# Your top 10 sopranos EXCLUDING the most hyped ones



## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

I'm asking for the following reasons
1) while listening to the greats rarely gets old, talking about them can quite frequently
2) I'm looking to expand my tastes a bit 
3) if you include the most acclaimed sopranos in a top 10 list, you're usually left with like...4 spaces left lol

the "blacklist" of singers not allowed on your list include
1) Joan Sutherland
2) Maria Callas
3) Montserrat Caballe
4) Renee Fleming
5) Leontyne Price
6) Kirsten Flagstad
7) Renata Tebaldi

I toyed with the idea of including the following singers, but chose not to because, despite being universally recognized as top tier singers throughout most of the industry, they aren't talked about quite as often so you're welcome to include them on your list.
- Rosa Ponselle
- Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
- Beverly Sills


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

my list (relatively in order. there are a few who run very close for competing spots)
10) Lucia Popp 
9) Christine Goerke
8) Ghena Dimitrova
7) Kiri te Kanawa
6) June Anderson
5) Martina Arroyo
4) Frida Lieder
3) Shirley Verrett 
2) Edda Moser
1) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 

honorable mention (not ordered. they all come very close to spot #10)
1) Aprille Millo
2) Annick Massis
3) Ingaborg Hallstein
4) Christina Deutekom (as long as she avoids coloratura!)
5) Mary Costa
6) Virginia Zeani
7) Vladilena Yalkut
8) Helen Traubel

PS: interesting. in retrospect, my tastes run a bit more lyrical than I was expecting.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> my list (relatively in order. there are a few who run very close for competing spots)
> 10) Lucia Popp
> 9) Christine Goerke
> 8) Ghena Dimitrova
> ...


But she IS a Coloratura :lol: somebody is not fond of her coup de glotte


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Astrid Varnay ( top of the list)
Helen Traubel
Jessye Norman ( pre weight loss)
Ghena Dimitrova
Renee Fleming
Gwyneth Jones (before around 1980)
Eglise Guttierez
Eva Turner
Anna Moffo
Zinka Milanov
Renata Scotto ( early in her career - pre wobble)
Beverly Sills
Eileen Farrell
NILSSON


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Mirrela Freni.
Lucia Popp
Anna Moffo 
Aprille Millo
Christina Deutekom
Virginia Zeani
Eileen Farrel
Kiri te Kanawa
Beverly Sills 
Eleanor Steber.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

1. Rosa Ponselle

in approximate order:
Leyla Gencer
Anita Cerquetti
Claudia Muzio
Luisa Tetrazzini
Ester Mazzoleni
Emmy Destinn
Caterina Mancini
Ghena Dimitrova 
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi

Honorable Mentions (the greats that didn't make it to the list probably because I don't listen to as much) Bianca Scacciati, Maria Barrientos, Elvira De Hidalgo, Eugenia Burzio


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Magda Olivero
Eleanor Steber
Mirella Freni
Anna Netrebko
Claudia Muzio
Sondra Radvanovsky
Virginia Zeani
Patricia Racette
Patricia Neway
Teresa Stratas


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Birgit Nilsson, by about 10 country miles (I can't believe she's not on the Excluded List). None of the below are sorted, I love them all.
Lucia Popp
Beverly Sills
Mirella Freni
Inge Borkh
Ghena Dimitrova
Madame Cluckapoo (guess who)
Natalie Dessay
Victoria de los Angeles
Shirley Verrett

:tiphat:

Happy New Year, Kind regards,

George


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Barelytenor said:


> Birgit Nilsson, by about 10 country miles (I can't believe she's not on the Excluded List).
> 
> George


You're right. I personally assumed she was listed so I didn't notice.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Barbara Hannigan
Mirella Freni
Kiri Te Kanawa
Teresa Stratas
Rita Hunter
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Hildegard Behrens
Karita Mattila
Anja Silja
Daniele De Niese


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

My list of favorites:

Claudia Muzio
Rosa Ponselle 
Magda Olivero
Anita Cerquetti
Lisa della Casa
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi
Renata Scotto
Birgit Nilsson
Rosa Raisa
Mariella Devia


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

1- Verrett
2 - Moffo
3 - Cerquetti
4 - Souliotis
5 - Bumbry
6 - Stella
7 - Kabaivanska
8 - Sass
9 - Tucci
10 - Carteri

A post 1950 and wagner free list, these divas appear on my very favorite recordings, no modern day singers hmmmmm...............



Barelytenor said:


> Birgit Nilsson, by about 10 country miles (I can't believe she's not on the Excluded List). None of the below are sorted, I love them all.
> Lucia Popp
> Beverly Sills
> Mirella Freni
> ...


Need another hint...............


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I have been more focused on mezzos, but a couple of my top sopranos include 
Edita Gruberova and Beverly Sills.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Pugg said:


> Mirrela Freni.
> Lucia Popp
> Anna Moffo
> Aprille Millo
> ...


You made me change my list.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

DarkAngel said:


> 1- Verrett
> 2 - Moffo
> 3 - Cerquetti
> 4 - Souliotis
> ...


Christina Deutekom 

Kind regards,

George


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> my list (relatively in order. there are a few who run very close for competing spots)
> 10) Lucia Popp
> 9) Christine Goerke
> 8) Ghena Dimitrova
> ...


truck! how did I forget Gencer


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Pugg said:


> Mirrela Freni.
> Lucia Popp
> Anna Moffo
> Aprille Millo
> ...


