dernier cri
“Natalie Dessay … in a fuchsia dress and lace-up high boots, flaming red hair piled high on her head …. swung her arms above her head, stretched, and then literally screamed out what sounded like wild joy and barely bridled lust.” [Santa Fe New Mexican]
Lawrence Brownlee (high F) [YouTube]
Despite all her faults (scooping into almost every note, mugging that puts Bartoli to shame, a poor trill, etc.), I much, much prefer Ms. Dessay over Anna Netrebko. Talk about a fraud.
” … I can see him pulling it off at a small venue. Singing it at the Met is a bit of a stretch.”
I wonder why people keep making this superficially obvious statement as if by reflex? The acoustics of the Met are such that a voice that can be heard at all can be heard all over the house. Many smallish voice (Von Stade? Blegen? Battle d’ans passés?) have been starry there.
Now, not being suitable for a part is another question, of course. But it always seems to me that if they can’t do it at the Met, they probably shouldn’t try it in “a small venue” either.
netrebko has a real voice. Dessay is fanny brice. all mugging to distract from the white toned, horrid shrieking that passes as acting choices. I did NOT like the Met Gala sepre libera because it was anything but. It was caught in her tiny little world of over nuanced “supposed” great acting and singing. She runs a lot….with a very limited color she is a limited courtesan except when in a dye shop.