Joan Sutherland - I Puritani Finale Times Six

Something for your delectation: six different recordings of Joan Sutherland singing the finale of I Puritani, "Ah! sento, o mio bel angelo." This is one of my favorite finales in all of opera. What music!
NB: Somehow I forgot the 1963 Bell Telephone broadcast of this aria. Pooh. Maybe I'll redo this after all!
1961 Palmero
1963 New York (reprise only)
1963 Studio
1973 Studio
1984 Australia
1985 Australia
(Not sure what the deal is with that minute of dead time after the 1963 studio recording. I'm not about to redo the video...so...just skip ahead a minute. Thanks!)

[@SirDiogoferreira]

The caballeta that no one (except Dame Joan) dares to sing.... probably because it is extremely difficult.... Brava Dame Joan!!! She is the honey of the opera :)

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

Grateful for Bonynge had discovered this piece of heaven! One of my favorites finals and every version sung by Joan is a joy for me.

[@Dadacomero]

amazing, l am speechless, litterally this is too much and she could hit that high D at 59 years of age! with that HUGE sound!

[@Hako2004]

True. Her top notes were huge even very late in her career.

[@luismontecinos9916]

She has left a standard to sing I Puritani. Mind my words. From Santiago of Chile (2014)

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

This was HIGHLY enjoyable to watch! She was still fantastic in 1985!

[@lastupendaboy]

Unreal in 1985 in London… you must trust me… crazy, multiple times I heard Lucia then.. mind blowing… my mind is still blown!

[@herrbrucvald6376]

The pic @ 1:50 is unbelievably beautiful...I mean Joan is unbelievably beautiful...wow. What her art has meant to me all these yrs. I do so want to lay a deep pink rose on her grave in Montreux. Could someone visiting kindly do it for me?

[@NapoleonIII1]

I was lucky to see her in Puritani in 86....Long rein Dame Joan,no one came close to her in the belcanto...Thanks so much for posting this....

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

The one and only Joan Sutherland.

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

Incomparable!

[@lastupendaboy]

I’ve heard all this so many times…it still makes me smile big, and cry a little… so moving, that great, expressive voice!

[@canpete1]

Delectation indeed. Well done on this..thank you! It is splendid music. It's always a pleasure to follow the growth of Joan's voice over the course of time. She learned correctly and never lost it...even the D's (in key) at 59. I heard her do this live at the MET in '76 and '86. The voice just got fuller and richer as time went on.

[@ChrisStockslager]

Peter H - Which performance did you prefer of Joan’s - 1976 or ‘86?

[@tonyventura4605]

76, of course.

[@lastupendaboy]

And no decline as detractors like to infer!

[@randysills4418]

Thank you for downloading! I have the 2nd studio recording somewhere here! I kept hearing the finale in my mind while trying to fall asleep! Joan was the best in this repertoire and I heard her many times in opera and concert. If she was in San Francisco or San Diego I was there...I live in Los Angeles...

[@bellini7verdi]

un lujo de sonido vocal ..........total y absolutamente.....música de dioses..................ninguna cantante ha llegado a dar y ofrecer ese climax..de impetuosidad y soltura vocal anímica tan extremecedora........

[@dianaventura7999]

You did forget the Bell telephone hour one. And that one has a very slim Sutherland looking beautiful. So all those who said she never looked beautiful had better shut their mouths...

[@machovoce6826]

You go, DV. Those of us who actually saw and heard her onstage know she was a goddess.

[@williammaddox3339]

+diana ventura Good point - JS had unusual features but there are a ton photos and videos from the early and middle years of her career where she is a really striking woman. I love the TV interview the day after her first Lucia and she looks gorgeous.

[@gadenkrotis540]

@@williammaddox3339 Oh yes, what a total wonder she was! Big, but found her look, and owned it. A divine, queenly beauty - warm and humble, yet a diva sure of her place in the firmament. Gorgeous!

[@Richiesutherland]

Thank you! Amazing to hear. Sadly, of course, the live 1963 performance is NOT from the Met--they should have given it to her in 1964 instead of a new Lucia. You can also hear that the pitch of the 1963 recording is correct, but the very high pitch in Florence, almost a quarter-step up! Amazing that Joan retained the brilliance and the high D to the end of her Puritani career.

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

I think she got more impressive (if that"s even possible) as she got older

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

Thank you for posting this....

[@bellini7verdi]

la majestuosidad de su voz es de una increíble audición imposible de imitar.......esta mujer era de otro mundo..............una mujer sin parangon en la historia de la música........

