One of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Her flaws could be turned into assets, the sign of great genius - hers was instinctive not over intellectualized. This is indeed late career, and one has to enjoy Gioconda on its own terms (and I do!), but one should be grateful to have any Leonie on video. She gave her heart and soul to her singing and so much love.
I totally agree. I saw her Salome at the Met. It was a MONUMENTAL performance on her part. The vocal profile was immense and seemed to reflect every aspect of character and was evocative of the overall drama and setting at hand. Her complete Berlin Gioconda is readily available from, an online private label. She spares NOTHING. The performance rewards the listener afresh on each hearing.
Artiste sublime dans tous les rôles qu'elle abordés. Voix ample et belle, jeu intense : qui l'a vue une fois sait ce que je veux dire. En scène, même ses silences étaient théâtre et musique... Sublime !
It is just ghastly ( anyone but her singing so far off pitch in any opera house would be booed) but there is something wonderful at the same time. The audience in Vienna is demanding, but they acclaim her despite the flaws in her singing. This is about temperament and complete conviction in singing. She was unique.
...even though she was booed as Sieglinde once and could never forget that incident. In fact, it gave her such a terrible shock that she never appeared on the Viennese stage again until one performance as Kostelnicka which drove the adience to a frenzy - and Rysanek was sitting on stage, crying when she received the well deserved love. I was in that performance and mesmerized
Unfortunately Leonie hardly ever hit the high notes correctly and suffered from intonation problems. She was one of those performers whom you had to see live, enjoy the acting and the absolute commitment to the role.
she was actually very badly boo'ed after this aria, but the booing was dubbed out and replaced with somebody else's ovation. this i learned from john ardoin, one of the producers of this telecast. ardoin begged her not to sing the suicidio. he wanted her to sing giuditta's meine lippen sie kussen so heiss (!)
I personally found her entire career a marvel given that the sound was never centered and veered into the bizarre. Here is the worst and most obvious situation to come out of her throat during this aria…4:24-4:34 it beggars belief. She was a force despite the chasms.
I very much doubt Vienna would ever boo "their" adopred rysanek...not to mention that her rendition was much better than La Divina's 1972 version. All in all, very expressive and dramatic
Truth is she had some major flaws from the very start of her career, but with that incredible top and her innate dramatic sense who could fail to become a star. This is a nice reminder that she was actually brought to the Met to sing Italian parts, and kept Tosca until relatively late.
Rysanek always had problems from C4 to C5 ( especially in the bottle neck area( E4 to G4 Even her A4's are poorly placed.. She was a soprano indeed and sounded much better younger.. primarily because she had a solid top.
HAHA! Between 1970 and 1980 I was - as a Teeny every day in Vienna State Opera - and a great fan of her for her emotional performances - NOBODY booed her! Everyone loved her and took her equal to Birgit Nilsson. I hated Nilsson at this time - she seemed to me cold 🙂.Then I forgot about Rysanek. After more then 20 years and after I had a long vocal training in the same Fach and starting to give lessons myself I heard her by chance - and I was shocked - how terrible her technique was and how she ruined her voice! Great times! 😅
With that "terrible techniqie" and that "ruined voice" she sang almost 45 years on stage and made people loose their minds by giving them all, drama, phantastic singing etc. - isn't that interesting ????
@@haficammkft YES! Absolutely interesting! She must have been very masochistic to stand this and especially masochistic people, like I was in my young age, adored her!
Rysanek had lifelong inner-ear problems that caused pitch problems throughout her career. They are most evident when she sang unaccompanied, as in the opening "Jo-ho-hoe" in Senta's ballad. But they became more pronounced in the later years of her career. Although she continued to sing some of her signature roles (like Sieglinde and Elisabeth) in the late 1980s, by the time she gave this performance, she was already retooling her repertoire towards more character roles (like Kostelnicka, Klytemnestra, and the Pique Dame Countess).
She was an astonishing and wonderful artist. Strange aria by a minor Italian opera composer. It encourages the singer to use two different voices - and the string writing is pedestrian, to say the least. Levine doesn't help as he struggles to find a tempo and a legato. Leonie had a huge a career and not surprising as she was a tremendous singer.
