RARE Cornell MacNeil & Martina Arroyo et al - Aida Act 2 "Triumphal" Finale - PBS Gala of Stars 1984

[@matthewbbenton]

You can really hear how huge MacNeil’s voice was when he sings “Suo padre!” Massive.

[@Metronoma1]

Omg this is Amazing! Martina is just so fantastic!!🙌🙌 But seriously they are all amazing here also the 2 aging men, wow they could still sing so beautiful here in this concert!🙌🙌 Singer new how to take care of there voices back in the day.

[@RBP1963]

Really amazing ! Levine’s on fire: Mccracken, Mcneil, Arroyo, Berini , Plishka !!!

[@jefolson6989]

All big voices in fine form. John Cheek is underratted. Its star quality voice yet he did mostly secondary roles but was an important member of the company. This was fun. Ball to the wall singing!

[@elizabethgarcia8758]

MacNeil is simply a phenomenon🤩😱😍! I also love Arroyo and Berini’s voices❤

[@MrQbenDanny]

It's great to see my favorite Otello JAMES McCracken!!!

[@rrgallo967]

McCracken & McNeil still quite SOLID...The ladies and the basses wow...The chorus and Orchestra KILLED IT BIG TIME...and the chorus is HUGE, at least TWICE as big as the top companies' choruses...and LEVINE INSPIRED... loved all 26 minutes of it...

[@wickedshell65]

The chorus was the entire student body of Westminster Choir College. I was a 17 year old freshman performing with such musical royalty and I remember it all so vividly even after all of these years!

[@williamlansbury3752]

MacNeil is superb as always, but my god Arroyo is INCREDIBLE!!

[@YortOK]

She's also one of the best Forza Leonora's on record.

[@aaronmalone7065]

She was so underrated

[@TheVaughan5]

MacNeil is one of my favourite baritones but to be honest he was well past his prime at this stage.

[@liedersanger1]

Her high C is insecure and not pretty.

[@tonshaad1230]

@@TheVaughan5 McCraken was 63 here and far older than McNeil, who was a a little bit younger than him and as vocally secure as he was in the 60's. Sure the voice wasn't nearly as fresh when he was younger but what voice is fresh when it sings Verdi and essays the Flying Dutchman?

[@allenjones3130]

One of the most glorious operatic scenes ever written, brought to life in this magnificent performance.

[@RomeoMaestro]

The most. Nothing is comparable.

[@blinkvideo]

I remember singing in that show. The risers were terrifying - we were really packed in there - especially when the hydraulics raised them from under the stage. In rehearsal, we were practicing the "rising from underneath" part and the hydraulics jammed halfway up. Flummerfelt shouted "Okay, all the mezzos get off!". Lol.

[@sanfordpress8943]

😅😅😅😅😅

[@corneliuswhite5139]

Such an exquisite treat! It was a different time.🥰

[@jordipanadesribera6890]

BRAVISSIMI. THANKS A LOT.

[@danawinsor1380]

It's so nice to see Beverly Sills. She was such a lady and had such a naturally pleasant disposition. As a performer, she had what I would call a "larger-than-life" presence.

[@petelovesbevsills]

TRRiple AMEN to that!

[@ransomcoates546]

She was a very, very different person when not acting for an audience.

[@petelovesbevsills]

@@ransomcoates546 How different?

[@ransomcoates546]

@@petelovesbevsills Quite ruthless and nasty.

[@diplomamilldoc8562]

Beverly was also a great sport with several appearances on the Muppet Show. She rattled off those notes like a machine gun. Also did humorous material with Danny Kaye and Carol Burnett. A talented singer and all round entertainer.

[@AfroPoli]

Excellent. Thanks you for posting this.

[@valeriomessersi1016]

Storica performance ma il mio ❤ batte per Mac Neil !!!!!!! Tutti Bravi compreso il direttore d'orchestra !!!!!!

[@PBXVIILY]

Magnificent BIG MAC!

[@sanfordpress8943]

Thank you for this !❤

[@samueljaramillo4221]

Great music and glorious singing by all.

[@SilfredoSerrano]

Amazing! Singers were something...

[@konstantincherkasov3392]

Grande McNeil! Grazie!

[@partituravid]

Thank you for this!

[@laurakatemarshall7330]

Thrilling!

[@tonshaad1230]

There's a website that has this and other live performances from MacNeil on there. I watched this two months ago on it and it beautifully showcases his huge, volcanic voice.

[@urielpaszko]

Well, can you tell us which one is? Thank you!

[@clefnoteproductions6695]

It's probably the Opera on Video website. It has full operas and concerts/recitals. You can search by artist, composer, or title

[@guillermoruiz6575]

MAGNIFICO!!!

[@jjlungdoc7472]

Arroyo is probably the most underrated singer ever. Of course she achieved stardom but her name should be mentioned next to Callas, Tebaldi, Caballè, Nilsson or Price and usually it is not.

[@rawvision6701]

100%

[@alfredoloyola921]

Bravi a tutti!!!!!!!!!!

[@paules3437]

I didn't know that ancient Egypt had singers like this.

[@rrgallo967]

L O V E L Y....What a cast....❤....could rave about this all night...

[@purpletc1]

What a great quintet!!!

[@donjose8250]

it's good to have a new video from you

[@pugh.joseph]

Grand

[@demadesgomes76]

Epic !

[@briciola.bixiofabrizio5935]

BRAVISSIMI 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

[@Baritone02038]

Did I hear Ms. Arroyo interpolate a high E-flat at the end of this scene? I didn't know she had that note in her. Brava Arroyo and bravi tutti to her wonderful colleagues; they were all excellent.

