Just moments ago, Luciano Pavarotti died in Italy. It seemed fitting, therefore, that I should write a top ten list of the greatest opera performances. It has been almost impossible for me to filter this down to only ten items and I have had to leave so many wonderful singers off. Please add any you feel are missing to the comments and hopefully there will be a second list before too long.
10. Kirsten Flagstad, Ho jo To ho, from Wagner’s, Walkure
Flagstad was undoubtedly the best Brunhilde. In this video you have to look past the slightly embarrassing staging and dramatics and focus on the brilliantly strong voice. It is amazing how effortless she makes it look.
9. Rosa Ponselle, Habanera, from Bizet’s Carmen
Another great like Carusa, Ponselle has such a natural and free voice. It is perfectly suited to the Habanera from Carmen. She was 40 years old, at the height of her popularity, and apart from a receding upper register, still in magnificent voice.
8. Jussi Bjorling and Robert Merrill, The Pearl Fisher’s Duet, from Bizet’s Pearl Fishers
I am very pleased to be able to include this duet between two great singers – the Tenor Bjorling and the Baritone Robert Merrill. I love Merrill’s baritone voice and I would consider this recording to be one of the greatest ever made of this duet.
7. Enrico Caruso, La Donna e Mobile, from Verdi’s Rigoletto
Alas there is no video footage to be found on youtube of Caruso so we will have to put up with this recording of his voice played over various pictures. Caruso is probably the most famous name in opera the world over. He is still considered by many people to be the greatest tenor to have lived.
6. Leontyne Price, O Patria Mia, from Verdi’s Aida
Price is famous for owning this role, and in this performance you can see why. A truly oustanding singer, Price, was an African American born in the segregated South, whose rise to international fame in the 1950s and 60s was widely noted as a triumph over institutional prejudice.
5. Luciano Pavarotti, Una Furtiva, from Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love
Rather than the very well known Nessun Dorma, I have chosen this song because it is not heard as often as it should be – and Pavarotti handles it with great skill. It is also nice to see him perform in an operatic setting, rather than a concert. This aria really makes the opera.
4. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Porgi Amor, from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro
I have selected this performance because Dame Kiri is one of the greatest Mozartian sopranos around and this particular performance really highlights her convincing acting. In every way, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is a lady. If you get a chance, find her recording of Schubert’s Nacht und Traume – it is perfect.
3. Maria Callas, Vissi d’Arte, from Puccini’s Tosca
I have chosen this particular performance over others as it gives a very good impression of how brilliant Callas was, not just vocally, but in acting. Whilst never letting go of her technique, Callas was known to allow the acting take the front stage in her performances and she was occasionally criticized for letting the quality of her vocal lines drop in favor of the emotion of the song. This recording is from Covent Garden in 1964. I believe the gentleman on stage with her is Tito Gobbi.
2. Kathleen Battle, Elisabeth Söderström, and Frederica von Stade, The Final Trio, from Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier
I am including this because of the supreme beauty of the trio and the fact that three of our greatest opera singers are together for the performance: Kathleen Battle, Elisabeth Söderström, and Frederica von Stade. Kathleen Battle’s voice just floats. If you have a fear of clowns, you may want to close your eyes when you see Frederica von Stade’s dress. The conductor is, of course, the amazing James Levine.
1. Dmitri Hvorostovsky, The Death of Rodrigo, from Verdi’s Don Carlo
There may be some surprise over this selection – particularly as Russian singer Hvorostovsky’s abilities have caused some controversy, but this particular performance (from the Cardiff Singer of the World competition that he won in 1989) is perfect. Once the aria begins, the long lines without taking a breath are phenomenal. Hvorostovsky is an actor of great talent on stage, and that really shows through particularly at the end of this aria. I would say it is the best performance of an operatic male death scene around. Hvorostovsky is definitely one of the greatest living opera singers. After this performance He received one of the biggest standing ovations in the history of the competition. Incidentally, this was the performance that beat Welsh Bryn Terfel that year.
Notable omissions: Sutherland, De Luca, Scotti, Ruffo, Norman, and so many many more.
Luciano Pavarotti has always been my favorite, he will be sadly missed and may he find peace now that his time here is done.
