Jose van Dam - Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Scintille diamant

[SiViSaraVendetta]

Nice voice and interpretations, but nothing exceptional

[bodiloto]

poca voce.

[classicvinylbiz]

Martial Singher: Scintille Diamant - 1959, Met:

watch?v=F4R5YFKNws0

thanks and regards

[chorbass]

It is maddening to see to what ignominious depths opera and singers are brought; undignified and belittled by hopelessly talentless stage directors and producers, one suspects that the art form is actually already dead!

[chorbass]

It is so maddening to see to what ignominious depths trashy stagings have brought opera and artists who are denied their dignity by stage directors who are so pathetic in their attempts to improve on the composers' intentions!

[wattever333]

weird transition 0:40-0:50, did they modulate or not? is he doing the lower version?

[SMDBC]

It's actually kinda funny what he did. The lower version is in D, while the higher is in E. He's actually doing it right in the middle; Eb. :)

[wattever333]

as do the majority of baritones.

[wattever333]

on "je veux" he went up half a tone (as if they were doing it in the written key E), then he came back down on the next word when he realized they were doing it in Eb.

[wattever333]

où est le diamant?

[Guichotpresident]

Is he a baritone or a base??

[stripernutkl]

I think he is a known as a base-baritone. His ability to sing along with other well-known base baritones like Ruggerio Ramondi leads me to that conclusion. Look up his performances of Figaro or as Don Giovanni and compare them to others and you'll see the similarities.

[Guichotpresident]

@stripernutkl right, thanks :p

[trevorm74]

i'm liking the fan going during the whole aria. i feel like i could sing like that if i had a fan on me too

[Falkenlab]

José van Dam, toujours égal à lui-même, c'est-à-dire, parfait !!! Et on comprend ce qu'il chante, lui, ce qui n'est pas le cas de tout le monde !!!

[ElisabettaVS]

This is a very nice interpretation, but I need to admit, that I like Raimondi's interpretation more. Jose van Damm has certainly a beautiful voice. Very comfortable and soft. Not hard and rattling like some others.

[arpeggio1358]

@ElisabettaVS I like Ramey's interpretation better than either Raimondi or VanDam.

[ElisabettaVS]

@arpeggio1358 To be honest, I think Ramey's voice (although I like it) is too heavy for this role, at least for me. :)

[arpeggio1358]

@ElisabettaVS I don't find his voice to heavy for this role. In fact, I've heard Ramey live as all four villains from Hoffmann, and thought he was just perfect in all four roles.  I respect your opinion, though.

[ElisabettaVS]

@arpeggio1358 That's what a discussion is about, isn't it? :)

[arpeggio1358]

@ElisabettaVS Yes, it is. And it's delightful to have a discussion with someone like you who is polite. :-) Too often I see rudeness and abusiveness on YouTube.

[ElisabettaVS]

@arpeggio1358 Oh, yes! I am so annoyed of discussing with people who don't understand how to have a discussion, they always feel personally offended when it is all on an objective level... :-)

[isabelle070209]

Un des meilleurs du siècles. Et sa prononciations en français est un régal pour moi. (on devine pourquoi).

[Michelcamby]

je suis encore daccord avec toi pour la voix exeptionelle de Van Damme j'ai vu enormement d'opera avec lui il est fabuleux

[jleeol]

van Dam, such a fine Golaud and Dutchman, hear clearly haven't great trouble with the range...didn't know he sang big roles this recently. Still he is a fine artist

[Thorfin68]

was it in Orange??

[orthochrom]

Ramey is the best

[sable56bb]

A bit ponderous but easy top at the end.

[danajohnhill]

Alas, without the high note.

[Agorante]

Not a really a fair criticism. When this opera is done today its usually done by one bass-baritone. In the old days there were always four separate villians with a high baritone taking this aria (added from "L'Etoile du Nord"). Sherill Milnes made a feast of the high A at the end of "Scintille" but he never sang the other three much lower parts.

[ottyott]

Actually, it's a high G# at the end if one takes the high note. Otherwise it is an E like in this version.

[Agorante]

My bad. I just checked the score. It is indeed a G# not an A. But my point remains. That's just too high for Van Dam, Morris or Ramey in a live performance.

[cameratamaestro]

It's a G sharp, not a high A and great baritones like Warren sang it. I even put a high B in it.

[Agorante]

Must I continue forever to apologize for saying that it was an A not a G#?

I said it was too high for Van Dam, Morris or Ramey in a live performance. I also said the G# was done by Milnes so it shouldn't surprise anyone that Warren also sang that way.

Did Warren ever sing all four villians? No. Did Warren ever sing Hoffman on stage at all? Not at the Met and not at San Francisco.

What Warren did in concert is hardly relevant here. Please post you version with the high B.

[carotamia]

why discuss about a high A or G# . They all sing it in D which takes them at the most to a F# !

Check with your finger on the keyboard....

[Agorante]

The issue is why do they sing it in D.

Offenbach died before the premiere. This aria was added by an impresario to fill out the score. It's a performance tradition. The other four villains are all lower. If you want for drammatic purposes to have one singer do all four then you take "Scintille" down to D. Most productions do that today.

Some commenters however miss the very high brilliant G# version that was the older performance tradition.

[carotamia]

"tradizione tradimento" (Toscanini)

[Agorante]

My point was that this aria was interpolated into this opera. Toscanini was famous for striping singer's excrudescences from the composer's original intentions. That doesn't apply here. Scintille Diamante was never in Offenbach's original composition.

There is a baritone version and a bass-baritone version. Faithfulness to the composer's intentions is not an isssue here.

BTW I only heard Van Dam live once. He sang Angelotti in Tosca. I don't remember anything about his performance.

[chanteur73]

Sorry, this is a G. The key of the scene is E flat major...

[Agorante]

I need a pitch pipe.

[chanteur73]

I have a perfect and natural one...

;-)))

[NimsgernVideos]

i am sorry folks..the last note of van dam he sings is only a d #sharp.the score says it should be a g#..if u wanna hear the real note check out my father siegmund nimsgern with domingo at londons covent garden 81 under yu tube! :-)

best frank

[cameratamaestro]

Your father was Siegmund Nimsgern? He was a FINE FINE singer.

[chanteur73]

Nice to meet, Nimsgern Jr! I know the famous G# from the ROH version. Actually i posted my comment just 2 seconds before the final note and it is indeed E flat.

[aeru9]

smile

[guywets]

I had the good fortune to see him live ,singing in a lot of operas and differents performances,here in Brussels.Last time, it was last summer,in La Cambre Abbey park,in a walking concert. He's still the best!

[steainsy]

excellent, and with the wind as well!

[rovingeye5]

magnificently sung!

[abbeast22]

so, a question about the breeze. was this performance outside, or is that a special effect?

[Gabba02]

Outdoor performance.

[oOFleurDeLisOo]

Tres bien! Je l'aime! Il est magnifique! Quelle chanson forte!