Jessye Norman: The Seamless Soprano Who Could Do It All | Opera Legends Documentary

[@lymanmj]

I had the pleasure of playing a concert at the Kenedy Center in which Jessye was the star. For one of her selections, there were no horn parts, so I used the break to walk around the empty Kennedy Center during our rehearsal and listen to her from every corner of the hall. Jessye's voice filled up every crack and crevice in that great space with the most inspirational sound. Absolutely no amplification was needed. I will remember this experience forever.

[@pepevaladez8096]

Thanks for sharing your beautiful experience !

[@robkimberlin959]

I know. People always complain about the acoustics in the Concert Hall, especially for singers. But whenever Jessye or Leontyne Price sang, the acoustics were just fine.

[@PhillipLWilcher]

I will never stop loving her!

[@workingtoseethelight8244]

So happy she escaped to Europe for a while, I know the feeling. Bless you and your music Jessye...

[@allenjones3130]

Jesse was one of opera's all-time great sopranos. Rest in peace, Ms. Norman.

[@mateomelendez9745]

Ms. Norman definitely was fabulous!

[@pepevaladez8096]

Miss Norman...( sigh ) , out of this world. She was, is, and always be a goddess.

[@deborahsutton7203]

I discovered this phenomenal gift surfing the internet 1 month after she transitioned. She just had a glorious voice !!. The very first time that I heard her voice I simply oozed in oblivion. I so regret that I didn’t experience her greatness before she left the universe. May her voice be glorified FOREVER!!🎶

[@emmystarlight]

I am sooooo glad i had a chance to meet her after a concert in Köln Germany.I told her i learned so much and that resulted in a 10 minutes conversation about different aspects of Lied-singing.I was on cloud 9 for weeks afterwards,never forgot her tips and help💝💝💝

[@JustAThought155]

She sings with her entire body! Fabulous strength!

[@mariannehappiness2227]

Rest In Heavenly Peace Mrs J .Norman.And THANK YOU so MUCH for your PHENOMENAL MUSIC.🙏🏾🌍

[@chucklattanzio2857]

Magnificent voice, one of the greatest opera divas.

[@hape3862]

3:05 We will always remember you Jessye, Rest In Peace.

[@shulamithrabinowitz5822]

What a voice magnificent I doubt whether there is there a voice like that exists today. God bless her spul in paradise

[@peterdevita6308]

GREATNESS in every sense!

[@scottgrunow5201]

Her mezzo and comtralto extension was unique. Her forays into contralto rep were stunning

[@sunriseschubert4391]

One of the best Opera singers of all time! 👏

[@stephanebelizaire3627]

A True Legend in her own lifetime , Tremendously Good , Talented and Great !

[@shanemcgriever6251]

What a voice. What a gift. Once in a lifetime talent.

[@ahogbin2644]

I heard her Ariadne in London and also Marguerite in Damnation de Faust. It was utterly unique, very opulent like molten gold and as they all say she had a terrific presence.

[@v.g.r.l.4072]

Wonderful documentary throughout. She has been for me the most gifted interpreter of the Love's Death of Tristan and Isolde.

[@francesbonds-white5039]

I was at the MET in NYC the night that she sang both female roles in Les Troyens. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever heard.

[@nwdixieboy]

Very well made. They often caught her looking so beautiful. Lots of sampling of her best singing.

[@Shahrdad]

Interestingly, I remember reading (I think in Opera News) that the voice sounded smaller than expected at her Met debut, which rather surprised me. She was such a great lady. Her Four Last Songs are still my favorite. I also found her to be stunningly beautiful, both when she was big and when she lost a lot of weight. I think like Callas, the weight loss hurt her voice.

[@WarrenHolly]

You know how America is just read some of these comments. Thank God she escaped. She didn't have to sell her soul to these sad people.😏

[@chucklattanzio2857]

Magnificent voice

[@karlbauer9734]

Großartige Stimme! Jessie Norman bleibt unvergessen. RIP

[@anahobintie]

an amazing artist! a true Opera star!

[@direfranchement]

Still very difficult to believe Jessye Norman is no more.

