Kathleen Battle "Et incarnatus est" - Mozart's Great Mass

Soprano Kathleen Battle sings "Et incarnatus est" from Mozart's Great Mass in C Minor KV 427. Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by James Levine. Recorded in 1989.

[@tropicana802]

My favorite version of the piece!!! Truly a magnificent voice!!

[@JujuAuntie]

Well said. Voices like this come along only once, ever. I think she's the best singer of this material that there has ever been.

[@MimiB1974]

Absoulte perfection.... This always brings me peace

[@twfsk]

it's absolutely WONDERFULL!!! It's like angels were singing

[@Mikesennna]

She´s simply divine!!! What a voice!! Really amazing........

[@samuelkim644]

I finally found it. I love this piece of music so much when song by my most favorite singer. Kathleen Battle I love you so so much. God bless and keep you my love.

[@willthebest1]

Yes I have been looking for this for weeks! 😊

[@JasRichlovesLA]

Beautiful. Simply lovely!

[@ophd.5641]

splendide, veritablement splendide!! voix du Ciel!

[@karolinegrinabakken3537]

If you think you're sometimes hearing "incarnaCtus", not "incarnatus", the explanation is that you're listening to the word "factus", not "incarnatus". The entire text is: "Et incarnatus est de spiritu sancto, ex Maria virgine et homo factus est." The goddess Kathleen Battle never gets it wrong ;-)

[@evaangel7736]

Eine Interpretation, die die Seele bis ins Tiefste berührt - Und in die höchsten Höhen des Himmels trägt. 😊

[@fortissimo25]

she is incredibly talented and beautiful!!!

[@mariposamarshall9773]

Sooooooo soothing; Simply Divine!!!

[@kelkiewyn]

"Music leads us to the edge of the infinite and lets us gaze on that..."

[@acempdc]

Same here, what a glory of creation. Peace with you! :)

[@blaueseinhorn1508]

Mozart macht den Sopran zu einem Instrument. Musikwissenschaftler sagen zu dieser Arie: Es ist ein Wunder! Ich bin der gleiche Ansicht. Für dieses Stück gibt es einfach keine treffenden Wörter außer: Danke Mozart!

[@Mikesennna]

@cardbrown She´s simply divine!!! What a voice!! Really amazing........ I thank God for such an inspiring voice....

[@timw4383]

I had never heard of Kathleen Battle until about 2008. I was held up in a hotel in Frederic, Md. watching the classic arts show. They showed a still of this stunningly beautiful Black woman who was going to sing. But I was offended because she was going to sing 'an old Negro Spiritual'. Lol When this woman opened her mouth to sing, I sat straight up in bed and said "oh, my God. Who is this?!!" That was the same reaction I had to hearing Whitney Houston the first time. LOL Glad she is a contemporay.

[@kelkiewyn]

@operaman20 Thanks for commenting! I should have added the name of the person who wrote it... here it is: John Gilmore in "Probing Heaven". Here is another beautiful quote by Belle Brittain: "This is the luxury of music; it touches every key of memory and stirs all the hidden springs of sorrow and of joy. I love it for what it makes me forget and for what it makes me remember..." This is what music means to me anyway. Have a great day.

[@ahamneze]

Angelic. Mozart may have written this piece for Constanza, but I bet he had Kathline in mind. Simply ridiculous! The best rendition ever. Notice the ethereal transitions and flotations into oblivion and abyss.

[@Pawel_Malecki]

You may not be wrong actually. Recent research shows that pre-19th century opera singing was much more similar to natural singing than it is now, so Constanza and 18th century divas might have sounded like Kathleen. No matter how the singers in 18th century sang, for me Kathleen's voice is made for Mozart's music. Sadly the whole C minor mass, with Kathleen shaking the ground and hearts in Kyrie eleison (together with Wiener Philharmoniker under James Levine), is not on KZbin.

[@yucaly2978]

なんと美しく甘く優しい声 なんでしょう 彼女の柔らかな美声は　いつも私の心を 天国へと誘ってくれます 辛く嫌なことがあっても　心が安らぎ忘れさせてくれます ありがとう　ミス・キャスリン！！ 私は大好きです！！💖💝🌸🌺

[@magdalarondine]

Es de lo màs bonito que se ha escrito. Kathleen Battle tiene voz de angel.

[@Hemetite]

Bella voce, rediscovering this beautiful voice among my classical cd's ,I happened on this video presentation. Close your eyes, this is what I hope to hear when crossing over into "heaven". This is how I expect to hear the angels.

[@pranmere4164]

I am transported. Bless you and thank you.

