Cheryl Studer
Fri, Sep 23 2011, 1:51PM
I have listened to four recordings from my collection over the past week which have renewed my admiration for the American soprano Cherly Studer.
The recordings in question are: Salome, the Flying Dutchman (both with Sinopoli for DG), Lucia Di Lammermoor (Marin for DG) and her recital for EMI called Coloratura Arias.
While during the late 80s and early 90s one could be forgiven for thinking that Studer was over-exposed and seemingly headlining every DG release, the benefit of time, I believe, shows her to be a truly great full lyric soprano (wikipedia has her as a dramatic soprano) and deserving of re-appraisal.
She always managed to achieve that combination of individual character and creamy sound (with the just a shade of vibrato) which made her ideal for lighter Verdi roles and it is a regret that she never recorded I Vespri Siciliani in better sound than that of her live Muti CD. Her Aida, which I remember seeing on BBC TV was very disappointing and it is no wonder she never extended her exploration of heavier Verdi, leaving this to the likes of Millo and Dhimitrova (her contemporaries).
She was excellent in Bel Canto and it is a regret that she never sang Norma. Her more mature roles tended towards Wagner. It is also worth comparing the quality of her singing with Dessay and the quality of her acting with Netrebko. I think she is preferable in bel canto and Mozart.
I suppose that she was sidelined by the decline in studio recordings, increase in DVD - to which I am sure the record companies felt she was less suited - and the arrival of Renee Fleming in the noughties who arguable has the better instrument, but I think less easily is able to totally convinve through freedom of vocal expression, character and convinction that Studer brought.
I hear that Studer still sings and is currently appearing as Cassandra and Kundry. If anyone has heard her recently I'd be grateful for an update.
For those who have not heard Studer, I would recommend, in addition to those above, her recordings of: Barber songs, Faust, The Merry Widow and Otello.
Happy to hear your views.
Fri, Sep 23 2011, 4:21PM
#2
RE: Cheryl Studer
And there will be those who once said that Sutherland, Callas, Freni, de los Angeles, Nilsson or Caballe weren't a match for Jeritza, Ponselle, Supervia, Flagstad, Turner or Lehmann. And those who said that they in turn weren't a match for Destinn, Homer, Schumann-Heink......and so on, almost ad infinitum.
I heard Studer twice (and have some of her recordings) and she always impressed me. She disn't impress me any the less because she wasn't someone else.
The ranking of singers in this way is, for me, a dead end. I have heard many Otellos in my time, some good, some not so good, others great. But I've never said of any of them 'Well, he's not Tamagno, is he?'.
JKH
Fri, Sep 23 2011, 5:21PM
#3
RE: Cheryl Studer
Hear, hear, Martin! An amazing voice and superb acting ability. She is a perfect Empress in Die Frau, expressing vulnerability, humanity, love, and the voice pure, slightly creamy, right through its range. To my taste, she does a far better job than Varady on the cd version. OK, so she's a little, ahem, roundish in appearance, but always very feminine, a beautiful face and moves gracefully. Her set of Barber songs is a treasure.
Agreed, JKH. I really do tire of people harking back to some mythical golden age that they themselves often didn't experience. No age boasts a line-up of great singers for every nook and cranny of the repertoire but we're pretty well stocked right now. Perhaps a bit light on tenors for Verdi or Puccini, but doing quite nicely on the bel canto side.
Freudian slip, Martin? Fleming in the noughties? Should that be naughties or nighties?
Sat, Sep 24 2011, 12:07AM
#4
RE: Cheryl Studer
Simplification, JKH, and generalization, Tagalie make things easier and convenient, but the truth is relentless.
The reason I refer to Sutherland, Callas etc. is because we have enough and very credible evidence of their actual singing, so that the comparison with the more modern stuff can be fair and just.
Studer, by any standard, is second best to any rival of the 50's, 60's or 70's. She never managed to make a major role of "her own". She was good to listen (not even to watch), but as a very bright second choice or alternative. The Barber songs are very good indeed and "Die Frau" perhaps as a quite viable alternative, but is this enough to put her in a "stellar" position?