How could I forget *Elena Souliotis.*


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## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

Pugg said:


> How could I forget *Elena Souliotis.*


I thought you were going to mention the lady on you avatar


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

jdec said:


> I thought you were going to mention the lady on you avatar


She was not allowed as O.P. stated in his post.


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## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

Pugg said:


> She was not allowed as O.P. stated in his post.


Oops, I should have read more carefully the OP


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

jdec said:


> Oops, I should have read more carefully the OP


No harm done, we all been there.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Tuoksu said:


> But she IS a Coloratura :lol: somebody is not fond of her coup de glotte


you mean her coup de turkey?


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## Lensky (May 8, 2016)

Teresa Stich-Randall

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Katia Ricciarelli
Teresa Zylis-Gara
Elly Ameling
Virginia Zeani
Regine Crespin
Magda Olivero
Renata Scotto
Raina Kabaivanska

:tiphat:


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## lluissineu (Dec 27, 2016)

Let's try: these are sopranos I like (not exactly The same order, but almost)

K. Battle
L. Popp
E. Gruberova
I. Cotrubas
E. Amelling
M. Freni
A. Gheorgiu
D. Damrau ?
k Ricciarelli
K Te Kanawa


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## ahinton (Nov 8, 2016)

Well, the thread specifies neither those whose careers have principally been in grand opera nor those no longer alive and/or working, so I would like to add Sarah Leonard to the list.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

ahinton said:


> Well, the thread specifies neither those whose careers have principally been in grand opera nor those no longer alive and/or working, so I would like to add Sarah Leonard to the list.


I don't think BalalaikaBoy stated that they still have to be around or performing, then the list would be very short.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Pugg said:


> I don't think BalalaikaBoy stated that they still have to be around or performing, then the list would be very short.


and I wouldn't even have a list :lol:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Tuoksu said:


> and I wouldn't even have a list :lol:


You can always make one.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I am proud that 3 of my sopranos are still alive, one of them ( Fleming) is still singing..... but I had to make my list longer than 10 to include them, so I guess I cheated. Don't kick me out.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> I'm asking for the following reasons
> 1) while listening to the greats rarely gets old, talking about them can quite frequently
> 2) I'm looking to expand my tastes a bit
> 3) if you include the most acclaimed sopranos in a top 10 list, you're usually left with like...4 spaces left lol
> ...


These lists are fun and almost always go back to illustrating how incredibly deep the opera talent pool was back in the 1955-65 years.......as most of the "excluded big names" were at peak vocal powers then, and the 2nd and 3rd tier sopranos (some barely recognized names today) behind them would be superstars today and possess vocal skills that seem a lost art by todays standards 

For wagner singers the gap (more like a chasm) between then and now is even greater


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

The numbering is essentially arbitrary (apart from La Nilsson at No 1), but here goes:

1. Birgit Nilsson
2. Gundula Janowitz
3. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
4. Elisabeth Grümmer
5. Lucia Popp
6. Margaret Price
7. Kiri Te Kanawa
8. Jessye Norman
9. Astrid Varnay
10. Anna Netrebko


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> you mean her coup de turkey?


And yet, I prefer her coloratura above crowing crows.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

*Time for the Turkey Fest-Christina Deutekom Sings Armida*






The comments, pro and con, are as hilarious as the singing is stunning ... (ly bad? good? Talk amongst yourselves.)

I personally love to hear her, despite the totally weird technique.

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Barelytenor said:


> be;5bs-gERYKSI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bs-gERYKSI[/video][/CENTER]
> 
> The comments, pro and con, are as hilarious as the singing is stunning ... (ly bad? good? Talk amongst yourselves.)
> 
> ...


I call it unique .


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

> The comments, pro and con, are as hilarious as the singing is stunning ... (ly bad? good? Talk amongst yourselves.)
> 
> I personally love to hear her, despite the totally weird technique.


Interesting but I prefer less "ornamented or florid" style, if you overdue it you can obscure the main rhythmic line, as in almost every singer when she goes for the highest notes the voice becomes more tightly focused and smaller in size......what makes Callas unique is the highest notes are delivered in full size and amplitude (almost expanding in size) which delivers the electrifying results...........


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

More or less in order I suppose, especially Nilsson who might be my top soprano including the excluded list. 

Birgit Nilsson
Victoria de los Angeles
Zinka Milanov
Leonie Rysanek
Gundula Janowitz
Elisabeth Grummer
Mirella Freni
Cheryl Studer
Angela Gheorghiu
Irmgard Seefried


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

I am surprised at just how many lists do not include any currently active sopranos, are things that bad? I was able to come up with 3 which, without checking, must be a record!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Becca said:


> I am surprised at just how many lists do not include any currently active sopranos, are things that bad? I was able to come up with 3 which, without checking, must be a record!


I find this a tough question, partly because the criterion of who is famous enough to be excluded is unclear, but mainly because there are just too many extraordinary singers, some of whom we have only in remarkable fragments from the past. The recorded history of singing is very long by now, and the more I know of the past, the harder it is to find contemporary singers who measure up. Of course we might still choose singers of our own day as favorites, whether or not we consider them "best."


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## Marinera (May 13, 2016)

Cristina Kiehr
Emma Kirkby
Natalie Dessay
Anna Moffo
Regine Crespin
Gundula Janowitz
Elly Ameling
Veronique Gens


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Just think that the recorded artists go back roughly one century, now. Indeed, it would be remarkable that for anyone familiar with all this history, most of their favorite singers would happen to be singing just now!.

