Dame Joan Sutherland & Robert Gard sing the Watch Duet from Die Fledermaus in Sydney in 1982

The Sydney Morning Herald (1982): "Dame Joan sings with grace, phenomenal accuracy, humour and affection; and she demonstrates once again her gift for comedy."

[@Khalid7a]

who said Sutherland can't act? she had a natural sense of humor and she is perfect here

[@crazyorganist1609]

And a magnificent Voice to boot

[@LohengrinO]

indeed

[@theon9575]

Khalid Like Daughter of the Regiment too. She loved to clown around. You see should her later "Dad and Dave" movie, on You-Tube, spoken part for a classic Australian old granny in the '30s. Hilarious. Like you say, she was a natural comic, also in everyday life. But when it came to drama, being angry and evil, or desperately in love to the point of suicide or mental derangement, that just wasn't her. It's 'un-Australian' as they say down there....LOL And then she couldn't act very well. (Whereas being over-emotional, angry & evil came as naturally to Callas as walking on two legs LOL)

[@theon9575]

Crazy organist Absolutely. Magnificent at any age, but here 55 years!!!

[@golden-63]

@Khalid: She couldn't in tragic roles, but she was a WONDERFUL actress in comedies. People don't realize it because she sang so few comic roles.

[@golden-63]

I remember the first time seeing Joan in a comic role. A natural comedienne, she came to life as an actress.

[@richieclq]

Dame Joan's voice is HUGE.

[@randysills4418]

I heard her in person many times and it was huge!!!

[@emma41093]

I love this production. "My dress, cut down" - that line always gets me!

[@VivaColoratura]

And they said she was not a good actress….she KILLS it :-D Bravo Dame Joan!

[@crazyorganist1609]

VivaColoratura she murders it you mean

[@golden-63]

She wasn't a good actress in her tragic roles, which was almost exclusively what she did. But she was in actuality, a gifted, natural comedian. People don't realize that because she rarely did comedy.

[@danilo22uk]

Bless you Bobby, Thank you for your talent and my Mentor with great affection, Colin

[@Dadacomero]

greatest soprano EVER in comedy roles , she owned it

[@crazyorganist1609]

Her comedic timings are spot on. And definitely not CUT DOWN

[@DavidButler-ox4bv]

Vale Robert Gard... another wonderful artist who has left us today.

[@davideddy2672]

Robert Gard of Padstow in Cornwall, my mother’s family - great to see this! 😊

[@bosiewilder4945]

Joan is sensational here!!!

[@baritonebynight]

I LOVE how she says "DARLINK" with the final K, just like Zsa Zsa Gabor.

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

Wonderful. Love how the audience responded to her. Great sense of comic timing. Brava, la Stupenda, brava!

[@MrSwifts31]

It's such a shame Joan didn't do more comic roles,the ones she did do she excelled in.

[@golden-63]

She was a natural comedian. It is such a shame. She absolutely came to life in her few comedic roles.

[@B4iCQ]

I played one of the footmen in the beginning of the scene. Joan was a real trouper and always had everyone in stitches. Does anyone have a full copy of this - I would love to see the entire show again for old time sake!

[@Distefano5]

It must've been such an experience to see Sutherland in her greatest comic role. The full film is available on amazon www.amazon.com/Strauss-Die-Fledermaus-Australian-Opera/dp/B00265T7QU

[@baritonebynight]

When I was just a chorus singer before I even went to music school, I sang with a guy who sang with Dame Joan when HE was young and just a chorus singer. He described as a "big girl scout" and was very funny and approachable.

[@randysills4418]

I just bought this performance off of some site I found on the computer so it probably is sti obtainable...

[@theon9575]

Lucky bugger! ;)

[@danawinsor1380]

What fun! Dame Joan is wonderful in comedy and I love her speaking voice.

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

Excellent High Dflat! They were really good together here! Besides singing this very difficult duet so well - I found her comic timing to be superb!

[@ahogbin2644]

Yes, it's a pity she did not record this commercially - one of the few of her roles which she did not. It's a C# in fact.

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

@@ahogbin2644 Yes - you're right. Too bad she didn't.

[@joshuamcpherson007]

@@ahogbin2644 It's a good high note, but it's the high D natural. The note she launches from is the A natural, which means the Db/C# would make no sense. The Db and the C# are the very same note btw.

[@johnruggeri843]

Joan is simply one of the glories of the voice and singing. What a wonderful video. Thanks-John

[@vettegaddia6234]

Why don't you upload the entire Fledermaus?

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

I agree!

[@stethor]

Great production. I was fortunate to attend this performance.

[@Dadacomero]

oh god knows you were! l hate u :P

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

Wow!

[@-Tesla-Live_]

@emma41093 Yes, and Joan's timing with all of these gags is impeccable.

[@theon9575]

Also a great memento of English tenor Robert Gard (b. 1927), long service with the Australian Opera, who used to do a killer Aschenbach, Death in Venice. He was personal friend of JS, and I think this shows in this warm duet.

[@paulmarshall5534]

he was indeed her friend, and he was my friend later in the last ten years of his life, a wonderful person, one of the funniest men I've ever met, he sung with all the great leads, sadly passed in March 2021 at 93. One of the most charming people on the planet. A big heart and sadly missed.

[@turialbert]

GRAZIE '' Thank you from Italy !!

[@blessOTMA]

She's fabulous. It's not surprising Joan excelled in comedy when one remembers she grew up singing Music Hall songs she learned from her uncle lol! Wish she did more!

[@-Tesla-Live_]

@marylambcarter Oh yes. Both Kultur and Opera Australia have released it. Amazon usually stock it, and I'd imagine some major music stores would also sell it, depending on where you are in the world.

[@pattishephard5651]

"She must have paprika in her blood!" Oh I just love that line!

[@vanmusician]

So much for the nonsense that she couldn't act and had lousy diction!!!

[@marylambcarter]

is there a dvd for sale of this production ???

[@danilo22uk]

yes

[@KarstenKriwat]

But Deutsch is better!

[@Hako2004]

Who?

[@KarstenKriwat]

@@Hako2004 I only mean the language of Fledermaus. That is German!

[@Hako2004]

@@KarstenKriwat Okie Doke...I wondered if you were referring to a soprano I hadn't heard about.

[@KarstenKriwat]

@@Hako2004 No, nothing against Joan Sutherland! Never ever!

[@anthonyhenrysmith]

i really never liked the set