[@rosemarygraves5526]

An inspiration for many. Thank you

[@TheBeverly7]

Bravo Diva!!!!!!!

[@thomasvanantwerp728]

I had the privilege of hearing her two times in recital; once in Houston, and once in Chicago. Imagine my surprise, and disappointment, when I learned recently that her body is buried in an unmarked grave in her home town of Augusta. Seems sad that such a remarkable singer ends up in an unmarked grave. RIP, Miss Norman.

[@natsalta]

beautiful voice !!!!

[@bobturnley2787]

Wonderful voice. Sang the most beautiful Liebestod with Karajan. But no one can do it all. Her stage repertoire was relatively small. A couple of Wagner roles, a couple by Mozart, Ariadne by Strauss, Bluebeard's Castle, Verdi's Requiem and a few performances of Aida, Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex, Purcell's Dido and the Cassandra and Dido in Berlioz Les Troyens. A recording of Carmen. A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett. The concert and recital repertoire and spirituals. Whatever she sang was beautiful and powerful.

[@WarrenHolly]

You must be American.

[@tfleiter]

The “Liebestod” with von Karajan is my “go to” recording whenever I want to listen to something absolutely exceptional…and it is - regardless what diehard “Wagner” are trying to tell you. I have heard it doesn’t of times and it still hits me like the first time as absolutely unbelievably perfect.

[@bobturnley2787]

@@tfleiter Jessye and Von Karajan had to have known that that was one of the greatest moments of their musical lives. Literally stunning.

[@okutuateotonyenathan3108]

Magnificently Awesome!

[@johnpablo2525]

Absolutely 💯 % amazing 👏 great things take time. Haste make waste.

[@marianalotter6035]

What a voice!

[@irishmike3514]

Fabulous documentary on a truly great singer!!

[@lamh5265]

The music was in the home. The parents had the foresight, like others😇 in the community to encourage their daughter, student, granddaughter, niece, to broaden and listen😇 and experiences all sound. Parents and families then.!

[@orion8835]

Norman had an organ like voice. Somewhat hollow, dark it could be capable of feathery soft singing and a bellowed grandeur. Though she never had much squillo (nor ever added this her technique sadly) preferring a roar and churchy heady like approach versus have a cutting sound, she made strong effect in careful repertoire. She had yo be careful as things often got silly when she veered from that. She sang everything like a spiritual mezzo with a lot of mouth tone that touched into soprano registers gently. The tone was an interesting tone totally recognizable quite easily. Her voice was always well supported and she was always in tune.

[@WarrenHolly]

You're one of those people. Sad. So sad.

[@karinduppel2738]

Welch ein wunderbarer Engel ,unerreichbar ,auch in ihrer Güte

[@rustinrogers]

the BEST!

[@FCOLAXCDG]

THANK YOU !!!!!! ❤️🇱🇨

[@Usercantwelve]

GOAT❤

[@francoisbessing]

Jessye Norman, Queen of Opera, The Impeccably Seamless Mezzo-Soprano whose music shall not be lost.

[@guldenaydin9918]

Fascinating.... 💝🌈💝🌈

[@BrianJosephMorgan]

Brava!

[@johnmueter378]

Jessye Norman was a phenomenal singer who deserved a better documentary than this mess. It is sloppily produced, badly edited, with factual errors and needless repetitions. (Oedipus Rex is not an opera - it is an oratorio; it was her winning of the Munich Competition that launched her European career, not Berlin.)

[@mariannehappiness2227]

I AGREE ,thanks🙏🏾👏👏

[@claranimmer7349]

She gave life to every piece of music she sang. Overwhelming, pure beauty and true, deep emotions. A singular arstist.

[@Tamadehenzhan]

Danke 3x

[@SOULRELIEF22]

BELOVED! PLEASE don't die without JESUS in your heart! St John 3:16! ❤️ Nothing else matters.

[@JimmyGordon-h5s]

Excellence 😇 ❤

[@synergyhowacquisition3821]

bad ass vixen!

