Damn it! Is there anything that did not go wrong?

Much of the early historical performance movement for instruments was also complete fiction, it should be noted. Today, the scholarship has caught up, but the sound has stuck. However, I have to say I don't think it's reasonable to show a video of a dramatic soprano and use it to claim bel canto is dead.

Where to begin, not only the interpretation is very accurate (not in academic terms only but artistically aswell), the tone, the emotion, the way you present Anya's question, the setting, the editing, the research, the studying, the footage, even the outfit, and how complete even the description of the video is. You are kind of single-handedly reviving and almost correcting what would nearly become a lost art to trends of distortion, please teach us more of what your vision is!

to be fair to "modern singing" AN is a horse. she's just terrible; intonation sucks, no sense of appropriate dynamics, sounds like she thinks "the louder the better." there are MUCH better singers than her around.

@8:40 Is this an example of what George Bernard Shaw called "the Bayreuth Bark"? I seem to recall that the great Friedrich Schorr himself said that even Wagner should be sung in the bel canto style, 'spinning the phrases out as if they were Bellini,' if I recall correctly.

I find it interesting that people feel the need to defend Callas. This video is about bel canto, vocal technique, not only her. I have the same goal and purpose in my life. To bring back the old school knowledge and good singing. I have had the priviledge to study 3 years with a vocal coach who's teacher Aida Meneghelli studied with the same teacher as Callas, Elvira de Hidalgo. Bel canto is pure magic, but its very hard to keep your direction, when constantly asked to have a "bigger and darker" sound. Thank you for this channel. It encourages me to stick with my own path. Big support❤❤

Hi, I'm really glad you're posting again. This is _lovely_! (Plus the bonus explanation of how the singing style was changing.)

Thank you for posting this 200th anniversary celebration. Here is the 100th anniversary celebration from 1923. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3atdoSuj9-VrKssi=hl0P78zSTqLSLyA9

Did you study with Philip Doghan at a certain point?

These old records sound beautiful and seem to solve every problem I ever had with opera-im a pianist btw

First, you seemingly build up Callas as a great "bel Canto" singer (with that annoying ghost -Callas, you cooked up) then you quickly shoot her down because she does not conform to your own "special" ideas of bel canto. Nasty joke! And Callas, apparently, wasn't as great as your teacher, who, in the last seventy years I have never heard of, not even once. Too funny. I have been listening to Callas for over seventy years and saw her in five operas: Tosca, Lucia, Traviata, Norma and Il Pirata.. No, she is NOT the greatest soprano of the twentieth century (perhaps of the second half of the century). Yes, she overdid the highs, and over-used her chest tones, bringing them way higher than was healthy for the voice. And, yes, her voice began to deteriorate, beginning in the mid-fifties. We all know that. Well, she was born in 1923 and after all she was singing mainly in the twentieth century, not the early nineteenth! So, she wan't a "perfect" bel Canto exponent." Quelle surprise! The Miserere was heavier that the older soprano (Raisa?) Who cares? It was totally effective. Her portrayals of Amina, Elvira, Tosca, Abigaille, Lady Macbeth, Violetta, Medea, Leonora (Trov.) Anna Bolena, Amelia and others are outstanding. Few sopranos come close to those. I have seen these Normas: Callas, Caballe, Sutherland, Verrett, Sills, Suliotis, Galvany and Goerke. Callas was in not-her-best voice as Norma in 1956, but guess who was the best Norma I have ever seen, CALLAS! Just as Mödl was the greatest Isolde I have ever seen, and that includes Nilsson.

Wow, your chanel is a real gem!

I didn't expect there to be "opera-truthers"... I am pleasently surprised

bravo! merci!

If appropriate , Iwould like your comment on the vocal artistry of Aldo Protti. I have often found myself in a minority regarding my firm appreciation of his singing. Some find his ultra smooth legato ang absolutely smooth registration rather boring. I believe this causes him to give wonderfully effective meaning to text thereby fully expressing the character he is playing. His beautiful legato and smooth registration also causes his singing to possess a poetic sound. This manner of singing allows him to subtly demonstrate Amonasaro's deep love for his daughter Aida even while express anger and frustration as she seems to hesitate to influence Radames. Sorry to go on, but, your opinion would be valued. I was referring to the early Decca Aida recording with Tebaldi, delMonaco, Stignani, and Mr.Protti.

There is a difference between allowing the larynx to naturally, gently fall when you breath in - and pressing it and (additionally causing tongue tension.)

I have a question, when exactly did this change happen? I see a lot of these older musicians died around the twenties to 50s when I looked them up. But when did this modern style start?

My music professor forced me to sing in this modern way. I felt like my grades and my degree would be on the line if I did not sing this way. Luckily I knew some early music choir directors who gave me my first training and I learned Gregorian Chant at a Vatican I. church. There are a few people who’ve held onto this, but not many. I was lucky to have this training before and I simply did this modern singing in front of the teacher so I can get my degree but when I could do a performance on my own, I would do it more traditional way.

I liked the old way people sing and I tend to sing opera that way. I feel like the modern way is trying too hard. I say this as a fellow soprano of 26 years.

hi, what is the name of the performance of Eline Garanca? Thanks.

Thanks for share with us.

