# Your 5 favorite sopranos of all time are...................



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

List your 5 favorite sopranos from 1 through 5 please.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Those are mine:

Rosa Ponselle - 




Claudia Muzio - 




Magda Olivero - 




Maria Callas - 




Kirsten Flagstad -


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

I know i'm gonna forget someone here. 
Callas
Schwarzkopf
De Los Angeles
Janowitz
Tebaldi


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Difficult to just choose 5 but....

Sutherland
Caballe
Freni
De Los Angeles
Callas

Freni's voice was not of the very highest calibre but her sincerity was....and that's what I particularly appreciated.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Felicity Lott
Michele Esposito
June Anderson
Roberta Alexander
Suzanne Murphy


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Maybe....

Janowitz
Streich
Várady
Moffo
Invernizzi


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Boy, this requires far more knowledge than I have at this time.

I just re-listened to Nimbus Records' first DIVA disc the other night, and I was amazed at some of those old time singers.
(Can't figure out how they managed to make the singers sound so good when the backing orchestras still sounded like they were recorded in a wash tub.)

Anyway, keep going everyone. I'm following along....


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## Volve (Apr 14, 2013)

Nilsson
Crespin
Damrau
Jones
Loegdlund

Hard to choose only five from several dozens. Would love to see such thread for mezzos as well, this is a nice way to become familiar with other singers.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Sena Jurinac
Camilla Nylund
Anja Harteros
Katia Ricciarelli
Ileana Cotrubas


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## HumphreyAppleby (Apr 11, 2013)

Montserrat Caballe - Such a wonderful singer
Joan Sutherland
Mirella Freni
Anita Cerquetti
Renee Fleming


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Yes, Sir Humphrey...Montserrat was such a great singer. I'm wondering how she is...she was suffering from ill-health earlier in the year. I just have a big soft spot for her in my music-minded heart.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Vesteralen said:


> Boy, this requires far more knowledge than I have at this time.
> 
> I just re-listened to Nimbus Records' first DIVA disc the other night, and I was amazed at some of those old time singers.
> (Can't figure out how they managed to make the singers sound so good when the backing orchestras still sounded like they were recorded in a wash tub.)
> ...


The human voice always recorded well---thank goodness !


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Zinka Milanov. The grandest diva.
Erna Berger.
Rosa Ponselle.
Elisabeth Rethberg.
Lotte Lehmann.


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## AClockworkOrange (May 24, 2012)

I cannot rank them as I hold them all in very high regard, but my five favourite sopranos are
- Kirsten Flagstad
- Montserrat Caballe
- Victoria De Los Angeles
- Lucia Popp
- Maria Callas


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## Pantheon (Jun 9, 2013)

I often change my mind about singers but these are so far my favourites :

Eva Marton
Barbara Bonney
Evelyn Herlitzius
Anna Netrebko
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Callas
Nilsson
Sutherland
Sills
Leontyne Price

Sutherland first took me to Heaven, the others, each in their own way, kept me there. Honorable mentionable to the adorable angel Lucia Popp.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

- Waltraud Meier
- Gwyneth Jones
- Montserrat Caballé
- Jessye Norman
- Birgit Nilsson


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Just the top five? Okay: 

1. Rosa Ponselle
2. Joan Sutherland
3. Renee Fleming
4. Leontyne Price
5. Kiri Te Kanawa


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## Roland (Mar 13, 2013)

I look at my list and it strikes me that all of these women are still alive, but only a couple are still active singers.

1) Kathleen Battle
2) Sumi Jo
3) Natalie Dessay
4) Kiri Te Kanawa
5) Cheryl Studer

As far as I know, Sumi Jo and Natalie Dessay are the only active singers in my list, but I've read on this site that Natalie Dessay soon plans to retire.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Ileana Cotrubas
Kathleen Battle
Barbara Hendricks
Emma Kirkby
Roberta Invernizzi


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## Zabirilog (Mar 10, 2013)

Anne Evans
Waltraud Meier (maybe a mezzo but...)
Anna Netrebko
Maria Callas
Diana Damrau


