La Callas cantava ogni aria d’opera con una precisione ,un senso del ritmo e del legato, chiaroscuri e dosaggio dei fiati così perfetti che sembra sempre di ascoltare un’esecuzione diversa da tutte le altre come se fosse addirittura un’altra cosa e quindi il suo quadro originale con la sua firma in calce!Un genio della musica e come tale insuperabile!
Callas è insuperabile per mille ragioni,corpo,scurezza,coloratura senso del personaggio ..poi Caballe' dal colore lunare unico ..a seguire Gencer... comunque tutte grandissime.Callas è un fenomeno unico
Callas phrasing is so ethereal and bloody human at the same time, it's absolutely incomparable , she's perfectly dosing every single breath (not abusing of pianissimo just for calculated edonism like Caballe) and anything has a meaning in her picture, every single note, every single syllable... An interpretation for the ages.
One of the best things someone ever said in a reply to one of my comments was, please listen to Callas and get to know her. For the first time I understood that good opera is not just about beautiful voices but is about vocal drama, not always smooth and light. Callas gave a whole different dimension to all of the famous roles.
@@annalisette5897 One of her infinite strenghts in this sense has been the perfect knowledge of the languages she was singing, since her early days at the Conservatory in Athens! She sang in Italian way better than the actual Italian singers! (I'm Italian born and raised and believe me the way she let my language shine while singing is mind-blowing, with her finally the word is as important as the sound or even more!) To master the language of opera makes an abyssal difference between a very good vocal performance and an excellent artistic interpretation! Remember that Opera was born as "recitar cantando" (acting while singing) and not the opposite!
What an interesting video! If there were ever a test to see if someone was a true master of bel canto, this aria (the entire scene) is really it. I was rather amazed at how disappointing Zeani was in this aria. She had such a great voice and technique, but here it really doesn't come together. It's rushed, sloppy, and none of the trills really take appropriate shape. Gencer is actually pretty good, giving a nice shape to the aria, though some of her trills are also not quite there. Scotto really should have been great in this role, but she gets in her own way. She was never able to sing a real trill, and in her pursuit to be artistic, she comes across as artificial and contrived. Caballe is another one who should have been a great Bolena, but whom I find disappointing. Like Scotto, she could never trill, but substituted a sort of bray for it. And by this point in her career, some of the things that had made her unique, such as her beautiful pianissimos, had devolved into gimmicks. Once you get to the final version, you realize why Callas continues to tower above the rest. She has everything: Perfect legato, easy and perfect trills that she enters and exits smoothly without breaking the legato. Each trill becomes an intensification of the emotion, a sigh rather an ornament. There is the perfect push and pull of rubato, and the ability to suspend time without making things drag or come to a standstill. And there is the way she can taper each phrase into a haunting silence. Even when she almost brings things to a halt, the forward momentum never stops. You can hear why June Anderson said of her, "Callas was superhuman. She was on a whole other plane. She really was a Diva - the goddess - and the rest of us are basically her handmaidens."
I agree with everything you say and would add that Callas is the only one who sings real triplets. And never loses the structure of the phrase, indeed of the entire aria. I assume it was Gavazzeni conducting who gave her the space she needed but never lost her (unlike Scotto who is constantly ahead of the orchestra during her accelerando passage--not her fault, but her conductor's). All five are brilliant singers, only one is above the others.
@@chopin1949 In an article regarding what is arguably Verdi's most challenging aria, "D'amor sul ali rosee," Richard Dyer wrote, "Callas articulates all of the trills, and she binds them into the line more expressively than anyone else; they are not an ornament but a form of intensification. Part of the wonder in this performance is the chiaroscuro through her tone-the other side of not singing full-out all the way through. One of the vocal devices that create that chiaroscuro is a varying rate of vibrato; another is her portamento, the way she connects the voice from note to note, phrase to phrase, lifting and gliding. This is never a sloppy swoop, because its intention is as musically precise as it is in great string playing. In this aria, Callas uses more portamento, and in greater variety, than any other singer ... Callas is not creating "effects", as even her greatest rivals do. She sees the aria as a whole, "as if in an aerial view", as Sviatoslav Richter's teacher observed of his most famous pupil; simultaneously, she is on earth, standing in the courtyard of the palace of Aliaferia, floating her voice to the tower where her lover lies imprisoned." I think the exact same words can be applied to what she does with this aria in Bolena. There is the architectural sense of the music, the time, and the proportions that even her greatest rivals lack. There is a rightness and a sovereignty in her handling of this music that I have never heard from anyone else.
Pour moi qui ne suis pas musicienne ,je me base sur l'effet que me fait la voix de la cantatrice :c'est clairement la voix de Maria Callas qui me fait frissonner et me met les larmes aux yeux ,les autres sont indeniablement belles chacune à sa maniere,mais... n'ont pas cet effet sur moi !!!
Me parece que todas son magníficas, aunque cantar la ópera completa es otra cosa. Gencer me parece excelente, y resolvía el papel de maravilla. Caballé es pura belleza vocal y pese a la autocomplacencia está superba, legato impecable... Callas juega en otra liga, la voz flota y va difuminándose como una caricia.
No Sills!? Vergongna. Cmon. Compared to 2 that were included, that's unacceptable. Sills recorded it uncut with no transpositions. She also sang Bolena on stage and it was legitimately part of her repertoire, not just a one off concert performance. Sills also had the full coloratura arsenal at her disposal. She sang all the trills as written, had perfect legato with that enormous breath control of hers, and had the acuti.
She was a great artist, excellent musician, with great technique and intelligence. The voice itself, however, was a second class instrument, thin and insubstantial, and was much more suited to Manon or Baby Doe than the Queens or Norma. I always felt that she compensated for what the instrument lacked by adding a great deal of meretricious ornamentations and high notes. In the right roles, she was amazing. Her Baby Doe is untouchable.
Ana Bolena, una de las óperas que desempolvó Callas y que la sacó del ostracismo, en la memorable versión de 1957 con la dirección escénica de Visconti. Esta aria 'al dolce guidami castel natio"es en particular de una complicada coloratura, entre otras dificultades que presenta para su correcta interpretación, requiere además de una gran actriz. Para mi todas son muy buenas versiones, a excepción de la Scotto, sin ofender, pero su versión no tiene el nivel de las demás. Me hubiera gustado escuchar esta aria en la primera Ana Bolena, la genial Giuditta Pasta. Gran video. Saludos cordiales.
