Divine Beverly Sills drives La Scala Crazy with Rossinian Florid Ultra-Focused Singing

[@munequitodeebano3920]

I could listen to Sills everyday. Her voice was just magical. Outstanding ❤❤❤ no one sings this role like her.

[@rdsteyer]

Angelical voice. Thank you.

[@smurf902]

I still think of Sills when i pass where she lived in NYC or get something at work where her address pulls up. She was phenomenal

[@markbeck8384]

She really is one of the greats: a beautiful sound, a really intelligent actress, and a wonderful warm personality.

[@nenasummers-shanafelt5126]

I remember looking this up in my college music library and bawling my eyes out the first time I heard her voice. Angels among us

[@edstevenson8934]

The clarity of her high tones is amazing.

[@garybrowne608]

Sublime and otherworldly! She will always be my favorite singer!

[@donaldmiller4643]

One of favorite coloratura ever ,Queen Beverly Sills.. Love you r.i.p.

[@ygorcoelhos]

The purity of her voice, especially her flawless high pianissimi, is astounding here. There's an evenness, floating and sweetness in her tone that she herself rarely equaled, let alone surpassed, and is very hard to achieve with such a piercing and bright voice, especially singing the most intricate and high coloratura. This is perhaps the "landmark" recording for her, the one that demonstrates perfectly well why she was an operatic legend for the ages.

[@LohengrinO]

she was a transcendental singer... from another dimension... quite opposite to her real life personality (humorous etc)

[@jeffreyhunter7635]

I found the studio recording of this and compared it to the live La Scala performance !!! LIVE ALWAYS WINS! You won’t believe me when I say she was singing like a machine gun and popping off high E’s over block chorus! Faster than the studio! LEGENDARY!

[@jjlungdoc7472]

Extremely well said. At her best, Sills was unbeatable.

[@joemiller6975]

@@jeffreyhunter7635 Sills had to be experienced live to really get the full effect of how great she was! She was a dynamo in the house before an audience and in character! It was like a light came on inside her and she just radiated this magic and purity of sound that was beyond description. Her voice was different after Roberto Devereaux but in her prime she was something else !

[@derherrvonhabenichts7462]

@@LohengrinO It is the combination of all of these qualities that mad her the amazing woman that she was! If her critics ever had to endure the heartbreak of having children who could never hear or comprehend their art, many would have been so rocked to their foundation that they'd give up! Not Beverly Sills: she embodied notonly humour, graciousness, great artistry, knowleege, ability and all, she had EVERY BIT as much willpower, determination and fortitude as Lilli Lehmann, that hard as nails great German Soprano whom I also adore. No, Madame Sills is a true wonder, and few could match her in love of her children and compassion for those with disabilities.

[@wotan10950]

Sills was the reason I became an operagoer. I hated opera until I saw her on Johnny Carson. Then I got tix for the Three Queens and everything else she appeared in. Fwiw, her voice was much bigger/rounder/warmer in the theater than on any recordings. I met her a few times (and her mother and husband), and she was so kind. Today, I enjoy almost every opera and every singer, but I can thank Beverly for that. In 1969 she was still at her peak, but the big dramatic roles, and her battle with cancer, did eventually take their toll on her voice.

[@scottw6704]

She was one of the reasons I got a degree in voice performance and learned that each note, each phrase can have a life of its own, and grow and diminish within itself, and it needn't be necessarily notated exactly (dynamic-wise) in the score in order to interpret the music as one's own.

[@queen_bevv]

I could not stop my tears. Her voice touched my soul. It such an honor to have her name. Beautiful woman. Rest In peace lovely Beverly.

[@marcleysens7716]

Incredible. Just when you think you've heard it all.

[@kastrafior1487]

Stratosphérique, envoûtant, hallucinant et combien humain tout à la fois.

[@ajeansmith5478]

Great Rossini singer

[@jjh2456]

The cleanest coloratura technique I have ever heard. When she trilled you knew it was a trill and not vibrato pretending to be a trill. When she ascended or descended a scale, you heard every single note in that scale. Beverly was just simply marvelous.

[@carolynfranklin1447]

OH, YES!!!! Every note is sheer heaven!

[@thorvonoden5879]

Truly amazing control, pitch perfect.

[@casagrandecantatas]

Wonderful, magic. Today there aren't so great Rossini sopranos.

[@alioffe4321]

Oropesa is a rose among weeds! She actually gives me hope...

[@pasqualeperrone1560]

I think her Lisette’s voice is warmer than Sills’s but definitely not more beautiful. Sills had a delicate, feminine sound that ideally fit the heroines she sang, not so much the heavier roles like the Queens, but Baby Doe, Rosina, etc.

[@scottw6704]

I've been listening to a lot of Asmik Grigorian recently - I know she's more a Puccini soprano but my God, her Suor Angelica is worth obsessing over...if you have time.

