Let's talk music, no genre boundaries

I am not a fan of Opera (save exception as Faust Busoni with Fisher-Dieskau or Kurt Weil or Mozart operas or Akhnaten from Glass etc ) Because it is almost impossible to speak and saying  and singing at the same times in perfect musical harmony...It takes giant singers...I prefer sacred music... But i like Puccini ...

Here Scotto succeed for me  to keep perfect balance between  pure music and poetical diction without falling into "theater" ... When i love an opera i listen to it as music not as theater, I prefer even to not read the libretto...I listen  to it many times... If we listen Scotto here we can listen her "on repeat" as music without being bothered by a " speech"  in a "play" ...I love her here ...

Renata Scotto : "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-t3L-ZWtKs&list=RDg-t3L-ZWtKs&start_radio=1

Montserrat Caballe  do as Scotto a marvellous Doretta for the same reason but in his own  way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ5cL-sJZhw&list=RDg-t3L-ZWtKs&index=2

I like Mirella Freni i discovered long ago and loved  in Vivaldi and in Mozart who was my first Opera love ....

@frogman @mahgister 

Thank you both for your contributions to sopranos singing "Chi Il bel songo di Doretta" from Puccini's La Rondine. If anybody else wants to contribute, that's how you should look up your favorite soprano.

You're right @frogman about there being a more natural flow from a native Italian speaker. I liked Freni and Scotto's versions very much. Caballe's voice was a bit darker and deeper than I expect, probably from favoring Ta Kanawa all these years. What I love about her rendition is the lightness of her voice reminding me of Art Deco Tiffany lamps.

But here's a treat. A video of Callas singing "Chi Il bel songo di Doretta." with subtitles. You can close your eyes if you listen @mahgister, but I think in this case the lyrics are important. These are upper class people singing about the ecstasy of love and art. Probably couldn't get away with writing those lyrics today. In this video we also get to see the magical Callas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ooJwh5Hxcwg

Would lobe to hear Callas singing this, but the link takes me somewhere else.  Please post again.  In the meantime:

https://youtu.be/hf9FbUF2S38?si=F_-iWX_IIqezcz1R

@mahgister 

Hopefully Maria Callas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ooJwh5Hxcwg

@mahgister, @frogman 

Talking about beautiful soprano solos, I'll post all the soprano parts from Carmina Burana sung by Agnes Molner standing outside in the wind, looking lovely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciUi9yl1Sn0