Cheap Joan Sutherland - The Complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances, 1961-1968 (DVD) (Joan Sutherland) Price

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Customer Reviews of Joan Sutherland - The Complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances, 1961-1968

"Everyone who is an opera lover knows that as a coloratura soprano, Ms Joan Sutherland is beyond compare."

If that were the case one might sue all the critics and experts who did just that. Sutherland as a singer was human, she too had flaws. But to that later.

"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, "Bell Telephone Hour, 1981-1868" is her greatest hits."

Tricks, a good word to describe it. Why not one word on her interpretation? Did her Traviata move you? Did her Casta Diva deliver the agony of a tormented woman? (To me it does on this DVD but not to this raving reviewer?)

"She sings that very aria here, with a high E that will floor you. It is spectacular, huge and full of ring(sqillo). The coloraura is incomparable, the highest of tessitura is easy for her, effortless, to be sure. I can see you will rewind and rewind to realize what you've heard!!!"

Coloratura, eh? Anyway, amazing to see that one high note is all being described here. Since "Ah forse lui" is neither a coloratura-fest nor a tricks-gallery I wonder why there is no description of inflections, interpretation, drama and vocal colouring? What did Sutherland do with the role, the text and Verdi's concept?

"She is the "Voice of the Century", and the greatest coloratura in the traditional of Grisi, Malibran, and Jenny Lind...except even better...much better."

This is absolute nonsense for several reasons. A) Neither of us has heard Lind, Grisi or Malibran, so saying Sutherland was so much better is ignorant. Malibran had NOTHING in common with Sutherland, she was a soprano sfogato. The comparison to Lind and Grisi makes sense but not the judgement on singers one cannot have heard because they never made recordings and lived over 125 years ago. So singers one has not even heard of have to be bashed in order to praise Miss Sutherland? That's ignorant humbug.

"To conclude, I'm not tryint to exaggerate, but a voice like her's only comes once in a lifetime, if that. Surely, the greatest singer of the last Century, at least."

Sure, you're not. But answer me this: Have you heard ladies like Patti, Melba and Tetrazzini to make such a bold comment?

As for this DVD: It IS a must buy for every operalover and indeed, Sutherland is in spectacular form here.

A jaw dropping collection of the highest caliber
This DVD is phenomenal. Dame Joan never sang that spectacular again. It puts her Lucia DVD and her Lucrecia Borgia DVD to shame. And I love her in those two performances.
Among the many highlight is the Mad scene from Hamlet which is sung even better than one she did in "Art of the Prima Donna". Now that's a statement. Her coloratura here is so free and easy, and her runs are so fast and accurate that I had to rewind and rewind to make sure I'm not dreaming. She goes to a high F above high C in a chromatic scale in superhigh speed without missing even a single half note. And her trills are the last word in the art of bel canto.
Another highlight sees the young Sutherland looking thin and beautiful. She must have been a size 10 when she did her Elvira in I Puritani. And she was so expressive as she glided down the steps ever so gracefully. The "Vien Diletto" cabaletta is definitive.
To show that Dame Joan can act, a 1961 Desdemona is a "see to believe". She is beautiful here too, and her performance is emotional and well acted. As good as any of Callas's.
The Bell song is sung so fabulously that you may want to throw away your other versions of it (the non Sutherland ones, that is). Her staccato is effortless, and her runs are like strings of pearls, each one distinct from its neighbor. While Lily Pon's Bell Song sound like dinner bells, Sutherland's sound like church bells.
The "Sempre libera is the best that Dame Joan has put on tape. The trill before its cabaletta is the best trill that I've ever heard, even from the "Queen of the trill" herself. And the high E flat is both spine tinkling and HUGE. I think that high E flat is the biggest and the best E flat she's put on any of her videos. Of course, you have this DVD, even if it is just to hear that note.
There's also a gratifying Sextet from Lucia and a fab Quartet from Rigoletto. Note how fresh and beautiful her voice was during this period. How powerful and full of ring her high notes are. She was the "Queen of opera".
Of course the high point of the DVD is the mad scene from Lucia recorded in 1962. This is the best "Mad scene" she's ever recorded. Infinitely better than the famed 1983 Met DVD mentioned earlier. (if you have it, I dare you to make a comparison, you will be floored, as spectacular as she was as Lucia in 1983, she is devastatingly electrifying in 1962 -- almost a totally different voice). In fact, this "Mad Scene" is even better than her legendary 1960 complete recording with Cioni first available in LP and now available in Cd. Most notable is her upward chromatic scale at the end of her cadenza of the "Mad Scene"...its definition is so defined that it almost sound like she staccato it, surely it equals that of the flute that preceeded her. Her trill here beats the flute, and the arpeggios and staccati are so dead on that's it's just not human. She also absolutely nails and holds BOTH of her high E flats. Needless to say, no opera lover should be without this Lucia selection.
Another very satisfying scene is from Act 2 of Tosca with Dame Joan singing opposite Tito Gobbi. Her luscious tones are ideal for Tosca, and she sings and acts so beautifully here. Tito Gobbi was said to have ask her to sing it with him on stage. A proposition that the great diva declined. With her recorded Turandot being one of the best selling opera sets for Decca, I can't help but imagine that a Sutherland Tosca with Gobbi would have been a sure hit. She surely shows Callas that she can sing Puccini's most temperamental tragic heroine too.
All in all, this is truly a "must have", not only for Dame Joan Sutherland's fans, but for all lovers of the art of great singing. This is my all time favorite opera video.

Love this but...
I absolutely love this DVD, it presents us with some of Joanie's greatest singing. But I also have to defend Callas here: "She was not a nice person", and that based on a "Live CD"?? I guess that was some interview or something, but since I have all of them I find nothing particurlarly cruel in them. And even if she HAD slipped once or twice: One cannot judge a person one NEVER met based on an interview or something she once said. All of us have and had moments of cruelty, we can still be nice people. And Caballe called Maria her "sweetest friend and advisor" for example. What does Callas character have to do with this DVD anyway? I find such comments to be off topic and rather petty. Sutherland too said some unfriendly things that were recorded, as did Domingo, Pavarotti, Tebaldi etc. So what? Tebaldi is sweetness herself. I believe that a singer's nature and feelings are their own business, not ours to judge. I wouldn't dare to judge someone I never met on something I heard on a "live CD". Following the books Callas was tense but when at ease she could even be hilarious and make mock of herself as a prima donna.