La Sonnambula: "Ah! non giunge" (Natalie Dessay)

Act II finale from Bellini's "La Sonnambula." Natalie Dessay (Amina). Production: Mary Zimmerman. Conductor: Evelino Pidò. Taken from the 2009 Live in HD transmission.

[@ilbasso74]

Forget the sopranos, the REAL divas are to found in the comment sections on here.

[@alkssmith9762]

True, lol!...

[@ctmagnus760]

Nailed it.

[@Bumblebeebeebee]

The best comment I read in years! :)

[@carlocavicchioli5357]

Una voce poco fa qui nel cuor

[@andrejungels6255]

Sorry but Nathalie Dessay is not crédible. I like her and know to keep high notes but she singing over her capacité. What à shame

[@mikepollard1915]

What an amazing performance! One of the best I've ever heard, live or recorded. Practically flawless, thanks Natalie.

[@INOBT100]

She brings so much youthfulness to this aria

[@Filiomena]

The way Juan Diego Flores looks at her! How he does it, in addition to being a great singer. Thank you, Mary, for staging it. Thank you, Natalie, for playing so well. Thank you, Juan Diego Flores, for being there for us all. Especially at this time.

[@carineh9948]

Simply love her ! She is fantastic.

[@adrianadoomen6722]

Dessay is an original! I love her!

[@wallshootout5616]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤I love the costumes because the location of the Opera is Switzerland and the costumes are original!!!Well done!!And Bravo Bravissimo Natalie Dessay!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤Wonderful Performance!

[@yogajedi3337]

KZbin is merciless when anybody so easy can reveal singers with just one click and compare with true great singers.

[@sannybunny614]

Yep compare this to legendary sutherland

[@regulargonzalez]

So happy I got to see Ms. Dessay live at the Met twice. Sadly not in La Sonnambula, but at least we have a recording!

[@dieterflorian865]

regulargonzalez very good nathalie

[@JULIESIMONSOPRANO]

I saw this production live. It was incredible and Ms Dessay was sublime

[@nadetomirkova4943]

THANK You Russia FOR THE FANTASTIC VIDEOS !!! DIVINE VIDEOS !!! WITH LOVE Nadya Mirkova from Bulgaria

[@gregoryludkovsky5185]

thank you russia for the wars u have started : Georgia, Ukraine , etc

[@danielninofloresmendez3315]

I love it!!! love her!!

[@lucianofrisina9298]

Ce ne fossero di queste Sonnambula innovative senza stravolgere. Ho visto situazioni peggiori! La musica comunque trionfa!!!

[@fabriziomariagarzi5534]

Veramente non e' innovativa ma cretina. La storia di Amina non e' quella di una deficiente allegra. La Sonnambula e' un'opera quasi drammatica e cosi e' solo pessimo vaudeville. La musica e il canto trattati cosi non trionfano affatto. Non so Lei ma io sarei uscito dopo mezz'ora dal teatro.

[@lucianofrisina9298]

@@fabriziomariagarzi5534 ha mai sentito dire I gusti non si discutono oppure ognuno ha i suoi gusti oppure libertà di opinione? ? A me è piaciuta!

[@fabriziogarzi9892]

@@lucianofrisina9298 , si.

[@user-wx8tn5ly2h]

So prety! Good! I love this .

[@MiguelArcangel-zi7xd]

Hizo una excelente carrera de soprano ligera, de sobre agudos estratosféricos, según la célebre tradición de sopranos francesas.

[@KayHarpaGone]

Que les grincheux restent dans leur cher temps passé, leurs traditions/ La Sonnambula reste un opéra où l'on rit, l'on pleure, l'on prend du plaisir ! Natalie est une merveille, les autres chanteurs me ravissent, me transportent ; ça c'est de l'opéra comme j'ai envie de le voir MAINTENANT, au 21me siècle !

[@75patpat]

Dessay chante Amina comme elle chante Olympia... elle a tjs fait ça! elle n'a aucun sens de la dramaturgie ni la tessiture pour chanter le belcanto! c'est un clown comme Patricia Petitbon!

[@KayHarpaGone]

@@75patpat le grand spécialiste de l'Opéra et des Voix a parlé !

[@patrickmarguerit8264]

@@KayHarpaGone vous devez sans doute avoir un abonnement à Holiday on Ice!

[@KayHarpaGone]

Patrick Marguerit heu...... je ris mais je ne comprends pas ton com’ - j’ai des goûts très limités et le patin à glace m’ennuie beaucoup.

