Word: sopranos
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (Martha Lipton, mezzo-soprano; the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein conducting; Columbia, two LPs). A radiant reading by Bernstein of Mahler's mammoth, six-movement "musical poem...
...years after its debut in 1823 Semiramide was considered Rossini's crowning triumph. Written at fever pitch in just 33 days, it shines with bel canto flourishes-fluid melodies, runs, cadenzas, arpeggios-and a soprano role that is one of the most difficult in all opera. "Semiramide," says La Scala's artistic director. "is Norma's grandmother." Much of the dramatic singing is in the most difficult vocal range, and the coloratura passages are burdened with drama. With the coloratura parts too dramatic and the dramatic parts too coloratura, it is simply too difficult; Paris...
Last week La Scala saw it again In the impossible title role was the only soprano now living who could hope to get away with it-Australian Coloratura Joan Sutherland. The purity of her voice, its limpid icy strength all along the scale, and its' perfect intonation, seemed just right for the role, even though Sutherland's history of solid. woodenness onstage suggested trouble with Semiramide's dark libretto (Semiramide falls in love with her Hametesque son before discovering his identity; the son kills her. mistaking her for an interloping lover). But Sutherland was unconcerned. Said...
...Adrian Boult's Messiah, the one he recorded last year, is still attracting a lot of attention; but it's still not worth buying. Sir Adrian chose Miss Joan Sutherland as his soprano soloist, and it was a noble choice, but, unfortunately, Sir Adrian is a man who thinks that Miss Sutherland can only sing well when she is singing Puccini (a palpable falsehood). Consequently, Sir A. has ripped Handel's oratorio untimely from its century, making it as operatic Victorian as he possibly can. The result is an orchestra sprawling and unkempt, singers bawling and dyspeptic, and tempi crawling...
Died. Kirsten Flagstad, 67, Norway's renowned Wagnerian opera soprano; after a long illness; in Oslo (see Music...