Dame Joan Sutherland - A Tribute Video: How Audiences Loved Her

Many of today's current KZbin viewers are learning about the singers of the past in a vicarious way through videos. These, of course, can help to convey what a singer sounded like and looked like, as well as how they interpreted the works they sang. However, to really understand the phenomenon that was Joan Sutherland "you had to be there" as the saying goes. The audience reaction says it all in this selection of excerpts. I had the privilege of hearing Joan on a number of occasions in Melbourne, Sydney and London. She had an amazing presence on stage which, unfortunately, often made her colleagues seem much less interesting than she herself. And then there was the voice that filled the theatre with an incredibly ambient sound, and then almost shattered it when she reached into the stratosphere. No wonder the ovations were so regularly like those in this video!

[@timsuffolk]

The one thing you hear people say who saw Joan live was ' she took your breath away', that's why she got the ovations she did, no-one could match her power, flexibility, range, technique and beauty of tone, its as simple as that!

[@Eiswirth1]

She deserved every accolade and more. As far as I'm concerned, she was the greatest voice of the 20th century.

[@vettegaddia6234]

+Suth Pav By far.

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

I agree !

[@rhcb1]

In the repertory she mostly sang, the greatest singer the world has ever known.

[@rakellcolotta3675]

I concur❣️

[@dianaventura7999]

No one gets ovations like this EVER! The last and Sutherland's farewell ovation actually has about 20 minutes of addition Bravas. I'm in tears...I miss her so much!

[@rhcb1]

No one gets ovations like this because no one sings like this! At the last performance of Anna Bolena she sang at the ROH, my friend had to leave to catch his train 40 minutes after the end of the performance, when the audience was still stamping for her to return whenever she left the stage

[@wilsonwatt9283]

Her voice was so huge that it seemed to overwhelm the acoustics of even large houses. One felt enfolded in an immense cloud of sound even in the last row of the second balcony at the Lyric in Chicago, one of the world's largest auditoriums.

[@barbaranorthwood]

She was loved because she was lovable.

[@hoorooblu]

She was generous when singing live at Opera in the Park which was free, for people who would not normally go to the opera. She would let rip with the spectacular things that would be considered OTT in an opera house but which amazed the 100,000 people on a summer night in the vast Sydney Domain park, by the botanic garden, in front of the art gallery, above the harbourside. Great singer in a great but challenging location. Standing ovations as if she'd hit sixes in a row at the cricket ground.

[@blessOTMA]

I shudder to think how much poorer our world would be if there had not been Dame Joan Sutherland. Thank you, Joanie!

[@ktrewin23]

I hope she knew how she was loved for being herself as well as for the voice. A darling woman.

[@LC-ig2jm]

She's not replaceable if that's a english word. I can listen to her all day 24hours, I mean it. There is no singer who is worthy of being in the same sentence as Dame Joan. She is forever.

[@davidbarr5975]

This is just a beautiful collection of my favourite lady. The standing ovations and rapturous applause speak volumes 👌

[@wetering777]

|The greatest singer who has ever walked on this planet earth. Bless you Dame Joan.

[@-Tesla-Live_]

Today, 10 October, is the second anniversary of Joan's passing. How she is missed by her many fans!

[@edejan]

I enjoy so much to hear the audience reactions to her. It is wonderful to think that she knew how much she was adored by every audience. Thanks for this great and fun experience!

[@user-gt7xs1fc6g]

Her voice absolutely stunned you no matter where you were in the theatre. Also, it was incredibly consistent and musically communicative. She certainly was, as others below say, the greatest voice of the 20th century. She also was a very kind and down to earth person. I had tea with her in her dressing room after one of her Met Sonnambulas along with three voice students from Juilliard and she was extraordinarily supportive of those students.

[@johnruggeri843]

Joan - I miss you. What an incredible singer.

[@vanmusician]

Four years ago today the greatest vocal virtuoso of all time passed. I had the incredible thrill of being in the audience for her very first Norma, Lucrezia Borgia and Merry Widow I also saw her in Le Roi de Lahore and three performances of Lucia as well as an orchestral concert and a recital with piano. I don't think any recordings give a true idea of the size of her voice in a large theatre. I can never forget the act two finale of Lucia as her voice soared above the orchestra, chorus and other soloists.

[@-Tesla-Live_]

Yes, some of the ovations were actually longer than on this set of clips.

