Alfredo Kraus - A te o cara (Live with Freni)

[rouman7]

great voice one of my fav tenors, diffrent to pav but better. and pav was ok too but this guy has a superb voice,...

[sttar1982]

Grandissimo Kraus grazie:)

[fandango1111]

Of course his voice is covering at the top. Better would be to say it's turning. He's just doing it without artificial darkening of the vowels.

[Mastergenius00]

opera

[CarlaMusic]

Great natural voice indeed. I find it interesting that he didn't incorporate covering into his technique. Covering is to protect the voice and to allow it remain relaxed and focused as it grows. Reading some of the comments and comparisons to Pavorotti, Pavorotti's vocal quality only darkened with age but his range and natural timbre remained in tact. To each his own I suppose.

[sirenadellopera]

Just marvelous. I love Kraus.

[saksakenesis]

ahhh.. my chest wants to explode! what a joy i usually feel when i listen to kraus! its just ashame that i never saw him in his live performances... pls post more of his masterclasses... thank you alfredo kraus... i hope i can hear you in heaven..

[bobbieboy54]

there are no negatives when listening to Alfredo Kraus. a lovely, clear, steady, true voice. to my ear his was a magnificent voice. i only regret that i never saw him on the stage, but the stills show that he was an attractive figure.

i believe i read that Juan Diego Florez admired and studied Alfredo Kraus, and it shows. Florez is as true to the music as Kraus,

and that is what matters, isn't it? Thank you Alfredo Kraus for your contribution to beauty in this world.

[rbb0509]

@bobbieboy54

People rave about Florez, but i just don't get him. I'm probably missing something, but to me he is way too light, way too much vibrato... He sings well, is intelligent, and cute ( i guess). But comparing him to Kraus.....

[281308ful]

While i have a great respect for this fine stylist.

One cant help wondering why he was virtually ignored by all the major record companies .

Could it be that he only shared a few crumbs of the popularity enjoyed by his colleagues ie Di Stefano, Del Monaco, Corelli, and more recently Pavarotti. ?

[rouman7]

he was better than pav, and del monaco, and corelli and as much as i love di stefano kraus was better than all of them....

[juancristobal60]

Conocí a Kraus hace ya mucho tiempo; aún no dejo de felicitarme por haber conocido a tan grande tenor y mejor persona. Su técnica impecable, lo mantendrá siempre vivo y vigente. Alfredo nunca te olvidaremos (ni a tu Rosita). BRAVOOOO!!!!!

[malfada22]

I know who could dislike Kraus, the Domingo lovers who love to see him twist his facing while he is straining to reach the high notes. The Great Kraus always sang in the mask. His technique was flawless and Oh what an elegant figure he cut on the stage

[operasprite]

He has a lovely open sound. It seems effortless and has a sweetness you don't always hear. Freni's voice also is wonderful.

[rad10024]

Why always the comparing as if one is better than the other. A difficult aria sang beautifully. Is that not enough. Of course the great singers are all dfferent. Wouldn't it be boring if they were all exactly alike. I'ved just listened to Kraus, Pav's and Corelli's and young JD Florez versions - all masterful and moving. My favorite was Corelli's but so what. That's just my personal choice and doesn't diminsh in any way Alfredo's version or the others.

[lititzoperabuff]

Anyone who says this is anything but the ultimate in mastery of one's craft, is without a sense for what true quality, precision, mastery of technique and musicality are in the world. No one comes close to this master. Pavarotti was a completely different animal, different in technique and gifts. Both were stunning in their own ways, but cannot be truly compared. This is a true master, the likes of whom we will not see again in our lives.

[yttrium55]

Hmm, I wonder who could dislike Kraus.

[zagot27]

what are you talking about?? you like pavarotti, I like alfredo the problem is that you don't know nothing about singing.

[radiologist301]

Kraus' High C# pales in comparison to Pavarotti's....no doubt.......Pav's C# is celestial, unbelievable note....the voice of God......the Kraus note is human...

[flaze3]

perhaps, but Pav lost his high C whereas Kraus kept his

[blakemooney]

If you just heard every note and perfectly pronouced syllable sung by one of the gods of opera, then you must have just heard the beautiful voice of Alfredo Kraus! Perhaps Kraus should be acknowledged to be one of the greatest tenors ever to stand on an opera stage. I don't want to seem an alarmist but that's where the majority of vocal teachers place Kraus! Bravo, Master Kraus.

