Samuel Ramey "Deh vieni alla finestra" Don Giovanni

[sevoflurane]

Splendid sound, little depth.

[Dogaradodia]

Samuel Ramey - Intergalactic Bass!

[TS57ovr4]

I appreciate Ramey's lower sonority, certainly, but I like the depth of tone that Cesare Siepi brought to the role--that and his superb acting.

[SuperZorrolover]

@TS57ovr4 agree with you, i love siepi s' don in the furtwangler video recording!

[seektheforce]

Why worry about classification? If something is too low, or too high for someone, we'll hear it, and say that's probably too low/high, for that person.

[sopranosd]

I agree that I like this darker color, but of course it makes DG sound older, which certainly is creepy when you consider the youth of the girls he is chasing. Maybe that's why people have been casting more lyric baritones in the role. Ramey is wonderful, though, and would definitely make the ladies swoon.

[basilio481]

BRAVO

[cj5522]

I got to hear Mr. Ramey live...I could hear him humming to himself over the fortissimo piano playing. It was amazing.

[AminaBellini]

@cj5522 ...well he is amazing! I enyoyed his singing live in the Teatro Colon, from Buenos Aires few years ago...when he sang Attila!!!!

[arpeggio1358]

@cj5522 Was this during "Embraceable You"?  He did the same thing when I heard him live in Costa Mesa, CA a few years ago. The pianist was the incomparable Warren Jones.

[tCrOMez1990]

that is the kind of sound that makes your clothes melt right off lol

[Somair6469]

Glad i could make you laugh, but i wasn't kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bassfanne45]

He is just so perfect!  i think his dark sound is just right for the Don.

[Somair6469]

same here only id have my boxers off

[bassfanne45]

@Somair6469 LOL!  And I needed a good laugh today. Thank you!

[Dogaradodia]

Certified Intergalactic! Samuel Ramey is the best bass ever!

[SENAFOREVER]

Bravissimo Maestro!

[marc3350]

oui c'est curieux cette voix pompeuse, alors qu'il donne si bien la réplique à Moll dans le final, face à face avec le Commandeur

[TheConfederateBoy]

ma suona davvero lui o è in "playback" ?

[tidaliumpelo]

On dirait un don giovanni de 90 ans telle ment la voix est sombrée , vieillie!

[greenunseen]

Sa voix etait toujours comme ca, dans chaque role. Laide, rigide.

[SENAFOREVER]

Tu es certain que tu ne parle pas de ton âme, là?

[elisasoprano]

Bravo Maestro!

[ciupotto]

finalmente un basso che...almeno finge di suonare il mandolino! L'interpretazione conferma l'abilità di Ramey....bravissimo

[evita010]

Samuel Ramey is a great singer but I don't like his Don Giovanni

[raythespian]

Gimme Dmitri.

[pavoman23]

both sing this song without any regard to the notes. ppl have begun to see this as a song to yell where it is supposed to be gentle i prefer tito gobbis version. If ur telling soem girl shes perfect u dont yell it at her

[Hamju]

I agree. YOU'RE PERFECT LET'S DO IT!! Is not how to pick up women.

Simon Keenlyside's is probably my favourite.

[pavoman23]

agreeed

[RSTAR2009]

I like Keenlyside's version better too.

[LifeJuice90]

Ramey is very resonant. His voice is booming when he is just talking. Plus he is telling her to come to the window. I think he would want her to hear him LOL.

[pavoman23]

interpret it however you want but it is a serenade, keep that in mind. PEace

[blichilde]

oh please. How can you compare them? They are not even in the same league.

[raythespian]

Dmitri and Ramey are in different voice categories, but I'm not sure what you mean by 'league'. I believe that Dmitri is the baritone of his generation, as Ramey was the bass of his.

[Jonnybrams]

It would have been cool if he'd actually been playing the lute, if that's what's the instrument shown is. But singers already have enough multi-tasking to do; Ramey is a beast but I don't think a singer has ever sung an aria while playing an instrument.

[omarchidofine]

@candidnt hahahahaha!!!

[laraineannebarker]

Yes, like timaenot I prefer a bass for Don Giovanni to a baritone. Ramey is wonderful. Thank you, Onegin65, for posting this.

