If you’ve seen The Fifth Element — and really, who hasn’t seen The Fifth Element — you’ll no doubt recall one of its truly iconic moments.
The curtains open on an intergalactic opera house, as a very non-human songstress gingerly steps towards the packed house.
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Soothing stings and flutes set up the tune, which progresses from an aria from the Mad Scene in “Lucia di Lammermoor” operetta to some combination of alien funk rock opera.
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It’s in that second movement where things really start to feel out of this world.
You can hear that version below:
Enter Jane Zhang, who by all accounts just did the impossible (OK, others have also sung the tune and maybe she misses a few notes but still let’s let her have her moment) and nailed the Diva Dance.
The whole thing is wildly impressive, but the real action gets going around the 3:30 mark:
https://youtu.be/SBenttZUT7A
bbg372
I do not know where the author gets the idea that the original is “heavily edited.” On home video, there is a feature about the making of the song, and the studio engineer goes to great lengths to show the vocals have not been manipulated. There are quite a number of people who have approximated the original vocals to varying degrees of success just to demonstrate that it in fact can be done. This woman is not the first, nor is she even the best.
viktorya_sabin
Um… the beginning wasn’t really, but towards the end it WAS edited. Hell, Erica Serra himself said that he “sampled and edited” it. Yes, it was all her voice, but it was still tweaked a bit.
http://en.traxmag.com/interview/35491-eric-serra-tells-the-secrets-of-the-diva-song-in-the-fifth-element
Approximating it is not the same as doing it exactly the way it was written.
Roan
I’ve actually seen a few drag queens perform this song as well. And they were wearing the blue, skin tight latex dress and the head piece.
verbaltopman
Sheesh, I can remember when gay men had an appreciation for opera — or when writers did a little research on their articles. First of all, the piece is not a “song”; it’s an aria. Second, the first section is not from a “melodic operetta”; it’s the Mad Scene from “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Donizetti, which is grand opera. Third, the music in the film then riffs on the aria, but is not anything a skilled coloratura soprano can handle — because (fourth), a coloratura DID sing it in the recording session for the film. What you hear on the film’s soundtrack is legit human singing — remember, the ghastly anti-artistic software known as Auto-Tune had mercifully not yet been invented.
mujerado
No, auto-tune hadn’t been invented yet. That doesn’t mean the downward-skipping passage wasn’t electronically enhanced. It was, it just took longer to do then than it does with auto-tune. The soprano who did the aria did it exceedingly well, but when it came to the “riff” at the end, she got help.
Bryguyf69
Not true. Autotune was released to the public in early 1997, as was this movie. But before that, the technology was already being used professionally, with some components hardware-based. You can be sure that Hollywood and music producers had access way before the public. Furthermore, Autotune was simply an automation of something sound engineers had been manually doing for over a decade. The ability to shape every note precisely was one of the major reasons for digital (as opposed to analogue) production and mastering, which started in the 80’s (old-timers may remember the DDD and ADD specs on CDs). So no, the soundtrack was not “legit human singing.” If you want to hear “legit human singing” with no electronic enhancement (including noise suppression), get a vinyl record from the 60’s and earlier. Once music gets transferred to CDs, it can no longer be considered unenhanced or unaltered.
jpcolter
First of all, arias are, in fact, songs.
Lindoro Almaviva
3 words into the piece and i was already done. I have sung in Lucia at least twice (though I am not a Soprano) and can name at least 10 people who can do this on their sleep. Her name would not even make it to the top 100, not even the top 500
Bryguyf69
@Lindoro Almaviva
Oh really? I challenge you to name the 500 people you’ve heard perform this, or even the 100. I’m not saying that 500 people haven’t performed this but I challenge you to prove you’re qualified to make that “Top 500” statement. Or is it just bitter exaggeration?
As for your performances, what’s the point? Prove your skills. Post it on Youtube. Or is it just another egomaniacal exaggeration?
Finally, I challenge you to list those “10 people who can do this on their sleep.” As it happens, I work in neurophysiology right next to a sleep lab. If you can provide proof of this amazing skill, I will personally pay for their trip here to NYC for a sleep study. Furthermore, several of my colleagues are connected with the Met so I’ll make sure she/they gets wide publicity. Heck, I’ll pay them if they can sing Mary Had a Little Lamb operatically in their sleep.
So do we have a deal? I look forward to your reply LOL
Countervail
Bryguyf69, do us a favor and go to the opera once in a while. This is a challenging piece no doubt, but it’s surely not the hardest piece in the world and like LA says, any coloratura could make a reasonable stab at this.
It’s a gimmicky piece. Interesting, but gimmicky. But hardly getting your knickers in a twist about. “Several of my colleagues are connected with the Met?” Like in the Young Associates Guild or something? Cause if any of them were singers they’d be snickering at you like the rest of us.
