Watch out boy she'll chew you up
Unfortunately La Cieca has been unable to find video of the stars of our current Unnatural Act in a staged version of Adriana Lecouvreur. However, here's our other prima donna of the piece, Elena Obraztsova, in a concert performance of the Principessa's aria "Acerba voluttà."
La Obraztsova may be heard in equally full wail opposite Renata Scotto, Giacomo Aragall and Giuseppe Taddei in the second act of Cilea's opera at Unnatural Acts of Opera.
La Obraztsova may be heard in equally full wail opposite Renata Scotto, Giacomo Aragall and Giuseppe Taddei in the second act of Cilea's opera at Unnatural Acts of Opera.
Labels: podcast, she's a maneater
POSTED at
12:57 AM
10 Comments:
WOW!!! She was astounding! I'd love to have heard her in a sing-off against Fiorenza Cossotto.
brava, bravissima, stupenda grandiosa. Un vero uomo ma che voce! Grazie La Cieca, your taste is impeccable.
I've heard later performances where she was waaay past her prime, but she sounds comparatively good her. Not my favorite voice. I'd vote for Cossotto. Im curious, though, about 2 things. Why does she look as if she's about to sing the Bell Song, and where did she get that killer tan?
I actually rather enjoyed this, but I do recall seeing her as La Zia Principessa in San Francisco that made Ethel Merman sound like Mado Robin. She belted out the entire role and such a volume tht I swear I felt the ceiling of the War Memorial House shaking.
Thanks to Mr. Reagan's lock-out of Soviet artists during the 80s, we missed a HUGE portion of Mme. O's career. (Also Yuri Mazurok, Nesterenko, Arkhipova, Atlantov, and many others...) By the time she returned to the US, the voice was in tatters....
I first heard her in 1977 in Philly. She sang a recital at the Academy of Music for an audience of about 500 people who were brave enough to cross the picket lines of the Ukrainian ex-pats who were picketing anything Soviet that camne to the USA at that time. The voice was huge and solid.
By the time we heard her again in the 90s, the voice was full of holes and the most recent time, at the Met for "THE GAMBLER", was embarrassing......
I saw her at La Scala in the late 70s as Eboli and she positively blazed. I have never been so excited by the sheer force of a voice in theatre as that night at La Scala.
I had forgotten what an impressive instrument that was in it's prime. Huge, dark and rich with a chest voice that astonishes because it's so unforced. I fell in love with her solo album back in college. I pretty much wore it out. When I finally heard her live in the 90's it was so disappointing because all but the size had gone.
Excellent in every way. I also found renditions by Barbieri and Zajuc on YouTube. No Cossotto unfortunately (not this aria anyway). Thanks for this gem, Cieca.
I haven't watched the video clip yet but the podcast with Scotto is fabulous. She is simply sensational. Yes, she belts everything -- not much subtlety -- but boy, is it every exciting! She must have the most luxurious lower register that I've heard from any mezzo. One can just bathe in that sound.
She was very good in her time but never, never was she anywhere near the class of Cossotto, never was - never will be.
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