[doctorw2]

i love samuel ramey hes my favorite opera singer, he looks so lion like.

[winnienoodlez]

Haha I met him backstage a few weeks ago and actually baked him lion cookies. He loved 'em!!

[mauricioD]

Just as one visualizes it in one's mind's ear. Remarkable.

[raigekimaru]

Ramey is the only one I've heard sing this pieces with enough dominance. Don G. was a mack, not a simp or a drooling school boy. most guys who sing this need a double dosage of testosterone.

[arpeggio1358]

@raigekimaru I certainly agree. After hearing way too many wimpy Don G's, Ramey is certainly refreshing! He was a force to be reckoned with as the Don!

[Opreaismylife10692]

*drool*♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥­♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

[Salsademika]

Simply Beautiful

[HynBlue]

Ramey ha una bella voce, ma più adatta a cantare Verdi, e tutti i bei baritoni delle sue opere, più che una leggera serenata d'amore...

He has a godd voice, but not good for Mozart and his sweet melody. With that strog voice he should sing Verdi...

[raigekimaru]

He does sing Verdi and does it well. he also has a fabulous repetoire in Rossini and Puccini. personally, I think he would sound great in Wagnerian pieces (although his voice sounds much better in Italian than the germanic languages)

[candidnt]

brb, throwing panties on the stage

[timaenot]

Beautiful!! This bass voice has more masculinity in it than lighter Don Giovannis - I would surrender! ;-)

[zegermans750]

Normally a basso would kinda make diminish the impact of the commendatore but in this case it was Kurt Moll so... yeah... it's impossible for him not to make an impact

[some1tookmynick]

Impeccable, absolutely impeccable! However, I, too, prefer a baritone in this role, because I think a basso makes it too heavy. I mean compare Commendatore and Don Giovanni - how can the same voice sing both? Besides, a baritone is way more seductive.

[Arashi110]

In this production Commendatore was sung by Kurt Moll who sounds much darker than Ramey. It was absolutely impossible to confuse them. As for seductiveness, well, tastes differ. ;)

[some1tookmynick]

No, of course, Moll and Ramey sound different! But they're both basso, that was my point. Not the same voice, but the same...*what's the correct term?*...range?

Basso is seductive in a threatening way, and I hear too much danger in his voice. To me, it's more than necessary.

[Arashi110]

True, Moll and SR are both basses but one is basso profondo while the other is a basso cantante. Basses are different. Yet I see your point but please keep in mind that the role of DG was created when baritone as a voice type wasn't even distinguished. Mozart wrote DG for a bass-baritone. I suppose now it's just the matter of taste who should be cast in the role. To me, SR has a very sensual voice. In short, I'm a woman, and I would've looked out of the window after the first verse already! :)

[some1tookmynick]

OK, now that we're in the "tastes differ" dialogue, we're never gonna agree!)) But truth be said, I would definitely "come to console him" if he sang this. It's just that I already have a favourite rendition. Nothing beats seeing it live.

[vigwig]

I'd give in. ;)

[Drumshanbohustle]

Nice...nice enough. But I actually prefer the lighter baritones, epecially for this particular number (Fischer-Dieskau can't be beat, really). I think this very resonant bass baritone makes him sound too old.

[picapin]

I agree, this sounds like my grandpa giving a serenade

[Manxypop]

This is wonderful singing. I would also recommend the same aria sung by Ezio Pinza, which I find equally as charming.

[RagingSuccubus]

I ADORE this production!

[UnsPoKen666]

world's greatest bass :D

[dennisdeem]

i must disagree.  he was professional and adequate, but doesn't compare to hvorostovsky or terfel.

[Bjoerrelli]

This role was sang by a basso cantate in the early part of the last century now they want light baritones to sing it! I think Don Giovanni needs this dark sound for his manly character.

[raigekimaru]

@Bjoerrelli

actually I prefer dramatic baritone or a really dark lyric baritone (although Ramey is wonderful)

PS: I have no idea how a bass can sing this aria at all. it literally lies completely in the top half of the range. I am a (reasonably powerful) lyic baritone and this tessitura is high as hell for me. I can't imagine doing it as a bass.

