Rosa Ponselle - Ernani Involami

[@gold2chrome]

For many years I return to this video. For me it is the most amazing thing on YT.

[@mmjhcb]

My mother heard her live many times in Pittsburgh and she agreed wholeheartedly with your relatives. She described her live singing as "almost too beautiful to stand." She heard all the greats, and as a singer herself always and forever put Ponselle in a class alone. She was and remains the greatest. Period.

[@rubyedelman7775]

Absolutely!

[@dominiquedelair6843]

What a chance to hear her live !

[@VonEssek]

Great prima donna! Supreme voice and technique! And I almost can't believe that a record from 1927 has this quality of sound... !

[@mmjhcb]

We will never hear better than this. Simply put, this is a masterpiece in every respect. There are not enough words to adequately describe this performance. Ponselle is to singing what God is to heaven.

[@gerardhurpin792]

Incomparable, admirable ! Rosa Ponsel donne du frisson

[@TheClaricewilliams]

wonderful , dramatic soprano with agility

[@mmjhcb]

Each time I hear this I think, "What a tour de force!" No one could sing this as well, let alone better. In female opera, one starts with Ponselle and then works down from there. And yet, as Ms. Edelman points out, there are a few dislikes. These people have no idea what beauty of tone, supreme technique, and interpretaive skills are. For example, that first trill and the seamless attack coming out of it is one of the most beautiful passages in the history of singing. I shake my head in awe. To these dislikers, Jackie Evancho is just as good. What a "Twilght Zone" of a world we live in, a parallel universe, which, fortunately, Ponselle didn't live to see. As my brilliant musician mother used to say, "They are musical amoebas. Pity them, then write them off!"

[@rogerpropes7129]

Well just remember that there are people who like Donald Trump. We have to live in the world as we find it.

[@mmjhcb]

@@rogerpropes7129 We may have to live in it, but we don't have to like it, nor do we have to like Donald Trump's being brought gratuitously into every discussion. "I have a new baked bean recipe." "Oh, yeah? Donald Trump is a Russian agent." Good grief!

[@rogerpropes7129]

He abrogates the constitution while we doze. I'm waiting for him to declare a national emergency and make himself president for life!

[@mmjhcb]

@@rogerpropes7129 You've really gone off the deep end, believing every liberal talking point tossed your way. Obama makes Trump look like Lincoln. Now please! This is all about Madame Ponselle's gorgeous singing which transcends politics and takes us to heavenly realms.

[@philzmusic8098]

It's that first messa di voce that gets me.

[@ecabsop]

This is perfection. One complete voice. Thanks for posting. And your record player is beautiful, Congratulations.

[@oldoperafan_in_London]

85 years on she still sings as no-one else has done since. That's something.

[@Madman2759]

Of the Ponselle recordings that I have heard, this one is the most amazing (even more than Casta Diva). When I first heard it, my jaw dropped somewhere in the middle of the aria and stayed that way for its duration.

[@bodiloto]

divina . oggi di La Ponselle con la sua voce divina canterebbe il repertorio del mezzosoprano drammatico e quello del contralto ... unica . ❤️🌹

[@VivaRenata]

She may well be the greatest soprano that the US ever produced, I am absolutely in agreement with you! And it's not just about her voice, also the interpretation!

[@globalman]

I am transported.....she touches the soul.....and the opening of the video with the record player and all through is so beautifully apropos. what a wonderful looking cabinet and player. we have indeed lost much through digital technology.....quality and art. thank you. merci, tante grazie, obrigado, danke schön.

[@ininacsot]

c'est superbe ,merci pour ce moment, que du plaisir!!

[@terrycloth6380]

Amazing!!!!!!!!

[@gfrangi5422]

Exquisite singing. She was wonderful

[@deborahwhitney837]

G Frangi I know she is fan my favorite soprano..

[@straightarrow372]

Thanks so much for sharing. There are a lot of Rosa Ponselle videos on KZbin, but few capture her sound. Yours really does. Thanks again.

[@jedwentz]

thrilling! A favorite, and sounds wonderful on your set-up!

[@dominiquedelair6843]

listening this and then if I die I have no regrets Thank you very much

[@mmjhcb]

You're so right. You'll never hear better singing than this.