[@MiguelArcangel-zi7xd]

Completamente de acuerdo contigo 🤗

[@relike868p]

3:17 JDF is trying not to hurt his ears lol

[@kimberlywilson7929]

relike868p I saw the same thing

[@morganchan2465]

But his voice hurt mine @ @ I really fed up with him

[@infundomaris]

3:14 here a high F would be the perfection!

[@santiagoruizperez6018]

I love Dessay!

[@regisseurdutch]

THIS IS THE BEST PRODUCTION OF SONNAMBULA I HAVE EVER SEEN! THE DIRECTOR IS A GENIUS!

[@jwkim0822]

Lol

[@dankurth4232]

A splendid and thoughtful production and a wonderfully acting Nathalie Dessay and Juan Diego Florez! This is not a all a Opera buffa, but it rightfully emphasizes the joyful and redeeming final of the story of false suspicion, slandering, and hard tested love !!

[@g.germain7520]

I agree!

[@federicomartinez9342]

si esta es la mejor producción de "La Sonnambula", no quiero oír la peor........

[@dchswroboe7569]

@@federicomartinez9342 😂😂😂😂😂

[@miguelsalinas4143]

Que Belleza!!!

[@davidsoberanez1076]

I was able to see Natalie and Juan Diego at the Met with my friends Lili & Heinz Frolich, Phil Rowin, James Coffey and my love James Miller. It was a glorious weekend in New York City.😉

[@theguanenonli]

God- “Today I feel like showing off, let Me create Natalie”

[@vincenzoazzarello6447]

Bravissima Natalie D. !!

[@francescasassu2009]

Bravissima!!!! ❤️

[@MonsieurLu77]

Elle est tout simplement adorable. Bravissima!

[@petraschneck1842]

Ils cherchent à rajeunir le public de l’opéra par tous les moyens. Pas sûr que les jeunes apprécient d‘être pris pour des idiots. Pas sûr non plus que les moins jeunes apprécient ce genre de production.

[@giorgiocardosi3303]

(.....that horrible shoe noise.....no, no, please, please)

[@bocellimarco976]

Bravaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[@MM-ki6ye]

Meravigliosa

[@violingirl2]

Dessay is typically spectacular but i think this is a bit shit? maybe it's the dancing that pisses me off.

[@danawinsor1380]

As it turns out, Lisa is willing to marry Alessio after all, which gives "Sonnambula" a Gilbert & Sullivan touch. As all G&S fans know, the object is for the main characters to get married. Who they married was of secondary importance. Maybe someone could write a sequel called: "La Sonnambula II: Lisa Goes Mad." It turns out that Alessio didn't realize that Lisa was, well, damaged goods, so he decides not to marry her after all, and starts chatting up the milk maid. Lisa seeks the Count for help but he could care less. Then, it turns out there actually was a real ghost; Amina's sleepwalking wasn't it after all! So finally, to everyone's surprise and delight, Lisa has a mad scene! Fortunately, she comes back to her senses just in time for the opera to end and everybody lives happily ever after.

[@rosy3385]

La mise en scène est sublime comme toujours au MET !

[@jwkim0822]

This is making a mockery of Bellini

[@marr6920]

Kind of. She started out very close to the original manuscript score though, then the rest of the piece was just vulgar whistle, and out of style staccato.

[@voltape]

I like itttttttttt!!

[@MaestroWenarto]

me too

[@MrRafwww]

Chill people!

[@joselatorre1696]

RIDICULOUS🤤🤤🤤

[@gustavotbf]

Why?

[@eclipsemodel-agenziadellav2463]

........, no comment.

[@arnoldamaral7406]

WORD!!! Arnold Bourbon Amaral

[@gvbrandolini]

Interesante

[@clement2780]

This should have been a concert performances, well story is less than believable anyway, only point is to show off the soprano and tenor

[@dieterflorian865]

Clement Ng awonderful Pair of Singers, worldclass Bravo per tutti 🎵💖🎵

[@denis.fjb60]

Ce n’était sans doute pas assez de programmer dans cet opéra la plus effroyable soprano colorature que la France ait produite depuis Mado Robin, il fallait encore lui tailler sur mesure une mise en scène qui, pire encore qu’une “relecture” grotesque, relève du terrorisme et devrait conduire ses auteurs devant les tribunaux.

