1973 Joan Sutherland as Rosina

I've cut out most of the dialogue, plus the singing without JS. Starts with Una voce poco fa.
From the "Who's Afraid of Opera?" series.
Rosina - Joan Sutherland, soprano
Figaro - Tom McDonnell, baritone
Don Basilio - Spiro Malas, baritone
Dr. Bartolo - Clifford Grant, bass
Richard Bonynge, conductor

[@williamoser5953]

Ah the memories. I knew the lady well, Mr. and Mrs. loved my work as a coach so I worked with them often, and had them to my home for dinner as well. The needle work is real, she loved doing it for hours. One thing, she wouldn't have put it down that way, she couldn't tear herself away when she was relaxing. Another joy, seeing Spiro Malas who we lost about a year ago. Big smiley face!

[@wilsonwatt9283]

The most interesting aspect of this is the lower key in which she sings this revealing the depth of voice that she rarely used but was always available to her when needed [e.g., the Santo di Patria aria recording]. Also the pronunciation here is excellent and she certainly catches the dual aspects of Rosina's character in her voice.

[@robertdonkers]

What a shame she did not record this commenrcially. Everythings sounds soooooo easy, she really was one of the greatest ever!

[@tjw2469]

it's lip sync i believe

[@tjw2469]

Kobus Scheepers 1:12 she closes her mouth before the sound end

[@LC-ig2jm]

Aa a huge Sutherland fan, I actually think her coloratura was a slight bit off here...

[@randallevans5141]

Actually, Joan did record the aria commercially. It was on a CD called "Bel Canto Arias" but it was late in her career and her voice was too heavy to do the aria full justice.

[@wilsonwatt9283]

It is a shame that there were not more comic bel canto operas. Joan had a great sense of humor and comic timing. I saw her twice as the Daughter of the Regiment and it was a wonderful comic performance in which the perfect singing enhanced the fun of the story line. I would have loved to hear her in a complete staged Barber as I believe she would have given a great comic performance.

[@DCFunBud]

What a mistress of props! A quill pen, needlepoint, sealing wax?! She just floats through them all.

[@theon9575]

Needlework was her hobby. She did it backstage to pass the time and was an expert.

[@johnruggeri843]

The singing is spectacular - beautiful embellishments and she is spot on in the character.

[@rogerpropes7129]

Spot on, if Rosina was a hefty 47-year-old girlie-girl with a Victorian hair-do in 18th century Seville!

[@Feisenbach]

@@rogerpropes7129 LOL

[@photo161]

Spectacular...exactly!!!

[@blessOTMA]

These shows are great....and of course seeing and hearing young Joan is heavenly. Thank you!

[@clefnoteproductions6695]

She was actually in her mid to late 40s, having been born in 1926. I love her ornaments, though. Brilliant

[@blessOTMA]

Opps. I suppose I should have said "a younger" Joan! 😂. She was the greatest, imo

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

The coloratura at the end is amazing!!!! Joan lover

[@crazyorganist1609]

Vinicius Soaris it was one the greatest voices ever

[@NapoleonIII1]

What a pity the Bonynges never recorder the full opera, it would have been the best recording of Barber. But Joan said she thought Rosina was for a mezzo and not for her. l love coloratura Rosinas, Sills, Peters all did a great job as sopranos. Joan would have been amazing after all she had a great sense of humour.

[@lamiremilamila]

You forgot CALLAS !!

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

Her voice was especially good here...and the ending is outstanding

[@photo161]

so glad you approve...

[@richardcumming-bruce6390]

In that repertory, she was surely the greatest singer the world has ever known, and it may be a 100, even 1,000, years before we see her like again. The quality is truly addictive!

[@marcofanlucia]

Only one word : STUPENDA !!! Thanks a lot for this wonderful document !!!

[@divox9pqr]

A tribute to Dame Sutherland's all encompassing skill is this rare example from the world operatic comedy. She may have thought Rosina's vocal range too low, but having started as a mezzo, she handles the lower range it seems to me quite well.

[@marylambcarter]

THIS SHOULD ALL BE RELEASED IN CD AND BLUERAY

[@augustlangston9282]

Joan slays me again.

[@RepublicofMAC]

Very well delivered aria (Una voce poco fa). The embellishments are great.

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

Simply out of this world.

[@MrKvarner]

Perfection!!!

[@edwingerard8544]

Sutherland's voice and musicality are sheer perfection! This could have been even better if she had been directed by a real director instead of some TV guy who knows nothing about directing actors!