By all means, JKH, when I go to see "Otello", I don't expect to hear Tamagno (whose artistry we have very little and credible evidence), but a singer who can transcend the conventions and limitations of the role and of the work, so that I will get a memorable account of this opera with an indelible performance identity. How many singers of the present stardom are able and have the Authority to do that, in a sustainable way?
By the way, Tagalie, who are the "pretty stock" right now, except in Verdi and Puccini tenors as you admit, and who constitute the bunch of the Madaminas or Signori that make us claim "we're doing quite nicely on the belcanto side"?
Parla
Sat, Sep 24 2011, 2:57AM
#5
RE: Cheryl Studer
There are two recordings that for me stand the test of time; Tannhauser & Salome. I am pepared to admit that this may be partially because they were the first recordings of these works I heard but in their different ways they seem to have captured the best qualities of Studer.
Salome is, my humble opinion, a remarkable opera and Sinopoli's version trumps Solti and Karajan. Salome is supposed to be a groteque, wilful teenager and if you read the text carefully (or even have the chance to see the play) Studer's voice and characterisation just seems to fit. There will be so many objectons from fans of Nilsson etc. that I know I am treading on hallowed turf. If you want the best evidence I can offer then listen to the simple, yet curdling request for the head of John the Baptist - it never fails to seduce me while at the same time repelling me equally, which I suspect was the effect both Wilde and Strauss were aiming for. Add to that the extraordinary meeting between Terfel and Studer and it is for me a defining performance. Nobody else sounds so young, so dangerous, so seductive. As recorded opera for me it just works. The Tannhauser recording works for many of the same reasons, although Elisabeth is almost a polar opposite of Salome (the characterisation glistens both with innocence and yearning).
I would also mention her recording of the four last songs with Sinopoli. Again, very much a personal preference but I would put them before some other modern performances (e.g. Rene Fleming, whose voice I find very beautiful but some how lacks ache and never achieves anything beyond aural beauty), though maybe still behind Janowitz.
Voices are really such personal things. Mention Callas or Sutherland and things get tetchy very quickly. Studer, as far as I understand it, went through a very difficult time when many were resistant to her and that is a shame. Maybe the voice did lose something (most do) but there always seemed a genuine involvement in her performances.
In my parallel universe Sinopoli would have lived long enough to set down 'Il Trovatore' with Studer, or even some of the later operas of Strauss, to which her voice seemed an almost perfect fit. But then again, in this parallel universe Abbado would have recorded Elektra with Jesse Norman, we would have Karajan's 'Norma' and Bryn Terfel would be instructed to stop messing about and something crazy like 'Wozzeck'.But most importantly, Gilels would have finished his Beethoven sonata cycle - now there is a real tragedy!
Sat, Sep 24 2011, 7:41PM
#6
RE: Cheryl Studer
Simplification, JKH, and generalization, Tagalie make things easier and convenient, but the truth is relentless.
The reason I refer to Sutherland, Callas etc. is because we have enough and very credible evidence of their actual singing, so that the comparison with the more modern stuff can be fair and just.
Studer, by any standard, is second best to any rival of the 50's, 60's or 70's. She never managed to make a major role of "her own". She was good to listen (not even to watch), but as a very bright second choice or alternative. The Barber songs are very good indeed and "Die Frau" perhaps as a quite viable alternative, but is this enough to put her in a "stellar" position?
By all means, JKH, when I go to see "Otello", I don't expect to hear Tamagno (whose artistry we have very little and credible evidence), but a singer who can transcend the conventions and limitations of the role and of the work, so that I will get a memorable account of this opera with an indelible performance identity. How many singers of the present stardom are able and have the Authority to do that, in a sustainable way?
By the way, Tagalie, who are the "pretty stock" right now, except in Verdi and Puccini tenors as you admit, and who constitute the bunch of the Madaminas or Signori that make us claim "we're doing quite nicely on the belcanto side"?
Parla
I struggle (and usually give up) to decipher most of your posts Parla but on a forum like this, given that English isn't the first language of every poster, allowances need to be made. However, as someone criticising the "simplifications and generalizations" of others, you might want to check your own posts for similar.