[@barsport7575]

Se amate la lirica e volete saperne di più della Sonnambula seguite la nostra rubrica "Così parlò Dulcamara"

[@folgoredasangimignano2422]

Del sec . XIX, sa fare solo Olympia, e la appiccica a tutti i personaggi

[@Paulsonof]

She is awesome, the best

[@kitarucareanu3429]

SUPERBISSIME Nathalie, joyeuse, petillenate, expressive, maitrisant merveilleusement bien son chant!

[@dieterflorian865]

This was the best Performance for ever, compliment to the MET and the crew

[@torbenhrslev3220]

Hun synger falsk det meste af tiden

[@saverioorlando]

l'intonazione viene e va,la voce è sostituita da una danza idiota,che oltre tutto evidenzia che la candida amina qui è una nonna e non una stella mattutina.

[@Lenkov1934]

oscena e ridicola la danza di contorno, la voce del soprano alterna e pecca di intonazione e superflue tutte quelle note aggiunte nel finale

[@kitarucareanu3429]

DIVINE et splendide mise en scène... déjà vu/écouté!!! mais je l'aime à la folie!!!

[@mnverrone]

🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️☝🏼🤯

[@opmmtvvideo7058]

Haahahhaaahaaaaa

[@MrLombreeze]

Pfffffffffffff

[@andrzejcelmerzajaczkowski]

Polisch... Natalie i Juan Diego swoimi TALENTAMI to rozwalą kiedyś Wszechświat... Zobaczycie!... Sygnuję Andrzej Celmer Zajączkowski... ps dla polskich internautów,tekst mój, chroniony przez Agencję.

[@rogerpropes7129]

Well it is just a polka, after all.

[@tjw2469]

I don't feel like I am watching an opera

[@jenylogan1]

Love her, hate the staging !

[@handelviola]

ok the dancing is not necessary and is a distraction.

[@dabi5144]

A distraction from her squeaky rushed strained coloratura...

[@joemiller6975]

I think this production was fun and had it's moments of charm. Dessay is Dessay and she sounds good here. Callas is dead and buried and if you want to hear her listen to her recordings . We have today the singers we have and some are very talented, Dessay was one of those singers who was very gifted in the coloratura roles and JDF can sing in his manner very well also. Why all the snarking, criticism? This Sonambula was not that bad !

[@gregoryludkovsky5185]

so sad !!They turned into singing robots & clowns

[@crazyorganist1609]

Forez isn't good. Dessay is. Her coloratutra is clear. His is non existent

[@louise_rose]

Yeah, I like this production too and I loved Dessay as a singer and actress (saw her in a few other Met productions, notably La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor and Julius Caesar (Handel)). She is such a firebrand singer/actress, really gave everything on stage and without slipping into bad improvisations. Her take on Lucia was the best I've seen of this difficult opera, she made it into an engaging drama about honour culture and a woman trapped between rivaling clans. It's easy to understand why she left opera some years ago and turned to looser forms of singing, she would have risked a burnout if she had continued on the opera stage with that level of passion. About this finale and the tone of the production: I don't think it would work today to do this opera and this finale without some elements of ironic distancing, "just telling the story on its own terms". It wouldn't wash today, even if it worked two hundred years ago.

[@waldemarxxx4334]

Mam nadzieję że pani Natalie posłuchała jak śpiewa nasza Halinka Mickiewiczówna.

[@Tenortalker]

I love Nathalie Dessay but La Sonnambula is not a comic operetta. What on earth is this production? Making fun of the conventions in this opera just does not work. It is a gentle, pastoral story, perhaps well removed from contemporary mentality but mocking it just destroys it for me.

[@robman7924]

I agree with you...

[@Tenortalker]

I do hear what you are saying , but the musical score is a mixture of pathos and joy rather than pathos and comic elements. I am glad that some people enjoyed this production. I find it tough to cope with the noise of the dancers behind the singer and also when Nathalie Dessay sings higher and higher being raised above the dancers heads and then suddenly lowered when she sings a downward scale for example. The music doesn't need to be underlined in that obvious manner ( up for up , down for down) I feel , however everyone to their own opinion.. best wishes and enjoy the music.

[@sonqualnave]

So it's the stage director who is to blame... not the singers

[@75patpat]

@@sonqualnave Dessay is to blame too... she could refuse to play the clown like this, bur she didn't because she likes to show off in ridiculous performance like this!