However, you can open a thread asking for favorite sopranos active in 2016, and you will get some answers.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Becca said:


> I am surprised at just how many lists do not include any currently active sopranos, are things that bad? I was able to come up with 3 which, without checking, must be a record!


I can answer only for myself:
1. I believe things aren't as they were 100 (or 50) years ago. Singing methods aren't the same. As a result the singing quality is simply not the same. Singers today don't start as early as they did in the past. 100 years ago singers were also "closer to the source" if you know what I mean. Bel Canto is more or less about tradition and I think traditions get "diluted" overtime.

2. Most of the famous singers today are lyric voices, and I don't have a single lyric soprano among my favorites. I don't like lyric repertoire nor do I want a lyric singer singing my Verdi or approximately attempting fioriture.

3. I prefer Italian voices. What ever happened to Italian singers today?... They seem to be nowhere in sight.
4. I think Opera had a Golden age and having heard most of today's singers, I simply wasn't impressed enough to be distracted from from the myriad of STUNNING voices of the past.
5. This one is weird: I don't like over-polished recordings. I would only go after a clean production if I were listening to my Prog and Metal.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Tuoksu said:


> I can answer only for myself:
> 1. I believe things aren't as they were 100 (or 50) years ago. Singing methods aren't the same. As a result the singing quality is simply not the same. Singers today don't start as early as they did in the past. 100 years ago singers were also "closer to the source" if you know what I mean. Bel Canto is more or less about tradition and I think traditions get "diluted" overtime.
> 
> 2. Most of the famous singers today are lyric voices, and I don't have a single lyric soprano among my favorites. I don't like lyric repertoire nor do I want a lyric singer singing my Verdi or approximately attempting fioriture.
> ...


Your third point is one of the fascinating mysteries of opera. Opera was born in Italy, Italian singers led the field for centuries, Italian technique and style were still honored even in the 20th century, even your gondolier sings opera, but now...?


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Woodduck said:


> Your third point is one of the fascinating mysteries of opera. Opera was born in Italy, Italian singers led the field for centuries, Italian technique and style were still honored even in the 20th century, even your gondolier sings opera, but now...?


Probably the same reason there are no great composers in Germany and Austria anymore - and no singers like those in the golden age of Wagnerian opera either. Classical music is a train that is rapidly leaving the station and will not return. We can get to hear the last of the singers who can be called really good and we have recordings of the old and great ones - and should be satisfied with that.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

In no particular order...

Mirella Freni
Kiri Te Kanawa
Anna Netrebko
Cheryl Studer
Deborah Voigt
Karita Mattila
Ruth Ann Swenson
Sumi Jo
Barbara Frittoli
Alessandra Marc


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Becca said:


> I am surprised at just how many lists do not include any currently active sopranos, are things that bad? I was able to come up with 3 which, without checking, must be a record!


In my case, I simply haven't been keeping up lately, as I've been effectively taking a vacation from opera and at the moment am very into movie music. One currently active soprano I love, however, is Kelly Cae Hogan, whom I've heard at Virginia Opera. I didn't think she was well-known enough to include on my list, though.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

schigolch said:


> Just think that the recorded artists go back roughly one century, now. Indeed, it would be remarkable that for anyone familiar with all this history, most of their favorite singers would happen to be singing just now!.
> 
> However, you can open a thread asking for favorite sopranos active in 2016, and you will get some answers.


My comment was not about the lack of lists with a majority of currently active sopranos but rather how many lists had either none or only one currently active. While recording history does go back about 120 years, I suspect that many opera listeners (pace Woodduck) are more focused on those who have been active in the LP era and, probably, their lifetimes.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Becca said:


> My comment was not about the lack of lists with a majority of currently active sopranos but rather how many lists had either none or only one currently active. While recording history does go back about 120 years, I suspect that many opera listeners (pace Woodduck) are more focused on those who have been active in the LP era and, probably, their lifetimes.


The recordings are still there and many current singers don't have so many wide spread recordings.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Sloe said:


> The recordings are still there and _many current singers don't have so many wide spread recordings_.


YouTube
Live from the Met
Digital Concert Hall
streaming from the Vienna Opera, Royal Opera, ...
etc., etc.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

meh, why not? top 20  
20) Vladilena Yalkut
19) Virginia Zeani 
18) Aprille Millo 
17) Regine Crespin
16) Leyla Gencer 
15) Mary Costa
14) Annick Massis
13) Anna Moffo
12) Helen Traubel
11) Lucia Popp 
10) Marisa Galvany
9) Christine Goerke
8) Ghena Dimitrova
7) Kiri te Kanawa
6) June Anderson
5) Martina Arroyo
4) Frida Lieder
3) Shirley Verrett 
2) Edda Moser
1) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> meh, why not? top 20
> 20) Vladilena Yalkut
> 19) Virginia Zeani
> 18) Aprille Millo
> ...


This is cheating on your own topic.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I am disturbed that Mariella Devia has not made anyone's list--or did I miss it?


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Pugg said:


> This is cheating on your own topic.


indeed, and I'm about to again :devil:



BalalaikaBoy said:


> meh, why not? top 20
> 20) Vladilena Yalkut
> 19) Virginia Zeani
> 18) Aprille Millo
> ...


