Marilyn Horne - Dove Sei, amato bene? "Rodelinda"

Marilyn Horne in concert singing the aria from Handel's Rodelinda. Munich, 1990

[@Xannika2008]

..from the concert with Montserrat Caballe. A pure pleasure for me

[@Fadoboy]

AMAZING!!!I Love Marilyn Horne!!!Her voice and inrtpretation is wonderfull!!!Johnny Popiel

[@uchibauki2515]

Her voice is the best i have ever heard , amazing and hard to sing like her !!!

[@benjaminvox]

Absolutely brilliant and inspiring, as always. Hearing Ms. Horne's rendition of this aria was what inspired me to record it in the first place. Bravissima.

[@piustwelfth]

This aria is perfect for her voice.

[@baritonebynight]

As we have no recordings from that period, nobody can say for sure if well supported natural singing was an effort or not. It's speculation at best. What do I hear in this performance? A mastery of the breath, an incredible trill, respect for the text, and one of the most glorious natural instruments know either to man or to woman. Attacking you? I'm frustrated with the entire camp of baroque "specialists" who wish singers to force a straight tone in this music based on controversial evidence.

[@Darrigrande]

An incredible voice! She is a living legend!

[@eduardobeirasgarcia9402]

Una voz única, acariciante, profunda...y una artista genial...¡

[@marchesano]

Beautiful line, and note that she is 56 in this performance.

[@alflig1]

semplicemente sublime! un piacere assoluto e contemporaneamente una lezione di grande Belicanto. non lo sapremo mai con certezza, ma è forse proprio così che cantavano i grandi cantanti dell'epoca, in particola modo i castrati. ci sono ancora in giro cantanti capaci di queste Messe di Voce? temo di no... la Horne è impagabile!

[@serafincarmelo]

Qui c'è una musicista che attinge al meglio del suo talento e difende l'arcata Canoviana del suo stile con un controllo superbo.

[@ALEXISVASSILIEV]

Bravissima! Dio mio, she is the better castrat of our time! AV

[@giovanniarioli2971]

When you are Divina, you are forever.

[@Darrigrande]

La mejor intérprete de "castrati" del siglo XX!!

lindíssimo!!! fiquei maravilhada!!!

[@baritonebynight]

@tkgsingsct I should have been more clear. The score that I have is marked largo. Most singers do not sing it largo because they have trouble completing the long phrases at the slow tempo. Ms Horne wishes are to respect the text and the composer, not to simply show off. Not her style at all, she's one of the most intelligent singers/teachers in the biz, IMHO.

[@Tenortalker]

A very great Handelian singer indeed. Some of the Handel singers who have excessively restricted their vibrato have actually damaged their voices through constricted muscles and tension! Not to mention reducing the palette of vocal colours. Yet we read that 18th century voices were free from constriction. Vibrato- less became an obsession of some during the Baroque revival of the 60's and 70's - it is actually an old fashioned approach now and we are returning to a balanced healthier approach.

[@01Vit]

🌸🌺🌸

[@tkgsingsct]

@baritonebynight Good point. When you consider that the aria was written originally for the castrato Senesino, it's not surprising that modern singers have difficulty following Handel's instructions precisely. Castrati tended to have large thoracic cavities because their bones (ribs) never got the signal from puberty to stop growing. By all contemporary accounts, the finest among them (like Senesino) were capable of remarkably extended phrasing, among other remarkable vocal calisthenics.

[@baritonebynight]

Daniels produces plenty of sound live, IMHO, much more than his peers. Its also, again, IMHO, the most beautiful countertenor voice all of time. But...this isn't about him. It's about Ms. Horne, still one of the greatest singers in the world.

[@matimomi]

heartbreaking.

[@philomelodia]

Hate to tell you this but Baroque singing is a form of Bel Canto singing. Bel Canto means "beautiful singing". What Rosini and his contemporaries were doing was writing and singing in a long-standing tradition that went back to the 17th century, through the entire 18th century (this includes Handel's music) and then ended in the late 19th century with the advent of verismo operas such as the works of Verdi and Puccini. Horne is actually known for her Handelian singing.

