Amber D. Listening Assignment #1

Amber D. Listening assignment #1...  Casta Diva comparison

Maria Callas- Being older and used to sub standard recordings from the dark ages I was kind of able to get a handle on what her sound might have been like live. The ease of breathing, production, resonance plus the ability to really hold onto character through that incredibly long intro put her into the top position for me. I had once seen an interview with her where she talked about the ability to be an actress will make or break you. I think I can see where she used that ability to become such a powerhouse in her day. Honestly, if this had no visual, she would have gone down a few places in my ranking. But, I thought her confidence was something worth taking notes on for future reference.

Renee Flemming- I love this woman's tone in general though the there seems to be a tiny bit of forced darkness there.... I am not sure if that is the right descriptor. Her acting/emotional portrayal is almost on par with Maria Callas. They really almost tied in this for me.

Anna Netrebko- Could have used a bit … a tiny bit more energy, but overall a very nice consistent and rich sound. She seemed effortless in her breathing and very comfortable in her posture, stance, and demeanor. I liked her expression as well, but Renee nudged her out of second place just a bit in this even though she was a tad bit effected in her portrayal.

Barbara Fritolli- It's a nice rich round supported sound, but she seems a little stiff. There seemed to be a tendency to tuck her head in and down a bit. She seemed a little scared too.

Joan Sutherland- That's one heck of a wide jaw opening one it finally gets there. It seemed to take forever for that lower jaw to reach it's final destination and the fullness of the vowel to come out. It was like watching a python opening up to swallow a compact car. There seemed to be a noticeable difference between higher and lower ranges... a lack of unity and blending of them. She also seemed stiff on the stage, but that may have been a matter of the director's preference.

Sumi Jo- I am probably hard on her because someone once told me I sounded like her.. and I am hard on myself. The tone is nice, but it seemed a little dry and separated to me. I also wasn't too fond of aspirated “h” sound on her more melissmatic phrases. I feel like there is much more there that can resonate, but is being held back. There were no visuals for comparison of expression on that scale.

Edita Gruberova- Harsh, mechanical, screechy at times, and downright militant. What's with the eyebrows? Does she need a good laxative or something? I half expected her to screech “Mein aria!”, goose step across the stage and bop the nearest orchestra member on the head.