# Second Round: Miserere d'un'alma from Trovatore.Plowright and Steber



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

My first round was not popular. I'll give this one one more try. Remember. judge this only on the soprano's performance.




Verdi: Il Trovatore / Act 4 - "Miserere d'un'alma" · Rosalind Plowright · Plácido Domingo · Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia · Carlo Maria Giulini · Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia 




*Eleanor Steber et Jussi Bjorling Il Trovatore Miserere d'un alma già vicina enregistrement live*


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Plowright is terrific here, with snappy rhythms, strong dramatic accents and a fine dark low voice rising to a brilliant top.

I don't understand the sonic perspective of the live Steber performance. Why does the supposedly offstage Manrico sound as if he's standing right at the footlights, while the supposedly onstage Leonora seems to be farther away, and the orchestra is apparently in the coat room? I can't tell how effective Steber would be in the theater, but her voice seems to me a little lighter and brighter than ideal for this music. I have to go with Plowright.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

The Giuini *Trovatore *is absolutely the best thing Plowright ever did for the gramophone, and she is my favourite Leonora after Callas. Everything that was missing in the two previous versions is here. Her voice is darkly plangent, exactly the sort of sound I want in a Leonora. Furthermore she is musically scrupulous and her voice is in superb shape from top to bottom. She also provides that touch of vulnerability absent from Tebaldi's recording. Brava!

Steber always sings musically, but she doesn't sound as suited to the music as Plowright. She is no doubt also disadvantaged by the recording (no chorus and a Manrico who sounds as if he's standing right next to her). I note she takes the high option Sutherland took and I still don't like it.

Plowright for the win.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Good golly Miss Molly!
What a total mismatch of voices in my darling Eleanor Steber (one of my top 6 sopranos). This is not a piece worthy of her sound. It seemed more like a test for Bjorling than Steber as her voice was completely washed out at the end by his.
They did you wrong, Ellie honey! Take the money and run.
Plowright on the other hand was absolutely wonderful and had some fine chest tones. Even Domingo's voice sounded great in the background.
This one is a no-brainer.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> Good golly Miss Molly!
> What a total mismatch of voices in my darling Eleanor Steber (one of my top 6 sopranos). This is not a piece worthy of her sound. It seemed more like a test for Bjorling than Steber as her voice was completely washed out at the end by his.
> They did you wrong, Ellie honey! Take the money and run.
> Plowright on the other hand was absolutely wonderful and had some fine chest tones. Even Domingo's voice sounded great in the background.
> This one is a no-brainer.


I was wondering if i was the only one underwhelmed by Steber, who usually is in my opinion one of the best in her repertoire.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

The sound balance in the Steber video definitely affects the impact of her performance.
Plowright should’ve had a more successful career than she enjoyed and I am not sure why she wasn’t courted by the big record companies - perhaps she was, like Steber, too good and they didn’t want competition for their company’s divas. 
Plowright for me.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> The sound balance in the Steber video definitely affects the impact of her performance.
> Plowright should’ve had a more successful career than she enjoyed and I am not sure why she wasn’t courted by the big record companies - perhaps she was, like Steber, too good and they didn’t want competition for their company’s divas.
> Plowright for me.


She later became a mezzo, hence her strong lower voice. She was also unusual in that she worked as an actress in film as well. She sang internationally but i think she sang a lot in the UK.


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## ewilkros (8 mo ago)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Steber always sings musically, but she doesn't sound as suited to the music as Plowright. She is no doubt also disadvantaged by the recording (no chorus and a Manrico who sounds as if he's standing right next to her). I note she takes the high option Sutherland took and I still don't like it.
> 
> .


Bjoerling _is_ standing next to her--they're in a radio studio, doing a "Voice of Firestone" show. Another year or so and they would have had an 8-voice "Voice of Firestone Chorus".
Also on the program (at 10:50, below) is the two of them doing Romberg's "[Sweetheart, Sweetheart, Sweetheart] Will You Remember" (Video sounds like the disc is running fast to me, but that's YouTube, Jake. To Woodduck: In the Miserere (at 23:10) Steber sounds quite closely miked on this clip. They did these shows twice, performing once for the Eastern and Central timezones and again two hours later for the Rockies and Westcoast time zones. Maybe we're dealing with two different performances).






