Great Moments in Opera from the 20th Century; Part 1

Any requests or suggestions for Part 2? Let me know in the comments!
These are some moments in opera that just hit the spot for me. Great singers singing great!

[@Tdvc]

Callas the greatest opera singer we have had so far! Simply legendary

[@nancylee8061]

OMG Shirley Verrett in the Verdi Requiem!

[@danawinsor1380]

She was beyond brilliant. Her performance is like a lesson on "how it's done."

[@fernandobicudo9564]

Maris Callas is the Queen of Opera of all times!!!

[@fernandobicudo9564]

Caballe is the Princess!

[@crazyorganist1609]

Sutherland and Callas were queen's I think

[@danawinsor1380]

I've known a lot of queens of opera.

[@brunobalzano7566]

1. Maria 2. Callas 3. Maria Callas ❤️

[@samueljaramillo4221]

Shirley Verrett…..a legendary voice

[@Felipe.Taboada.]

4:18 Flagstad! The voice of the century!

[@mrturtle1128]

Good taste good taste

[@eberlinpascal2837]

Un bel échantillon de cantatrices légendaires .Toutes sont très grandes à des degrés divers ,mais sublimes .On mesure à quel point le niveau est tombé aujourd'hui .

[@ivanwillard6818]

D'accord

[@BaroneVitellioScarpia1]

Callas is the best!

[@yevgeniaox]

Ах, какая подборка....Аж до слёз...БЛАГОДАРЮ!!!

[@johnhagan-zr4pm]

I was a bit gobsacked to see only 596 Likes It's just crazy, I'm no Classical or Opera nut, but Classical music is the music that has lasted hundreds of years, opera is the singing that has lasted hundreds of years. You would think that if someone had gone to the trouble of putting together the best clips, at least 1 million people out of a population of 8.1 Billion might watch.

[@kavinduchamuditha5188]

Callas.....oh my dear....you're a gem🥰🥰🥰

[@grimmrad]

Should add Caballee in Orange (Norma). And there are also some tenors and basses around. Melchior Siegmund and Siegfried, M Price Liebvestod, Nilsson's Salome at the Met Gala. Nice to hear the famous Mexico City Aida! She brought down the house. But that Turandot at the end is something else!

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

There are many great sopranos here, Brigit Nilsson, Montserrat Caballe, Maria Callas. A great and underrated soprano was Eileen Farrell, and there are some great older sopranos as well such as Rosa Ponselle. The one who stood the most in this compilation was Franco Corelli. lol

[@fredobatista4367]

I 💚 Nillson and Tebaldi ⭐.

[@olgaodintsova5357]

Образцова- образец ! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@MrTrackman100]

Caballe--20 sec. of beautiful note

[@christopherrobinwattsthoma6318]

Callas ❤

[@ey8767]

My skull was cracked open when I heard the Turandot duet with Birgit Nillson and Franco Corelli.

[@christophecesar4761]

Thank you to upload these sopranos or mezzo who are few examples of one who sang in full voice from top to bottom (except maybe Sutherland sometimes...). It's especially noticeable in the extract of Caballe singing the cabaletta of Lucia's entrance. We don't used to lesson this singing like that (except by Callas for sure). You could also show an extract of Martina Arroyo. The Liberame with Bernstein for instance (better, to say the truth, than the one with Verrett). But, whatever the other ones, even superlatives, the high Eb of Callas at the end of Act II of Aida in Mexico is the greatest note ever recorded by an human voice, isn't it?!

[@tailor383]

Sloppy singing and literally screeching at top. No matter what you say she was not the greatest ! Brigit could sing rings around Callas, period!

[@samueljaramillo4221]

@@tailor383 I agree

[@johnmorley6105]

@@tailor383Okay, if you wish but Birgit herself said that on a good day Callas was better than the rest of us put together. Maybe Birgit recognised something others miss.

[@fredobatista4367]

I 💕 Tebaldi ⭐🌹🎆💚.

[@lieslwindjulie3230]

❤️

[@MrTrackman100]

Nilsson in Turandot ----!!!

