Danielle de Niese sings "Da tempeste il legno infranto"
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- VPRO Vrije Geluiden. Danielle de Niese sings "Da tempeste il legno infranto" from the opera "Giulio Cesare" by G.F. Handel. She is accompanied by Peter Lockwood at the piano.
CLEOPATRA
Da tempeste il legno infranto,
se poi salvo giunge in porto,
non sa più che desiar.
Così il cor tra pene e pianto,
or che trova il suo conforto,
torna l'anima a bear.
If a ship, buffeted by storms,
then reaches safe harbour,
it no longer knows what to wish for.
Thus the heart that finds solace
after enduring pain and despair
brings joy once more to the soul.
There are such differing views about Danielle and the bigger issues of how the training of singers or indeed the quality of singers has somehow declined since the 1970's. I think that a lot of things influence vocal quality and the way singers use their voices in every style of music. When you look a pop music and singers like Adele, Sam smith and Lily Allen, they all seem to have flecks of a particular common sound reflective of the era, and I think the same applies to Opera. We know so much more about the voice now to be able to train and colour it in a way that isn't just "I was taught to sing by my singing teacher who was taught by and who was taught by" but actually manipulate sounds in a much more creative way and Danielle's voice is extremely colourful and has all sorts of twang and resonance bursts that you wouldn't see in a more orthodox Opera voice. She doesn't seem to have that 2 dimensional sound that puts the beauty of the line above everything else ( and I'm not saying well known and master singers were boring by any means ) yet she is incredibly well received and amazing to watch. The quality of her voice is just not as traditional as other celebrated Opera singers. But what makes Opera spectacular is that each of the great singers have individual vocal qualities that are personal to them, that's why we compare so much because they are all so different and our perception of what is good and bad to us is created by what sound frequencies please our ears. It's a fascinating subject, but this perception of tradition and development of vocal style in Opera is certainly something we should research more as it always gets us talking! Personally, I think she's incredible vocally and dramatically.
+Aaron Newland-Bentley Voice Training I very much enjoyed reading your comments about Danielle's voice. It is arguably the most intelligent appraisal of Danielle's singing ability that I have read. I must say I find her frequently well off key, her voice strident, her ornamentation not well performed and her emoting to the point of annoyance. This is a harsh indictment of Danielle, I know, but would appreciate your comments on my observations.
You can't say she isn't enthusiastic! I like that she looks like she loves this music and like she's enjoying herself.
Just love her; she's having such fun. Best voice I've ever heard? Nope. Most delightful overall performance? Pretty close.
she sings with very good technique. I love her breath control. She's got a volume, but doesn't own a sweet, juicy tone like Emma Kirby. She delivers a very modern, dramatic flavor in that aria, interpreting a Baroque piece in a very romantic style.
Lots of sunshine on her face too.
Quel plaisir d'écouter et de regarder Danielle Denise. Merci pour cette splendide vidéo de cet air si célèbre.
Wonderful! I know some have said that she is not technically perfect - but I say, her spirit and energy make up for any imperfections! Vibrant, inspiring, shows that opera has energy and power, like any rock concert! Look at the joy she puts in to it too! Thank-you Ms De Niese for an inspirational performance!
Excellent !
nooo....I like it, she has a really beauty voice and the expression i love...i think that sometimes the singers don t expresing our feelings....she is good....and i like this interpretation is really good......and she is vewry beauty too and i see that see enjoy when she sing really good....
Her breathing fair enoguh, but the colleratura soprano from Handel is amzing. Danielle's tone is amazing and she is deffinately not sharp, i have perfect pitch! and she has improved so much since this. Do you no how much character she uses here its amazing and when i saw her at glyndebourne she was amazing.
I thought that was magnificent. I love Handel like no other and thought she did justice to the Baroque performance practice, her energy was astounding, her precise melismatic articulation and execution, her treatment of repeated material and embellishments. She's having fun and not at all perpetuating old school stiffness in her presentation.
I think it's easy to be negative. I saw her a couple of years in Ariodante, Paris, Together with Vivica Genaux and Kirschlager as Ariodante. She suprised me by her acting (not exactly an unnecessary feature for an operasinger), but even more by her agility of voice, strenght and convincing singing technique. As a matter of fact; she is young but has tons of potential, something I think you can't deny. You may not like her timbre but that doesn't make her less capable as a (very talented) singer.
