Mendelssohn - Elijah - Hear ye, Israel! - Eleanor Steber (1951)

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Elias (Elijah)
Höre, Israel (Hear ye, Israel!)
Eleanor Steber, soprano
Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Max Rudolf, conductor
Columbia, 1951

[@michaelroberts6894]

One of the clearest soprano voices I have ever heard. High notes are right on target! No one equals her today!

[@MrSkylark1]

THERE ARE NO SINGERS ON THE OPERATIC STAGE WHO CAN COME UP TO THIS LEVEL OF SINGING.

[@hashatz]

This is vocal artistry on the highest level.

[@Nacidodelmar]

I would say even that her voice makes this aria better.

[@southernbiscuits1275]

What a wonderful voice. And, a fantastic actress to boot.

[@saidwithwords]

Superb! Clear, crisp sound and intoxicating

[@Homoclassicus]

Possibly the best rendition of this wonderful aria.

[@johninmorocco4343]

I love to hear Be Not Afraid.

[@scottgrunow5201]

One of the greatest pieces of singing in the last century. The heart and the power are unparalleled

[@robynlynnellebaker3378]

Such an amazing aria. I sang it several years ago. I hope to sing it again sometime once my higher register returns.

[@jlb9368]

This sound is beyond amazing. I was wondering why no one performs this in recitals.

[@CynthiaSingsClassical]

It’s usually Hore; Hore Israel and therefore in German. So it’s much harder in the original form

[@SilfredoSerrano]

It's difficult.

[@AulicExclusiva]

A real grand' scena, impeccably sung.

[@raarnoldra]

Stunning!

[@brandonburrell8517]

Be not afraid! Amen!

[@NCinNYC]

Gosh--I LOVE her voice. I wore out her recording of Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915. But I do not know her other recordings well. She has both a beautiful bright trumpet-like and warm spinning sound at the same time. Plus she is consummately musical. Beautiful!

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

Definitely check out her recording of Berlioz’s Les nuit d’été, and her as Minnie in La fanciulla del West with Del Monaco, Guelfi and Mirtopoulos live from Florence in 1954. Best fanciulla ever.

[@kristinanola89]

Best version I've heard yet! Bravissima!

[@shawngordon6626]

Her voice is so clear 👏🇮🇱👏✡👏🕎👏thank you Holy GOD of Israel if I listen to this a few more times I learn the words that how clean it is

[@brittanygraham3072]

Christina Parnell I agree. So clear and spinning

[@65attila]

Gorgeous

[@doGreatartistsgrowontrees]

Superb. As with mostly anything she sang, soul (hers and the music's) pours out of every pore and notation.

[@rupertchristiansen5826]

fabulous

[@juliustilghman861]

Simply glorious!!

[@alfredoloyola921]

i had this piece by the great american dramatic soprano helen traubel,who sounds very good!by is a semitone down i think miss steber is on tune with this peace!!great!!

[@scottgrunow5201]

Say, who art thou, that thou shouldst fear a man that should die? Take heart in these words in these times when evil has triumphed in America. We shall not fear, because God is the source of all life

[@mattyd3079]

People have forgotten that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience. And that's part of the test, and the learning experience. I believe there are many places in the universe where we go for a physical experience, the earth is just one.

[@raynardi2326]

Stupenda

[@valeriadutra5473]

Dislikes? For What? What a level. Perfect attack. Goddess.

[@Tenortalker]

I don't believe it - not only is Steber definitive in R Strauss, Mozart, Berlioz and many more but this is a knock out version of Mendelssohn's Elijah . I would love to have heard her in the duet as The Grieving Mother with Elijah too Was there anything this lady couldn't sing and go straight to the heart of? .

[@caruso7998]

No. (Answer to your probably rhetorical question.)

[@marlenehartley7742]

Perfect!

[@MrSkylark1]

THERE IS NO ONE ON THE PROFESSIONAL (?) OPERATIC STAGE WHO CAN REACH THIS LEVEL OF SINGING.

[@jemimamendizabal3025]

Hear ye, Israel, Hear what the Lord speaketh: Oh, hadst thou heeded my commandments' Who hath believed our report! To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed! Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, cnd His Holy One to him oppressed by tyrants, Thus saith the Lord: I am He that comforteth! Be not afraid, for I am thy God! I, the Lord (thy God, ) will strengthen thee! Say, who art thou, That thou art afraid of a man that shall die? and forgettest the Lord thy Maker, Who hath stretched forth the heavens, cnd laid the earth's foundations? Say, who art thou!' I am He that comforteth! Be not afraid, for I am thy God!

[@AnnPetty-ct3fy]

Marvelous!!!

[@TheVaughan5]

Another Jewell from the golden age of singing. Since I began to listen and appreciate the art of singing (mid 1960’s) there seems to have been a gradual decline in quality with too few exceptions.

[@fan2jnrc]

I really don't understand what people find so beautiful in this famous aria. There's no melody, that never begins really, it's more like a recitative, in a word that's just boring as hell.

[@mmkvoe6342]

I wouldn't have loved it so much except that I am a pianist and learned the orchestral part first, and the combination of the melody with the accompaniment is where the masterpiece by Mendelssohn is. It's the same with other songs by Mendelssohn. Harmony lovers like me will learn and love the whole thing more than we love the particular melody.

[@kedemberger8773]

Soile Isokoski (On the Herreweghe recording) is eons more musical, has better line and much more in the early romantic style. She was perferction. Steber takes ages to prepare her A natural, totally out of style. Isokoski takes it naturally and beautifully, pianissimo even, as part of the line. Oh well.

[@davidnewton9496]

Sounds like someone is just a little jealous.

[@notnek202]

Soile Who ? Hahahahaha get a life.

[@agrebennikov]

absolutely ridiculous even to compare Steber and Isokoski . They are different planets, it will take Isokoski, with all due respect, too long to reach the prominence of Steber, and that will never happen

[@kedemberger8773]

@@agrebennikov to each his own. Steber is out of style imo

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

@@kedemberger8773 No, she’s not.

[@camerong5513]

Bloody ugly voice when played on a smartphone

[@donaldlevine1420]

So don’t listen on a smartphone. Listen on something with decent sound.

[@camerong5513]

@@donaldlevine1420 noone asked for your advice, Captain Obvious. Next!