Ben Heppner "Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond" Die Walkür)

[Bruno53ification]

He beats phony Domingo a thousand times!

[ilbarrone]

Bravo Ben! Well done!

[noryan34]

How about Torsten Kerl?

[Laistry]

Such beautiful voice! Thank you!

[bimhimbim]

These singer don't understand "wonnig"

[UncleNathan]

The Heldentenor voice is nearly extinct today. A hundred years ago, the woods were full of them: Ernst Kraus, Heinrich Knote, Johannes Sembach, Jacques Urlus, Erik Schmedes. Later came Max Lorenz and the great Lauritz Melchior. Then Set Svanholm tried to fill the gap, and later still, Jon Vickers showed great promise and sang many heldentenor roles, but he wasn't a heldentenor either. Nor was Jess Thomas, or James King, or any of those who followed, possibly excepting the Finn Heikki Siukola.

[blktenorpower]

@UncleNathan ....Sir..If those you listed as not being ,were NOT Heldentenors......Then NEITHER were the formers listed! lolol get a good idea of Helden! Size and color, stamina, ring, and carrying power through Wagners THICK (at times) orchestra! The latter tenors "CUT" just fine! Vickers COVERED the orchestra!

you have to admit...there has to be something to their voices, the fact they were being hired WORLDWIDE for Wagner roles, and James King sang till he was 80!

What is a real one, Sir?

[UncleNathan]

@blktenorpower Thanks for your reply. Helden, of course, means "heroic", and just because a tenor can cover the orchestra and sing a particular repertoire does not make him a Heldentenor. I have attended opera performances throughout the country and Europe for 50 years, and have collected historic recordings for over 40. I am of the opinion that the KIND of voice that specialized in that repertoire, e.g. Tristan and the two Siegfrieds, is extinct or nearly so.

[UncleNathan]

@blktenorpower And I do not take anything away from Vickers or James King. In fact, I worship at the shrine of James King, who was about as close to being a "Heldentenor" as we have come in the recent past. The term has become debased over the years, just as "ballerina" has. It does not apply to anyone who sings (or thinks they can sing) a particular repertoire. If you have never heard of some of the names I have mentioned, by all means research them and you may begin to understand my comments.

[TheTenorjeff]

@UncleNathan I agree that Heppner is not a heldentenor, nor is Johan Botha who also sings heldentenor rep well. But how can a voice type be almost extinct? King wasn't a heldentenor, or very close? He did start life as a baritone, and had just a gigantic and rich voice.. What about Clifton Forbis, singing today? He has such an incredible richness in his lowest range.

[UncleNathan]

@TheTenorjeff: I've heard Clifton Forbis, but unfortunately not "in the house." From what I've seen on YouTube, there is a lot to admire in the forcefulness of his declamation and the power of his voice, but the greatest singers always leave the impression of having something in reserve, and I just can't help feeling that Forbis is about to burst a blood vessel. King was great, and James McCracken could have sung the repertoire, but, apart from Tannhäuser never found it of much interest.

[TheTenorjeff]

@UncleNathan That is true, I would say that is Forbis' one of his few performance faults, although it seems like it doesn't hurt his voice. But sometimes it does look like his head is about to explode. Also, his german really isn't great for having a voice that is so specialized to german rep. I have not heard him in house either, and I do hope to at some point. And I do just adore James King.

[UncleNathan]

This is as fine a performance of this piece as you could hope to hear in our time. Heppner is a consummate artist and superb musician. On his best days, nobody can come within miles of him. But he is, most emphatically, NOT a heldentenor. He can sing dramatically and project his voice to thrilling effect, but he can barely make it through Tristan, and only by carefully pacing himself and shrewdly husbanding his resources. Robert Dean Smith has more stamina but not as distinctive a voice.

[Dinuscat]

Awesome voice!!!

[tenorschofield]

Bravoo!!! brilliant as "juandiego" said!!!!, who said this was a singer "overpushing his voice to make it more heroic?; this is a real "Heldentenor", with a wonderful breath control. Cannot think of someone better in this days!!!!

[jackylen57]

Wonderful !!!

[bloydaage]

This is how i always want to hear Hepner. Why dont he worship this way of producing his voice. He sound so natural, like a god! I mean if you compare with some other clips of him on youtube, it is hard to believe its the same singer. Strange!

[crabbe88]

@bloydaage I agree completely. I heard Hepner in concert in Toronto and as Parsifal at the Met. He did not sound as "natural", powerful and "free" as he does in this clip. This posting is grand, overpowering, IMO, Hoffman et al.

[MariaCaIIas]

@crabbe88 he probably IS human after all having good and bad days... what a relief...

That said, I heard him in recital a couple of years ago and it was easily the best recital from a tenor I have ever heard in my life and one of the best absolutely in all voice categories I have experienced. The voice was powerful yet tender, with a metal ring, yet luscious...

[JuanDiegooooo]

Simply brilliant !

[dodi132]

wow!

SUCH great diction!!!

[Vairguy09]

Bravo! A wonderful rendition! Thanks for posting.

[floztenor]

such a beautiful german diction!

[ozitenor]

Top notch!