She looks like Beyoncé. Dear Lord, do not let this alone make her a star.
The difference comes in comparison with other singers performing the piece. It could be that those singers took additional liberties with the notes, but it appears that deNiese sings one note with a good deal of vibrato instead of trilling.
Wow, this is like the hardest aria for Cleopatra!
She's not yet among the true greats such as Piau, Joshua, and Kermes, but I find her more than competent. Her voice is well recognizable and agile enough, with a plenty of volume as far as a Baroque singer goes. I saw her Cleopatra at the Met in a drab Copley production with stuffy costumes and no choreography, and she still impressed me vocally and really held her own even in comparison to the great Ruth Ann Swenson, the first cast. I'm more than pleased by her album. (only $7.99 on I-Tune!)
Just love her!
My god, this girl knows how to deliver a song !
Danielle is cute! I love her.
best bit of julius caesar, this and the revenge one
For what it's worth, though Danielle may not be the best singer, she is perfectly adequate, and she can dance, is a fine actress, and has stage charisma in spades. As well as being pretty easy on the eye. If opera as a theatrical experience matters to you, she is the complete package.
Opera has always attracted musical snobs, but Handel wrote Cesare as a popular entertainment, not a rarified pleasure for the few. I am sure he would have loved her Cleopatra. Remember operas are just old musicals
I agree. She brings the goods when it comes down to it. Electrifying singing and acting here in chicago.
I added the text of the aria and the translation. A couple of remarks: the storm has *subsided*, the ships, battered by the storm are safe now. Cleopatra sings this aria after she has found Caesar again, who she thought was dead, and now her troubles are over. Yes it is a song of triumph.If you think it is not, you do not know the opera.
Wow after reading an article saying she made history by being the youngest person the Met has ever selected I had to check her out...and I don't mean to be rude but what a let down. Just scroll down and listen to Cecilia Bartoli, Julia Lezhneva or Summi Jo to name a few. I realize they are vastly different voice types but these ladies get it done with ease and character And beauty!
It makes you really wonder about Met's decisions. Because she IS unbelievably bad.
@Songstermom You are more than welcome, it was my pleasure. :)
Sooo lovely ❤
she is really good....she had a really good voice and technic...she is really good...
@Songstermom Valerie Masterson for a quick example, her version can be found on youtube called "da tempeste".....
Yes, she has exquisite looks. But so did Anna Moffo, don't judge her on looks. And interpretation is subjective. I think she did a great job. I will absolutely always adore and put Beverly Sills at the top of this aria. Her coloratura is the best. The runs, trills, jumps and other ornamentation by Roland Gagnon cannot be outdone. Sills was Cleopatra.
Her phrasing reminds me so much of a young Kiri Te Kanawa. I was not surprised at all to read that she grew up listening to Dame Kiri. This girl has a FABULOUS voice.
BRAVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Ah, what a beautiful light lyric soprano! Such great tone. Lovely voice - not to mention the rest of her. Ach!
So, why does this video have ten thousands of views, and the excellent Patrizia Ciofi´s only 600? Other question, why doesn´t de Niese sing repertoire which suits her style, as baroque doesn´t?
😍
Stunning! This is truly alive and inspired. There are many beautiful voices and techniques in this world but few as fearless as this. Brava!
I understand tryimg zo defend her... But there are so many singesr who did such wonderful renditions... This is not so good...
You are right or course, most people here couldn't tell a good opera from a bad one even if Handel would personally tell them.... That's why I tried to show them Valerie Masterson's version.....but who cares, if they want to continue listening to this...."mockery" than let them ;)
Обоятельная, приятный тембр голоса! Она заряжает своим позитивом! Приятно послушать!
Mesmerizing
Not sure I really enjoy her voice, but she really makes the music her won interpretation which I admire.