[@Operafreak9]

Nilsson!! Always and forever.

[@Operafreak9]

Thanks, Sockmonkey!

[@ZAHAROA1]

И все таки Калас,Калас,Калас!!!

[@morganchan2465]

I am Callas fan. However, no one ever surpasses Tebaldi's Cio Cio san~

[@susandrakenviller3683]

Dimitrovs sounds like a man in her clip!

[@javieralejandrogutierrezfa8882]

Thats howe amazing her lower register is

[@parvoestnaturacontenta4402]

Каллас ♥️

[@biranc23]

leontine price

[@judyjones2475]

Montserrat forever the best 👌♥

[@vorspiel8]

Giulietta Simionato no figura!! esto no puede ser!! te falta mas informacion sobre grandes momentos operisticos. Faltan muuuchoss

[@biranc23]

Jessie norman

[@johnfitzpatrick6544]

SurelyJussi Bjorling belongs here? As does Janet Baker.

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

I mostly focus on lady singers obviously but a good place to start for part 2

[@ytreve4951]

Breathtaking brilliant collection. Much appreciated. Part 2 please.

[@ivanwillard6818]

I reckon there were no great male Opera singer great moments on stage - only on vinyl. Smh.

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

There are of course, I just care less. Literally anything Renato Cioni is to die for.

[@ivanwillard6818]

@@sockmonkeyarts5241 I prefer Tito Gobbi

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

@@ivanwillard6818 I'm more of an Ettore Bastianini

[@judyjones2475]

Montserrat the best ever ❤

[@zerheli]

this was a nice tour down memory lane, but are there any more modern singers?

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

So I was focusing on 20th century already, plus the general quality dropped after the Training and stuff changed in 70s so eh

[@vorspiel8]

hay muy pocos realmente.

[@Ravenelvenlady]

Where is Price in her legendary Leonora in Trovatore? The one that received over 40 minutes of ovation after her most challenging aria? This list is great but woefully incomplete.

[@liedersanger1]

True!

[@tonshaad1230]

All the singers here have something in common: core (chest voice) or a good connected head voice; neither did Leontyne possess.

[@liedersanger1]

@@tonshaad1230 You’re right about the chest voice, but I don’t think any one-not Rethberg, not Ponselle, not Milanov-had as smoothly connected (or arguably as beautiful) a top register.

[@tonshaad1230]

@@liedersanger1 her top was riddled with issues of scooping and intonation issues (Tebaldi had this issue as well).

[@liedersanger1]

@@tonshaad1230 She did scoop occasionally in her later years.

[@jjang8725]

What a big chest voice from ghena😍. She sound like Tenor.

[@zerheli]

more or less just a focus on the same old 50s and 60's singers. although that Dimitrova Gioconda was really extraordinary and not something I've heard before

[@javieralejandrogutierrezfa8882]

Verret almost Die in the last frase ...

[@foropera]

She always gave physicality to her singing, she can also give a high C without this emphasis, here she just choose to let go her heart out and burst the sound. Nothing to kill her. She sang this concert 6 times in a tour and all the recordings are masterpieces.

[@javieralejandrogutierrezfa8882]

I dont think a 50 year old woman should sing thsi dificult part ..and YES she was having a hard time there ...Not .heart ...she was having trouble to give the notes ...She made them ..and was great ..but with difficult Zinka milanov once said :If you are to old to sing beautifuly ..then ..dont sing

[@foropera]

@electricxcircus How old are you? You saw her when and where?

[@foropera]

@@javieralejandrogutierrezfa8882 Javier, Verrett looks tensed in these 15 seconds, but if you check the first Contre Ut in the complete video, she has no problem. The same in Tosca. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5OaoqxvZspgqJo The tempo of Abbado is twice slower than most conductors adopt in this difficult moment. Just look at Farrell or even Caballé with Karajan in 1976 who nearly cracks her note. I saw her at 2 meters from me giving lots of high B and C, she was a muscular singer, and as a Falcon so she fights! But I think it is great to achieve this whole part, with lots of piani, and floating LA..

