soprano Rosina
Deirdre Nilsson
I was told that in the forties it was quite the thing to have Rosina in
Barber of Seville sung by a colloratura soprano and to have it transferred
upwards in order to let her show off.
Anyone know anything about this?
/Deirdre
--
Deirdre Nilsson - swenglish personified
Stefan Pilczek
At the end of the last century and the earlier part of this one the role
of Rosina became the possession of the coloratura cum canary-type
sopranos like Galli-Curci, Tetrazzini, Elvira de Hidalgo (Callas'
teacher) and others of their ilk. Because Rosina was rather low for
these sopranos, they did indeed make upward transpositions. The aria
'Una voce poco fa' was transposed up a tone (step in US usage) into F
major and elsewhere various low lying passages would be transposed up an
octave. The music would usually be highly decorated by the soprano, viz
Tetrazzini's (?1906) version of 'Una voce poco fa'.
Stefan Pilczek
Stefan Pilczek
Stefan Pilczek wrote:
> The aria
> 'Una voce poco fa' was transposed up a tone (step in US usage) into F
> major
Sorry, my musical knowledge momentarily deserted me. I thought I better
amend the above before I get flamed! I should have said the 'Una voce'
was transposed up a semitone (or half-step) into F major, the original
key being E major.
Stefan
James Jorden
A couple of other changes to move up Rosina's tessitura:
In "Dunque io son", Rosina exahanges vocal lines with Figaro.
In the finale ultimo, Rosina and Almaviva trade verses.
The Lesson Aria "Dunque io son" is transposed up or else replaced by
some other piece (or, in the cast of Beverly Sills, both!)
Otherwise, there are numerous phrases that are transposed up a third or
an octave or replaced with higher-lying variants.
--
james jorden
jjo...@ix.netcom.com
http://www.anaserve.com/~parterre
"Without Jews, Gypsies and homosexuals, there is no theater."
-- Mel Brooks in "To Be or Not to Be"
Musipro
"Deirdre Nilsson" <deirdre...@netmaker.se> wrote:
>I was told that in the forties it was quite the thing to have Rosina in
>Barber of Seville sung by a colloratura soprano and to have it
transferred
>upwards in order to let her show off.
>Anyone know anything about this?
Soprano Rosinas are still found today--Kathleen Battle has sung the part
at the Met, I believe (not at the present time, of course!).
Mike Richter
James Jorden wrote:
>
> A couple of other changes to move up Rosina's tessitura:
>
> In "Dunque io son", Rosina exahanges vocal lines with Figaro.
>
> In the finale ultimo, Rosina and Almaviva trade verses.
>
> The Lesson Aria "Dunque io son" is transposed up or else replaced by
> some other piece (or, in the cast of Beverly Sills, both!)
>
> Otherwise, there are numerous phrases that are transposed up a third or
> an octave or replaced with higher-lying variants.
>
ensembles. The result is that one needs a mezzo Bertha and her aria is
usually cut instead of being transposed to her range. It doesn't stop
there: since the part loses its solo justification, a minor singer -
often an aged one - is brought in to fill the gap and another piece of
the exquisite balance is lost.
And yet - I love many of the soprano versions and find that the opera
can work as well in that way as with a mezzo Rosina. We are accustomed
to a sourbrette voice - a coloratura soprano - as the young innocent
even with a touch of irony. Much as I enjoy and respect von Stade, for
example, I find her Rosina less consistent with my prejudices than
Peters' or Battle's.
Mike
--
mric...@mindspring.com
Opera: http://mrichter.simplenet.com
Opera Mirror: http://www.opera.it/FreeWeb/mrichter
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Sara Freeman
In <19970314183...@ladder01.news.aol.com> mus...@aol.com
I believe Ruth Ann Swenson has sung it also.
