I thought I’d do one more of these. I chose not to include Callas as I know her earlier ‘live’ interpretations of this aria would win by a landslide and didn’t want to use her studio recording which is less steady despite being a moving interpretation. All of these sopranos impress me, but I have to give it to Milanov who never sounded better than on this recording.

 

Ponselle is magnificent! So young(just 22), and such fluid legato, the best trills here, great sense of phrasing and dynamics! Perhaps Milanov and Caballe may execute the dolce notes more 'dolce', yet Ponselle triumphs, as only she has all the tricks demanded by this aria in her arsenal!

 

Too bad Price's video is in such poor sound. Her voice sounds very fluttery as recorded - this is one of her signature roles and, in the house, it was a miraculous sound.

Milanov, as usual displays her voice for all to hear; she sounds ideal for the part and gives us wonderful pianissimi, but it all sounds mechanical.

I was surprised at how dark Caballe's voice sounds here and as usual, she overdoes the pianissimo effects; whenever the line gets too difficult, she resorts to a pianissimo. They're gorgeous, of course. Elsewhere she slithers in some of the more florid passages, manages to fake trills and invent a meandering cadenza (at least one I haven't heard).

Ponselle starts with a gorgeous voice, sings everything practically perfect in every way but, to my mind rather mechanically. She finds a note she likes and seems to extends its value ( 2:31). Great trills. I really don't like the way she sings high notes, whitely and non-propulsively.

Pacetti doesn't belong in this company. No trills, sketchy coloratura and a voice that is of a smaller caliber than necessary.

I'm not sure who to vote for yet.

P.S. Update: I finally voted for Ponselle, though I find her version lacking; the others have more deficit points for various reasons. Zinka a close second - she did, after all, sing the role frequently at the Metropolitan Opera; it was "her" role. I couldn't vote for Leontyne Price even though hers was a famous assumption: I hear all of the later faults in her vocalism and she doesn't grab me in this video.

 

Too bad Price's video is in such poor sound. Her voice sounds very fluttery as recorded - this is one of her signature roles and, in the house, it was a miraculous sound.

Milanov, as usual displays her voice for all to hear; she sounds ideal for the part and gives us wonderful pianissimi, but it all sounds mechanical.

I was surprised at how dark Caballe's voice sounds here and as usual, she overdoes the pianissimo effects; whenever the line gets too difficult, she resorts to a pianissimo. They're gorgeous, of course. Elsewhere she slithers in some of the more florid passages, manages to fake trills and invent a meandering cadenza (at least one I haven't heard).

Ponselle starts with a gorgeous voice, sings everything practically perfect in every way but, to my mind rather mechanically. She finds a note she likes and seems to extends its value ( 2:31). Great trills. I really don't like the way she sings high notes, whitely and non-propulsively.

Pacetti doesn't belong in this company. No trills, sketchy coloratura and a voice that is of a smaller caliber than necessary.

I'm not sure who to vote for yet.

Pacetti was a dramatic soprano. Her repertoire included Santuzza, Aida, Minnie, Norma, Turandot, Elisabeth(Tannhäuser), Maddalena, the Dyer's wife, Tosca, Fidelio, Elisabetta(Don Carlo), Abigaille, Imogene(Il Pirata), all dramatic roles. I think only Ponselle, here, has a larger voice than her.

 

John, is that the new you? I like your new user name.
THis was another brain twizzler because when I first started loving opera Price was the Queen Bee of this aria and no one could touch her except u no hoo. And I still think her rendition is superb but ... look how time changes one.

Of course I am adding Sondra Radvanovsky because she has a way with expressing herself that is outstanding and her high notes are simply exquisite.
But of this group, who all have their usual pluses (and minuses), the one that gives it the most passion and unique delivery to me far and away is Rosa Ponselle.

 

John, is that the new you? I like your new user name.
THis was another brain twizzler because when I first started loving opera Price was the Queen Bee of this aria and no one could touch her except u no hoo. And I still think her rendition is superb but ... look how time changes one.

Of course I am adding Sondra Radvanovsky because she has a way with expressing herself that is outstanding and her high notes are simply exquisite.
But of this group, who all have their usual pluses (and minuses), the one that gives it the most passion and unique delivery to me is far and away is Rosa Ponselle.

Nina, I also think that Radvanovsky is the best modern proponent of the role of the Trovatore Leonora. I prefer her singing of this aria to most of these ladies on the list. She sang it San Francisco and it was perfection.

 

Having read Mas' post now I must admit that I wanted to tweak Ponselle's "white" highs which contain some steely sounds and certainly are no match for either Milanov or Caballe.
But Ponselle adds such interesting delivery that to me it sounded like she was more involved than most of the others but Price.

 

OP. 123
It says I already voted on this poll. When? I don't recall doing so but I'll bet if it was posted before and I did do it I voted Price.
"'Is a puzzlement" said the King.

 

My vote goes to Pacetti. Next down, Ponselle.

