How a Proper Legato should Sound!! (Milanov-Caballe-Callas-Sutherland)

In music performance and notation, legato ([in Italian for "tied together") indicates that musical notes are sung smoothly and connected, making a transition from note to note with no intervening silence! Many famous singers from the past did not know how to sing legato! Today is almost rare to hear a soprano sing a fine legato line!! Here are 4 examples from 4 Great Sopranos of the Past who MASTERED Legato (not only in the Bel Canto repertoire!!
1. Zinka Milanov - La Forza Del Destino (1954) [SUPEEERB]
2. Montserrat Caballe - Il Trovatore (1972) [IMPRESSIVE]
3. Maria Callas - Aida (1953) [AMAZING!!]
4. Joan Sutherland - La Sonnambula (1960) [MELLOW] (Unfortunatelly cut by video error)
Hope to enjoy!!

[@DominicR-y5d]

Zinka--pure and clear each note.

[@RBP1963]

For me, all are straordinary however Caballé is magnifique and gives me many pleasent hours of my life ❤

[@unclelouie3828]

I heard them all (live). Callas most exciting. Milanov (In the 50's) unfukinbelievable- but, as they say, 'you had to be there. We didn't know it was the 'end' of a great era in opera. It all vanished into thin air.

[@meto2854]

Please tell us more of these unbelievable artists! Share some anecdotes with us :D

[@artdanks]

I would say the 50s was the beginning of the end. Not the end itself. After Milanov these others continued into the 70s and even 80s. But after them, it was definitely over and buried!

[@Curtainstag_e]

what year did you hear callas live?

[@emitch9213]

Caballe, dear 'La Superba' is missed forever...how lucky the stars are as they twinkle so much brighter with her among their diamonds 🌹

[@persaeculavolare]

Callas mentions, in one of her Julliard master classes, that many of the sopranos who followed her made an entire career out of turning legato into staccato. And more recently, Cecilia Bartoli did the same with the Bel Canto repertoire. Though I want to love her voice because of its lovely velvety sound, I feel like I am being pummeled with shots from a machine gun when she sings. Thank you for offering an explanation and great examples of legato.

[@astridgunkel2230]

Montserrat voice a dream forever......👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍

[@annaattanasio9263]

Una bella storia di grandi soprani emerge a meraviglia la voce di montserrat caballé

[@meto2854]

I am a huge fan of all four, but there is something about Milanov on a good night that makes hers definitive. If I were to explain to someone in one minute what makes opera so special, I’d play her excerpt.

[@matteomangialetti]

Agreed.

[@barb8341]

All of them are good but... Caballé’s just out of this world!

[@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki]

Caballé is not the best soprano of the 20th century. Only she is a very good soprano of the 20th digit. There are so many sopranos and so good! Freni, Sutherland, Gencer, L. Price, Cerquetti, Milanov, Gruberová, Tebaldi, Callas, of course and a long etcetera. Only she was ... one more. Point.

[@Antonio-qm3bi]

@@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki I think that the best sopranos are those who had the complete belcanto technique well developed (chest voice, legato, fioriture, stacatti and high notes). FOR ME the best recorded sopranos are Caballé, Sutherland and Callas. Gruveroba for example has a bad chest voice technique

[@Johnmell100]

@@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki That's just your opinion.

[@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki]

@@Johnmell100 no....that is true.

[@Antonio-qm3bi]

@@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki You're wrong... you can say what you want, it's your oppinion; but of that long etcetera, only Caballé, Callas and Sutherland have videos with more than 1 million views on KZbin. Not in vain were they called "La Divina, La Superba and La Stupenda". So do not say that Caballé was "one more", since she stood out with much of the rest

[@annaattanasio9263]

Magnifiche!!!!! Impareggiabile è la voce di montserrat caballé

[@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki]

Hay mejores sopranos que Caballé en Italia, más artistas: Gencer, Tebaldi y Freni. Y .. Sutherland!!!

[@robert111k]

​@@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki, lo que hay es mucho baboso en Méjico.

[@mtrmann]

Thank you for the Milanov excerpt, it was a revelation. And Sutherland was beautiful but I can't understand a single word, unfortunately.

[@DominicR-y5d]

Lovely but always sounds muffled.

[@matteomangialetti]

They are all 4 entirely different and there is no use comparing them. All superb with different qualities that made them such!

[@enriquevaccaro8968]

Milanov por lejos, los cantantes se deben escuchar en vivo, y Milanov en su mejores noches era de otro galaxia, ojala tuvieramos muchas Milanov hoy, como legato debemos agregar a Victoria de los Angeles y algunas cantantes del pasado.

[@Melbnolan]

La Superba, La Reina, Caballe

[@hectorhouse1671]

Caballe me llega a lo más profundo del alma con esa belleza de sonido y un control que solo una técnica impecable te puede dar.

[@bovandermeulen5255]

If only the art of singing was still understood, taught and performed in our dark days of really bad or with any luck, mediocre singing. There are exceptions like Saioa Hernández and a handful of others, but in general we have to live with the memories of truly great singing.

