HAPPY BIRTHDAY Anna Netrebko 9-18

[TruHart1]

The great diva is 45 years old today:

 

TruHart1

[+ WilliamM]

Happy Birthday, Anna.

[whipped guy]

Happy Birthday!

с днем рождения s dnem rozhdeniya

There was a time when Anna could not trill properly. Those days are over!!

 

[TruHart1]

Happy Birthday!

с днем рождения s dnem rozhdeniya

There was a time when Anna could not trill properly. Those days are over!!

 

For my taste, since there are no preparatory notes to set up her trills, the only one that really sounds like it works in context is the very final trill. The performance of the aria is gorgeous though and you're right, the trills are there, unlike in her Traviata, Puritani, Bolena and other previous bel canto performances of her career. I absolutely hated that staging though!!!

 

TruHart1

[whipped guy]

For my taste, since there are no preparatory notes to set up her trills, the only one that really sounds like it works in context is the very final trill. The performance of the aria is gorgeous though and you're right, the trills are there, unlike in her Traviata, Puritani, Bolena and other previous bel canto performances of her career. I absolutely hated that staging though!!!

 

TruHart1

I agree about the silly staging. The excerpt on YouTube from the MET cuts the first part of the aria and hence the trills.

 

To refresh my memory I just looked at the score of Il Trovatore. There are no "preparatory notes" on the trills in the first section of the aria. However, the final trill has an 8th note on word "le" with the trill on the first syllable if the word "pene". Both are at the same pitch. I would guess that this is what you reference as a preparatory note . Therefore I think she is basically on the money based on the score and approaches things in a valid manner. However... There are many different ways to preform a trill. It depends on the period the piece was written, the shape of the musical line... Do you start it on the main note, the note above... How are the notes to be articulated etc. etc. The possibilities are endless. I was just thrilled that she trilled. It always was not so!!!

 

I personally would prefer that the trills begin slowly as it would add more shape to the musical line. As in all things Callas was masterful in such situations. Here she is performing live at a concert at the Paris Opera in 1958. It was her Parisian debut and was televised. This is what a prefectly articulated trill sounds like! Well, at least in my book and for this aria!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf15oAdOPHs

[TruHart1]

I agree about the silly staging. The excerpt on YouTube from the MET cuts the first part of the aria and hence the trills.

 

To refresh my memory I just looked at the score of Il Trovatore. There are no "preparatory notes" on the trills in the first section of the aria. However, the final trill has an 8th note on word "le" with the trill on the first syllable if the word "pene". Both are at the same pitch. I would guess that this is what you reference as a preparatory note . Therefore I think she is basically on the money based on the score and approaches things in a valid manner. However... There are many different ways to preform a trill. It depends on the period the piece was written, the shape of the musical line... Do you start it on the main note, the note above... How are the notes to be articulated etc. etc. The possibilities are endless. I was just thrilled that she trilled. It always was not so!!!

 

I personally would prefer that the trills begin slowly as it would add more shape to the musical line. As in all things Callas was masterful in such situations. Here she is performing live at a concert at the Paris Opera in 1958. It was her Parisian debut and was televised. This is what a prefectly articulated trill sounds like! Well, at least in my book and for this aria!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf15oAdOPHs

What I mean is more like the preparatory, unwritten slower 2-note trill to set up the faster trill that follows exactly as Callas does it in the above video you shared here. Just a personal preference as many other sopranos trill in this particular aria (Sutherland, Leontyne Price, etc.) just like Netrebko does!

 

As you say,

There are many different ways to preform a trill. It depends on the period the piece was written, the shape of the musical line... Do you start it on the main note, the note above... How are the notes to be articulated etc. etc.

and I guess I just prefer that in this aria. Yes, it is much more of a true trill Netrebko sings here and trilled better than the same aria in earlier performances of herself available on youtube. Here's a concert performance from 2011 where the trills almost sound more like a fast vibrato:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSXDQSpZ6Ng

This is the entire scene opening the final act of Trovatore and beautifully sung, too!

 

TruHart1

[+ WilliamM]

My Anna story:

 

The first time I saw her at the Met, I bought the tickets to see Juan Diego Florez. Instead I got both Netrebko and Florez.

 

In turn, the first time I saw Florez was in Chicago. I bought the tickets to see Dessay. Instead I got Florez and Dessay.

[sydneyboy]

WilliamM, all I will say is that you must have committed a good deed in a past life to deserve such operatic good fortune.