[@elsaasta5164]

Grande interprete Beverly Sills.. La sua voce, i suoi acuti sono paragonabili e simili al trillo di un violino. Il repertorio rossiniano presenta sempre molte difficoltà e perciò, è il mio semplice parere, cantare Rossini è doppia bravura!! Grazie Lohengrin 0 per il tuo alacre lavoro ed un caro saluto da Elsa.

[@whatever4929]

This is not from this world!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@manolis.799]

Nobody will ever come close to touching her in this role...

[@Sir.Larselot]

That was fun to listen to this recording. Wonderful singing with soft top notes. The reaction of the audience was the only way to take.

[@lamiremilamila]

Le Siège de Corinthe. Air de Pamira. Fabuleux. L'autre air la prière est stratosphérique aussi.

[@sarolta101]

I love Beverly forever,

[@wolfwind1]

Incredible. Gorgeous. Thrilling. I'm glad she had this triumph at La Scala. Couldn't care less about the Met.

[@szkotnickibruno6337]

L'enregistrement intégral de cet opéra est peut-être même le plus beau témoignage de Berverly Sills ! Un must *****

[@artdanks]

Thank you for posting this, Lohengrin O. Sills was one my favorite sopranos in the 70's (with Callas as #1, of course, Sutherland and Caballe).

[@ahmedzenati2537]

Art Danks what about Lucia Popp ?!

[@artdanks]

@@ahmedzenati2537 I very much enjoy her beautiful singing as well. But for whatever reason, just had more of a preference for the other 3 mentioned. Just a matter of personal taste, though. Lucia Popp was without a doubt a magnificent artist as well.

[@vima8680]

Why "of course"?

[@vima8680]

I guess you missed it! You should have said...."in my opinion". That would have been correct.

[@artdanks]

@@vima8680 I don't understand your comments here. I'm just saying Sills was one of my favoriyes, and that I appreciated Lucia Popp. I'm not sure what you are trying to ask or tell me.

[@davidallen3687]

Wonderful singing! She apparently turned down many engagements in Europe to be with her children in the USA.

[@greatmomentsofopera7170]

Such a beautifully expressive sound concept she had in her prime.

[@LohengrinO]

...and she gives it ALL doesnt hold back... or as Leontyne would say: She sings with the capital and not the interest of her voice, like Callas did

[@greatmomentsofopera7170]

Yes absolutely. Like all the true greats in their prime - Fleming in Armida, Schwarzkopf in Luonnater, Baker in Stuarda etc. etc.

[@LohengrinO]

Niki Minaj in Anakonda!!! she destroyed her butt in one single night while singing that butt destroyer... what a sacrifice!

[@greatmomentsofopera7170]

Lohengrin O haha, you’re in a funny mood! :D

[@mezzosoprano4778]

Sadly , you are right about Leontyne ... I'm pretty sure she regrets it now ( of course , she wouldn't tell it to anyone , but I'm pretty sure she feels it deep inside..) atleast Grace Bumbry sang whatever she wanted - Medea , Turandot, Norma etc. Besides I feel like Shirley Verret sang a lot as well , better than Bumbry... The only big risk , Price took place was Kaisirin ( it was amazing , I think she remains unsurpassed there)

[@andrewculwell707]

I became a Sills fan to spite my mother, who was a Sutherland fan. I learned to adore the both of them and appreciate the differences and the greatness in both of these Sopranos. To my ears there are none greater!

[@wotan10950]

I never understood why some fans thought it was a zero-sum equation. I adored both of them, and even though their repertoire overlapped, they each brought something special to their roles.

[@sylviarienzo6955]

I’m one with a preference for Sills. I was a season ticket holder at SFO For over 30 years and was fortunate enough to connect up with both Sills and Sutherland. I could appreciate Sutherland but I both appreciated and loved Sills. She had it all. She could thrill me, give me goose bumps and bring me to tears.

[@vincenzomesseri3433]

Schippers, conducting, is simile GENIAL !

[@vale86301]

DI un altro mondo ,ergo trascendentale,in assoluto !! Divina!!

[@moonshinesa8234]

Very beautiful, thank you.

[@FotografoMuscle737]

Perfection, style, musicality, virtuosity … MARVELOUS!!!

[@elainenagano2735]

Beautiful!

[@SuperEfexor]

Grandissima artista capace di trasformare in grandi pregi dei difetti di non poco conto.

[@jmiller05]

She brings something quite Bellini-ish to the cadenzas which I like here.

[@jacopovarese6834]

Una delle piú grandi testimonianze di come lo studio e la tecnica possano produrre cammei e gioielli preziosi come un aria ed una voce del genere

[@fabriziomariagarzi5534]

@@Tkimba2 Tomba 2, "e di come Rossini DEVE essere cantato: Armida della Callas, Semiramide della Joan e Pamira della Sills, altro che le Di Donato e le Fleming...e per tacere delle Bartoli...Rossini Reneissence e Rossini Decadence. Come vedi ho sottolineato io. Ciao Tomba 2.

