the garden and chatting casually to a nightingale, instead of portraying an angry & vengeful queen forcing/manipulating her daughter Pamina to murder Sarastro, as Mozart intended. When I watch Damrau, she's the only one who can capture the queen's sinister darkness in its entirety. I love how she even adds a certain "shrillness" to her tone in order to give her character more dimension. I got chills when I watch her. Diana Damrau IS the Queen of the Night. Plus, her charisma and stage presence is insanely powerful and incandescent.
Never seen her in person but I agree. Her performance in its entirety is the finest.
Agreed. Diana Damrau is the only one who can do the technically impossible AND add full expression to the music. Just listen to her drop to near pianissimo at 0:31.
i think i read the comment here somewhere and it TOTALLY changed my perspective on the song. During the staccatto part, she's not singing...she's laughing. Totally changed how i viewed Damrau's performance after that.
I agree
she's in the skin of the sinister queen crying out for revenge, and she is also the powerful matriarch of the clan, she is just in character, queen and mother enraged and full of pain. That's a soprano and actress a package all in one. Perfect.
Can't choose.. all of them are magical!
How lucky are we to be able to hear all of these incredible voices/performances. I probably lean toward Diana Damrau, but the slower temp/cadence of Lucia Popp is, to me, wonderful
Same
@@diegosilvavelasquezGF Yep - go along with that
somi Jo!!!love her voice and easiness!
Erika Miklosau's slightly quicker "laugh" really hits it for me. Makes it sound more natural, and more manic. Also her acting !
Yes, I feel the same. The tempo is insane and yet she sings those eights seemingly with ease
I agree with this. Erika #1, Diana #2
I totally agree with this video but I wonder if a better recording of Joan Sutherland would be unbeatable that range through the lower notes to the coloratura staccato
Also her soft inflection on the "Du" kind of puts a soft of threatening tenderness in the mix that adds to the idea of a mother pressuring her child into something they wish not to do.
Agree! Her voice and control of it is a marvel. It's almost a sound effect! Unfortunately she slurs most of the words, which irks me because it's my native language.
My Opinion:
1. Sumi Jo coz it was so cLean
2. Diana Damrau because she has GREAT acting
3. Bibble the Puffball 'cause he's Bibble the Puffballs
Diana wins
@@mathafis2989 if this is just about singing skill Cristina first than Sumi Jo than Diana. But if we include acting in our tick box Diana wins
Cristina Deutekom!
I mean Diana Damrau has the better, if not the best characterisation. It was really theatrical. I mean, German is her native language
Diana Damrau is the best.
Diana Damrau by far had the best stage presence, all while singing effortlessly and with conviction! Her ability to step into the character so convincingly made me feel like her eyes burnt into the back of my head through my computer monitor! 😂
Diana Damrau Takes the role of Queen of the Night to a whole new level.
All these performers are at the top of their game, yes of course they are, BUT
Diana IS the Queen of the Night, the pinnacle of coloratura in dramatic art.
GO GIRL !!!
The best Queen.
best actress, but best singer is Erika or Cristina
I agree.
Cristina sounds divine
Christina without a doubt is the best
I'd only ever heard Diana Damrau's version before, and I *might* have liked more Sumi Jo in terms of staccato and speed, but Diana still gets the top spot considering the whole performance. Her acting was top-notch and consistent for the whole time
Diana is my favourite, she sang it just fast enough
Oh my *GOD*, 21 effing likes, imma cry guys
shantanu panda ya elu anying
not just sang the right pace,but acted the part. It sounds like true rage...Dessay also ACTED,did not just squeek
No. She sang it "as fast" as she could manage. Not a great recommendation for her agility or technique..
Diana M'bari has MY vote!
Your correct
Any singer who can do it at all is wonderful. It really is that simple.
Lucia Popp hands down perfect control of her voice and doesn’t seem to rush through it like others
Not the ideal role for her, and not the best performance here. But hands down the most gloriously beautiful tone compared to all the others. Almost otherworldly in its beauty!
Gorgeous high notes but they actually slow down the tempo for her at that point, ruining the forward thrust of the aria (for me anyway).
Edda moser is better
That's true but i feel like she was not so perfectly in tune like the others. I mean, of course she was incredibly, godly good, just not maybe as perfectly precise as Dian Damrau for example
I feel like the furioso of it really gets lost in her performance
I love how unbothered Cristina Deutekom is
Playback it is
@@draganvidic2039 what?
She isn't angry, she's disappointed.
Isn't she lip synching for the film?
That was a live recording, she isn't moving much because that crown was HEAVY but she also sings in a very relaxed way, not really moving her face much. She is pitch perfect, listen to the full recording. The sound is like clockwork! Her singing is my favorite, but acting is a bit bland.
Cristina Deutekom straight up sounds like a bird of paradise
And she actually is a developed, rich dramatic soprano, they don't make them like this anymore 😔
True yes!
Would be perfect if her acting were as good as her singing
The bird or the flower.Doesn't matter because neither is a compliment if you've heard a bird of paradise sing...
Absolutely -- and the keynote words are "developed, rich, dramatic soprano Hearing her live knocked out collective socks off.