[@magicmonkichi]

such a wonderful post~! Dame Sutherland's trills kill me~! XD

[@bellini7verdi]

LA VOZ MAS IMPONENTE DE TODOS LOS TIEMPOS.................UN CASO ESPECIAL DE SER HUMANO.........INCATALOGABLE.....SU SONIDO ES .......DIGNO DE CATEDRA.........AUN ASI Y TODO....JAMAS PODRAN SABER EXPRESARLO...............SERAN SIEMPRE....UNA CATEDRA SUSPENDIDA...........

[@bellini7verdi]

esta mujer fue un fenómeno vocal para la historia de la música........y fue en los años 50....60.......y 70.y 80........y me pregunto yo.Donde están los fenómenos vocales hoy dia???????????

[@jorgealbertolettera4027]

La Sutherland una maravilla.

[@bellini7verdi]

la única palabra que existe para esto.....es una sola.....la oímos?...si.es cierto.........pero ...oírla es INCREIBLE.........ES INCREIBLE SEMEJANTE CAPACIDAD INTERPRETATIVA VOCAL.....y asi estuvo 45 años por todos los escenarios DEL MUNDO...........UNA PASADA DE SER HUMANO....................

[@bellini7verdi]

ESTE VIDEO TIENE QUE VERLO MILLONES DE PERSONAS PARA QUE SEPAN DE LA REALIDAD DEL CANTO HUMANO.........QUE VA MAS ALLA DE LO QUE SABEN MUCHOS POR DESGRACIA...............

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

Bellini Verdi u said it!

[@canpete1]

Never too many!!

[@bellini7verdi]

TOTALLLLLTOTALLLLLLLLLLLLLL....................FABULOSAMENTE IMPRESIONANTE COMO SIEMPREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@magicmonkichi]

BRAVA~! Great collection :D Is it just me, or does it get more exciting each time hehe. I look forward to the possibility of further similar post's ^_~

[@bellini7verdi]

es una pasada de ser humano..............JAMAS ALGUIEN HA CANTADO CON TANTA PASION SINCERA............Y FUERA DE ESTE MUNDO.................la voz discurre............IMPETUOSA.....sin limites........................HASTA SITUACIONES SONORAS........DE UNA BELLEZA INCALCULABLE.............EL TOTAL DOMINIO.......DEL ESPIRITU .EL ALMA...Y EL FISICO.................ALGO UNICO.................

[@bellini7verdi]

EL VERISMO BELCANTISTA..................ANTES DE TIEMPO...........SIN TENER TIEMPO.............

[@bellini7verdi]

UNA PRODIGIOSIDAD VOCAL.....UN ESTACATO IMPOSIBLE....UNA SONORIDAD VOCAL.....DE CUENTOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@CaptFitzbattleaxe]

@christiaandhooghe Technically, they are all transposed -- up. Originally, the finally was in B-flat.

[@bellini7verdi]

LA DIOSA MAS GRANDE DE TODAS LAS CANTANTES DE LA HISTORIA DE LA MUSICA ......LA GRANDIOSA VOZ ..CAPAZA DE PONERTE TU ALMA EN UN HILO TAN FUERTE COMO FINO.......LA SPIDERMAN DEL CANTO VOCAL OPERISTICO ....MODERNO Y ANTIGUO CAPAZA DE ESTREMECER....HASTA ..LOS DIOSES ......

[@MrLuis85698]

despues de Callas por supuesto, sutherlan junto a Tebaldi son las que le siguen en el orden de cuanto impacto han dejado en el mundo operistico

[@bellini7verdi]

cierto ..total...........y absoluto...............

[@MrLuis85698]

bellini verdi asi mismo Es despues de Callas (la cantante mas famosa de toda la historia de la musica clásica) Es Precisamente Sutherland Quien le sigue

[@bellini7verdi]

MUY BONITO........SU CANTO ES HERMOSO.......BONITO................SOBRESALIENTE.............ESPECTACULAR.............ALUCINANTE.............ESTRATOSFERICO.............Y TU CUERPO QUEDA HECHO UN TRAPO LLENO DE EMOCIONES FANTASTICAS.....

