Singers' voices change with time. A smart singer changes repertoire according to this reality. This is probably the case. If Ruth Ann finds herself comfortable singing Adriana Lecouvreur, I see no problem. It's not a huge stretch from other roles she has sung with success.
By carefully selecting her repertoire, singer Ninon Vallin managed a career spanning more than 50 years, in which she evolved from light lyric soprano to mezzo. I can think of no other singer who recorded the Marguerite both in Gounod's "Faust" and Berlioz' "La Damnation de Faust."
minniepur...@yahoo.com (Minnie) wrote in message <news:e6e1d83.0406090640.7548ea8c@posting.google.com>... > I was supposed to hear soprano Ruth Ann Swenson in a recital this > spring in NY but she cancelled both of them.
> Then I heard that she was in Athens singing Adriana Lecouvreur, which > doesn't seem quite the right role for her.
alcind...@aol.com wrote: >>I can think of no other singer who recorded the Marguerite >>both in Gounod's > "Faust" and Berlioz' "La Damnation de > Faust."<
> De los Angeles COULD have (and should have) if the logistics > of contracts and conductors had allowed.
But Victoria de los Angeles *did* record Marguerite in Gounod's "Faust" (with Cluytens, don't know the recording) and in Berlioz's "Damnation" (Munch's mono recording).
Or did I misunderstand your article? I didn't get the article, you are responding to.
>But Victoria de los Angeles *did* record Marguerite in Gounod's >"Faust" (with Cluytens, don't know the recording) and in >Berlioz's "Damnation" (Munch's mono recording).
Are you sure there's a Damnation with De los Angeles and Munch? I only know of the recording with Danco and Munch. De los angeles did record the Summer Nights with Munch, but that's the only Berlioz she recorded with him that I know of.
David7Gable <david7ga...@aol.com> wrote: > >But Victoria de los Angeles *did* record Marguerite in Gounod's > >"Faust" (with Cluytens, don't know the recording) and in > >Berlioz's "Damnation" (Munch's mono recording).
> Are you sure there's a Damnation with De los Angeles and Munch? I only > know of the recording with Danco and Munch. De los angeles did record the > Summer Nights with Munch, but that's the only Berlioz she recorded with > him that I know of.
David is correct. The Munch Nuits d'Ete is with De los Angeles; the Damnation is with Danco. (Steber sang the concert performances of the Damnation, but contractual obligations--she was signed to Columbia, Munch and the BSO to RCA--prevented her from making the recording.)
>> >But Victoria de los Angeles *did* record Marguerite in >> >Gounod's "Faust" (with Cluytens, don't know the recording) >> >and in Berlioz's "Damnation" (Munch's mono recording).
>> Are you sure there's a Damnation with De los Angeles and >> Munch? I only know of the recording with Danco and Munch. >> De los angeles did record the Summer Nights with Munch, but >> that's the only Berlioz she recorded with him that I know >> of.
> David is correct. The Munch Nuits d'Ete is with De los > Angeles; the Damnation is with Danco. (Steber sang the > concert performances of the Damnation, but contractual > obligations--she was signed to Columbia, Munch and the BSO > to RCA--prevented her from making the recording.)
> MK
Yes, I was wrong last night. "Damnation" and "Nuits" are on the same twofer, and I didn't listen to either for quite a while, so I mixed up the two ladies. Sorry.
Thanks for the correction. Sometimes people forget that singers are human, thus subject to such mundane ailments as allergies and the flu. I'm sure the audiences at Athens were thrilled. Ruth Ann does a wonderful Violetta.
ronsdi...@aol.com (Ronsdivas) wrote in message <news:20040609215353.13967.00000533@mb-m24.aol.com>... > Ms. Swenson had terrible allergies in NYC and that was the reason the recital > was cancelled..per her doctor's orders.
> She recently sang Violetta in TRAVIATA in Athens...NOT ADRIANA. That role is > not her rep.
Well the allergies in NYC were awful this year. I was sorry to miss her because I liked her CDs but have never seen her live. Her recital program looked very interesting. I hope that she is able to do it next season.
Based on your update below, I searched online and I found that apparently in addition to the Traviata in Athens, she was listed to sing the aria Io Son L'umile ancela" from the opera Adriana Lecouvreur in a concert. So that probably explains the confusion:
I could not find a website which lists her operas and concerts but a little web searching and I found that she is going to be singing soon La Traviata, La Boheme, Faust and Luisa Miller. Does anyone know any others or if she has a website?
ronsdi...@aol.com (Ronsdivas) wrote in message <news:20040609215353.13967.00000533@mb-m24.aol.com>... > Ms. Swenson had terrible allergies in NYC and that was the reason the recital > was cancelled..per her doctor's orders.
> She recently sang Violetta in TRAVIATA in Athens...NOT ADRIANA. That role is > not her rep.
Hmmm, are people noticing the same problems in the theater as well? A broadcast could tend to emphasize vibrato. I haven't heard her live but did hear the broadcast of La donna del lago which I thought was not bad!
> Trying to sing the notes .... her latest broadcasts have shown a large > vibrato and singing sharp all the time ... > "Minnie" <minniepur...@yahoo.com> wrote in message > news:e6e1d83.0406090640.7548ea8c@posting.google.com... > > I was supposed to hear soprano Ruth Ann Swenson in a recital this > > spring in NY but she cancelled both of them.
> > Then I heard that she was in Athens singing Adriana Lecouvreur, which > > doesn't seem quite the right role for her.
>Hmmm, are people noticing the same problems in the theater as well? A
No...it is due to the close and compressed micking the Met uses. OONY hangs the mics over the audience which allows for the natural balance of the voices.
