I have just finished watching the programme on Dame Joan Sutherland which was on TV this evening and wallowed in nostalgia as the main body of her career in the 60s and 70s was the time when I went to the opera a lot and was able to hear her sing. I was only 12 when she hit the big time as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor and a large part of this programme was, of course, devoted to that particular opera.
It is very difficult to convey to someone who did not hear her 'live', or who is not particularly interested in opera, just what a superstar she was. Joan Sutherland got the coverage in the papers and on TV that is only given to somebody like Madonna or similar. In an age where everyone is interested in X-list celebs on Love Island or in the Big Brother House, it seems odd that such prominence was given to an opera singer but it was certainly so.
A couple of comments in response to my earlier posting on Dame Joan were about the bloodstained dress she was wearing in the photo attached to the post. If they found it a bit off putting, then they were in good company as the grand Maestro Tulio Serafin, who conducted this new production of Lucia, did not like it either. He was an old master and belonged to the school of opera where the heroine was always pristine and pure and to suddenly be faced with a large lady (Dame Joan was 5' 9" in her stockinged feet and was a big girl) coming down the stairs dripping with blood and clutching a dagger was not to his taste. However, he gave in because, let's face it, if you have just stabbed your husband a dozen or so times, then you are not going to have a stain free nightie. Of course, the other thing that offended his sensibilities was the fact that Lucia had done this on her wedding night so of course the blood had other connotations as well.....
Some of the footage used to illustrate this programme was less than flattering to Dame Joan as most 
of it was filmed when she was in her 40's and upwards, earlier film obviously not being available. She was never a beauty but she had great stage presence and, quite frankly, she could have had a face like the back of a bus (which she did not) and you would not have noticed once that magical glorious voice washed over you.
She had a great partnership with the American mezzo-soprano, Marilyn Horne, and sang with her many times. Their voices blended together superbly, and listening to their singing was akin to having cream poured over the listener. Footage was shown of the two of them in Norma, Dame Joan in the title role and Marilyn H as Adalgisa. The picture on the right is of the two of them singing in Norma.
Sherrill Milne (who is a simply gorgeous charming American baritone and very good looking - it helps) was talking about Dame Joan's big aria in another Bellini opera, I Puritani, in which the baritone had to sing underneath her tone, and he said he felt he ought just to shut up and listen as it seemed so rude to sing at the same time! He likened listening to her as a 'religious experience' and it is not an over exaggeration to describe it thus.
I have lots of records of Joan Sutherland, including three different recordings of Lucia, and I think I feel a Joan weekend coming on.
