Joan Sutherland in Aida's Roles

Joan Sutherland as John and Aida Dickens' student, already had dramatic arias in her repertory (Aida, Tannhäuser, Tristan und Isolde) singing first time to the public in 1949 (Ritorna Vincitor!) for the competition "Mobil Quest". Joan sang again that aria in one her audition to entry to the ROH company. Sang the 'High Priestless' for the season 1952/53. Joan debuted as Aida on 4 February 1954 at the company. She touched the role for the last time for a studio recording with Luciano Pavarotti in 1976.
00:00
Aida (Act 1: Ritorna vincitor!)
1949, February - Mobil Quest, Sydney
07:11
Sacerdotessa (Act 1: Possente Fthà)
1953, June 10 - Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
Conductor Sir John Barbirolli
11:58
Aida (Act 4: La fatal pietra... O terra, addio!)
1976, September - Kingsway Hall, London
(with Luciano Pavarotti and Elizabeth Connell)
Conductor Richard Bonynge

[@PeteBMan]

Again, endlessly grateful these things were recorded.

[@Homoclassicus]

I love her singing in the final scene of Aida! I only wish she had sung "O patria mia" (imagine the High C!), the Act 2 duet with Amneris and the great concertato of the Triumphal Scene (her huge and lush voice would've been perfect for "Ma tu re, tu signore possente")!

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

Homoclassicus Well, she sang it, at least five performances... But unfortunately no one was recorded...

[@alangregory9229]

It really makes me smile that the greatest coloratura soprano in recorded history is given post- mortem advice by armchair opera experts who know better!!!Bonynge if nothing else was a shrewd operator……he launched Joan whose dramatic abilities were “limited” at the end of Callas’ career……not as a rival……but as a wholly different breed….. Callas herself, present at that outstanding Lucia….said she’d never sing Lucia again…….As the most ardent admirer of La Divina…..I’m not surprised!!…..She was “savvy” enough to know that at that point in her career, she was beaten…..vocally at least….HANDS DOWN!!….Joan could not have competed dramatically with Nilsson, Callas, Tebaldi, Gencer, etc etc…….instead she launched her own niche……LA STUPENDA!!! ……..Listen to the OVATIONS at the end of her performances from ‘59 onwards!!!….Isolde, Brunnhilde?……I don’t think so!……..SEMIRAMIDE…….Incomparable!!!…….Give the man his due…….he made LA STUPENDA!!! Out of a very VERY GOOD spinto…….Just an opinion….don’t hate…❤❤❤❤❤

[@rugby8-Philadelphia]

I agree wholeheartedly. People say what they will about Richard, but you nailed it. Very Shrewd man. 😎😎😎

[@paullewis2413]

Unbelievable that this is available. (1949 Mobil Quest) A young J.S. without that fuzzy mid register she developed later in her career. You can clearly hear the brilliance of those high notes she delivers with no effort at all, incomparable to this day.

[@barbaranorthwood]

A truly historic recording. Thank you very much.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Fabulous singing. It is especially interesting to hear the early Ritorna Vincitor. Stunning diction, too! I once heard a performance of her Senta's Ballad which was recorded in Australia before she went to London. It was beautiful and all the more touching for a rather insecure final high note, the last thing one ever expects from Sutherland! Thank you 1000000000 times for posting these performances. I live in hope of many more!

[@Homoclassicus]

Wow, I didn't even know such a recording of (Senta's Ballad) existed! Lucky you!

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Homoclassicus It was from one of her competitions I think. I only heard it once. So far, it has never appeared on CD.

[@nathandavis3002]

You dont happen to have that recording, do you? I have heard her (spectacular) recording of sentas ballad from the 70s, but never one from before her breakthrough. It would be fascinating to hear what she sounded like in that aria while she was still training her voice for wagner.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Nathan Davis I once heard it on Australia's ABC which hosted the competition in those days. It was not released as far as I know. Try petitioning the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to release it!

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

What a GREAT idea for a post Vinicius! Sutherland had a VOICE!

[@stevehays5029]

It's easy to forget about how long her career already was before her breakout role in Lucia.

[@justinodiaz6501]

Omg, old fashion English pronunciation and all....A VOCAL MIRACLE IN ANY repertoire...in all of Them!...and she hardly ever talk about it!....I can still hear that voice in my ears to this day...you’re great Joan!

[@justinodiaz6501]

Is that Luciano?

[@YortOK]

Yes, In the last excerpt.

[@vanmusician]

I was in London Coronation summer when she sang the Priestess to Callas' Aida, but I was only 5, so I had to settle for Gracie Fields at the Palladium. :) Fortunately I heard Sutherland many times in the 60's and 70's, including her debut performances as Norma, Lucrezia Borgia ,Merry Widow and Sita (as well as 3 Lucias.)

[@randysills4418]

I had hoped to hear some of the early radio transcriptions of Sutherland's singing but never thought that would be possible! Here they are! Thank you so much!!! Also, with very good diction too!!!

[@rugby8-Philadelphia]

What an Absofreakinglutely Wonderful treasure! .....among other things, her pp Bb at the end of the duet....lovely! And Pavarotti was young and vibrant, and his voice so Full of that "Tenor Ping" Thank you for posting this 😎😎😎

[@jmiller05]

I always think it was a great shame that she never sang Aida in her prime in one of the big opera houses.

[@lahire22]

She sang Aida at Covent Garden - 04/02/1954 (debut in the main role), 25/03/1955 and three more times in the title role on the Covent Garden tour in 1955

[@jmiller05]

@@lahire22 But never in Italian right? I'm talking about Sutherland singing Aida in her absolute prime in the mid 60s, that would've been amazing.

