[Woodduck]

I don't know how to say it gently. I find the sound Hernandez makes thoroughly repugnant: brassy, pushy, vibrato-ridden, a noisy voice with no sweetness or pathos, employed without nuance, unable to move me even slightly. I'll concede it has volume, bite, and chest tones, so I guess she's in the right repertoire. Has she done Lady Macbeth, or considered Ortrud? They don't have to sound nice, alhough it's always useful to have the option.

Gheorghiu is the opposite of Hernandez; soft and pretty, with nuances slathered on like too much pancake. Those are not entirely virtues in this music, and she didn't really touch me either, but at least I wasn't tempted to shut her down. I'll just forget this and think about her many lovely performances in suitable repertoire. I had to do the same regarding Patricia Racette's disastrous singing of Maddalena some years ago. We are certainly hard up for singers who can make this opera - and others of its period - worth doing.

Gheorghiu, because she wasn't horrible.

 

[Seattleoperafan]

I don't know how to say it gently. I find the sound Hernandez makes thoroughly repugnant: brassy, pushy, vibrato-ridden, a noisy voice with no sweetness or pathos, employed without nuance, unable to move me even slightly. I'll concede it has volume, bite, and chest tones, so I guess she's in the right repertoire. Has she done Lady Macbeth, or considered Ortrud? They don't have to sound nice, alhough it's always useful to have the option.

Gheorghiu is the opposite of Hernandez; soft and pretty, with nuances slathered on like too much pancake. Those are not entirely virtues in this music, and she didn't really touch me either, but at least I wasn't tempted to shut her down. I'll just forget this and think about her many lovely performanes in suitable repertoire. I had to do the same regarding Patricia Racette's disastrous singing of Maddalena some years ago. We are certainly hard up for singers who can make this opera - and others of its period - worth doing.

Gheorghiu, because she wasn't horrible.

"They don't always have to sound nice, although t's always useful to have that option". I forgot to tell Jesus today how thankful I am for your sarcastic wit😜That is the advantage of having a few awful entries in the contest... to give you guys a chance to bitch with artistry!

 

[Woodduck]

After trudging through this verismo muck I hied me over to the new "Care selve" match between Norena and Quartararo. What blessed relief! If you know what's good for you you'll do likewise.

 

[Tsaraslondon]

I don't know how to say it gently. I find the sound Hernandez makes thoroughly repugnant: brassy, pushy, vibrato-ridden, a noisy voice with no sweetness or pathos, employed without nuance, unable to move me even slightly. I'll concede it has volume, bite, and chest tones, so I guess she's in the right repertoire. Has she done Lady Macbeth, or considered Ortrud? They don't have to sound nice, alhough it's always useful to have the option.

Gheorghiu is the opposite of Hernandez; soft and pretty, with nuances slathered on like too much pancake. Those are not entirely virtues in this music, and she didn't really touch me either, but at least I wasn't tempted to shut her down. I'll just forget this and think about her many lovely performanes in suitable repertoire. I had to do the same regarding Patricia Racette's disastrous singing of Maddalena some years ago. We are certainly hard up for singers who can make this opera - and others of its period - worth doing.

Gheorghiu, because she wasn't horrible.

I was a bit kinder but I agree 100%. I actually couldn’t bear to listen to Hernandez. And to think people go on about Callas having an ugly voice!

 

[Woodduck]

I was a bit kinder but I agree 100%. I actually couldn’t bear to listen to a Hernandez. And to think people go on about Callas having an ugly voice!

Whether one likes her vocal timbre or not, Callas had a unique and fascinating voice capable of a wide range of color and nuance, and she played on it with extraordinary skill and artistic intelligence. None of that seems to be true of Hernandez as heard here.

 

[BBSVK]

I know what I liked so much about Hernandez. The recitative, saying that she is fine having sex with the baritone if that helps. It is not a regular part of the recital recordings. The aria usually starts with La mamma morta. Consequently, I am not used to this aria beginning so beautifully and darkly. But I also have a complete opera on the old tape somewhere, and I am pretty sure that singer didn't use the potential of this recitative, whoever it was.

 

[The Conte]

Hernandez is a singer I would like to see in the big houses rather than the usual Netremelos and 'Covent Garden Bland Soprano' types.

That said, whilst the voice seems big and there's some good technique there somewhere, it's all too much and oversung.

Gheorghiu (the imitation Callas' imitation Callas) is going to sweep this. Proof that if you can't beat 'em, copy 'em.

Gheorghiu, quite simply because I still have my hearing afterwards!

N.

 

[Tsaraslondon]

Can't believe these two are level pegging. I mean Gheorghiu may not be great but at least I don't have to cover my ears.

 

[Woodduck]

Can't believe these two are level pegging. I mean Gheorghiu may not be great but at least I don't have to cover my ears.

Quite.

 

[The Conte]

Quite.

What they said.

(And I have heard better from Hernandez, but only on recordings, so would like to hear her live.)

N.

 

[BBSVK]

What they said.

(And I have heard better from Hernandez, but only on recordings, so would like to hear her live.)

N.

Am I imagining it, or is the vibrato less horrible in her later recording ? But also, the chest voice beginning of the aria is less georgeous.)

My experience so far is, that it gets worse with age, not better. Our singers shine, take flight to the world opera houses, and when they get older, they return to the theater of Bratislava, bleating like goats.

 

[ColdGenius]

[QUOTE="BBSV

My experience so far is, that it gets worse with age, not better. Our singers shine, take flight to the world opera houses, and when they get older, they return to the theater of Bratislava, bleating like goats.
[/QUOTE]
It is a general rule, I suppose. Some of them keep on "pleasing" their native theaters for decades. But there is a high league, which stays in world opera houses, despite goat quality of singing.