What was going on with the rushed tempo in Zeani's smudgy, piping version? It certainly doesn't show her at her best. Gencer is technically very fine and the voice is so beautiful, with that very slightly breathy catch and "floated" high notes. Scotto - caught early here - .sounds as good as I have heard her anywhere; I don't know why people make disparaging comments about her singing of this, as the seeds of her later vocal demise are not yet apparent.However, she is not very interesting. Caballé makes something special of the aria and I don't hear any intonation issues but some might find her a little mannered compared with the searing emotional intensity and vocal variety of Callas' version; she simply finds inflections and depths the others cannot touch. Personally, I cannot endure Gruberova's gulpy, pouting soprano but i do agree that it is a pity Sills was not included.
Maria is above comparison! What colours , shades, and tensions in every note she uttered!!! Gencer is here second best. Scotto...i pass , beyond mediocre. Montserrat Caballe beautifully sang in pianissimo tone. Zeani I don't like her in this aria.
Que rabia! No puedo percibir ni apreciar esos sutiles matices, solo sé que está mañana mientras hacía cosas puse, en el bolsillo del chaleco el móvil, y parecía como si por arte de magia una bandada de aves canoras lo hubieran invadido todo.
Sé que el mismísimo Zeus transfiguro en el águila que raptó a Galimides, estuvo muchas noches, muchas veces, so brevolando en círculo La Escala de Milano oyendo escuchando a la más grande de las diosas del Olimpo.
Начну с претензий. Меня огорчило отсутствие упоминаний о дирижерах - это некоторое неуважение и к ним, и к нам. Больше всего мне хотелось бы узнать, кто, аккомпанируя Дзеани, так изуродовал музыку Доницетти, что превосходная певица оказалась за чертой "певческого турнира". И, пожалуй, соглашусь со мнением, что Силлз не испортила бы эту славную компанию. Далее - о плюсах. Нам предложено сравнить целую арию, и это намного интереснее, чем сравнивать, как 50 баритонов поют верхнее ля бемоль или нижнее соль. Отрадно также, что, за некоторым исключением, комменты не превратились в бесплодные препирательства между фанатами различных лидеров. Я не оригинален, ибо предпочитаю Каллас. Но за Скотто хотел бы заступиться: для меня она единственная, помимо Каллас, в чьем пении я почувствовал Трагедию. Ни у Генчер, ни у Кабалье этого нет: первая просто старательно исполняет красивую музыку, а безмятежное пианиссимо Монсеррат более уместно для Лукреции Борджа, любующейся спящим сыном, чем для оклеветанной королевы, пытающейся забыться в ожидании ужасного конца. То, что это видео породило немало содержательных комментариев, говорит об удавшемся "концерте". Special thanks to Marx.
Yes, Callas.... But I think Scotto is excellent here, even if her voice would've been too light for the role as a whole. Really musical. Gencer is fresh here, although I think she could've sung a bit more legato. Caballe brings her usual strengths, but as Orfeus mentions in one of the comments, I've heard her sing it better. (I think this is the La Scala performance from '82?) I like Zeani, but I think her issue here, other than the rushed quality, is that she never really broke out of the verismo mode, musically speaking. She sings everything like Che tua madre. Callas was musically a bel canto singer rather than verismo singer. But what I think distinguished her dramatically is that she knew when to let up a bit. Less is more, sometimes.
all of you forgot the conductor - Gianandrea Gavazzeni - another person of genius. He conducts Bolena at La Scala for MAria and for Leyla - and did conduct Gencer at RAI. Maria is the best as always. The persons which always comment about her voice decline, in my opinion, are very frustrated - MAria even in 67 EMI records when having vocal problems is unsurpassable - listen to the cabaletta of Gulnara aria - Il Corsaro - no other soprano can keep such line and such cadenza... This poor Zeani was so stupid that forbid his husband Nicola Rosi-Lemeni to sing with Maria - even they know each other before 47 and made a real artistic team - in this Bolena he was Enrico VIII. We must regret that because of Zeani, Maria never recorded Mefistofele - we only can dream at that trio Callas - Di Stefano - Rosi-Lemeni with Seradin conducting... L-atra note... sung by Maria for EMI 54 and in London in 59 are the best on records
No contest. I am not a Callas fanatic, but she brings this aria to vivid, gorgeous, musical life, whereas the others offer boring vocalises in comparison.
the most moving aria ever written and a perfect and deeply true rendition by La Divina too many mannerisms by Caballe Gencer as always really fine but lacking just a bit as well in dramatic intensity as in vocal … brilliance Scotto … well sung Zeani disappointing
Maria's was clearly the best I thought gencer and caballe were tied for the next spot followed by scotto. Zeani did not do this well in this recording but I don't understand why since she was much better than this recording
@@viveritolet's say she was a competent singer. But I can have no respect for someone who calls Callas Poveretta. In any case here she was the worse of the five by general concensus.
Το video ειναι ενδιαφέρον και αποκαλυπτικό της υπεροχής τής Κάλλας, δεν υπάρχει σύγκριση με τις υπόλοιπες κυριες που έχουν πολυ καλές φωνές, ακομα και η ορχήστρα προσαρμοζεται με τα ηχοχρώματα της φωνής τής Καλλας, ηταν μοναδική
I love Callas in this but shame for leaving Beverly Sills out of it! I think she did more for Anna Bolena than Scotto. I also believe Leyla was very good in this, and Montse was great, but I really thin kSills should have been included. Just my opinon.
I 100% agree with you about Sills Anna Bolena! Hers was actually the first one I had heard when the album came out in the 70s and I fell in love with. Not long after that I discovered Callas's Bolena, which became my absolute favorite, but without topling over Sills. To me; although I do believe that the role was too dark and heavy for Sills voice, she still tackled the role exquisitely; in every sense! Vocally, musically and dramatically!! I found that in spite of her voice being much lighter than Callas', she was still able to bring out the drama of the role just as effectively as Callas did! Which to me is an amazing feat, as typically the heavier voice is what is needed. But Sills pulled it off impeccably!! After all these years, to me Callas and Sills are the only owners of this amazing role.