1- Pavarotti does not belong on such a list. He doesn't match up to the greats and is only remembered because he died recently and is still fresh in memory. Unlike Caruso, his stock will wane over time.
2- A top 10 list that does not include performances by Mario Lanza and Benjamino Gigli is worthless and cannot be taken seriously.
3- Bizet Carmen performance was crappy to say the least.
Pavorotti may be Resting in Peace, but its his family who are not resting in peace as when he died, he left his family $26,000,000 in the hole. He was also a notorious womanizer as well
loved each and every one great work
mix2323: Thanks
I really enjoyed putting this one together. Hvorostovski is my favorite baritone for recording purposes – I saw him live at the Royal Opera in Covent Garden last year and he did not project well at all.
I just recently discovered pavarotti (i’m 15) and i loved him instantly. shame he was very old for an opera singer, and suffering from pancreatic cancer. he’ll be missed by me and many others.
I was wondering if we’d see an Opera list today… some interesting choices though I’d replace Te Kanawa with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf… also on Youtube is jolly Birgit Nilsson’s speech to Levine during his gala which includes a few perfect HOJOTOHO’s thrown out for good measure. She was over 80 at the time!
Beautiful. Perhaps list two might feature great opera performances by singers who are all still performing? Or relatively obscure opera singers who are starting out in their careers? Perhaps you will attract some new opera fans, and current fans might learn about someone that we have not yet gotten a chance to see?
Ian: Thanks for mentioning those. I found this list difficult – though pleasurable – to write.
Mathilda: that is an excellent idea – I did realise part way through how hard it was to compare the Golden Age singers with the new and pick the best of both.
Ha ha, nice list. But where is Klaus Nomi?
Brian: Are you kidding?! He was great at what he did but his opera was a little iffy! He is featured on the top 10 bizarre music videos though
Ha ha, yeah I am but I’ve grown fond of the weird guy recently. Check out this video his opera:
Brian: I watched that last weekend! What a coincidence
I actually downloaded his album when I first saw Lightning Strikes. Very unique stuff.
Perhaps he could be the List Universe Mascot?!
Ha ha, but I noticed something odd right now. I clicked Lists and the recent comments thing on the right side wasn’t updated. If I clicked home, it showed the most recent comments but if I went to Lists again it was still behind. Check it out, it might just be me.
Brian: oh – that is a side-effect of the caching system I am using. When someone hits a page it it generated from the database with PHP and put in a cache – if someone hits the page within a few minutes, they get the cached copy. It is stop the site collapsing when it is overloaded
pavarotti video is down
Ashley – thanks – I have replaced it with a new one.
You should have included Jamie Frater, the New Zealand Baritone. Have you heard of him….oh wait never mind.
MojoRisin: thanks for the high praise – but I think there is no doubt that he does not belong on this list
What about Jon Vickers as Peter Grimes?
Since Kathleen Battle had been my student, I’d looked forward to her recording. I was disappointed to see that hers and that of Hvorostovsky were not available. How about Vickers as Samson, Sills as Lucia, Ghiaurov as Filippo, and on and on?
John: I just tested and both are still available – perhaps youtube was down when you tried? If you try again and both are still unavailable, let me know and I will find replacements.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeuAjv9ohqA <- that is Vickers singing Vesti la Giuba.
Thanks for the lovely list, Jamie. I have recently discovered how fabulous You Tube is for finding rare oera recordings, and am having such a great time.
I am glad someone mentioned that scene in the Shawshank Redemption.
Life Is Beauiful was on TV today, I watched the beginning, but wasn’t up for rewatching the whole thing. Besides, it was dubbed in English, instead of the subtitles,which I found jarring and annoying.
And yes, I share your sadness at Pavarotti’s passing, I wish I could have seen him at least once, now it’s too late.
Suzi: you are welcome – thanks for the comment
Not big into opera but that vid of Pavarotti is outstanding!
