Hvorostovsky - Deh vieni alla finestra (Mozart: Don Giovanni

[Jextxadore]

When I read that he'd "messed up the last line", I was expecting the worst…then he just carried on without even hesitating, and if you didn't know the lyrics you probably wouldn't have noticed.

I think this tempo's perfect, especially for someone like him who can stay in the upper range comfortably for a long time.

[gabbib55]

Awesome interpretation,Hworostowsky is a very sensitive singer! Thank you!

[dziady1]

He destroys the mood just to indulge himself - might go well in Moscow

Hear Souzay do it - for a great interpretation

[lifeeh1]

@dziady1 Seriously, you think you are good enough to comment on one of the best singers alive.

[dziady1]

@lifeeh1 - More than good enough ! on repeated hearings it is awful - it drags so much

it is almost musically inert .I guess he believes his press and thinks he is Hvorostovsky

who can sing any way that pleases him . He should try singing it as Mozart wrote it .

[eurydike]

he could surely sing it quicker but what is so bad about his singing here???? he is still great here.

[elenikiroy]

But what a voice...

[opernfan7]

Agorante is right ! This is too slow which makes it a kinda boring !

[pjayman93]

messes up the text with the last line, but he plays it off pretty well.

[eurydike]

i really dont understand what is the problem. He sings beautifully. as he always does.

[chipslinofggl]

蝦母是 曼陀鈴琴 好像是 小提琴的播弦 Is it a violin rather than mandolin?!

[mark6230]

He sings in throat, like many supposed stars of today . Wrong, wrong, wrong. Listen to Cesare Siepi or Samuel Ramey and u can hear the difference.

[SedonaMTB]

@mark6230 Hard for a Russian to do. I agree with you.

[aaronjanke]

@tank4805 True enough on the Russian. On the other hand, he's singing the song way to slow, and considering that it's supposed to be a somewhat playful love/wooing song, I think his heavy, dramatic baritone voice isn't doing it justice. Then again, world famous baritones can do whatever they want.

Check this out for (what I perceive) to be a much better example.

watch?v=wDPcab-gcYs

[aaronjanke]

He has a very good voice, but he's too in his throat for my liking.

He looks stoned as shit!

[tank4805]

@aaronjanke Read up on russian and how it's pronounced and you'll understand why russians tend to to be guteral. P.S. there is a difference between throaty and heavy, dramatic baritone vs. lyric.

[Agorante]

As part of my research for my new web site MyRepitateur which contains hundreds of MIDI versions of numbers from Don Giovanni, I have listened to almost all the YouTube videos of every aria, duet and enselmble from Don Giovanni. So I can say with some authority that this is the slowest damn version of the serenade extant!!!

It would never be done this way on stage. In the score it's marked as a 6/8 Allegretto. He sings it as more of an Adagio.

[frufruJ]

@Agorante You are correct, it is probably the slowest version I've heard, too. No, it would never be done this way on stage, because there it's part of the opera, whereas here it's an encore of a concert, as a serenade, out of context of Don Giovanni. It's interesting to hear such an experiment, isn't it? I must say I like it very much this way.

[adamskyb]

Does anyone know a video with a baritone singing low? cause I never here baritones using low g's or around there. I have nothing to compare my own voice with. I like singing in my low range but it is always changing. Sometimes I have great fat low g's and f#s and sometimes struggle with low a's...WHY!!??! it drives me crazy

[Agorante]

@adamskyb

The role of Don G goes down to an A Natural.

Most modern baritone stars are Verdi baritones - somewhat higher. Better try bass abritones or Helden Baritons. Try George London or James Morris in something like "Die Frist ist Um". Bryn Terfel and Geraint Evans (the Welsh guys) are also good. Skip Milnes and Warren - too high for you. Dimmi may be higher yet.

[BassoCantante19]

@adamskyb I bet you are under 25 years of age. I know how it's like. I'm training as a bass and I'm 20. My lower extreme can be as low as low D and as high as low F depending on time and day. Hopefully the lower range gets much better with age.

The baritone lower extreme is not stressed in opera as it is with basses. An opera baritone doesn't need much more than low Ab. Gs written for baritone are extremely rare. Try "rivolgete a lui lo sguardo" sung by Rodney Gilfry. It has a low F#.

[BassoCantante19]

@adamskyb PS. A baritone might want a low F in case he covers bass-baritone, Mozart bass or basso buffo parts. For example, Leporello in Don Giovanni is a bass part, but it has been sung frequently by baritones, such as Hvorostovsky himself. And Leporello has a low F.

