Bella è quell’ira, o vergine!
As several of you quick-witted commenters have divined, the mystery Odabella is none other than Eva Marton, who performed in Verdi’s Attila in 1972. As you watch this YouTube clip of the entire aria, thrill to la Marton’s precocious mastery of diva body language!
“It’s been hysterical to watch Claggart flailing wildly away in a previous match against what was obviously multiple posters.”
The different anonymouses might be different people, but they’re all assholes, so Claggart has that in his favor.
I was first introduced to Marton via her late 80s Met Turandot. She’s fabulous in the role and I love that performance. In 1997, I got to see her return to the Met in the same role. Her voice had lost some of its volume or she was just hesitant in Act II. Anyway, she didn’t come out blazing in “In questa reggia” like I had expected. However, her performance was still riveting and she was greeted by a huge ovation at the end.
For me, she had limited appeal because I hadn’t heard her early performance. I was only familiar with the vibrato-laden singing that delivered lots of power and drama but not much subtelty. Then, I heard an early 80s Tosca from Opera Australia (available on DVD) that was a revelation. She showed to have a clear command of the Italian style and her intonation on ther high notes was better than later on.
This Odabella is fabulous. I’d love to hear more of her from the 70s. And the diva poses are fantastic.
I heard Marton in those now-famous Die Frau ohne Schattens. My memory is that she was fantastic. I heard her again as Tosca, and her voice sounded a bit frayed–but she certainly held the stage beautifully. By the time she recorded Ortrud for Davis in Munich, she became, for me, utterly unlistenable as recorded. (Not that Sharon “Sweet” sounded much better on that disk.) She really had true talent on stage, however–yet I think the rush to push her into the Nilsson repertoire was ill-advised.
You are so right Kashania – I actually saw la Marton do two of those Toscas and she was brilliant with not one note out of place- and well acted.
They stand in my memory as the best Tosca’s I have ever seen.
Is it really SO brave to leave a comment and sign it “Aaron” or “Claggart”? Give it a fucking break. Everyone here is hiding behind a screen name, which is part of the charm of the internet.
Die Amme- there’s not a lot of “charm” in annonymity. Those who have a name (even fictitious) at least retain an individual identity that is recognisable by others.
“Anonymouses” are not easily recognisable and it is hard to see them as indiviuals.
the words “marton” and “coloratura” in the same sentence (or even paragraph) bring up terror, dread and horror to me… one question, did she ever sing Nabucco? i haven’t heard of that happening, but that’s a very scary proposition. though like a horrific car crash one cannot avert our eyes to…