[@JustAThought155]

You know, it’s America’s loss of marvelous power, talent, and innovation by embracing, endorsing, and operating with the lens of racism at the helm. How many other extremely talented world class brilliant individuals are hidden in our nation and from the global society because America continues to embrace the unspoken limitations placed on an entire sect of people due to the tone of their skin. Very very sad and honestly embarrassing.

[@violadamore2-bu2ch]

My thoughts, too.

[@yvonneplant9434]

Victory Brinker will be like Norman some day. She's already an amazing talent and she's 10 years old.

[@tracythomas5467]

So true. I’m 40 never listed to classical music. Heard Victory and landed here. Can’t believe I’ve been missing this beautiful music.

[@vivianbelissima]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@maryvallettakeith6146]

Not really. There's a lot she couldn't do (coloratura for one), but one does not need to do everything to be great. And she was inarguably one of the greats.

[@WarrenHolly]

Do you understand it's a you tube title. What is wrong with you people? It maybe one persons opinion. Can they have that? Wow! It must really suck being you.

[@christophmuller1657]

Die Schönheit, in der Sie auch die deutsche Kunst (Mahler, Strauß, Wagner....) erstrahlen ließ ist unvergesslich. Sie war und ist der unerreichte Maßstab. Wer göttlich war, wird auch bei Gott sein.

[@NewYorkerinLondon7]

👏🏽✨

[@luispena8780]

PIENSO QUE OARA LOS PAISE KATINOS DEBERIAN TRABSMITITLO EN ESOAÑOL.QUE SOMOS MILLONES QUE NO HABLAMOS INGLES Y AMAMOS A JESSIE NORMAN

[@janiceeteme5536]

❤️

[@foropera]

Why did she do all these lip sync vidéos around the 90's on her 70's studio recordings? It changes the Perspective.

[@Only60GamesPlayed]

I KNEW A BLACK WOMAN WHO WORKED IN A CAFETERIA MUCH OF HER LIFE, I SUPPOSE! VERY COUNTRY IN THE WAY SHE WALKED AN TALKED! BUT WHEN RUTH JACKSON OPENED HER MOUTH TO SING, HER VOICE WAS BREATHTAKING. SHE SANG 1ST SOPRANO SO EFFORTLESSLY IN THE CHURCH CHOIR! HER VOICE WAS SO RAW, SHE CARRIED THE ENTIRE SOPRANO SECTION! THEN 2 OTHER 1ST SOPRANOS CAME ALONG, THE DIRECTOR HAD TO BREAK THEM DOWN IN TO 2 SECTION…1ST SOPRANO AND 2ND SOPRANO! IT WAS AMAZING!

[@luispena8780]

POR LO MENOS SIA HAY OTRO CANAL QUE NO LOS DIGA EN CASTELLANO, POR FAVOR INDIQUENLO EN CASTELLANO P❤😮🎉ARA OIRLO🎉

[@violadamore2-bu2ch]

Words fail.......

[@dudeforcaster8630]

Yet another documentary spoiled by the stiff, affected, and pretentious Ms. de Niece who now is sporting a quasi English accent.

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[@Marcel_Audubon]

too many ads ... moving on

[@JamesAHollandMusic]

Wow…..I usually love this series but this was painfully boring. I was never a Norman fan due to the repertory she sang but I watched this in hopes of gleaning more about the woman and artist. However; this is just a rundown of her roles. Very boring.

[@thomasdidymus1855]

the problem with this (and indeed MANY) documentaries is they are just a series of hyperbole and hero worship when what it should be is info-tainment - some history and clips with fewer naked opinions and more actual pro analysis - just sayin - stopped watching early on and JN is one of my favorite singers

[@TheSuzberry]

You could have stayed and listened to JN sing.

[@BellaFirenze]

@@TheSuzberry Norman and whoever sang a portion of Lucia di Lammermoor.

[@joevasquez3434]

My good friend, opera singer; Stephen Cummingham. He also prefers German opera which I don't really understand since I have always thought that the German language is thee most ugly language in the world.

[@BellaFirenze]

Who is singing a portion of Lucia di Lammermoor? More importantly, why is that soprano -whoever she is- is a documentary about Jessye Norman? SHAME ON YOU.

