# Bonus Round: Isolde's Curse - Meier, Modl



## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I have Seattleoperafan's blessing to follow up his excellent Isolde contest with two other singers.

With effusive apologies to Woodduck.

Meier





Modl


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Odd to hear Meier singing Brangaene's lines as well as Isolde's. Why? In any event, I have mixed feelings about her in hochdramatische repertoire. This is a studio effort, so there's no way to guage accurately the impact of her voice against the orchestra, but vocal suitability isn't merely a matter of audibility. To me her voice sounds a size or two short of the format demanded by Wagner's weighty orchestral framework. It's a pleasing enough sound when not pressed, Meier is a fine musician, and she handles the dramatics of the role about as well as anyone. Somehow she just doesn't leave quite the impression these positives would lead me to expect. I retain an image of a small person on a very large stage.

Modl's desperate, pneumatic vocal production is unavoidably dramatic, if not indeed expressionistically hysterical. No question, she had the measure of this role, dramatically, and her unique voice held up well enough for a number of years. Some people felt that she was the best Isolde they had ever seen in the theater. Who knows, I might even have agreed with them.

Well, what can I say? When you don't have any great dramatic sopranos on hand, you make do, or else you don't perform Wagner. I plan to stay home his evening and leave this contest to others.


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## Georgieva (7 mo ago)

Do you really think they are comparable?


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Delete


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Georgieva said:


> Do you really think they are comparable?


I don't know what you mean. We're being asked to compare them. They're quite different, but neither of them really does it for me, so I didn't vote.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

It's a shame that the Meier recording is her one on the recital disc with Maazel rather than the one from her complete set under Barenboim. However, I couldn't find that one on YouTube (I now understand the amount of work that Seattleoperafan puts into these and I'm even more grateful for them.)

Modl is the obvious winner here and whilst I would prefer a soprano who sounds like a soprano in the role her dramatic intensity is compelling. I also like Meier and I have seen her live in the role twice. Her voice certainly wasn't too small for it. 

I wish we had Leider's live Isolde in better sound...

N.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

The Conte said:


> I wish we had Leider's live Isolde in better sound...


Fervently, including the parts we don't have.


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## Georgieva (7 mo ago)

Woodduck said:


> I don't know what you mean. We're being asked to compare them. They're quite different, but neither of them really does it for me, so I didn't vote.


A comparison idea focuses on two completely _different_ artists.

For me this is not possible.


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## ALT (Mar 1, 2021)

I have never been a fan of Meier’s so my vote goes to Mödl who was in fine voice and in top form at least for this one performance of T&I. Both ladies have idiosyncratic voices, which I don’t mind and often prefer over and above the cookie-cutter, although Meier’s never ingratiated itself to me.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Georgieva said:


> A comparison idea focuses on two completely _different_ artists.
> 
> For me this is not possible.


Don't _compare _them then. Just choose the one your prefer!

N.


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## Georgieva (7 mo ago)

The Conte said:


> Don't _compare _them then. Just choose the one your prefer!
> 
> N.


Dear N, 

Thank you very much for showing us level of your culture of communication. 

I already did few days ago.

Best wishes, 
Georgieva


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