[@philomelodia]

I'll bet that several techniques were in use during Handel's time. For instance, there was the Naples school, the Roman School, the Venice School, ETC. Who can say that someone wasn't singing like that at all in the 1720's or 1730's. this period had to be something of a transitionary period because, in the 1740's, after Senesino left Handel and returned to Italy, his singing was dubbed old-fashioned.

[@baritonebynight]

@tkgsingsct She sings it very slowly because she CAN.

[@mua06dt]

i have 'got my ass up there and sung it'. And yes but this was premiered when Sensino was with Handel in 1725. Of course no-one can say that there was nobody singing like that, but the fact still remains that i like it was it was originally written and intended to be performed, and that's that

[@tkgsingsct]

As a countertenor learning this aria, I decided to listen to the incomparable Ms. Horne's interpretation. The tempo does seem a tad slow, but the timbre is probably very similar to Senesino's (castrato), the original singer. Horne's critics have often remarked about the "beefiness" of her sound and its practically masculine quality. I imagine this could be very similar to the castrato timbre. Today's countertenor singing is an approximation, but I tend to prefer it, except for Ms. Horne's.

[@mua06dt]

i agree, this is not a patch on andreas scholl, besides it's written for a male voice anyway without some of the unnecessary warbling, 4.45-4.55 is a prime example for me

[@baritonebynight]

@tkgsingsct Yes I know, although I'm glad we have discontined the practice!

[@baritonebynight]

The "Unnecessary warbling" or "parlor organ" comments tell me that these posters are uninformed. The vibrato is idiomatic and is produced when a well trained voice is well supported. Few singers are as well respected or accomplished as Ms Horne. In her prime there was nothing that she could not sing, and she still has plenty of voice left at 74. Not appreciating her timbre is one thing, not respecting her technique is ignorance. Baroque singing IS Bel Canto. Same technique is required.

[@tkgsingsct]

@baritonebynight Castrati (the most accomplished, anyway) also spent years, sometimes decades, from very young ages, in extensive training barely comprehensible by today's standards.

[@lfrsnc1117]

listen to it at 2times speed lol

[@Darrigrande]

Is it something incredible to listen the great MH singing Händel! A wonderful experience!

[@tkgsingsct]

@roolion100 I like this comment, because everyone *is* right. All music and its appreciation is subjective experience. Personally, I prefer countertenor interpretations of this role/aria, but being a countertenor myself, I'm probably biased. :)

[@baritonebynight]

Nobody known what a true Handelian singer sounded like. The "period singing" without vibrato has become fashionable but is also controversial as there are some vox humana stops on very old organs made in this time period that add vibrato to the sound..so its truly open for debate as to what the actual sound was. I am from the school of thought that one should sing with good technique...which produces a vibrato that is idiomatic.

[@Sandraud]

@tamerlano At least someone who agrees with me. I think it's his mother or himself... :)

[@terminatesatmorden]

Thank you for your response, despite the fact it was a bit of a personal attack, despite the fact that I didn't attack your opinion. Anyway. I'm sorry you took this comment so personally. But. I have listened again. And still think that her tuning is shaky throughout. Greatest singer or not. She does slip in and out of tune. But you are right vibrato happens when the the air flow is even and natural. But, this repatoire was written at a time when vibrato was used as an effect. x

[@mua06dt]

yeah she is an outstanding singer. But as you say this technique started to be widely used in the late 18th century. This opera was written more than half a century earlier

[@tkgsingsct]

@baritonebynight hmmm...I'm not sure that's admirable, if true. I prefer to believe that the tempo reflects her (and the conductor's) interpretation and expression. I'd prefer not to assign the tempo choice to the status of a stunt or pedagogic demonstration. If a singer is just creating sound effects, I couldn't be less interested. If s/he is singing with artistic expression in order to communicate meaning and emotion, I'm there. I think that's what Ms. Horne's intention is with this recording.

[@ziyuli3088]

疯狂打call

[@djhooten]

She is a great artist, but could she take this any SLOWER??? aaargh!