[@judyjones2475]

Yes, because she was taught by Montserrat 💝

[@williammaddox3339]

All 4 sound great. BTW some of the most beautiful singing I have ever heard from Callas(in general I don't care for her voice but it is lovely in this extract).

[@manolis.799]

I agree with these ladies and in addition, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf said that Victoria de Los Angeles and Maria Callas are the only two singers she’s heard with a perfect legato! I think Schwarzkopf sold herself short! Legato is by far the hardest aspect of singing and only the true masters we’re able to accomplish it! The ultimate goal is a steady legato!

[@aetion]

Πολύ ενδιαφέρον βίντεο, όπως πάντα! Πού ν' ακούσουμε ξανά τέτοιες φωνές και με τέτοια τεχνική! Να είσαι καλά, φίλε.

[@predickament]

I’m surprised how wonderful they all are (including Callas!), Milanov comes in second, but Caballe takes home the gold!

[@arnoldamaral3814]

My top three favorite opera singers of all time. But Price should be on the list. To be sure my friend. 🤗 Arnold Bourbon Amaral

[@arnaudrcs]

Caballe is legato and pianissimi embodied

[@crisha721]

Fantastic. They were all amazing

[@MrQbenDanny]

MARIA always the master at setting a mood. Montse, the sumptuous line of treasure sound. JOAN, vocal wizardry made simple and ravishing. Not a Milanov fan, but she had a huge following enjoying her high register. Gina CIGNA as NORMA in particular did fantastic legato.

[@artdanks]

I have to agree with you. Although I've never been a Milanov fan either. But, having said that I still acknowledge that she was an amazing artist!

[@liguten]

De grandes Dames de l'opéra. Mais si il faut départager, c'est Caballé qui monte sur la plus haute marche du podium, suivi de près par Milanov!

[@kaholee3756]

I love Cabelle.

[@pabloperdomo5174]

Milanov & Callas! These two Great Queens are out of the league. And of course Caballé close to them both with perfect intonation, pronunciation and a most beautiful voice.

[@jeanhaughton537]

caballe is the greatest for me but they are all great

[@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki]

Caballe is not as great a soprano as Milanov, Sutherland, Callas (of course) There is no doubt: Callas, Sutherland, Tebaldi, Leontyne Price, Nilsson of course and Sills,Gencer...all these sopranos are bigger.

[@Antonio-qm3bi]

​@@ManuelGonzalez-fi1kiYour oppinion 😂

[@shaundudley4576]

Gorgeous singing by all, and many others sang gorgeously many times and many times not so much... I have heard so many truly lovely versions of Casta Diva (for instance) For this I am eternally grateful. But if by some catastrophic happenstance, only one can be saved from oblivion it's not going to be mere gorgeousness that determines the choice, for how do you calculate something so variably experienced? Who remains? Callas of course

[@giobianchi4492]

MONTSERRAT CABALLÈ is Number one.

[@Zva26]

Milanov? Caballe'? Callas? Sutherland? How does one DARE say that one is better than the other---especially as heard here???? All four are the personification of the ultimate. It's impossible to say who is better than who. Totally futile. It gets no better than this. And you can add Tebaldi and Leontyne Price to the list as well.

[@robert111k]

And, above all of them, VDLA.

[@stribor24-fv2to]

I really enjoy reading your comments because you know what you are talking about without the gratuitous hatred that is so common among Callas fans towards Milanov. I love listening to Milanov and Callas and so many others! I especially like Ruža Pospiš - Baldani, who was one of the youngest opera singers in the Metropolitan Opera, also from Croatia. I don't understand why opera fans get offended and clash like football fans. I am very interested in your opinion about Ruza Pospis Baldana, because I think that your knowledge can say a lot more about her than my amateur superficial knowledge. Greetings! :)

[@gustavsantdoable]

The best sopranos of the history!

[@davidetenorino]

Unas de las más grandes, hay muchas más (del pasado, claro está)

[@gustavsantdoable]

David Jhon Lara Alayo para gustos, colores. Pero para mi son las mejores, sobre todo Caballe, Callas y Sutherland. Y si las comparamos con las sopranos actuales entonces es como comparar un Ferrari con un Škoda....

[@davidetenorino]

@@gustavsantdoable Exacto jajaja, por ejemplo te faltó Brigitte Nilson. Infaltable!

[@liedersanger1]

One is missing, Leontyne Price.

[@juanjosedubal]

All great!

[@judyjones2475]

Caballé reigns supreme here ,just superb 💝

[@ms.chaewon9231]

Callas and Caballe - legato Callas and Sutherland - Coloratura Callas and Sutherland - trills Callas and Sutherland - E flat Thus, Callas in everything. 😂

[@giobianchi4492]

MONTSERRAT CABALLÈ è la più grande cantante di tutti i tempi !

