5 Great sopranos sing "Son vergin vezzosa" from I puritani

[@wilsonwatt9283]

As always, we hear what differentiated Callas from all the rest. While technicque and musicality are ably demonstrated by all of the singers [in particular Sutherland] Callas forces us to remember that opera is sung drama and that what the singer must convey is the inner world of a dramatic character not just a musician's grasp of notes.

[@tiagocosta8648]

My favorite opera. Callas ❤️

[@lifeisnice23]

The magic in Callas voice is unmatchable.

[@WongAndrew_]

There's something so special in Callas's voice that personifies Elvira

[@fr.jamesjohnson1567]

I’ll take ANY of these ladies over what we have singing now!

[@jimbuxton2187]

They all add their own specialities to this aria. Callas sounds lovely when she doesn't push her sound. Sutherland sounds beautiful. ...bel canto= beautiful singing. Sutherland is an absolute miracle!

[@judygarland7186]

bel canto is not beautiful singing

[@-giakhanh--kayden-8337]

@@judygarland7186 Agreed, Callas said so herself

[@mavoisine3]

Thanks for this selection Marx. Great job.

[@Shahrdad]

They're all special. The first three are of the light-voiced, canary soprano type that sang this role for nearly a century. Callas was a totally different type of singer, with a voice infinitely bigger, darker, and more colorful than what the public had been hearing in these roles. Young Sutherland, as expected, is spectacular, though one can also hear that she couldn't bring out the pathos and the surreal quality of these roles that Callas could. The vocalism is breathtaking though.

[@BaroneVitellioScarpia1]

I like Callas and her teacher Elvira de Hidalgo the most.

[@alexandroalvarez2464]

This is one of the most difficult arias to execute by any standards . However Ms Callas does raise the bench mark to such an extent that, erases renditions of same aria by earlier singers. Madame Sutherland’s rendition deserves, in my opinion , second best after Callas’ rendition of this lovely and most difficult aria.

[@Khalid7a]

Apart of the great vocalism which all these ladies had, Callas's sense of rhythm and style is unsurpassed. No excessive embellishments that deforms the line; always simple and within the composer's style.

[@mariaangelicalarac-c6529]

Callas siempre sera la mejor de todos los tiempos!!!!!

[@operaanimelover369]

All five of them are fabulous, but Maria Callas reigns supreme in terms of overall quality.

[@AndreSantos-rb3dn]

The level of techniques and beauty in Callas' voice is unsurpassed.

[@hansvanbussel2999]

Thank you, wonderful all of them but Callas reigns supreme. May be in a next compilation my dutch compatriote La Deutekom ?

[@nathelondon3719]

There is Callas and then there are the rest. She’s out in front and they can’t catch her. Unique. Unprecedented, unequalled. RIP La Divina.

[@mistersmith1883]

Agreed! When I listen to anyone sing a piece or a whole opera... And compare it to a interpretation by callas... The callas one is what genuinely Excites me, moves me, stimulates my senses... A callas interpretation is different from the rest. It's thrilling!

[@partituravid]

Thank you! One of the best Galli-Curci recordings I've heard (I'm inexperienced with many older singers). Confirms some thoughts on Pagliughi; did not know Torresella, but this doesn't make me want to know much more...love the Callas melancholy but i still hear a smile in the voice.; who can fault Sutherland's vocalism, but giddy joy eludes all of them. With the first 3 I cannot escape the awareness that they are OPERA SINGERS. Nicely presented and paced concert rep, not characterization? Fascinating, Marx - keep it up!

[@Orfeus80]

There are many great Elviras, I miss for example Mariella Devia and Anna Moffo in the list here. This scene requires a carefree, joyous and charming mood. Amelita Galli-Curci does the ease of ornamentation the best, Pagliughi has the mood and Joan Sutherland dazzles with both but without much attention to the text. The sentiment required eluded Maria Callas totally but the legato in her florid singing is gorgeous. She was a wonderful Elvira in the more melancholic moments like Qui la voce.

[@partituravid]

Ah....Devia.

[@danievantonder5064]

What a wonderfully lucid commentary to great singing. Thank you.

[@Lux75]

Bhe qui manca anche la Toti dal Monte

[@Ulysses88047]

Anna Moffo wird leider zu oft übersehen....

[@jazzychazzy007]

Max, thanks for this very educational and entertaining, my only comment is in the future save the best, you know who, for last. I prefer finishing with Callas in my ears. :-)

[@-giakhanh--kayden-8337]

It was nice listening to those crystal tones of the first three ladies...And then Callas came blasting those flowing middle and high notes like nobody's business. Sutherland came a close second tho, with her spectacular vocal display, but dramatically speaking, she can't reach Callas' level.