In all honesty, this is one aria I find impossible. For example, the descending triplet figure in the very first phrase I have yet to hear a soprano who makes this work, including Callas. (And, I put Callas above all others.) Still, her recording is the best, for me. Does anyone else understand or feel what I am trying to say about the triplet figure? Thanks
I fell in love with this opera from the moment I heard Callas' recording; however, as I also find the music and the theatre of the piece compelling in and of itself. For that reason I have worked hard to listen to other voices in this opera. I don't care that the history is all wrong, it's consummate opera theatre with numerous vocal parts given the opportunity to compete for attention. Before I saw your question, I've always assumed that Anna was expressing a back-and-forth type of inner argument. After going back to the libretto, it seems a wonderful musical onomatopoeia to the "murmuring river" of Anna's youth. I'm sure you have already have thought of this, so I don't mean to sound like a musicologist. You just don't think the illusion entirely convincing. I added this comment because I don't think Donazetti ever did anything he hadn't pondered over, and it doesn't bother me in the same way. Now, after having a better understanding of the aria within the context of drama, I have to say I think the Turkish princess, Gencer is more successful capturing this effect - yet Callas will always "be" Anna Bolena. I love Zeani's voice, and she did better than manage "Al dolce guidami." I also don't understand the applause after Caballé's performance. She will always be amazing (the consummate Liu), but I think Anna lost something in Caballé's dependence on her magnificent pianissimo.
@@jeffreymarler4137 Thanks for this, I really appreciate your feedback. I love this opera. You are correct, even considering the text, I still find the passage musically difficult to execute. Again, thanks for your input. PS I am a big Donizetti fan.
I've never really listened as intensely as I should have to this opera. Donizetti was so prolific ... I have been side-tracked by his other great works ... and listening to Rossini and other composers ... my ears can't be everywhere ! But after listening to this music and the singers who tried to do justice to Donizetti's humanity of expression and the vast opinions of the comments listed here ... I will have a better understanding of this scene and what it means in terms of vocal interpretation. I've enjoyed the comments as much, if not more, than the singers. There is never going to be an agreement, especially with opera fans. Everyone has an opinion which makes ALL discussions about ALL opera and ALL singers totally subjective. Any attempt to have these discussions and comparisons definitely fits Einstein's definition of the futility of insanity ... but ... after reading ALL of the comments ... I can't resist aggravating the fire :: A couple of commentators regretted not hearing Sills on this list ! I also have regrets as NONE of these singers, no matter how good / great ... can trill like that woman ! NONE !
This piece needs a dramatic voice. Callas is best. Caballe is second best. Virginia Zeani is very good. Only Callas gave the dramatic interpretation that turns this opera into a drama rather than a mass of beautiful music. I watched videos of this opera with a couple other well known sopranos before I found the Callas version. These productions were a lot of excellent music but the drama failed. The plot is simple and historically incorrect so it can be hard to follow the story without a dramatic soprano.
Zeani has great timber, but she was terrible with the tempo. She made it very difficult for the orchestra to follow her and on the final part her singing was too loud for my taste. The rest were much more in tune with the delicacy and flow of the music. I really liked Gencer, very lovely voice. Caballe was the best at pianissimo's and in bringing beauty to her sound, but I missed the well executed trills. Maria Callas is the winner for me
Zeani adopté un tempo beaucoup trop rapide ,cela enlève de la mélancolie et de la morbideza à cet air éminemment bel cantiste.C'est dommage car Zeani aune voix magnifique . Gencer est beaucoup plus dans l'esprit de Callas ,mais néanmoins légèrement inférieure .Je trouve la voix de Callas très belle dans cet air car c'est une tessiture idéale pour elle .Elle est loin devant toutes les autres.
Esistono almeno una decina di altrettante nterpreti degne del ruolo...con buona pace dei tifosi ...?....tre ascoltate da me davvero grandi Interpreti ...col pubblico che le ha applaudito. COME MERITAVANO.....
@@purisermonisamator Me, too. Now you better convince God to do a miracle to make me love Licia Albanese's voice. She's on RCA's Pearlfishers CD. So I usually skip her track. This is off-topic, but I feel sorry for Anna Netrebko because something seems wrong with her singing voice.
I wonder which recording of Caballe you used. I'm sure I've heard her sing this to perfection. She's still remarkable alongside Callas who runs out of breath and cracks but is so expressive and detailed. I also like Scotto and Gencer to some extent but not Zeani. Katia Ricciarelli, Maria Chiara and Mariella Devia sang this beautifully as well.
Caballe never sang this to perfection, primarily because she never learned to trill, and this is riddled with trills. She substituted a kind of mono-note bray for a trill. Scotto couldn't trill either.
@@Shahrdad there are fine trills by Caballe elsewhere but in Bolena you're right, she didn't do them well. Nevertheless she sang this more securely than Callas who though a fine Bolena in general, by 1957 had started to wobble notoriously in such scenes requiring a steady breath control.
Vi siete dimenticati della Sutherland? Anche lei affronto' Anna Bolena quando gia' era in eta' matura e anche se non fu un' interpretazione eccelsa resta sempre molto intensa ed appassionata.
Gencer is the best of them. Unlike Callas, her voice is young and fresh without signs of fatigue with a very precise intonation. The conductor is good, very subtly feels the possibilities of her voice.
Credo la dolcezza della follia, di una condannata che sogna un giorno solo per vivere sia più appropriata a questa romanza. Caballe la canta meglio ma non in questa a registrazione. La Gencer ha la voce più bella e chiara e giovane di tutte.
Montserrat CABALLE' e' ovvio che sia la piu' grande tra le grandi ! Il suo smalto vocale, la bellezza unica della sua voce. Colori che han fatto pensare alla pittura veneta del 500. Dopo di lei la Callas. Le altre a chilometri di distanza.
@@stefanodepeppo Se è un intenditore dovrebbe sapere che la Superba è considerata una delle 2 o 3 più grandi....per me las più grande e sopra ne ho spiegato il perchè.
Ninguna lo ha cantado con.la belleza de Caballé. Todas fueron grandes cantantes y no podemos negar lo estelar y maravillisa que hs sido Callas. Pero, aquellos que opinan desmereciendo a las otras cantantes son obtusos fanáticos ignorantes.