 

Ponselle is the only singer to have a proper trill, which gives her a head start as far as I'm concerned. Are there other Ponselle performances out there? I'm sure I've heard her more engaged. However I still liked her performance the best.

Milanov sings the end exquisitely, except for a rather ill defined trill, but doesn't seem very interested in the rest of it. As usual, I find her dull.

The sound on the Price is so wretched it's hard to hear just what is going on. There are much better recorded performances of her singing what was one of her signature roles.

Caballé surprised me. The voice sounds darker than usual, but she is fully engaged. Her trills are as usual a bit hit or miss, though she manages a fine one towards the end. Hers was my next favourite after Ponselle.

Pacetti was ok, but she doesn't really have a trill and the trills in this aria are really important.

 

You expressed my points exactly (and saved me all that typing time -- thanks!) )

 

One of the best things about these contests is how surprising the results can be on listening compared to my preconceived ideas. I would have guessed that my order would be:

1) Ponselle
2) Price
3) Pacetti/Caballe
4) Milanov

Price's lush sound is gorgeously luxurious, but I preferred all the others above her version. Ponselle's perfect technique and contraltoish dark sound would normally make her the outright winner. However, I prefer her later recording as she is more involved than in this one. Milanov and Caballe surprised me as I thought they would be towards the bottom, but Price is my least favourite here.

I suspect that other recordings of this aria by Ponselle and Price show them in a better light and we probably have the best versions of this aria by Caballe and Milanov. Pacetti is very good, but is a little behind the rest.

This is a tough one, but Ponselle gets it.

N.

 

Ponselle only recorded one version as far as Youtube is concerned and it was 1918, when she was 21. Can you imagine any other 21 year old singing like this!!!!!!!???????????? Perhaps only Maria could have done so. Still, Suicidio and Casta Diva, which are such well rounded performances, were recorded after she had some time to mature as an artist. She became one of the great interpreters with time.
Price on her Verdi album sings this with breathtaking beauty but indifferent interpretation. Milanov had one of the greatest Verdi voices of all time, but was never much of an interpreter. You also have to consider Milanov was mostly a pre Callas career so tastes changed. She must have been something to hear live with that set of pipes, though. Both Callas versions that I know of are great, but her early one finds her in incredible vocal form and the only real contender with Ponselle. I think Callas has the interpretive edge and sings with such musical precision.

 

"To piannissimo or not to piannissimo....." And once again, how great is this forum? In a couple of days I've heard Cerquetti, Dimitrova, Cigna, Turner and Pacetti all for the first time. All just names before and all fabulous singers.

To my ear, no one was not engaged with the song and no one was eye-opening in terms of interpretation. Ponselle and Milanov felt slower and since they weren't too slow, that gave their renditions added weight. But, to me they pretty much sang it the same with the one huge difference - for this aria - being that the names Ponselle, Milanov and Caballe are at the top of the mountain for spinning out those ravishing piannissimi.

There is one other major difference, to me. I find that Ponselle, like her mentor Caruso, was blessed with one of those sounds that simply hits my ear as being emotionally involved from the first note. I'm not saying she didn't also commit to the song but something, maybe a darkness in the voice, conveys that impression. Christoff and Schipa can give me the same impression.
And because of that, and the fact that the sound is luscious she gets my vote.

 

From my least favorite (Patria mia) to my best favorite (D’amor sull’ali rosee)!
To be honest, I voted for Price. The sound is not great, but I'm sure I can hear a proper trill there and the singing is emotional and thrilling. Those (relatively) early Price performances are priceless (see what I did there?)
Without you-know-who's touchstone version of this aria, Leontyne Price is my best bet.

Oh, and I feel obliged to at least say a word why not Ponselle... I find her just too refined a lady... the singing is glorious but it really does not moves me... I think of Gilda, not Leonore.

 

From my least favorite (Patria mia) to my best favorite (D'amor sull'ali rosee)!
To be honest, I voted for Price. The sound is not great, but I'm sure I can hear a proper trill there and the singing is emotional and thrilling. Those (relatively) early Price performances are priceless (see what I did there?)
Without you-know-who's touchstone version of this aria, Leontyne Price is my best bet.

Oh, and I feel obliged to at least say a word why not Ponselle... I find her just too refined a lady... the singing is glorious but it really does not moves me... I think of Gilda, not Leonore.

But Leonora is a noble woman, isn't she? Gilda on the other hand is the daughter of a jester. Leonora must be refined.

 

Ponselle certainly.

 

If I listen to this five times I'll have an earworm day and night until the next contest replaces it.

 

There was some talk of Callas singing Ortrud to the Elsa of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Klemperer conducting, early 60s. Now that would have been interesting. Though I can't see Callas even at that time consenting to do the "seconda donna" part.

 

I have a new much higher end turntable and for the first time listened to Ponselle sing this with my new equipment. In my car the top notes sort of blew out and were very white, but with my new system her high notes were glorious and had a slight vibrato rather than being a pure white tone. Much more spectacular. Much of our appreciation of Ponselle depends on good equipment it seems because of the primitive recording process. Still her glory is there.