(ARTIST) Natalie Dessay

I return yet again and with another amazing talent. Natalie Dessay is a French coloratura, but I won't hold that against her and neither should you. She was initially an actress and studied theatre so her acting is always impeccable. Combine that with an incredibly effortless voice and you have one powerhouse of a soprano. She has played roles varying from Lucia and Violetta all the way to the Queen of the Night herself (though she is not better than Lucia Popp who IS in fact the Queen of the Night). Her range is incredible, though a bit diminished due to recent surgical procedures. She had vocal polyps and has subsequently had them removed more than once over the past 10 years or so, leading her to lose her highest notes, or at least their ease and soft tone, now adding a distinct edge to her upper register. Regardless of this though, pre-surgery, it was not unheard of to hear her sing, full-voiced, a G6 or even A6, which is higher than the Queen goes in "Der Holle Racht," that being an F#6. (And at this point, anybody who didn't believe I was actually a voice major has been convinced. I'm a pretty big voice nerd.) Without being able to find a video of it, I highly recommend you iTunes her version of Frühlingsstimmen, by Strauss, it is spine-tingling. I know you will enjoy Natalie Dessay.


"Où Va la Jeune Hindoue" From Lakme


"The Flower Duet" also from Lakme. (This one you will probably recognize from commercials)


"Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide, by Bernstein. (This is an American Operetta, which is funny to hear her sing. The funniest version of this has to be Sumi Jo, though, who actually says "Jewers" instead of "Jewels" in the middle recit. Classic. Oh and this part was recently played at Lincoln Center by Kristen Chenoweth.)


This is the final scene of Ophelia in Hamlet. Just beautiful. And thanks Kate for showing me this.