Customer Reviews

Joan Sutherland sings Donizetti & Rossini

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This unimposing little disc captures some priceless Sutherland singing. Although the selections from "Emelia di Liverpool" and the Fountain Scene from "Lucia" are only parts of available complete performances, the other items are well worth the duplication. A little known fact is that just before the 1962 concert recorded here, Sutherland injured her back and each breath brought her great pain. Listening to the concert with that knowledge makes the already impressive singing astounding. The conductor rushes the proceedings a little, so musically it isn't as satisfying, but when one knows the reason why it only confirms Sutherland's reputation as a real trooper. Also included on this disc are three rare items recorded in 1958 for a small English label. Sutherland is accompanied on the piano by her husband, Richard Bonynge. As far as I've seen, these performances are currently available nowhere else, which is justification enough for owning the disc if you're a Sutherland fan. The sound on this disc never matches studio quality, but in this age of "historical" performances that's a minor consideration. This isn't necessarily something for the Sutherland neophyte to cut their teeth on, but stupendous singing is to be had here in abundance and considering the price there's really no excuse for not making this disc a part of one's collection.

These are LIVE recordings of prime Sutheland. She is simply spectacular in the selections here. In my opinion, Sutherland is much better LIVE than in studio recordings, and this set proves it. She sings the most difficult arias in all of opera here, and she is simply flawless. I think that Donizetti and Bellini would have been very pleased with her!

La Stupenda is so great here that you really have to hear it to believe it. And unlike her studio recordings, she does not hold back here ( she has wagnerian high notes that shatter studio microphones ). She attacks all the very high notes with amazing precision. And her voice here is fresh, and full of brilliant vibrato. If you think La Stupenda's accomplishments in the recording studio is spectacular, well, you ain't heard nothing yet until you hear this one. THIS IS A MUST HAVE!!

This is the REAL Joan Sutherland that the operatic world fell in love with. She is LIVE here, with some selections going back to 1957! The highlight is the best Lucia mad scene that she's recorded with perfect high e flats, and a real trill on high b flat. The sempre libera is astonishing. The Queen of the Night first aria is breathtakingly accurate, though she takes it down half a tone so she sings e's instead of f's. These are all LIVE. If you want to know how she got the name la stupenda, this is the cd to own.

This is Sutherland when she was without peer in the operatic world. The sheer vocal phenomenon of the operatic world. In the virtuoso department, no one in memory can do vocally what Sutherland did, and no one will likely approach her supreme vocal powers within our lifetime.

Joan Sutherland is the most incredible coloratura I have heard. I have at least 20 of her recordings and despite there are some other very good coloraturas such as Gruberova, Jo, Peters, Labianca, Pons and Mesple, Sutherland's voice is powerful. Her sound is so impressive that sometimes I doubt she is human, because the sound is so clean, so pure. I recently found her last recording, the out of print "Bel Canto Arias" (1986) where she sings "Una voce poco fa", an aria from "Barber of Seville", an opera she never did on stage. Her Turandot is also amazing.

Shows a young Sutherland as the greatest soprano of the XX Century. Way surpassing Callas, Caballe, and Sills.
The voice is perfectly clear, focus. There is no mushines or poor diction as she did later in her career.
Buy this cd and hear the possibilities of the human voice. She sings the most difficult music as if it was nothing. The high notes are massive and solid. The trill sublime.
Dame Joan is beyond perfection here.
And the price! A steal. One of the best cd I've ever bought.
This cd is unbeatable in all aspects!

This contains live recordings of prime year Joan Sutherland. She is perfect in all her arias. The voice sublime, silvery in clarity, and technique beyond comparison.
She sings some of the most fiendishly difficult arias ever written as if strolling in the park.
Hear her as she was when she was supreme and realize what all the fuzz is all about.
The highlights are everything. Especially the Lucia Mad Scene and Sempre Libera. They are better than even her decca recordings, and being live, much more exciting!
This is also about $...! What a bargain. I bought 10 to give as gifts.

The 1st 3 (or 4?) numbers were to a piano accompaniment, which I always find a drag. She sings both arias from The Magic Flute back to back which is wonderful, except these are live recordings and though adequate aren't at par with the rest of the album. On the back of the CD, Donizetti gets credit for I puritani. That's it. The rest is a miracle. If I remember (I just listened to it the 1st time), all but the piano accompanied pieces (Bonynge plays) are live recordings. But even dating back to 1957 and up to 1962, the sound is perfect. I highly recommend this. Oh. It is mostly Donizetti, and there is only one piece by Rossini.

This is perhaps one of the greatest compilations of arias ever. Sutherland was always at her blazing best when recorded live. I'm really sick of the stupid, poisoned arrows several people here NEED to shoot towards another goddess (Callas) in order to promote Dame Joan. She is in no need of that. Enjoy the recital of a lifetime!!!!