"O don fatale, o don crudel" Don Carlo, G. Verdi - Elena Obraztsova

[@bobrist18duzb40]

Today I'm going to the Theater to listen to Don Carlo(s). But such Vocals can no longer be heard.:((( 

[@LYBASHA]

My favorite mezzo ever! This is why you have to have a well developed chest voice to launch the rest of the voice. And that last page of the aria where most mezzos die is so intelligently handled.

[@christinec.6685]

That high C flat after mia belta - WOW! Astounding singing.

[@jorgealbertojoselettera4829]

Era mágica!!! Bravísima!! Cuánta pasión!!!

[@tabarro1877]

Extraordinary!❤

[@ned-nedkatelbizova]

Който може пее и вълнува,който не може критикува! Елена Образцова е ненадминато мецосопрано! И без голяма динамика тя вълнува с красотата на огромния си блестящ глас!❤

[@luisnorbertogomez7058]

Unica,inrrepetible e inigualable

[@gabrielgabriel8096]

SANTO DIOS BENDITO... MADRE SANTÍSIMA, qué Voz😳😳😳😳😳😳👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💔💔

[@VitaKoreneva]

That’s the true commitment to music from an amazing and real dramatic mezzo!

[@evan-dunn]

This is THRILLING singing. You can say that she has little technical things that aren't perfect, but the bones are there and the feeling is electrifying!!!

[@acanthe83]

quelles sont ces petites choses , s'il vous plait ?

[@celloguy]

@@acanthe83 look at the score - she’s incapable of singing at less than forte for the entire aria, even when it’s marked p or pp. Roaring through the entire aria is completely inappropriate dramatically though. She is a vocal phenomenon but isn’t really giving a deep exegesis of this character. When one forces the voice to high volumes all the time, the muscles become incapable of producing quieter oscillations. Still, it’s amazing to hear what she can do!

[@FueganTV]

@@celloguy Do not confuse p and pp with 'really quiet'. In operatic singing, you always need to sound very audible. As for this performance, I think she does vary her voice enough for the character and lyrics to seep through. She does soften quite a bit in 'O mia regina", for example. If you expected her to do a Caballe-style soft singing in this section, you are weird.

[@celloguy]

@@FueganTV Please. There are a huge number of dramatic singers capable of modulating their voices in terms of dynamics, timbre, colour, mood, expression. Clearly Verdi wanted a dramatic shifts in this aria, or he wouldn't have written it the way he did. To take one example, the difference between the phrase at 1:26 marked forte, and 1:34 marked pianissimo is negligible in this recording. Caballe's overuse of her pianissimo trick is an absurd straw man to throw in here.

[@FueganTV]

@@celloguy I think her phrasing still does the job of creating contrast, or at least expressing the necessary feeling. After all, dynamics are not about pure volume as such, they are always tied to the overall expression. Obraztsova sings with a powerful, not-too-subtle approach, and in that context her artistic decisions work. You either like her style or you don't, but objectively hers is a very functional performance.

[@esterbruno8604]

Voce gigantesca! 💫💛💛💛

[@draganvidic2039]

Oh Lord have mercy... 😍🥰😍

[@DiomedesDioscuro]

¡Inmensa!

[@wm.traynor1143]

Brava!👏👏👏

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

Volcano!

[@ngatihine6072]

She has an even tone throughout her range. Amazing. Yet just one colour. P F FF.

[@GRANITEDAME]

All at the same dynamic level - complete lack of sensitivity.

[@biko45]

Partially agree, but her singing is worth listening because of the overwhelming power in her voice.

[@pollyn9526]

Você não sabe de nada kkkkkkk

[@pollyn9526]

Você não tem ouvidos

[@aceofspades8634]

I sort of agree… but in fairness, I don’t think “sensitivity” comes from dynamics. I’ve always been taught that dynamics are just special effects, but they don’t make something musical or “sensitive” - musicality comes from shaping with intensity, character/attitude, not turning the “loudness switch” up and down, right? Also, though I have no idea if this is true, I think it would have sounded very exhilarating in live performance and the audience would probably not have cared about the dynamic level as long as every sound would come through and project.

[@celloguy]

@@aceofspades8634 Dynamics are one part of the package, but they aren't optional. Small gradations and shadings in dynamic with phrases and between phrases are absolutely essential to great artistry.