[@MrLuis85698]

bellini verdi mas que bonito (Por que su timbre vocal nunca fue de Los mas bellos como el timbre de Tebaldi o Kiri Te Kanawa) Es la perfeccion de tocar cada nota con Una precision estratosferica como bien tu explicas, eso hizo de la Sutherland una soprano extraordinaria, nadie canta el belcanto como Ella , Pero como nada Es perfecto en esta Tierra , el poder de la Sutherland no fue dominante en otros estilos como el verismo, Wagner, y la ultima fase de Verdi (la forza, aida, Don Carlo, otello o falstaf) dejandole espacio a otras cantantes para que hicieran carrera .. la gran Sutherland, soberana Del belcanto, el problema que el mundo entero piensa que la opera Es belcanto, y el belcanto Es solo una faceta de las opera

[@magicmonkichi]

@CaptFitzbattleaxe the posts you've made are jus......./bow....amazing...i look forward to each thing u post :)

[@canpete1]

dammi piu! Give me more!!

[@CaptFitzbattleaxe]

@magicmonkichi The *possibility* of similar posts? It's inevitable, sir! :D

[@CaptFitzbattleaxe]

@Richiesutherland Do you know whence the 1963 performance came? According to my list of JS performances, she sang three concert performances of Puritani that year, two in New York and one in Philadelphia. I'm guessing it was from one of the New York performances.

[@bellini7verdi]

y no existen voces para enfrentarse a toda una orquesta completa...................y a todo un guion operístico....y a arias complicadas llenas de un volumen sonoro sin parangon.........

[@christiaandhooghe]

@CaptFitzbattleaxe Yes, well....I mean the early ones and later ones....sound the same....but I so find this amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

[@SirDiogoferreira]

0:00-17h53 = angel's music (except the lack between studio versions) ;)

[@bellini7verdi]

QUE ME GUSTA Y ME ENCANTA?????....JAJAJAJAJAJ.......PUES SIIII.........COMO NO ME VA A GUSTAR LA VOZ DE ESTA MUJER?????.....SI ES QUE ES LA GLORIA .....MAXIMA......DE LO QUE DEL LATIN QUEDA EN TODO EL PLANETA........Y ES LA BELLEZA GRIEGA Y ROMANA....EN CANTO......LA MAYOR DE LAS PROPORSIONES VOCALES EXISTENTES ......ES LA MIGUEL ANGEL DEL CANTO....LA LEONARDO DA VINCI...DEL CANTO........TODO UN ENSAYO SENSIBLE SONORO...DEL PODERIO HUMANO........

[@MrLuis85698]

si pero tienes que tomarte una pastilla para los nervios por que Sutherland te va a dejar loco

[@machovoce6826]

She was simply epic in this role -- nothing like it before or since. The sopranos I have seen assume Elvira in Europe are passing shadows in comparison. I got to say, though, I can't abide Seraphim's laborious conducting here. I don't know what he was going for but it just doesn't work.

[@thomastmwc]

04:22 - 07:22 = angel's music

[@christiaandhooghe]

Not shure but it seems they are not transposed???? Brava La Stupenda. She was and is such a standard in MANY ways.

[@bellini7verdi]

el belcanto..............es lo mas que se puede aspirar cantando..................y pocos lo logran.....lo demás.se puede tener si o no con técnica o preparación............según haya capacidad para ello..pero la capacidad belcantista es mucho mas difícil.................pues poder llevarse por delante toda una orquesta y coro..es tener.pulmones........alma......ganas.......y arte leonardesco..para enfrentarse al mundo...............

[@MrLuis85698]

bellini verdi solo Ella y Callas lograron eso

[@bellini7verdi]

es el belcantismo puro con reminiscencias veristas............dramáticas................

[@bellini7verdi]

belcantismo y verismo....como se pueden unir?'''''''?????????

[@bellini7verdi]

UNA PASADA

[@thomastmwc]

I say 04:22 coz the sound quality is good too :)

[@bellini7verdi]

Y NO ES CIERTO QUE FUERA LA MEJOR TURANDOT........FRIA ...POTENTE ...Y PRINCIPESCA........TAN SOLO ERA LA MAS GRANDIOSA VOZ.......POR ENCIMA DE CUALQUIER PRINCESA.......ELLA FUE TODAS LAS REINAS.....TODAS LAS PRINCESAS.....CONDESAS Y MARQUESAS........LA MAYOR REPRESENTANTE VOCAL DEL PUEBLO.....CON LA MAYOR DE LAS POTENCIAS SOCIALES ....VOCALES DEL MUNDO ENTERO..........LA GRAN JOAN SUTHERLAND...........LA CANTANTE MAS GRANDE DE TODOS LOS TIEMPOS......

[@MrLuis85698]

nunca fue mas grande Callas, ni lo sera.

[@raffaeleviggiano4901]

Vocalmente senza pari

[@bellini7verdi]

jajajajajajajajajajaja