Countervail
Here’s an 11 year-old huffing through it if you need proof. https://youtu.be/jASsa3hX2i0
Nuadin
Personally, I think both are impressive.
orrine
Wasn’t it done like 100 times before? If anything, digital tinkering with singing in the movie made it seem like it’s impossible to sing. Meanwhile if you’ve ever listened anything besides trendy pop and hip hop, you would know opera sopranos are quite capable of strongly hitting high notes
neonoodle
Considering she’s a trendy pop singer, and not an opera singer, I think she did very well. Much better than any of the pop singers we currently have ever could.
fredo777
She did a great job. Unclench.
anthony_osorio
Pretty sure Inva Mula was human. ?
Bryguyf69
Great performance. And I loved the hair and gown. Both understated but perfect for her.
arcoarconcio_passivy
No it´s Beautifly TeattherInConseert Music Opera Galaxy Star Planet Blue University ! Loooking Spicy It´s The Live E.T´s ! Jpan Girls Music HongKong Tuor Summer Club Trans Genirus Sex is LGBTT Orientt´s . Americam is DonaldTurmpObamma is People .
jasentylar
Get it girl.
Eiswirth
If anyone truly cares to hear what the mad scene from Lucia actually sounds like when sung by the greatest coloratura soprano of all time — Joan Sutherland — just go to YouTube and look for Lucia-Mad Scene- Joan Sutherland-1959-1969 and several live and recorded versions will pop up.
myrdraal2001
Better yet, try Maria Callas. https://youtu.be/-MSsi-iysCA
PipMeister
Shame on you all for not knowing it was Sarah Brightman who sung the aria in the movie. She has also performed it several times in the 90s and in a special event in London where they backed her up with the music from the movie.
Nathan15
OMG. How embarrassing for you that you think it was Sarah Brightman. I guess karma is a bitch.
darren michaels
I find it most astounding.. No matter how unkind, gay men will argue and debate a point to death and never consider offering even the slightest accolades to the individuals who they argue against. Right or wrong, the woman featured achieves what
many cannot and a few bitchy men attempting to scratch the faces of others to make a point is what appears to be one singular reaction that ties all of humanity together I is suggested or not, she makes a considerable effort of which is deserving
darren michaels
(without the few extra words at the end:)
I find it most astounding.. No matter how unkind, gay men will argue and debate a point to death and never consider offering even the slightest accolades to the individuals they argue against. Right or wrong, the woman featured achieves what
many cannot and she deserves praise all her own. It is however a few bitchy men attempting to scratch the faces of others to make a point and their unfortunate reaction that continues to tie all of humanity together (advances of social media in fact lead us backwards).
felixthegato
This. I very much enjoyed her performance. Let’s start 2018 with some positive vibes, people!
femonanon
I believe that “soothing stings” is an oxymoron. Proofread much?
billyemil_marcial
Vitas – Il Dolce Suono. From Lucia di Lammermoor
Vitas a male singer Ukrainian (one of the cast in Mulan) known for his unique falsetto and possesses a five-octave vocal range [wiki]… I think he sang it well.. considering… he’s a guy.
https://youtu.be/Z1YgdhO3IFA?t=12s
CarlIsle
“This song was written so that no human could sing it. Well, this human just NAILED it.”
Uhm, didn’t a human sing the original version in the movie? LOL. What a stupid headline.
keith_oneil
Any operatic coloratura soprano can sing this. They sing harder stuff every day. Here’s a friend of mine doing it : https://youtu.be/Ae_2MSdd83A
JeremyKC
She’s good, but this is still my favorite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QfjDnWndwc
prarie pup
That was AWESOME!!!! As my Louisiana-born granddad used to say, “That girl can SANG!” I’d love to see/hear more of this extraordinarily talented young lady….she KILLED it.
ALLENGRUNDEN
Hi, Being gay is a gift… I recently found out that my ex-Boyfriend who used to love me was put under a love spell by another man. They considered themselves as couples. It really broke me. I was really worried about him as to what could happen to him. I still loved him. We were in a ldr and I couldn’t see him… We still communicated from time to time but he made sure he doesn’t get found out by the man. Idt got frustrating as how he cannot see past the spell! I really wanted him back and also to be safe first and foremost and be away from that man. I also met Dr. Akim online and he helped me break the blackmagic on him and in 40 hours he called me and begged me to take him back. Akim’s website:https://prayerstosavemarriages.wordpress.com will be much appreciated if you contact him for marriage and relationship problems cos i promised to talk about him all over the internet 🙂
Thomas Loom
The original was better cause she could not hit the Bass note like the Diva did sorry.