Dame Joan as Lucrezia and Stafford Dean as Alfonso in the duet from Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia. Richard Bonynge conducts, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, 1980
She sounds like a powerful dramatic soprano with unbeatable coloratura. I think Lucrezia Borgia may be her greatest role after she her last golden period after the 1970's. Whoever say she cannot act, just watch this and her "Era Dessa" from 1980. Bravissima!
I love this role for Joan, because there are florid phrases and moments that require real agility and range. There are other moments that require power and a chest voice. Dame Joan these qualities and many others.
@Cramnella So true - there are fools who give Joan no credit for either physical or vocal acting, Her death scene in Traviata in Philly @ 1975 was all of a piece and still gives me the chills.. Regards-John.
Wooohoooow, thats one hell of a look!!!!! Learned Joan when she had still 10 years a head...but those were some 10 years. Grande!!!!! Loved this performance.
I am not a huge Sutherland fan, but this role and this clip are very difficult to top. This role seems to fit her like a glove. She is more dramatic in this entire opera than in any other I have seen her!! BRAVA DIVA! (who in the universe now, in 2009 can approach this? HELP!!!!......maybe Flemming...and lets HOPE that Dessay does NOT go here!!!)
Wow, Dame Joan proves she was the greatest Lucrezia Borgia...in dramatic fashion. The emotional turmoil and simmering anger in her expression from 2:51 on.
Cramnella Thank you 63Attila aka John. I saw her in Maria Stuarda WOW. No recordings does does justice ti the clarity and amplitude of her voice. Shw was unique
Chris I love Lucrezia Borgia and Bolena and fortunately saw Joan 2x in "Maria Stuarda" and "Lucia" I was floored by Joan of course and both operas. I saw her as Gilda at the MET and I am still applauding. Regards-John
@ChrisStockslager Chris I saw Joan in [1963 - Traviata] - [ 68/69 Norma ] [ 71 - Lucia ] [72 - Gilda ] [74- Maria Stuarda] [76- Esclarmonde] [80 - Concert } [ 86- Puritani } Joan was the most incredible vocalist I ever heard on stage. The recordings do not capture the amplitude, clarity and beauty of her voice. I know she could have poor diction but I was never aware of same live. That voice and incredible technique must have blotted the poor diction out Lucia/Gilda & Stuarda *
@@MrStpendouslvforjo precisely,,,directors producers and conductors who don’t sing but instruct,,,PLEASE,,,, “spit out the consonants,,, Bad direction. Consonants are carefully touched while vowels are produced and sustained. Otherwise use microphones which would be cheating and doing a disservice.
Her best videotaped performance in my opinion. She was a real force of nature especially in the parts of this opera that require a lot of heft, stamina and flexibility in the singing. And she was also very dramatically committed (much of which is conveyed by her singing alone, but here also by her acting).
@ChrisStockslager The High notes were like cannon shots - HUGE and ROUND not pointed She samg a HIGH D at age 60 at the Met which still rings. Mabe some days were better than others in later years but I still have not heard a voice with the core of sound at the highest notes. Regards-John
@FraSarn WOW to have Maffio Orsini sung by Ewa Podles. IMO Lucrezia was one of Joan's great roles and no others I have heard are better. The size, range and color of her voice are perfect for this role. Regards-John
@63Attila I fully agree with you. I attended this magnificent piece of opera in Barcellona last year, with Gruberova, extremely good, but on top of it the role of Maffio Orsini was sung by an UMBELIEVABLE Ewa Podles. Just fantastic!
@65attila Wow! You lucky person!! I don't mind Lucrezia, but the plot isn't as interesting as the three others you mentioned above. Which do you think Joan sounded best in? What years did you see her?
I heard Sutherland in the late 60s, the early and mid 70s and as Anna Bolena in 84. She filled the house completely across her entire range even in the Bolena. There was never any loss in her high range and toward the end of her career she took greater risks with the lower range as can be heard here. The change in the high notes is not loss of power but simply a slight darkening of the highest range from silvery to golden across her career.
Are you referring to my comment(made under the name Lino Anzoletti)? If you are, by "dramatically" I meant "acting" or better, "ability to convey the drama represented".
Really absurd as drama or history--Joan is 54 here and portraying a femme fatale who was dead at 39; she had 10 children but how could Gennaro be old enough to be her lover?
It's strange how she's playing rather well when she doesn't sing. Between the moments where she's singing, the looks, the facial expressions, the gestures are good. But at the second she begins to open the mouth, that's over. She's just singing, completely stiff, with sometimes almost a smile on the face in the most dramatic moments. Look at 2:35 you perfectly see the contrast not singing / singing. That's a huge difference with Callas. She's not able to sing and play at the same time.
She sounds like a powerful dramatic soprano with unbeatable coloratura. I think Lucrezia Borgia may be her greatest role after she her last golden period after the 1970's.
Whoever say she cannot act, just watch this and her "Era Dessa" from 1980.
Bravissima!
Oui ,pour ma part c'est dans ce rôle que je la préfère.
I love this role for Joan, because there are florid phrases and moments that require real agility and range. There are other moments that require power and a chest voice. Dame Joan these qualities and many others.
Elle est intouchable dans ce rôle,tellement elle est éblouissante. ❤️
That stare at the end at Alfonso...oooo...Dame Joan could throw daggers with her voice, and her eyes!