30) Beverly Sills
29) Gina Signa
28) Anja Silja
27) Christina Deutekom 
26) Dragana Radakovic
25) Mariella Devia
24) Natalie Dessay
23) Yuri Kasahara
22) Birgit Nilsson 
21) Ingborg Hallstein


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

^ Nice. Adds Devia and Dessay too! Oh and Silja is a great (if not the greatest) Senta in the Flying Dutchman!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> indeed, and I'm about to again :devil:
> 
> 30) Beverly Sills
> 29) Gina Signa
> ...


This makes it better!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Pugg said:


> This makes it better!


Indeed it does!


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## damianjb1 (Jan 1, 2016)

For me, the soprano's who have given me the most listening pleasure would be - (not in any order),
Margaret Price - one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard,
Mirella Freni - the most exquisite Mimi (in the earlier Schippers recording) and Butterfly (with Karajan) imaginable,
Lucia Popp - there's a live Four Last Songs on Youtube with Solti. She just stands there and sings without any effort - it's perfection.
Olga Borodina - the most opulent mezzo voice of the last 20 years, and not a hint of wobble.
Barbara Bonney - when I want to listen to one of those small but pin point perfect Mozart voices she's my gal.
Jessye Norman (pre 1988) - my favourite Four Last Songs. At her best, the richest and noblest voice of my life time.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

damianjb1 said:


> For me, the soprano's who have given me the most listening pleasure would be - (not in any order),
> Margaret Price - one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard,
> Mirella Freni - the most exquisite Mimi (in the earlier Schippers recording) and Butterfly (with Karajan) imaginable,
> Lucia Popp - there's a live Four Last Songs on Youtube with Solti. She just stands there and sings without any effort - it's perfection.
> ...


Almost as good as the EMI recording.


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## damianjb1 (Jan 1, 2016)

Pugg said:


> Almost as good as the EMI recording.


I find it very moving to be able to watch her. Especially as she isn't with us any more. A very sad loss. The world was a better place with her in it.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

damianjb1 said:


> For me, the soprano's who have given me the most listening pleasure would be - (not in any order),
> Margaret Price - one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard,
> Mirella Freni - the most exquisite Mimi (in the earlier Schippers recording) and Butterfly (with Karajan) imaginable,
> Lucia Popp - there's a live Four Last Songs on Youtube with Solti. She just stands there and sings without any effort - it's perfection.
> ...


That's cheating


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Tuoksu said:


> 1. Rosa Ponselle
> 
> in approximate order:
> Leyla Gencer
> ...


I forgot Maria Nemeth.


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

1) *Claudia Muzio!*
2) Germaine Lubin
3) Maggie Teyte
4) Salomea Krushelnytska: super oldie, but when you "get" her, you will be amazed. Steanne in his great book implied that three most imaginative sopranos were Krushelnytska, Muzio and Callas!
5) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
6) Frida Leider
7) Victoria de los Angeles
8) Oda Slobodskaya: IMO the greatest Russian soprano on record, easily surpassed Vishnevskaya. 
9) Ingeborg Hallstein
10) Renata Scotto


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Tuoksu said:


> I forgot Maria Nemeth.


No law again being forgetful, it's not January 20th yet.


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## damianjb1 (Jan 1, 2016)

Tuoksu said:


> That's cheating


Oops - sorry.
She's got a better top than a lot of soprano's - so only half cheating lol


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

damianjb1 said:


> Oops - sorry.
> She's got a better top than a lot of soprano's - so only half cheating lol


Don't mention it, we all moved on.


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## yetti66 (Jan 30, 2017)

5 pages of comments and only 1 mention of Irmgard Seefried. Her lieder recordings(Orfeo) of Schumann, Brahms and Schubert are my favorite. A fabulous voice


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

1) Beverly Sills
2) Mirella Freni
3) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 
4) Kiri Te Kanawa
5) Victoria De Los Angeles
6) Frederica Von Stade
7) Anna Moffo

Those are probaby the only ones outside of the "off limits" list that I can say I distinctly know their voice enough to give a preference. Even Moffo is pushing it a little bit, but I have a ten disc boxed set of hers that I'm sure I'll enjoy once I spend more time listening to it


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Sonata said:


> 1) Beverly Sills
> 2) Mirella Freni
> 3) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
> 4) Kiri Te Kanawa
> ...


Yeah, very underrated, but then again, if we like them,who really cares.
We can't al be dedicated followers of fashion.


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## DonAlfonso (Oct 4, 2014)

damianjb1 said:


> For me, the soprano's who have given me the most listening pleasure would be - (not in any order),
> Margaret Price - one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard,
> Mirella Freni - the most exquisite Mimi (in the earlier Schippers recording) and Butterfly (with Karajan) imaginable,
> Lucia Popp - there's a live Four Last Songs on Youtube with Solti. She just stands there and sings without any effort - it's perfection.
> ...


Also one of the very best Micaela's ever.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

DonAlfonso said:


> Also one of the very best Micaela's ever.


I believe 3 commercial recordings.
But the highlights are Butterfly and La Boheme.


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## DonAlfonso (Oct 4, 2014)

I'd include Catherine Malfitano, still active in opera as a teacher and director.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

I would as well; she is on my list...

Teresa Zylis-Gara
Sonia Yoncheva
Maria Chiara
Catherine Malfitano
Anna Moffo (famous, but hyped? think not)
Carolann Page
well, that's not 10 but...


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

DonAlfonso said:


> I'd include Catherine Malfitano, still active in opera as a teacher and director.