She was a truly great opera singer. But here she is decidedly past her prime. It is unnecessary to dwell on the evidence of vocal decline apparent here. It is enough to appreciate what of her at her best is still evident in this performance
Singers who haven't entirely mastered their technique - and kept taking time off from performance to 're-tune' the voice as it ages - find themselves being sabotaged by what comes out. Then they try to find a way to make it work dramatically and most fall on that point. In this particularly performance, she reads as a nice grandmother, which is not something I ever thought I would say about her performing! I'm sure the top was electrifying live, but ... this is not her strength at this point. I'm wondering what pressures, internal or external, make a singer override their self knowledge....
To me she sounded like that from the 70´s on. Something in her voice sounded "old" and very often she did a legato where a staccato was asked and ruined some dramatic moments. On the other hand she was such a great actress and could keep the focus on the combination of both - singing and acting - and that´s what the audience loved about her. Not the "wonderful" voice ;-)
Italian opera seems to me have higher demands of technical proficiency than German opera. When a diva of the German school as La Rysanek here attempts an Italian role, one may marvel at her voluminous tone, high notes, and the general enthusiasm with which she throws herself into the role but one cringes at the inaccurate pitch, the sloppy transitions between phrases (let alone the ability to shape a phrase), and the inability to make the detailed sorts of inflections that Italian opera seems to require. I do enjoy Rysanek but I've often found her to be lacking as Lady Macbeth, Abigaille, and much of Verdi for the above. Plus her basic timbre is un-italianate--it has a dullness in the center and a rather wavery tone except for those massive high notes, of course. Verismo was more forgiving of these technical deficiencies but earlier Italian opera not so much.
Sorry, but your comment is just ignorant. Rysanek is not representative for the "German school" - it´s her technique and she was never really focused on the brilliance of certain notes. I can name you singers of the "Italian school" who have similar flaws and would never make it in the German repertory. You seem a little prejudiced by your love of Italian opera. Open your mind. Then you might be able to appreciate the variation of style, voices and technique
When did I say I didn't like the German repertoire or that Italian singers would make an easy transition to it? I merely said Rysanek's technique was insufficient for the demands of the Italian repertoire, imo. And when did I say all Italian opera singers have perfect techniques? Your argument here relies upon straw person distortion of my claims. And isn't taste in the arts subjective? You're free to disagree with me but calling me "ignorant" and "prejudiced" only serves to make you look intolerant of dissenting views.
Italian opera is mostly all about technique. Art is much more than just technique... Italian opera is mostly dumb and ridicolous, Wagner or Strauss is another level to understand the complexity of the music, the weight and deep meanings of the words, the new dimensions of human soul and subconscious... Italian opera where? lol.
I have lot's of respect for Leonie,but in this aria she is flat and out of tune,.If she was drunk,while singing this aria,this is exactly how she would sound , I'm very kind regardng my comment Saluti Gino
Rysanek was a great Artist ! This performance moves me and breaks my heart despite the technical flaws it is amazingly, expressive, sincere and theatrical all at once!
Sorry, Leonie dear but NO, when she took a breath in the very first phrase, I shut it off. And I am a passionate admirer, the Kaiserin, Chrysotemis, SALOME!, Senta, Elizabeth YES
She sang Chrysothemis and Sieglinde for around 35 years or more.
Who else has done that?
… for 1986 a tad past her best years, but the intensity is second to none! … only saw her once, but still an amazing artist and performer! ….
HAve a heart- this lady is 60- who can sing like that at that age?
No one of any age singing today, would be fortunate enough to have even 1/8 of her artistry.
The voice is very stressed, tired....
One of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Her flaws could be turned into assets, the sign of great genius - hers was instinctive not over intellectualized. This is indeed late career, and one has to enjoy Gioconda on its own terms (and I do!), but one should be grateful to have any Leonie on video. She gave her heart and soul to her singing and so much love.
I totally agree. I saw her Salome at the Met. It was a MONUMENTAL performance on her part. The vocal profile was immense and seemed to reflect every aspect of character and was evocative of the overall drama and setting at hand. Her complete Berlin Gioconda is readily available from, an online private label. She spares NOTHING. The performance rewards the listener afresh on each hearing.
Grandissima meravigliosa artista!!
… what a marvelous performer!
Incredible. Clearly past her prime but still glorious!
Artiste sublime dans tous les rôles qu'elle abordés. Voix ample et belle, jeu intense : qui l'a vue une fois sait ce que je veux dire. En scène, même ses silences étaient théâtre et musique...
Sublime !
On ne peut mieux dire !!
It is just ghastly ( anyone but her singing so far off pitch in any opera house would be booed) but there is something wonderful at the same time. The audience in Vienna is demanding, but they acclaim her despite the flaws in her singing. This is about temperament and complete conviction in singing. She was unique.