[@artdanks4846]

100% agreement on all counts! 👍

[@KingTutChannel]

Mado Robin has an spectacular version too!!

[@pablocarrascosamiguel7680]

Las escalas incesantes de Torresella son asombrosas, aunque el final es mejorable, y, ¿qué decir del trino interminable de Amelita? Realmente estas grabaciones explican por sí solas lo que Callas supuso para la ópera, es algo así como el descubrimiento de América o de los antibióticos o la introducción del hormigón armado para la arquitectura. Ya nada volverá a ser como era antes.

[@ЛюдмилаСевастополь-ы4у]

Dame Joan Sutherland ❤

[@UdoCohrs]

That's absolutly true❤❤❤

[@laprimmadonna2341]

El título del vídeo muy bien puesto, porque son cinco grandes sopranos. Aquí podemos observar como Callas moderniza el canto lírico femenino, basado siempre en el bel canto. La Stupenda aquí está grandiosa, como siempre lo fue en este rol. Las tres primeras damas geniales en su tiempo. E incluso me parecen superior a lo que hoy en día se escucha, voces muy pobres, nada versátiles y muy lejos de la dulzura y melancolía de un personaje como Elvira. Muchas gracias por esta recopilación.

[@antben8992]

Editha Gruberova ha riportato il calendario vocale alla Galli Curci , Tetrazzini e altre. La Callas aveva "RIPULITO" quel modo di cantare con tutti i suoi vezzi e malvezzi. Ora, 2022, purtroppo è ripreso! Filologia vuol dire anche "pulizia" musicale. Il TROPPO TROPPIA.

[@partituravid]

? È il colpo di Muti?

[@hartmutlorentzen9659]

Do not forget: Elvira is a YOUNG woman, so the voice should be young!

[@alondra555]

Me gusta Amelita Galli Curci voz limpia y como no la gran interpretación de Sutherland- Muchas gracias. La Callas es buena en otras interpretaciones

[@mariaangelicalarac-c6529]

Callas siempre sera la mejor de todos los tiempos!!!!

[@MariaBasilio-d4k]

Amlita Galli_ Curci tem um bom alcance vocal,Lina Pagliughi boa te cnica,Joana Sutherland uma grande voz, contudo a minha preferência vai para Maria Callas. Ela reúne em si todos os atributos: técnica perfeita, máximo poder vocal... perfeição absoluta!

[@artdanks4846]

Wow! I'd never heard of Fanny Torresella before! Awesome voice (although rather "pitchy" and inaccurate at times). But the vocal quality itself, and use of "core" is very impressive. Especially heard chest tones. Except for the pitchiness, I actually prefer her sound to Galli-Curci, because of the richness of her tone. HOWEVER, that being said, definitely Callas by far out does the entire group, with Sutherland following extremely closely! (Actually, strictly vocally speaking, Sutherland may be the winner, but Callas's sense of drama in the music win every time.)

[@misanthropelife]

Joan sutherland all the way

[@marcoscorvo2514]

1. María Callas 2. Amellita Galli-Gurci María callas is unsurpassable, but not only here, also in all operas she’s sung. Not only the technic, also the power of her voice and the feeling inside her voice making to be introduced into the character ❤️❤️❤️

[@BaroneVitellioScarpia1]

Very well said.

[@predickament]

Thanks for this! I’ll never stop being amazed by the greatest of these voices - Sutherland! Callas was an interesting actress whose voice couldn’t withstand the abuse, I loved Galli Curci’s rendition - but I’ve yet to hear a more amazing voice than the Aussie Babe fantastica

[@rosekokose2031]

❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

For me, always Maria and Joanie.

[@mif1826]

Maybe add Elvira de Hidalgo too :)

[@neileddinger6863]

For brilliant technique, beauty of tone and sheer joy, I prefer Beverly Sills.

[@brunobalzano7566]

Callas. Chi altri?

[@mao1878]

Strange to listen to the much faster paced singing of the first three and yet Callas comes along singing much slower paced but in twice as huge voice in her Mexican days! Also we must put each recording in their own place! Callas sung Puritani after studying it in virtually one weeks time on her own and while singing Walkuere in between during the same week!!! Now show me which of the other ladies were capable of doing that same thing.. like Callas herself said it best - she had no rivals. Punto 🤭 Sutherland in her early days had something of that way of singing too ( before the influence of her hubby sunk in..). Both her and Maria were actually more Wagnerian singers early on than belcantistas.. thank God that they didn’t stay that ;) Br, Dana

[@christopherrobinwattsthoma6318]

There’s a purity of sound In Sutherland’s version which non of the others can come anywhere near.