[@holobenthic]

@@75patpat that's how you get a reputation for being a difficult singer and you find yourself in the same situation callas did, she spoke up and people didn't want to work with her.. natalie did nothing wrong

[@fan2jnrc]

RI DI CU LOUS What circus did I just watch ?

[@VivaColoratura]

The prompter is certainly enthusiastic 🗣

[@milanetc4865]

All those heavy feet hitting the stage. Ugh

[@crazyorganist1609]

Utterly tacky sets, acting and stupid dancing but Dessay is amazing as usual

[@angelabender8132]

Cute Dessay Good role for her jouvenile voice and virtuosism Too much dancing and confusion in the finale. But the directors do it all the time, unfortunately, and it is a choice between listening or looking

[@gregoryludkovsky5185]

stupid dancing puppets (clowns) ! They spoiled the scene !

[@robert111k]

Ufff. Una lástima a lo que llegamos con la edad, al menos en lo que a la voz respecta. Ayer veía un vídeo de Dessay cantando el aria de las campanillas en los 90 y era tannnnnn buena... Me quedaré con eso.

[@santiagoruizperez6018]

¡Hay que ser necio e insensato para decir semejante estupidez!

[@DCFunBud]

Clop, clop, clop! Hideous direction and choreography. Who invited the Rockettes and The Third Army? But for the music, it could have been a high school musical.

[@andehuang5479]

americanata

[@acitipo]

Una gran soprano de coloratura, Natalie Dessay, como Mado Robin, Lily Pons…. Las francesas han dejado una estela de sopranos de gran agilidad y notas extremas por tradición.

[@orion8835]

The production a reconstructed behind the scenes rehearsal style culminates in this only scene that bore any resemblance to the original work. Dessay does her best with her acid bright high coloratura soprano. Yet this is really a Lisa ( the “seconda donna” in La Sonnambula) voice versus the lead Amina which requires a much more substantial profound tone. At either rate the reveal is a parody in a sort of vaudeville version. It will delight people who are unfamiliar with the opera and irritate those who know.

[@joseangelpadronrodriguez9597]

This is not a real "Sonnambula" what a terrible thing ! This aria is not for her

[@victorhernandezgarcia6283]

No

[@saradambrosca4815]

Mah... sono sempre più allibita... e ancora non ho capito come ha fatto a fare carriera con questa voce.

[@emanuelepozzi5138]

TERRIBILE...BELLINI VERSIONE TIROLESE....

[@fabriziogarzi9892]

La Sonnambula non si svolge in Tirolo ma in Svizzera ed e' "altra cosa".

[@KrebSDani]

Not her best

[@marcocavallero8094]

Maria Callas e Luchino Visconti si rivolteranno nella tomba. Il Melodramma non è un musical

[@carmelo46able]

+el Guarany Il primo a rivoltarsi nella tomba è il sommo Bellini!!! Non è questo il "contento" di cui è colmo il cuore di Amina, e la Callas e Visconti lo sapevano benissimo!

[@MaestroWenarto]

+el Guarany HAHAHAHAHA E VERO

[@NLidar]

Marco Cavallero ahahaha

[@docteurmiracle5899]

@@carmelo46able Sì, riproponiamo le scene di cartone, le quinte dipinte, il coro fermo come un mucchio di sacchi di patate, per interpretare un'opera musicalmente bellissima ma con un libretto RIDICOLO; non oso nemmeno immaginarmi come sia stato tradotto in inglese per il pubblico della MET... Dai, diamo una spolverata ai concetti ottocenteschi che ormai sono piombati nel silenzio della tomba assieme alla Callas & Visconti.

[@carmelo46able]

@@docteurmiracle5899 il libretto così ridicolo come lo rifaresti per migliorarlo?... e la triste, splendida aria di Amina "Ah! non credea mirarti" la facciamo con lo stesso tipo di balletto? L'opera ottocentesca o si accetta così com'è oppure ci si rivolge ad opere più moderne del Novecento (ce ne sono tante a disposizione dove è possibile fare tanti allestimenti moderni) o altri generi musicali più congeniali (operette e veri e propri musical).