[@marksmith3947]

I think Flagsted had the most beautiful even voice out of all these singers-- and it was huge.

[@Felipe.Taboada.]

7:54 No one comes close to Flagstad.

[@judyjones2475]

Montserrat Is the best ever ,and will never be equalled 🥰💗💖

[@biranc23]

lucia da Sutherland

[@dasingaman1]

No Leontyne Price final operatic performance at the MET in Aida?!?!?!? Lost all credibility!

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

She sounded so woofy man

[@tonshaad1230]

Why use that horrible performance? She was extremely woofy and heady and it's just a bad interpretation. Even in the 60's, hers was not that of an Aida. Had she surveyed Arabella from Strauss in her last opera at the Met, she would've been amazing I think

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

@@tonshaad1230 I agree

[@dasingaman1]

But you use Sutherland. So I guess having mushy diction is ok but sounding woofy…oh no we can’t have that…😒 Also, it was voted as the MET’s most historic and loved performance. Guess y’all know more though! 🙄

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

@@dasingaman1 we do 😉😉 trust me I hate Sutherland too I just like her in that one mo. It's a long D.

[@crazyorganist1609]

Verrett was not really suited for the Requiem I don't think. She didn't have enough power plus she broke Verdi's phrasing. Before anyone says anything I'm a trained organist and accompanist and I know what I'm talking about. I've worked with countless singers

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

You sound defensive but very well 😉 I like the tension in her voice building the drama

[@tonshaad1230]

To be honest, she was ill-suited as the soprano soloist. As a mezzo, it would've been different I'd imagine but she was filling in for a sick Scotto.

[@michaelmiller1215]

I agree. Just listen to Daniela Dessi!

[@tonshaad1230]

@@michaelmiller1215 Tebaldi did a good version of the Verdi Requiem being she was a pure soprano.

[@dasingaman1]

@@tonshaad1230 tebaldi had flat high notes above b flat! Let’s just agree that we all have different tastes. Cause honestly, Verett had a much more secure top than tebaldi… and that’s facts.

[@hermajesty52]

no no no no.....Verrett as a mezzo....yes yes yes. As a soprano......no no no

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

Welp this is what the internet and an opera book told me

[@hermajesty52]

@@sockmonkeyarts5241 hahahahaha. Must be right then. Ciao

[@javieralejandrogutierrezfa8882]

Agree

[@samueljaramillo4221]

Verrett was a falcon

[@samueljaramillo4221]

Callas voice was not always beautiful. She was not the best. She was one of the best.

[@biranc23]

bartoli e fleming

[@dantedante839]

There is OBLY ONE GREAT MOMENT in Opera: Isolde's Liebestod, the rest is just average opera singing.

[@ijahnnakehlam5919]

What means OBLY?

[@Lazarus1095]

I'm not enjoying any of this. The women are all screaming and there's way too much vibrato. Is this considered normal for opera?

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

These are less screamy then most modern ones. Voices are like fine wine; you just haven't developed a palate yet.

[@javieralejandrogutierrezfa8882]

@@sockmonkeyarts5241 Boom goes the dinamite

[@judyjones2475]

Montserrat does not have vibrato ,if you want excellence, listen to her 💖

[@samueljaramillo4221]

Don’t listen

[@jaykauffman4775]

Flagstad is terribly recorded off pitch

[@TC.....]

Anyone who listens to this trash music these days are either old folks or gays. Beyonce is #1 no competitions.

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

No thanks. I'm like the only queer person who hates Beyonce. Byee and let us enjoy the art

[@sockmonkeyarts5241]

Also you're spot on with the "gays". All the fruity people are welcome

[@Operafreak9]

Then we are worseoff than we knew. Anyone who cannot see the value in classical music and how vastly superior it is to "pop" is devoid of soul.

[@samueljaramillo4221]

You cannot compare Beyoncé singing to these beautiful voices. And stop insulting old folks and gays.

[@giovic9802]

Then why did you saw this video?