Mariella Devia - Bizet: THE PEARL FISHERS - O Dieu Brahma & Comme autrefois, Bilbao 1981!

THE SONGBIRD: Here is the legend: Mariella Devia, one of the greatest coloratura sopranos of our -- or any -- era. She made her debut as Despina at the Spoleto Festival in 1972, and is still singing concerts in great form today in 2020 -- 48 years later. Brava, La Diva Devia! Devia is a bel canto specialist bar none, but also sings baroque works and lyric-coloratura roles of Mozart and several French composers. THE MUSIC: Here she is early in her career singing Leïla, the soprano lead in Bizet's opera "Le pecheurs de perles" (The Pearl Fishers). This is more of a lyric role, with only a smidgen of coloratura in her prayer to the deity Brahma at the end of Act 1. There are some frills, trills, and top notes in this section of the score in order to conjure the exotic world of Ceylon and elevate the vocal temperature as the act closes. Because Devia is an operatic goddess and this is a rare early-career performance, I have also included Leïla's solo aria in Act 2, "Comme autrefois," even though it is strictly a lyric endeavor with no coloratura flights.