...even though she was booed as Sieglinde once and could never forget that incident. In fact, it gave her such a terrible shock that she never appeared on the Viennese stage again until one performance as Kostelnicka which drove the adience to a frenzy - and Rysanek was sitting on stage, crying when she received the well deserved love. I was in that performance and mesmerized
Of course they acclaim her. She is the only really world renowned Austrian soprano ever.
Was für eine Sängerin! Sie hat immer alles gegeben.
Hochachtung!
Say what you want, but opera enthusiasts will clamor for this today.
Unfortunately Leonie hardly ever hit the high notes correctly and suffered from intonation problems. She was one of those performers whom you had to see live, enjoy the acting and the absolute commitment to the role.
She did okay for herself on the Opera Stages of the world! She was indeed quite a big deal! Rysanek had her moments!
Why was it acceptable for Callas and no other sopranos?
@@unclealand good question.
she was actually very badly boo'ed after this aria, but the booing was dubbed out and replaced with somebody else's ovation. this i learned from john ardoin, one of the producers of this telecast. ardoin begged her not to sing the suicidio. he wanted her to sing giuditta's meine lippen sie kussen so heiss (!)
Nonsense!
I am not surprised at all. It got bizarre with goat like phlegm and/of shaky tired cords here 4:24-4:34
I personally found her entire career a marvel given that the sound was never centered and veered into the bizarre. Here is the worst and most obvious situation to come out of her throat during this aria…4:24-4:34 it beggars belief. She was a force despite the chasms.
After this, who could doubt Giocand's dilemma. A complete recording of herGiocanda is available- get it.
I very much doubt Vienna would ever boo "their" adopred rysanek...not to mention that her rendition was much better than La Divina's 1972 version. All in all, very expressive and dramatic
oh, they did boo her. And she never forgot. And it took her years to get over it
yes! you are absolutely right. she was "einmalig"!
this is, without the slightest doubt, the pitchiest suicidio I've ever heard, fab high notes as usual though
Much too late in her long career. but you must seek out her incredible singing even 10 years earlier to understand why she was so beloved...
La plus aimée, à juste titre....et la plus grande aussi !
She was 60 when this was recorded.Maybe a little late to attempt this type of aria,which blights her previous wonderful career.
Italian opera not for her. Off pitch and flat. But in German opera Rysanek was awesome.
@levieuxpiano
She sung the role in the 70ths and 80ths in Berlin
Truth is she had some major flaws from the very start of her career, but with that incredible top and her innate dramatic sense who could fail to become a star. This is a nice reminder that she was actually brought to the Met to sing Italian parts, and kept Tosca until relatively late.
Rysanek always had problems from C4 to C5 ( especially in the bottle neck area( E4 to G4 Even her A4's are poorly placed.. She was a soprano indeed and sounded much better younger.. primarily because she had a solid top.
She had no help from Levine of course
HAHA! Between 1970 and 1980 I was - as a Teeny every day in Vienna State Opera - and a great fan of her for her emotional performances - NOBODY booed her! Everyone loved her and took her equal to Birgit Nilsson. I hated Nilsson at this time - she seemed to me cold 🙂.Then I forgot about Rysanek. After more then 20 years and after I had a long vocal training in the same Fach and starting to give lessons myself I heard her by chance - and I was shocked - how terrible her technique was and how she ruined her voice! Great times! 😅
With that "terrible techniqie" and that "ruined voice" she sang almost 45 years on stage and made people loose their minds by giving them all, drama, phantastic singing etc. - isn't that interesting ????
@@haficammkft YES! Absolutely interesting! She must have been very masochistic to stand this and especially masochistic people, like I was in my young age, adored her!
Horribly pitchy but full of emotion. I'm crushed. What's more important, pitch and intonation or interpretation and emotion?
Rysanek had lifelong inner-ear problems that caused pitch problems throughout her career. They are most evident when she sang unaccompanied, as in the opening "Jo-ho-hoe" in Senta's ballad. But they became more pronounced in the later years of her career. Although she continued to sing some of her signature roles (like Sieglinde and Elisabeth) in the late 1980s, by the time she gave this performance, she was already retooling her repertoire towards more character roles (like Kostelnicka, Klytemnestra, and the Pique Dame Countess).
I’d say all four of those things are important.
She was an astonishing and wonderful artist. Strange aria by a minor Italian opera composer. It encourages the singer to use two different voices - and the string writing is pedestrian,
to say the least. Levine doesn't help as he struggles to find a tempo and a legato. Leonie had a huge a career and not surprising as she was a tremendous singer.
desafina?