[@liedersanger1]

No, you didn’t.

[@corneliuswhite5139]

No, it's actually the overtones you're hearing.

[@DiomedesDioscuro]

At first it seems it's hers, but then I realized it was the orchestra. It would have been very silly to take such a wide frame if she had, wouldn't it?

[@ginopietracupa4305]

Arroyo was a real spinto, not a lyrical, those tiny birds who interpolates en Eflat at the end , and they cannot be listened in the whole ensemble !

[@DiomedesDioscuro]

@@ginopietracupa4305 Who are you calling tiny bird exactly?

[@Yves_Ka]

John Cheek has such a hot 70's look about him and Berini looks like a step sister of Madame Vera Galupe Borszkh

[@mregecko]

I’m not as familiar with Berini - I’ll have to find some more recordings, beautiful Amneris. Thanks for posting!

[@KajiVocals]

Listen to her Maria Stuarda with Caballe in the 70s. Wonderful.

[@robertomuzzetta2652]

amazing

[@juliovicsilvaaray]

It is rather interesting that Macneil provided us with such remarkable documents as this, or his Tabarro in 1984, while having performed erratically in the seventies. A true master of his craft, and an inspiration for young singers. His performance here is exemplary in every way, and the same can be said about his black tie ensemble.

[@umaratabilgi161]

Macneil is tremendous

[@PBXVIILY]

My favorite

[@whovian1591]

@@PBXVIILY mine as well

[@alexandrkolesnikov9062]

Чудесный канал❤

[@andreafasoli8186]

James Levine top dei top.

[@GuidoKaiserBariton1]

Ein Stimmfest!

[@BrianJosephMorgan]

A triumph, indeed.

[@ДмитрийЗубравский]

превосходно

[@stephenlord9]

Don't neglect Levine. His conducting is so masterful with thee singers, all singing with ease because he LET''S them. A rarity.

[@sanfordpress8943]

Levine was magic

[@stephenlord9]

And heartbreakingly tragic at the end

[@BellaFirenze]

In a step outside of the repertoire she is commonly associated with, Sills gave four performances of the title role of Aida in July 1954 in Salt Lake City. She also sang the role in New Jersey in 1955. kzbin.info/www/bejne/naXUemmliK2srbs

[@luisnorbertogomez7058]

Por favor que Glorias,hasta la presentadora

[@relatorjjvallejos]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@OGrauMusic]

Cornell MacNeil is the only one who phrases well according to the Verdian style. James McCracken interprets Verdi's music well, but his singing technique is disastrous. Martina Arroyo is cold as a piece of ice, but she has a good voice. Bianca Berini sings well, but her voice is not appropriate for this opera, I prefer her in bel canto roles. The rest of the singers seem like aspiring (recently graduated from the singing academy) In summary: Cornell MacNeil the best on stage for his great technique at his age, and his excellent Verdian phrasing.

[@sanfordpress8943]

McCracken was a wild card.

[@sanfordpress8943]

The comment was made that Arroyo, big voice and all,didn't have a distinctive quality .

[@rawvision6701]

@@sanfordpress8943 The distinctive quality of her voice was its beauty - second to none.

[@sanfordpress8943]

@@rawvision6701 haaaaaa. LPRICE may have disagreed with you. 🥰🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@purisermonisamator]

К большому сожалению, темперамент заставил Ливайна непозволительно торопиться, и гениально задуманная фреска Верди потеряла 80% своего величия. 😒

[@edwardmattera3950]

WATCHING JAMES LEVINE FISH MOUTH AND DANCING SPOILS EVERY LIVE PERFORMANCE ON KZbin

[@gpome1234]

I don't care how the Levine perception is 21st century post pandemic, it's an archive of the 20th century. Be stoic instead for this magnificent presentation all-around and practice mindfulness and your outer focus skills.

[@PedroZamagna]

McCracken should've had some lessons with his wife's teacher, it would've done wonders to him.

[@Ettoredipugnar]

McCracken was a world class Tenor . Not like that bum Domingo .

[@SilfredoSerrano]

I love Martina, but she's singing wrong notes on one of her best roles!

[@johnpickford4222]

Wilfredo Serrano: Please, don’t keep us in suspense! In YOUR opinion, what are the wrong notes??

[@liedersanger1]

Name one.

[@ER1CwC]

​@@liedersanger1 She is lost right at her first entrance (Che veggo!... Egli? Mio Padre?), and she is pretty clearly off in the melisma towards the end of the B section of the first joint ensemble (Ma tu, Re, tu signore possente). She is also flat in some of the higher passages. I don't think she's in great voice here.

[@liedersanger1]

@@ER1CwC I think the “Che veggo, egli…” entrance is exactly right.

[@ER1CwC]

@@liedersanger1 She starts out way under and then tries to get back on pitch at the 'mio padre,' but it's still flat. Compare to this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6iYm2lrhc-cq80 . It's ok, she was an excellent singer. Just wasn't her best day.

[@Tennisisreallyfun]

I’m sorry, but after hearing Maria Callas not only reach but then SUSTAIN that high E-Flat over the orchestra pounding out that majestic, main melodic theme in the finale, it spoils you for just about anything else. But this was still lovely!

[@davidmolina7543]

Yeah I have not heard anyone else hit and prolong an high E the way Callas did in those México performances.

[@sanfordpress8943]

Geez, you've been around the world !​@davidmolina7543