[@tkgsingsct]

@tkgsingsct - and really, her baroque ornamentation is excellent, actually probably somewhat conservative in regard to historic accuracy. I dislike both Spanos' and Jarousskyi's interpretations, too...effeminate for me; Bertarido is a powerful, masculine role. I much prefer David Daniels and Andreas Scholl (two very different interpretations) for this role.

[@mua06dt]

well without wanted to get slated for my opinion, it is written for a male voice (sensino originally) and i enjoy the purity of that sound much more than this version which I consider to have a fair amount of unnecessary vibrato and overelaborate decoration

[@flaze3]

She looks old here. No surprise her voice sounds different.

[@philomelodia]

I'd like to hear it by a male but a full voiced one n this range. I don't htink Oberlin or Nascimento recorded it. I'm not as fond of alto-ranged falsetists as I am of sopranos like Christofelis or Raunig. I don't object to her vibrato. She never claimed to be a period performer, just an outstanding belcanto singer and vibrato such as she uses came into fashio in the late 18th century during the last years of Mozart if memory serves.

[@baritonebynight]

She was trilling on the messa di voce, a technique that takes years and years to masters and some never do, it was not out of tune. I could care less about your degree in early music because Ms. Horne was called "The greatest singer in the world". When you have that title, you can give her advice. Long notes should be vibratoless? Nope. Long notes should be well supported, should move, and when the voice is well supported and the throat is free of tension, the vibrato occurs. Thumbs DOWN!

[@plantluver9]

You're right, but for some reason some people don't want to hear any criticisms about her ;) (probably because they are Horne Lovers instead of musiclovers it's especially painfull at around 4:47) And she does use vibrato VERY richly throughout, which just sounds laboured and too static (no room for very subtle tone production which this kind of music needs) Despite her faults I still like listening to her though, just not this performance :p

[@piustwelfth]

You have to understand she was approaching 60 when she performed this recital. Slight flaws should be easily forgiven in light of the consummate artistry. Personally, I believe this aria is ideal for her vocal range.

[@LABARITONESSA]

DOVE...RESPIRO...SEI CON TRILLO...KE ATTACCO ORRIBILE!!!!!!!!

[@lojundolo]

Ok, in 1990 Mrs.Horne was near 60 aged; at 40-45 most of castratos ended their career and retired from scenes. Mr Scholl is a good singer, and he is the son of a more modern way of conceive baroque music; but in XVIII century male sopranos were not falsetto singers, but true emasculated since their childness. They sang like a woman on higher register, and like a child in lower notes.(hear Moreschi's recording)

[@baritonebynight]

In general, I'm not a huge fan of countertenors as they lack the power of a mezzo, just personal preference and there are exceptions. David Daniels has plenty of power (and he's hot!). A forced straight tone isn't anyway I would sing baroque music. If asked to by a conductor, I would probably quit on the spot (unless they paid me a ton of money which they wouldn't as I'm FAR from being world class).

[@lorchis1]

I will never understand why marilyn horne has so many admirers. she sing always with that hollow voice, "nella gola", which is so characteristic of some american singers -especially men-, that devoids anything of emotion and beauty. scholl does much better, in spite of being a man

[@livnelson5985]

Congrats she can sing a grade 5 singing piece which me a 12 currently singing

[@livnelson5985]

I'm 12

[@tamerlano]

@tamerlano236 Your NIcholas Spano worship is really getting annoying. Give it a rest.

[@terminatesatmorden]

i love her voice and i respect her technique but she does go out of tune by about a 1/3 of a quarter tone when she crescendo and decrescendos at the begining. Not good, its her vibrato, ossalating to heavily, but its because shes older here to be fair. Perhaps not quite styalisitc. Long "hung Drawn" notes should be vibratoless. (Im doing a degree in early music.)

[@js59695]

tongue TENOSIONNNNNN. LA boheme as a soprano she was amazing as a sop. This is gross just like every other mezzo now. Stignani did not sound like this or eula beal. Hate all you want vote my comments bad, its the truth.