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songbirdwatcher
United States
Приєднався 26 жов 2007
Celebrate coloratura sopranos in all their florid and stratospheric glory! I call myself "songbirdwatcher" because I've been collecting recordings of soprano "songbirds" for over 30 years. I curate and post coloratura music from different musical genres and eras, sung by sopranos from across the globe, spanning decades. Along with famous stars, I try to showcase singers that are less known, too. For context, I provide brief overviews of the music and the singers' careers. To keep my content unique, I only post items from my own collection and I don't post anything that's already on UA-cam, except perhaps a segment in one of my comparison videos, or if the aria is only up in a long, complete performance.
I encourage discussion, but I moderate channel comments so there may be a delay. They don't all need to be glowingly positive; thoughtful criticism is fine, but I have no tolerance for rude or snide comments that disrespect the singers or other viewers on a forum which I host.
I encourage discussion, but I moderate channel comments so there may be a delay. They don't all need to be glowingly positive; thoughtful criticism is fine, but I have no tolerance for rude or snide comments that disrespect the singers or other viewers on a forum which I host.
Roma Owsinska sings Rossini's first soprano opera aria
THE SONGBIRD: Polish soprano Roma Owsinska studied piano, flute, and voice in Kielce, then focused on voice at the Academy of Music in Łódź, where she graduated in 1983. She won several regional prizes and made her debut in Lodz as Elena in Boito's "Mefistofele." Her florid roles have included Violetta, Rosina, Norina, Lucia, Gilda, and Madame Herz, with an adjunct focus on bigger lyric roles including Mimi, Amelia, Liu, Leonora, Butterfly, Santuzza, Adriana Lecouvreur, and Lucrezia Borgia. She appears regularly in Poland's opera houses, and has been a guest with companies in Berlin, Dresden, Sicily, Seoul, Bulgaria, Lille, and Amsterdam.
THE MUSIC: Rossini's one-act comic opera "La cambiale di matrimonio" was his first to be professionally produced. Composed when he was 18 years old, its first performance was in Venice in 1810. The overture is often performed in concert and the duet "Dunque io son" was later reused in "The Barber of Seville." Fanny is the leading soprano and sings the jovial florid aria "Vorrei spiegarvi il giubilo"
THE MUSIC: Rossini's one-act comic opera "La cambiale di matrimonio" was his first to be professionally produced. Composed when he was 18 years old, its first performance was in Venice in 1810. The overture is often performed in concert and the duet "Dunque io son" was later reused in "The Barber of Seville." Fanny is the leading soprano and sings the jovial florid aria "Vorrei spiegarvi il giubilo"
Переглядів: 138
Відео
Glass Shatterers! Erna Sack live with her ultra-high notes
Переглядів 3444 години тому
~The "Glass Shatterers!" series focuses on sopranos who sustain High F, or sing higher. THE SONGBIRD: Erna Sack (1898 - 1972) was born in Berlin and studied music in Prague. She was signed by Bruno Walter to sing small roles at the Berlin State Opera in 1928 but it wasn't until 1930 that her stratospheric high notes helped her become a star soprano across Germany as Norina, Gilda, and Zerbinett...
Jeanette Scovotti flies through Fiorilla's alternate florid cavatina
Переглядів 4237 годин тому
THE SONGBIRD: Jeanette Scovotti was born in New York in 1936. Her international operatic career started her with debut in 1960 at the New York City Opera as Monica in "The Medium." She sang 86 performances with The Met in the 1960s (in order: Adele, Echo, Lisa in "Sonnambula," Oscar, Xenia, Pousette, Rosina, Zerlina, Papagena, Zerbinetta, Nannetta, Olympia, Lucy in "The Telephone," Fiakermilli,...
Sabina Puértolas sparkles in rapidly embellished Rossini
Переглядів 1849 годин тому
THE SONGBIRD: Sabina Puértolas was born in Zaragoza, Spain in 1973. She trained at the Pamplona Conservatoire, and then in Italy at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena and the Teatro Regio's Accademia Verdiana in Busseto, where Carlo Bergonzi was her teacher. She won the Zarzuela prize at Operalia in 2003. Puértolas made her professional debut in 2001 as Oscar at La Scala in Milan. She app...
Lisette Oropesa makes an effervescent entrance
Переглядів 33512 годин тому
THE SONGBIRD: Lisette Oropesa was born in 1983 in New Orleans. Her parents emigrated from Cuba; her mother is a music teacher and former operatic soprano. Oropesa played the flute for 12 years and studied music at Louisiana State University. After winning the Met Opera National Council auditions in 2005, she entered its Young Artist Program. Her Met debut came in 2006, as a small role in "Idome...