As singer she was very good, specially the acting.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Damianjb1, 
I went through a big Margraret Price phase and a much, much bigger early Jessye phase. Margaret was the perfect Mozart soprano.


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

I have only four:

Christine Brewer
Jessye Norman
Barbara Hannigan
Zinka Milanov


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Vronsky said:


> I have only four:
> 
> Christine Brewer
> Jessye Norman
> ...


Christine Brewer has a gorgeous voice. Her size has limited her career, but her recordings in English are wonderful. She is one of the true dramatic sopranos around today. Her high notes are truly thrilling!!!!!!


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Vronsky said:


> I have only four:
> 
> Christine Brewer
> Jessye Norman
> ...


My biases are well known by now  and it is nice to see at least one of them supported! I have to wonder how Barbara Hannigan would be rated if she sang more of the standard repertoire but, to my knowledge, the only such roles she has sang over recent years are _Pelleas et Melisande, Lulu_ and Donna Anna in _Don Giovanni_. Next year she will be doing Stravinsky's _Rake's Progress_ ... but as conductor.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Sonata said:


> 1) Beverly Sills
> 2) Mirella Freni
> 3) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
> 4) Kiri Te Kanawa
> ...


I'm going to tack two more names on to my list

8) Katia Ricciarelli: she's on several of the early Verdi recordings conducted by Lamberto Gardelli, and she does a lovely job of it.
9) Angela Gheorgieu: Not fond of diva attitudes, but I've really enjoyed the couple of opera videos she's done and look forward to watching more of her


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Sonata said:


> I'm going to tack two more names on to my list
> 
> 8) Katia Ricciarelli: she's on several of the early Verdi recordings conducted by Lamberto Gardelli, and she does a lovely job of it.
> 9) Angela Gheorgieu: Not fond of diva attitudes, but I've really enjoyed the couple of opera videos she's done and look forward to watching more of her


She did, but she not very exciting in voice type, it's like a fast food chain, all taste the same.


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## lluissineu (Dec 27, 2016)

Just joking, I love this one:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

lluissineu said:


> Just joking, I love this one:


There are a few who gives me that scares to


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I am proud that 3 of my sopranos are still alive, one of them ( Fleming) is still singing..... but I had to make my list longer than 10 to include them, so I guess I cheated. Don't kick me out.


New concert in Amsterdam, August 2017.
Tickets in the pocket.


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## Ainsley (Dec 22, 2016)

Sandrine Piau and Patrizia Ciofi are some of my favorites. I really like light lyric sopranos. (Especially if they can do coloratura)!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Ainsley said:


> Sandrine Piau and Patrizia Ciofi are some of my favorites. I really like light lyric sopranos. (Especially if they can do coloratura)!


I do think her voice is way past prime, good actress though.


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## Ainsley (Dec 22, 2016)

I also really like Gemma Bertagnolli, Simone Kermés, and Sylvia McNair


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Bellinilover said:


> In no particular order...
> 
> Mirella Freni
> Kiri Te Kanawa
> ...


Sorry, _not_ Barbara Frittoli (whom I actually don't like much at all); the soprano I meant to put there was Carol Vaness. I also should have put June Anderson on my list.


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## Bertali (Jul 14, 2017)

Birgit Nilsson
Cheryl Studer
Gundula Janowitz
Lucia Popp
Mirella Freni
Barbara Hendricks
Edita Gruberova
Kathlen Battle
Sabine Devieilhe
Irmgard Seefried


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## VitellioScarpia (Aug 27, 2017)

1) Renata Scotto
2) Magda Olivero
3) Anita Cerquetti
4) Elena Suliotis (pre-Souliotis) 
5) Giannina Arangi-Lombardi
6) Leyla Gencer 
7) Carol Vaness 
8) Leona Mitchell 
9) Rosa Ponselle
10) Cheryl Studer


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## betterthanfine (Oct 17, 2017)

It's so hard to narrow it down to just 10... 

Jessye Norman
Kiri Te Kanawa
Kathleen Battle
Angela Gheorghiu
Carolyn Sampson
Natalie Dessay
Diana Damrau
Veronique Gens
Elly Ameling
Eleanor Steber

What can I say? I like my lyrics! 

Honorable mentions to Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Beverly Sills, Cristina Deutekom, Leyla Gencer and Mirella Freni, who I'm all learning to appreciate more and more.

Mezzo top four:
Joyce DiDonato
Agnes Baltsa
Teresa Berganza
Anne Sofie von Otter


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I would like to add two I missed:
Jane Eaglen in her prime
Alessandra Marc... an obsession of mine.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Depends on what's your definition of "hyped". To me it suggests someone who is not as good as their fame would suggest. 


Most of the sopranos I like, and even some of the ones I don't, deserve all the fame ascribed to them.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

GregMitchell said:


> Depends on what's your definition of "hyped". To me it suggests someone who is not as good as their fame would suggest.
> 
> Most of the sopranos I like, and even some of the ones I don't, deserve all the fame ascribed to them.


Well, that's exactly the point. "Hyped" could mean a number of things here, famous? (which begs the question how famous is famous?) Underrated? Again, it's a matter of opinion who is underrated and who isn't. Perhaps a list of the 'hyped' sopranos we have to avoid would help?

N.


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## betterthanfine (Oct 17, 2017)

The Conte said:


> Well, that's exactly the point. "Hyped" could mean a number of things here, famous? (which begs the question how famous is famous?) Underrated? Again, it's a matter of opinion who is underrated and who isn't. Perhaps a list of the 'hyped' sopranos we have to avoid would help?
> 
> N.


