Mas de them High Notes

Now another high note on another occasion. I also mentioned Carol Vaness in the same string of comments chez Chalk [http://chalkenteros.blogspot.com/]. We saw her in William Tell in the 90’s in San Francisco. In Act 3, Mathilda (the Vaness characters) comes on in anger to stop the bad guys from roughing up Tell and his son Jemmy. It is an awesome moment. She is pissed! “Osez l’arracher de mesbras! “Osez l’arracher de mesbras!” (trans.: “Beware how my wrath thou defy! Beware how my wrath thou defy!” [trans. “I will so f--- your s--- up! “I will so f--- your s--- up!”]). You will note on the second line of three that she has a nice long note all by itself and even though it is *only* a B flat, after the agitation of the section up to this point—and the music's angular lines that index to her growing anger—it is a moment in which the soprano can shine [do click on the picture for a better view of the score, if you are of a mind):



And Carol did! She pointed an accusing finger and the gleaming B flat was all but a physical assault on the villain! Then, following the B flat, there is a run down to an A flat which Carol tinged with scornful and righteous anger. And when she arrived at the A flat the orchestra exploded with a fanfare like motif that we had been hearing since the deeply angered and all-able Mathilda had arrived. The orchestra went wild I tell you (and the dissonance Rossini put into the harmony on the third beat was just the ticket)! That, my friends, is what opera can be all about! I still hear and see this moment (as well you, dear reader, know).


[Vaness looking glamourous as Dukas' Ariane]



[Vaness as a dishy Trovatore Leonora]

[I could find no pictures of her as Mathilda singing a B flat, pointing, or otherwise engaged.]