But let me focus on your last point. If you need a line-up of today's accomplished bel canto singers start the men with Florez of course with Brownlee and Kwiecien not far behind. Did you ever catch the Met Armida? An excellent performance from Barry Banks too. Over to the ladies, there's DiDonato, Dessay, Ciofi, Diana Damrau, Bartoli. Fleming, too, can turn in a very decent performance in this repertoire as you'll hear in Armida.
And before you start back on your Callas/Sutherland/Pavarotti versus the world kick, remember you're comparing a full career with singers who are still en route with theirs. I was lucky enough to see Pavarotti at Massey Hall in Toronto in the mid-70s. The house was half full, those who stayed away no doubt unable to accept the demise of Di Stefano and Bergonzi. Read the Gramphone reviews of Pavarotti's recordings back then. Lots of reservations, lots of harkening back to previous tenors who did it better.
By the way, re. great Otello's, have you forgotten about Domingo? Or are you waiting until he's dead and buried?
Studer was not Sutherland nor Callas (who were not eachother) but a very fine singer in her own right and an excellent actress - it's a tragedy that so few dvds of her performances are currently available.
Sun, Sep 25 2011, 1:17AM
#7
RE: Cheryl Studer
I hope this time my post won't create more obstacles to you. Yes, indeed, I belong to the international readers of Gramophone, so tolerance from both sides should be in place, I guess.
To start my reply with a question: Do you honestly believe any of the names you mentioned in your post can stand along with any of the old league? I have seen at least three of them "live" : Florez, Fleming and Bartoli. They were and sounded much inferior than their recordings. Florez was a "kid" (immature enough to make you smile even when he sang "una furtiva lagrima") with some impressive high notes. Fleming was flat: she streamlined whatever she sang. A homogenized recital, where Haendel, bel canto, verismo and R. Strauss sounded all the same. (Even the very kind, polite and receptive audience of Berlin was perplexed, but at the end they show their good manners!). Bartoli was barely audible! Such a small voice with a fine technic.
So, Tagalie, which of them do you honestly believe can leave any legacy, at least close to those of Callas, Sutherland, etc.? And how long can they last? A decade or two? Most of them struggle to have a CD. Complete Operas are almost scarce and none constitute a recording event, like the Normas, Toscas, Lucias, Puritani, Sonanbulas of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Producers and Conductors are also at the operational rather than the creative side. Recording Companies, of course, are in deep crisis. So, what is left? The left-overs, probably?
As for Domingo, I believe he belongs to the old guard, but he managed to be around. We should not forget, though, that he established his name in the late 60's and in the 70's.
Finally, I agree with your description of Frau Studer, since you admit she is fine but not of the very best kind. Actually, I have most of her recordings, but I don't get the thrills I should expect from the great works she sang.
Parla
Sun, Sep 25 2011, 3:37AM
#8
RE: Cheryl Studer
Just goes to show, Parla, none of us should pass judgement just because somebody doesn't have the command of English that (some) native speakers do. You're certainly better in written English than I am in French, Italian or German. But please talk net, lad! Some of your posts tend to vanish up their own backsides.
Who out of that crop I listed will be remembered by future generations? Domingo for sure and I have no doubt Florez will too. For me, his voice is the most exciting since Pavarotti. Fleming has already carved out her place and DiDonato is starting to look like a stayer. Bartoli, I think so although she tends to operate around the fringes. There are fewer mainstream opera performances than you might expect from someone with her undoubted talents. The rest, probably too early to tell.
No use placing bets. I doubt either of us will be around long enough to collect.
Sun, Sep 25 2011, 3:35PM
#9
RE: Cheryl Studer
O.K., Tagalie lad. Thanks a lot for your kind understanding. I speak quite a few languages due to my work and traveling and living abroad. However, I use English more often than any other.
I think your last paragraph may bring us back to the harsh reality. So, whatever we may believe, let's enjoy what we have, even if it's not the very best compared to the great ones of the past.