Conte, did you see the original post? They are indeed listed. 



BalalaikaBoy said:


> if you include the most acclaimed sopranos in a top 10 list, you're usually left with like...4 spaces left lol
> 
> the "blacklist" of singers not allowed on your list include
> 1) Joan Sutherland
> ...


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

The reason some singers are 'hyped' is because they are rather good. There are exceptions of course.


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## betterthanfine (Oct 17, 2017)

DavidA said:


> The reason some singers are 'hyped' is because they are rather good. There are exceptions of course.


Indeed. I don't think 'hyped' was altogether the right word for the OP to use in this context, but I do get the point of excluding them.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

betterthanfine said:


> Indeed. I don't think 'hyped' was altogether the right word for the OP to use in this context, but I do get the point of excluding them.


To not have the same names named over and over again?


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

The Conte said:


> Well, that's exactly the point. "Hyped" could mean a number of things here, famous? (which begs the question how famous is famous?) Underrated? Again, it's a matter of opinion who is underrated and who isn't. Perhaps a list of the 'hyped' sopranos we have to avoid would help?
> 
> N.


Whether or not they actually deserve the fame is irrelevant. What's relevant is ensuring the same 10 or so names don't keep popping up. The latter would hardly make for interesting conversation regardless of how much I adore the likes of Sutherland, Flagstad, etc.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

betterthanfine said:


> Conte, did you see the original post? They are indeed listed.


In that case:-

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Victoria De Los Angeles
Maggie Teyte
Rosa Ponselle
Claudia Muzio
Lucia Popp
Renata Scotto
Teresa Stratas
Helga Dernesch
Katia Ricciarelli

I'd have included Shirley Verrett, but I still think of her as a mezzo.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

I am too shy for saying these things.


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## ma7730 (Jun 8, 2015)

Anna Moffo is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated sopranos of the twentieth century.


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## IgorS (Jan 7, 2018)

ma7730 said:


> Anna Moffo is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated sopranos of the twentieth century.


Anna Moffo one of the most famous names in opera. Hardly underrated.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

My favorites, in no particular order:

1. Elly Ameling--for her singing of Bach, Debussy, Ravel, Faure, Satie, Poulenc, Mozart, Haydn, Brahms, Wolf, & Strauss, and most of all for her Schubert lieder: Ameling's "The Shepherd on the Rock" (or Der Hirt auf dem Felson, D. 965) is the finest rendition I've ever heard of this song (with Auger's a close second):






























https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Ave...3143573&sr=1-4&keywords=schubert+elly+ameling
https://www.amazon.com/Frauenliebe-...=1-2&keywords=schubert+sacd+ameling+pentatone
https://www.amazon.com/Lieder-Franz...=1-3&keywords=schubert+sacd+ameling+pentatone
https://www.amazon.com/Elly-Ameling...rd_wg=Rr9gJ&psc=1&refRID=K31M3KHZC0JE4YQZE7A9
https://www.amazon.com/Elly-Ameling...49214&sr=1-1&keywords=the+art+of+elly+ameling

2. Arleen Auger--for her singing of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Monteverdi, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Ravel (with Ernest Bour), Schoenberg, Berg, Larsen, Orff, and Strauss--& the most beautiful performances of the song "Morgen" I've heard (including an unforgettable live performance at Lincoln Center one wintry night many years ago). Auger had the most gorgeous voice. She could project to the back of Carnegie Hall with the greatest of ease. I don't think I've ever heard a more beautiful human voice live. Fortunately, the Brits & Europeans weren't as blind and dumb to her great gift as her native country was:

































































http://www.bruceduffie.com/auger.html

3. Margaret Price--for her Schubert, Schumann, Mozart, Strauss, Brahms, Liszt, and Wagner: Price is one of my favorite Isoldes (her beautiful singing blends perfectly with the (remarkably in tune) musicians of the Staatskapelle Dresden, my favorite orchestra in the world--that, and Kleiber's brilliant conducting, are one of the highlights of my Wagner collection:






4. Elisabeth Söderström--for her Beethoven (Klemperer's classic Missa Solemnis), Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier, & Four Last Songs), Mozart, Janacek operas (especially her Jenufa), Debussy, Sibelius, Chopin, Delius, Britten, Rachmaninov (with Ashkenazy), and Prokofiev:

































http://www.bruceduffie.com/soderstrom.html

5. Gundula Janowitz--for her Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, Mozart, Beethoven, Weber, Orff, Wagner, & Bach:














6. Regine Crespin--I especially enjoy Crespin in the French repertory--Berlioz, Ravel, Poulenc, Debussy, Roussel, Satie, & Duparc. & I particularly like her singing of Duparc's beautiful song Extase, which is a favorite of mine:










7. Véronique Dietschy--for her Debussy, Faure, Duparc, Hasse, & Mozart. Among recent sopranos recording the French repertory, I've most liked Dietschy, who wisely doesn't sing French chansons in an overly loud, operatic manner, but with a more natural sounding voice; which means that she doesn't screech in the higher passages of Debussy's more difficult chansons (unlike many other sopranos). It's a rare treat to find such artistry in a native born speaker, since Dietschy is able to convey shades of meaning integral to the sound and shape of the French words & language, which can prove elusive to non-native singers:






















8. Barbara Bonney--for her Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Hasse, Dowland, Schumann, Strauss, & Zemlinsky. (Bonney and Auger in Mozart's Mass in C minor--with Abbado--are my dream duo.)


















