Presenting Sylvia Sass Opera's Sensational New Star - Classic Recitals

Sylvia Sass (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 8, 2005)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B0006M4ROM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #396,303 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sheer Brillance long denied to listeners, March 11, 2005

By 

P. R. Marchesano "marchesa" (Philadelphia PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Presenting Sylvia Sass Opera's Sensational New Star - Classic Recitals (Audio CD)

This recording is so long overdue from Decca that, while I am thrilled that they have released it finally, I'd just love to smack them to say: What about the rest of Sylvia Sass's catalog with Decca? We've got to have the Dramatic Coloratura album!

That said, I can get onto the meat of this review: this fantastic recital album. I am not one of the lucky ones who heard Sylvia Sass (pronounced, "shahsh") live. In fact, I only heard bits and pieces and reports, so this is like finding the new greatest album in decades. I have placed this album on the "honor" shelf along with Sutherland's "The Art of the Prima Donna" and Corelli's [White Album] "Opera Arias" and selected few others from, e.g., Callas, Tebaldi, Moffo.

Sass's voice is at once unique yet familiar. She was burdened with constant comparisons to Maria Callas - while she yet lived. How cruel and spoiled were the critics of those days. This likely contributed to her unexplained disappearance from the stage. In the middle register, in some pieces, there is a reminder and similarity to Sutherland's brighter overtones - even similarity in approach to some soaring lines, especially in "In questa reggia." In other works there is the unmistakable reminder of that dark, covered sound that Callas developed to artful mastery. Yet in other places one is immediately reminded of the sheer spun beauty that was the early Tebaldi. Used sparingly to color the lines with emotion and passion, Sass will allow "nasty" sounds for effect, but never out of line with the artistic interpretation. Where she doesn't go is to the point that she damages her voice. With an obviously unbeatable technique, she is amazingly versatile in her roles and interpretations. Her MacBeth is a dramatic and stunning to listen to as it was reported to see. Just listening to this performance, it draws you in and rivets your attention to the images forming in the air before you.

Comparisons aside, Sass is her own singer. Not imitating any of the others before her, she makes each piece her own and delivers her own unique, dramatic interpretation. She is possessed of a powerful voice full of colors, yet fully capable of amazing agility. She sang Lucia, credibly and brilliantly while Sutherland still traveled the world singing the role that made her famous. The voice was powerful and the artist brilliant. Sass's voice and artistry rank her for me among the truly great singers of the century; she is not just another good singer! Timing was clearly against this woman. She came on the scene when the great singers of our age were still singing in abundance. The memory of others was still so fresh in people's minds. The critics didn't know what they would be missing in a few short years. The audiences were spoiled. People took incredible, earth-moving performances of opera for granted. Who knew that less than ten years after this album that excitement would depart the opera stage? How sad that the world, the opera companies and the record labels didn't give this woman the place she deserved.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A DIVA WITH A VOICE OF POWER, HEART, AND SOUL!!!!!!, March 8, 2005

By 

Mark the music lover (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Presenting Sylvia Sass Opera's Sensational New Star - Classic Recitals (Audio CD)

Sylvia Sass was a gorgeous and enigmatic artist who skyrocketed to international prominence in the seventies and eighties as the successor to Maria Callas. Then without warning her operatic appearances became less frequent before she completely dissapeared from the world's famous opera stages to concentrate on other artistic pursuits. Her available discography is quite slim which is why this cd is such a heaven sent treasure. Anyone who has heard or seen this unbelievable intense singer live will never forget her riveting portrayals of tosca, turandot, salome, manon lescaut, and of course her wickedly famous scare the hell out of you lady macbeth which ranks alongside Callas and Elena Souliotis as revelatory. Sass's voice is not only a force to be reckoned with, but a unique instrument in itself. Sass's voice was one of those that you either loved or hated, but you could never deny that her instrument didn't cause one to sit up and take notice. Sass possessed this beautifully eerie, strange, and sometimes course quality in her voice that distinguished her even from Callas though there is no denying that both their voices were somewhat similar. These qualities brought a certain authority and passion to every role she sang. Her chest voice and low notes many times took on a masculine quality, and her phrasing (due to her hungarian heritage) was often thick. Her high notes were like long arching lines of shining thin sharp wire. I find all these qualities very exciting and even more so because they all reside in the same throat. Each one of the selections chosen for this album are in my opinion perfectly sung and I have no quibble with anything. Sass is the type of artist that doesn't just settle for mere beauty, but is willing to go for an occasional ugly sound when she feels that the composer demands it. But that sound has so much meaning, that you will immediatley receive it as artistic truth. I have never heard Vissi d'arte and In questa reggia sung like this before. If these interpretations don't make your hair shoot up straight, you must be dead!!!!! Conductor Lamberto Gardelli provides rich and potent support and brings out some surprising details to each of the arias. This has been soooooooo worth the wait, BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars La Diva Sass - Refound, February 28, 2009

By 

Capt Bob (New York NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Presenting Sylvia Sass Opera's Sensational New Star - Classic Recitals (Audio CD)

I bought this as an LP back in the early very 1980s and was quite impressed. Over the years I wondered what had become of Sylvia Sass. Now I see it was another case of too much too soon. Essentially a lyric soprano La Sass took on too many dramatic soprano roles too soon - and ended up ruining her voice. What a sad end to what promised to be a stupendous career. But this recital is still truly astonishing. "Opera's Sensational New Star" was no mere hype. Alas - what might have been! She handles the punishing "In questa reggia" with the greatest of ease, and the way she controls her voice, even in the most hushed pianissimo passages of "Ritorna vincitor" is astounding. Her rendition of "un bel di vedremo" will forever bring tears to my eyes. In "O madre, dal cielo" (I LOMBARDI), as the half crazed Giselda, she is truly frightening. It's obvious she never "held back" - always gave 100%. Maybe that was part of her problem. (Check out her videos of some of these same selections on you-tube. Incredible!) For anyone who loves great singing - buy this while it's still available. Viva Sylvia Sass - she was a true prima donna assoluta - if only for a short - far too short moment. And Decca/London: keep this disc in print - forever!