[@teresam6014]

MI DIVA......MARIA CALLAS, POR SIEMPRE😍😍😍

[@artdanks]

You mentioned that many great singers from the past did not know how to sing legato. I can't imagine how that could have been true, in a day when people knew how to sing! Today, of course, it IS true, because the art of singing is entirely lost today! But who from the past couldn't sing legato? I can't even think of a single artist.

[@ivansisolivic1487]

Milanov 1.

[@liedersanger1]

Missing the true queen of legato, who put her unmistakable imprint on each of the excerpts you select (except the Sonnambula).Three hints: She was born in Mississippi. She is still living at 95. She has the same initials as Luciano Pavarotti.

[@OperaMyWorld]

This is just a video! It could contain many more artist including the Unique Leontyne Price!

[@robert111k]

I always thought VDLA was born in Barcelona.

[@liedersanger1]

@@robert111k :-)

[@RicharddtheStar]

Rosa ponselle ?!?!

[@ronnieince4568]

RuchardtheStar -ah but Ponselle was the greatest of all -pure vocal gold .

[@meltzerboy]

Perfection in legato singing is relative. Of course Callas and Caballe are great in this aspect of singing. But Ponselle is wondrous, and we also have the haunting legato of singers such as Galli-Curci and Melba.

[@kraus3591]

Callas siempre , sabía todo sobre el Bel Canto y además con interpretación y expresión . Caballe fue la reina de los pianisimos con un fiato sin límites . Sutherland nunca me gustó , es justo la antítesis de Callas en el Bel Canto . Milanov tenía una gran voz en su buena época .

[@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki]

Caballé era una arista muy pequeña...y antimusical. No han envejecido bien muchas de sus grabaciones. Una voz bonita, pero que no era expresiva ni tan impresionante como la de Sutherland: Una destacada soprano. Punto.

[@markdarenvillanueva7740]

what's the title of the Aida part

[@OperaMyWorld]

It’s from the Act 3 duet of Aida and Radames “Pur ti rivego”

[@enriquevaccaro8968]

Milanov por lejos, hay que dejar fanatismos de lado y escuchar a los cantantes en vivo, Milanov en sus buenas noches era de otra galaxia, especialmente en Verdi, para encontrar un legato como el de ella puede ser el de Victoria de los Angeles el de los cantantes que escuche.

[@antonioramires9559]

CALLAS!

[@wiesawrudnicki5303]

POKLON DLA WSZYSTKICH DIV u MILANOV troszke glissand przy zejsciu z gornych dzwiekow troszke razi

[@SteveL2012]

I find Milanov’s high register to be shrill and unpleasant, her portamento is just a tasteless swoop. Caballe has the best high pianissimi in history but not much more.. Callas is a revelation here, and I’m not a fanatic.. Sutherland sounds amazing here too. You’re missing a whole list of Italian sopranos-the Italians created legato.

[@georgioverini2299]

Italians created singing)))

[@robert111k]

@@georgioverini2299, after learning it from Garcia.

[@enriquevaccaro8968]

Escuchaste en vivo a Milanov, sino la escuchaste entonces trata ser respetuoso. Milanov es la mas grande soprano verdiana del siglo XX.

[@Pachinanonim]

Si, como RENATA TEBALDI, Magda Olivero, etc...

[@eberlinpascal2837]

Callas first ,Milanov second ,Caballé third .

[@jeanhaughton537]

caballe first

[@artdanks]

Callas first, Caballe 2nd, Sutherland 3rd and then Milanov.

[@johnreed2107]

Well, poor Joan could never achieve legato and diction at the same time. She could only manage one, not both, at her best. If she linked the notes together no one had any idea what she was singing. When one could understand her Italian, take note, it was sung in phrases, with breaks and breaths. Perhaps the fact that she could not speak Italian, and only memorized the lyrics, had something to do with it. Milanov, yes, on a good night was something special. But Lord knows she could not act her way out of a paper bag, and she had many a night when she would sing off key. It was strange, because the next night she would be angelic yet again. But, whether she was in key or not, she generally sang with legato. Caballé, to my ear anyway, was a bit lazy at times. Beautiful pianissimo, of course, but let’s face it, her trills were always faked. But she generally sang with legato. However, I don’t recall her ever singing anything over high C, so I never understood the whole lyric coloratura farce. Her Lucia is extremely lacking, for example. And then, there is Maria Callas. It did not matter what she was singing, whether in the glory years or when she was just holding on by a thread, with her legato was always present. It did not matter the repertoire. She sang with legato. She could not sing without it. And of course she managed staccato quite well. At her best, her staccato was less than that of Sutherland’s. During her wildcat years one or two of her staccato notes might go left or right. And later on they might have some sand or glass in them. However, again no one ever, ever bettered her legato. Matched, yes, here and there. Superior, never.

[@williammaddox3339]

Joan Sutherland managed legato and diction beautifully in her recording of Turandot.

[@moonlightelf591]

@@williammaddox3339 she shouldn't have sung Turandot at all.