[Bjoerrelli]

@raigekimaru Have you heard Cesare Siepis version or Nicolai Ghiaurov wonderfull renditions. This little Canzonetta is the only reason why light lyric baritones are asked to sing this part! I vote for more testosteron in Opera!!

[arpeggio1358]

@raigekimaru Samuel Ramey has an upper register that just keeps going up and up and up. It's sovery unusual for a bass. He has the low notes too!

[raigekimaru]

@arpeggio1358

true dat with all those top Gs he's so found of singing.

[BassoNero]

@arpeggio1358 Sam not a regular bass. He is a true bass-baritone = dark baritone with sonorous low register (a bass-baritone should be able to sing sonorous low E comfortably). But Sam is also blessed with some extra low tones.

[arpeggio1358]

@BassoNero A lot of us on YT have been going round and round for months on the cassification of Ramey's voice. I've finally decided on basso cantante, but that really is a very short step away from bass-baritone. At any rate, he has an extremely wide range.

[Vivaldicellist]

@arpeggio1358 He classifies himself as a bass-baritone, rather than a basso cantate. Since I assume he has had more training (and knows those with more training) in vocal pedagogy than the YT populace, Ill go with that.

[arpeggio1358]

@Vivaldicellist I understood that he classifies himself as a basso cantante. I think it depends on what source you're using. He certainly has the low notes of a true bass. Bryn Terfel is someone who I'd call a bass-baritone, as he has that in between voice that doesn't really have the very lowest notes of a bass. At any rate, it's a very short step between basso cantante and bass baritone.

[dc0nn]

@arpeggio1358, i think you mean basso cantabile.

[arpeggio1358]

@dc0nn The term I learned is basso cantante. I suspect we're splitting hairs.

[Jextxadore]

@arpeggio1358 Far from splitting hairs — IPA Source defines a basso cantante as another term for bass-baritone (E2-F4 (e.g. Ramey)), while a basso cantabile is a "seriöserbaß" (C2-F4 (e.g. Siepi)).

[arpeggio1358]

@Jextxadore And Merriam-Webster dictionary defines basso cantante as "bass voice with a well-developed upper range. It goes on to say thatit combines baritone agility with bass sonority."

[arpeggio1358]

@Jextxadore P.S I checked it out and your IPA Source does NOT call a basso cantante the same thing as a bass-baritone. Nice try. Now go away.

[Jextxadore]

@arpeggio1358 'CHARAKTERBAß/BAßBARITON (E to f')

Bass-baritone

A large voice with an extended range and a fine characterizations ability.

The bass-baritone voice in the German theater is what one thinks of in America as the basso cantante'

'SERIÖSERBAß/SCHWARZERBAß (C to f')

Basso Cantabile

A full voice with a dark color and good low voice.'

ipasource, bass section.

[arpeggio1358]

@Jextxadore So our sources disagree. I refuse to get into a wrestling match with a pig. WE'd both end up covered in excrement, but the pig would enjoy it. I'm done with you. Go puke out your faulty expertise on someone else.

[arpeggio1358]

@Vivaldicellist If you're referring to the header on his website that says he interprets bass and bass-baritone roles, I think that just means that he sings bass-baritone roles. I'd be interested to know your source that says he calls hmself a bass-baritone. No offense intended and I'm not doubting you.

[pechorin1841]

hvorostovsky is a baritone not a bass-baritone much less a bass.

[Baelmyrrdn]

While I do confess I *adore* Terfel (especially in Gounod's "Faust"), I much prefer Ramey in this particular role.

I agree with "Bjoerrelli", the deeper, darker timbre of Ramey's voice adds a complexity to his performance that gives the character a operatic "machismo" that it needs.

[HopePoisoned]

I also prefer Ramey as Don Giovanni; I don't like Terfel in this role, personally...not to say he isn't great or anything

[sketL]

Neither of whom is a bass...

[EmilyGreene1984]

Actually Samuel Ramey is a basso.

[nybulldog]

In all honestly Hvorostovsky was one of my first favorites, but I hold Ramey's voice in high esteem. Bryn Terfel sings good lied, but he pushes his voice too much in my opinion

[imachunt]

Wonderful singing!