Joan Sutherland The Complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances 19611968 DVD with Joan Sutherland, Tito Gobbi, Nicolai Gedda (NR) +Movie Reviews

Breathless and speechless

04/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The most breathtaking singing I've ever heard. And I've been an opera buff for over 50 years. Sutherland had the ultimate instrument...huge, lush, silvery, and capable of anything and everything.
What does Sutherland do on this DVD? She simply thrills and trills all the way through it.
There has never been and there will never be a singer with such astonishing God-given talent vocally. And in these early recordings of Dame Joan, she really showed that she was a fabulous actress too.
Do not miss this one. This is the best I've even heard - NO exceptions."

God bless Dame Joan Sutherland from E to shining(high)E

05/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A true red blooded American who appreciates Dame Joan Sutherland as the supreme bel canto singer of perhaps all time. This cd proves it. She is in her sublime best here. And every selection is a miracle in the art of the bravura singing. Sure Callas, Galli-Curci, Caballe, Ponselle and Sills were great. But Dame Joan Sutherland is without question the undisputed greatest vocal interpreter of the masterpieces of Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini.
I challenge anyone to find any recording version of any aria in this complete cd collection that can even come close to Sutherland's super supendous performances here.
God bless Dame Joan Sutherland, from E to shining (high)E!"

Spectacular

12/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Easily, the most spectacular recital yet, by the very agile Joan Sutherland. Is she human? All I know is that I've never heard anything like it. She may be one of the great divas in the history of opera. She certainly have no equals when it comes to voice. I don't agree with some ppl who think she is cold. But even if she is cold, the loveliness of her voice far compensates.
She is an icon to be sure. Grab this."

Voice of splendor

12/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Joan Sutherland's most memorable takes on these arias were recorded decades ago, here, on this very dvd. She has since retired and will be remember as a very great artist indeed. Any one who loves the human voice will enjoy this dvd immensely, as I did. The singing is never less of stupendous. This captures one of the most beloved and talented soprano at the peak of her art."

Sutherland is the "Voice of the Century for these reasons.

07/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is especially for the opera fan from San Diego. I admire your passion for Kirsten Flagstad. She is also one of my favorite soprano for all time, along with Dame Joan Sutherland. But I want you to really listen to this collection of Sutherland's live Bell Telephone Hour appearances before you bestow your judgement. By that, I mean I want to listen to it with an open mind. It is in my opinion, the most stupendous display of coloratura singing ever taped.And this may be of interest to you. One of Sutherland's favorite singer happens to be Flagstad. La Stupenda mentioned it in her laserdisc "La Stupenda". She is also a big admirer of the great Maria Callas, whom she mentioned over twenty times in her autobiography "A Prima Donna's Progress". Dame Joan is perfectly aware that without the work of La Divina, 20th Century bel canto would not have been possible. So the many assaults upon her by some Callas fans is not only ironic but uncalled for.
But even more interesting is this...I'm sure you know that the "New York Post" is a very respectable piece of journalism...Here is a direct quote from the famed critic Harriet Johnson's comments about Dame Joan Sutherland's voice in the "New York Post"..."...Her voice - a true, dramatic coloratura - and her effortless use of it are phenomenal. In my experience, I have heard only one singer to compare with her in vocal greatness, the late Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad, whose voice in a completely different genre - a real dramatic soprano - was also miraculously beautiful and effortless. Today, Miss Sutherland has no peer."Even the most ardent Callas and Sills fans have to admit that Kirsten Flagstad's voice is consider one of the wonders of this operatic century. She is consider the greatest Wagnerian soprano to ever grace the operatic stage. To compare Sutherland's voice to her is to state that Sutherland's soprano is not only of the highest order in terms of transcendental beauty, but also of amazing power and size. Yes, La Stupenda could have sung Seglinda, and she could have sung Turandot on stage. She was trained for that as early as 1950. And because of this coaching as a Wagnerian in her earliest days and her later transformation into a bel canto specialist(about 1954, thanks to her husband) she's became the rarest of creatures - the only true dramatic coloratura of this century. THAT's the reason so many people consider her "The Voice of the Century". Within this DVD contains "The Voice of the Century"'s greatest moments. Listen, watch, and marvel at her immense vocal mastery in the art of coloratura singing."

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