1. RSA
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    17 Jul '20 18:371 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
  2. SubscriberPonderable
    chemist
    Linkenheim
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    19 Jul '20 18:06
    @Ashiitaka

    Erika Miklosa could also act while singing, this is a plus.
    Christina deutekom is very concentarted on singing. She is of course a great singer, but I can't find fault with any of them.

    In fact I don't like that Aria overmuch. I am fonder of the bass arias (Sarastro)
  3. Gothenburg
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    19 Jul '20 18:24
    @ponderable said
    @Ashiitaka

    Erika Miklosa could also act while singing, this is a plus.
    Christina deutekom is very concentarted on singing. She is of course a great singer, but I can't find fault with any of them.

    In fact I don't like that Aria overmuch. I am fonder of the bass arias (Sarastro)
    Fantastic performances. I agree with Ponderable - I don't very much like this aria, maybe I don't find it beautiful. But I know most other people do.
    Thanks for posting, Ashiitaka
  4. Gothenburg
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    19 Jul '20 20:54
    @Ashiitaka

    They are all amazing performances - my favourite is Cristina Deutekom.
  5. SubscriberSuzianne
    Misfit Queen
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    19 Jul '20 21:43
    @ashiitaka said
    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 pe ...[text shortened]... ation did not contain the triplets that I mentioned.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQpTGKXAxqA
    Hmmmm, maybe if more people posted there...

    then maybe more people would post there.

    Just sayin'.
  6. Subscribersonhouse
    Fast and Curious
    slatington, pa, usa
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    20 Jul '20 05:32
    @Suzianne
    Mozart was a real genius no doubt. I wonder who was it had the gall to thumb down this thread?
  7. SubscriberPonderable
    chemist
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    20 Jul '20 11:53
    @sonhouse said
    @Suzianne
    Mozart was a real genius no doubt. I wonder who was it had the gall to thumb down this thread?
    I doubt that they meant to hit on Mozart...
  8. Gothenburg
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    20 Jul '20 18:54
    @ponderable said
    I doubt that they meant to hit on Mozart...
    I don't think so either. Maybe who did it, didn't know enough about it.
  9. Subscribersonhouse
    Fast and Curious
    slatington, pa, usa
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    21 Jul '20 00:30
    @Torunn
    Yep, just trolls.
  10. SubscriberPianoman1
    Nil desperandum
    Seedy piano bar
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    21 Jul '20 05:24
    @ashiitaka said
    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 pe ...[text shortened]... ation did not contain the triplets that I mentioned.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQpTGKXAxqA
    Diana Damrau all day long. The energy and passion of her performance outweighs any slight technical issues. I agree with other posters that because this such a difficult coloratura aria it is often so cringeworthy as to be almost comical (Florence Foster Jenkins!).
  11. SubscriberPonderable
    chemist
    Linkenheim
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    21 Jul '20 06:46
    @pianoman1 said
    Diana Damrau all day long. The energy and passion of her performance outweighs any slight technical issues. I agree with other posters that because this such a difficult coloratura aria it is often so cringeworthy as to be almost comical (Florence Foster Jenkins!).
    In times of Mozart the refernce point was at lower frequency, so that even "ordinary" sopranoes could reach the top notes 😉

    Florence is a special case which probably woudl warrant a thread of her own.
  12. Gothenburg
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    21 Jul '20 06:59
    @ponderable said
    In times of Mozart the refernce point was at lower frequency, so that even "ordinary" sopranoes could reach the top notes 😉

    Florence is a special case which probably woudl warrant a thread of her own.
    My favourite opera singers are Kiri Te Kanawa, Renée Fleming, Maria Callas to mention a few. Birgit Nilsson is not one of them.
  13. SubscriberPianoman1
    Nil desperandum
    Seedy piano bar
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    21 Jul '20 16:23
    @torunn said
    My favourite opera singers are Kiri Te Kanawa, Renée Fleming, Maria Callas to mention a few. Birgit Nilsson is not one of them.
    Maria Callas for Verdi. Birgit Nilsson for Wagner. Renée Fleming for Mozart or for virtually anything. Kiri Te Kanawa too lightweight.
  14. Gothenburg
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    21 Jul '20 17:21
    @pianoman1 said
    Maria Callas for Verdi. Birgit Nilsson for Wagner. Renée Fleming for Mozart or for virtually anything. Kiri Te Kanawa too lightweight.
    Why is she lightweight in your opinion?
  15. RSA
    Joined
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    22 Jul '20 10:56
    @suzianne said
    Hmmmm, maybe if more people posted there...

    then maybe more people would post there.

    Just sayin'.
    A thought that occurred to me, but I was not prepared to sacrifice my thread on that altar. 😉
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