Thank you so much for saying what I've always wanted to say. I've heard her Cleopatra at the Met, and she was really charming and impressive. I had seen the DVD first, so I was a bit apprehensive about how she'd fare at a house a size of the Met in that unattractive ancient Copley production. She still managed to shine under those circumstances. I'm one Baroque snob, and I was more than satisfied, given the context. Her Ginevra is pretty fabulous as well. Btw, I think Dessay is a great actress.
OMG im the same when i saw her at glyndebourne she is just amazing, she is such a vibrant and versatile soprano and her tone isn't sharp as someone said, btu the acoustics of the room dnt do her justice i dnt think.
@andrea585ny Well I would not disagree to that. But let us also not forget the fact that Rossini is a compositor, while Baroque is an Entire Collection of ALL the compositors of that era! Handel, Vivaldi, Broschi...each of them with a different style, each of them requiring the topmost skill developement. Best wishes as well.
I was just about to write VERY positively about her looks, but I am sure she wants more serious critique than that. Her singing is still not rounded enough for the amount of publicity that she is getting. Give her a couple years and she'll rock.
@Chartusegiraffe
he sounds elitist because opera is supposed to be elitist. opera is one of the last remnants of a time when people actually had standards. one can't just go up on stage and do as they please and call it opera. opera must be elegant, strong, full of integrity and soothing to the ear. it is no place for overacting at the expense of vocal technique or watering down a sophisticated and introspective art form.
Vitellia you have told something that is the key to explain the De Niese fever, the people falls in love with this young and cute girl, who captivate them in stage, but can her voice captivate us by itself?.
In my case it didn't, I prefer to listen to some singers Like Invernizzi, Piau, Bohlin, Bertagnolli, Rial, Cherici, Labelle, Kermes, etc. Who're singers wich voice can captivate us without seen the singers.
amazinggggggggggggggggggggg!
Baroque era is my favorite. Dreaming of drinking Sherry in the fine gardens! In my Beaver hat and Spanish boots! Rapier on my side surrounded by Nobles of similar status!....................When yer dirt poor, dreams are all there is! Oh well, back to the muddy fields I go!
I really would not know how well rounded your singing should be for the amount of publicity ms. de Niese is getting. What I do know though is, that wherever she performs she sets the stage on fire, be it Glyndebourne, Amsterdam or Chicago. That's not only her looks but the energy she emanates when singing. I'd be the first to admit that this particular video has its imperfectnesses, but you should consider that this is a live recording.
And sure in a couple of years she'll rock... even more.
wauw
I ran 1:41 several times and heard no problem.
The broadcast was in the wake of the release of her Handel CD in the Netherlands.
@brightonbreezy I get your point, but it is not enough to be a "complete package" of being just good at everything in theatre when you try to sing an aria like this one, which demands far more than average or simply good singing skills.
The theatrical experience of Haendel operas was built primarily on musical bravura and lavish costumes and scenery, and if you remove the latter and do not keep much of the other, what is there then left... a plain musical production?
I understand your point of view. She might be "one of the most ubiquitous" but she is not as famous as Natalie Dessay, Diana Damrau etc of our days, that is what i meant. I do not see why you people have to speak with such derogatory tone to anyone who comes in contrast with your beliefs. I am an educated fan of opera as well and yet i do not insult you. Baroque is by common knowledge the most difficult repertoire, both due to virtuosity and agility required. "Qual guerriero" is a fine example.
it's great that there's a young, vibrant personality like Danielle to draw more young people to opera. she's a fun and exciting performer. you go girl!
Have you heard Olga Pasichnyk? Looks great, sings great.. Can be found on youtube.....
Callas had far more technical prowess and use of coloratura dynamic, legato, colouring of scales than de Niese will ever have. It's ridiculous to even compare the two.
To compare Callas to this is a crime against humanity.
@Charlie Charlie She is Gus Christies trophy wife, that is all.
i love you. i could not have worded that any better.
best comment ever :)
You are absolutely correct, Costanza. Technical perfection is an absolute requirement....Danielle is simply too enthusiastic, too ebullient, too zealous....and her voice suffers greatly from it.
.
I agree and couldnt have said it better myself
Danielle is ok but I am just addicted to the music in Da Tempeste, especially with the solo piano.