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Very interesting to read other peoples choices....it's such a difficult one to choose just five...who could ignore the many impressive vocal performances of Birgit Nilsson...and Leontyne Price. And I didn't mention another most favourite, Ileana Cotrubas...how _could_ I have forgotten her? Or Ljuba Welitsch...she was Great!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Joan Sutherland
Rosa Ponselle
Kirsten Flagstad
Jessye Norman
Astrid Varnay 
I like big voices;-)
Almost made the list:
Helen Traubel
Early Callas


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## Pip (Aug 16, 2013)

Kirsten Flagstad
Elizabeth Rethberg
Maria Callas
Lucia Popp
Amy Shuard


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Well, I finally gave in and answered the 5 tenors question, and sopranos are actually much closer to my heart, so here goes ...

- Joan Sutherland for reasons that don't need to be stated, because everybody already knows: she was great.

- Maria Callas for the depth of commitment she brought to every role. Her Amelia, her Norma and her Rosina are still my favorites, in spite of the fact that others have sung them better. And her Carmen almost convinces me to love Carmen. She was great.

- Ileana Cotrubas, for her absolute mastery of the art of portamento. Well, and her voice, too.

- The coloraturas: Roberta Peters, who had power and agility beyond compare; Kathleen Battle, possibly the sweetest voice ever; Reri Grist, whose Oscar absolutely stole the show; 

- Karita Mattila, whose Elisabetta, Amelia Grimaldi and Fidelio were just wonderful;

- Natalie Dessay, whose commitment to her roles makes seeing her an unforgettable experience;

- Diana Damrau, whose total class and wonderful voice make seeing her a privilege;

- Kiri te Kanawa, the definition of glamour;

- Anna Moffo, whose Sonnambula was as close to perfection as humanly possible, probably;

- Waltraud Meier, whose Kundry never fails to astonish;

- well, there's more, but I think that's 5.


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## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

Joan Sutherland
Cheryl Studer
Montserrat Caballe
Mirella Freni
Luciana Serra
Jessye Norman


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Pip said:


> Kirsten Flagstad
> Elizabeth Rethberg
> Maria Callas
> Lucia Popp
> Amy Shuard


How nice to see Amy Shuard's name mentioned.


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## Rangstrom (Sep 24, 2010)

Elly Ameling
Gundula Janowitz
Elisabeth Soderstrom
Renee Fleming
my wife (sang semi-professionally for many years: Bach 51, 199; Mozart Exsultate, Schubert Shepherd on the Rock were some of the highlights)


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## Posie (Aug 18, 2013)

1. Edita Gruberova -If you haven't heard her, look her up! Her voice is pure perfection; #1 Queen of the Night!

2. Kathleen Battle (She's really a tie for first, but I had to pick someone.)

3. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

4. Lucia Popp

5. Anna Netrebko

I wish it were a top 10.


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## belladiva (Aug 18, 2013)

I agree, Caballe is my absolute favorite. Tebaldi, Moffo and Flagstadt. do you know if Caballe made any recordings with just piano accompaniment ?


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

belladiva said:


> I agree, Caballe is my absolute favorite. Tebaldi, Moffo and Flagstadt. do you know if Caballe made any recordings with just piano accompaniment ?


 I knew someone who was a Moffo queen. No one but Anna for him. I love Caballe, but she was her best before '66, with the exception of her live Norma DVD from L'Orange in the early 70's. Her best recordings are her Verdi and Rossini Rarities and her duets with Verrett, both from the early 60's. She was actually comparatively much smaller then and very pretty. I love Tebaldi but get tired of her flat high notes, which happen often.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

JCarmel said:


> Very interesting to read other peoples choices....it's such a difficult one to choose just five...who could ignore the many impressive vocal performances of Birgit Nilsson...and Leontyne Price. And I didn't mention another most favourite, Ileana Cotrubas...how _could_ I have forgotten her? Or Ljuba Welitsch...she was Great!


http://
Weltisch was not just a great Salome, but I heard her on the radio as Aida and for an diva she "rocked it" ...as it were. I was very impressed.