[@stephanieportelli8072]

j'aime beaucoup sa voix et sa musicalité

[@leitmotif4me]

Perfect trills....

[@pietergrobler2035]

❤ Beautifull

[@galatee9930]

quelle voix magnifique pour interpréter ce morceau, on dirait celle d'un ange et c'est juste divin

[@nandiniOM]

The first time round it's definitely INCARNATUS and NOT incarnaCtus ... though maybe the second time ?? it's .... ctus, though further again it's definitely carnatus. And the beauty and power of the voice is exceptional and the great Levine takes it nice and slow 8.23. Fabulous combination, and talking about "believing" - what else reflects eternal love more than this?

[@KKIcons]

I love the tempo and her voice here.

[@acempdc]

Only Mozart could write something so out of the box, ingenious, glorious, simple, marvelous, perfect... Bravo Mozart. Beautiful rendition! I didn't quite get the reason to watch the beautiful tropical beaches- I would associate this music to other visual attributes, but it's maybe a personal matter. I wonder what Mozart would feel when writing that. Goosebumps would he have, but would he think in Incarnation or in the goddesses that would have to sing this?

[@zincouzincou]

très jolie voix

[@sweetvlc]

Wow!!!!!

[@mickey05491]

okay....thank you....i thought i was hearing it wrong...either way....she is absolutely beautiful.

[@chrisrushlau]

In some way, the performers must believe the music or even believe in it or perhaps even believe through it in order to, as one music-shop owner put, "play it correctly".

[@jerrodnickels2518]

This is a lovely version but may I suggest that Arleen Auger's is truly unsurpassed!

[@thomasmartin6046]

I beg to differ. Kathleen has better breath control and is just sheer perfection. Ms. Auger's is a fine performance, but lets not pretend her voice is better than Battle's in this music.

[@willthebest1]

I actually love both! It really isn’t t easy performing Mozart!

[@willthebest1]

Auger too is Fantastic....May she Rest In Peace.

[@leoniemikele6]

Oh, don't know hers...but my goodness, Lisette Oropesa's is gorgeous, too

[@nichtsleezy]

@mickey05491 I hear her phonating a hard "t" sound, not "ct".

[@Pawel_Malecki]

She took a very short breath right before that "t", that's why it may be confusing. Battle's voice is so sweet and delicate you can hear her breathing, what is not common among Classical singers.

[@Merlin1940]

I agree that Kathleen Battle is, here as everywhere, exquisite. She is the best I know for "Welche Wonne, welche Lust". Here in "Et incarnatus est" I love her but still prefer Sylvia McNair (pure, heavenly, otherworldly) or Sumi Jo (the one who gets me shaking as a leaf every time I hear her). Tue 24 Feb 2009 21:21 GMT

[@erpollock]

Bittersweet beauty, heavenly and cursed. Kathleen Battle was my ideal 20 years ago. Now both she and Levine are finished.

[@wellasang]

Eileen Pollock From the stories after the dissolution of her contract with the Metropolitan Opera, the manager made it sure that Battle would be out before Levine would come back after his vacation, because the latter would surely defend Battle. Kathleen still has her silvery voice even at the age of 71, just like Jessye Norman who could sing even in her early 70s in one of Masterclass’s birthday greetings to Marilyn Horne.

[@Csanfer14]

You are right she is saying IncarnaCtus instead of et incarnatus est. So your ear is right!

[@captebbtide]

This Aria belongs to Kathleen Battle and Barbara Bonney. The rest of you girls should consider something else to sing.

[@arnoldamaral7406]

captebbtide To each his own per usual my friend. I prefer Cotrubas have a good day sincerely Arnold Bourbon Amaral☝🎼 👱🌷🌿🌏🌎🌍

[@captebbtide]

@@arnoldamaral7406 We are true music lovers and know what we enjoy! Continue enjoying great music, Arnold! Warmest regards! 👍☺

[@mickey05491]

Can somebody answer my question? The title says "Et incarnatus est," but it sounds like she's saying "Et incarnactus est." Can someone tell me which is correct or if I'm hearing it wrong? Thanks.

[@arnoldamaral7406]

Michaela Bushey it doesn't matter let's just enjoy this beautiful music but this beautiful voice. Arnold Bourbon Amaral

[@AM-abcd]

5ttþyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyÿ

[@richardvergara]

Too bad she was such a bad colleague.

[@winwarddale2779]

I finally found it. I love this piece of music so much when song by my most favorite singer. Kathleen Battle I love you so so much. God bless and keep you my love.