Arleen Auger’s elegant, fleet Rossinian coloratura
Переглядів 75614 годин тому
THE SONGBIRD: Arleen Auger (1939 - 1993) is one of the most respected sopranos of the 20th century, and was one of the most recorded. She is known for her impeccable musicianship, interpretive expressivity, and versatility. Auger was born in Los Angeles and played violin and piano as a child. She graduated from college in Long Beach, and after privates studies and competition wins, relocated to...
Mélissa Petit captivates in a showy romantic Rossini cavatina
Переглядів 23419 годин тому
THE SONGBIRD: French Soprano Mélissa Petit was born in 1990 in Saint-Raphaël. She studied singing both in her hometown and in Nice before joining the studio of the Hamburg State Opera in 2000. Petit joined the Zurich Opera company in 2015, singing Sophie (Werther), Marzelline, Annchen, and Créuse in Charpentier’s "Médée." Other notable appearances have included Micaela and Gilda at the Bregenz ...
Mélissa Petit expressively phrases Rossini's elegant melodic contours
Переглядів 15221 годину тому
THE SONGBIRD: French Soprano Mélissa Petit was born in 1990 in Saint-Raphaël. She studied singing both in her hometown and in Nice before joining the studio of the Hamburg State Opera in 2000. Petit joined the Zurich Opera company in 2015, singing Sophie (Werther), Marzelline, Annchen, and Créuse in Charpentier’s "Médée." Other notable appearances have included Micaela and Gilda at the Bregenz ...
Mélissa Petit weds liquid tone with peak virtuosity (to High E6)
Переглядів 442День тому
THE SONGBIRD: French Soprano Mélissa Petit was born in 1990 in Saint-Raphaël. She studied singing both in her hometown and in Nice before joining the studio of the Hamburg State Opera in 2000. Petit joined the Zurich Opera company in 2015, singing Sophie (Werther), Marzelline, Annchen, and Créuse in Charpentier’s "Médée." Other notable appearances have included Micaela and Gilda at the Bregenz ...
Majella Cullagh dazzles as a young, virtuosic Adina
Переглядів 308День тому
THE SONGBIRD: Irish soprano Majella Cullagh was born in 1972. She studied at the Cork School of Music and then at the National Opera Studio in London. Her debut was in Wales in 1993 in Donizetti's "Il campanello" an early sign that her repertoire would tilt heavily toward obscure Italian bel canto operas. She has recorded frequently for Opera Rara. Cullagh has sung lyric and florid roles all ov...
Elisandra Melián flies high in her tribute to France
Переглядів 197День тому
THE SONGBIRD: Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Elisandra Melián began her musical studies at the conservatory there, then continued in Madrid and Freiburg. She won several awards and began her professional career in 2008 as Sandrine in Haydn's "L'Infedeltá delusa" in Aix-en-Provence. Her Musetta has been heard in Como, Brescia, Cremona, Pavia, and Koblenz; her Sofia ("Il Signor Bruschino") i...
Gail Robinson salutes France with coloratura panache
Переглядів 194День тому
THE SONGBIRD: Gail Robinson (1946 - 2008) was raised in Tennessee. She was a Met Opera Auditions finalist in 1966, making her professional debut that same year with Memphis Opera as Lucia. She sang regionally often (Chicago, San Antonio, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Orlando, etc.) and internationally (Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Geneva); however, she enjoyed a 20-year career at The Met with over 200...
Mariella Devia easily knocks out Donizetti's regiment song
Переглядів 30914 днів тому
THE SONGBIRD: Here is the legendary Mariella Devia, one of the great coloratura sopranos of our or any era. She was born in 1948, made her debut as Despina at the Spoleto Festival in 1972, and was still singing concerts in good form through 2020 (acknowledging the pandemic had halted or altered many venue bookings). Devia is a bel canto specialist, but also sings baroque works and the lyric-col...
Glass Shatterers! Glenda Raymond tops the field with a High F
Переглядів 22014 днів тому
~The "Glass Shatterers!" series focuses on sopranos who sustain High F, or sing higher. THE SONGBIRD: Melbourne-born Glenda Raymond (1922 - 2003) is best remembered as the singing voice of Nellie Melba in the 78-episode radio serial "The Melba Story," which aired weekly in Australia and other countries. She was cast in the role at age 24 and ended up marrying the producer Hector Crawford in 195...