[@golden-63]

Although she was no tragic actress, she absolutely SHONE as an actress in the rare comedic roles she sang.

[@MadonnaImperia]

Looks like Dame Joan had a ball doing this :D

[@golden-63]

She was a natural comedian. Few people realize it since she rarely sang comic roles.

[@crazyorganist1609]

Amazing.need I say more

[@DCFunBud]

What a superb cast!

[@Hako2004]

The repeated excursions up to the Db, at the very end, gives me chills...every time.

[@jimbuxton2187]

That was a D Natural...at this point in her career she could still reach a high F

[@barbaranorthwood]

O.K.. It's a bit of fun, but I wonder how many children were influenced by this. Also it showed Sutherland as an accomplished comedienne.

[@tenorbear60]

Barbara Northwood I remember watching these broadcasts in the early 70s and although I was fortunate to live in San Francisco and was able to see Sutherland live many times, I first heard her in these shows and they definitely brought me into San Francisco Opera to see her in person!

[@barbaranorthwood]

Christopher Gambol I heard her first in the early 1960's on B.B.C. radio.

[@bluefaerie5371]

+Barbara Northwood Me! I was! Loved it and still dooo

[@bluefaerie5371]

+Barbara Northwood I was about 3 when my grandpa started showing them to me. Still watch them even to today

[@bellini7verdi]

una pasada............sublime................

[@luismontecinos9916]

Quite interesting listening to the way of spreading opera where Joan Sutherland appears doing Rossina. From Santiago of Chile July 2015

[@stellamarisbenitodevera643]

Magnífica voz e interpretación 👍👍👏👏👏👏💖👏👏👏👏👏💞💞

[@MMotta-mk8uq]

Maravilhosa!

[@delroyroberts9244]

What a D6!

[@CaptFitzbattleaxe]

@ChrisStockslager Malas sings Dr. B. I haven't gotten around to digging out the name of the Figaro.

[@Frienze7]

Do you have the beginning? Would love to see it again

[@Zva26]

I'm a little surprised that Sutherland took a lot of embellishments downward rather than upward. She had a fabulous facility and liquidity in her extreme top register, but her low notes were never her strongest attribute. These days the role of Rosina is sung in the mezzo soprano keys, and Roberta Peters, Beverly Sills, etc., are the two most famous high soprano Rosinas on recordings. But the mezzos!!!!!!!!! Simionato, Berganza, Horne, Valentina-Terrani, diDonato, De los Angeles also sang Rosina in the mezzo key (no surprise), and Callas, on her complete recording, combines both the upper and the lower extensions, but then one has to realize that she had close to three octaves at her disposal during her prime.

[@AnnaBariacchis]

I couldn't find the name of the Figaro either, but the Count is sung by Ramon Remedios according to "The Joan Sutherland Album". According to Joan Sutherland's autobiography, this episode of "Who's Afraid of Opera" was shown on April 9th 1972 (the first to be shown - don't know when it was recorded).

[@theon9575]

AnnaBariacchis Ramon or was it Alberto Remedios?

[@PeteBMan]

Sung in such a low key

[@user-jt4js7ed3e]

Одна из лучших.

[@user-jt4js7ed3e]

Были певцы..

[@100Singers]

Who sings Almaviva?

[@jokepadberg4064]

3

[@DCFunBud]

Who is Count Almaviva/Lindoro?

[@fabriziomariagarzi5534]

Un ruolo mancato...al posto dell'Oracolo di Leoni o dell'Adriana Lecouvreur....invece...

[@herrbrucvald6376]

---a tad (ahem) big for Rosina? No!! .... love Joan!

[@carolcheny]

2:39 wow that's the first time Joan Sutherland made a mistake... She's human!

[@herrbrucvald6376]

what mistake??

[@theon9575]

carolcheny She did? Where? I know it well and hear no mistake. Certainly she exposes her weak point, low reg, but no mistake I think.

[@Yves_Ka]

What mistake? There are live recordings here in YT where she really does have short lapses. Considering the amount of embellishments and ornaments she had to remember, it is perfectly usual for singers to have occasional slips. Here there is no evidence whatsoever of any mistake

[@fan2jnrc]

What the fuck is this messed around version of the Barber ?? Who made these horrible cuts??? Sometimes this is not even the written notes! The duo with Figaro is completely out of tune. Please... 😑 The puppets are cute though.