[@lahire22]

She sang what she loved! After Alcina and Lucia, she could afford it

[@Gav640]

Never heard the Aida! Wow!

[@ausbrum]

Surprisingly, most of the Mobil Quest programs have survived, although not remastered. Subsequent winners included June Bronhill and Donald Smith. The programs were made ion Melbourne

[@vanmusician]

I can't remember the name of the writer who attended one of the Coronation Season Aida's at CG with Callas and Sutherland as the priestess, but as he listened he asked himself 'Is there really that much difference in quality between Callas and that unknown singer offstage?'

[@vanmusician]

I've discovered the writer was John Steane - he told the anecdote in his obituary article in Gramaphone magazine.

[@eloyguevara9447]

guapisima.............................

[@MrQwerty88]

Great compilation! So sad she didn't record the role at least. Imagine it and who she could have been cast with.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

When she sang Desdemona in Australia in 1981, Carlo Cillario talked about wanting to do Aida with her. Joan adored working with Cillario, but the Aida didn't happen unfortunately.

[@wilsonwatt9283]

How about Sutherland/Aida; Verrett/Amneris; Vickers/Radames.

[@alandun27]

@@wilsonwatt9283 1964 - Sutherland/Simionato/Corelli/Bastianini . . . ! :)

[@Shahrdad]

Such clear diction back then!! Terrible translation, but you can hear every awful word.

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

Joan passed for two surgeries in the throat after her phenom as Lucia in 1959... what infliged in her diction.

[@Shahrdad]

Vinicius Soaris She never had throat surgery. She had sinus surgery in 1959 right after her Lucia. Her diction went bad a few years later.

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

Yes, I mean this, but I forget the correct word ;) Thanks.

[@Shahrdad]

Surgery had nothing to do with the diction. The awful diction happened as she tried to achieve a better legato line, which was what she found the most difficult. Here she and her husband talk about her struggles with legato singing, and how that led to the mushy diction. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3OWlWmdj6p_eM0m52s

[@eduardobraivein8496]

Shahrdad True. And had nothing to do with any kind of surgical operations

[@Tkimba2]

Pavarotti is ridiculous as Radames. Joan great as usual

[@alfredoloyola921]

She was not a dramatic soprano!! Period!!a dramatic coloratura Yes!!but not a dramatic soprano!! You got it?good!!now get a life!!

[@Paulofibonelli]

Alfredo Loyola completely agreed, there’s very few chest voice in comparison with real dramatic sopranos like Rosa Ponselle and Birgit Nilsson

[@SymphonyBrahms]

She was not a dramatic soprano or a spinto soprano. She was a coloratura soprano. Richard Bonynge convinced her to give up studying Wagner and to learn coloratura technique so that she could sing Bellini and Donizetti. He knew her voice better than she did.

[@alfredoloyola921]

Then,what type of voice had. Callas? She was considered early in her career,a dramatic soprano. She swicht to bell Canto repertoire and lightened her voice For that type of repertoire. She was Condidered in. Italy a dramatic coloratura,no a coloratura dramatic Soprano. Sfogatto soprano should be the right term,using by italians in te xix Century.

[@alfredoloyola921]

Sutherland was considered in even for Wagner roles!! Bonynge had others ideas On mind for her and change everything.

[@starlove7474]

She was a pushed up dramatic soprano. She never exploited her low notes like other dramatics did, that's all. You are born in only one vocal category- period. The rest is up to training, tempermant, and personality. I heard her at the met and she had the width of a dramatic soprano.

[@alfredoloyola921]

sutherland was really an spinto soprano. from the beggining she was conside red for the heavy italians sopranos roles and even wagner. her husband change her voice,adding high notes to sing the coloratura.her middle register suffered after that,because it be came bland and weak. but her real natural voice was an spinto soprano.

[@williammaddox3339]

Her natural voice was dramatic not spinto and the middle voice was lush and very strong. I heard her live in Seattle in 1977 in Le Roi de Lahore.

[@williammaddox3339]

Very dramatic on record, even more so live

[@williammaddox3339]

Dragan - I believe you need to see a hearing doctor ASAP ….

[@Tkimba2]

@@williammaddox3339 thank you! All these people judging voices they NERVER heard live are hilarious!

[@Paulofibonelli]

The fact is: the voice here (very undeveloped voice) is different of her voice after 1957 (pure coloratura voice, clear vowels, perfect for me); her voice after 1957 is different of her voice after 1962 (muddy voice, squeezed high notes and very very poor diction). Her voice after 1962 became more and more collapsed head voice, in other words: fake chest voice, weak head voice, excessive falsetto, unclear vowels until 70’s and more 80’s when her voice completely collapsed

[@alfredoloyola921]

She is not the proper voice for a coloratura soprano. That was. Richard. Bonynge who almost dominated her with iron fist!! Who was vocalizing her voice into the higher and higher and higher register to discover her extra highs notes. The rest is history. Serafin offer her the role of lady. Macbeth,that had to said something about her voice at that time!! She was an spinto with a fabulous top register. An spinto!!!!!!!

[@LaDivinaLover]

No.

[@rakellcolotta3675]

Bonynge said she was a spinto who sang coloratura

[@hester1955]

An spinto indeed! 🤣

[@luisnorbertogomez7058]

Terrible si la Sutherland canta perfectamente en italiano:muy feo

[@FranzBlumVan1890]

Thanks god she stayed away from this repertoite... not a Tebaldi, not a Milanov ....