This kind of musical perfection is so rare! Everything, the orchestra balanced with their voices, the voices balanced with each other, the characters coming alive, this is one of my top 5 favorite opera recordings of all time!! Thank you SO MUCH Anne Sofie Von Otter and Barbara Bonney, and Kleiber and the orchestra, for making this transcendent moment possible!

one of the most beautiful moments in Opera...

I absolutely LOVE Barbara's voice! I love how she forms and executes high notes, while Anne Sophie von Otter has a deep, rich voice. I also love how Anne Sophie and Barbara look so perfect in their roles. Anne Sophie is so regal and masculine, but also so beautiful. Barbara in contrast has such a sweetness with such beauty and honesty in her expression. They're a perfect theatrical pair!

I was there...........a lovely memory for life!!!!!!!!!!!!

Un bijou précieux, une merveille enchanteresse, quelle beauté que cet opéra sublime du très grand Richard Strauss !

Nothing but marvelous interpretations from singers and orchestra - but I am especially blown away by von Otter's acting. Her face expresses so much... and what a smile she posesses. Thank you for uploading this!

This is the essence of musicianship!

This duet is spectacular youtube... if I saw it in a live house I would probably be crying.

The best moment in the entire opera ever.

The best one on KZfaq. I own the DVD of this production and I love it.

A stunning performance of a breathtakingly beautiful duet -- the musical apotheosis of love at first sight, capturing all its glisten, gleam and rapturous transport.

Barbara Bonney was an excellent Sophie in a row with Lucia Popp and Anneliese Rothenberger .... sublime

Bonneys high notes are so clear. Sounds like little bubbles flowing in the air.

It is always wonderful to hear this duo... by the way this two extraordinary singers you can really feel that this couple are in love at first sight, and you can also feel how they both raise to heaven and touch the stars... this moves me a lot. Strauss at his best, and Bonney and Von Otter too!!!!

Ragazzi ogni volta che ascolto questa musica provo un'emozione così intensa che è difficile da spiegare. E' così sublime che veramente riesce ad estraniarmi dal mondo, e poi queste meraviglie vocali, ne vogliamo parlare?

Has there ever been a more majestic, resplendent Octavian? My life love sang Sophie 290 times but she never received a rose from von Otter.

bonney is the best sophie ever... this couple performing these roles is just perfection!

Thank you so much for sharing this - of the many versions I've heard and seen over the year I think that Strauss must have had a premonition that von Otter would be born to sing this for him.

Unbeschreiblich wunderschön.

The best cast. Especially Barbara Bonney is wonderful. I've never heard of a high tone Sophie as beautiful as her.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VERSION EVER!!!!!!

This motiv is soooo beautiful! I'm in love with Strauss operas... I'm preparing myself to watch this in it's integriti, but this high descendent scale seems to me like a Leitmotiv, and i hope soo because it's just has beautiful as the Salomé chromatic sensual one and Electra's "agamenon" leitmotiv.

...che musica sublime!...e che direzione!! Immenso Kleiber!!

Von Otter is about the most beautiful woman who ever walked. The women who play the trouser parts are invariably the prettiest.

God has a face and a name. It is Richard Strauss. Pure forgiveness....this music....

Thank you so much for sharing this absolutely exquisite performance. In an age of tinkered and enhanced recordings - to see such an enchanting live performance is so refreshing. Miss v O is a stand-out Oct. Thank you for taking the trouble to share.

... it's why it deserves such great performers!

Bonney, Master of all dictions!!! Love Barbara Bonney And Anne Sophie von Otter. So Beautiful!

GOD I LOVE ANN SOFIE

Bonney was perfection.

It looks and sounds soooo effortless, I wish I could sing like that. It is absolutely beautiful.

Surely it is the best version

Anne Sophie von Otter ist marvelous! It sounds everything so easy and homogen

This is so magical!!!

Beautiful, i love her.

Brings tears to my eyes.... Such glorious voices and the story is so lovely. The presentation of the rose to the bride-to-be (betrothed to another). But their instant attraction will change everything. I've seen the Met performance too and loved it as well. I think this Octavian and Sohpie are wonderful. Such rich and magnificent music. Thank you so much for posting it. Loved it!

quel moment musical sublime!

Wonderful, I also love Popp's Sophie.

tenormcgee said: "This duet is spectacular youtube... if I saw it in a live house I would probably be crying." Answer: Yes, I did, and yes, I cried. sanjosemike

Maravilloso Dúo

I think I remember reading somewhere that BB thought these performances under Kleiber were some of her best musical experiences.

Magical

Hermoso

@SDCmorg In fact, technically, "trouser roles" aren't written for castrati at all! There's even a "trouser role" in Il Coronazione di Poppea, where there's also a role for castrato. Women do sing the castrati's roles now, too, but "trouser role" is really only meant to apply to the roles written that way.

El Octavian con el interpretado por Shopie Kosch ,Frederika von Stade e Isabelle O' Nardy mas elegante que conozco.

Pure unadulerated beauty.

magic

DAMN.

A S v O is a good actress

This music just makes me crazy...

UNITEL Live recordings at Staatsoper , Vienna 1994.

👏👏👏👏👏👏

Nous sommes au paradis

Noone sounds like this anymore,

Kleiber!

Does anyone know the Conductor, Orchestra, Place and Date of this Production?

Where is this? Europe or US? When was this?

What year is this?

Perfection? I guess so!

you betcha on that

@gazherbert Why are you even watching this if you dont like it. Go back to the Justin Bieber video you were enjoying and leave us alone.

Vollkommen!

Staatsoper in Vienna

@rwprof himmlische musik

I agree completely with Dora Bella (and Fiordiligi where is he? ). Perfect the introduction of von Otter on the word “War ich kein Mann ecc. “. A small comment to Bonney. In this sentence :“ Wie himmlische, nicht irdische, wie Rosen” she sings: “wie Roser”. A small shadow that doesn’t diminish his insuperable interpretation as the one of von Otter.

Is this the way Strauss hoped it it would seen by opera goers?

B.

Non ne basterebbero cento di stelle pre 'votare'

They still have the same staging (by Otto Schenk) in Vienna. Saw it today and I just LOVE it. Though the singers were not quite as perfect as Bonney and von Otter.

One can only wonder how many sugars Dr Strauss took in his coffee.

@whooisodis Thanks for the reply :) To me, it would not make any difference. I was just curious. When I find someone or something I like, it is interesting to know the history. I appreciate your information and look forward to discovering more about this amazing singer! peace

@technocrash09 No. Those woman singing with Bonney are in "trouser" roles---roles originally written for men. Since men can no longer sing that high anymore due to the discontinuation of its practice, mezzo-soprano woman who have half alto and half soprano ranges now play the men roles. "Trouser roles". You will soon find out that there are many trouser roles for many different operas-not just for Bonney's performances. :) It was nice for you to be curious about it! P.S. Bonney has been married

Great performance but nobody matches Lisa della Casa in Strauss .

Wow, 3 deaf trolls watched this vid...

I don't know diddly about opera but I love Bonney's voice. I just have a question. I've watched many of her vids and checked out some of her recordings. Seems like she performs almost exclusively with other females. Is she....um.....well....is she a lesbian? *I am just curious----not trying to discredit in any way---just curious. peace

This is good, but not as electrifying as their performance with Kleiber at the MET in 1990.