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## babbles (Aug 20, 2013)

My favorite are: Sills,Sutherland,Farrell,Ponselle and Pons.


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## operashoppejim (Aug 20, 2013)

*My all time favorite sopranos*



Itullian said:


> List your 5 favorite sopranos from 1 through 5 please.


Magda Olivero - she has the most incredible soul and ability to live the role she plays, she took an average voice and made it spectacular due to the most phenominal technique!

Rosa Ponselle - the greatest American soprano since Lillian Nordica with a seamless voice and a sound of pure velvety gold.

Claudia Muzio - a fabulous singer who understood the concept of verismo and used her voice to express the emotions related to the music.

Maria Callas - an imperfect voice [some people consider it ugly, I don't] with a perfect instinct to make opera the living drama it is supposed to be.

Here I am in a quandry - I would have to say Leyla Gencer because of her superb technique, unique and beautiful voice, and her willingness to throw it all away for the sake of the drama. She was never dull and never worried about perfect vocalization, she concentrated on making the opera truly a "living opera".

My alternate #5 is Cristina Deutekom. To me she has a ravishing voice and gave what I consider the perfect performance of Lucia. It was in Verona along with her partner, Pavarotti. That performance is unique!


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

We have not mentioned the recently deceased Lisa della Casa. A superb artist, and also very close to my top5:


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

Just to be "a LITTLE different".

1. June Anderson
2. Joyce DiDonato(she is from KC)
3. Cecilia Bartoli
4. Elina Garanca
5. Leonie Rysanek


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

1. L. Price (in no order)
2. Freni
3. Tebaldi
4. Scotto

I guess these are my Puccini and Verdi Heroines...the voices i grew up with and learnt about opera.But these are probably the most recorded hence why i put them down. I also like slightly meatier voices.

Not sure who would be 5 on my list....de los Angeles, Milanov, Caballe, Gruberova, Varnay, or Albanese?

Reserve list would also include Polaski, Marton, Matilla, Silja

Modern day soprano's would be Petibon, Denoke, Schafer


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## MarieTregubovich (May 13, 2013)

Itullian said:


> List your 5 favorite sopranos from 1 through 5 please.


1. Joan Sutherland =D She is one of the most amazing people ever.
2. Maria Callas - also very amazing. =D
3. Mado Robin - highest notes ever!
4. Mady Mesple - what can I say
5. Diana Damrau - she rocks the queen of the night aria


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

TrevBus said:


> Just to be "a LITTLE different".
> 
> 1. June Anderson
> 2. Joyce DiDonato(she is from KC)
> ...


Wait a sec. Three of those are mezzos. If we get to choose mezzos I'd find it a lot easier!:lol:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

MarieTregubovich said:


> 1. Joan Sutherland =D She is one of the most amazing people ever.
> 2. Maria Callas - also very amazing. =D
> 3. Mado Robin - highest notes ever!
> 4. Mady Mesple - what can I say
> 5. Diana Damrau - she rocks the queen of the night aria


Kind of getting a feeling you like high notes.


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

mamascarlatti said:


> Wait a sec. Three of those are mezzos. If we get to choose mezzos I'd find it a lot easier!:lol:


I thought the same. However, didn't say couldn't list so I listed. Besides, perfer the mezzo.:lol::lol:


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I knew someone who was a Moffo queen. No one but Anna for him. I love Caballe, but she was her best before '66, with the exception of her live Norma DVD from L'Orange in the early 70's. Her best recordings are her Verdi and Rossini Rarities and her duets with Verrett, both from the early 60's. She was actually comparatively much smaller then and very pretty. I love Tebaldi but get tired of her flat high notes, which happen often.


I am mystified by your comments on Caballe as in 1966 she was only 34 years old.
Her big breakthrough in America was when she substituted for Marilyn Horne in Lucretia Borgia to great acclaim,this was in 1965.
She didn't become a member of the Met until 1966.


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## LFTBR (Aug 2, 2013)

Birgit Nilsson
Barbara Hannigan
Kirsten Flagstad
Joan Sutherland
Eva Marton


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

TrevBus said:


> 2. Joyce DiDonato(she is from KC)


that's not the best thing about her!