[adamskyb]

@BassoCantante19 I read the score and it showed it going back up to middle F...if you are talking about the F towards the end. I figured that they just made it a low F because they can, that's why I thought leporello might actually be a baritone role because baritones were called bass back then. idk. Thanks for your replies. I am 25 actually but my voice changed a little later so maybe I am behind since my voice isn't settled. I'm hoping that somehow I'll magically turn into a bass-baritone

[irina251287]

shut up and listen! ! ! !

[Heroictenor]

Very slow and messed up the last phrase's lyrics

[Heroictenor]

Sung the slowest I have ever heard it

[witness124]

Perhaps he did forget those words. what would you have done.

'Oh...er...sorry....can I start again?'

No, he is a true professioanl, and just carries on. Like if you're training for opera or a professional yourself, and i'll compare it to the number of nasty comments.

[dextrixmig]

Lo hace fenomenal y me encanta!

Pero visteis el cuello???

Engola que es una pasada!

Se ve que en rusia hace frio y tienen que calentar la voz como sea!!! jajajaja

Pero me encanta que conste!

[BegemotshAlun]

Великий мастер слова напутал))))))))))))))))))))

[tommybaby124]

So what if he slightly screws up, not even the opera buffs in the audience probably picked it up. I must slightly disagree with the comment about singing with the larynx in a high position. The larynx should actually be in a low position that is activiated by the release of the jaw (relaxed) and a low breath. He looks like he is yawning because of a released jaw. The larynx does get higher as the notes get higher, but he is singing on thin chords, when he gets high, hence, no straining. Thanks

[qhsperson]

@tommybaby124 I'm far from being an opera expert, but I was amazed at how he blew the lyrics here.

[Vivaldicellist]

@qhsperson You may try to remember that, as this is being sung as an encore, he has already sung a full recital. I know people dont understand the work that goes into true singing, but a full recital is EXHAUSTING. Ill forgive Hvorostovsky one slip :P.

[bsol07]

i think he does very well with it

it was so good that i had to check to make sure i wasn't remembering it incorrectly

[bodiloto]

questa aria si canta pp ! I panissimi di Hvorostovsky sono apoggiati tutti sulla gola a me la sua interpretazione non mi piace affatto .

[SuperMarkova]

non mi piace troppo - solo affetto finto - evviva GOBBI!

[jeanmolin55]

Non possiamo fare paragoni!

Gobbi è eccelso e irripetibile.

Oggi in questo ruolo Hvorostovsky è un GRANDE!

Un'ottima voce e una tecnica buone! Il pubblico in teatro lo apprezza e sono d'accordo!

Ci vuole coraggio e Dmitri ne ha tanto!

Quindi BRAVO ! e pieni voti 5 stars.

E grazie per il post

[SuperMarkova]

Grazie!

Certo, non possiamo. Purtroppo non l´ho sentito in teatro. Mi piaciono TANTO le sue registrazioni che ha fatto 15-20 anni fa. Ma adesso - sinceramente mi sforzo - la sua voce é (per me) vuota. Scusi, é il mio gusto. :-)

[Belcantoexpert]

Rand stimme is important to keep alive when your a singer.

I ve seen him in Bastiljen opera and he did actually changed many of the wovels when he sang Rodrigo...but who cares!

When he sings as good as he does its ok. I think that was the best Posa I ever heard...better than Peter Matteis

[rexeterna]

ughhh again messing up the words at 2:25. sorry frufruj but you cannot say it is wrong to criticize a singer who doesn't even know the words of an aria

[frufruJ]

I can't help it but think that you are sooo jealous, spending so much time watching Hvorostovsky's videos and looking for anything he does wrong. Everybody messes up the words time by time, but you don't fail to show up here.

[rexeterna]

no, i'm sad---he used to have a BEAUTIFUL voice, such a beautiful lyric voice that sounded like DIMA. now there is this sound that is NOT him anymore.

[frufruJ]

May I ask then, why you listen to him? Can't you tell from the thumbnail when the vid is from? Did he not mess up words when he was younger? Will you make his voice better if you keep posting comments on YT? Do you think he reads it? Do you regard yourself an authority as to what is Dima and what not? You can no longer criticize the size, so at least you criticize the quality.

[rexeterna]

why can't i criticize the size? it's small. it was then and it is now. that is not his fault. but it sounds worse when he muffles it. but even singers with small voices at least get the words right. why do i watch?... well i hope that maybe just once i will catch a glimpse of the old dima hvorostovsky who was INCREDIBLE. usually it doesn't happen. i'll keep my fingers crossed though...