Boy did she ever memorize that Callas recording!
THIS TRULY WAS A SUICIDIO! I m sorry!
She was a truly great opera singer. But here she is decidedly past her prime. It is unnecessary to dwell on the evidence of vocal decline apparent here. It is enough to appreciate what of her at her best is still evident in this performance
Singers who haven't entirely mastered their technique - and kept taking time off from performance to 're-tune' the voice as it ages - find themselves being sabotaged by what comes out. Then they try to find a way to make it work dramatically and most fall on that point. In this particularly performance, she reads as a nice grandmother, which is not something I ever thought I would say about her performing! I'm sure the top was electrifying live, but ... this is not her strength at this point. I'm wondering what pressures, internal or external, make a singer override their self knowledge....
To me she sounded like that from the 70´s on. Something in her voice sounded "old" and very often she did a legato where a staccato was asked and ruined some dramatic moments. On the other hand she was such a great actress and could keep the focus on the combination of both - singing and acting - and that´s what the audience loved about her. Not the "wonderful" voice ;-)
I think this is an astute assessment of her as an artist. I do enjoy her and I appreciate your comments as well!.
Probably money and a need to just get on with it even if it is not perfect.
Italian opera seems to me have higher demands of technical proficiency than German opera. When a diva of the German school as La Rysanek here attempts an Italian role, one may marvel at her voluminous tone, high notes, and the general enthusiasm with which she throws herself into the role but one cringes at the inaccurate pitch, the sloppy transitions between phrases (let alone the ability to shape a phrase), and the inability to make the detailed sorts of inflections that Italian opera seems to require. I do enjoy Rysanek but I've often found her to be lacking as Lady Macbeth, Abigaille, and much of Verdi for the above. Plus her basic timbre is un-italianate--it has a dullness in the center and a rather wavery tone except for those massive high notes, of course. Verismo was more forgiving of these technical deficiencies but earlier Italian opera not so much.
Sorry, but your comment is just ignorant. Rysanek is not representative for the "German school" - it´s her technique and she was never really focused on the brilliance of certain notes. I can name you singers of the "Italian school" who have similar flaws and would never make it in the German repertory. You seem a little prejudiced by your love of Italian opera. Open your mind. Then you might be able to appreciate the variation of style, voices and technique
When did I say I didn't like the German repertoire or that Italian singers would make an easy transition to it? I merely said Rysanek's technique was insufficient for the demands of the Italian repertoire, imo. And when did I say all Italian opera singers have perfect techniques? Your argument here relies upon straw person distortion of my claims. And isn't taste in the arts subjective? You're free to disagree with me but calling me "ignorant" and "prejudiced" only serves to make you look intolerant of dissenting views.
I'll keep this simple. I hate her in Italian rep.
Italian opera is mostly all about technique. Art is much more than just technique... Italian opera is mostly dumb and ridicolous, Wagner or Strauss is another level to understand the complexity of the music, the weight and deep meanings of the words, the new dimensions of human soul and subconscious... Italian opera where? lol.
You’re German and you have no soul. See how easy that was?
Forte!
Somebody should have told her that it was too late...very sad!
I love Rysanek, but cringed through this when it was broadcast on TV all those years ago. Italian opera was not her strong suit.
Her Lady Macbeth was amazing.
@@artdanks It was better than this for sure, but it's really a bel-canto role, requiring agility, trills, etc. And she couldn't do any of that.
Renata Tebaldi the BEST version
MI SPIACE MA QUI LA RYSANEK NON MI PIACE X NIENTE! NON E' NEL SUO STILE QUEST ARIA...
@Lindow I bet you're German! Or that you don't like sex. Or both.
Vergogna.
Grande cantante. Ma no la gioconda
awful
Poor voice....
I have lot's of respect for Leonie,but in this aria she is flat and out of tune,.If she was drunk,while singing this aria,this is exactly how she would sound , I'm very kind regardng my comment Saluti Gino
Nope. But, with proper technique, 60 shouldn't doom you to singing like this.
Rysanek was a great Artist ! This performance moves me and breaks my heart despite the technical flaws it is amazingly, expressive, sincere and theatrical all at once!
Furchtbar!
Sorry, Leonie dear but NO, when she took a breath in the very first phrase, I shut it off. And I am a passionate admirer, the Kaiserin, Chrysotemis, SALOME!, Senta, Elizabeth YES