Perdoname. Caballe tenìa una voz con un timbre "lunar" precioso, y sus pianissimi son históricos. Pero...como puedes cantar esta aria sin trinos?...Zeani es bastante decepcionante. Gencer para mi segunda, Scotto y Caballe alli se la llevan
The best version is that of the Caballe. Everybody says that the best version is the one by Callas (which is also excellent, in fact it is the second option), but let us remember that Caballe was 15 years older than Callas when she recorded that recording at La Scala (in 1982 she was 49 years old). ) and instead Callas , in 1957, when she also performed it at the Scala, he was 34 years old.
@@awokwok1029 There are no earlier versions of Ana Bolena’s Caballe, only the final aria from 1965 and the duet with Verret. In both cases she is infinitely superior to Callas. And of course age counts, or is Callas's 1965 Paris Norma the same as 1955 at Scala? Another “smart guy” giving his opinion….
@@gustavsantdoable my opinion is just much just like Cabelle. In the words of soprano Montserrat Caballé: *She opened a new door for us, for all the singers in the world, a door that had been closed. Behind it was sleeping not only great music but great idea of interpretation. She has given us the chance, those who follow her, to do things that were hardly possible before her. That I am compared with Callas is something I never dared to dream. It is not right. I am much smaller than Callas*
@@awokwok1029 Of course it is. As great as Callas was , her vocal prime years were limited due to her own lifestyle unfortunately. She sang this in her prime ( even then sadly her voice cracked and you could hear strain) Caballe was WELL past her prime but produced something of this quality. Humility was one of Caballes character traits - you've exemplified that by her own words. Callas acknowledged and celebrated Caballé's skill and prodigy. Perhaps you should adopt some of that grace also.
Zeani?--no feeling at all! She clearly does not understand (or feel) the desperation of Anna. Gencer?--trying too hard to impersonate Anna instead of expressing HER OWN pain (as Callas does). Scotto?--again, trying way too hard, and where are the trills? ("I want those trills," Maria said in the Juilliard master classes.). There is nothing natural about Scotto. Caballé?--the voice is lovely, but her phrasing does not come close to the magic of Callas'--again probably because of she is trying too hard to "do" Donizetti rather than sing out of her own suffering. Monteserrat comes closest, but no one, in my opinion, reaches Maria's level, and most of the time it has to do with longing, regret, suffering.
Best two renditions here are Zeni and Gencer. Of course, like many people, I love Callas. But Zeni and Gencer have the greatest heart in their singing on these recordings. Sorry to break up the love-fest but that's the way I 'see it.' Best, Moon
Trovo irritante la Caballè, che se ne frega di tutto tranne che di esibire il suo timbro dolcissimo e i suoi filati e pianissimi. Certo, belli, però!!!
Aquí falta la mejor.. EDITA GRUBEROVA la Reina en Anna Bolena y tantas otras operas del Bel Canto. Solo se tiene que ver el video pirata que existe del Teatro Liceu de Barcelona.
Gruberova in this role was absolutely HORRIBLE! She should never have approached this role or been aloud to sing it. (HOWEVER, she was so amazing in so many other roles, so I'm not at all blasting her abilities. May she rest in eternal peace! 🙏)
La Callas cantava ogni aria d’opera con una precisione ,un senso del ritmo e del legato, chiaroscuri e dosaggio dei fiati così perfetti che sembra sempre di ascoltare un’esecuzione diversa da tutte le altre come se fosse addirittura un’altra cosa e quindi il suo quadro originale con la sua firma in calce!Un genio della musica e come tale insuperabile!
With out a doubt!
Oui et au delà de sa voix proprement dite ,Callas était surtout une grande musicienne.
Callas è insuperabile per mille ragioni,corpo,scurezza,coloratura senso del personaggio ..poi Caballe' dal colore lunare unico ..a seguire Gencer... comunque tutte grandissime.Callas è un fenomeno unico
María callas la divina no hay otra Ana bolena mejor que ella ❤️❤️
Non ci sono confronti possibili.Unica e insuperabie Maria .Dobbiamo a lei inoltre la scoperta di quest' opera.
Ho letto che c’è stata Sarah Scuderi à Spoleto 1947 chi ha cantata la prima Bolena da cent’anni fa.
@@maxinecornucci5953 Очень интересно, Максим. Эта певица оставила записи, вы не знаете?
Callas phrasing is so ethereal and bloody human at the same time, it's absolutely incomparable , she's perfectly dosing every single breath (not abusing of pianissimo just for calculated edonism like Caballe) and anything has a meaning in her picture, every single note, every single syllable... An interpretation for the ages.
One of the best things someone ever said in a reply to one of my comments was, please listen to Callas and get to know her. For the first time I understood that good opera is not just about beautiful voices but is about vocal drama, not always smooth and light. Callas gave a whole different dimension to all of the famous roles.
@@annalisette5897 One of her infinite strenghts in this sense has been the perfect knowledge of the languages she was singing, since her early days at the Conservatory in Athens! She sang in Italian way better than the actual Italian singers! (I'm Italian born and raised and believe me the way she let my language shine while singing is mind-blowing, with her finally the word is as important as the sound or even more!) To master the language of opera makes an abyssal difference between a very good vocal performance and an excellent artistic interpretation! Remember that Opera was born as "recitar cantando" (acting while singing) and not the opposite!
@@lifeisnice23 Thank you!
Callas was an operatic monster; brava!
La voce della Callas è inconfondibile!!!!!
Callas is just amazing. Of course, the best.
I loved Callas version. İ think its quite different,dramatic,emotional and original in my opinion. The other ladies are well too
Caballé and Callas, the rest are simply good, they both were incomparable.
Gencer better than Caballe for me
Callas y sus claro - oscuros ponen la piel de gallina.
Zeani completamente fuori posto. Gencer sempre grandissima. La Callas, ovviamente, fuori concorso.
