The Messiah- Why Do the Nations?

[maestrohughes]

I disagree that this aria sounds better at slower tempi. Most basses simply cannot sing this quickly. But Handel wanted it to really book. You are right: the words call for "fury," and therefore the performance affect (a HUGE part of the Baroque style) requires that the execution match. This was BRILLIANT! As a conductor, I will hire you the next time I direct this. Bravissimo!

[manwithabook]

That was phenomenal. Even if the aria sounds better taken at a slightly slower tempo, (which is legitimately debatable,) this performance is unequivocal. Your chops are world-class in my book, sir. Bravo indeed.

[Dortmunderstrasse]

Bravo!!! Händel being sung the way he would have wanted!!

[meesteropera]

No, I chose this tempo. I was happy to do it fast. The text is "Why do the Nations so FURIOUSLY RAGE" so I furiously raged!

[aribv]

I don't think Valerio was quite happy about that tempo, I can imagine what was going through his mind when he heard the introduction to the song, he was laughing his head off, probably saying "he (the conductor) has to be joking"

[SandyRiver24]

stacatto triplets?

[fishhead06]

Now THAT was speedy!

[wattever333]

2 minutes 20 seconds, we have a winner!

[howtoplanaparty]

You funny!

[glorialeeyoung]

How could anyone here, who has actually listened you do this Aria even consider listening to another. Valerian you are

truly, absolutely the very best. Please do more

Oratorio. You are even more impressive in this

Spiritual music than in the Opera l You are truly

amazing. Please give us more Oratorio.

I lost you on You Tube and I was absoluely devistated. I havn't been able to find any more

oratorio by you on You Tube and I long for itl

[glorialeeyoung]

Valerian, I don't think other people even call you

that. But I am truly a fan.

Do you have any more video clips from the Messiah or other musician who do Oratorio,

like Menddelson,t like the Elijah. Excuse my spelling it is the middle of the night and I would rather listen to you now that I've found you again than watch TV or even read which is

my greatest joyl I couldn't fin dyou on line earlier. Then I was able to access favorites

and there you were.

to you than watch TV any dyal

[glorialeeyoung]

Valerian, I've missed so listening to your wonderful voice and presentation of this classic

Handel Aria.

You are absolutely great to the maxium potential.

Please do more Handel Messiah pieces. You are

without comparison. Once one hears you doing

Handel they are lost to all others as far as I'm

concerned. God Bless you in all of your endeviours. You are absolutely the Cat's Meow!

[HMW]

i'm liking that break-neck tempo

[Fuliginosus]

Great singer. I love the tempo.

[Timrath]

Indeed, this is how baroque music should be played. Most people play that stuff much too slowly nowadays. They think, just because it's old, it should be arthritic, too.

It takes courage to choose such a fast tempo, but it certainly pays off.

[carolynan]

GREAT VOICE BRILLIANT SINGER

[DTiger71202]

Great voice, but too fast. This particular aria is Allegro. I think it was performed Presto.

[franyun]

I strongly agree!!!

[BethDiane]

No, the rule of thumb for baroque arias is that you look at the text setting, find the beat that puts the most syllabic bits of the text the closest to how you would declaim them from a stage or a pulpit, and then apply the adjective used as a tempo marking to this to supply a mood, by tweaking a little forward or back.

[bastiannini]

Great, this is my favorite version. Please tell me the name of this amazing singer.

[Webarton]

Valerian Ruminski! None other.

[glorialeeyoung]

This is also m very favorite version of this

Aria. No one does it like he does .

Who is he?

[smcmounty]

Nice tempo! I always thought, only I can do this...

[Webarton]

Oh my god this is freakin amazing. I cant believe that I have the opportunity of taking lessons with this guy, an awesome vocal coach and teacher as well as a HOLY SHIT AMAZING singer, an intense combo.

[grecanceran]

why do the people sing this song like this??

it's so disappointing!

they try to make it fast..faster..fastest.so that they could make an impression..but that impression really is only a bad one. try not to do this song animated kind of thing..it sounds like tom & jerry are having a chase scene.

intonations, sylabications, and note values are totally messed because of trying too hard to do this as fast as they can.

they do this fast coz they're afraid to lose breath on the running passages!