[@golden-63]

WOW...The best sound quality of any Ponselle recording I've heard! She sounds GLORIOUS..Thanks for posting!

[@rothvinbosley1335]

NO one I have ever heard comes close to this rendition. I heard Price in her prime as well at the Met in 1967 and she comes a close second but few if any have that tone up there in the top notes. She was just one of the greatest of all time. And, an American besides!

[@gmmix]

Were you standing before this poster's Orthophonic Victrola, you'd be ASTOUNDED. The sound quality is overwhelming--in a positive way. Many consider this recording to be one of the best ever....as is likewise true of Ponselle's astistry. She was truly unique.

[@voceangelo]

This is stunning and revelatory singing. Viva La Ponselle.

[@ternitamas]

I fell in love with your record player! Thanks for sharing this gem

[@jewelmarkess]

She is amazing, gorgeous voice and such expression. Thank you very much for posting.

[@romearomeo]

Fantastica! Divina! Un Sound eccezionale

[@h.frankthornton3737]

The Romophone collection of Rosa Ponselle's Victor recordings (1926-29) states that her 1927 recording of this aria was unpublished and the published version is from 1928. The Romophone set includes both. The version heard here is presented on the sharp side of correct pitch. I certainly agree that Rosa was the greatest singer born in this country.

[@cantorandopera]

I think this is the best recording of Ponselle. This aria is a killer (like many others of Verdi, Mozart) for a big spinto, and Ms. Ponselle negotiates each hurdle with pinpoint accuracy. Thank you, Merrihew for taking the time and care to share your bounty with everyone on KZbin.

[@birgitnilsson]

Congratulations and many thanks,Merrihew!!! ( to Ponselle too)

[@magicmonkichi]

Amazing. Thank you. I love being able to see the player as well ^_^. The sound is amazing. You must make your neigbours happy ^_^_^

[@brkwv5]

3:25 simple astounding! Beautiful voice and so much control! Brava!

[@dominiquedelair6843]

With such a voice, I think, she doesn't need to control anything :-)

[@gustopheles]

Apart from Callas, this is the only recording of this aria I've heard where the staccati are sung right. I wish she'd sung the complete cadenza before the cabaletta, but I still adore it - thanks for posting!

[@theinkbrain]

hola lamusicahera, thank you for your lovely comments, and your kind complement. the beauty of music is not only that it can move us, but take us along with it. i never heard of the anecdote you mention about caruso, and it delighted me. i am touched and happy to know that in this world of so many millions that we connect in this way on the experience of a shared love. best wishes to you as well.

[@rothvinbosley1335]

I agree on one in recorded history could sing this aria any better. She had a large voice with amazing range and tone. I think only once or twice in a century could someone come along with the gift she was givern-very very unique.

[@loetje]

Wow THANK you! The sound is great!

[@golden-63]

That TRILL!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting, merrihew. No wonder Callas idolized her.

[@tehen162]

Fantastic.

[@infrantasi]

The story goes that Zeffirelli and Callas were gathered to listen to the "Golden Age"; so he put on Alma Gluck singing Gilda, and Callas burst out laughing; the Amelita Galli-Curci's, pretty but pre-pubescent coloratura, and Callas said nothing. Then he put on "Ernani" with this incredible artist, and Callas began to sing along. Afterward she said, "she's the best!"

[@ciociosan]

infrantasi Now I have to KZbin Alma Gluck. 😂

[@RicharddtheStar]

It was actually Luisa tetrazzini

[@liedersanger1]

Walter Legge.

[@VivaLucia]

Oh my goodness! This is wonderful! Thanks for putting a smile on my face, this made my day.

[@theinkbrain]

this sounds like the vocal equivalent of a perfectly executed cavalry charge. what brilliance and verve! thank you for posting this gem. i am a die-hard fan of callas, and seldom if ever listen to other sopranos, but this voice is amazing. what a register - she could easily sing even some tenor arias! for instance i would have likedto have heard her singing fenesta ca lucive or vanne o rosa fortunata.

[@mfernandez5007]

...goosebumps...

[@JetSetSunChaser]

Ponselle is my Amazon parrot Booboo's favourite opera singer - she truly enjoyed this.

