The controversial dramatic coloratura from the 1970's. 
I personally don't like her vocal antics, though it was a tone that could cut through fog.

 

 

Leyla Gencer had exceptional talent and a gorgeous, flexible voice.  A few bad mannerisms (can you say scooping?) but in her case, they were never completely intrusive to her art, but almost helped define it.

 

Gail Robinson and Joan Sutherland at a cocktail party in Chicago circa 1970.  Joan's voice was larger than Robinson's, as was her hair.

 

 

Joan in an early gorgeous pose (Violetta with her camelias?)

Erika Koth had a lovely, light very high distinctly spinning tone -- almost like marshmallow. 

 

I'm not a Mady Mesple fan.  Her voice is so narrow, thin, and acidic, I find little rewarding in her records.  Everything she sang, somebody else sang better.  But she is generally regarded as a respected and consummate musican.

 

Colette Boky was very haute couture when her career began the mid 1960's.  She sang for several years the leading leggiero roles at the Met, but never became a big star.  It may not have been a first class instrument, but she was a satisfying and glamorous vocalist. She was especially effective in French roles, due to her timbre and her French-Canadian roots.

 

I discovered Eileen Di Tullio by accident, just taking a risk on an unknown CD because the repertoire was so interesting.  What a gorgeous, effervescent and elegant voice! 
Highly recommended.

 

Roberta Peters is still singing in public.  She just had her 50th anniversary concert in NYC, I believe.  I strongly dislike her voice -- way too "white" and "edgy" in that stereotypical "Snow White" fashion.  A friend of mine, George Trovillo, was her accompanist and coach for many years. Below she is pictured rather ludicrously in the poster for one of her rare early films.

 

 

 

Graziella Sciutti could be Roberta Peters' sexy older sister, don't you think? What a beautiful photo.  She sang the lyric-coloratura soubrette roles in Italy and Vienna.  Not a wonderful instrument (rather short and strident and clumsy) but a vivacious presence.  Clearly.

 

Jeannette Scovotti's rare debut recital on long defunct Scope records and not likely to be reissued soon on CD, I imagine.  She was a lovely artist, with a vibrant if somewhat uneven voice.  She sang leads all over the world in the 1960's and 1970's.

Another ubiquitous Queen of the Night in the 1970's and 80's -- American Rita Shane is pictured here as Konstanze.  She sang many roles throughout the world (primarily in the US) -- an uneven but exciting dramatic coloratura with lots of power -- totally fearless.

 

 

Karola Agay sang in the 1970's -- a Hungarian diva.  She made several records which I own, but rarely play as she had perhaps one of the ugliest, edgiest coloratura voices ever recorded.  Critic William Mann said her Martern Aller Arten "claims high priority on any list of the vilest singing on record."  Ouch.  

Zdzislawa Donat is one of my top 50 high sopranos. She is Polish, with a beautiful voice used with good taste (and she has such a great name!)

Andree Esposito was a very glamorous French soprano who made a splash in the 1960's and 1970's.  She is pictured here as Thais. Va-va-voom. And a wonderful voice, too!

 

 

The lovely and gracious Mary Costa. 

 

This is supposedly Mary Costa, too. but my lord, what happened? She looks like a drag queen!

 

Teresa Stich-Randall's 25-year career spanned four decades: from a debut (at age 20) in Thomson's The Mother of Us All in 1947 to a final Norma (!) in 1973. Not a typical coloratura, and not to everyone's liking, I mostly admire her early Mozart specialty which led her to revive some obscure operatic and concert coloratura material of Mozart's.

 

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