Something's wrong when...

Those are perfectly reasonable criticisms of Voigt - and Milanov exhibits at least one of the flaws you point out in Voigt. In this broadcast, though less than in the famous 1939 broadcast with Martinelli, her low register is not firm enough under pressure. Overall, of course, Milanov has more the right kind of voice for the role even though she lacks the real chest of an Italian dramatic soprano.

Hi, Greg -

Maybe this is another example of how remote that "grand old style" is from our experience today. Of course we grew up on recordings by Milanov or Ponselle in Gioconda...those ladies embodied those passionate dramatic roles, whatever their technical flaws might have been. Times have changed. Milanov - and Callas and Tebaldi - were pretty much the end of the long line of "prima donnas" who didn't agree with Toscanini that the only stars are in the heavens.

"Suicidio!" is an aria which demands full-blooded intensity - the singer has to be utterly convinced (or at least convincing) about the inevitability of suicide, the only possible resolution of her situation. I haven't heard Voigt do this, but she may indeed be too detached for this most Italian of late-19th century Italian operas.

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The Met is short on great singers but large
on hype -let's face it , most people came
to hear the great Podles ,however short her role ,nothing went wrong -the Met just doesn't have it. The internal power struggles reflect
its poor casting.It took Podles some 20yrs.
to return, why is the question - she is much too good even in the sun set of her career to
bother with the Met .It must be unsettling
for the likes of Voigt ,when a real artist
such as Podles steps on the the same stage .