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

deggial said:


> that's not the best thing about her!


No, it is not. Didn't say it was. It may not be good but it's called humor.:lol:


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Ponselle
Flagstad
Tebaldi
Callas
de los Angeles


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Popp, Caballe, Marton, Schwarzkopf, Janowitz.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Régine Crespin

I have a few others, just refuse to participate further in X number of top anythings, let alone rank them by number.
But there ya go, one of the most consummate musician / singers "of all time."

Brava, Régine Crespin


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

mamascarlatti said:


> Wait a sec. Three of those are mezzos. If we get to choose mezzos I'd find it a lot easier!:lol:


For me, it's difficult to work out the differences between soprano and mezzo-soprano, because their roles sometimes can overlap. All five listed above are five of the absolute greats, let's just be sure of that.


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## kelseythepterodactyl (Sep 5, 2013)

Rangstrom said:


> my wife


That is the sweetest thing ever!

Mine are:

Lucia Popp
Kathleen Battle
Edita Gruberova
Birgit Nilsson
Cecilia Bartoli

Honorable mention to Florence Foster Jenkins!


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## alan davis (Oct 16, 2013)

Maria Callas
Joan Sutherland
Birgit Nilsson
Renee Fleming
...no. 5 is tough. it's out of
Kirsten Flagstad
Mirella Freni
Renate Tebaldi
Elizabeth Schwartzkopf
All this obviously displays my ignorance of earlier great singers.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

1) Ever and always, Natalie Dessay
2) Maria Callas
3) Anna Moffo
4) Diana Damrau
5) Birgit Nilsson
Although 5 could also be Kiri Te Kanawa, depending on the day and my mood


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

belladiva said:


> I agree, Caballe is my absolute favorite. Tebaldi, Moffo and Flagstadt. do you know if Caballe made any recordings with just piano accompaniment ?


She made an early LP of encores by a number of composers from Handel to Padilla,she was accompanied by Miguel Zanetti,piano.
The record label was Vergara (Spain). Not dated but the photograph on the front shows her as fairly young.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Florence Foster Jenkins


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

As this thread is wandering along in a somewhat desultory fashion I thought I'd add another lot.

Adelina Patti, probably the greatest of the ones we can actually hear.
Nellie Melba.
Florence Austral.
Antonina Nezhdanova.
Geraldine Farrar.
Eleanor Steber.

Darn it that's six,but not a mezzo among them and I've avoided baritones for the moment at least.


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

Virginia Zeani 
Lucia Popp 
Renata Tebaldi
Ndezhda Obukhova
Renata Scotto


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Jessye Norman
Maria Callas
Lucia Popp
Kirsten Flagstad
Anne Sophie von Otter


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

moody said:


> I am mystified by your comments on Caballe as in 1966 she was only 34 years old.
> Her big breakthrough in America was when she substituted for Marilyn Horne in Lucretia Borgia to great acclaim,this was in 1965.
> She didn't become a member of the Met until 1966.


You called me and my faulty memory out. I must revise my best period for her up until 69. So sorry. I haven't discussed her in years. I am getting rusty. All of her best recordings are from the 60's: Verdi, Donizetti and Bellini Rarities and the duet album with the amazing Shirley Verrett. After this period her voice changed somewhat. She was still wonderful... just not as wonderful. Perhaps it was just the change that often happens to women's voices around 40. Thank you for correcting me on this Moody.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

In my view Caballé's best years were from 1965 to 1976. 

After that, there were too many routine nights, the top notes started to not being always there, and when they were, rather disconnected from the rest of the voice. Also, a certain disinterest towards the drama, the text, sacrificed to the beauty of the sound, that was there from the beginning of her career, was more and more usual in her later years. 

However, she was still capable of great singing. I heard her live for the first time in the early 1980s, in a recital, and there were some incredible moments.

I think that singing Giocondas or Turandots were not really good for her voice, anyway.


