17 Jul '20 18:37>1 edit
I know this belongs in "Culture", but nobody ever looks there, so I'm putting it here.
I have seen Die Zauberflöte a few times over the years, and the Queen of the Night aria is usually the highlight. It's well known to be one of the most difficult in opera. The staccatos are particularly challenging to pull off without sounding strained. For me, I know a good performance when it doesn't give me second-hand anxiety.
I stumbled across this compilation of performances, and I thought it would be nice to give your favourite and why, and perhaps discuss some of the performances.
YouTube
My personal favourite is Cristina Deutekom. Despite the poor quality of the recording - 1971 I believe - the quality of her voice shines through. The staccatos are effortless and I can feel the dopamine rushing through my brain during the melisma triplets.
I won't say what I thought of the others yet.
Edit: Here is the full recording of Cristina Deutekom - I realized that the compilation did not contain the triplets that I mentioned.
YouTube
I have seen Die Zauberflöte a few times over the years, and the Queen of the Night aria is usually the highlight. It's well known to be one of the most difficult in opera. The staccatos are particularly challenging to pull off without sounding strained. For me, I know a good performance when it doesn't give me second-hand anxiety.
I stumbled across this compilation of performances, and I thought it would be nice to give your favourite and why, and perhaps discuss some of the performances.
YouTube
My personal favourite is Cristina Deutekom. Despite the poor quality of the recording - 1971 I believe - the quality of her voice shines through. The staccatos are effortless and I can feel the dopamine rushing through my brain during the melisma triplets.
I won't say what I thought of the others yet.
Edit: Here is the full recording of Cristina Deutekom - I realized that the compilation did not contain the triplets that I mentioned.
YouTube