And with Regietheater this is only getting worse

Old Netrebko isn't how the opera should be. And the man near to her isn't a tenor.

and yes, if you know how to sing better as Netrebko, why wouldn't you just replace her?? go to her agent and say: it has nothing to do with the opera, my singing school is more correct, I'm your new opera star.. I'm sure, it would take time, before he'll find a good answer..

how you could proove, that it was bot chaged for hundreds of years?? do you have any recordings of Cuzzoni, Strada, Carestini, Tesi and so what?? i suppose, you don't..

I could've sworn Anastasia had brown hair, but I just looked up some colourized photos and her hair does actually look fairly blonde. I'd personally argue her hair might've been more of a dirty blonde. But one, I'm not a historian, and two, it doesn't change the fact that this was an excellent video! The singing and costume are stunning!

Such a refreshing sound! Let's keep 'bel canto' alive. Apart from anything else it sounds a lot healthier. I'm a clarinetist and I was taught for many years to open my throat as if I were yawning and to go for the dark sound. My sound is naturally bright and while I accept that the 'yawning' throat technique is good for the middle and low registers, applying it the whole range seems a bit crazy. I had to stop in the end because I started to suffer from laryngospams. They would happen while I was asleep or even during the day while I was just walking along the street. I can't guarantee that this problem was related to my clarinet technique but I strongly suspect that it might have been aggravated by it.

😮amazing video!

She was AUTHENTICAL, SINCERE and ALWAYS REAL.

This was a fun find the algorithm served up. Thanks for making such a fun and informative video

Beautiful, so free in these soft high notes. No strain at all. such a pure joy.

This is so mesmerising and beautiful. Your voice sings and rings and the high notes are so clear and bright. I absolutely adore this!

This style of singing sounds a lot like crooning, which was the style of smooth, low mellow singing that was popular in the 1920’s and gave old fashioned gramophones that eerie ghostly sound. Very impressive that you were able to replicate that!

I think 2 things. One, that as long as the resources are preserved, the methods described and shown, there will always be those with the passion to practice them (even if they are not many). Two, that despite the impressive voices, I personally can not stand the warbling nature of many operas. But that even so, the techniques behind them may be used for other ends. Proving themselves just as useful, as necessary, in other types of singing that I might enjoy more. Edit: if u see this, well done on the video. It was excellent. Also that I need to find and listen to earlier opera which (in this video anyway) appears to have less heavy vibrato, though I still think it won't be for me.

Cool video, but the singing seems too nasally to be bel canto.

Awesome!!! You really nailed the early 20th century technique, so much so that it sounds like a remastered recording. We need more historically accurate movie songs like this.

Ada really has it to me.. love her tone and something special I can't quite verbalize.. maybe it's the way she shapes the note or words. Love your channel.. very happy day discovering you and your mellow delivery and intellect - thoughtful and understandable. Where can we hear you sing... peace out.

If you're going to talk about registers, you MUST play some of one of my favourite sopranos, Celestina Boninsegna. I'm assuming that Rosa Ponselle will be played.

Melba clearly sings better here....and I don't think the horn recording technique did her any favours. One of my favourite Mimis was a later soprano...Lucrezia Bori. The modern singers I don't want to listen to at all!

This absolutely beautiful and a masterpiece

Thank you so much for what you do. I appreciate so much your approach and what you told by the end of the video about devoting oneself to what one loves. I am 36 (not a youth) but I hope that I've come to this feeling of what I was born for, the serving to the higher force... Thank you, your job is an enormous support for me! 🧡

you promised a rubato video...

Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballe, Maria Callas, Cristina Deutekom, Fiorenza Cossotto, Giulieta Simionato, Franco Corelli, Mario del Monaco, Pavarotti... Only a few names of the gold (recorded) times. They were singers who just opened their mouths and left the sound go out in a fearless and powerful way, except for a fwe ones like Sutherland's chest voice, they all were magnificent, with moving interpretations and caring about the details, ornaments and bel canto techniques, respecting what the composer has written.

Acoustic recording actually exaggerated vibrato..one famous tenor sounds full of vibrato on acoustic...whereas his electric Columbias show none. No, there are no singers to compare with Tamagno, Caruso, Galli-Curci, Boninsgna, Tetrazzini, Ruffo and especially Chaliapin...and the rest. These days it sound far too much effort, there's too much wobble!

You might want to speak to the "Opera Baroque" in Versailles. My grand father was the founder and had the very same opinion as you! He had some problems with "the modern way of screaming the notes". Best wishes from someone they likes as much as you the gramophone :)

Of course it sounds different. Music changed. As it has always.

You certainly have a lovely speaking voice!

In my mind there is no doubt that opera sounded much better until about 50 years ago. Today there are no more real voices. Everyone sounds strained and CONstrained and you hear too much gasping and breathing and fake drama. There is no ease and elegance and naturality any more. And another aspect is that the physical microphone position of many recordings is simply waaay off. I stopped listening to modern studio opera performance records because they are not even close to the real thing. Old mono records might even catch the sound better than today's electronically altered recordings.

Getting right to the center of the tone at its onset is how Maria Callas (not only her - Cornelius Reid, et al) described Bel Canto. For whatever reason, you are not doing it, but rather wavering around the pitch. Not Bel Canto by a long shot.

You look beautiful and your voice feels like velvet on my ears (does it make sense?😂)