Search - Sylvia Sass :: Presenting Sylvia Sass Opera's Sensational New Star - Classic Recitals

Sheer Brillance long denied to listeners

P. R. Marchesano | Philadelphia PA | 03/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording is so long overdue from Decca that, while I am thrilled that they have released it finally, I'd just love to smack them to say: What about the rest of Sylvia Sass's catalog with Decca? We've got to have the Dramatic Coloratura album!



That said, I can get onto the meat of this review: this fantastic recital album. I am not one of the lucky ones who heard Sylvia Sass (pronounced, "shahsh") live. In fact, I only heard bits and pieces and reports, so this is like finding the new greatest album in decades. I have placed this album on the "honor" shelf along with Sutherland's "The Art of the Prima Donna" and Corelli's [White Album] "Opera Arias" and selected few others from, e.g., Callas, Tebaldi, Moffo.



Sass's voice is at once unique yet familiar. She was burdened with constant comparisons to Maria Callas - while she yet lived. How cruel and spoiled were the critics of those days. This likely contributed to her unexplained disappearance from the stage. In the middle register, in some pieces, there is a reminder and similarity to Sutherland's brighter overtones - even similarity in approach to some soaring lines, especially in "In questa reggia." In other works there is the unmistakable reminder of that dark, covered sound that Callas developed to artful mastery. Yet in other places one is immediately reminded of the sheer spun beauty that was the early Tebaldi. Used sparingly to color the lines with emotion and passion, Sass will allow "nasty" sounds for effect, but never out of line with the artistic interpretation. Where she doesn't go is to the point that she damages her voice. With an obviously unbeatable technique, she is amazingly versatile in her roles and interpretations. Her MacBeth is a dramatic and stunning to listen to as it was reported to see. Just listening to this performance, it draws you in and rivets your attention to the images forming in the air before you.



Comparisons aside, Sass is her own singer. Not imitating any of the others before her, she makes each piece her own and delivers her own unique, dramatic interpretation. She is possessed of a powerful voice full of colors, yet fully capable of amazing agility. She sang Lucia, credibly and brilliantly while Sutherland still traveled the world singing the role that made her famous. The voice was powerful and the artist brilliant. Sass's voice and artistry rank her for me among the truly great singers of the century; she is not just another good singer! Timing was clearly against this woman. She came on the scene when the great singers of our age were still singing in abundance. The memory of others was still so fresh in people's minds. The critics didn't know what they would be missing in a few short years. The audiences were spoiled. People took incredible, earth-moving performances of opera for granted. Who knew that less than ten years after this album that excitement would depart the opera stage? How sad that the world, the opera companies and the record labels didn't give this woman the place she deserved."

A DIVA WITH A VOICE OF POWER, HEART, AND SOUL!!!!!!

Mark the music lover | Virginia | 03/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sylvia Sass was a gorgeous and enigmatic artist who skyrocketed to international prominence in the seventies and eighties as the successor to Maria Callas. Then without warning her operatic appearances became less frequent before she completely dissapeared from the world's famous opera stages to concentrate on other artistic pursuits. Her available discography is quite slim which is why this cd is such a heaven sent treasure. Anyone who has heard or seen this unbelievable intense singer live will never forget her riveting portrayals of tosca, turandot, salome, manon lescaut, and of course her wickedly famous scare the hell out of you lady macbeth which ranks alongside Callas and Elena Souliotis as revelatory. Sass's voice is not only a force to be reckoned with, but a unique instrument in itself. Sass's voice was one of those that you either loved or hated, but you could never deny that her instrument didn't cause one to sit up and take notice. Sass possessed this beautifully eerie, strange, and sometimes course quality in her voice that distinguished her even from Callas though there is no denying that both their voices were somewhat similar. These qualities brought a certain authority and passion to every role she sang. Her chest voice and low notes many times took on a masculine quality, and her phrasing (due to her hungarian heritage) was often thick. Her high notes were like long arching lines of shining thin sharp wire. I find all these qualities very exciting and even more so because they all reside in the same throat. Each one of the selections chosen for this album are in my opinion perfectly sung and I have no quibble with anything. Sass is the type of artist that doesn't just settle for mere beauty, but is willing to go for an occasional ugly sound when she feels that the composer demands it. But that sound has so much meaning, that you will immediatley receive it as artistic truth. I have never heard Vissi d'arte and In questa reggia sung like this before. If these interpretations don't make your hair shoot up straight, you must be dead!!!!! Conductor Lamberto Gardelli provides rich and potent support and brings out some surprising details to each of the arias. This has been soooooooo worth the wait, BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!!!"

More than skin deep.....

Robert C. Hufford | Hopewell, VA USA | 06/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There was, sadly, a time when physical beauty was a handicap for an Opera singer. Oh, there were exceptions....Farrar, Jeritza, Bidu Sayao...but not a lot. Syvia was born with great beauty, a fabulous voice, and the handicap of living in a Communist country. Her output is, alas, small. As of this writing, she is 56, and, I think, still singing in Hungary.



Originally released as an LP in 1977, this is an absolutely wonderful album. The Dramatic Soprano repitoire repitoire my be written for girls, but it sure isn't for sissies. This is some of the toughest music in all of Opera, and Sylvia does it full justice, handling the complexities as if they aren't even there. Her Aida and Turandot remain in the mind long after the record stops. Oh, it's possible to find a greater singer for one part or another...Jeritza as Tosca, Albanase as Cio-Cio-San...but, taken overall, Sylvia was as good as any in our day.



Once again, Decca gets a big "Thank You" for making a classic LP available to a new generation. Comparisons are silly: this wasn't "Maria II", or, God forbid, "Rosa II" ; this was "Sylvia I", and that was plenty great enough. If you appreciate the very best in vocal music, do not fail to grab this."