Since we mentioned Trovatore.

Sorr, Dude, but I cannot agree with the Lee comment. HER legato along with Joanie’s was the finest of the post war era.

What some DO believe is that she brings some things to the role that make her very compelling, if not vocally orgasmic, a la Devia or B to tha Sills.

The truth is that ten years ago she was NEVER laughed off the stage, in LA or elsewhere. In fact, ten years ago her voice was much more suited to the rep.

Some people just choose not to outright bash people who work very hard but nonetheless may not have the technical control to execute a role as well as Bubbles or Devia (few do). We respect their efforts, acknowledge their advantages AND their limitations and faults, and move the hell on.

Netrebko is not the ideal Lucia. No one I know thinks that. But she’s also very compelling if you stop for one moment and refuse to compare her (or anyone) to the exemplars which no one will likely ever equal. Some of us don’t set her up to fail. We take the bad with the good, and wait with bated breath for someone who will really cause us to cream ourselves.

She is truly astonishing.

But it depends on the role. There are certain roles which she just does well in, when you see her in the house. Violetta is one of them. Even though at times she is sloppy (mostly in Act I), the rest of the time, she is just absolutely riveting. I don’t know how else to describe it.

Before I saw and heard her live, I had tremendous qualms about the effect she would have on me as a performer. After experiencing her live, I and everyone else in the theatre were actually moved beyond words.

Sometimes she is tremendously sloppy, especially on live recordings. But see her live in the house, and she is tremendously compelling (if you grant yourself the freedom).

We get it, Devia runs circles around Netrebko as Lucia. No one disputes that.

Also, I’m sure Netrebko has tremendous respect for Devia, Bubbles, La Stupenda (aka she-of-the-weirdly-incessant-smile). She probably listens to them in awe. She probably KNOWS that “this is how it’s done.” No one needs to tell her. She is a professional and she tries.

Whether she should be trying in different rep is another question, but I don’t think Netrebko or those who like her are deluded one bit that she is the gold standard of bel canto singing.

testing

Well, than was then, and this is now.
Instead of champagne, we’re drinking coca cola, and diet coke, at that.

Also, when the subject of ‘beauty’ is broached, Mr. Sanford’s Miss Moffo STILL, after all these years, wins by a landslide. In her case, it was possible to have, mirabile dictu,incredible beauty of voice, face and figure, AND to not execute fioriture in an unconscionably slovenly manner.

How could that be?

Now compare and contrast these two:

The woman is capable of some beautiful singing. For the love of God, why can’t she just hunker down and STUDY STUDY STUDY like the rest of them do? I firmly believe she could be a tremendous artist if she just bothered to commit a professional amount of time to the study of two little things: music and technique.

I never thought that Price’s recording with Karajan would be considered anything less than idiosyncratic, but I guess after Fleming’s, it will be considered a model in restrain and bel canto principles.