For me, Christine Weidinger is one of the greatest performers of this complex role. Her approach is very wise in many aspects; in dramatic passages she uses her resonant chest voice and low register and in lighter parts like the first act cabaletta, she manages very well the coloratura singing. Although a dramatic approach, C. Weidinger is always keeps a beautiful, round sound and more general, she rarely distorts her vocal purity.

I always found very unconscionable the light interpretations of Donizetti Queens that came up in 90s and the tradition still continues today. Yes, Sills was coloratura but she could manage to sing the dramatic parts using all her resources to the maximum; she could add some chest voice and the lows were there. The rest of the leggeros have absolutely nothing to do with these roles. A soprano that can only concentrate on high notes, her voice loses quality on the middle and completely disappears at the bottom became the common description of the voices that attempt the dramatic belcanto roles, these days. Yes, E. Gruberova, M. Devia, C. Gasdia and the list is full off leggeros that lack technique to sing these roles.


"E Sara in questi orribili momenti....Vivi ingrato.....Quel sangue versato",
Opera, Roberto Devereux,
Composer, Gaetano Donizetti,
Roberto, James O' Neal
Elisabetta I, Christine Weidinger,
Nottingham, John Pflieger,
Sara, Krystyna Michalowska,
Cecil, Ulrich Neuweiler,
Conductor, David de Villiers,
Bielefeld, 1987.

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