--
Bravo Hynninen! No one else comes near!
edb...@aol.com
In article <01bc2efe$47d45580$0c00...@DEIRDRE.NMNT1>, "Deirdre Nilsson" <deirdre...@netmaker.se> writes:
>I was told that in the forties it was quite the thing to have Rosina in
>Barber of Seville sung by a colloratura soprano and to have it transferred
>upwards in order to let her show off.
>
>Anyone know anything about this?
The soprano tradition of Rosina is best captured by Roberta Peters on an RCA/BMG recording of the complete opera with Merrill, Corena and Valletti
Ed "Boxer" Jones
Never ask a gay man for a straight answer!!
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A Guide to Opera on CD; Boxing; my Lego creations; and Drum and Bugle Corps
Carmen Z. Catoni
Deirdre Nilsson wrote:
>
> I was told that in the forties it was quite the thing to have Rosina in
> Barber of Seville sung by a colloratura soprano and to have it transferred
> upwards in order to let her show off.
>
> Anyone know anything about this?
(mezzo) version was almost never used. The art of coloratura for voices other tha
the high light soprano was lost as bel canto had given way to late Verdi and the so
called verismo. Though never being completely absent, it was Conchita Supervia who
really began bringing te original version back.
The soprano version is still heard ocassionally though now Una voce poco fa now is
sung with all the extra embellishing but in the original key of E major. Both arias
used to be transposed to F major.
All those high coloratura recordings from the beginning of the century up to the
beginning of the LP era were sung that way. There are also a few soprano versions
that made it into the LP recording. From mrmory I can recall Roberta Peters, Gianna
d'Angelo, Beverly Sills (though, as usually, her embellishments are not the standard
ones) as Rosina.
The old 78 RPM complete Barbiere with Mercedes Capsir in the role is the best
example of what it was like, as Capsir also omits, as was the custom, Contro un cor,
adding an aria of the soprano's pick, in this case a composition of her own. This
recording has been reconstructed both on LP and CD.
HAPPY LISTENING!!!
Luis A. Catoni
cat...@bellsouth.net
Ho da fare un dramma buffo e non trovo l'argomento.
ClassCover
Most soprano versions aren't done well.
Kathy Battle is "pretty" but has no sense of the role.
Callas' Rosina is one of her worst performances and also gives no sense of
the part.
classcover
Enrique Eskenazi
ClassCover wrote:
>
>
> Callas' Rosina is one of her worst performances and also gives no sense of
> the part.
I would like to know the reasons for that statement. Personally I
consider Callas' Rosina the best incarnation of the role by a soprano ,
and her recording of the role with Gobbi and Alva is one of the
anthological Barbiere. As you can witness, in Callas debut at Paris
(fortunatelly preserved now in LD), she starts (not very succesfully)
with Norma, then passes to Trovatore (more enthusiasm from the audience)
and wins everybody' s heart singing Una voce...
--
Enrique
eske...@mail.sendanet.es
Io chi sono? Eh, non lo so.
-Nol sapete?
Quasi no.
Ursula Scherer
Maybe somebody in Munich can comment on Gruberova's performance (at the
age of 51) of Rosina in Munich in February.
Ursula Scherer
Uwe Schneider
Better not... let the legend life...
Katalin Szabo
Ursula Scherer wrote:
> Maybe somebody in Munich can comment on Gruberova's performance (at the
> age of 51) of Rosina in Munich in February.
And Uwe Schneider answered:
> Better not... let the legend life...
IMHO Gruberova was a very charming Rosina in February, with a lovely
voice and great acting. It's a pity that her Rosina is not on video.
BTW she is not yet 51, and I have heard that she has plans to record
"Barbiere".
Katalin Szabo
ksz...@sunserv.kfki.hu
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Stefan Johansson
Carmen Z. Catoni wrote:
> =
> Deirdre Nilsson wrote:
> >
> > I was told that in the forties it was quite the thing to have Rosina in=
> > Barber of Seville sung by a colloratura soprano and to have it transfer=
red
> > upwards in order to let her show off.