[@goldmundgoldmund1]

Thank's for posting!

[@gatograto]

whoever uploading these clips like Enrico Caruso and others, I really deeply apreciate for what you are doing. Thanks and grazie.

[@merrihew]

From Connecticut, USA she started in Vaudeville with almost no training. She was "discovered" and within weeks sang her first opera performance with Caruso! Callas said that she was the greatest singer ever. Read the Wikipedia entry.

[@oakroom48]

fabulous!! thanks for posting:)

[@paulostroff99]

Why the best that America ever produced. Critics and fellow singers said that she,Ruffo,and Caruso were the best without question in their Tenor,soprano and baritone fields. They were referred to as the indisputable three. She was the idol of Callas and others,as were Caruso and Ruffo. Brava!

[@saagua1953]

You can hear here perfectly the seemingly endless trill that she says conductors used to wait, with arms folded, for her to end before they picked up the baton again and went on with the aria. Incredible.

[@Bhavatam]

Magnificent. Definitely the best, together with Maria Callas.

[@AntW11]

Phenomenal

[@SleepingTurtle1]

the strangest thing listening to this after so many times... the cabaletta from about 3.10 onwards the vocal sound is astonishingly similar to some of the early Callas recordings. I can really hear the influence.

[@rowley555]

The greatest ever.

[@Maggielicious21]

@merrihew hey! thanx for posting this, i really like Rosa Ponselle :D

[@1770films]

superbe

[@hazeleyes171]

BRAVO PONSELLE!!!!!

[@kgarmaker123]

VEry lovely singing..

[@luciagamper6077]

Wasn't she said to be the female equivalent of Caruso? Amazing singer, astonishing quality of singing and tone!

[@paulostroff99]

Superb! Listen to her in duets with Martinelli,They are some of the very best duets on You Tube,and probably anywhere.

[@ahogbin2644]

Truly one of the great operatic voices of the 20th century. I'm just reading Drake's centenary biography of the diva. Interestingly she said she hated recording as the primitive techniques of the time forced her to sing everything fast to fit the time frame of the recording. The voice jumps out of this though. Many thanks.

[@paulostroff99]

Phenomenal! F

[@hectorhugomoyano9518]

BELLEZA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@rowley555]

Still the best recorded rendition of this killer aria.

[@mmjhcb]

I wonder if those tone deaf wonders who disliked this have joined ISIS?

[@annacianciaruso1374]

Grande voce,era of pochi allora pero’indimenticabili

[@annacianciaruso1374]

Reno pochi ma indimenticabili

[@butterflyh25]

fabulos!!

[@letvinn]

Так Поют Только БОГИ!!!!!!

[@bastianinifansempre]

Grande!

[@bodiloto]

Grande - no Divina - si .

[@merrihew]

The development of the orthophonic phonograph and electrical recording was the most dramatic improvement in the history of sound reproduction.

[@merrihew]

I appreciate your criticism and the others' on this posting because it is constructive and instructive whether I agree or not. For me, the sound of Ponselle's voice is enough; it compensates for other inadequacies.

[@mmjhcb]

Roger York What "inadequacies?"That's like saying, "I like Shakespeare's vocabulary. It compensates for other inadequacies."

[@rubyedelman3691]

@@mmjhcb Loved your response Roger! :))

[@mmjhcb]

@@rubyedelman3691 Thank you very much, Ms. Edelman. I have enjoyed many of your responses also.

[@Ruffiello]

I, too, have recently done a lot of listening to both Callas and Ponselle. I love Callas, but when I listened to the recordings of Ponselle, there was no doubt in my mind as to who sang better. Ponselle is my favorite singer! Thanks.

[@giusquiamo]

fantastica

[@merrihew]

As she herself admitted, she was a freak of nature.

[@philipkuttner7945]

Isn't this a half step sharp? Would mean that the speed is a little fast in the playback.

[@merrihew]

Sometimes I think this machine has magical powers. :-)

[@MarioJimenez-hk5sy]

uf increible

[@saagua1953]

If you read some of the reviews Ponselle got in New York papers from "critics" for her Met performances, one is incredulous at their dense stupidity. Rarely was she given anything like her due. Something almost always "lacking" or "wrong". Had no idea at all of what they were hearing.