What an interesting video! If there were ever a test to see if someone was a true master of bel canto, this aria (the entire scene) is really it. I was rather amazed at how disappointing Zeani was in this aria. She had such a great voice and technique, but here it really doesn't come together. It's rushed, sloppy, and none of the trills really take appropriate shape. Gencer is actually pretty good, giving a nice shape to the aria, though some of her trills are also not quite there. Scotto really should have been great in this role, but she gets in her own way. She was never able to sing a real trill, and in her pursuit to be artistic, she comes across as artificial and contrived. Caballe is another one who should have been a great Bolena, but whom I find disappointing. Like Scotto, she could never trill, but substituted a sort of bray for it. And by this point in her career, some of the things that had made her unique, such as her beautiful pianissimos, had devolved into gimmicks.
Once you get to the final version, you realize why Callas continues to tower above the rest. She has everything: Perfect legato, easy and perfect trills that she enters and exits smoothly without breaking the legato. Each trill becomes an intensification of the emotion, a sigh rather an ornament. There is the perfect push and pull of rubato, and the ability to suspend time without making things drag or come to a standstill. And there is the way she can taper each phrase into a haunting silence. Even when she almost brings things to a halt, the forward momentum never stops. You can hear why June Anderson said of her, "Callas was superhuman. She was on a whole other plane. She really was a Diva - the goddess - and the rest of us are basically her handmaidens."
Callas in her prime was a Monster; Brava!
Thank you for a very intelligent and well thought out analysis
I agree with everything you say and would add that Callas is the only one who sings real triplets. And never loses the structure of the phrase, indeed of the entire aria. I assume it was Gavazzeni conducting who gave her the space she needed but never lost her (unlike Scotto who is constantly ahead of the orchestra during her accelerando passage--not her fault, but her conductor's). All five are brilliant singers, only one is above the others.
@@chopin1949 In an article regarding what is arguably Verdi's most challenging aria, "D'amor sul ali rosee," Richard Dyer wrote,
"Callas articulates all of the trills, and she binds them into the line more expressively than anyone else; they are not an ornament but a form of intensification. Part of the wonder in this performance is the chiaroscuro through her tone-the other side of not singing full-out all the way through. One of the vocal devices that create that chiaroscuro is a varying rate of vibrato; another is her portamento, the way she connects the voice from note to note, phrase to phrase, lifting and gliding. This is never a sloppy swoop, because its intention is as musically precise as it is in great string playing. In this aria, Callas uses more portamento, and in greater variety, than any other singer ... Callas is not creating "effects", as even her greatest rivals do. She sees the aria as a whole, "as if in an aerial view", as Sviatoslav Richter's teacher observed of his most famous pupil; simultaneously, she is on earth, standing in the courtyard of the palace of Aliaferia, floating her voice to the tower where her lover lies imprisoned."
I think the exact same words can be applied to what she does with this aria in Bolena. There is the architectural sense of the music, the time, and the proportions that even her greatest rivals lack. There is a rightness and a sovereignty in her handling of this music that I have never heard from anyone else.
Pour moi qui ne suis pas musicienne ,je me base sur l'effet que me fait la voix de la cantatrice :c'est clairement la voix de Maria Callas qui me fait frissonner et me met les larmes aux yeux ,les autres sont indeniablement belles chacune à sa maniere,mais... n'ont pas cet effet sur moi !!!
With out a doubt!
"DIVINA" 'nuff said!
This just shows how La Callas stands head and shoulders above them all.
Maria the best.
Caballé grande! Callas insuperabile!!!
maria's violoncello wins
Totalmente de acuerdo
No.
Me parece que todas son magníficas, aunque cantar la ópera completa es otra cosa. Gencer me parece excelente, y resolvía el papel de maravilla. Caballé es pura belleza vocal y pese a la autocomplacencia está superba, legato impecable... Callas juega en otra liga, la voz flota y va difuminándose como una caricia.
Callas, Callas, Callas.
Caballé aussi bien sûr est splendide vocalement .
¡¡¡Divina!!!
Excelente aporte, como siembre.
Saludos desde Chile.
Dr.Fernando Rivas-Burattini. 1🤝👏👏🇨🇱🇨🇱✝️🙏✝️🎼🎼.
La Callas era un monstruo de la ópera, brava!
I have seen them all, heard them all and love all of them. THANK YOU.
No Sills!? Vergongna.
Cmon. Compared to 2 that were included, that's unacceptable. Sills recorded it uncut with no transpositions. She also sang Bolena on stage and it was legitimately part of her repertoire, not just a one off concert performance.
Sills also had the full coloratura arsenal at her disposal. She sang all the trills as written, had perfect legato with that enormous breath control of hers, and had the acuti.
She was a great artist, excellent musician, with great technique and intelligence. The voice itself, however, was a second class instrument, thin and insubstantial, and was much more suited to Manon or Baby Doe than the Queens or Norma. I always felt that she compensated for what the instrument lacked by adding a great deal of meretricious ornamentations and high notes. In the right roles, she was amazing. Her Baby Doe is untouchable.
Callas and Caballe' ❤❤
María!!!
Ana Bolena, una de las óperas que desempolvó Callas y que la sacó del ostracismo, en la memorable versión de 1957 con la dirección escénica de Visconti. Esta aria 'al dolce guidami castel natio"es en particular de una complicada coloratura, entre otras dificultades que presenta para su correcta interpretación, requiere además de una gran actriz. Para mi todas son muy buenas versiones, a excepción de la Scotto, sin ofender, pero su versión no tiene el nivel de las demás.
Me hubiera gustado escuchar esta aria en la primera Ana Bolena, la genial Giuditta Pasta. Gran video. Saludos cordiales.
Да уж... Джудитту Паста придётся долго поискать в Ютубе.
There is Callas and then there are the rest. She’s way out in front and they can’t catch her. RIP La Divina.
Not surprisingly, my favorites are Callas, Gencer and Caballe, in that order.
What was going on with the rushed tempo in Zeani's smudgy, piping version? It certainly doesn't show her at her best. Gencer is technically very fine and the voice is so beautiful, with that very slightly breathy catch and "floated" high notes. Scotto - caught early here - .sounds as good as I have heard her anywhere; I don't know why people make disparaging comments about her singing of this, as the seeds of her later vocal demise are not yet apparent.However, she is not very interesting. Caballé makes something special of the aria and I don't hear any intonation issues but some might find her a little mannered compared with the searing emotional intensity and vocal variety of Callas' version; she simply finds inflections and depths the others cannot touch. Personally, I cannot endure Gruberova's gulpy, pouting soprano but i do agree that it is a pity Sills was not included.
