The Queen of the Night makes her entrance ...
I’m going to just say it, Diana Damrau, both in terms of voice and acting portrayal, is the single best Queen of the Night in history. I don’t care what anyone else says. Her “Der Hölle Rache” is flawless. I mean, absolutely, cannot-be-improved-upon-in-your-face perfect.
It starts at 2:09 into the video if you want to cut to the music. But … man, this woman has got it.
For those of you who don’t know the character, the Queen of the Night was thought by some to represent the Roman Catholic Church and its attempt to bewitch people into believing superstitions and myths to maintain power and control. The translation of this, the most famous song from the opera, is “The vengeance of Hell boils in my heart”. Her enemy, Sarastro, is said to represent wisdom, reason and nature. Mozart, like most rock stars, was subversive.
The translation of her aria is:
[mainbodyad]
The vengeance of Hell boils in my heart,
Death and despair flame about me!
If Sarastro does not through you feel
The pain of death,
Then you will be my daughter nevermore.
Disowned may you be forever,
Abandoned may you be forever,
Destroyed be forever
All the bonds of nature,
If not through you
Sarastro becomes pale! (as death)
Hear, Gods of Revenge,
Hear a mother’s oath!
Diana Damrau is probably best known for this role. She has performed it in more than 15 different productions. And she is always awesome.
Here is where she makes her first entrance in this particular production … she is telling the young man, Tamino, that if he rescues her daughter from Sarastro, her arch enemy, that he can marry her.
Of course, in the end, exposure to light (sun) and knowledge, Sarostra, drives her away and destroys her power. The Queen’s daughter escapes the bondage and lies of her mother and lives happily ever after.
Reader Comments (11)
Comments are presented chronologically, with replies indented beneath the comments to which they respond.
Lee Tae Kyung
July 3, 2012
She maybe the best in acting, but her f is very screechy and not pitched properly. And everyone knows that this aria is famous because of the F. I think sumi jo is the best in terms of this song as her technique and her f is way above diana
Joshua Kennon
July 4, 2012
Replying to Lee Tae Kyung
While I love me some Sumi Jo, and she is certainly more nimble as a pure coloratura, there is a certain ... body ... in Damrau's primary range that makes me love her for this part. Even with a flawless "F", Sumi Jo's performance is merely pretty to me. Diana Damrau's performance makes me think she is an out-of-control bitchy monarch hell-bent on murder. I adore it.
Personally, I think they are different. Both are extraordinary talents. Both deserve their fame and success. However, just as some days I'm in the mood for Leon Russell's 1960's piano based rock, and other days I want nothing more than baroque harpsichord pieces, different things, for different times, for different moods. Chocolate or vanilla; coffee or tea; just different.
On a side note, and I realize this will get me in trouble because I understand that according to every source I've ever known, including some performers who did concert tours with her, she was allegedly one of the worst human beings to ever live, but despite that, I'd take Kathleen Battle in her prime any day; even with her weird, sudden intakes of breath, that girl could "spin notes like diamonds" to quote a friend. I've exhausted her "Grace" album many times. When she soared to one of those non-attainable notes it makes me thank God that humanity created art and that I was fortune enough to have a voice that paid for my education, allowing me to enjoy it both as a performer and audience member. Great music is like ... a little miracle. That may sound corny but it's true.
E.g., the clarity and lightness:
Battle performing Frühlingsstimmen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF0XSkb7TyM
Sumi Jo performing Frühlingsstimmen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8rOr8yZrEU
Again, just personal opinion. A friend of mine, who works for the one of the major opera companies in the United States, would slap us both and insist that Renee Fleming could perform *any* role, in her sleep, on medication, in the middle of a hurricane, blindfolded, better than any other performer. 🙂
The Truth
August 30, 2015
Replying to Lee Tae Kyung
LOL an Asian who doesn't like the way a white woman sings it but DOES like the way another Asian sings it. Hmmmm.
Kate Kingsbury
October 17, 2012
I agree Damrau is screaming rather than singing. I don't gain any pleasure from listening to her. Jo's performance is a lot more controlled, polished and beautiful. Edita Gruberova is one of the few sopranos who
routinely sang all the high notes in Der Holle Rache on key. Yet, over time, Gruberova purportedly became rather shrill on sustained high
notes and her overall vocal capabilities have been debated for years. Nevertheless she undoubtedly sings all the high notes spot on. June Anderson's Der Holle Rache can be heard on the 1984 film Amadeus.
Like Weber-Hofer for whom the piece was written and Gruberova, Anderson almost always sang the high
notes perfectly on key. However, although Anderson could very likely
sing high Fs in her sleep, she continually struggled with tremolos on
the notes below high C.
The Truth
August 30, 2015
Replying to Kate Kingsbury
I love it when people say one of the greatest performances of all time is someone "screaming". Hmm, hey Kate let's hear a recording of your voice darling. Some people actually contribute and make history. Others criticize the history makers. Pathetic.
elraidor
August 22, 2013
great performance, but I still prefer Lucia Popp's singing - pity there's no film of her performance that I can find.
The Truth
August 30, 2015
This isn't even Diana's best performance of this either. Listen to her recording version of this. THAT is completely untouchable. I've heard the other versions people like in the comments. Diana's recorded version destroys all of those others. I mean it's so much better than any of the other versions even all the skeptics below would agree.
The Truth
August 30, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOQ7W8-_Ekg
Untouchable.
Sally
October 14, 2015
But strangely, all her "screams" have perfect pitch, vibrato, are consistent with the opera - such that Damrau has sung this role 15 times and is arguably the most famous performer to do so.
If only the rest of us could be so lucky with our "screaming."
Laraine
May 28, 2016
I still like Lucia Popp's performance best. She reaches those high notes with consummate ease, as though it's the easiest thing in the world, and the silvery quality of her voice never falters or turns to shrillness under pressure.
Mettā
January 25, 2017
Diana is great at singing-acting. She's sounds a bit harsh to my taste. Lucia Popp, on the other hand, sounds out of this universe.