# Round Four: Ch'il bel sogno di Doretta. Gheorghiu, Olivero



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)




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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

The Gheorghiu you chose has poor sound and, bizarrely, an altered chord in the score. At "Folle amore," there's a B natural in the bass where a B flat is written. A misprint in the score? This one is better (start at 2;32):


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Gheorghiu is a natural for this music. Olivero isn't, and she indulges herself like a _verista_ who's wandered into the wrong opera. It ain't a mad scene, honey.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> The Gheorghiu you chose has poor sound and, bizarrely, an altered chord in the score. At "Folle amore," there's a B natural in the bass where a B flat is written. A misprint in the score? This one is better (start at 2;32):


There's also this studio version, recorded I assume before she made the complete recording of the opera under Pappano.






She's very young in the one you chose, John (only 21) and I think she offers much more refinement in the later ones. Whichever version I listen to, she's an easy win for me, and I like her best of all those we've heard so far. As Woodduck says, she's a natural for this. I'm afraid I didn't like Magda's over-emoting at all, though her vibrato is less prominent than usual.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> There's also this studio version, recorded I assume before she made the complete recording of the opera under Pappano.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. I used the live one you suggested. The really good one I wanted to use could not be posted and the studio version was noticeably shorter than all the other versions. I got frustrated but knew ya'll would like her. I chose Olivero for Nina who votes faithfully even when the selections aren't necessarily her cup of tea  I have no way of telling if something is only on Premium or not.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Vocally neither are really my cup of tea but Gheorghiu bothers me less in this recording.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Perhaps because she’s named for the heroine, Olivero may think she’s got the right to sing it in her own way, which is too much of o good thing.

Gheorghiu sang the role in a production that traveled to quite a few cities, including San Francisco where she was a huge success. I was never truly an admirer, and tolerated her better as part of the Love Couple because I like Alagna. She has a very pretty sound and uses her voice with fine control, but tends to be slightly artificial. The aria doesn’t stretch her in any way and, in my opinion, it’s the only memorable music in the opera.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Oh pain! Oh the unfairness of it all! Two of my top 5 pitted against each other!
Yet, one voice came through with such passion and emotion that was so deeply felt that the tears wouldn't stop flowing from my eyes. 
This is a case of a simply stunning and gorgeous voice against a mediocre voice with such dynamics that it explodes with beauty in its own way and captures you and pulls you right in.
And that is why Magda Olivero, of the gulping glottal attacks, is my favorite soprano of them all.

Having now read the other posts, it doesn't surprise me at all to be sitting here alone in my little corner. But it feels so comfy here right now that I cannot complain.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> Oh pain! Oh the unfairness of it all! Two of my top 5 pitted against each other!
> Yet, one voice came through with such passion and emotion that was so deeply felt that the tears wouldn't stop flowing from my eyes.
> This is a case of a simply stunning and gorgeous voice against a mediocre voice with such dynamics that it explodes with beauty in its own way and captures you and pulls you right in.
> And that is why Magda Olivero, of the gulping glottal attacks, is my favorite soprano of them all.
> ...


She was for you.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> Oh pain! Oh the unfairness of it all! Two of my top 5 pitted against each other!
> Yet, one voice came through with such passion and emotion that was so deeply felt that the tears wouldn't stop flowing from my eyes.
> This is a case of a simply stunning and gorgeous voice against a mediocre voice with such dynamics that it explodes with beauty in its own way and captures you and pulls you right in.
> And that is why Magda Olivero, of the gulping glottal attacks, is my favorite soprano of them all.
> ...


I never question anyone’s individual passions (just as I would never question John’s love of Joanie) but I do rather question your description of Gheorghiu’s voice as merely mediocre. I’d have thought it was a good deal better than that, and I have heard her more than once in the theatre. It’s also a voice I can usually recognise in a blind test. I can’t say that about most mediocre voices.

PS This post of mine is, I now realise, a response to a misreading of your post, which Op123 has just pointed out. See below. 

My apologies.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I never question anyone’s individual passions (just as I would never question John’s love of Joanie) but I do rather question your description of Gheorghiu’s voice as merely mediocre. I’d have thought it was a good deal better than that, and I have heard her more than once in the theatre. It’s also a voice I can usually recognise in a blind test. I can’t say that about most mediocre voices.


Gheorghiu is rather good for today's standard, but becomes mediocre if you compare her to those who came before. I happen to think that Nina was, however, referring to Olivero's voice as the mediocre one, which I won't argue with either.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Op.123 said:


> Gheorghiu is rather good for today's standard, but becomes mediocre if you compare her to those who came before. I happen to think that Nina was, however, referring to Olivero's voice as the mediocre one, which I won't argue with either.


Yes, you’re right. Nina, I apologise for misreading your post.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Olivero's voice is so idiosyncratic that I wonder whether it even falls anywhere on the mediocrity scale, whatever that might be.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I never question anyone’s individual passions (just as I would never question John’s love of Joanie) but I do rather question your description of Gheorghiu’s voice as merely mediocre. I’d have thought it was a good deal better than that, and I have heard her more than once in the theatre. It’s also a voice I can usually recognise in a blind test. I can’t say that about most mediocre voices.
> 
> PS This post of mine is, I now realise, a response to a misreading of your post, which Op123 has just pointed out. See below.
> 
> My apologies.


Tsaras...Are you referring to me or another poster about the mediocrity of Gheorghiu's voice?
Because if you meant me, you had better read my post again more carefully. She is one of my top 5 sopranos and has the most gorgeous and unique sound. I too can identify it easily. 
I was referring to Olivero's mediocre sound which is clearly not her strong suit. Despite the fact that her voice is lacking, her dynamics and her depth of attacking a role for me, is irresistible.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Tsaras...Are you referring to me or another poster about the mediocrity of Gheorghiu's voice?
> Because if you meant me, you had better read my post again more carefully. She is one of my top 5 sopranos and has the most gorgeous and unique sound. I too can identify it easily.
> I was referring to Olivero's mediocre sound which is clearly not her strong suit. Despite the fact that her voice is lacking, her dynamics and her depth of attacking a role for me, is irresistible.


Olivero sounds to me surprisingly good. Her high _pianissimi _quite beautiful, if not compared to Gheorghiu’s. She was a canny vocalist and preserved her voice by using dynamics sagely.
Reportedly, she sang _fortissimo _very rarely, so that when she used the feature it became much more effective.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Olivero sounds old to me. She seems to be struggling, and slurs some of the phrases. I'm not a big Gheorghiu fan, but she doesn't sound as much like an old lady.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> Tsaras...Are you referring to me or another poster about the mediocrity of Gheorghiu's voice?
> Because if you meant me, you had better read my post again more carefully. She is one of my top 5 sopranos and has the most gorgeous and unique sound. I too can identify it easily.
> I was referring to Olivero's mediocre sound which is clearly not her strong suit. Despite the fact that her voice is lacking, her dynamics and her depth of attacking a role for me, is irresistible.


I've already apologised for misreading your post, Nina. I added it as a postscript.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I've already apologised for misreading your post, Nina. I added it as a postscript.


Aha! Found it. Thanks. )


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> She was for you.


Bless you, luv! )


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