[@artdanks]

Lohengrin O. Thank you again for posting this. I've been going through a really strong Sills phase lately, where I am just having to listen to a LOT of her recordings. Also, for some reason I had the idea you didn't like her singing. But either way, I love this post. Thank you.

[@artdanks]

@@LohengrinO Oh ok. Now I see where my misunderstanding was. I think I had read a statement you made regarding one of her heavier roles, and made the wrong assumption that you didn't like her at all. My bad. And, re: Norma in particular, I have always felt the same as you. I went to see her perform it in San Diego, and it really saddenened me. I felt then, and still do, that taking on Norma was what really hastened her vocal decline. Thanks for taking the time for helping me better understand. 😀

[@LohengrinO]

@@artdanks Norma and the Devereux Elisabetta were never her repertoire... she was not an Assoluta... if she had sung the entire Light Coloratura repertoire (Rodelinda, Amina, Elvira, Lucia etc) in her own special way she would have lasted more and would have left us much more... Blind ambition to follow Callas' steps and sing the Assoluta repertoire and especially the one Assoluta role Callas didn't... Blind ambition is something I never like... if Callas with her huge dramatic coloratura voice had said when read the Devereux Elisabetta score: Hell no!!! Sills with her tiny little voice sing it? Stupidity :D Exact same applies to Gruberova... she used from moment one a horrible singing trick to scoop everything to preserve her vocal health and when she became old enough she began singing the Assoluta repertoire thinking that her Fame would protect her from criticism, did it? she has become one of the most ridiculous personas in the history of Opera

[@artdanks]

@@LohengrinO Very true indeed. I didn't know that Callas had looked at Devereaux. If anyone could / should have done it, it would be her! And absolutely true of Gruberova. She became such a laughing stock! Her Anna Bolena sounded like Foster-Jenkins!

[@LohengrinO]

@@artdanks her entire recent career was at the level of Foster Jenkins... what a clown she became at the end again because of HUGE ambition

[@carmeloserafin5101]

Artista che sapeva Suonare la voce senza esagerare...con un equilibrio sempre perfetto fra pathos e esigenza emotiva del personaggio...credo che sia stata un vero punto di riferimento per molte sue colleghe anglosassoni...anche perché sappiamo che svettava in Monteverdi e nel trio luminoso...Mozart/Bellini/ Donizetti...ma anche in Verdi/Puccini/Massenet...Haendel e Strauss...Rameau.....fortunati quelli che la poterono applaudire, sicuramente fu un'artista che insieme alla Callas impresse al canto barocco e al bel canto una revisione stilistica Storica... ........che bella testimonianza....Grazie

[@fabriziomariagarzi5534]

Carmelo Serafin, certamente...praticamente con l'intelligenza, la musicalita' e l'accento, poteva cantare qualunque parte ad onta di un colore di voce per lo meno strano...le "strane" forse sono le piu' brave di tutte...ma sono poche..

[@carmeloserafin5101]

@@fabriziomariagarzi5534 ......artista è chi prende la propria voce con Talento e lo studio ...restituisce all'autore tutto il pathos che queste romanze contengono ...credo che qui sostituisse la Sutherland che aveva dato forfait...e avesse studiato la parte in aereo....non so se mi spiego..e il pubblico Capisce...e restituisce a Bellini e alla Sills ...il loro giusto tripudio....

[@fabriziomariagarzi5534]

@@carmeloserafin5101 la Sills sostitui' la Scotto perché quest'ultima era in attesa del primo figlio...fu la fortuna internazionale di Beverly. Comunque ebbe tempo per studiare la parte anche se non tantissimo. Certamente la Scotto non sarebbe stata brava quanto lei. La Sills non teme e non ha confronti ne purtroppo, come la Callas e la Sutherland, eredi.

[@carmeloserafin5101]

@@fabriziomariagarzi5534 vero...scusa..

[@carmeloserafin5101]

ma ci fu un episodio similare allora....?..mi documento...un , caro saluto

[@almajeansmith3328]

Very beautiful, a great musician and artist

[@pammyjones1151]

And very very nice it is too.....

[@Ronizetti]

A shame it took Scotto getting pregnant to get Beverly to Scala, MA, thank God Scotto got pregnant! This caliber of singing is one of the many nights of HISTORY at La Scala. Spectacular and that Italian audience fully knows and appreciates it! Brava, Beverly

[@hildegerdhaugen7864]

Ok, so there is a story here....