[frufruJ]

Yeah, and somebody is pointing a gun at your head, saying that he'll pull the trigger if you don't write something mean. There's an old saying: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

I don't remember any favourable comment that you've made under any of my vids, correct me if I'm wrong.

[eurydike]

@frufruJ your videos are great, don´t be annoyed and put here more please if you can. there are people who are grateful for any of them:-) thank you.

[Javaking9000]

He didn't mess up the words, and Rlane is right, he is very accomplished, and ridiculing him for something like that isn't constructive... its just sort of unnecessary.

[Javaking9000]

oh jk, he did mess up the words, but still not constructive, its really easy to mix up the text in strophic songs... not a biggie.

[amberdrake4223]

One who actually sings knows that sometimes things go wrong. What defines a professional is what they do when it does. I am sure that he has performed this many times. Also, almost no one in the audience noticed, as they were not holding scores. To make a comment like, "a singer who doesn't even know the words of an aria" implies that one is better than he is. I dare whoever makes these comments to perform in front of thousands and tour the world without making a mistake. It is not possible.

[aprandecki]

@rexeterna i sing everyday two shows a day, and i have to admit, its hard to remember the words, even after singing them over and over a 100 times, i still forget.

we are human mr. rexeterna, and people like Hvorostovsky arent, they're gods or something :). thanks frufru :)

[mittinka]

@rexeterna He does not mess up any words at 2:25. The words, according to the score, are: "davanti agli occhi tuoi morir vogl'io". This is exactly what he sings.

[rexeterna]

@mittinka check again, genius. the words are "lasciati almen veder, mio bell amore."

[Opera7Star]

@rexeterna can't you just shut up and enjoy this miracle of a man\voice?

[rexeterna]

haha he can't even remember the words at 1:01

[matthieusarah]

what the hell is he doing? He looks sick and about to throw up. The mandolin player looks and sounds like she is having her first lesson.

Simon (keenlyside) please come and show them how to do this

[LifeJuice90]

Why are so many people in love with Simon Keenlyside? He is ok but he isn't the next Ferruccio Furlanetto or Samuel Ramey.

[jhvorotin]

It looks like Dmitri is yawning. It's actually an image often used by vocal teachers. In fact, the tongue position, facial muscles and high position of the larynx when yawning should be similar when singing. Besides, both yawning and classical singing imply no tension whatsoever on the jaws. What I hear is that Dmitri sings this aria beautifully.

[LifeJuice90]

It is a damn serenade people. It is supposed to sway and induce passion.

[matthieusarah]

I agree.

[frufruJ]

...And this is a critique, or a praise?

Sorry, there are so many viewpoints in this discussion, it's difficult to tell!

If I were the maid, and he would have "swayed and induced passion," all right! *melt*

[LifeJuice90]

It is a praise!!!!! He has a very full bodied baritone voice without being almost a bass. It is very different which is very good and fresh for opera.

[77Peeter]

Ascoltate Siepi.....

[frufruJ]

Ascoltate to whomever you like. That's what art is about!

[tidaliumpelo]

Pourquoi est ce tellement lent ? reveillez moi quand ce sera fini! Pour moi hvorotovsky ,qui est un excellent chanteur , participe à cette "formolisation "de l'opera ,tout est toujours pompeux rien n'est simple et naturel!

[laboheme63]

If the ones of those who comment would have listened to one of his interwiews...There he says that noone should make his place(proffesionally speaking) by pushing others off the way...There is place for everyone who's got talent and each one should find his own way.And each one should grow by pushing himself further,higher,as far and even beyond his own limits.And not by pushig othest down.If only more people could undestand that it would be a better world.

[Belcore14]

Keep in mind, people, that this is also an encore at the end of a very long concert.

Cut the guy some slack!

[artea360]

excelente, pero naturalmente su voz es muy poderosa para una aria tan delicada :)

[gabariton]

pues creo que tienes razon..el caudal de su vos es bastante fuerte.le as escuchado al bryn terfel? a este tio si que le sale como se debe!!

[cityboating]

He is getting lazy and he is only 47Scooping notes, wrong words, wrong notes hardly recognizable. Was this the piece written by Mozart???

[ssl6p]

wow, anyone notice the amount of veins in his neck when he sings, looks like he's really straining

[frufruJ]

It has been reported to me from several mutually independent sources that he was not 100% fit on this occasion. So, maybe he had to, a little, here. I saw him at ROH as Di Luna (from the second row!), and didn't notice the slightest sign of strain. If he did strain two times a week, he would have no voice in a few years. Besides, strain or no strain, he sound amazing, doesn't he? :-)

[ssl6p]

ah, I see, he still sounds great of course :)

[pavoman23]

I find his interpretations overly dramatic. Really enjoy him as Di Luna but don't like him as Don GIovanni.

