# D'amor sull'ali rosee: Ponselle vs Destinn



## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Which version do you like better?


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Destinn was a highly dramatic singer (she was Puccini's first Minnie) whose voice wasn't flattered by the acoustic horn (what soprano's was?). Ponselle was...Ponselle. Her studio recordings don't capture the heat of live performance, but who can resist such impeccable phrasing and seamless vocalism, from the rich, unforced chest register to the ethereal, perfectly poised high note at the end?


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

Judging from the above clips, Destinn by a split hair. Her version seems to have more shades, and she sang it more abandonly. But who are we to compare Athena, Juno, and Venus?

Btw, I am often baffled by the fact they decided to record the full version of Faust and Carmen in 1908, but not Il Trovatore. Can you imagine a Trovatore with Caruso/Destinn/Battistini/ Homer?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

MY favorite soprano aria as sung by Sondra Radvanovsky the Untouchable!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

No one begins the aria better than Ponselle and she is perfect until the very high note, where she does not shine. Her voice was perfect from the contralto register up to A# but above that she was not at her best. I like Price, Varnay, Milanov and G. Jones.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

From these two I prefer Rosa Ponselle but my overall favourite is Price.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I prefer Ponselle, but my favourite would still be Callas, a model of aristocratic phrasing, the cadenza bound into the fabric of the aria, so it becomes a musical expression of Leonora's soul reaching out to Manrico. Of her performance at La Scala, Schwarzkopf was heard to mutter through her tears, "That woman is a miracle!"


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

I chose Emmy Destinn, although I generally would prefer Rosa to anyone (except Callas) in anything else she sang. But here, Emmy's version is much more expressive, with beautiful phrasing and a great trill and it's generally warmer. One would blame the recording quality for the lack of expression in Rosa's voice, but it's not like Emmy could survive the same technology any better.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

GregMitchell said:


> I prefer Ponselle, but my favourite would still be Callas, a model of aristocratic phrasing, the cadenza bound into the fabric of the aria, so it becomes a musical expression of Leonora's soul reaching out to Manrico. Of her performance at La Scala, Schwarzkopf was heard to mutter through her tears, "That woman is a miracle!"


Early Callas was musical perfection in this aria. I agree.


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