# Round 1: Es gibt ein reich-Lehmann, Della Casa, Farrell



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I highly recommend you read my notes below


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I was really blown away with the beauty of Eileen Farrell's version of a live performance in English but it was only available on Youtube as her complete performance so I created an excerpt for you.
I highly recommend James Levine's rehearsal excerpt of Ariadne's big scene with Jessye Norman. It is some of the best singing I ever heard her do. She really sounds like a soprano here. It starts with the glorious opening phrase of Ein schonest war and ends with the climax of Es gibt ein reich. She never looked lovelier than here with her own hair and almost no makeup


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Of the three "official" entries here, I enjoyed Lehmann most. As per usual, her breath control is not exemplary but she communicates so much more than the others and despite that, the ending is radiant. Della Casa and Farrell both take it too fast for my taste, though that could be because I'm used to Karajan's speed for Schwarzkopf.

I loved the Norman rehearsal clip as well, by the way. Will she be turning up later in the competition?


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Of the three "official" entries here, I enjoyed Lehmann most. As per usual, her breath control is not exemplary but she communicates so much more than the others and despite that, the ending is radiant. Della Casa and Farrell both take it too fast for my taste, though that could be because I'm used to Karajan's speed for Schwarzkopf.
> 
> I loved the Norman rehearsal clip as well, by the way. Will she be turning up later in the competition?


I wasn't planning on it as she is in a good many contests, but because my friend in London asked for it I worked her inMy favorite version of hers is the rehersal with Levine. I think it was one of her best roles. Just before these two arias as she rises from the rocks she does some of the best contralto singing I've ever heard.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

[QUOTE="Seattleoperafan, post: 2303069, member: 32337"
I highly recommend James Levine's rehearsal excerpt of Ariadne's big scene with Jessye Norman. It is some of the best singing I ever heard her do. She really sounds like a soprano here. It starts with the glorious opening phrase of Ein schonest war and ends with the climax of Es gibt ein reich. She never looked lovelier than here with her own hair and almost no makeup



[/QUOTE]

I love that rehearsal tape! I’ve watched it often over the years as both Norman and Battle are superb. I chuckle at Levine’s _sotto voce _“unbelievable” towards the end of her aria.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

One of the wonderful things about Lotte Lehmann is that she makes you feel that she's not so much singing something as sharing her thoughts with you in her everyday voice, which just naturally happens to be a perfectly produced singing voice. I have no hesitation about awarding her the prize in this particular match.

I've never cared at all about Lisa della Casa, and I can't figure out what's special or interesting about her. She certainly has no chest register to speak of. Farrell has that and more, but the recording is poor and I can't make out most of the English words, though she seems to be expressing whatever it is the words are saying. Worth a listen, but not really competitive with Lehmann's authentic German version.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I cant tell in which language Farrell is singing  most if the time. I get one word here or there (“have” is one if them. But I agree that the voice is beautiful. But if one can’t understand the words…

I don’t think studio recordings ever did Della Casa’s voice justice; there’s a hint of sourness to the tone as recorded here, but she sounds so natural and the voice is so free and beautiful. She phrases so well that it sounds conversational, like something overheard.

Walter Legge greatly admired Lehman to the point of forgiving her breathing when “she needed” to breathe. She’s anothet singer that sounds completely natural and I must agree with Tsaras that her top sounds radiant.

I wish that I could vote for both Della Casa and Lehman as they’re both exemplary. If I must choose one, I’ll go for Lehman, for the radiance factor.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> I cant tell in which language Farrell is singing  most if the time. I get one word here or there (“have” is one if them. But I agree that the voice is beautiful. But if one can’t understand the words…
> 
> I don’t think studio recordings ever did Della Casa’s voice justice; there’s a hint of sourness to the tone as recorded here, but she sounds so natural and the voice is so free and beautiful. She phrases so well that it sounds conversational, like something overheard.
> 
> ...


I know Della Casa from her Sophie. I think her beautiful voice fits that role better than Ariadne. I think of her as a pure lyric and Ariadne is a role similar to Elsa in it's demands.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I know Della Casa from her Sophie. I think her beautiful voice fits that role better than Ariadne. I think of her as a pure lyric and Ariadne is a role similar to Elsa in it's demands.


Like many Sophies (Schwarzkopf, Popp, Valerie Masterson) Della Casa did eventually graduate to the Marschallin, though Ariadne suggests a rather larger sound. Schwarzkopf made a very successful recording under Karajan, but never sang it on stage. That said, the orchestra is nowhere near as large as it is for *Der Rosenkavalier *or *Salome.*


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