Glass Shatterers! Mariella Devia - Auber: MANON LESCAUT arias, Verona 1984, High Fs

~The "Glass Shatterers!" series focuses on sopranos who sustain High F, or sing higher.

Mariella Devia is 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. Here she is early in her career fearlessly singing the long, extremely florid role of Manon in Auber's rarely heard "Manon Lescaut."

I've compiled Manon's four arias, festooned with roulades, cadenzas, trills, and high notes, including three High Fs (they are noted in the video and listing below). This is from a performance in Verona in April 1984 with Jean-Pierre Marty conducting.

1. Eveillée avant l'aurore - Manon's entrance (High F at 01:47)
2. La, la, la ...Vous, que cette parure exquise (High F at 08:04)
3. C'est l'histoire amoureuse (High F sustained at 09:17)
4. Plus de rêve qui m'enivre (no F, but a beautiful High D and a long trill on High C).