[1961] Joan Sutherland - Hamlet: Ophelia's Mad Scene

Thomas: Hamlet: A vos jeux, mes amis (Ophelia's Mad Scene)
Cut and transposed from B to B-flat
Originally aired on the Bell Telephone Hour. Mainstream TV isn't what it used to be.

[@jondavwal13]

I don't think there has ever been pure singing any better than this ever recorded. The voice is beautiful, ringing, accurate, huge and lightning fast without a hint of difficulty. It's almost impossible to believe anybody could sing like this.

[@paludansings]

A friend once said: "There's Sutherland, and then there is everyone else on earth." In her prime, she was other-worldly. Just glorious.

[@luizflavioskinner8723]

see Amanda Woodbury

[@kareemcain6174]

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[@stetsonizaiah4165]

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[@kareemcain6174]

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[@herrbrucvald6376]

1961 Sutherland---holy crap! Sutherland in her blazing early-1960's prime! This was her debut on the Bell Telephone Hour Show. This is what those early audiences got to hear. Wow-wee!

[@dianaventura7999]

This, imo, is one of the greatest recording done by the greatest coloratura of all time. This was 1960. Sutherland was young. Vocally, she had it ALL. And I mean she was the ultimate technician of every coloratura skill. She had an amazing squillo in her youth with the most bell like silvery voice and drop dead precision on all coloratura acrobatics. This mad scene has perfect trills, arpeggios and superhuman high notes. Most impressive is the ascending run to the high E natural at the end.

[@meltzerboy]

Yes, it has all this and more, minus true pathos, soul. Compare this performance to that of Natalie Dessay, who is not quite as technically proficient as Sutherland, yet leaves the listener and viewer with more than pretty coloratura ornamentation.

[@misanthropelife]

@@meltzerboy i’ve listened to dessay and wouldn’t want to listen to it again

[@AlejandroGonzalez-np9od]

This recording is tuned half a step down, therefore, she hits high E flat not E.

[@jimbuxton2187]

@@AlejandroGonzalez-np9od this is superior in ANY KEY!

[@AlejandroGonzalez-np9od]

@@jimbuxton2187 It’s always easier to sing a very high piece half or one step lower, that’s just science truth. The truth also is that she could sing the original key stupendously, it’s recorded.

[@vanmusician]

I heard her sing this in a gala concert a few days after her very first performances of Norma - here in Vancouver in 1963. Imagine the same voice being able to sing both! Truly the greatest vocal technician in history. I will never forget how at one point in this aria she almost came in early, but maestro Bonynge flung a hand up to stop her and she gave him an adorably sheepish grin!

[@Anduril919]

A voice in perfect control.

[@Paddy818]

Total perfection, vocally, physically, emotionally! Absolutely stupendous! One of a kind!!

[@meltzerboy]

Surely not emotionally.

[@misanthropelife]

@@meltzerboy it’s emotional, i felt sad and happy at the same time even though i don’t actually understand the words

[@crazyorganist1609]

@@meltzerboy it really is emotional

[@meltzerboy]

@@misanthropelife Well, if you understood the words as I do, you probably wouldn't feel that way.

[@65attila]

Bravissima LA STUPENDA I was sitting in our parlor with my mom. dad and brother watching this. What a MEMORY of happy times. It had to be yesterday or maybe 2 days ago Those trills beginninbg at 4'00 are out of this world as is Dear Joan.

[@tjw2469]

That scale is so sick!

[@aprendizercomygor]

Besides all the flawless coloratura fireworks, I just love the delicate nuances in her phrasing from 3:00 to 4:00, with very tasteful portamenti and changes of color and emphasis that really make the dramatic expression of the score come out without sacrificing the beauty of the music. There she shows she is not just about top notes and vocal agility, she also excels in these lyrical passages that require good phrasing and a rich middle and lower-middle (I particularly love the touching "helàs, tu dors sous les eaux du lac bleu!").

[@ajhiflyer]

This is so wonderful - a visual record of a thrilling performance. Hearing her in those early days must have taken one's breath away. I am so glad to have a permanent record of this by way of 'The Art of the Prima Donna' CD.

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

Stupendous!

[@castodivo]

I'm so happy you've posted this! Thank you! I just love how light and airy she allowed her voice to be back then! And look how dramatically committed she is! And I speak French and I can make out every, single word!

[@meltzerboy]

But her French, while not bad as is often stated, is not as good as that of Callas, let alone Dessay. What is more disappointing to me is Sutherland's lack of emotion in the "chanson" portion of the mad scene.

[@johnpickford4222]

@@meltzerboy : I believe she was aware that her diction was not the equal of others or that some were more convincing dramatically. However NO ONE, not even the mentioned Callas or Dessay were as technical, vocally precise or as strong voiced over as long a professional period as La Stupenda. And she worked and improved her diction until the end of her recording and performing career.