Just to give you an example of what make a legend from a current excellent artist, I will tell you what one great jazz player said back in the 90s, when I lived for some years in US and tried to defend the trumpeter Winton Marsalis. I even dare to say that he was a more talented and virtuosic soloist than Miles Davis. So, the old seasoned and mature jazz player told me: "it doesn't matter what you play or how you play it; what matters most in music is who you are!" The history proved that Winton never was and never became Miles.He was not even a memorable artist.
So, this is what I meant by defending the old league. The newcomers cannot prove (yet) they can be any sort of unique artists with a lasting identity of their artistry.
All the best,
Parla
Mon, Sep 26 2011, 1:21PM
#10
RE: Cheryl Studer
No...no...no...no.
I did not want to start another parla-tagalie feud (although
it is rather fun; akin to watching Joan Collins and Linda Evans in an
episode of Dynasty - I couldn't possibly determine which is which - although I'll wager parla has the better legs!!)
I also deliberately left out reference to singers of the "golden age". Parla - i second your stand alone views on Callas and Sutherland et al, but agree that bringing them to bear in a discussion of a singer of the recent past gets us nowhere. This is why I focussed on Studer's contemporaries and those who took over her repertoire.
Thanks for the responses though; it is nice to see that this singer IS appreciated still.
Mon, Sep 26 2011, 1:24PM
#11
RE: Cheryl Studer
Naupilus - second your views on the desire for a Karajan Norma, but did you know that he approached Sumi Jo for the role! Talk about ruining light voices!
Mon, Sep 26 2011, 4:11PM
#12
RE: Cheryl Studer
I like your rather nastily sardonic humour, Martin.
There is no feud whatsoever with me and Tagalie. I appreciate and respect his knowledge and passion for music and opera in particular. He might do the same.
Madamina Cheryl is a very fine singer, anyway. As I said, I own most of her recordings, but I never felt she belongs to this brilliant spot of the very great ones. (She is one of the "excellent" singers of her time, but in music what count is Brilliance). However, at he end of the day (and possibly of this thread), if you enjoy her singing all the way, it's all right, I guess, with all of us.
Parla
Mon, Sep 26 2011, 8:02PM
#13
RE: Cheryl Studer RE: Cheryl Studer
I have read that Sinopoli began to record "Arabella" with Studer, and Terfel as Mandryka. I have no idea about the rest of the cast and how much was laid down; I do hope that some day, like the di Stefano "Mefistofele", what there is will be released.
I do think that any artist who can sing (well) both Gilda and Sieglinde has to be pretty special! My main regret about Studer's recording career is that she never got to record all the Hoffmann ladies - she's the only singer, Sutherland apart, who could have done them all justice (and in better French than Dame Joan's).
Tue, Sep 27 2011, 8:36AM
#14
RE: Cheryl Studer
Agree with you Dispenser about the Hoffmann ladies. Studer could have done all three - she was, after all, an excellent Queen of the Night. Rather than Sinopoli, perhaps Michel Plasson, the late Jerry Hadley, Jennifer Larmore and Thomas Hampson could have produced a first rate Hoffmann.
I will stand up for Edita Gruberova here and recklessly claim that she did all three roles justice and with better distinction between each character than Sutherland. After being initially put off by the rather sharpish metallic timbre of Gruberova's voice I am growing to like her more and more. Her recent Norma seemed to be the trigger for greater enjoyment of her voice. But that's another thread!!
Wed, Sep 28 2011, 4:07AM
#15
RE: Cheryl Studer
Hey, go easy there Martin! There was never a feud between Parla and me. I think you're confusing me with Troyen, and I largely stood back from that one.
And by the way, as a keen cyclist I've often been complimented on my legs. Mind you, the rest of me doesn't get high marks these days.
Second best, Martin. Second best! Madama Studer, though very good indeed, she never managed to match any previous great singer, such as Sutherland, Callas, Freni, de los Angeles, Nilsson or Caballe.
She never gave me the impression she has this Authority to sing anything, in a truly convincing way. In other words, she was excellent, quite often; brilliant, almost never.