Music is indeed about conveying mood and emotion, but the emotion should come from the music, its key, variations in volume and tone, how the words are reflected in the music, the phrasing etc etc. This has great energy and youthful enthusiasm which is admirable but is more of the performer herself than a revelation of the composer's art. If the emotion has to come from flapping about pulling faces how do you suppose that a pianist, for example expresses it... answer it is in the music itself.
A tired voice indeed
The grounds on which I made my statement are that she gives a generalized 'interpretation' that could fit many different songs. We singers are taught that this is not enough, and if we try to get away with it, we are called on it. A singer who has done the role as mentioned above should by now have a more specific story to tell.
I think her coloratura isn't as breathy as, say, Bartoli or Piau. I think the articulated coloratura is really the standard among the top level Baroque singers. I noticed a lot of body movements in general in European singers (even though De Niese is American-trained but then made it in Europe). I think she's one of the best Handel sopranos as a whole package even though strictly singing-wise, there are better ones like Piau and Joshua, but then I don't think they have De Niese' stage magic.
It is perhaps not obvious that this is a reaction to RossiniSoprano stating that she probably did not translate the text.
well, she is pretty breathy on her runs. There's a lot of 'h' in her sound. And she does raise her shoulders a LOT which implies a lack of diaphragmatic support. I like her [u] vowels though. I'm sure she has had SOME training....it just seems as though she uses her chest voice a lot. I still like her. She's not my FAVORITE soprano, but, she's probably better than me! lol! I'm a Voice student right now.
Oh? I wonder on what grounds you say that. Danielle has played Cleopatra in "Giulio Cesare" in Amsterdam 2001, Glyndebourne 2005 (there's a DVD set of that production), Chicago 2007, Brussels 2008. She knows what the words mean all right.
she has a great enthusiasm ! better singers sometime have no spirit so she knocks them down!
I wasn't denying her versatility or her acting abilities. I think they are quite good. I merely thought it was harsh and lacking polish. Especially in comparison to Magdalena Kozena or Renee Fleming.
Non capisco certi voli pindarici sul web e certe lodi sperticate circa le sublimi qualità canore di questa cantante .. Forse c'entra il suo importantissimo marito
+minny1941 So true.
Infatti... poi non capisco perché abbia sempre i capelli sporchi e unti visto i soldi che ha(nno)...
I don't think the record company actually paid for it (it was broadcast on the public net), but it surely fitted in well into the publicity campaign. It was a sort of talk show, aria, interview, another aria, that kind of thing. I thought it was nice enough to share, but not everybody agrees... :-)
I wish she would hold still.
Masterson is really good, thanks for the suggestion.
Her album is actually really brilliant, and she was fabulous in this when i saw her, although i do see a certain wildness to some of her notes where others would focus more, however she will probably develop that maturity, lets not forget she sliek what 29/30 now? renee flemming was brilliant singing this also, some od denise's notes are a bit messy but shes great to watch and her voice is great for what it is
her voice seems a little better: suggesting retraining, as she sound slightly more secure in terms of placement/breath-control which she CREALY lacks here! new album is titled: BEAUTY OF THE BAROQUE. Ironically, she seems enamored & inspired by the time-period, and repertoire but in spite of this it can't outweigh the fact that her instrument is slightly unorthodox, lacking that 'early music' tone. Sometimes I also feel her voice might be better for slower arias, which she explores in this disk!
LOL @ 2:11 when she starts to bop to the instrumental part.
I think that your comments about her potential for maturing and messy notes are what people are taking issue with. If people like deNiese, then great! I'm sure she has a career because she's good at what she does. It's just that in comparison to others, not the greatest, even if she grows more into it later on. There is another vid where this piece sounds much better. It could be that the acoustics in this room are doing her a disservice.
the technique is ok.What's wrong with you people.It's a damn difficult piece (I know cause I work on it) and the women is a little of ...don't know the word ...supbret ,operetta but she expresses joy while singing and it is effortless .The first time I saw her..didnt like her at all, compared with others, but now I find her charming.
Perhaps she had not done her translating until after this video was recorded. Do you know the words? I do, as I sing this aria. It's not a happy little song. For example,the title refers to a storm. Do you see that in her 'interpretation'? What I see in this video is a singer having fun with Handel's energizing music, but not really taking the text into account.
