Joan Sutherland – The Art of the Prima Donna – 180 Gram Double Vinyl Record

Description

Joan Sutherland – The Art of the Prima Donna – 180 Gram Double Vinyl Record

The Art of the Prima Donna is the recital that announced Joan Sutherland as one of the defining operatic voices of the twentieth century. Recorded for Decca in 1960, just as her international career was accelerating, the program was conceived on an unusually ambitious scale: sixteen arias and extended scenes spanning Baroque brilliance, bel canto ornament, French lyricism and Romantic drama. Sutherland is joined by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, under Francesco Molinari-Pradelli. The result is not merely a collection of showpieces, but a survey of the technique, range and dramatic imagination expected of a true prima donna.

The first record begins with the vaulting coloratura of Thomas Arne’s “The Soldier Tir’d of War’s Alarms,” then turns to Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim,” with Harry Dilley’s trumpet answering Sutherland’s bright, agile line. Bellini provides the largest challenges on this half of the program. The scene from Norma moves from the grave concentration of “Casta diva” into increasingly elaborate vocal writing, while “Qui la voce” from I puritani allows Sutherland to combine long-breathed lyricism with spectacular decoration. Rossini’s “Bel raggio lusinghier” adds another kind of buoyant virtuosity, and Meyerbeer’s selection from Les Huguenots broadens the recital beyond the familiar Italian repertory.

Two Gounod selections connect the records. Marguerite’s Jewel Song from Faust has sparkle and theatrical innocence, while “Ah! je veux vivre” from Roméo et Juliette gives the second LP an exuberant opening. Sutherland then changes atmosphere completely for Desdemona’s Willow Song from Verdi’s Otello, shaping its inward sorrow without sacrificing the evenness of the vocal line. Mozart’s “Martern aller Arten” demands both strength and precision, and the great scena from La traviata tests expressive pacing as much as technique. Across these sharply different characters, the voice remains immediately recognizable—full, floating, flexible and capable of making extreme difficulty sound spontaneous.

The final sequence emphasizes French color and Italian lyricism. Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet, Delibes’s Lakmé and Meyerbeer’s Dinorah each call for a different balance of delicacy, brilliance and theatrical presence. The Bell Song from Lakmé is especially closely associated with Sutherland’s command of high coloratura, yet the performance is more than an athletic display; its rhythmic control and gradual intensification create a complete scene. Verdi’s “Caro nome” from Rigoletto closes the program with music that joins youthful tenderness to intricate ornament. By this point the recital has demonstrated not one generalized operatic manner, but a series of distinct roles held together by extraordinary vocal assurance.

This Decca Classics edition returns the complete recital to vinyl across two substantial 180 gram records. The original album became a cornerstone of Sutherland’s discography and helped establish the repertoire through which she would be known around the world. Its appeal endures because the scale of the achievement never overwhelms the music itself: beneath the famous high notes and rapid passagework is a singer attentive to phrasing, language and character. For experienced opera listeners, it is an essential document of Sutherland at the beginning of her prime; for newcomers, it offers a generous guided tour through some of opera’s most demanding and memorable soprano writing.

Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic

Track Listing

LP 1
The Soldier Tir'd of War's Alarms
Let the Bright Seraphim
Sediziose voci… Casta diva… Ah! bello a me ritorna
Son vergin vezzosa
Bel raggio lusinghier
O rendetemi la speme… Qui la voce… Vien, diletto
Care compagne, e voi, teneri amici
O Dieu! Que de bijoux… Ah! je ris de me voir

LP 2
Ah! je veux vivre
Mia madre aveva una povera ancella… Piangea cantando
Martern aller Arten
È strano!… Ah, fors’è lui… Sempre libera
À vos jeux, mes amis… Partagez-vous mes fleurs
Où va la jeune Indoue (Bell Song)
Ô beau pays de la Touraine
Gualtier Maldè… Caro nome