Customer Reviews

Bellini: Beatrice Di Tenda

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This disk, in my opinion, provides us with the very finest example of how Joan Sutherland REALLY sounded on stage. More than any of her artificially ballanced studio recordings, this one allows us to hear how her voice expands and fills the air as it rises up the scale. The microphones were clearly a long way away from her and give the listener a much more realistic "audience" perspective. A voice such as hers doesn't "happen" 6 inches from her face, it blooms right out there in the music hall and overwhelms the listener with this "wall" of sound. An outstanding recording considering its age (1961) and of much better quality than many other "live" Sutherland performances. Here is Sutherland at the peak of her powers, and given the circumstances surrounding this performance it is a wonder that she could sing at all. The afternoon before, she had received a call to say that her Mother had died suddenly, but determined not to let anyone down, her eyes full of tears and churned up with emotion, she came out and sang. Her tone is pure and dreamy throught, the highest notes are spectacular as ever and she was supported by an excellent cast in Bellini's unjustly neglected masterpiece. Even with all the coughs and splutters from the audience and the odd creaking floorboard I find this recording far more enjoyable than the 1966 Decca studio.

Beatrice di Tenda is perhaps one of the most underated Operatic masterpiece of all time. The music is absolutely beautiful. And Sutherland singing of the taxing dramatic coloratura role ever more beautiful. A must have!

This extraordinary live recording is the one I listen to over and over for Sutherland's wonderful live sound. It was the first time New York heard her, her first partnership with Horne, and by the sound of the audience, a thrill-a-minute show. You know when the coughing stops to sit up and take notice...this voice is a miracle. I heard her often in later years. The 'wall of sound' is the only way to describe her huge voice when it was working well, and here is a chance to hear the voice young, fresh, very alive, thrilling in attack and range, and for me the imperfections of the recording only add to the magic and excitement. She doesn't go for the big one at the end of Act 1, and it's the better for it - you know it's live and you live it like you're in the front stalls. The men record poorly, but the ensembles sound good, crowned of course by herelf. It makes the studio version of 66 sound limip and rather dull except for the young Pavarotti in great voice. The Puritani from Palermo in 61 has a similar thrill, but here the men record well, but the recording renders Sutherland thin. This Beatrice is the closest I have found to what she really sounded like. I love it.

Just the shere beauty of the great Sutherland voice soaring effortlessly above the many choral ensembles is enough to buy this recording. This recording has more sustain notes above high D that I've heard the Dame do. There are several high e naturals.

The price is a little steep. But this is what great singing is all about. Sutherland is heard as she would sound as if you were there. Without a doubt the "Voice of the Century".
Beatrice di Tenda has the highest notes of all Donizetti's operas. That's why even Dame Joan stop singing it after 1961. At one scene she holds a rocket of a high E natural for what seem like 12 seconds.
This is one of the most underrated recording of a legendary performance I've ever heard. Listen to it once, and you'll be overwhelmed by its beauty and bravura. Bravissima, diva.

What you can hear (and it's not too well) is Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne singing up a storm. It's too bad that the quality of the reproduction is relatively poor. You can hear the audience applause quite well! But I would assume that this whole opera would sound better on earphones without distracting noises. But for about $12 bucks it was worth it.

Like all live recordings, there are drawbacks regarding the technical aspects of the sound reproduction. With all the live recordings now available, I am sure most of us who buy them are used to listening through the distortions. This recording has remarkably few such distortions.

Bellini wrote this opera in a hurry (or a hurry for him, for his librettist wasn't too swift at getting the book to him), and it was a failure when it was performed. There are a number of different versions of some of the arias, so those following with a score may find that the vocal line is completely different in places where Sutherland is singing than the scores you may have. That is not a mistake on her part, she simply chose one of the other versions (all contained in the manuscript of the score) to sing. Of course, she embellishes as is her habit. The singing is simply outstanding, and it is filled with life. There is one thing we are robbed of constantly in her studio recordings, and that is the life in her voice. One friend of mine simply can't see what all the fuss over her singing was all about. True, she had great technique but the voice always sounded "dull" in his view. When I had him listen to this recording, and he was able to hear an approximation of what her performance sound was, he was taken back. It truly was a huge voice: vibrant, full, warm, and telling. I had the opportunity to hear her live many times, and I was always disappointed in her studio recordings to some degree. Like has been said by many, huge voices are the hardest for the recording industry to capture faithfully.

Sutherland's sound opens up the further away from it you get. A well balanced voice should do that. The voice focuses somewhere out there. Her sound is truly a wash of sound that fills the theatre. We are getting that experience somewhat in this case.

Marylin Horne does a wonderful job, too.

This is truly a beautiful opera, and it is worthy of fame, even if the original audience didn't like it. This recording is a great one to add to your library, however, it is expensive, and if you are not one that likes the "live sound" I would recommend that you come to this opera via the studio recording Sutherland made later. It doesn't have the lush full exciting sound of the live recording, that is her voice doesn't reflect that (the typical studio sound is what you get), but you will have the more balanced clean sound that recordings are noted for. In either case, you are getting some super singing. The difference between the two that will be much noticed is the conducting. Bonynge understand the style better than this conductor, and captures the flavor of Bel Canto much better.

The high E that drops into the trills on high B. and she repeats it slightly lower, but still in the highest strastosphere.... In her cabaletta.Is that singable? I would say it is if you are La Stupenda. She holds a high E natural over a gigantic orchestra for about 8 seconds and chorus and not even blinks an eyelash. That is the La Stupenda of her youth. Even Bellini would never imagine a voice like hers. A divine achievement that eclipses anything in the last century, at least.

The quality of this recording is just terrible. Muffled sound as if singing is done in a room next door. Nothing makes up for this shortcoming. Live performances do not need to sound this way at all. Just sloppy technique.

There is some splendid singing on this record particularly from Joan Sutherland. However, the recording quality is far from optimal. This is not of the technical standard of the recording Sutherland did with her husband Richard Bonynge. For this reason I would recommend to stay with the Bonynge version