[@corrado53]

La sonnambula all'Oktoberfest! 🤣🤣🤣

[@brunopicaude3092]

Certains préfèrent manifestement _dans les commentaires ci-dessous _ une potiche plantée face au public, levant tout au plus les bras en guise de jeu de scène. Pour qui sait ce que signifie chanter un opéra sur scène en terme de mobilisation physique et mentale (et pour cela, il faut l'avoir fait...), la performance de Natalie Dessay est phénoménale. Pour le reste _ les questions d'esthétique _ chacun aura les indignations qu'il souhaite avoir, mais franchement, quand on voit que 80% des productions lyriques sont d'une laideur sans nom sous couvert de "conception personnelle", il n'y a pas ici de quoi hurler au loup.

[@fan2jnrc]

Bah oui, on préfère.

[@relike868p]

Finally I see someone other than Salome and Elektra dancing on stage...

[@silvanacosimi5550]

Non so però perché ridono

[@dokakrigorovich8306]

Это ужасно.И балет и пародия на оперу. Я только что прослушала эту арию с молодой Нетребко.Отлично!

[@jorgeperera8503]

Que horror!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jorgeperera3816]

POBRE BELLINI, QUE HORROR, QUE FALTA DE RESPETO!!!!

[@ninoheyder1554]

Quand une soprano fera en scène ce que faisait Natalie Dessay, alors là, je retournerai sûrement voir un spectacle d'opéra !

[@ensambleileven]

can't stand this production. so vulgar. the dancing and overacting take away the attention from the beauty of the music.

[@KyleKnappTenor]

The attitude that any attempt at imagination or doing something new with opera is incredibly discouraging to those of us who are working opera singers.

[@viniciusbritobraga5670]

I preffer Diana Damrau, but Natalie Dessay is amazing too.

[@jorgealbertojoselettera4829]

Totalmente innecesario. Ese baile distrae, y es mas lo que resta que lo que suma. Dessay canta muy bien, y es buena actriz, pero Amina no es la muñeca Olympia.

[@federicomartinez9342]

concuerdo! además, hace falta hacerle todo ese show a una mujer que tuvo escenario toda su vida?...... no es suficiente ya???????????????

[@anibalalvarez3807]

Disgusting how they defile this beautiful piece. The ridiculous dancing and turning this gorgeous and joyous scene into a cheap comedy is so disrespectful. Musically ok but horrible staging. The fact they feel they need to pull this stunts shows their complete lack of trust in the work itself to stand on its own. Such ignorant contempt towards Bellini.

[@federicomartinez9342]

que fiasco! y que vergüenza..... una mujer que no quiere soltar..... ya no daba para más y la sigue y la sigue.... y si todavía el elenco no la llega a aplaudir es pecado parece. Una vergüenza el met opera. Denle oportunidad a la gente joven y nueva!!!!!!!!! o almenos que conserven algo de voz! ya esta mujer tuvo mucho escenario, ya canto, no es suficiente???............

[@DiomedesDioscuro]

Shameful. A singer you wouldn't hear singing in your bathroom, singing in the biggest opera house. Let's add some valueless dancing to distract the public.

[@ilnormannorichard5554]

Fucilate il regista per lesa maestà

[@carmelo46able]

+il normanno richard Veramente, senza pietà alcuna!!!

[@henri-francoisserrescousin412]

A quand sa Medea femme-enfant rigolotte ? Grande voix mais actrice insupportable vraiment

[@jacquesduffourg7189]

Heureusement qu'on sent ici un commencement de second degré. Le rendu est tout de même assez pathétique. En outre - avec tout l'amour que je porte à Natalie - ses aigus ne sont pas très "purs"... 🤔

[@operabilia]

Overstretching her little voice. Now completely gone. That was the voice of soubrette! (A lovely one but totally miscas here, as she has always been in Lucia or even in La Traviata!)

[@jimbuxton2187]

Not a soubrette a TRUE COLORATURA soprano. A soubrette voice is not equal in all registers . Her voice is not gone. She's doing recitals now. Check you tube. She sang on the stage for over 25 years. Opera is too strenuous to maintain for a long time. I've heard all the greats and 10 years prime 15 at most. Everyone starts a slow decline after that.

[@gvstavvs_h]

Horrible

[@cesaretrevigne4338]

Che orrore il balletto

[@zamyrabyrd]

Unbearable parody of opera.

[@75patpat]

This is so ridiculous!!! Dessay is just good to sing and play the clown as Olympia in les Contes d'Offmann... Poor Bellini, poor Callas and poor Visconti if they saw this circus!

[@aldaverona1963]

Una cantante da circo . Gli artisti sono un ' altra cosa

[@lucianogualtieri6721]

but does you tell it seriously?

[@myhighbury]

Always annoying !