[meesteropera]

I took it fast because I CAN

[OperaMan22]

@meesteropera Just because you can take it that fast does not mean you should. You've got a good voice, but I feel this wasn't very musical. Yes, the music needs to capture the sense of the rage explicit in the lyrics, but Handel does that for you beautifully. Performance should not be a race, nor should we subjugate the composer's will to our own just for the sake of showing off.

[Timrath]

I'm a real sucker for precision, but in the end, the only thing that counts is whether the music excites or bores you. So, even if this performance really were as messed as you perceive it to be (which IMO it isn't), it would have been a small price to pay, in return for this stirring rendition.

After all, this aria is stile concitato; there's no "too fast" for stile concitato. The lyrics say "FURIOUSLY RAGE". You can't rage furiously without breaking stuff here and there.

Well played.

[franyun]

I don't agree to that... It doesn't mean that it's from Baroque era then it has to be always fast... You're downright wrong... There are some pieces that need to be fast like some piano solos or violin, but to make your voice as fast as your finger works then you're a total disaster... Can't you listen carefully to the music??.. even the ensemble struggled to play it clean.. the're not sync perfectly.. So this just means that the beauty of the music suffers coz of the condescending tempo!

[Timrath]

"Can't you listen carefully to the music??"

Believe me, I can, and I do. I'm a professional musician, after all. It's not that their being out of sync escaped me; it's that I don't care about it. There's things that one just has to forgive and be generous about.

Did you, perhaps, think that they played it any different back then? They didn't even reherase, most of the time.

Perhaps I'm stupid for liking it, but hey, I'm not alone, and we wouldn't like it if it didn't have its merits.

[glorialeeyoung]

I agree, and this Aria from Handel's Messiah is truly exciting to the max. Wouldn't you agree Timrath?

[patebrisee]

Wow, this guy owns.

[arngrei]

Breathtaking speed coupled with total control, Valerian made that song his bitch.

[arngrei]

Awesome, and the fastest I've ever heard!

[gabrielusa911]

lovely expressions

[dennisdeem]

Bravo!!! Who is this? He's amazing and his articulation is impeccable.

[glorialeeyoung]

This is so much better than the version he does with Klein who doesn't have half the

voice or vocal control as Valerian.

[BethDiane]

By the way, if you have one of "The Trumpet Shall Sound," please post it.

[glorialeeyoung]

Teddy Rhodes does The Trumpet Shall Sound.

There are several other singers doing The

Trumpet Shall Sound as well, on you tube.

[BethDiane]

Yes, I've heard those. I was asking meesteropera to post a video of himself singing "The Trumpet Shall Sound" if such a thing exists.

[glorialeeyoung]

BethDiane,

I'd love to hear anything else Valerian does

in Oratorio. I know I requested this before

with no response. AT least not yet.

[glorialeeyoung]

That sounds exciting. I'd like to hear that

too.

[glorialeeyoung]

This is my very favorite thing I've herd Valerian do. I'd love to get a cd of him singing just oratorio. It really shows his

voice and his training and his great talent better than his opera and jazz . This is

heavenly. Valerian if your are reading this

let me know if you have such a cd. No one can

do Why Do The Nations from the messiah like

you did in this you tube video.

[BethDiane]

What she said! This is probably the best performance of this aria I've heard _ever_, and I'm picky.

p.s. Dig the low "e" at the end. I don't suppose you happen to know a little number called "Che farai, Meliseo?" by Sigismondo d'India?

[glorialeeyoung]

Who is this singer? Does he do anything else in oratoro or opera? Please answer whoever knows. Thank You very Much!

[glorialeeyoung]

Can we get more classical pieces by this totally great singer. He is so articulate.

Does he do any more of messiah pieces.

He is absolutely inthalling.

Please give us more classic he is absolutely amazing.

[foxdruidz]

perfect melismas! that's so funny at the first time to see him preparing his mouth before the song started

[malmangelucci]

this dude's a bad-ass.

[oleganna]

Indeed fantastic, great job!!!*****

[battletor4]

Wow!  This man is a beast. Bravissimo!

[tlehman1]

One of my favorite voices and best interpretation I think!

[aribv]

I love this man!

[mmgmom]

Well, he's absolutely FANTASTIC!

[choje84]

I love that coloratura! Excellent tempo. Awesome.

[foropera]

Well the staccato technique helps a lot, with this kind of mad tempo, and bravo for your stamina! Impressive voice. (You use odd tags, don't you? ;-)

[ljcort]

Awesome!!!

[dbmaira]

wow

[kimtyler]

damn, that's good.