# Who's Your Favorite: Verrett, Horne, or Podles?



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Shirley Verrett, Marilyn Horne and Ewa Podles are superstars of my opera world. They are very close in fabuluosity and have a hard time deciding who is my favorite. Here I am specifically referring to very ornate coloratura mezzo roles by Rossini and Handle. Opinions??


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> fabuluosity


The only laundry detergent that gets your whites, whiter.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Shirley Verrett, Marilyn Horne and Ewa Podles are superstars of my opera world. They are very close in fabuoluosity and have a hard time deciding who is my favourite. Opinions??


Why no Fiorenza Cossotto


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Count me in the Verrett column


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Verrett for me too. There's just something I love about her smokey timbre, allied to her dramatic flair.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Of those 3 I vote for Grace Bumbry!


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Another vote for Verrett. Love her Eboli on the Giulini recording of _Don Carlo_.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I voted for Shirley Verrett. I like Horne too, though more in "trouser" roles than in others. I've never heard Ewa Podles sing before.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Pugg said:


> Why no Fiorenza Cossotto


There's another one from the past whom I like, especially as Lady Macbeth on the Muti MACBETH.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

damn, I accidently voted for Verrett, I wanted to vote for Podles.  that said, this is a rather random question, polling three singers with very different voices (a deep contralto, dramatic mezzo/soprano and a lyric mezzo/contralto) who sang very different rep.

a more meaningful comparison would be have been, say, Shirley Verrett with Elena Obraztsova, Grace Bumbry, Viorica Cortez and Dolora Zajick.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> damn, I accidently voted for Verrett, I wanted to vote for Podles.  that said, this is a rather random question, polling three singers with very different voices (a deep contralto, dramatic mezzo/soprano and a lyric mezzo/contralto) who sang very different rep.
> 
> a more meaningful comparison would be have been, say, Shirley Verrett with Elena Obraztsova, Grace Bumbry, Viorica Cortez and Dolora Zajick.


I can see your point, but Verrett was an immensely versatile singer and sang in many fachs, including soprano. Horne, Verrett and Powdles all sang the Rossini mezzo roles that are so demanding as far as coloratura virtuosity. Verrett had the most beautiful timbre to me. Horne was of course spectacular, and Podles voice was odd, but the power Podles had both down low and up to high D were simply astonishing to me. In the final analysis, if I were to hear any of these in a role I'd go with Verrett who was also a gorgeous woman who could act up a storm. Yes, Podles was a contralto, but she sang many many mezzo roles by Handle and Rossini over her career.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Pugg said:


> Why no Fiorenza Cossotto


My bad. I was referring to coloratura mezzo roles by Rossini and Handle. I changed the wording. I did not verbalize clearly what my parameters were.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> My bad. I was referring to coloratura mezzo roles by Rossini and Handle. I changed the wording. I did not verbalize clearly what my parameters were.


Thanks for clearing that up.
My vote foes to *Horne* then


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

If you like, compare: 



 Podles: Arsace, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftnD2Qe_xrk: Horne, Arsace, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUJ8LD4ZGxg: Verrett doing a very similar aria from Rossini's The Siege of Corinth.I can't find an aria that all three sing on Youtube.
I must say that there appear to be more mezzo/ contralto's with big voices who sing coloratura with skill than corresponding sopranos: Cossotto, Simionato, Stignani, Borodina all come to mind. Even Zagick was supposed to be good as Adalgisa, and her voice is huge. One thing you will notice in all of these great singers is that each has a very recognizable sound.
Also, if you like, you can listen to Horne doing the big Siege of Corinth aria:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Bellinilover said:


> I voted for Shirley Verrett. I like Horne too, though more in "trouser" roles than in others. I've never heard Ewa Podles sing before.


I remember one magical night almost twenty years ago, with Ms. Podles at her best, singing Tancredi in Madrid. We in the audience were certainly enthralled. It was just an incredible performance!. There is a recording, though not of that particular night, but of another evening of the several performances being held:






I almost never go to meet the singers after the performance, but this time I felt compelled to briefly importunate Ms. Podles, just to say 'thank you'.

It could be quite interesting, and pleasurable, listening to Ms. Podles in Rossini and Handel roles, especially her performances in the 1980s and 1990s.

Nevertheless, my favorite of the three singers in this poll, is Marilyn Horne.


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