Joan Sutherland - Suor Angelica - Puccini

La Stupenda in her legendary performance as Suor Angelica. 1979
"Joan Sutherland's portrayal is both powerful and distinctive"
Gramophone
La grazia è discesa dal cielo.
Suor Angelica ha sempre una ricetta buona fatta coi fiori.
Amici fiori, che nel piccol seno
racchiudete le stille del veleno.
Ah, quante cure v'ho prodigate.
Ora mi compensate.
Per voi, miei fior, io moriro.
Addio, buone sorelle, addio, addio!
Vi lascio per sempre.
M'ha chiamata mio figlio.
Dentro un raggio di stelle
m'è apparso il suo sorriso,
m'ha detto: Mamma, vieni in Paradiso!
Addio! Addio!
Addio, chiesetta! In te quant'ho pregato.
Buona accoglievi preghiere e pianti.
E discesa la grazia benedetta!
Muoio per lui e in cielo lo rivedro.
Ah!
Ah! Son dannata!
Mi son data la morte, mi son data la morte!
Io muoio, muoio in peccato mortale!
O Madonna, Madonna, salvami, salvami.
Per amor di mio figlio!
Ho smarrita la ragione!
Non mi fare morire in dannazione!
Dammi un segno di grazia! Dammi un segno di grazia!
Madonna! Madonna! Salvami! Salvami!
O Madonna salvami!
Una madre ti prega, una madre t'implora!
O Madonna, salvami!
Ah!
Ah!

[@johnruggeri843]

Superb singing and vocal acting by the incredible JOAN Joan age 56 vocally and dramatically superb. I would have loved to heave heard in Puccini's "Manon Lescaut". For a cold;-) singer she has me near tears with her dramatic sense. The voice is so warm even and pours out like lava. Thank your for this great post, -John.

[@kbhprinsesse]

She was 52 when she recorded this opera in late 1978.

[@WelahHomo87]

Those salva me's are so forced, she understood what Puccini wanted. Her powerful C at rhe end rncalsulates everything Angelica ia feeling

[@MignonDunne]

Arguably the greatest coloratura in the history of opera, she pulls of this spinto role ravishingly. Although I think Freni wears the crown for this role, Sutherland astonishes! Brava, La Stupenda.!

[@xavieralberto1176]

Scotto is unforgettable in this role - have a listen

[@viverito]

the recording with Rosanna Carteri is my favorite. kzbin.info/www/bejne/faaylmCQaZ2Cd6s

[@kbhprinsesse]

Freni was a pushed, wobbly lyric when she recorded this role, there is no comparison, neither to Sutherland nor Tebaldi, who recorded this role very well.

[@kbhprinsesse]

@@xavieralberto1176 Screecho? No thx.

[@KajiVocals]

This is a lyric verismo role.

[@ElisabettaVS]

Sutherland is one of my favourites for this role! Absolutely wonderful and sung with a very clear voice. The audio quality is also very good, I enjoy the video with all the pictures of Joan. Very nice. ^^

[@MignonDunne]

Wonderful slides; wonderful era.

[@timsuffolk]

It's great to see the side show whilst listening to the most beautiful voice I have ever heard!

[@baritonebynight]

@sutherlandfan64 I also remember her saying that she loved singing it because it was so different from what she had sung before (in an old VHS tape called La Stupenda).

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

The unmistakable voice of the one and only Joan Sutherland.

[@flyboytim]

Another magnificent recording of the greatly missed Dame. Thank you

[@bellini7verdi]

ESTA GRABACION......ME HACIA SENTIR ....LAS PAREDES DE UN CONVENTO......LOS MUROS DE LA SOLEDAD LLENA DE RECUERDOS Y DOLOR......LA PAZ DEL MONACATO...LA CONEXION CON LA POSIBLE DEIDAD.....EL DESEO DE SENTIR LA PAZ.......EL GRITO DEL DOLOR POR ENCIMA DEL DESEO...........FANTASTICO.........

[@CaptFitzbattleaxe]

Wonderful recording and sweet collection of pictures! Love the costume at 2:30 And those are some uber-snazzy glasses Bonynge has at 3:11. :)

[@MadonnaImperia]

@andreasscholl She sang four performances of it at the Australian Opera in 1977.

[@alvenerio]

@bellini7verdi durante muchos años tambien fue mi grabación preferida. Tiene una intensidad que otras no. todavía , hoy , me emociona hasta las lágrimas escucharla

[@sutherlandfan64]

Thanks very much for your comment. In fact, she did sing this role on the stage, in 1976, and the critiques said she was even more dramatic and moving than in the recording that was to follow a few years later. She herself confirmed that the recording studio was less propicious an environment for her to inhabit the role and be as dramatic as she'd been in the opera house. Still, a great and unique rendition all the same, I think.

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

Were the performances in Australia recorded?

[@johnnie543]

I never knew Sutherland sang Angelica once onstage. She obviously has a rather obscure knack for the spinto repertoire, as evidenced by her recordings as Angelica, Leonora, Elvira, even the dramatic Turandot. Sutherland even studied the dramatic soprano roles as a student, in the hopes of becoming the next Flagstad; but when Bonynge discovered her high range he encouraged her to do more coloratura work. Who knows what could've been?

[@MadonnaImperia]

The picture at 8:25 - is that from the Dallas production of La traviata by Zeffirelli? Interesting to read Menuhin's letter, complimenting Sutherland on her performance of Giulio Cesare.

[@ChrisStockslager]

In what aria from this recording does Joan 'shriek' the E natural?

[@JDOopera76]

Just a little "nit-pick" - it was recorded in 1978 (November, I think)

[@fernandopinheirobb]

SUOR ANGELICA Ao entardecer no convento, o sino toca na hora da Ave-Maria, Dentro da capela, as freiras estão cantando em coro. Na saída, A Irmã Monitora instrui suas confreiras as preces em harmonia. Suor Angelica dedica-se ao cultivo de ervas. Esqueceu a caída, No conceito mundano da época, por ter concebido um filho Sem estar casada. Hoje, em dia, não há mais o filho ilegítimo, Faz um unguento e dá a confreira que está doente, sem brilho No rosto, sabendo que todos buscam ter o direito legítimo De ser feliz, sem necessidade de colocar a água fria em cima Da sepultura da confreira que morreu no convento. Ao vento, Ela disse: quem morreu não tem a sede, tem Deus na estima. Tendo convivido com as irmãs do convento a vida abastecida De muitas preces, louvores e recreações no pátio do convento, O céu que vivenciou em vida, sente-se a Deus agradecida. (*) (*) FERNANDO PINHEIRO, presidente da Academia de Letras dos Funcionários do Banco do Brasil. - SUOR ANGELICA (poesia), de Fernando Pinheiro. - in O mundo de Morfeu, de Fernando Pinheiro.