# Round One: The GORGEOUS L'Assedio di Corinto: Act III: Giusto ciel! In tal periglio. Sills and Caballe



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

This is one of the most beautiful arias I know of. Sills and Caballe as far as I am concerned both knock it out of the ballpark. I will leave it to you to sort out who wins this but it might be a close call for some of you. I will set it up so you can vote for a tie if you wish. I think this role at La Scala really put Sills on the map. This was early Caballe from when many think she was at her best. I was going to do just a single round but The Conte wanted more so I accommodated him. 




L'Assedio Di Corinto: Act III, "L'ora fatal s'appressa" (Pamira, Chorus) · Chorus of La Scala · Gioachino Rossini · Thomas Schippers · Orchestra of La Scala · Beverly Sills




L'Assedio di Corinto: Act III: Giusto ciel! In tal periglio · Montserrat Caballé · Gioacchino Rossini · Carlo Felice Cillario · RCA Italiana Opera Chorus · RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Sills does some magical things musically, but, as so often, I feel the voice doesn't have the depth to carry out her intentions. It is just too fluttery and pallid for my taste. The Caballé comes from near the beginning of her career when the voice was a thing of extraordinary beauty and she didn't over indulge her penchant for soft floated pianissimi. Furthermore she too sings with great sensitivity and musicality. Caballé for me.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I agree with Tsaras’s assessment above regarding Sills vs. Caballe vocal weight and quality.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Never been the biggest fan of Sills and Caballe is glorious here so it's an easy choice. These early recordings show where her reputation for having an exceptionally beautiful voice came from. Past the mid 70s, sometimes a little earlier even, I find the voice has lost the steadiness, the purity and a little of the clarity that is on display here. The vibrato is noticeably tighter than it would become and although, especially above the stave, her vibrato was always on the wider side of acceptable it's less obvious here. She is not plagued by what became obvious and distracting mannerisms either. This performance is beautiful, clearly emoted but never exaggerated and sung with a sense of line which could be thrown off in later years.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

A convenient link for the libretto:






Beverly Sills - L'ora fatal s'appressa... Giusto ciel, in tal periglio







www.beverlysillsonline.com


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

As a rule of thumb, I will mostly choose a deeper sounding soprano over Sills. There are historical exceptions, like The Rose and the Nightingale by Korsakov, where Sills was a better fit for me.

But for this aria, no exception applies and Caballe wins for me. She also has the advantage of a better recording technology. So not much hesitation for voting here.

But I can see how difficult this aria is, at least for breathing, and they both do a great job showing the beauty of the music under such difficult circumstances.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

By the wisdom of @Shaughnessy , there has to be at least one complaint per contest, so this is mine. I am working so hard to avoid knowing, who of the singers is supposed to be great before I listen and write my own impressions. But you put it right there next to the embedded recordings, that this is Caballe at her best ! You do it often and I watch the links with my eyes semi closed, so that I don't read it. But this time I wanted to see, if you write what time the proper aria for Sills begins at, so I have seen the text.
Could your impressions perhaps be in your secondary comment ? But I don't know, maybe it would be inconvenient for others ?


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BBSVK said:


> By the wisdom of @Shaughnessy , there has to be at least one complaint per contest, so this is mine. I am working so hard to avoid knowing, who of the singers is supposed to be great before I listen and write my own impressions. But you put it right there next to the embedded recordings, that this is Caballe at her best ! You do it often and I watch the links with my eyes semi closed, so that I don't read it. But this time I wanted to see, if you write what time the proper aria for Sills begins at, so I have seen the text.
> Could your impressions perhaps be in your secondary comment ? But I don't know, maybe it would be inconvenient for others ?


I will. I am used to my opera speeches where I have to "sell" the piece of music. I thought in this case I didn't favor either one as I said this performance put Sills on the map and that Caballe was at "her best" not the best recording of the aria. I said many might want to go with a tie like I did. I have given my impressions in the comments in the past and will do so in the future. Apologies.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I will. I am used to my opera speeches where I have to "sell" the piece of music. I thought in this case I didn't favor either one as I said this performance put Sills on the map and that Caballe was at "her best" not the best recording of the aria. I said many might want to go with a tie like I did. I have given my impressions in the comments in the past and will do so in the future. Apologies.


It's true, you praised both of them.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Caballe's vocal equipment may be more impressive, but Sills is the one who makes time, and my breath, stop. She's occasionally a little flat - unusual for her - but it's still a tour de force.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Caballe's vocal equipment may be more impressive, but Sills is the one who makes time, and my breath, stop. She's occasionally a little flat - unusual for her - but it's still a tour de force.


Sills is electric here!!!! I agree! Caballe's singing is of extraordinary beauty here. I found it a hard pick. Glad you enjoyed it!!!


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Montsy sure gave a wonderful delivery with her gorgeous voice but somehow the ethereal sounds emitting from Sill's throat win the day for me. Bubbles it is.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

BBSVK said:


> By the wisdom of @Shaughnessy , there has to be at least one complaint per contest, so this is mine. I am working so hard to avoid knowing, who of the singers is supposed to be great before I listen and write my own impressions. But you put it right there next to the embedded recordings, that this is Caballe at her best ! You do it often and I watch the links with my eyes semi closed, so that I don't read it. But this time I wanted to see, if you write what time the proper aria for Sills begins at, so I have seen the text.
> Could your impressions perhaps be in your secondary comment ? But I don't know, maybe it would be inconvenient for others ?


