Sondra Radvanovsky's plaintive "Arrigo! Ah, parli a un core" (I Vespri Siciliani)

The wonderful American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky sings "Arrigo! Ah, parli a un core", from Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani, at the NY Metropolitan Opera in 2004.

[@gerardmignon700]

Je l'adore totalement, aveuglément, avec cette voix si spéciale de timbre, et ses quelques défauts qui la rendent extraordinaire. C'est humain, contrairement aux voix aseptisées actuelles.

[@wepopalot]

I just had the honor of enjoying this incredible talent in Il Trittico, at the Dorthy Chandler. God bless you Miss Radvanovsky. I am a fan.

[@sevoflurane]

Brilliant. Her timbre is beautiful and the phrasing very expressive without being OTT.

[@zengabutler9166]

Nobody sings this aria like this today ,exquisite

[@familypondman]

Brava!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A voice of the past!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@simonchausse11]

OMG! Made my night!

[@gerardsatamian]

To the few people that don't like Sondra: Don't listen to her singing! I don't understand why you write nasty things about her? It must make you feel important! She's a Goddess to me and to many!

[@brahms44ify]

Gorgeous! the real Verdi soprano of today! A little like Montserrat especially the natural "pp".

[@zengabutler9166]

Nobody else sings like this in the world today ! brava !

[@luispuig6949]

Exceptional singing.

[@gerardsatamian]

Best rendition ever! Can't stop listening to it!

[@foreverplacido]

Thank you very very very much Homoclassicus for this wonderful upload, she´s astounding, moving, perfect, beautifull, what else can I say, my tears are falling down!!!!

[@GermanOperaSinger]

@GermanOperaSinger She will sing Tosca with the Met in Jan. and Trovatore in April. They need to cast her in more Verdi roles, where she really shines.

[@GermanOperaSinger]

The best Verdi soprano of today, in my opinion. She didn't get her contract renewed because the Met today is dishonest and run by sellouts and cons. There are good singers today, but everyone goes out of their way to stamp them out. The entire music industry is corrupt now. Anyway - superb breath control, very musical and wonderful legato line. That scream at the end was amusing!

[@georgerannie]

OMG, She is wonderful!

[@pslogge]

amazing fil di voce, amazing fiatto support,amazing phrases.Does she reach the 4th act in this vocal state or is it a recital? That would be phenomenal, guys!!

[@SsteinwayS]

pslogge This is from the full opera at the Met!

[@RBP1963]

Great rendition ! However In 1974, Caballé did a non conparable Elena with Levine that for me is a benchmark

[@marylambcarter]

buh !

[@chrismeusnier4487]

💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@luennersee]

Ik ben fan van Sondra Radvanovsky, zij heeft een prachtige stem. Helaas wordt deze schitterende aria veel te langzaam gezongen. Wens van de dirigent?

[@ghostofyeats]

Very, very, very slow -- but she has the breadth of phrasing, breath control, tonal beauty, and (just enough) weight to pull this off. Enchanting. It is Elena's only really tender moment in the opera, so I can understand the urge to really highlight it. (Plus the role is more dramatic, Radvanovsky seems to prefer the more lyric side, and this lets her shine.) She does remind me of Caballe, yes, but also of Fleming in some phrasing.

[@TheOperamore]

OH GOODNESS! 5:05-5.20 !

[@ghbook]

Reminiscent of Cerquetti., tooooooo slooooow but whose fault (il maestro ?) , piani/forti great control. Bravissima !!

[@gustopheles]

@sopera123 I agree - toward the end, the final phrases are disjointed and boringly slow. Her voice here, though is terrific.

[@sopera123]

the tempo is too slow. it needs to move more.

[@Mrapellicon]

Bella versione. Però troppo lento il tempo staccato e mette troppo in evidenza il vibrato: un po' più serrato costringerebbe a muovere di più la linea e a non indugiare su note lunghe. La cadenza è interessante: fonde la scala al FaDies grave con la trasposizione di un'ottava acuta della frase finale. Il trillo non è male, ma non si distingue dal vibrato. La voce non è in maschera ma è ben posizionata alta nel palato, come i migliori soprani pre-Callas (Arangi, Cerquetti). Ricorda la Banaudi.

[@fabriziomariagarzi5534]

Mrapellicon, la Radvanovsky sarebbe stata una grande cantante se solo si fosse un po' italianizzata (nel senso buono) perche' si vede che e' un'artista coscienziosa. Ha un'emissione stranissima, come un tempo l'Arroyo, non si capisce bene il fuoco del suono. Certo ha un'estensione ragguardevole ed e' sicurissima. Forse un tantino lamentosa. E' meglio che non si avventuri in cadenze ed abbellimenti troppo barocchi perche', come tu dici, poi mostra il fianco, specie nel rallentare troppo. La Callas era meravigliosa perche' era "semplice", non caricava nulla ed era coincisa. I suoi segreti? pulizia, fermezza e rapidita' di esecuzione...ma il resto ce lo metteva solo lei.

[@jmiller05]

I think she sounds great here. The middle voice voice is deep and rich, and I love the slight pianissimo she tinges the vocal line with. Her top is a bit ugly though.

[@LeilogOpera]

She's really great, but the tempo is too slow, in my opinion.

[@FoggyRoad81]

Does anyone else hear a bit of Leontyne Price in her sound?

[@rogerpropes7129]

I hear a meeting of Sills and Ponselle!

[@fjaporto]

Yeap! the vibratto reminds Miss Price a little bit.

[@MartinaVonTrapp]

I have to admit, I agree with some others I find the tempo and rubati in the beginning somewhat odd, an acquired taste....maybe I should simply acquire ;-) Must hear her fo real, that's for sure, the only way to find out this miracle of what a special artitst sung sound does to body and soul.

[@distefano13069609]

Whos that idiot who scremed OOOHAAAAH!!! Great, just GREAT BRAVA RADVANOVSKY!!!

[@operafy]

Anita Cerquetti

[@hazelssister]

Most who get to become opera singers have money to begin with. Not all do of course but most do . I have read about many of them in books and in " Opera News ".

[@ci7446]

5:49 LOL

[@rubyedelman7775]

why so slow??

[@gerardsatamian]

Why not?

[@marcoscorvo2514]

@@gerardsatamian cause it’s not written thus

[@theoperazone3862]

I love it this way.

[@giuliaceleste]

Very beautiful voice!!! But the orchestra has to wait for her too many times, that breaks the atmosphere! she should listen to the orchestra much more and enter in the right points..

[@natanaelgorrin9473]

El tiempo es excesivamente lento, al igual que el vibrato que con ese tiempo se siente más, no tiene ese dejo de tristeza que ha de tener el aria, Muy plana la interpretación, bella voz, ciertamente. El agudo de cadencia final suena forzado y la voz de pecho es hueca. No se puede comparar a Cerquetti, Scotto, Gencer, Caballé, Kabaivanka y menos a la eterna Callas. No pasa la prueba.

[@iskander5021]

She sings it beautifully but WTF is the conductor doing. He's turning it into a dirge. Horrible. He stops the momentum at the end of every measure, never heard anything like it in my life. He ruined the aria. Infuriating.

[@alioffe4321]

The conductor is basically trying to do everything in his power to make this work. Because she cannot sing it!

[@pgricchi]

This stands out as perhaps the most half-witted comment I have ever read. Congratulations!

[@pgricchi]

He was simply getting out of the way - God bless him.