As for that high note, I like to think of it as the Kitty Carlisle Extension (you want Hollywood? I'll give you Hollywood!)--


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

ewilkros said:


> Bjoerling _is_ standing next to her--they're in a radio studio, doing a "Voice of Firestone" show. Another year or so and they would have had an 8-voice "Voice of Firestone Chorus".
> Also on the program (at 10:50, below) is the two of them doing Romberg's "[Sweetheart, Sweetheart, Sweetheart] Will You Remember" (Video sounds like the disc is running fast to me, but that's YouTube, Jake. To Woodduck: In the Miserere (at 23:10) Steber sounds quite closely miked on this clip. They did these shows twice, performing once for the Eastern and Central timezones and again two hours later for the Rockies and Westcoast time zones. Maybe we're dealing with two different performances).
> 
> 
> ...


You are our resident recording geek


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Once through, while driving, I was left with the distinct impression that Plowright had listened to a few too many recordings of this and Steber was going to sing it her way regardless of how many listens. Haven't read above but I was convinced that there was no chorus singing in the Steber and thought "...so what???....someone's idea of a recital cut was the miserere, but we're NOT paying for a chorus and we'll.....oh what the heck just book Bjoerling to sing the tenor part!!!" I'm assuming that, however faint on my car speaker, there was a chorus in there somewhere! Steber sounded good just not very idiomatic. I don't know her career that well but this isn't the stuff I associate her with. Plowright truly sounded to me almost like a take-off on an italian dramatic soprano singing a legendary chestnut. Sounds like she had the goods but the slancio needed to come down by.....ohhhhhh....let's say about 60% before we were getting to a real (operatic) human being! Steber.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ScottK said:


> Steber sounded good just not very idiomatic. I don't know her career that well but this isn't the stuff I associate her with. Plowright truly sounded to me almost like a take-off on an italian dramatic soprano singing a legendary chestnut. Sounds like she had the goods but *the slancio needed to come down by.....ohhhhhh....let's say about 60% before we were getting to a real (operatic) human being! *Steber.


Would you say the same thing if Rosalind Plowright's name were, say, Rosalinda Aratrogiusto? 

How can you have too much slancio in Verdi?


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> Would you say the same thing if Rosalind Plowright's name were, say, Rosalinda Aratrogiusto?
> 
> How can you have too much slancio in Verdi?


Listen to Plowright and you'll hear!! FUNNY< FUNNY...just teasing!!!........I read yours and others glowing reviews after writing mine and I promise you I immediately decided to give another listen. I can, however, honestly say that while driving and listening I thought she sounded over the top.....akin, in a Verdian way, to Bartoli when she over appreciates each syllable and the result is a precious goo that is just too sweet. Someone mentioned Ulrica in one of these posts and thats kind of what she felt like...like she was some kind of witchy-poo summoning the spirits.

But as for the isolated question of slancio in Verdi, and its ubiquitessness ( ubiquity??? ) Even if a Verdian conductor made the case for the need for it thoughout the Verdian repertoire, I doubt that same person would say that it is impossible to have too much at any one given moment!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ScottK said:


> Listen to Plowright and you'll hear!! FUNNY< FUNNY...just teasing!!!........I read yours and others glowing reviews after writing mine and I promise you I immediately decided to give another listen. I can, however, honestly say that while driving and listening I thought she sounded over the top.....akin, in a Verdian way, to Bartoli when she over appreciates each syllable and the result is a precious goo that is just too sweet. Someone mentioned Ulrica in one of these posts and thats kind of what she felt like...like she was some kind of witchy-poo summoning the spirits.
> 
> But as for the isolated question of slancio in Verdi, and its ubiquitessness ( ubiquity??? ) Even if a Verdian conductor made the case for the need for it thoughout the Verdian repertoire, I doubt that same person would say that it is impossible to have too much at any one given moment!


Well...Give me slancio. I'm actually not sure what it sounds like, but if Plowright has it I want it. I think I need plenty of it to make me like _Trovatore._


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> Well...Give me slancio. I'm actually not sure what it sounds like, but if Plowright has it I want it it. I think I need plenty of it to make me like _Trovatore._


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

ScottK said:


>





Woodduck said:


> Well...Give me slancio. I'm actually not sure what it sounds like, but if Plowright has it I want it. I think I need plenty of it to make me like _Trovatore._


Alright I listened at home with earbuds and full attention and.....I'll come halfway back! I will agree with you all that she sounds like someone who should have become a bigger name than she did.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ScottK said:


> Alright I listened at home with earbuds and full attention and.....I'll come halfway back! I will agree with you all that she sounds like someone who should have become a bigger name than she did.


So now she needs only 30% less slancio. She's improving!


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> So now she needs only 30% less slancio. She's improving!


No one will ever accuse you of not doing your “close reading”!😉😁


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