Amongst the little comparison-cults on YouTube there’s one for Olympia’s aria, as you’d expect, since every coloratura soprano wants to sing it. Sumi Jo is there, and Sutherland (late performances – don’t go there) and the recent crop of French divas.
Don’t miss Natalie Dessay in rehearsal for her first Olympia, where the voluble director is Roman Polanski. Dessay marks most of the time, taking instruction from choreographer, director, conductor, but we get a bit of it at pitch when Hugues Cuenod enters. You get to hear the underlay of the voice.
There’s also a brief clip from that performance:
And (unmissable!) Dessay singing the whole piece in a production at Orange.
Finally, a contrasting product from Patricia Petibon in what must have been a hugely enjoyable recital.