Surprisingly, I haven't listened to many versions of this aria (even though I think it's gorgeous), but of those I've listened to, Lucia Popp stands out in the "historical department", and among the living and still performing sopranos, I'd have to say Sondra Radvanovsky. Her line, colouring, her dramatic tension are amazing.
Wow! I just watched this performance of hers I found on Youtube (the comments say it's from Bilbao in 2005): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjdR18Mtnto. Excellent indeed! Also some fantastic acting - she seems so otherworldly and weighed down by the water. Thanks for sharing!
In my opinion, she's the reigning soprano of her fach. Her Tosca, Turandot and Tudor Queens are just exquisite. And she got only better over the years. She's really hit her prime these last 10 years. To my ears, she's gained absolute technical freedom.
Surprisingly, I haven't listened to many versions of this aria (even though I think it's gorgeous), but of those I've listened to, Lucia Popp stands out in the "historical department", and among the living and still performing sopranos, I'd have to say Sondra Radvanovsky. Her line, colouring, her dramatic tension are amazing.
Wow! I just watched this performance of hers I found on Youtube (the comments say it's from Bilbao in 2005): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjdR18Mtnto. Excellent indeed! Also some fantastic acting - she seems so otherworldly and weighed down by the water. Thanks for sharing!
In my opinion, she's the reigning soprano of her fach. Her Tosca, Turandot and Tudor Queens are just exquisite. And she got only better over the years. She's really hit her prime these last 10 years. To my ears, she's gained absolute technical freedom.
Her Adriana Lecouvreur is almost a master class in singing: https://youtu.be/dwIrsMwqQL8?feature=shared
Rusalka in 2016/17:
https://youtu.be/p4yZ7JBs0hE?feature=shared