Thursday 9 February 2023

Supposing that you wanted to sing a very difficult song as well as possible, and did not suffer from embarrassment about how it might look to other people...

I find this video both endearing and funny (she's also a very good singer!):


Note: I know nothing about the personality or lifestyle of the lady in question; but one of the first strong impressions I got from this video was (as they said in When Harry Met Sally): High Maintenance.

7 comments:

A said...

She looks like her sons just woke up the baby by wrestling in the hallway. Also, she didn't have time to brush her hair or get ready for the day and is pretty upset by it all.

Jeffrey Cantrell said...

Excellent! My thoughts:
Of course she is high maintenance, she is a redhead. ;-)
Love the enunciation, especially the rolling of the Rs and clear triplets.
As a Coloratura, she is supposed to be dynamic. I’ll bet she is great in costume and on stage.
I love her reflection on a well done portion when she hits it.
Thanks for the page.
BTW, I cannot find the video you posted of your favorite singer. Can you pass that along?

Bruce Charlton said...

@Jeffrey - Do you mean this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQpTGKXAxqA

Deutekom isn't my favourite *singer*, that would be Joan Sutherland; but the singer of my favourite specific aria performance on record. In my mind that is different...

Ken said...

Her expressions are hilarious. My daughter-in-law(high maintenance) sings that same song with a wonderfully calm expression. And she's Italian. Go figure.

Jeffrey Cantrell said...

No, it wasn't Deutekom. It was in the past few months, but for the life of me, I cannot find it. I did comment and compared her to Damerau. If I could just find the "search" button, I wouldn't have these pressing questions of an existential nature hanging over my head. ;-)

a_probst said...

It's likely a recording session. The sound was the priority. No one dressed his best, including the young conductor in the hoody.

Bruce Charlton said...

@ap - That's my assumption. Maybe take one, of the whole thing. They usually record little sections as well (I think) to insert where there are any problems.

But I don't suppose the singer can repeat this particular aria many times over in short order, without wrecking the voice.

At one point in this take, the singer sways too far away and to the side of the microphone and the volume drops off - otherwise it seems technically flawless to me! But real musicians can hear things I can't.