Joan Sutherland Rehearses Emilia at her Home (1957)

Richard Bonynge at the piano
Mid September, 1957

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

This is an incredible thing to hear. The greatest opera singer ever - at home in rehearsal....thanks for posting this Vinicius. Interesting that she calls this "bloody awful"....I wish we had singers today singing this HALF as well.

[@wehrlepascal7109]

Thank you so much Vini Soaris for that wunderful gift. Joan Sutherland was the voice of the century!

[@ahogbin2644]

What an incredible recording, Vinicius. Her voice is so beautifully produced on a column of breath. Perfect. If only modern singers used this technique!!! It's the essence of bel canto.

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

*Her deep breath allowed her to produce a huge sound. Her middle voice here is stunning!*

[@josephcollins6033]

How incredible to have him for an accompanist at home!!! Thank you!!

[@schneevongestern9898]

I always wonder what the journey of a recording like this is until it ends up online for everyone.

[@josephcollins6033]

The scale is perfection , a matched set of pearls up and down, the "same' pearl every time! No matter what the pitch!

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Stunning. I wish there hsd bern a movie camera in there at the time!

[@shahabispahani3273]

Beautiful...the voice crystal clear but uttered with emotion. Clearly already well-rehearsed. We have said good-bye to this calibre of voice and technique!

[@crisha721]

I have this on 7" vinyl. the last note sounds so bright and loud my hair raises everytime I listen to it. sadly my copy has lots of crackles throughout, but I'm glad to have a copy of this rarity

[@65attila]

Joan is vocally special. BRAVA,

[@michaelinmass]

So fascinating to hear a great singer warming up and rising to an incredible level of quality. Her comment at the end about bring pretty awful is amusing to hear immediately after producing such astoundingly spectacular sounds. This is a great snapshot of operatic history!

[@sutherlandfan64]

The greatest of all !

[@shahabispahani3273]

Thank you Vinicius for this rare recording

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

It's my pleasure ;)

[@Tkimba2]

She looks so pretty

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

*The picture is from a rehearsal at home, but from 1959.*

[@thesoubretteoftheopera7313]

She was a beautiful woman. Just made some questionable hair and makeup choices later in her career.

[@Tkimba2]

@@thesoubretteoftheopera7313 who doesn't

[@nathandavis3002]

Twas the 80s

[@josephhapp9]

Nathan Davis and those 70s ,,,,

[@magicmonkichi]

You are the King of rare clips! Thank you for sharing them all :)

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

*HAHAHA I think I wil write to Mr. Bonynge to release some archives ;)*

[@wotan10950]

Vini Soaris Be sure to ask him about the Met Hoffmann that was taped for television. It was never shown publicly, but I have heard from a reliable source that Bonynge has the complete tape in his collection. That was the first time I ever heard Joan in the theater, and I assure you it was astonishing.

[@highbaritone]

@@wotan10950 it was the first time I heard her as well, that production in Seattle.

[@keithjohnson5874]

This is such a beautiful thing to hear. Thank you for sharing this!

[@schneevongestern9898]

Her technique is a miracle. The human voice put to utterly perfect use. No strain, no pushing, no faking of things. It's all carried perfectly by the perfectly supported and controlled breath. Marvelous. Why don't modern singers use this approach? It seems as if today it's all about loud, cliché-operatic sounding high notes. No refinement left. Sloppy coloratura, forced high notes, ridiculous parodies of a trill. And I believe that singers today don't stick to their true fach anymore. The smallest voices sing dramatic stuff. Dramatic voices today sound like a morbidly obese lady is screaming for food. I think true sopranos, especially dramatic ones and even more dramatic coloratura sopranos, are actually quite rare. I think that most female opera singers are mezzos. Singers with a true high D, E or F are a rarity. And I mean true high notes. Not squealing them out. As if they want to achieve a certain sound. What it should be is perfect vocal production first. Resonance, intonation, support, projection, free vibrato. And only then should come vowel modification, tonal colours, tricks like trills and all that. And most of all people should embrace what their voices truly are. Instead of slaughtering their voices by singing all the wrong stuff. Especially being very young. I really believe that recording, and especially video recording has moved the focus away from the true singing and towards the superficial. Looks, high and loud notes, production. For a singer it should be always the singing as the absolute priority. First the singing. Means resonance, phonation, projection, colour. Then diction. And then, only then comes physical acting. And the latter should never take anything away from the singing. Opera isn't meant for TV. It's meant for live experience. And that is mostly an acoustic one. So better not to acting at all, before it ruins the singing.

[@jimbuxton2187]

The highest notes must not be pushed up from lower register. The trill is not a trick. It is a technique that must be mastered. Joan sutherland was a vocal miracle because she sang her high notes in her upper register but they came out Big.

[@schneevongestern9898]

@@jimbuxton2187 aha

[@bellini7verdi]

impresionante............................

[@herrbrucvald6376]

sensational picture! her like will never be seen again.... what is the piece?

[@barbaranorthwood]

More gold dust. Thank you very much

[@jorgevergarabieberbach3679]

Maravillosa Joan......

[@rakellcolotta3675]

I wonder if this woke their then one year old baby😂😂😂 This is wonderful.

[@Jacovanzigg]

Quel précieux témoignage !

[@NapoleonIII1]

Where do you find such treasures?, l could think that they come from Richard's private collection.

[@bellini7verdi]

VOZ PURA......................................

[@brunoantony3218]

"Oh that was bloody awful" 😂

[@tg92277]

Is she actually being serious at the end?!

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

I believe so. We can hear something like "Awful". In the fact Joan was self-criticism of her singing.

[@Hako2004]

Yes, she could be quite self-deprecating. She really felt it was "bloody awful". LOL

[@tjw2469]

Where you find it?

[@williammaddox3339]

I have it on a CD titled "Sutherland Rarities" on Desiree records released in 1999. I don't think it is available now. It includes 4 tracks from her appearances in the Mobil Quest competition in 1949 and 1950.

[@briancastles-onion5249]

All three volumes of Desiree Record's "Sutherland Rarities" are still commercially available - plus the 4CD set of Joan Sutherland Live in Australia 1965 - and the rarest of them all .... the Australian House recital from 1959. Awaiting release are Sutherland's six excerpts (in English) from MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Early 1950s) and also the six excerpts (also in English) from LA BOHEME - from the BBC Broadcasts.

[@williammaddox3339]

Thanks for the info.

[@Tkimba2]

@@briancastles-onion5249O.O When?

[@briancastles-onion5249]

As soon as funding permits

[@orion8835]

All of this endless commentary about carried on the breath. Folks the secret is in the air being placed behind her strong soft palate and the low position of her throat that stays and is tilted. It is not just about the AIR.

[@Shahrdad]

Are you sure this is 1957?

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

*I believe so, because she performed the whole opera that year (Sep. 1957). She also gave a recital in the Autumn, 1957 which she sang 'Non intende il mio contento' with Bonynge at the piano.*

[@Shahrdad]

Makes sense. The reason I was asking is that her middle voice has a heavier vibrato here than she had in her first few Decca recordings, like an early version of what she developed later.

[@williammaddox3339]

According to my copy it was 1957. The vibrato you notice may be due to a home tape recorder as opposed to professional studio recording equipment.

[@paullewis2413]

@@Shahrdad Yes, I was thinking the same thing. I am not fond of Joan's middle register that she developed later, I much prefer her earlier recordings c.1958 - 1969.