[@artdanks4846]

It's Joan Sutherland. And I'm sure the reason for playing a recording of Lucia was just to emphasize that Lucia was the first opera that Jessye Norman fell in love with, when listening to the Met broadcast. Although, since she was only 9 at the time, that would have been in 1954, so the soprano she would have been listening to would have been Lily Pons, and not Sutherland. Sutherland's first Lucia was at Covent Garden in 1959. (But I'd much rather hear her than Lily Pons!)

[@aidepaul534]

She could do it all except a high C...

[@mannail888]

I disagree. That Norman could do it all is a gross exaggeration. To name just a few: she couldn't do Zerbinetta, Lucia, Elektra, Isolde, Brunnhilde or Medea.

[@RaymondHng]

No soprano can do it all. There are subtypes of soprano: Lyric coloratura soprano (Adele, Alcina, Amenaide, Gilda, Ilia, Lakmé, Norina, Zerbinetta) Dramatic coloratura soprano (Anna Bolena, Donna Anna, Königin der Nacht, Lady Macbeth, Lucia, Lucrezia, Maria Stuarda, Norma, Semiramide, Thaïs, Violetta) Soubrette (Barbarina, Bastienne, Clotilde, Susanna) Light lyric soprano (Annchen, Clorinda, Despina, Euridice, Giulietta, Lauretta, Musetta, Pamina, Zerlina) Full lyric soprano (Wally, Mimi, Lulu, La Contessa, Micaela) Spinto soprano (Adriana, Aida, Desdemona, Leonora, Manon, Manon, Marschallin, Tosca) Dramatic soprano (Arabella, Ariadne, Cassandre, Gioconda, Mini, Salome, Turandot) Wagnerian soprano (Brünnhilde, Electra, Isolde, Senta, Ortrud) Jessye Norman is definitely not a coloratura soprano of any sort.

[@beachfanatic2010]

@@RaymondHng Callas could sing all of that and if Nilsson would have had coloratura she would have also been able to sing all of that.

[@RaymondHng]

@@beachfanatic2010 What German role has Callas sung?

[@ransomcoates546]

She benefitted from a strong will and very good publicists. The voice was short and oddly produced. Berlioz suited her very well, Sieglinde and Ariadne too. Little else did. And she sang very flat a lot.

[@j.louisv.123]

German; probably one of if not thee most ugliest language in the world. Miss Norman did help a very very tiny bit soften the totally disgusting sounds one makes with the human throat to speak such grotesque language.

[@graziacavasino8884]

Dutch is MUCH uglier.

[@beatricekarbaumer-jones6514]

I'm sure Mozart would have an appropriate response concerning your harsh opinion re the German language and its suitability for musical expression. So do I but am too polite to say it.

[@graziacavasino8884]

@@beatricekarbaumer-jones6514 Mozart who? The one who wrote for many many many Italian librettos? Or the one who wrote for Latin texts?

[@hrh4961]

@@graziacavasino8884 Mozart composed operas to German librettos. Google is your friend.

[@graziacavasino8884]

@@hrh4961 Google? I don't google. Maybe Google is your friend, not mine; I studied music history on BOOKS and I know what I'm talking about. Of course, I know Mozart composed operas for librettos in German. Stop talking about Mozart, he's a tremendously overestimated composer.

[@celibidache1000]

What a hopelessly one-sided hyperbole-laden documentary. She was loved and a stage-presence many enjoyed. But a great singer she was not. She had a very falsetto-dominant, hollow head voice, a woofy bottom range and next to no squillo whatsoever. Her jaw and tongue shakes which is the result of tensions. You can see how hard her neck muscles are working to compensate the lack of good technique. That's why her voice sounds big on recordings and when she was mic'ed, but surprisingly small on the opera stage.

[@Rmorgandance]

Your opinion. What stage are you performing on?

[@celibidache1000]

@@Rmorgandance is it my opinion that her jaw and tongue shakes? Just look at the video. Also, is it your opinion that you have to be a performing master at what have knowledge about? If so, you are no longer allowed to share information on anything which you yourself is not a master of executing.

[@andrewjohnson8232]

​@@celibidache1000 Sometimes ears are wasted.