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

Let me think: Callas for ever, and also Gheorghiu, Damrau, Caballe, Cotrubas...amazing sopranos. Maybe tomorrow I'll swap one or two. There are so many wonderful sopranos, so that's not easy to chose just five.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

TrevBus said:


> Just to be "a LITTLE different".
> 
> 1. June Anderson
> 2. Joyce DiDonato(she is from KC)
> ...


But three of these are mezzos


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

1. Maria Callas - a total musician, not just a voice, with the ability to make the music sound as if it were coming new minted from her lips, and yet somehow strictly adhering to the score.
2. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - also a total musician, though not always able to conceal the art behind her interpretations.
3. Maggie Teyte - A singer with a most individual voice, particularly wonderful in French opera and song 
4. Victoria De Los Angeles - Charm and beauty in a wide range of different music
5. Renee Fleming - Again a singer with a large repertoire, but, for me, the supreme Mozart and Strauss singer of our time.


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

what do you think about Sumi Jo? she was once mentioned on this thread. She is super nice but sometimes I'm annoyed by her style of fading away phrases and notes...


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

GregMitchell said:


> But three of these are mezzos


Well the post did say it was going to be a LITTLE different!

N.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

This list doesn't mean that I think they are necessarily the best singers (like Renee Fleming for example), but they are the ones that touch my heart.
Magda Olivero
Eleanor Steber
Mirella Freni
Maria Callas (early)
Angela Gheorghiu
Also ran: Sondra Radvanovsky


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

moody said:


> As this thread is wandering along in a somewhat desultory fashion I thought I'd add another lot.
> 
> Adelina Patti, probably the greatest of the ones we can actually hear.
> Nellie Melba.
> ...


I heard Steber as a boy in the wrestling arena in Jackson, MS. Same place I saw Liberace. I came to love her later and think she was underrated because she was American.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Callas
Nilsson (Birgit, of course)
Joan Sutherland
Leontyne Price

'nuff said. A lot of lovely singers could scoot into fifth place.

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## DonAlfonso (Oct 4, 2014)

Choosing only from those I've seen live:
Joan Sutherland
Maria Callas (alas only in recital)
Mirella Freni
Catherine Malfitano
Kiri Te Kanawa


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

This is really tough, but I'm going with my five favourites at this moment in time and not necessarily the ones I think are the best:

1) Callas
2) Olivero
3) Ponselle
4) De los Angeles
5) Studer

Runners up:
Muzio
Schwarzkopf
Varady
Gorchakova
Gheorghiou


N.


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## Star (May 27, 2017)

De Los Angeles - delightful singer

Janowitz - what a voice!

Sutherland - La Stupenda

Price - for sheer sound

Callas - for her ability to astonish though never really liked a tual the sound of her voice that much


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## Stallo (Apr 24, 2018)

1. Sumi Jo. Without a doubt. Everything about her voice and her delivery is just perfection to me.
2. Mady Mesple. You can hear how much she loves singing. Amazing upper register and intonation.
3. Ingeborg Hallstein. A true nightingale. Sings above E6 as if it was a normal human tessitura. And beautiful timber.
4. Petya Ivanova. Crazy talented. An instrument with amazing range and control throughout. 
5. Jessye Norman. The ultimate combination of power and beauty.

Joan should be there too. But she is always there. Legend.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

and i love them all and i am the only one that loves Danielle de Niese 
and Joyce DiDonato and I are friends..............i follow her on twitter


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## IgorS (Jan 7, 2018)

1. Maria Callas
2. Rosa Ponselle
3. Kirsten Flagstad
4. Birgit Nilsson
5. Victoria de los Angeles


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Star said:


> De Los Angeles - delightful singer
> 
> Janowitz - what a voice!
> 
> ...


Pick me on a different day and I could have gone for these. Price was one of the most vocally gifted singers of all time. Interesting that you can get so much out of Callas despite not finding her voice attractive.

N.


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## mjohnh18 (Apr 13, 2017)

Anna Moffo
Montserrat Caballe
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Renata Tebaldi 
Birgit Nilsson

I rated these purely based on their voices, not on their artistry, hence why I did not include Callas.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

helenora said:


> what do you think about Sumi Jo? she was once mentioned on this thread. She is super nice but sometimes I'm annoyed by her style of fading away phrases and notes...