Cristina Deutekom is "my" queen! First version I got to know and never found one that could outstand it. But all these singers are amazing, it's really a matter or personal choice.
Everyone was great, but IMHO Edda Moser was terrifying as she should be, and only in her version that ''a-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" is actually a laugh. So she realizes her power and just laughs being full of desire for revenge.
Wow.. I was today years old that I realized that’s supposed to be laughter 😂
Wait is it intentionally to be sung as a laugh? Or is that how you're interpreting it?
@@forgottozhonya957 talking about laugh - it's just me but maybe it not so far from truth : )
I took it as laughing too
Oh, now it makes sense! Thank you for that, I watched the whole thing again with that in mind. I think the glam rock space vampire (Erika Miklosa) is my favourite!
Those saying Christina can’t act have clearly never been stared down by a narcissistic and abusive mother.
Never have but agree, kinda like the dead eyes look, it's fitting
Same, I never have but see what you mean
Her eyes said : Hey you just a kid!
I thought her acting was the best
shes the one performance I keep coming back to
diana damrau is the ENTIRE THING. The notes on point, her facial expression and tone is vengeful and evil, her makeup and costumes is... well, everything, and just the aura she radiates screams vengeance and anger. (though edda moser is literally so sassy i love it just look at her FACIAL EXPRESSIONS she makes it look easy...)
She has no nuance. He acting is great, but her singing is as subtle as a jackhammer. She is all muscle.
@@based9930 You can't be serious. Do you have a fair understanding of how the human voice works? Because Diana is doing things here that are astonishing and that require massive amounts of training, technical and natural ability, extreme muscle control, and total mastery of her breathing/air flow.
For example, the way she attacks the stacatti section with complete clarity of voice means that her onset to the notes is happening 100% simultaneously, her vocal chord closure and her air flow are occurring at EXACTLY the same time at EXACTLY the correct pitch. No glottal stop, no excess breath, no vocal fry, no glissando, NOTHING to assist her in the onset of the note and the sound that she wants to produce. Her voice is just working in tandem with itself to make the sound that it needs to make 100% perfectly (I mean technically perfect).
Or the fact that this aria (at later points) jumps quickly between octaves and, in this performance, SHE'S NOT WEARING A MIC. There is only a mic on the stage floor for recording purposes. Beyond that, she is on her own singing over a full orchestra. In order to make her lower notes as audible as the higher ones, especially quickly when the aria jumps octaves, she needs to control where and how much she's using her breath as well as the shape of her vowels, otherwise she (or any singer) would tire out too easily and be unable to complete the performance. Yet if you watch her perform the entire thing, you don't even notice her getting tired (because she doesn't) nor do you realize that she isn't wearing a body mic (because she is a stunning professional).
It's fine to not care for her or the performance. But to claim that her vocals are similar to a "jackhammer" when you don't have the full scope of what she is achieving here and what is required for it is just silly.
@@carag2567 I am a singer, i know what is required. She sings like someone who is punching you in the face the whole time. She has no concept of grace.
@@based9930 I'm a singer too. And I'm finding it funny that you interpret the Queen of the Night aria as something to be executed gracefully 😂 It is the story of a wickedly furious mother (who has the vengeance of Hell boiling in her heart) charging her daughter with the murder of said daughter's father. And then handing her the knife to do it with and casting a spell over her at the first sign of protest.
Gracefully, you insist? This is a song wrought with fury, passion, hatred, obsession, and maniacal rage. If grace is what you seek, may I point you in the direction of Madame Butterfly perhaps?
Poise may be a more appropriate term for this role. And one cannot say that Diana is not poised. She maintains her posture and presence for the sake of her vocal performance and to fit seamlessly into her character at all times. Even her face, her unflinchingly determined yet terrifying countenance, never slips. She's the definition of poise.
@@based9930 Plus there were easily six other people in this montage who were less graceful than Diana. About as much grace as an open umbrella being dragged through a storm sewer.
I know that was bitchy but still.
I love the way Cristina sings so effortlessly...her coloratura is spotless..
yes Diana was wonderful but can we talk about Suzanne Elmark?? the laughter was SPOT ON
Yeeeeeees, i loved her the most
I, too, liked Suzanne Elmark's singing the best. The reason: all the other sopranos had wide vibratos on the lower notes making the pitch difficult to discern. Ms. Elmark's voice was free of overly-wide vibrato, which--for me---resulted in a much more pleasing listening experience.
Thalia Rice oh, I completely disagree. the point of the aria is to feel the Queen of the Night’s anger at her daughter for wanting to join Sarastro’s brotherhood. performers like Diana Damrau played that straight, portraying intensity and fury, but Suzanne Elmark chooses instead to play a more manipulative and controlling mother. she’s laughing while singing the line “You’ll be my daughter nevermore”, which is just SO coldblooded. as someone who grew up with a VERY controlling mother I feel like I’m pretty qualified to say that it’s a really chilling interpretation and pretty subversive, especially against the other versions in this video. she’s an actress and a vocalist, and as far as I’m concerned, she checked both of those boxes with ease in this performance. actually, I’m pretty sure the only thing Mozart is “turning in his grave” at is the lack of emotion in most of these clips.
Natalie It sent chills down my spine
was just thinking this