9. Monika Mauch--along with Auger, Ameling, and Dame Janet Baker, Mauch is one of my favorite Bach sopranos. She specializes in early music, from Hildegard von Bingen to Lassus to Carissimi, Pachelbel, Handel, Telemann, and J.S. Bach. For me, the pinpoint accuracy of Mauch's intonation in Bach allows for a greater appreciation of the complex contrapuntal dialogue, versus the wider & often wobbly vibratos of past sopranos in Bach; especially when Bach is performed OVPP, where her gifts are so crucial. I wish Bach could have heard Mauch sing his music. My hope is that she'll one day record the masses of my other favorite composer, Josquin Desprez, for which her voice & artistry are especially well suited:































10. Victoria de los Angeles: for her wonderful singing of Ravel, Debussy, Chausson (the finest "Poéme de l'amour et de la mer" I've heard), Bizet, Massenet, Canteloube, Puccini, and the Spanish-Catalan repertory (with pianists Alicia de Larrocha & Geoffrey Parsons, and conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos)--Mompou, de Falla, Granados, etc.:

























https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Ang...eywords=victoria+de+los+angeles+debussy+ravel

Other favorite sopranos include Maggie Teyte (in the French repertory), Lisa della Casa, Sandrine Piau, Julianne Baird (especially her wonderful Mozart lieder with Colin Tilney: 



), Linda Ester Gray (her beautiful Isolde with Goodall), Heather Harper (her Ravel Shéhérazade with Boulez), Sheila Armstrong, Gemma Bertagnolli (her Handel with Ensemble Zefiro), Roberta Invernizzi (her Handel with Fabio Bonizzoni, etc.), Barbara Schlick, Emma Kirkby, Agnés Mellon, Suzie Leblanc, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf (her Schubert lieder with Edwin Fischer, & her Strauss, Brahms, Wolf, & Mozart), Lucia Popp, Inge Borkh, Jessye Norman, Barbara Hannigan, Felicity Lott, Julia Lezhneva, Mirella Freni (especially in Puccini: 



), Christine Schäfer, Cheryl Studer (her 15 Schubert lieder: 



), Susan Graham (her wonderful Reynaldo Hahn Chansons: 



, and 



), and Monserrat Caballé. I'm sure I've forgotten a bunch...

One of my all-time favorite sopranos is mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker.


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## gsdkfasdf (11 mo ago)

1. Sondra Radvanovsky
2. Anna Moffo
3. Natalie Dessay
4. Lisette Oropesa
5. Mady Mesple
6. Renee Fleming
7. Leontyne Price
8. Astrid Varnay (I assume Birgit was one name you forgot to put)
9. Nadine Sierra
10. Hera Hyesang Park


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> I'm asking for the following reasons
> 1) while listening to the greats rarely gets old, talking about them can quite frequently
> 2) I'm looking to expand my tastes a bit
> 3) if you include the most acclaimed sopranos in a top 10 list, you're usually left with like...4 spaces left lol
> ...


I'm not sure I did this, but my list of those not on your "black list" would probably be

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Rosa Ponselle
Claudia Muzio
Victoria De Los Angeles
Maggie Teyte
Lucia Popp
Renata Scotto
Mirella Freni
Katia Ricciarelli
Ljuba Welitsch

Quite a few others hovering around in the next 10.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

gsdkfasdf said:


> 1. Sondra Radvanovsky
> 2. Anna Moffo
> 3. Natalie Dessay
> 4. Lisette Oropesa
> ...


Fleming and Price are amongst the names of sopranos the OP said you could not include.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Teresa Zylis-Gara
Elizabeth Schwarzkopf
Victoria DeLosAngeles
Sondra Radvanovsky
Adriana Maliponte
Kiri TeKanawa
Debra Voigt
Rosa Ponselle
Cheryl Studer (new from this Forum!!!)
Lucia Popp


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

I will do:

Claudia Muzio
Rosa Ponselle
Elisabeth Rethberg
Ninon Vallin
Tiana Lemnitz
Lotte Lehmann
Maria Cebotari
Virgina Zeani
Victoria de Los Angeles
Rosanna Carteri


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

In the real world, I’d plump for the “hyped” singers, but these below can hold their head high in any case! 

Arleen Auger
Ninon Vallin
Virginia Zeani
Gilda Cruz-Romo
Bidu Sayao
Celestine Bonisegna
Clara Petrella
Gina Cigna
Hina Spani
Lisa della Casa


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Rosa Ponselle
Clara Petrella
Bidu Sayao
Caterina Mancini
Helen Traubel 
Zinka Milanov
Birgit Nilsson
Astrid Varnay
Martha Mödl
Eleanor Steber


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## Aerobat (Dec 31, 2018)

I'm somewhat biased in that I prefer singers who I've heard in theatre rather than just on recordings. I'm also one of the younger members of this group by quite a few decades. So I have to split based on who I've seen on stage, vs those who I'm just too young to have seen in person. Here goes, in no particular order:

Part 1- Recordings only

1. Zeani
2. Freni
3. Schwarzkopf
4. von Stade
5. Moffo

Part 2 - Seen in theatres..

6. Maria Guleghina
7. Lisette Oropesa
8. Asmik Grigorian (wow - her Iolanta is stunning in theatre)
9. Patricia Petibon
10. Sonja Yoncheva

I had originally thought to include Tebaldi, but decided against as I think she'd count as being in the "Most Hyped" category...