Un vero crescendo ... rossiniano di Grandissime Interpreti (Gaetano mi perdoni!). Grazie.
Donizetti was the superior composer. And he learned the crescendo from his teacher Mayr, not from Rossini.
@@brunoantony3218 , la mia espressione "un crescendo ... rossiniano" si riferisce solo alla sempre maggiore bravura delle Artiste proposte nel post.
Maria is above comparison! What colours , shades, and tensions in every note she uttered!!! Gencer is here second best.
Scotto...i pass , beyond mediocre.
Montserrat Caballe beautifully sang in pianissimo tone.
Zeani I don't like her in this aria.
Completely agreed.
Of course Callas is " insuperabile ". A couple of years ago I heard this aria with Angela Gheorghiu, and it was fantastic too.
Que rabia! No puedo percibir ni apreciar esos sutiles matices, solo sé que está mañana mientras hacía cosas puse, en el bolsillo del chaleco el móvil, y parecía como si por arte de magia una bandada de aves canoras lo hubieran invadido todo.
Sé que el mismísimo Zeus transfiguro en el águila que raptó a Galimides, estuvo muchas noches, muchas veces, so brevolando en círculo La Escala de Milano oyendo escuchando a la más grande de las diosas del Olimpo.
@@manueleduardodominguezcorr5034 Galimides? Уточните в полиции, как на самом деле звали похищенного.
Maravilha!
Maria Callas EST Anna Bolena !
Начну с претензий. Меня огорчило отсутствие упоминаний о дирижерах - это некоторое неуважение и к ним, и к нам. Больше всего мне хотелось бы узнать, кто, аккомпанируя Дзеани, так изуродовал музыку Доницетти, что превосходная певица оказалась за чертой "певческого турнира". И, пожалуй, соглашусь со мнением, что Силлз не испортила бы эту славную компанию.
Далее - о плюсах. Нам предложено сравнить целую арию, и это намного интереснее, чем сравнивать, как 50 баритонов поют верхнее ля бемоль или нижнее соль. Отрадно также, что, за некоторым исключением, комменты не превратились в бесплодные препирательства между фанатами различных лидеров. Я не оригинален, ибо предпочитаю Каллас. Но за Скотто хотел бы заступиться: для меня она единственная, помимо Каллас, в чьем пении я почувствовал Трагедию. Ни у Генчер, ни у Кабалье этого нет: первая просто старательно исполняет красивую музыку, а безмятежное пианиссимо Монсеррат более уместно для Лукреции Борджа, любующейся спящим сыном, чем для оклеветанной королевы, пытающейся забыться в ожидании ужасного конца.
То, что это видео породило немало содержательных комментариев, говорит об удавшемся "концерте". Special thanks to Marx.
Nicht so kurz, aber wirklich gut und detailliert, und entspricht auch meinem Urteil
Yes, Callas.... But I think Scotto is excellent here, even if her voice would've been too light for the role as a whole. Really musical. Gencer is fresh here, although I think she could've sung a bit more legato.
Caballe brings her usual strengths, but as Orfeus mentions in one of the comments, I've heard her sing it better. (I think this is the La Scala performance from '82?) I like Zeani, but I think her issue here, other than the rushed quality, is that she never really broke out of the verismo mode, musically speaking. She sings everything like Che tua madre. Callas was musically a bel canto singer rather than verismo singer. But what I think distinguished her dramatically is that she knew when to let up a bit. Less is more, sometimes.
all of you forgot the conductor - Gianandrea Gavazzeni - another person of genius. He conducts Bolena at La Scala for MAria and for Leyla - and did conduct Gencer at RAI. Maria is the best as always. The persons which always comment about her voice decline, in my opinion, are very frustrated - MAria even in 67 EMI records when having vocal problems is unsurpassable - listen to the cabaletta of Gulnara aria - Il Corsaro - no other soprano can keep such line and such cadenza... This poor Zeani was so stupid that forbid his husband Nicola Rosi-Lemeni to sing with Maria - even they know each other before 47 and made a real artistic team - in this Bolena he was Enrico VIII. We must regret that because of Zeani, Maria never recorded Mefistofele - we only can dream at that trio Callas - Di Stefano - Rosi-Lemeni with Seradin conducting... L-atra note... sung by Maria for EMI 54 and in London in 59 are the best on records
No contest. I am not a Callas fanatic, but she brings this aria to vivid, gorgeous, musical life, whereas the others offer boring vocalises in comparison.
the most moving aria ever written
and a perfect and deeply true rendition by La Divina
too many mannerisms by Caballe
Gencer as always really fine but lacking just a bit as well in dramatic intensity as in vocal … brilliance
Scotto … well sung
Zeani disappointing
Das heißt "kurz und gut", Dan Kurth.
@@purisermonisamator Спасибо
Sólo Callas.
Ricciarelli ❤
Callas e Scotto
Maria's was clearly the best
I thought gencer and caballe were tied for the next spot followed by scotto.
Zeani did not do this well in this recording but I don't understand why since she was much better than this recording
Where is Sills?
Che Maria sia un fenomeno unico è vero, ma ha anche avuto il merito di aver fatto rivivere Anna Bolsena togliendola dall’oblio dove era finita.
La Caballe & la Callas the rest is a desert
Zeani is correct in the Role.
Sono tutte bravissime ma la Maria spicca fuori...
Aquí solo hay que decir lo siguiente: Maria Callas es la Reina! las de demás solo son sus damas de compañía.
Indudablemente!
I adore them all apart from Scotto :)
Poor Scotto. Or as she once said about Callas: la poveretta
I am not normally a huge Scotto fan but I think in this performance she did a really beautiful job.
@@viveritolet's say she was a competent singer. But I can have no respect for someone who calls Callas Poveretta. In any case here she was the worse of the five by general concensus.
@@rena9047 what is La Poveretta?
@@awokwok1029 Poor little thing.
Yes, Callas is superb, but Caballé accomplishes something quite amazing ; only Gencer belongs in their company .
Where is Beverly Sills? ...