Much a as I adore John and everything he has done for this forum to make it more exciting, I must say that I too forcibly skip his analogy so that I do not see who is singing what. Sometimes it works and others not so much. I like to choose without reading anyone's posts first and then go back and see what a dunce I've likely been after I have placed my vote.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Caballe's vocal equipment may be more impressive, but Sills is the one who makes time, and my breath, stop. She's occasionally a little flat - unusual for her - but it's still a tour de force.


I too picked up on 2 particular spots that seemed flat to me but then heard the same spots with Caballe's, so maybe that is the way Rossini meant it. (or not)


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> Much a as I adore John and everything he has done for this forum to make it more exciting, I must say that I too forcibly skip his analogy so that I do not see who is singing what. Sometimes it works and others not so much. I like to choose without reading anyone's posts first and then go back and see what a dunce I've likely been after I have placed my vote.


I am happy that you take this seriously and do your best choosing impartially the winner for you! I want people to have fun and learn more about opera in the process as well as build community. I will put my thoughts in the next post after the initial post for people who want to judge blind.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I too love this aria, but I'm not sure which is my favourite version and so I'm going to enjoy listening to this contest. (I may listen to a few of my own and compare them alongside this, but I'll keep that to myself unless there is one that I feel is particularly distinguished.) 

I like Sills in the recit, but I'm guessing it's the aria proper that is the real contest. I've never been a Sills fan, but that might be changing. She's spellbounding here. Gosh, she makes this something quite different to the Bellinian plain bel canto prayer. I'm not so sure about the interpolated high note in the middle, which ruins the mood she had created, but overall I like this.

So I would have predicted that I would vote for Caballe and I have heard her version before. Mmmm. This is difficult. Caballe's chest gives this more weight and this is the epitome of graceful. She also has that wonderful mournful tone that works here and her use of dynamics and agility are masterful.

These are two wonderful versions. Caballe has the edge for me though. She wins, just.

N.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

nina foresti said:


> Much a as I adore John and everything he has done for this forum to make it more exciting, I must say that I too forcibly skip his analogy so that I do not see who is singing what. Sometimes it works and others not so much. I like to choose without reading anyone's posts first and then go back and see what a dunce I've likely been after I have placed my vote.


Thank you for saying it better than me. Obviously, @Seattleoperafan is the boss of his contests and I am glad he is doing them for us to begin with. They are now part of my daily routine.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BBSVK said:


> Thank you for saying it better than me. Obviously, @Seattleoperafan is the boss of his contests and I am glad he is doing them for us to begin with. They are now part of my daily routine.


Sometime in the next week we are in for a treat as T-London is going to do a contest of French song which he knows really well and likely will have some more up his sleeve down the road. I love French music but he is so much more up on who the real talents are and which are the most beautiful songs. People seem to enjoy the occasional song contest like the Brahms one we are in right now so when he suggested it I jumped at the chance.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Sills is incredible here. She manages her voice very well and remind us, that big comedians can be especially persuasive in a drama. 
But there is also Montserrat...


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

ColdGenius said:


> Sills is incredible here. She manages her voice very well and remind us, that big comedians can be especially persuasive in a drama.
> But there is also Montserrat...


Big comedians ? Is that Sills usual ?


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

BBSVK said:


> Big comedians ? Is that Sills usual ?


I think she could make a great career as a stand-up, if she weren't an opera singer.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BBSVK said:


> Big comedians ? Is that Sills usual ?


Sills was really great with her bubbly personality in comic roles. She also was quite famous as a very frequent guest host on the Tonight Show when Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers weren't available. She was so funny and charming.. one of the very best. She didn't do stand up but was spontaneously funny. She also did a big two man show with Carol Burnett and the two were hilarious together. Martina Arroyo, who had a glorious voice but was very stiff onstage was a truly amazing frequent guest on Johnny Carson and was absolutely hilarious. My sister knew Arroyo and Bumbry when she was in Zurich.


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## niknik (Oct 4, 2014)

I find Sills' performance unsurpassed. I love the interpolated high note in the middle, it adds to the tragedy of the situation that Pamina is experiencing and I find the mood that creates with her voice unique and immersive. Another point in her favor is that the excerpt is from a live performance while Caballe's from the studio. I would agree with Woodduck said "*Sills is the one who makes time, and my breath stop*"


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

niknik said:


> I find Sills' performance unsurpassed. I love the interpolated high note in the middle, it adds to the tragedy of the situation that Pamina is experiencing and I find the mood that creates with her voice unique and immersive. Another point in her favor is that the excerpt is from a live performance while Caballe's from the studio. I would agree with Woodduck said "*Sills is the one who makes time, and my breath stop*"


You're all right. I just wish I liked her voice more. She reminds me of Christina Deutekom, only with a lot more musicality.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> You're all right. I just wish I liked her voice more. She reminds me of Christina Deutekom, only with a lot more musicality.


I MET her and her unique sound is very tied with me to the personality I loved. She performed Traviata excerpts at our Coliseum with mics and I went backstage and met her. Some stars have "it". She had "it". She was much more beautiful with very rich coloring in person and I was gob smacked. She needed little stage makeup. The girl had PERSONALITY!!! She was an absolute delight and was charmed by my teenage Southern charm. I was such a gay boy LOL.


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