[@misanthropelife]

@@johnpickford4222 i see this person commenting all over the comment section lols as if he wants us to believe that dessay or callas can surpass this version of Sutherland.

[@jondavwal13]

@@meltzerboy Yes, Callas's French made up for the fact that she sounded like a fire engine. Not. Dessay is French. What is your point? Compared to Sutherland (and yes that includes Callas) their voices are pedestrian.

[@jondavwal13]

@@misanthropelife Sutherland is an incredible problem for Callas sycophants. How can you proclaim Callas to be the greatest singer of all time when there are videos like this out there? Callas was a fine musician and a better than average actress (I think she was extremely melodramatic). Her voice, on the other hand, was in tatters when she was the age Sutherland is here. No note above A is listenable after 1952 without cringing a little. I don't know what to make of including Dessay. I have enjoyed her very much over the years but her acting is a little freaky. She always appears to be having a nervous breakdown onstage and her vocal beauty did not last long. Callas benefitted from being a train wreck. In the end, she was opera's Judy Garland. Doomed but revered because of it.

[@crazyorganist1609]

She had complete control over her voice. She never took it where it couldn't go and it lasted her 40 years. To top it off she was down to earth and didn't throw diva tantrums

[@vettegaddia6234]

Wow, questa clip è il canto più stupendo provenienti da Dame Joan. Questo può essere il più brillante clip su video o audio. Dame Joan, tu sei il più bel canto cantante di tutti i tempi.

[@jimbuxton2187]

Beyond beautiful....effortless, gleaming...

[@blessOTMA]

She's fabulous. Thank you for uploading this .

[@LaDivinaLover]

It has been a year since I found this gem and have never found anyone sing it anywhere bear as wonderfully as Ms. Sutherland. J'adore, J'adore,J'adore!!!!!!

[@robertmarusic7781]

Please listen to Callas version.Both are wonderful!

[@artdanks]

@@robertmarusic7781 I'm a HUGE Callas fan. My all time favorite singer. But this is one of the few pieces I've ever heard where I actually prefer Sutherland.

[@meltzerboy]

@@artdanks For technical skill, yes, but not for emotional expression.

[@musicloversingable]

The best there is and was.

[@tklogan111809]

Glinda the good Witch of the North never sounded better, hail to La Stupenda!

[@johnyohalem6507]

Except Australia is in the South!

[@artdanks]

@@johnyohalem6507 That's ok. Cuz in the original book by L. Frank Baum, Glinda was actually the Good Witch of the South! (The movie took liberties and switched it to th North. So Sutherland still fits the bill. 😉

[@artdanks]

astronomy totaled. Now I keep hearing in my head, Sutherland singing "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" And you are right! It does sound much better than Billie Burke!

[@josephhapp9]

Art Danks Sutherland is also from the Southern Hemisphere,,,,soooo a double double.

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

Incredible!! The ultimate!!

[@Eiswirth1]

No soprano in history has ever sung this more brilliantly; I never tire of hearing it. She was the greatest of all time.

[@robertmarusic7781]

Suth Pav kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4u8qqNshrKdopI

[@LaDivinaLover]

Robert Marusic nice try but no.

[@crazyorganist1609]

@@robertmarusic7781 Callas can't touch her in this

[@robertmarusic7781]

LaDivinaLover ha ha

[@Feisenbach]

I prefer the sopranos who could actually SING the aria without having to transpose it. But of course, transposing was what Sutherland did best.

[@CaptFitzbattleaxe]

@castodivo Thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed it! There's something otherworldly about this aria when Dame Joan sings it.

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

Sublime!

[@musicloversingable]

The best there is.

[@herrbrucvald6376]

There are no words! Sutherland as Ophélie = divine. I thought I had seen all of these clips, but this just found me and I'm speechless. How can Netrebko, Gruberova, that French woman, what's her name? and the rest even go on after hearing this? THIS is the instrument and technique the school of Meyerbeer, Donizetti, and Bellini requires.

[@crazyorganist1609]

Exactly.

[@James-sh7kx]

That French woman? Natalie Dessay who had THREE vocal cord nodules removal surgeries before her 40s ?

[@oliviero.m750]

Why always making comparisons and being nasty with singers one does not like? Music should bring pleasure not anger. Each singer brings something different. Sutherland is phenomenal in that clip, absolute vocal splendor, but she does not portray the Shakespeare’s tragic heroine. Dessay was extremely convincing in that role when I saw her live in 2000. A fantastic actress, and her Mad Scene was the best I have ever heard live (including this amazing high-F#). I have just seen Sabine Devielhe in that role and she is perfect. It is so nice to hear French singers beautifully articulate French words composed by a French composer. Not many sopranos sang Ophelie on stage (not just the Mad Scene but the entire role) and to this day Natalie Dessay remains a reference.