> >
> > Anyone know anything about this?
> The practice began last century and for a few decades the orginal low sop=
rano
> (mezzo) version was almost never used. The art of coloratura for voices o=
ther tha
> the high light soprano was lost as bel canto had given way to late Verdi =
and the so
> called verismo. Though never being completely absent, it was Conchita Sup=
ervia who
> really began bringing te original version back.
> =
> The soprano version is still heard ocassionally though now Una voce poco =
fa now is
> sung with all the extra embellishing but in the original key of E major. =
Both arias
> used to be transposed to F major.
> =
> All those high coloratura recordings from the beginning of the century up=
to the
> beginning of the LP era were sung that way. There are also a few soprano =
versions
> that made it into the LP recording. From mrmory I can recall Roberta Pete=
rs, Gianna
> d'Angelo, Beverly Sills (though, as usually, her embellishments are not t=
he standard
> ones) as Rosina.
> =
> The old 78 RPM complete Barbiere with Mercedes Capsir in the role is the =
best
> example of what it was like, as Capsir also omits, as was the custom, Con=
tro un cor,
> adding an aria of the soprano's pick, in this case a composition of her o=
wn. This
> recording has been reconstructed both on LP and CD.
> =
> HAPPY LISTENING!!!
> Luis A. Catoni
> cat...@bellsouth.net
> Ho da fare un dramma buffo e non trovo l'argomento.
In Europe soprano Rosinas and Cenerentolas were the rule until late 70ies =
in most opera houses and in Eastern Europe it still is. Berganza was on =
the scene since the late 60ies,there were Bianca Maria Casoni,Oralia =
Dominguez,Marina de Gabarain, but there were very few other coloratura =
mezzos locally. =
High sopranos like Rita Streich, Erika K=F6th, Emmy Loose, Hj=F6rdis =
Schymberg, Margareta Hallin, Valeria Barsova, Natalia Firsova, etc.
all of them were famous Rosinas singing more or less high versions. =
Rosina was looked upon as a "Koloratur Soubrette" As late as 1995 I heard =
about a new production Tallinn with 3 sopranos alternating as Rosina.
Stefan J
Luis Angel Catoni
Stefan Johansson (stef...@p1.sr.se) wrote:
: mezzos locally. =
: all of them were famous Rosinas singing moQ
NEVER HEARD OF.
: Rosina was looked upon as a "Koloratur Soubrette" As late as 1995 I heard =
: about a new production Tallinn with 3 sopranos alternating as Rosina.
: Stefan J
--
SOPRANO rosinas
HAPPY LISTENING / FELIZ ESCUCHA / FELICE ASCOLTO
Luis Angel Catoni
d034...@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us
Carmen Z. Catoni
Stefan Johansson wrote:
>
> Carmen Z. Catoni wrote:
> >
> > Deirdre Nilsson wrote:
> > >
> > > I was told that in the forties it was quite the thing to have Rosina in
> > The practice began last century and for a few decades the orginal low soprano
> > (mezzo) version was almost never used....
>
> In Europe soprano Rosinas and Cenerentolas were the rule until late 70ies
> in most opera houses and in Eastern Europe it still is.....
Rosinas yes, but CENERENTOLAS? I have never heard on the role being sung by a
soprano. The only soprano I have heard singing the final rondo is Maria Callas.
Otherwise the role, written by Rossini for a contralto (A Rossini contralto, of
course)is not accesible to a soprano unless very serious alterations are done.
Rosina was written for a low soprano, actually for the same kind of voice as
Desdemona, Elisabetta or Ermione. The Rossini style and freedom for ornamentation has
permited these roles to be adapted to not so low voices. But there is definitely a
step from Rosina to Cenerentola, which is in the line of Italiana or Tancredi.
HAPPY LISTENING!!!
Luis A. Catoni
cat...@bellsouth.net
Ho da fare un dramma buffo e non trovo l'argomento.
.