Cheap Art of the Prima Donna (Music) (Thomas Augustine Arne, George Frideric Handel, Vincenzo Bellini, Gioachino Rossini, Charles Gounod, Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ambroise Thomas, Leo Delibes, Giacomo Meyerbeer) Price

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Customer Reviews of Art of the Prima Donna

This one floored me, fantasic
This is a true legendary recording, and as an opera singer for many years, I can't resist reviewing it.
This cd contained some of the most difficult arias written for the coloratura soprano. Joan
Sutherland the vocal Paganini, handling all the vocal challenges with the utmost ease. Her trill is an
actual spinning of two notes so fast that it appeared to be a single note. The Prima Donna's fioritura
singing is absolutely accurate and precise, and she meets all staccati and arpeggios with complete
confidence and ease. The voice is quite large, a dramatic soprano, in reality. Thus we have the
Brunhilde size top notes. But of course no Brunhilde had Sutherland's amazing range from bottom G
to an easy high F three octives above. But most remarkable are how "open" her high notes are.
They almost appeared "chest tone", that's how enormous they are. And lucky us for us, there are
countless high D's E's and F's in this recording.

Dame Joan handles the extreme high tessitura of "The Soldier tir'd" and "Martern aller Arten" as if it
were child's play. She interpolates high note after high note, making each aria a showpiece for her
ample voice. Also remarkable is the beautiful tone quality of her soprano. Bight and clear, with no
strain whatever. There's seemingly nothing that Sutherland couldn't do vocally. Another favorite here
is the extremely embellished "Bel raggio lusinghier" with three high F's. Malibran would have been
jealous... Also mind-boggling is the "O beau pays de la Touraine!", with colortura so dazzling that
you really must hear it to believe it. The "Care compagne...come per me sereno..Sovra il sen" is a
lesson in the art of bel canto singing, every aspect of the coloratura's art is shown there. Another
highlight is the mad scene from Hamlet, with Sutherland singing with great beauty and stage
presence, making you foget how impossibly difficult the vocal line is. Actually, they're all highlights in
this cd.

This is my favorite recording in my collection of over 3,000 records and cds. I bought it in 1961,
and have never heard anything like it, and don't expect to hear anything like it again in my lifetime,
that's how special this is...a must have for every opera lover. --This text refers to the Audio CD
edition.

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La Stupenda!
Reviewer: A music fan from Monterey Park

Everyone who is an opera lover knows that as a coloratura soprano, Ms Joan Sutherland is beyond
compare. Her trills, runs, arpeggios and other tricks in her formidable bag of coloratura gems are so
close to perfection that she has been called the "Voice of the Century"by her legions of devoted fans.
This recital, "The Art of the Prima Donna" is her finest recording she ever made.

So much has been said about the legendary voice of this great Australian diva that I am going to use
a quote from a very famous American singing idol to define her phenomenal talents.

Dinah Shore, a very famous singer in her own right, though in a quite different style of vocalism, was
a big fan of Ms Sutherland. Early in the 1960's (about the time of this record of "The art of the Prima
Donna"), Ms Shore invited Joan as a guest on her popular televison show. The following is her
introduction of Ms Sutherland...

"She's from Australia, she's a soprano, and when she made her debut at Milan's La Scala Opera
House, she had to take thirty curtain calls. This is the artist who has critics all over the world calling
her a phenomenal singer, possessing a phenomenal voice. She is the most spectacular coloratura
ever heard. So I'm proud to invite you now to sit back and - well, pick a word: be thrilled,
devastated, knocked out by one of the most magnificent operatic voices of our time. Here to sing for
you, 'Ah!fors'e lui' from La Traviata. - Miss Joan Sutherland".

Of course, Miss Sutherland sings this very aria 'Ah!fors'e lui...Sempre libera" in this recital of "The
Art of the Prima Donna" along with many more coloratura jewels that has earn her the name of
"...the most spectacular coloratura ever heard..." Everything in this recital is a highlight, and no one
alive can even compare to Ms Sutherland's renditions of these arias. The biggest thrill comes from
"Marten Alle Arten", "Oh Beau pays","The Bell Song", and "Let the Bright Seraphim". Let me tell
you from decades of experience as an opera lover, that this program is probably the most ambitious
and difficult assembly of bel canto arias ever compiled in one 2 cd set.

Listen to every one of these most taxing of great scenes and arias. I believe you will agree that Ms
Sutherland is incomparable. Truly the "Voice of the Century".

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Like a walk in the clouds!
What can one say about one of the greatest soprano recitals ever. Despite all her later achievements, this early recital is Sutherland's most significant contribution to operatic discography.

This recital is full of her huge but always sweet high notes. This is after all, what made them so special. When I listen to these high notes it's as if a bird is taking me on a trip to the sky. Her coloratura abilities are jaw dropping to say the least. You have no idea what a trill or staccato means if you haven't heard Joan singing! Everything here is stunning but my favourites are her Bell Song, Care compagne and The soldier Tir'd.

I've never been Sutherland's greatest fan due to her mushy enunciation, which fortunately is restricted to the minimum here but this early recital never stays far from my cd player! Indeed the art of a primadonna, Sutherland's art!