Topic: Amazing

[Michel]

"One of the most amazing things I've seen on YouTube" - Nigel Wilkinson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNJ9w8KJdKY&eurl=

[Tsaraslondon]

The spirit of Florence Foster Jenkins lives on.

[zamyrabyrd]

Those contrabandiers were druggies, right?
 

[zamyrabyrd]

"Pigoletto" is a MUST after watching the abovementioned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4jXBpPwJv0&NR=1

Note the "I can sing high-er" by Miss Piggy dressed up as Aida to "yo-ho-to-to".
Sills actually sounds pretty good though the lip synch is not exact.

ZB

[zamyrabyrd]

The spirit of Florence Foster Jenkins lives on.

Not only the spirit but the voice!!!

The following are notable as they show she actually had a high C and even a D, but the latter a third lower that the F she should have achieved as the Queen of the Night. (Oh well, you reach for the stars and get the moon.) Artistic license also in the melismas (a rich dowager can do anything she likes, n'est-ce pas?)
The pianist however emerges as the hero of the whole undertaking, doing a bit of transposition I believe in the beginning of the Delibes, while not rolling off the piano stool in convulsions of laughter.

Laugh along with her: Mein Herr Marquis in Englisch (some of it recognizable)!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g945PVDEL6Y
Queen of the Night (This was a hard one to figure out but it seems SOME form of anglais.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp-e1CXdNvA&mode=related&search=
Lakme (a now prevalent attitude here: the music should fit my accent, not the other way around)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5z6Kd06PFw&mode=related&search=

I've known, however, more than one self-proclaimed singer, the main and most crucial disability, not being able to hear oneself. Quite a few of them on "American Idol" these days.

ZB

[Mozart]

I wonder how much of a push over that guy is!

[Mozart]

http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=9AdN7qwjpUw

Best aria ever

[zamyrabyrd]

http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=9AdN7qwjpUw
Best aria ever

Very impressive and well done. However, "d'Oreste" is one of those voice wreckers (scroll down to the comments), Baccarat crystal that gets shaken in a box.

ZB

[Mozart]

Very impressive and well done. However, "d'Oreste" is one of those voice wreckers (scroll down to the comments), Barracarat crystal that gets shaken in a box.

ZB

Are you talking about a particular comment?

[zamyrabyrd]

Are you talking about a particular comment?

The one where it says she's young and might get burned out too soon--all those high and loud Ab's!!

In the meantime I checked out Leontyne Price:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000003FAF/ref=sr_1_olp_5/105-1002732-2513251?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1185598162&sr=8-5

You can only hear part of this aria but two differing features emerge:
1) Despite being one of the most accomplished dramatic sopranos EVER, Price takes the high notes lightly.
2) You can actually understand what she's singing, not catch a word here and there.

Incidentally, the $44.98 price was slashed to used-$99.00!!!
I WOULD like to get this collection, however, since it has arias sung by her that I don't already have.

ZB

[zamyrabyrd]

After hearing viewing the most impressive Armiliato in Manon Lescaut cited by:
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?topic=2407.0
I went on to his most AMAZING "Lucevan le Stelle":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dUTwM3XexA&mode=related&search=

Wow, for once you can actually believe the grief and despair, not patched on but coming through the music. The art of singing has all the resources available for expression if just the singer would mine them.

This guy really knows what he is doing. I found the most AMAZING was his starting from a piano (towards the end of the aria) then swells the tone, changes the vowel like turning on a tightrope and ends the phrase with total control. The intensity of the emotion cannot be separated from breath control and diction, especially with a composer such as Puccini. This is the PROGRAM, like it or not, by which the information is conveyed. Anything else would be like opening "Photoshop" in "Word".

ZB