Το video ειναι ενδιαφέρον και αποκαλυπτικό της υπεροχής τής Κάλλας, δεν υπάρχει σύγκριση με τις υπόλοιπες κυριες που έχουν πολυ καλές φωνές, ακομα και η ορχήστρα προσαρμοζεται με τα ηχοχρώματα της φωνής τής Καλλας, ηταν μοναδική
Why isn’t Souliotis present?
Because she could not trill?
I love Callas in this but shame for leaving Beverly Sills out of it! I think she did more for Anna Bolena than Scotto. I also believe Leyla was very good in this, and Montse was great, but I really thin kSills should have been included. Just my opinon.
I 100% agree with you about Sills Anna Bolena! Hers was actually the first one I had heard when the album came out in the 70s and I fell in love with. Not long after that I discovered Callas's Bolena, which became my absolute favorite, but without topling over Sills. To me; although I do believe that the role was too dark and heavy for Sills voice, she still tackled the role exquisitely; in every sense! Vocally, musically and dramatically!! I found that in spite of her voice being much lighter than Callas', she was still able to bring out the drama of the role just as effectively as Callas did! Which to me is an amazing feat, as typically the heavier voice is what is needed. But Sills pulled it off impeccably!! After all these years, to me Callas and Sills are the only owners of this amazing role.
In all honesty, this is one aria I find impossible. For example, the descending triplet figure in the very first phrase I have yet to hear a soprano who makes this work, including Callas. (And, I put Callas above all others.) Still, her recording is the best, for me. Does anyone else understand or feel what I am trying to say about the triplet figure? Thanks
Yes, my friend.
I fell in love with this opera from the moment I heard Callas' recording; however, as I also find the music and the theatre of the piece compelling in and of itself. For that reason I have worked hard to listen to other voices in this opera. I don't care that the history is all wrong, it's consummate opera theatre with numerous vocal parts given the opportunity to compete for attention. Before I saw your question, I've always assumed that Anna was expressing a back-and-forth type of inner argument. After going back to the libretto, it seems a wonderful musical onomatopoeia to the "murmuring river" of Anna's youth. I'm sure you have already have thought of this, so I don't mean to sound like a musicologist. You just don't think the illusion entirely convincing. I added this comment because I don't think Donazetti ever did anything he hadn't pondered over, and it doesn't bother me in the same way. Now, after having a better understanding of the aria within the context of drama, I have to say I think the Turkish princess, Gencer is more successful capturing this effect - yet Callas will always "be" Anna Bolena. I love Zeani's voice, and she did better than manage "Al dolce guidami." I also don't understand the applause after Caballé's performance. She will always be amazing (the consummate Liu), but I think Anna lost something in Caballé's dependence on her magnificent pianissimo.
@@jeffreymarler4137 Thanks for this, I really appreciate your feedback. I love this opera. You are correct, even considering the text, I still find the passage musically difficult to execute. Again, thanks for your input. PS I am a big Donizetti fan.
@@jeffreymarler4137 you all right my friend, what you think about the libretto is true.
@@jeffreymarler4137 Dear Geffry, I'm still waiting for your answer.
I've never really listened as intensely as I should have to this opera. Donizetti was so prolific ... I have been side-tracked by his other great works ... and listening to Rossini and other composers ... my ears can't be everywhere ! But after listening to this music and the singers who tried to do justice to Donizetti's humanity of expression and the vast opinions of the comments listed here ... I will have a better understanding of this scene and what it means in terms of vocal interpretation. I've enjoyed the comments as much, if not more, than the singers. There is never going to be an agreement, especially with opera fans. Everyone has an opinion which makes ALL discussions about ALL opera and ALL singers totally subjective. Any attempt to have these discussions and comparisons definitely fits Einstein's definition of the futility of insanity ...
but ...
after reading ALL of the comments ... I can't resist aggravating the fire ::
A couple of commentators regretted not hearing Sills on this list ! I also have regrets as NONE of these singers, no matter how good / great ... can trill like that woman ! NONE !
This piece needs a dramatic voice. Callas is best. Caballe is second best. Virginia Zeani is very good. Only Callas gave the dramatic interpretation that turns this opera into a drama rather than a mass of beautiful music. I watched videos of this opera with a couple other well known sopranos before I found the Callas version. These productions were a lot of excellent music but the drama failed. The plot is simple and historically incorrect so it can be hard to follow the story without a dramatic soprano.
Zeani has great timber, but she was terrible with the tempo. She made it very difficult for the orchestra to follow her and on the final part her singing was too loud for my taste. The rest were much more in tune with the delicacy and flow of the music. I really liked Gencer, very lovely voice. Caballe was the best at pianissimo's and in bringing beauty to her sound, but I missed the well executed trills. Maria Callas is the winner for me
Zeani adopté un tempo beaucoup trop rapide ,cela enlève de la mélancolie et de la morbideza à cet air éminemment bel cantiste.C'est dommage car Zeani aune voix magnifique .
Gencer est beaucoup plus dans l'esprit de Callas ,mais néanmoins légèrement inférieure .Je trouve la voix de Callas très belle dans cet air car c'est une tessiture idéale pour elle .Elle est loin devant toutes les autres.
Si Callas è insuperabile !!
Esistono almeno una decina di altrettante nterpreti degne del ruolo...con buona pace dei tifosi ...?....tre ascoltate da me davvero grandi Interpreti ...col pubblico che le ha applaudito. COME MERITAVANO.....
Callas was a superb actress. But I wish I'd learn how to enjoy her singing.
I think one day you'll be able to do it.
@@purisermonisamator I did it. She's a fine Turandot.
@@williammcenaney1331 I'm glad to be right earlier than I planned.
@@purisermonisamator Me, too. Now you better convince God to do a miracle to make me love Licia Albanese's voice. She's on RCA's Pearlfishers CD. So I usually skip her track.
This is off-topic, but I feel sorry for Anna Netrebko because something seems wrong with her singing voice.
@@williammcenaney1331 Hello, William. First of all: have you the possibility of using Google translator? I mean can I write to you in Russian?
Your selection of Caballe was not her best.
Five great sopranos? There is one great soprano there. The rest range from very good to awful.