Annick Massis takes a comic singing lesson
Переглядів 27314 днів тому
THE SONGBIRD: Annick Massis is one of the sopranos I most admire (hence, deserving of a YT thumbnail graphic template and playlist all her own). Massis was born to a musical household in 1958 in Paris. She got something of a late start on her singing studies and career, making her operatic debut in her early 30s in Toulouse. Massis gradually built an impressive performance and recording career ...
Glass Shatterers! Emma Matthews flies to High F in her singing lesson
Переглядів 54514 днів тому
Glass Shatterers! Emma Matthews flies to High F in her singing lesson
Sabina Puértolas rallies for an ebullient regiment song
Переглядів 15114 днів тому
Sabina Puértolas rallies for an ebullient regiment song
Glass Shatterers! Artsvik Demurchyan drops in a High F
Переглядів 30614 днів тому
Glass Shatterers! Artsvik Demurchyan drops in a High F
Raffaella Milanesi is a young Italian Norina
Переглядів 11021 день тому
Raffaella Milanesi is a young Italian Norina
Magali Léger sings Donizetti in an early-career recital
Переглядів 24121 день тому
Magali Léger sings Donizetti in an early-career recital
Ofelia Sala offers an intimate Caro nome with piano
Переглядів 13221 день тому
Ofelia Sala offers an intimate Caro nome with piano
Brigitte Hahn weaves Verdi’s notes into soft velvet
Переглядів 19521 день тому
Brigitte Hahn weaves Verdi’s notes into soft velvet
Mieko Sato sings a large, full Caro nome
Переглядів 25421 день тому
Mieko Sato sings a large, full Caro nome
Sonia Zlatkova gives us a dreamy, poised Caro nome
Переглядів 36621 день тому
Sonia Zlatkova gives us a dreamy, poised Caro nome
Erika Miklosa dances fleetly through Verdi's bolero to High E
Переглядів 48128 днів тому
Erika Miklosa dances fleetly through Verdi's bolero to High E
Janice Hall finds delicacy and drama in Lucia's mad scene
Переглядів 27228 днів тому
Janice Hall finds delicacy and drama in Lucia's mad scene
Liv Redpath sings a fervent, fearless Lucia
Переглядів 751Місяць тому
Liv Redpath sings a fervent, fearless Lucia
The versatile Romelia Lichtenstein in coloratura mode as Lucia
Переглядів 417Місяць тому
The versatile Romelia Lichtenstein in coloratura mode as Lucia
Maria Angeles Peters as Lucia at the start of her career
Переглядів 316Місяць тому
Maria Angeles Peters as Lucia at the start of her career
Ashley graduated from Ramapo HS,Franklin Lakes NJ 1969. She was our Drum. Major and Played in the band with my sister. Very proud of you Ashley! I hope Mr.Siegel got to see you blossom!
5:04 ❤❤❤
A precious record, as she can be much better live than in the studio. If I had the opportunity to interview her, I would like to know how she managed to reach such high notes. Phenomenal. Unforgettable. Incomparsble skill of the extreme beauty.
The high G was so easy to her and it seemed that she was feeling bored when sustained it🌟
The opera singers now just scream and sound horrible and can’t even hold a note for long erna sack never stops before hitting high notes just sings with ease like an angel ❤❤
Songbirdwatcher.....besonders diesen wunderbaren Singvogel ❤
Shes still with us at 87 years old. Beautiful voice! My mothers cousin was a very famous Israeli Opera singer, that performed in the same era as Jeanette. She performed with Jan Pierce,Robert Merrill,Beverley Sills, Roberta Peters and many more. Hanna Zamir was her name.
Me encantó!!!!... 👍👍
Tiene poca cololatura. No me gusta la interpretación. Y además tiene poco caudal de voz. (29 . VII . 2024).
She sang the sleeping beauty music in Disney’s film
I couldn't help but notice, that Vienna did not make into the illustrous list of explicitly mentionend top opera houses but belongs to etc ... I have to admit, from what I have seen/heard myself over the last 2-3 years, I actually get it 😐
she flutters, she pushes, she strains...
Its interesting to see how many use the standard cadenza when it was customary to create your own variations. A very compilation for sure
It's unfortunate that Tetrazzini didn't record this. It could have been cut or recorded on two cylinders. Would have loved to hear her record Come scolglio or O beau pay.