[frufruJ]

Can't you people decide? One says that he's too boring, another that he's too dramatic... Joking :-) As my singing teacher says, there's no such person, liked by everyone in the world. Only, in Czech it rhymes :-)

[RoyLFewkes]

its sad he messed up on the words. he was good!

[blichilde]

It should be sweet and seductive,not flat and boring

[jhvorotin]

sweet and seductive? more melancholic and dreamy to me . Remember that the woman is not yet at the window...watch out for the words. "don't be cruel to me, let yourself be seen, my sweet love".

[raigekimaru]

this isn't politically correct america in the 21st century, it's Europe in the 1700s. "sweet and seductive" by today's standards would make you look like a little boy by theirs. Don G. is not begging her, just pampering her a bit (this is a good tactic for women of lower social strata). too many baritones attempt to sound weak and "sweet" and basically are kissing Zerlina's ass. that's not how the role was intended.

[raigekimaru]

if you want to see a good example of this, try Sam Ramey's version. there is definitely longing, just not a view of inferiority. Don G is a Rhett Butler, not an Usher or Justin Timberlake.

[blichilde]

You can't compare Hvorostovky and Ramey.

Sam is waaay better.

[frufruJ]

You can't compare Hvorostovsky and Ramey. Sam is waaay... bass?

[blichilde]

Sam is a bass-baritone. I compare the respective renditions of Deh vieni alla finestra, and I think Ramey's is better. BTW,my favourite rendition is Waechter's, then Raimondi's. I find Dima's flat. Tastes differ.

[frufruJ]

Ramey's official site says, bass, bass-baritone :-)

Yeah, tastes differ. You can say that you *prefer* Ramey's Don G, not that Ramey *is* better than Hvoro, like you did in your first comment. Sorry, I'm allergic to such statements, whomever they concern. Because, which is better, SR's Mefisto, or DH's Di Luna??? ;-)

[pavoman23]

i agree with the previous guy but overall u r both wrong because the song is supposed to be gentle and the best person to do it is a lyric baritone like keenlyside. hvorostovsky has a powerful voice (yet not musical at all) and ramey is superb but neither does the aria correctly

[frufruJ]

Was ist das, "correctly" sing an aria? Are you Mozart himself?

Don G is sung by everyone from high bass through bass baritone to lyric baritone.

Moreover, since when is Hvoro's voice "not musical" (let alone "powerful")? Since when is he not a lyric baritone?

[pavoman23]

Wow u really are offended. lol. Listen you can ask any person who is trained in arts including hvorostocvvsky and he will tell u he disregards the notes. His notes are tremendous and powerful but they arent the notes meant for the song. And im sure mozart would have been opposed to this version because they do not follow the notes that he wrote.

[pavoman23]

along with this his breathing is the worst of any preformer out there.

[frufruJ]

I'm not offended by somebody who is completely wrong :-)

It's *your* opinion, not "any person who is trained in arts". "Any person trained in arts" is, for example, this: /watch?v=bXsiYGw52ls

Or me, for that matter.

I suppose you've sung many times at the Met, so that you know exactly what you're talking about :-p

[aguacun]

I Agree... Yo cannot compare a BAss with a Lazy tenor

[frufruJ]

Why do I have the feeling that people who call him a "lazy tenor" are overly self-confident about their knowledge of singing?

[aguacun]

NOt overly but very self confident, in fact. Not closed to the self confident knowledge of others. That ´s why I express my self... Is nice to argue and to know other opinions or arguments. By the way, Hvorostovsky says that his teacher (teachers) told to him about his tenor voice. I think the problem of lazy tenor us not always just a problem of the singer... I point to teachers. ANyway this have no relation with the artistry of this good singer

[frufruJ]

Thank you. Your first comment sounded too mean and elliptical for my taste :-) My understanding is that he was just somewhere between, with a very dark timbre, so he chose the baritone, in spite of his first teacher. He says that he felt better there. Nowadays, he's a 100% baritone, no argument here, I hope :-)

[sigisings]

I don't understand why both Dimitri and Thomas Hampson can't seem to remember the words of Giovanni. That said, he's a true Mozartean!

[jhvorotin]

twice slower than usual which is actually very good, it is intimite.

[THEMAN200711]

He messed up on the words!!!

[borias12]

I don´t know why I have the feeling, that he was ill at this concert...

[borias12]

1:04 he confused the words, right?

[samel1120]

he make a mistake..kkk funny face

[operarts]

Thank you!! I've been waiting for this FOREVER!!