I would say she sings more clearly  than Garanca.


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## Hugo9000 (Aug 6, 2018)

Leontyne Price
Anna Moffo
Rita Streich
Roberta Peters
Barbara Hendricks

Honorable Mention to Ghena Dimitrova, Eleanor Steber, Carol Vaness, Joan Rodgers (for her Rachmaninov song album! <3 ), Kathleen Battle (for her Handel arias album and for Semele), and Nina Stemme for being Isolde to Placido Domingo's Tristan


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## RuggiràIntornoATe! (5 mo ago)

Rosa Ponselle
Kirsten Flagstad
Claudia Muzio
Frida Leider
Maria Callas


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

RuggiràIntornoATe! said:


> Rosa Ponselle
> Kirsten Flagstad
> Claudia Muzio
> Frida Leider
> Maria Callas


Not sure my list would be identical, or if I can even decide on five, but I like your list, so I'm going to steal it for the moment, but turn it upside down to appear original.

Maria Callas
Frida Leider
Claudia Muzio
Kirsten Flagstad
Rosa Ponselle

You're welcome to sue me for plagiarism.


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## RuggiràIntornoATe! (5 mo ago)

Woodduck said:


> Not sure my list would be identical, or if I can even decide on five, but I like your list, so I'm going to steal it for the moment, but turn it upside down to appear original.
> 
> Maria Callas
> Frida Leider
> ...


That's a great list you've got there, indeed. No need of a lawsuit, you can just thank me.


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## niknik (Oct 4, 2014)

Maria Callas
Beverly Sills
Montserat Caballe
Joan Sutherland
Renata Tebaldi


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

RuggiràIntornoATe! said:


> That's a great list you've got there, indeed. No need of a lawsuit, you can just thank me.


Yrettalf fo mrof tserecnis eht si noitatimi. Sknaht.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I see I did contribute to this list in 2013 and I'm amazed to find that Renée Fleming made it into 5th. I do like her better than some on here, but she'd be a bit further down my list now.
My top 4 haven't changed
1. Maria Callas
2. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
3. Maggie Teyte
4. Victoria De Los Angeles

but I'm finding it difficult choosing a fifth from amongst my other favourites. If we were to include mezzos, then Janet Baker would tie with Schwarzkopf in second. The fifth place should probably go to Ponselle, Muzio or Leider, but I just can't choose from between them


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## Concertantek364 (Mar 13, 2021)

In alphabetical order


Maria Callas
Elisabeth Grümmer
Frida Leider
Victoria de los Angeles
Hina Spani


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Olivero
Callas
Zeani
Muzio
Radvanovsky
Gheorghiu


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Callas, Flagstad, Bruna Rasa, Tebaldi, Ponselle.

Honourable mentions: Petrella, Milanov, Cigna, Sayao, Rethberg, Caniglia, Varnay, Steber, Stella, Arangi-Lombardi, Muzio, Zeani, Caballe, Pobbe.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

The major change in my list from 9 years ago is because of this group. Callas is higher up and no longer limited to pre weight loss recordings but up until the mid 50's.
Ponselle
Sutherland
Callas
Norman
Flagstad
Honorable Mentions: Varnay, Marc, Jones( video only) and Nilsson


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

*Maria Callas*, far above all. 
The rest are singers who’ve given me the most pleasure over the years
Montserrat Caballe
Margaret Price 
Birgit Nilsson 
Kirsten Flagstad 
.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Concertantek364 said:


> In alphabetical order
> 
> 
> Maria Callas
> ...


I quite forgot about Spani, probably because I've heard only a few recordings. She was a stunning discovery - one of the greatest artists we have, I'm inclined to think - and complicates this assignment, which was already impossible.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

The Conte said:


> This is really tough, but I'm going with my five favourites at this moment in time and not necessarily the ones I think are the best:
> 
> 1) Callas
> 2) Olivero
> ...


I'd now swap Schwarzkopf for Ponselle and I'd add Oropesa, Caballe and Zeani to the runners up.

N.


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