You seem to have gotten just about everyone here, including my old favorites, Jussi, Frederica, Kiri, Kirstin, Luciano and Maria. Gundula, Elisabeth, Mario, Joan and others are missing. Still, there are only 10 spots.
jamie… Thank you so much for the inclusion of Mdm Flagstadt. FYI, “The Big Broadcast of 1938″ is best known as the film in which Bob Hope first performed his theme song “Thanks For the Memories.”
Brian Moo (#8) I agree, Klaus Nomi was probably the greatest countertenor of his generation. Here he is performing what is probably his best-known recording (not opera, strictly speaking, but an excellent example of what his voice was capable of. Sadly, he died at the age of 39.)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuSrsGzhD9U
The list is a good sample of opera performances. I know that Bjorling was not a good actor, but he is (in my humble opinion) the greatest tenor who ever walked on this earth. Of course, I have to omit Caruso, Melchior, Wunderlich and Gigli. I suggest that you post a list of the 10 greatest tenor arias.
As for sopranos I miss Renata Tebaldi on the list, but I know how difficult it is to please everyone.
Thank you very much for your cultural endeavor.
Tatiana Troyanos’s ‘Carmen’ could have easily made this list.
just watching pavarotti sing “una furtiva lagrima” on the telly- makes me feel that ‘this’ IS as good as it will get -this eve. no playback or choice of start or end, stop..it just IS and unfolds into my bad day with an end of trensendent power that i watch as if something visual would show the sound comming out of that gullet.
but i’m shoveling down tacos and beer and my mood changes all anyway
oh, and low and behold, i try here and most certainly here it is.
in case i decide to have tacos and beer on another bad day
how about diana damrau’s queen of the night aria? der holle rache or something,,,
No Anna Moffo? I’m surprised!
I love Pavarotti, but i am sad to see his “Nessum Dorma” not making the list. it is one of my favorites
I would include Placido Domingo, Granda, he did and excellent redition in Warsaw Poland, I would for sure also include Pavarotti La Dona e Mobile in the top ten for sure.
Mmmm… I’d say, personally, the list should include Anna Moffo’s Bell Song and Spargi D’amaro Pianto, Juan Diego Florez’s Pour mon ame, and Natalie Dessay’s Olympia.
You forgot Diana Damrau’s rendition of “Der Holle Rache.”
Amazing actress, Amazing voice, Amazing performance in General
You are so right with #8. I love that piece and that version is the best I've ever heard.
I would think that Bjoerling had a big part in recording this duet
The most underated tenor of all time was Lanza . Also on the list must be de Stefano surely the most beutifull tenor voice.
Its Too bad that Mario Lanza turned to Hollywood and making movies as opposed to singing onstage doing opera instead. He certainly would have been heralded as the next Caruso. I do enjoy the rumor about him and his untimely death at the age of 39 as the rumor was to believe that the Mafia did a hit on him and “whacked” him because he failed to appear for a recital. The matter of the fact was is that he would gain weight quickly or drop weight quickly to fit into roles that were designed for him. It finally took its toll and he finally succumbed to poor health at the age of 39
Name
Where is Marian Andersen ? Raoul Jobin ? Alfredo Krauss ? Hildegard Behrens ? Thomas Hampson ? James Morris ? Dame Joan Sutherland, Beverly Sills ? Leonard Warren ? Feodor Chaliapin ?
Regarding No.8, Luciano Pavarotti (an operatic singer who definitely knew who he was) once said about himself “My voice comes maybe once in a generation where as Jussi Bjorling’s voice comes only once in a milenium . The operatic duet with Bjorling and Robert Merrill performing the tenor / baritone duet from Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers” I have absolutely no argument about as being the greatest ever recorded. When I was 11 years old, I saw a performance with the touring company of the New York Metropolitan in Boston performing Verdi’s “Aida” and I saw Merrill perform the lead Ramadeus. It was quite an event.
One thing that is too bad is that we do not have any recordings of “The Swedish Nightingale” Jenny Lind who lived just slightly before the advent of recorded sound (she died in 1886). It was said that her voice was beyond the realm of belief !!
Its too bad that we don’t have any recordings of “The Swedish Nightingale” Jenny Lind as she died in 1886 just before the invention of sound recording. It has been historically documented that she had the greatest voice in history of all singers be it sopranos, tenors, mezzos, baritones, etc.