[@MrAndredekock]

@@hildegerdhaugen7864 there is a whole host of stories to this historic performance, the likes of which (in my humble opinion) the Scala had never seen or heard before! Mme Sills became one of a tiny handful of sopranos that received the Scala orchestra highest accolade, a standing ovation for her after the first orchestral rehearsal! The two divas were very different in size and build and Mme Sills had to try and squeeze into Mme Scotto's costume, which was adjusted here, there and everywhere and despite many requests to the costume lady and department, nothing was forthcoming as far as her own costume was concerned and it eventually took a large scissor and shredding the costume a couple of days to opening night for her to have her own costume made for her! There was some rivalry between Mme Sills and Mme Horne who felt that Mme Sills was taking all the limelight while in point of fact it was Mme Horne's own marketing team that was very slow out of the blocks and had nothing to do with Mme Sills trying to get all the attention, yet BOTH ladies were smash hits with the Scala audiences. Many years later Mme Horne admitted that she had made a storm in a teacup and there was some kissing and making up. Finally just listen to the pandemonium in the Scala applause and that kind of says it all! You can't fool the Italians and they know what they want and if you don't deliver they are merciless, yet I believe that applause was their acknowledgement of GREATNESS in their midst!

[@ebestignani2699]

@@MrAndredekock Sills asked that the costume be made over in a different color but they did not do it!

[@arzainc1]

Thank you again for posting those treasures.

[@Vorenius1]

Divine. Period

[@paulsomers6048]

Sills' Zerbinetta is the greatest role for her comedic side and the biggest coloratura showpiece out there!

[@LohengrinO]

yes I htink I havent posted it, what year is her absolute best?

[@paulsomers6048]

@@LohengrinO I saw her with the BSO and Leinsdorf in 1969 at Carnegie. To that point in NYC she was best known for her Händel revivals with NYCO. Suddenly, with that one performance, another Sills burst on the New York scene. I had first seen Sills in the mid-'60s at Cornell with NYCO touring company as Donna Anna. She was unknown at that point, "paying her dues" as it were. Years later I found my program, saw Sills' name in it, and was amazed!!

[@stillstanding6031]

Underrated (perhaps because she was an American), but one of the all time greats. Beauty and a refined intelligence to her voice and performances.. Personified the singer-actor. In my top 10 of the 20th century.

[@LohengrinO]

I think she is considered one of the Greats why underrated?

[@stillstanding6031]

@@LohengrinO It depends who you survey. I'm not sure everyone would place her in the "top 10". On the other hand, if most would, then I stand (happily) corrected.

[@LohengrinO]

@@stillstanding6031 the Greats of the 20th century are more than 10 singers... I dont think anyone doubts she was one of them

[@rdsteyer]

Unrivaled voice, he liked how she did the second part of the same aria never like the first. His voice was rare and extremely clear in timbre. I believe that we will never hear anything so precious. He abused the treble, which was the best. He did not spare himself from using them to the delight of the public. Too short for the carrera.

[@user-highbaritone]

I’m going to suggest you listen to The Ballad Of Baby Doe. Recorded before her Cleopatra. Also her first recital recording.

[@donpkra]

amazing - beautiful picture of her i wonder if this is from la scala or the met ?

[@Bunnysan2000]

I think she never sang at the Met. Perhaps New York City Opera.

[@DIMON_CAMI]

This is real entertainment aside from other singers.

[@Tallinheels]

The audience isn’t going as crazy as one hoped. MRF recorded on his lap from the first row. Wanda Toscanini was not impressed. Corriere della Sera was dismissive. Two problems: the role is thin and was -added out as best as possible by the two men who used two sources, and Marilyn Horne had a showstopper aria- Un basso affeto- later. The set was much more impressive and Jackie had paid the clacque more. She nearly broke the La Scala ovation record set by Maria Callas in Anna Bolena, some 21 minutes. How do I know? There’s a clock above the proscenium. And I was there. I went to some rehearsals where Bev refused to sing this opera lying in the boat with a scrim of ocean waves in front of her. We dined together at Biffi la Scala almost nightly. Sills is more fun than anyone. Somewhere I have the box set with a playbill signed to me “Beverly (Hills).

[@LohengrinO]

In order to be accepted by La Scala they will have to all agree (The clacques) she was lucky she wasnt booed

[@vincentmancini6279]

Oh darn it, only 20 minutes!

[@davidnewton9496]

What? The audience sure sounds 'crazy' at least to me. Fabulous singing by Sills. What a pity her voice had deteriorated so much by the time of her MET debut a few years later. Horne was also amazing, but I really took to Verrett's interpretation at the MET performance. You are fortunate to have been there.

[@mao1878]

Wonderful singing .. of notes and melodic lines, but of all I couldn’t get one word, not even sure if it was in Italian, German or English. Not Sills fault I guess, but I find it disturbing how many great singers didn’t take “wording” serious enough. Callas and DiStefano for example, even in their final tour with those poor voices in shreds, still you understood every word, even if some of the notes were not so beautiful anymore...