What does the notation say - trill, vibrato, or what? What latitude is there in interpretation? Do we pay too much attention to the school of thought which says that Baroque music should be played/sung absolutely as written? (Listening again, I can hear trills all over the place.)
Afaik, on youtube, all you have is the excerpt I posted in the video of her in the Spirit of the Arts series.
Of course I'm jealous....that's why I made the comment below (responding to Cherbek) defending her singing. Perhaps you need to think before you write. OH, and you can check out my singing here on youtube and see if I need to be jealous.
Harsh criticism is not what I gave. I made both positive and negative comments. I guess if you don't drool all over a singer, you are giving harsh criticism.
I'm glad I could be of "service" :)
I totally agree. But whenever you perform in public there always will be people yelling "Hosanna" and people yelling "Crucify him". The anonymity of the internet unfortunately makes it very easy to say nasty things. She should not take them too seriously.
bravaaaa
although she overacts the hell out of it, her vocals just aren't that bad. Maybe shes not as technically perfect as sutherland or others, but she does quite a nice job in my opinion.
Neither do the mp3 artefacts. A lot has been said about breathing problems and what not, but most of it is due to the very bad audio compression that UA-cam enforces on the original.
If you had valid things to say to support your opinions, you would not need to resort to the language you are now employing. As a teacher, I am trained to be a critical thinker, analyze problems, and also praise the good things....WHICH I DID! You have yet to acknowledge the positive comments I made about this singer. WHY is that?
I am not gong to lie and say she's bad ... because she isn't. It's just that I am not a fan of her voice, she's just there for me. She is talented nonetheless. Just not my favorite Soprano.
Some people seem to object to the fact that this singer has good looks. How pointless! Her voice is good, in fact it is fine. Maybe the way she throws herself at the dramatic interpretation takes the edge off, BUT (and it's an important "but") Opera is not about sitting in an armchair listening to a perfect digital recording on headphones. Opera is about an on-stage dramatic experience. It can be histrionic, melodramatic, even ragged round the edges, but it ought to be right in-your-face.
I'm only 24 AND I AGREE! I have studied most in-depth since a child in choir, and this voice is historically inaccurate, immature & thus inappropriate for Maestro HANDEL's glorious arias from the most sophisticated operatic genre, that is Baroque repertoire, Classical, Bel Canto, and Verismo are their own forms, and as we know distinctively 'freer of restraint', nonetheless all demand immaculate discipline and authenticity dependent on the composer, and sadly she lacks this for this genre!
@mainesthai I guess it is about finding a balance - the method of writing music down does not fully convey every nuance of course so interpretation is the device by which the performer recreates for the composer, part of the fun of music is that unknown element which cannot be fully written down - which the performer makes is or her own - Danielle is very animated which distracts me from the music itself, but that is only my personal taste... I think I am warming to her anyway now
she has a good voice, but I think this piece was a little advanced for her. maybe I'm being a critic tho (I just listened to Sutherland sing this right before, and she makes everyone look like a novice)
all she ever does is shouting and shouting whitout control
Labored coloratura? Really? I don't hear that. And I'm a coloratura myself and critical of others. She has the runs nicely placed right on the breath, as she should.
Should her 'new interpretation' include conveying any sense of what the words actually mean? She doesn't look to me like she has translated the text.
I'm a professional singer, who's done a lot of Baroque repertoire including Cleopatra. OK, the voice is not the effete pale sound favored by early-music purists. But that's not my taste anyway. What a performance! The joy, sensuality, vocal control at this tempo, gleaming tone -- and the ornamentation, which is right over the top. Just right for this aria, IMO. So what if a few notes run away with her? This embodies the spirit of what Baroque was all about!
i honestly don't think people have something personally against this singer. It's just that in comparison with others, it appears that looks and personality might have a little bit more to do with her success than is the case with other noted singers. You are right that opera should be in your face, and I'm sure she would be great to watch perform. But I would not buy the album.
my comment wasn't posted here just like i wrote it.
This girl has no ideea what this aria is all about!!! She behaves like a cheap pop singer. Too bad , and shame on those who tell her that it's good!!! Pitty of her fine voice!