[@azyuwish99]

Mindblowing. i would put her up with Kirsten Flagstad for power and warmth and sheer beauty. Magnificent.

[@merrihew]

Of all the hundreds of postings I've done, this is the one that I return to most often. A perfect match of singer, selection, recording quality and playback machine. At this time the frequency response of Victor records was "tuned" to the characteristics of the large orthophonic.

[@magicmonkichi]

@stan724 hehe, I remember that masterclass "whoever touches Verdi's music (over does cadenzas etc)...to me, is no good~!" lol.

[@merrihew]

Actually, your right. I did a major maintenance recently and it resulted in a faster speed. It has been corrected. Very observant.

[@rubyedelman]

I wonder if the 3 people that did not like this recording they ever heard anything better in their entire life..........??????? We need 3 pairs of ears for them, please, who can donate to needy ones?

[@merrihew]

My desktop has some serious problems which I hope can be fixed by a friend visiting in a couple of weeks. I won't forget.

[@MuscleMikal]

Great recording equipment!!!! Amazingly, some of the full sized victrolas had remarkable sound fidelity-especially with the cabinet doors open. Thanks for sharing this. One can truly get the idea of Ponselle's true quality and the shear size of her voice from your recording. Does anyone know if Ponselle is on record for holding the trill the longest in this aria?

[@ChrisStockslager]

Mark Carpenter Sutherland may have beaten her. :P

[@vincenz55]

the world has produced not limited to america

[@ceciliagonzalez3013]

Gorgeous singing! I've always wondered if Ponselle had any formal musical training before she started singing opera. Replies would be welcome.

[@deborahwhitney837]

I think she had one year training. Not to sure though.

[@merrihew]

When somebody claims that there was no such thing as a Golden Age I refer them to this recording. Who currently comes even close.

[@joefresh6050]

No one comes close to this

[@MsBoonen1]

Love this, but can you tell me why it's a semi tone high?

[@merrihew]

I envy you. The best I could do was get her autograph.

[@merrihew]

Imagine what she must have sounded like in person.

[@numetutelare]

La partner preferita di Caruso e pa re da lui scoperta .... un timbro de velluto bronzeo. Adorata da Maria Callas...

[@artdanks]

I still can't decide between Ponselle or Callas as the Queen of all Opera! When I hear Callas, I vote for her. When I hear Ponselle, she wins! Guess there must be two queens!

[@Giovannifabuloso]

There is no comparison between Ponselle and Callas. Callas would have said so herself. Callas said" I think we all know that she(Ponselle ) is simply the greatest singer of us all. The great Tullio Serafin ahd wanted Callas to study with Ponselle. Callas called a bout a year before she died (Callas ) and lamented the fact that she had never studied with Ponselle.

[@rubyedelman7775]

The record is half tone higher than the original, can someone explain why is she singing higher??

[@AulicExclusiva]

I really value all three qualities. Singers who are all one thing and nothing of the other two give little me pleasure. That's why I've never been a great fan of Tito Gobbi, Hans Hotter, Boris Christoff...

[@tamerlano]

check out the FLAWLESSLY spun trills...genius.

[@numetutelare]

Curiosità, dicono che la Ponselle avesse spesso terrore nell'affrontare gli acuti e corresse spesso fra le quinte a cercare un po' d'acqua per rinfrescare la gola. In compenso il suo trillo era squillante come pochi.

[@merrihew]

Its also better recorded than Casta Diva which doesn't sound nearly as good on this machine.

[@pasielu]

voce tipica da soprano drammatico,al tempo stesso agile,ecco cosa manca nelle soprane di oggi. Tipico esempio di come si canta in una partitura dove il compositore ha previsto una voce lirica spinta. Mi ricorda un po la Cerquetti,ma ha una estensione superiore.

[@bodiloto]

e una voce più grande e bella...

[@LaDivinaLover]

Idk what id wrong with you two but the last note is great. You are actually supposed to have a fixed final note but it is easier to do with vibrato.

[@fred0125]

Rosa was forever frustrated with "the clock" when that forced acoustin recordings to be completed in 4 and a half minutes, thus forcing tempos that were often too fast.