Joan Sutherland ~ The Art of the Prima Donna

Joan Sutherland (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 15, 1997)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B0000042EK
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #365,555 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #61 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Sutherland, Joan

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Artaxerxes: The Soldier Tir'd

2. Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim

3. Norma: Sediziose voce ... Casta diva...Ah! bello a me ritorna

4. I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa

5. Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier

6. I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce sua soave... Vien, diletto

7. La Sonnambula: Care compagne... Come perme sereno... Sovra il sen

8. Faust: O Dieu! que de bijoux... Ah! je res

Disc: 2

1. Romeo et Juliette: Je veux vivre

2. Otello: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella... Piangia cantanco

3. Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Martern aller Arten

4. La Traviata: E'strano... Ah fors'e lui... Sempre libera

5. Hamlet: A vos jeux, mes amis

6. Lakme: Ah! Ou va la jeune Indoue

7. Les Huguenots: O beau pays de la Touraine!

8. Rigoletto: Gualtier Malde... Caro nome

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legendary Recording...Highest rating, August 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Joan Sutherland: The Art of the Prima Donna (Audio CD)

This is a true legendary recording, and as an opera singer for many years, I can't resist reviewing it. This cd contained some of the most difficult arias written for the coloratura soprano. Joan Sutherland the vocal Paganini, handling all the vocal challenges with the utmost ease. Her trill is an actual spinning of two notes so fast that it appeared to be a single note. The Prima Donna's fioritura singing is absolutely accurate and precise, and she meets all staccati and arpeggios with complete confidence and ease. The voice is quite large, a dramatic soprano, in reality. Thus we have the Brunhilde size top notes. But of course no Brunhilde had Sutherland's amazing range from bottom G to an easy high F three octives above. But most remarkable are how "open" her high notes are. They almost appeared "chest tone", that's how enormous they are. And lucky us for us, there are countless high D's E's and F's in this recording.

Dame Joan handles the extreme high tessitura of "The Soldier tir'd" and "Martern aller Arten" as if it were child's play. She interpolates high note after high note, making each aria a showpiece for her ample voice. Also remarkable is the beautiful tone quality of her soprano. Bight and clear, with no strain whatever. There's seemingly nothing that Sutherland couldn't do vocally. Another favorite here is the extremely embellished "Bel raggio lusinghier" with three high F's. Malibran would have been jealous... Also mind-boggling is the "O beau pays de la Touraine!", with colortura so dazzling that you really must hear it to believe it. The "Care compagne...come per me sereno..Sovra il sen" is a lesson in the art of bel canto singing, every aspect of the coloratura's art is shown there. Another highlight is the mad scene from Hamlet, with Sutherland singing with great beauty and stage presence, making you foget how impossibly difficult the vocal line is. Actually, they're all highlights in this cd.

This is my favorite recording in my collection of over 3,000 records and cds. I bought it in 1961, and have never heard anything like it, and don't expect to hear anything like it again in my lifetime, that's how special this is...a must have for every opera lover.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars La Stupenda, as usual, October 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Joan Sutherland: The Art of the Prima Donna (Audio CD)

I loved this recording. I bought it years ago on record, and quite frankly wore it out. I own it once again on CD and will probably wear it out too. I have always loved Joan's singing, and it is as benevolent and lovely as is her personality. It is interesting she is compared to Sumi Jo, who for those who don't know, learned her technique from Joan's husband, Richard Bonynge. Though both women are simply wonderful, they really cannot be compared. Sumi Jo's voice is not as large as Sutherlands by any means, though it is a voice that carries well. I find Jo's voice often "brittle", but always thrilling. However, it is Sutherland that converted me to the art of fine singing, and 19th century opera. I saw Callas' Norman in Paris, and her Tosca in London as a teenager. I was thrilled beyond belief, not with the voice itself, but the whole impression given ( even though her Norma first act was really quite terrible ). I never thought I would enjoy another Norman ( as I have never really enjoyed another Medea -- though I heard this opera with Callas only on record ). However, when I saw Sutherland in that role, I was so impressed that for years I found Callas' recordings of the role painful to endure. For anyone who has not heard Sutherland, and is not familiar with this type of music, BUY THIS CD, you'll be converted at once. For those familiar with Dame Joan Sutherland, BUY IT ANYWAY, it is a must!

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YOU HAVE TO HEAR TO BELIEVE THIS!, August 9, 2000

By 

jamie (Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joan Sutherland ~ The Art of the Prima Donna (Audio CD)

I have to say this one floored me. Joan Sutherland surpasses even her incredibly self here. The coloratura is without fault. Now, just who do we compare this vintage Sutherland to? In history we have had Galli Curci, who had inpeccable technique, but she had a small voice and no trill. There's Lily Pons, but she also had a small voice and no trill. There Tetrazzini, who had a decent size voice and a nice trill, but she's no where as accurate sd Sutherland and sounds cold. Then there's Maria Callas, who did have an accurate technique and style, but her voice was not pretty at all. And of course Beverly Sills, but we all know that she also had a small voice, and shrill high notes. So I have to conclude that Sutherland had the most accurate coloratura soprano voice in memory - the real thing. To hear Sutherland here, this is what you'll conclude. A large, beautiful voice of astonishing purity. A trill that is a real trill, not a fast vibrato. Scales and appeggios that are perfect, like pearls in a necklace, each note distinct from its neighbor. High notes that are full, effortless, spine chilling beauty and clear as a bell. Lightning fast staccati that has yet to be matched. And a beautiful, glowing line. Sutherland uses all of her unmatched talent in the taxing music written for the coloratura soprano. This is flawless. But don't take my word for it, listen to it and you'll understand why she is La Stupenda.