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I can't remember doing this:
Jessye Norman
Boninsigna
Sills
Jane Eaglen
Ponselle !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eleanor Steber
Helen Traubel
Astrid Varnay
Tetrazinni
Cigna
Most are big voices and 5 I have heard in person.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Flagstad would definitely be on my list if she weren't excluded.

Elisabeth Rethberg
Mirella Freni
Marta Fuchs
Nellie Melba
Felicie Huni-Mihacsek
Dorothy Kirsten
Clara Petrella
Bidu Sayao
Rosa Raisa
Amelita Galli-Curci


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## OffPitchNeb (Jun 6, 2016)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Flagstad would definitely be on my list if she weren't excluded.
> 
> Elisabeth Rethberg
> Mirella Freni
> ...


Nice list! Felicie Huni-Mihacsek is the only name I didn't recognize. Just listened to some clips on YouTube (mostly Mozart) and she is amazing.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

OffPitchNeb said:


> Nice list! Felicie Huni-Mihacsek is the only name I didn't recognize. Just listened to some clips on YouTube (mostly Mozart) and she is amazing.


Yes, she is amazing! Her recording of Martern aller Arten is on my short list of all-time classic opera recordings.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Yes, she is amazing! Her recording of Martern aller Arten is on my short list of all-time classic opera recordings.







I've never heard of her, but listening now I have to wonder why you like this recording. Her coloratura is messy, she constantly attacks notes from below and slides between them, upward and downward, in a manner that seems both indiscriminate and sentimental, her chest voice sounds weak (at least on this recording), and the finish is a mad scramble. It's a nice voice, but not my idea of how to sing this.


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## Agamenon (Apr 22, 2019)

1. Birgit Nilsson.
2. Martha Mödl.
3. Lucia Popp.
4. Leonie Rysanek.
5. Mirella Freni.
6. Gundula Janowitz.
7. Ghena Dimitrova.
8. Margaret Price.
9. Cheryl Studer.
10. Jessye Norman.

And many other great sopranos.


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## Shaafee Shameem (Aug 4, 2021)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Flagstad would definitely be on my list if she weren't excluded.
> 
> Elisabeth Rethberg
> Mirella Freni
> ...


Finally someone who likes Rosa Raisa!! In my opinion, she was the greatest interwar soprano, along with, perhaps Frida Leider.


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## Concertantek364 (Mar 13, 2021)

In no particular order

Hina Spani
Elisabeth Grümmer
Elisabeth Söderström
Sena Jurinac
Margaret Price
Julia Varady 
Claudia Muzio
Elisabeth Rethberg
Arleen Auger
Virginia Zeani


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> I've never heard of her, but listening now I have to wonder why you like this recording. Her coloratura is messy, she constantly attacks notes from below and slides between them, upward and downward, in a manner that seems both indiscriminate and sentimental, her chest voice sounds weak (at least on this recording), and the finish is a mad scramble. It's a nice voice, but not my idea of how to sing this.


I agree; one can find any number of singers with more interesting voices who can sing this aria with more accuracy and make it sound like something. For instance Arleen Auger, Valerie Masterson, Edda Moser, all more modern singers with the right stuff. There are others, not least Callas with a more problematic voice but peerless qualities.


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## Concertantek364 (Mar 13, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> I've never heard of her, but listening now I have to wonder why you like this recording. Her coloratura is messy, she constantly attacks notes from below and slides between them, upward and downward, in a manner that seems both indiscriminate and sentimental, her chest voice sounds weak (at least on this recording), and the finish is a mad scramble. It's a nice voice, but not my idea of how to sing this.





MAS said:


> I agree; one can find any number of singers with more interesting voices who can sing this aria with more accuracy and make it sound like something. For instance Arleen Auger, Valéry Masterson, Edda Moser, all modern singers with the right stuff. There are others, not least Callas with a more problematic voice but peerless qualities.


Try this one - Maria Ivogün (Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's teacher) - same vintage as Felicie Huni-Mihacsek:






...and Ivogün's illustrious pupil (whom I'd place in "the most hyped" category):


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## Shaafee Shameem (Aug 4, 2021)

Rosa Raisa
Salomea Krushelnytska
Frida Leider
Maria de Machi
Giannina Russ
Graziella Pareto
Maria Barrientos
Johanna Gadski
Felia Litvinne
Gertrude Bindernagel


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Shaafee Shameem said:


> Rosa Raisa
> Salomea Krushelnytska
> Frida Leider
> Maria de Machi
> ...


Looks like you're purposely looking for the more obscure singers (some exceptions apply):lol:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Concertantek364 said:


> Try this one - Maria Ivogün (Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's teacher) - same vintage as Felicie Huni-Mihacsek:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ivogun is excellent. Her interpolated trill at the end made me laugh. Schwarzkopf handles it well but the heroic quality of the music taxes her lyric instrument. The mouse that roared.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> Magda Olivero
> Eleanor Steber
> Mirella Freni
> Anna Netrebko
> ...


Good lord, please trade me a Stratas for a Gheorghiu (only because I have more to go on with Angela than wonderful Teresa)


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## Concertantek364 (Mar 13, 2021)

Giannina Arangi Lombardi
Arleen Augér
Gré Brouwenstijn
Sena Jurinac
Claudia Muzio
Lucia Popp
Margaret Price
Meta Seinemeyer
Elisabeth Söderström
Virginia Zeani


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