[@jondavwal13]

And that's after the person who posted it tried to ruin it somehow. Find any recording of this by Sutherland online and it sounds nothing like this. Callas is not even on the same planet unless they mess with Sutherland's recordings.

[@aureliano1952]

Sono tutte magnifiche cantanti, certo la Callas e la più drammaturgicamente coerente, ma da un punto di vista puramente vocale la galli Curci surclassa chiunque, a una fluidità di vocalizzazione assolutamente impressionante, Eccede come sempre in portamenti, Ma che canto sul fiato!!!

[@vale86301]

Pienamente d'accordo!! Amelita è un portento vero sui fiati .Oltre natura,vertamente !!

[@kbhprinsesse]

The Sutherland recording is pitched too high.

[@jondavwal13]

The Sutherland recording has been doctored to sound bad. We all know why.

[@kbhprinsesse]

@@jondavwal13I don't?

[@Danielap4513]

Non c’è che Maria Callas che salva il povero Bellini…….

[@artdanks4846]

Bellini didn't need saving! His music was sheer genius before the Advent of Callas. However, that being said, Callas very definitely did resuscitate his musical legend, and revitalized the love and appreciation of opera lovers for his great music!

[@adrianday3118]

A wonderful representation of 5 generations.

[@williammaddox3339]

I must say these are the strangest performances of Callas and especially Sutherland I have ever heard. It is almost like they were recorded with ancient equipment to make them sound like the other singers from a different era.

[@johnwas7131]

Callas is on a rather primitive acetate disc recording of a live performance in Mexico. Rather more polished in her studio recording for EMI but these live performances do always have an excitement that makes it worth fighting past the poor sound. (Not that I have much trouble with that - 5000 old shellac recordings build up a certain immunity!)

[@georgestroian6093]

La callas, la callas, la callas ! ! ! La calas ? ? ?

[@dominikwawer8186]

Maria's rendition is the golden standard. Joan's is beautifully ornamented but lacks the substance.

[@kbhprinsesse]

Maria's? Did you know her personally?

[@dominikwawer8186]

@@kbhprinsesse pff

[@kbhprinsesse]

@@dominikwawer8186 A fair question. Callas guarded her private life meticulously. I don't think she would appreciate the overly familiar tone in which some fans speak about her today.

[@dominikwawer8186]

@@kbhprinsesse Get a life.

[@opheliumzone4671]

@@kbhprinsesse 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@meltzerboy]

The tones emanating from the throat of Galli-Curci are those of a bird, whereas all of the other great singers emit human tones. Galli-Curci has the finest emission, style, phrasing, technique, and ease of utterance compared to any of the others.

[@MrMin316]

They all sound amateur against “La Stupenda” Dame Joan Sutherland. Bel canto singing at its absolute zenith.

[@zhamiram6578]

And just more clean especially on the ornamentation.

[@artdanks4846]

Sutherland was definitely at the "zenith" of Bel Canto, thanks to her husband, Richard Bonynge. Without his influence it wouldn't have happened. And thanks, also, to the groundwork having already been laid by the one who single handedly revived the Bel Canto school of singing; Maria Callas! (And even then, much of the thanks is owed to 2 people, who greatly influenced her in this direction: Elvira de Hidalgo and Tullio Serafin!)

[@grazianareale8202]

La Divina ? La Divina ? No No la Adivino

[@ryan.engstrom]

Joan owns Elvira for me. Also rather has to do with ornaments and conducting with this and other recordings. Actually I don't think I've heard this recording when is it from?

[@nathandavis3002]

Was Fanny Toresella a great soprano?? That's certainly not an impression I get from this recording... She sounds terrible...

[@artdanks4846]

Because of her pitchiness, I agree with you. However, if you listen strictly to her vocal production, and nothing else (which is NOT an easy thing to do), the instrument that is her voice possessed an amazing sound!

[@johnwas7131]

Serafin said the three great soprano voices he heard in his long life were Toresella, Ponselle, and Callas. These early Zonophones fluctuate in speed, which doesn't help! I've only got her Lucia aria in a rather scratchy original, but if Serafin says she was great, then that's good enough for me!