Was the Sills released in '76? It seems like she recorded it around 1969-1971?
Some of the trills weren't clearly articulated. Good voices over all. Edda Moser is wonderful!
Brava.
The exhaustive discography in Ralph Zedler's German-language book about Auger lists numerous Bel Canto scenes and arias done in radio broadcasts, including Sonnambula, Don Pasquale, L'Elisir D'Amore, La Fille du Regiment, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, a complete Le Comte Ory, and Rigoletto. Sadly, her complete performance of La Fille du Regiment (In German, as 'Regimentstochter') appears not to survive. Hope all of this material eventually shows up on UA-cam.
She was very versatile stylistically- but not much of the Italian rep seems to have surfaced. She was very prolific in the studio, but mostly Mozart and baroque things.
Really wonderful!
So beautiful 🎉
I'm so blessed, this woman is my teacher! She is an amazing lady❤
Your explanation is very interesting and you're sexy 😊
Ma perché canta "la mia prode eroina"?
❤❤❤❤❤
Une étape importante dans son parcours. Il faut écouter l'ensemble de la retransmission pendant qu'elle est disponible. Du lyrisme au dramatisme, Mélissa Petit fait la preuve de son talent, de sa musicalité et de sa capacité d'incarnation. Une belcantiste en devenir.
Not sure what Gruberova is doing but its funny as hell.
She's never at the center of a note. Except for the scream at the end, the rest is somewhere around the pitch, not spot on.
Maginifc singer and beautiful singing!
She was a lovely Gilda at the Bregenz Festival. I hope she continues to have a great career!
Excellently performed. A myth and taboo was created about Amadeus, which does not correspond to empirical and historical facts. The WORLD (musical world) did not "revolve" around Mozart then - it "revolved" around Jommelli, Pajziel, Gluck, Gasman, Gossec, Gretri, Sarti, J.C. Bach, Johann Gottlieb Naumann, Stamic, Anfossi, Pichini, Andrea Luchesi... Vanhal, Mislivečeka, Salijerija,..., Solera. The young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was in the audience. He described the work as "beautiful but too serious and old-fashioned for the theatre".But in his opera Lucio Silla, 1772. K. 135: Act II, Scene 11, "In un Istante" "Parto, m'affretto" (Giunia), Jommelli's arias in a new arrangement. Mozart's style of creating "fixing other people's arias".
Lovely
Finally something above high D from Cullagh. Been looking for a while. I'm sure there's more surely? She's excellent on the Opera Rara releases.
Most beautiful!!
Delightful voice quality! Her intonation is right on target.
Very good singer. I can't imagine having to listen to the tenor singing Nemorino for a whole performance though
Brava!!!
Gail Robinson was such a lovely singer with excellent coloratura, trills, and high notes. She didn't have a recording studio career, but there are, fortunately, many live recordings and broadcasts.
Nice! Beautiful timbre, expressive, and good French. I would love to hear more from her
PLEASING! Heard her numerous times on the Saturday afternoon Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts. My first hearing of this aria was as a child listening to Frieda Hempel singing this on an Edison cylinder.
❤❤😭😭❤❤ You can feel Ophelie's pain and desperation.
Une voix extraordinaire que c’est triste de partir à son âge elle avait tant travaillé pour une carrière si prometteuse 🎶🎶🎶🎶👏👏👏👏😢😢😢😢😢❤️❤️❤️❤️💔💔💔
One of the greatest under-recorded singers.
She’s amazing. She seems to only get better and better. I never would have figured she’d bring this much bite and eloquence to this role. It sounds like music and not like some crazy lady screeching. And thank god it’s being finally done in the version the composer wrote. So sick of all the people who like Callas and say the butchered version she did is better by virtue of her having done it.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Incredible!!!👏👏👏💖🎼
I like hearing how the older generation of singers approached high notes. This one is so lilting. High notes don't always have to blow the ceiling off the house. Not every high note has to be a "Sutherland" high note, although I certainly don't mind hearing those as well. Thank you for continuing to expose me to music I would NEVER have heard otherwise... I love your channel, please keep doing what you do !!!
Extraordinary technique, she could sing with dignity whatever she wanted (includes prohibited repertoire) she has missed some musical notes, and Callas or Sutherland have also fallen on occasions, they are human, not machines. She is admirable how she attacks the high notes, as if she were a "laser beam."
Delicious
Never feel enough for her voice!
Beautiful rich timbre to her voice.
Thank you so much for posting extracts with Annick all the time....