Submitted by Richard Holmes, Jan 24, 2007 12:53

In some aspects of your commentary on the CD set "The Voice of the Century", I agree. There is no finite way to decide WHO was the "Voice of the Century". However, you make it sound in your comments as if Sutherland isn't really entirely in the running, and with that I must castigate and disagree with you. For many of us, yes, Joan Sutherland was THE voice of the 20th century. Others may argue for a Caruso, a Tebadli or a Price. Since I never heard Caruso live, I cannot really comment on him. Tebaldi and Price I heard many, many times. Indeed, Tebaldi is, with Sutherland, one of my two favorite sopranos. Price is not, because she abused an often gorgeous instrument with her execrable musical taste--towards the end she became a parody-version of herself. I know that the point is that it is not necessarily one of those mentioned already who is THE Voice of the Century. But Sutherland, with that huge, luscious sound, the technicolor gush of warm, velvety tone, the tremendous sincerity that came through in all she sang, AND a technical mastery that shocked, astonished and amazed listeners for four decades is my choice.

Besides that, you seem not to realize that Decca/London released a 3 LP set in the 70s called "The Voice of the Century". It's all a matter of taste, of course. If Nilsson or Ponselle is your "Voice", then the idea of Sutherland receiving that appellation is ridiculous. However, the set WAS released in the 70s, when most of these great ladies were still having major careers, and nobody screamed, "unfair, unfair!" back then. And even that most down-to-earth of great divas, Dame Joan herself, didn't blush and say, "I appreciate the sentiment, Decca, but really..." She knew her own worth. And so do I.

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