[@anne-louiseluccarini4530]

Which French woman? Natalie Dessay? or Sabine Devieilhe (modern acting, voice unsurpassed). It'e on YT.

[@anne-louiseluccarini4530]

@@oliviero.m750 Have a look at Sabine Devieilhe in Ophélie's Death Scene.

[@wetering777]

If there is perfection,...this is it. Dear Dame Joan,...the greatest singer who has ever walked on this planet.

[@robertmarusic7781]

joseph frank kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4u8qqNshrKdopI

[@MultiZahl]

ein wundervolles video von la stupenda-vielen herzlichen dank----

[@cinziavidali411]

La Stupenda Joan Sutherland !!!

[@FranciscoFerrerGaliana1930]

MARAVILLOSA VOZ

[@lawrenceallen6508]

Wow . Incredible .

[@ian.marais1202]

Callas, Sutherland and Moser and you are in soprano opera heaven. Sutherland just showed us why she is one of the three. Absolute bliss. Brava.💞💞💞💞

[@CaptFitzbattleaxe]

You're welcome. :)

[@orion8835]

This aria is such a ridiculous and rather confusing piece of exoticism featuring a random off kilter repeating “melodie” that never quite centers. Sutherland transposes this down a step and ITV’s change if key makes things more mysterious. This video is fun , the costume ridiculous, the acting animated strange and oddly entertaining. Her trills and lightening of the voice are all fascinating and engaging. The scale of her voice at fuller throttle seems very intense and overwhelming out of nowhere.

[@musicloversingable]

The best there is

[@robertmarusic7781]

musicloversingable kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4u8qqNshrKdopI

[@bellini7verdi]

esto es algo que no se puede ni imitar.....................

[@bellini7verdi]

el portento de su voz poderosa va mas haya que la tragedia de callas.....................mas haya.......que la competencia de la tebaldi..................y monserrat................tan solo fue la discipula de ella.....

[@bellini7verdi]

esto no lo ha podido hacer..................ni callas........ni tebaldi...............ni monserrat..................con lo cual solo puedo decir..................que cualquiera que quiera emular algo parecido se tendra a las consecuencias de las mas alta criticas.............

[@pekenjos]

The singing is unparalleled, but the French pronunciation not very good.

[@meltzerboy]

The French is not bad actually, but not quite as good as that of Callas or, of course, Dessay.

[@josephhapp9]

Another Australian EMMA MATTHEWS sings the F# at the end. On her Monte Carlo album.

[@crazyorganist1609]

And?

[@crazyorganist1609]

@@darylbarclay8037 yeah

[@meltzerboy]

One must admit that Sutherland, try as she might, simply cannot put as much emotion and pathos into this scene as Natalie Dessay or Callas. And her French is not quite as good, nor is her legato compared to that of Callas. What one revels in with regard to Sutherland's singing, as always, is her exquisite coloratura, which cannot be matched by any contemporary singer. But the wistful portion is not so effective as that of Dessay or Callas, not to mention Melba's 1904 recording, which displays perfect legato singing. You cannot have or expect everything from one artist.

[@jondavwal13]

Go away. Constantly posting about Callas on Sutherland videos is the height of pathetic. No Sutherland fans return the favor. We get it. Sutherland's singing is difficult to accept when you try to convince yourself Callas was the greatest singer. She wasn't. Maybe better not to listen to Sutherland at all.

[@meltzerboy]

@@jondavwal13 Why should I go away? Because you disagree with my assessment? Did you read my comment carefully? I praise Sutherland for her coloratura even though I am critical of her legato. I am a Sutherland fan and have said so on many other posts, and believe she is superior to Callas in certain roles, such as Amina in La Sonnambula and Lucia. Likewise, I am critical of Callas in certain respects, and definitely do not believe she is the greatest singer. Surely not from a technical perspective. Callas is mainly a great interpreter, especially in verismo roles as well as in Bellini's Norma. But I am no Callas idolator, nor do I worship Sutherland.

[@jondavwal13]

@@meltzerboy Then post about Sutherland on her videos and Callas on hers and then maybe you could be believed. Callas's version of this is pathetic. Why mention it or her?

[@meltzerboy]

@@jondavwal13 If it is all right with you, I will speak my mind when posting, and make comparisons if I wish. I really don't care whether or not you believe me. And Callas' version of the Mad Scene is far from pathetic. Admittedly, she does not have the virtuosity in coloratura passages which Sutherland definitely has in abundance. But the aria is more than a coloratura display, and Callas captures the madness and melancholy of Ophelie much better than Sutherland, particularly in the legato passages as well as by means of her French diction (or Italian diction).

[@jondavwal13]

@@meltzerboyin your sycophantic head.