[@65attila]

What a special talent !!!!

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

Truly STUPENDOUS!!

[@vettegaddia6234]

La stupenda is a one time phenomenon. Her fans know there has never been a greatest singer in opera history and there will never be anyone who can even be compared to her. That's why they scream their bravas so loudly that many of them lose their voices the next day. I know I screamed bravissima so loudly at a her last Norma and was hoarse for days.

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

The incomparable Joan Sutherland.

[@ajhiflyer]

Thank you so much for this compilation. It really does a wonderful job of showing how much she was loved and adored. And rightly so!

[@LC-ig2jm]

we all miss the grand dame. she will never be replaced. her voice is too perfect.

[@gd3172]

Dame Joan had one of the most trilling voices in opera. I have never heard her live before and to me she sounds AMAZING and B-E-A-Utiful!!!. I can't imagine how will she sound like if I hear her live... Her trills and high notes (esp her High Ds and Ebs) are like no other!!

[@trifonovfan9819]

Not "one of the", it's "THE greatest". Bravisimma!

[@acitipo]

AH! LA STUPENDA!!!!

[@miffy1950]

Unforgettable,! Bless you, Dame Joan

[@aldoramos1970]

La Stupenda! Dame Joan Sutherland. Very glad to met her in NYC.

[@NapoleonIII1]

I also miss her a lot.

[@ahogbin2644]

She was utterly unique. Maybe the greatest soprano ever in vocal terms. I heard her Lucrezia, Lucia, Leonora, Esclarmonde and Anna Bolena. Plus a few concerts and recitals along the way. The sheer opulence and technical and musical mastery were unprecedented. The recordings don’t really convey the size of the instrument and there was always more excitement in the theatre but at least future generations will get an impression of her art. Of course Bonynge was a huge factor in the career too.

[@dezney14]

Wow!

[@machovoce6826]

Lots of fun. Hearing this, though, I think of the ovations accorded the pedestrian Met performances recently of SONNAMBULA and CHENIER. Mediocrity is the new standard.

[@marceloscosta8289]

ESSA É A VOZ!!!!

[@bellini7verdi]

ES UNA VOZ SUPREMA IMPARABLE............................

[@-Tesla-Live_]

Yes, a good time to start remembering her - not that it's all that difficult.

[@fermusicbach]

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡La Stupenda es ahora ETERNA!!!!!!!!!

[@bellini7verdi]

JAMAS ALGUIEN HA PODIDO CON ESE SONIDO..............EXCLUSIVO DE ELLA...............UN SER SOBRENATURAL.........SOBRE TODO EN EL ESCENARIO.....................ELLA ES LA VERDADERA GRAN OPERA.................................

[@ramonmontesdeoca5278]

EN REALIDAD TODOS LOS ELOGIOS LE QUEDAN CHICOS. ¡FENOMENAL CANTANTE CON UN COLOR ÚNICO Y QUE NO VARÍA ENTRE EXTREMOS DE REGISTRO. TÉCNICA QUE NO PUEDE SER SUPERADA. NO DA PARA ELECCIONES ENTRE ELLA Y LA CALAS; CADA UNA ÚNICA Y EN UN RANGO LAS DOS EN UN MISMO LUGAR EN UN PODIO.

[@jondavwal13]

Funny. The ovations were louder later in her career (I can attest to that). My father, who saw her from her first Town Hall performance and her Met debut, says that for the first few years there was a sort of stunned shock and silence before the screaming began.

[@herrbrucvald6376]

At the most recent MET Gotterdammerungs, the tenor and soprano were so sub-par, that I simply tuned them out and enjoyed the 'score' and the superb MET orchestra and chorus. I daydreamed what it must have been like to hear Nilsson or some great helden from the past. Jay Hunter Morris was so execrable that I was incredulous someone had cast him at all.....

[@mint_marigold1229]

23:45 sneakers on a gym floor All jokes aside, Dame Joan really did have an incredible voice. The accolades were deserved!

[@emma41093]

2 Days until it's been 2 years...

[@walterneiva]

the name of the operas?? please-

[@hoorooblu]

All that adoration but, when she went to her son's house to visit, she liked to do the ironing for her daughter-in-law and son, and be useful. Prima donna by talent but not in temperament.

[@thomastmwc]

first comment in 2013 :)