I wonder which recording of Caballe you used. I'm sure I've heard her sing this to perfection. She's still remarkable alongside Callas who runs out of breath and cracks but is so expressive and detailed. I also like Scotto and Gencer to some extent but not Zeani. Katia Ricciarelli, Maria Chiara and Mariella Devia sang this beautifully as well.
Caballe never sang this to perfection, primarily because she never learned to trill, and this is riddled with trills. She substituted a kind of mono-note bray for a trill. Scotto couldn't trill either.
@@Shahrdad there are fine trills by Caballe elsewhere but in Bolena you're right, she didn't do them well. Nevertheless she sang this more securely than Callas who though a fine Bolena in general, by 1957 had started to wobble notoriously in such scenes requiring a steady breath control.
@@Orfeus80 I think this is from '82 (or whenever she sang Anna Bolena at La Scala). Her voice is in pretty good condition, considering the date.
Vi siete dimenticati della Sutherland? Anche lei affronto' Anna Bolena quando gia' era in eta' matura e anche se non fu un' interpretazione eccelsa resta sempre molto intensa ed appassionata.
Dame Joan formidabile !
Que horror!
Come si fa a fare una classifica... ognuna porta il suo Meglio....e perpetua il Carisma donizettiano...
Gencer is the best of them. Unlike Callas, her voice is young and fresh without signs of fatigue with a very precise intonation. The conductor is good, very subtly feels the possibilities of her voice.
Credo la dolcezza della follia, di una condannata che sogna un giorno solo per vivere sia più appropriata a questa romanza.
Caballe la canta meglio ma non in questa a registrazione.
La Gencer ha la voce più bella e chiara e giovane di tutte.
Montserrat CABALLE' e' ovvio che sia la piu' grande tra le grandi ! Il suo smalto vocale, la bellezza unica della sua voce. Colori che han fatto pensare alla pittura veneta del 500. Dopo di lei la Callas. Le altre a chilometri di distanza.
Ma per favore! Come si fa a essere "la più grande" qui senza neanche un trillo che sia UNO vero, in un'aria piena di trilli?...
@@stefanodepeppo Se è un intenditore dovrebbe sapere che la Superba è considerata una delle 2 o 3 più grandi....per me las più grande e sopra ne ho spiegato il perchè.
Ninguna lo ha cantado con.la belleza de Caballé. Todas fueron grandes cantantes y no podemos negar lo estelar y maravillisa que hs sido Callas. Pero, aquellos que opinan desmereciendo a las otras cantantes son obtusos fanáticos ignorantes.
Perdoname. Caballe tenìa una voz con un timbre "lunar" precioso, y sus pianissimi son históricos. Pero...como puedes cantar esta aria sin trinos?...Zeani es bastante decepcionante. Gencer para mi segunda, Scotto y Caballe alli se la llevan
The best version is that of the Caballe. Everybody says that the best version is the one by Callas (which is also excellent, in fact it is the second option), but let us remember that Caballe was 15 years older than Callas when she recorded that recording at La Scala (in 1982 she was 49 years old). ) and instead Callas , in 1957, when she also performed it at the Scala, he was 34 years old.
so what? Age is an excuse? Lol we all know that youngest version of Cabelle is much smaller than Callas..
@@awokwok1029 There are no earlier versions of Ana Bolena’s Caballe, only the final aria from 1965 and the duet with Verret. In both cases she is infinitely superior to Callas. And of course age counts, or is Callas's 1965 Paris Norma the same as 1955 at Scala? Another “smart guy” giving his opinion….
@@gustavsantdoable my opinion is just much just like Cabelle.
In the words of soprano Montserrat Caballé:
*She opened a new door for us, for all the singers in the world, a door that had been closed. Behind it was sleeping not only great music but great idea of interpretation. She has given us the chance, those who follow her, to do things that were hardly possible before her. That I am compared with Callas is something I never dared to dream. It is not right. I am much smaller than Callas*
@@awokwok1029 Yes, I already knew her opinion. Caballe was a very humble and unassuming person. One more sign that she was the best….
@@awokwok1029 Of course it is. As great as Callas was , her vocal prime years were limited due to her own lifestyle unfortunately. She sang this in her prime ( even then sadly her voice cracked and you could hear strain) Caballe was WELL past her prime but produced something of this quality. Humility was one of Caballes character traits - you've exemplified that by her own words. Callas acknowledged and celebrated Caballé's skill and prodigy. Perhaps you should adopt some of that grace also.
Zeani?--no feeling at all! She clearly does not understand (or feel) the desperation of Anna. Gencer?--trying too hard to impersonate Anna instead of expressing HER OWN pain (as Callas does). Scotto?--again, trying way too hard, and where are the trills? ("I want those trills," Maria said in the Juilliard master classes.). There is nothing natural about Scotto. Caballé?--the voice is lovely, but her phrasing does not come close to the magic of Callas'--again probably because of she is trying too hard to "do" Donizetti rather than sing out of her own suffering. Monteserrat comes closest, but no one, in my opinion, reaches Maria's level, and most of the time it has to do with longing, regret, suffering.
Zeani sounds really bad! Like Luisa Tetrazzini at 90!
Caballe is the best
Without a single trill?...How??
Best two renditions here are Zeni and Gencer. Of course, like many people, I love Callas. But Zeni and Gencer have the greatest heart in their singing on these recordings. Sorry to break up the love-fest but that's the way I 'see it.' Best, Moon
Who is Zeni? Who knows?
You forgot Joan Sutherland
monserrat is the best for me
Trovo irritante la Caballè, che se ne frega di tutto tranne che di esibire il suo timbro dolcissimo e i suoi filati e pianissimi. Certo, belli, però!!!
Aquí falta la mejor..
EDITA GRUBEROVA la Reina en Anna Bolena y tantas otras operas del Bel Canto. Solo se tiene que ver el video pirata que existe del Teatro Liceu de Barcelona.
La Gruberova.🤣😂🤣
Gruberova in this role was absolutely HORRIBLE! She should never have approached this role or been aloud to sing it. (HOWEVER, she was so amazing in so many other roles, so I'm not at all blasting her abilities. May she rest in eternal peace! 🙏)
@@artdanks4846 no entiendo inglés, en italiano francés o español. Si es horrible tu si que entiendes de opera!!
@@niconico7281 I just meant that she was a great singer in many operas. But not in Anna Bolena.
jajaja