This is incredible! More proof Dame joan was the greatest soprano of the past 50 years.
What a magnificent performance by Sutherland. I love this clip!
THE LOOK SHE GIVES HIM - RUNAWAY!!!
I'd be shitting myself
@Cramnella
So true - there are fools who give Joan no credit for either physical or vocal acting,
Her death scene in Traviata in Philly @ 1975 was all of a piece and still gives me the chills..
Regards-John.
Sensational!!!
Wooohoooow, thats one hell of a look!!!!!
Learned Joan when she had still 10 years a head...but those were some 10 years.
Grande!!!!!
Loved this performance.
I am not a huge Sutherland fan, but this role and this clip are very difficult to top. This role seems to fit her like a glove. She is more dramatic in this entire opera than in any other I have seen her!! BRAVA DIVA! (who in the universe now, in 2009 can approach this? HELP!!!!......maybe Flemming...and lets HOPE that Dessay does NOT go here!!!)
It wouldn't suit Dessay. She like Sutherland knew her repertoire
Wow, Dame Joan proves she was the greatest Lucrezia Borgia...in dramatic fashion. The emotional turmoil and simmering anger in her expression from 2:51 on.
Cramnella
Thank you 63Attila aka John. I saw her in Maria Stuarda WOW. No recordings does does justice ti the clarity and amplitude of her voice. Shw was unique
@ChrisStockslager
Chris I love Lucrezia Borgia and Bolena and fortunately saw Joan 2x in "Maria Stuarda" and "Lucia"
I was floored by Joan of course and both operas. I saw her as Gilda at the MET and I am still applauding.
Regards-John
I envy those who witnessed this performance, this blaze of glory, from Dame Joan so late in her career. Dazzling.
@ChrisStockslager
Chris
I saw Joan in [1963 - Traviata] - [ 68/69 Norma ] [ 71 - Lucia ] [72 - Gilda ] [74- Maria Stuarda]
[76- Esclarmonde] [80 - Concert } [ 86- Puritani }
Joan was the most incredible vocalist I ever heard on stage. The recordings do not capture the amplitude,
clarity and beauty of her voice. I know she could have poor diction but I was never aware of same live.
That voice and incredible technique must have blotted the poor diction out
Lucia/Gilda & Stuarda *
I think the "poor diction" was probably just the necessary way she had to sing in order to facilitate the incredible delivery and technique.
@@MrStpendouslvforjo precisely,,,directors producers and conductors who don’t sing but instruct,,,PLEASE,,,, “spit out the consonants,,,
Bad direction.
Consonants are carefully touched while vowels are produced and sustained.
Otherwise use microphones which would be cheating and doing a disservice.
Strikingly dramatic - love this duet!
Her best videotaped performance in my opinion. She was a real force of nature especially in the parts of this opera that require a lot of heft, stamina and flexibility in the singing. And she was also very dramatically committed (much of which is conveyed by her singing alone, but here also by her acting).
Perfection!!!!
@ChrisStockslager
The High notes were like cannon shots - HUGE and ROUND not pointed She samg a HIGH D at age 60
at the Met which still rings. Mabe some days were better than others in later years but
I still have not heard a voice with the core of sound at the highest notes.
Regards-John
Well said
Phenomenal!
She could certainly act in this role
She is without peer
@FraSarn
WOW to have Maffio Orsini sung by Ewa Podles. IMO Lucrezia was one of Joan's great roles and no others I have heard are better. The size, range and color of her voice are perfect for this role.
Regards-John
@63Attila I fully agree with you. I attended this magnificent piece of opera in Barcellona last year, with Gruberova, extremely good, but on top of it the role of Maffio Orsini was sung by an UMBELIEVABLE Ewa Podles. Just fantastic!
@65attila Sigh.... I need a time machine. :(
@65attila Wow! You lucky person!! I don't mind Lucrezia, but the plot isn't as interesting as the three others you mentioned above. Which do you think Joan sounded best in? What years did you see her?
@65attila Wow! How did the high Ebs and Ds sound live? Was the loss in power in those notes that noticeable between 1963 and '76-'86?
I heard Sutherland in the late 60s, the early and mid 70s and as Anna Bolena in 84. She filled the house completely across her entire range even in the Bolena. There was never any loss in her high range and toward the end of her career she took greater risks with the lower range as can be heard here. The change in the high notes is not loss of power but simply a slight darkening of the highest range from silvery to golden across her career.
@@wilsonwatt9283 Interesting!
@63Attila Agreed wholeheartedly. Such a shame the opera is pretty boring compared to Bolena, Lucia, or Rigoletto.
I guess musicalilty and Drama are two different elements
Are you referring to my comment(made under the name Lino Anzoletti)? If you are, by "dramatically" I meant "acting" or better, "ability to convey the drama represented".
@65attila
Really absurd as drama or history--Joan is 54 here and portraying a femme fatale who was dead at 39; she had 10 children but how could Gennaro be old enough to be her lover?
You’re truly an îd¡ot 😂
It's strange how she's playing rather well when she doesn't sing. Between the moments where she's singing, the looks, the facial expressions, the gestures are good. But at the second she begins to open the mouth, that's over. She's just singing, completely stiff, with sometimes almost a smile on the face in the most dramatic moments. Look at 2:35 you perfectly see the contrast not singing / singing. That's a huge difference with Callas. She's not able to sing and play at the same time.
Dean is...bad....