# Estrellita contest: Nina Koshetz vs. Beverly Sills



## JanacekTheGreat (Feb 26, 2021)

A charming Spanish song by Ponce. Neither of the singers is a native Spanish speaker. Which performance do you prefer?


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

The tempo in Koshetz's version is so slow it's shapeless - is it meant to be sung at such a pace?

I'd normally not choose Sills in anything, but she manages to sustain interest at a somewhat faster tempo. She had a _penchant_ for slow sad pieces and sang them very well, as she does here.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I'm with MAS. Koshetz was the superior singer, but her tempo is absurd. At the climactic high note I actually burst out laughing. It's Mexican music, for cripes sake! They'd all have gone home for a siesta midway through. Sills by default, but she sounds a bit underpowered and fragile.

There are better performances out there. Try Lucrezia Bori:






Heifetz liked to play this as an encore.






Yeah! Mexican music.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

The recording makes Bori sound unpleasant, sharpish and shrill. 
Here's Sayao, whom I prefer to all of the above.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Well the problem for me is, first of all I interpret this song to be light and romantic rather than heavy and dramatic as Koshetz does it -- I also am not enamored of her tremolo which adds to the drama.
Sills for me is gay and light and nails it.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

MAS said:


> The recording makes Bori sound unpleasant, sharpish and shrill.
> Here's Sayao, whom I prefer to all of the above.


Well I can't help but love this one because I have always said that Sayao sounds very much like my mother's voice and it brings tears to my eyes.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> Well I can't help but love this one because I have always said that Sayao sounds very much like my mother's voice and it brings tears to my eyes.


Sayao makes you cry because she sounds like your mother. She makes me cry because she's a voice from a better world - better, at least, because in it people could sing like this.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Koshetz has the more beautiful tone, but she rather kills this simple song withe her too slow tempo. This means Sills gets it by default, but she sounds a bit quavery and insecure here.

If Sayão had been a choice, I'd have voted for her, despite, or maybe because of the Hollywood arrangement.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I agree, Sills it is by default. (Florez' version of this aria is pretty good):






N.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Most opera singers overwork this sweet, simple song which speaks nicely for itself. God help us if La Fleming ever gets hold of it.

Ooooops! 




I'd rather hear a (once) popular singer like this:


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Voting for Sills just because of the terrible tempo choice in the Koshetz version (don't know if it was her own idea to distort it that way). I often enjoy Sills when her voice floats above the orchestra in a blissful but sad pieces like this one.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Azol said:


> Voting for Sills just because of the terrible tempo choice in the Koshetz version (don't know if it was her own idea to distort it that way). I often enjoy Sills when her voice floats above the orchestra in a blissful but sad pieces like this one.


You mean like this?


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> You mean like this?


When she was good…


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

MAS said:


> When she was good…


The perfect Baby Doe. Unfortunately, as she admitted, "I was born with the mind of Birgit Nilsson and the voice of Beverly Sills." But what she did with her slender resources, both technically and dramatically, is still impressive. Even Miss Piggy thought so.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> You mean like this?


Oh no, something like this:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Azol said:


> Oh no, something like this:


Magical. Fragile and intense. I didn't want to breathe.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Azol said:


> Oh no, something like this:


WOW! This is such expressive singing I don't associate it with Sills. Do I need to get the studio recording with Verrett after all?

N.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

The Conte said:


> WOW! This is such expressive singing I don't associate it with Sills. Do I need to get the studio recording with Verrett after all?
> 
> N.


This is studio vs live question, Sills takes great risks live and it pays out. Live one is spectacular and spontaneous, studio is more controlled but still great. Also it's Horne vs Verrett and Bonisolli vs Theyard so more variables in the equation. I keep both


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

The Conte said:


> WOW! This is such expressive singing I don't associate it with Sills. Do I need to get the studio recording with Verrett after all?
> 
> N.


@Conte
While not a big fan of hers, I'm surprised that you don't consider Sills an expressive singer; she's nothing if not that! She considered herself a "singing actress" and followed Callas's example. She does, though, overdo the coloratura and interpolated high notes a bit.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

MAS said:


> @Conte
> While not a big fan of hers, I'm surprised that you don't consider Sills an expressive singer; she's nothing if not that! She considered herself a "singing actress" and followed Callas's example.


If Sills had been born with a big, rich sound she could well have been the greatest dramatic/coloratura soprano since Callas.


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