[pawdaw]

There is so much more core and colour in Kraus' sound than with many of the tenors that sing this role today. No gear shifts, the voice has a solid line in it from top to bottom. Listen to how he makes use of the consonants, and how he nails those high notes. I have always thought it was a great shame that Kraus recorded this role so late in his career. Freni's recording with Pavarotti is great- but it would have been greater with Kraus, that is for sure.

[Mooorhe]

Which recording with Freni?

[pawdaw]

The 1969 RAI one with Muti conducting. It's wonderful and both Freni and Pavarotti sing splendidly. The 1979 recording with Caballe and Kraus is not in the same league as this earlier one. The reviews weren't kind to Kraus but I think it's Caballe that is the weak link- she omits a lot of the high notes and makes heavy weather of much of the coloratura. For me, Kraus was the one who made the set.

[Mooorhe]

The 1969 RAI one found Pavarotti in awful voice, which is why he cracked three of his four C sharps. Of course Kraus here would sound better than Pavarotti did.

The Bologna pirate recording of 1969 found Pavarotti in much better voice with Freni.

I love no soprano more than Freni, but there were better Elviras in her time.

[zagot27]

he is incredible, thank you maestro

[chameens]

His voice was definitley of the lighter category. I think the reason that he believed that "covering" was not necessary through the passaggio was that his "placement" was very high and forward which leads the tone to "turn" and sound like the vowels are still open. He didn't have the apparent "cover" tone that bigger voices like Bergonzi did.

[wiswert]

his voice is covered

[tena2]

spot on chameens. This is it. Hi used a high placement and forward. Very wise singing Kraus had.

[TrovadorManrique]

El registro agudo de Kraus es considerablemente más sonoro que el de Bergonzi.

[wiswert]

he is super singer

[oakroom48]

I love everything Kraus ever touched. I saw him live with Sutherland in Lucia at the Met - both in their 70s[?] .. or nearly so [telecast on PBS - US]. You could always just take Kraus to your heart! I can't speak to technique per se, but AK has sounds ever elegant, poised & gorgeous to me. Thanks for this:)

[discovolante21]

I think di Stefano and Pavarotti are not comfortable as Kraus did. Kraus is the best Arturo ever.

[Mooorhe]

Hmm, after listening to this again I'm pretty convinced that Kraus's voice wasn't 'sweet' enough for Arturo'. This sounds elegant and elderly and di Stefano's or Pavarotti's for example sounds young, fresh and full of life.

Kraus was still one hell of a singer in my opinion, I just don't think his natural voice was all that beautiful.

On another note... that picture starting at 1.45 isn't very flattering, lol.

[GermanOperaSinger]

Haha!

[ilbacioditosca]

Who can be sweet enough for Arturo? do you know the score? you know the Ds and the F, and the C#s on the aria. Who else can sing it as Kraus?

Lauri Volpi? the other one can be Hipolito Lazaro who had a F in full chest better than Kraus.Pavarotti Gedda and others transposed the score and sung many notes in falsetone and falsette.

[busybee218]

i thought his birthday was September 24, 1927, and i just looked Wikipedia encyclopedia listed same as Septermber 24th.

[lavoreano]

Hello German, thanks for the video. And you are so right, many people sometimes rant about Kraus's aged voice (wich was far better than many famous tenors nowadays) and it's just silly.

[pearlmuth3]

Yes German is correct (as usual)

[GermanOperaSinger]

I always thought his birthday was September but granditenori says its November just looked, other sources say its September, not sure if I'm correct or if its actually November, oh well.

[Mooorhe]

I'd trust Kraustrujillo, seeing as he has nearly 200 Kraus recordings and is obviously a fan. Regardless, good post.

[Mooorhe]

That's interesting, Wikipedia says the 24th of September, yet other sources say the 24th of November.

Either way, this recording is wonderful, Freni isn't the ideal Elvira and I prefer Kraus in French opera, but the singing is great.

[terumino]

Kraus's birthday is Sept.24!(GermanOperaSinger's knowledge is correct)

[ShawDAMAN]

Very nice.... I really like Kraus. Sometimes he sounds a bit nasal, but not here. Technique is intriguing..

[GermanOperaSinger]

He got a little nasal later on past his prime. In the late 50s/60s this was never a problem.

[kraustrujillo]

Sorry but there is a little mistake; Alfredo Kraus' birthday is 24 of November, not September.

Saludos cordiales

[GermanOperaSinger]

My apologies for the mistake.

[patjan92]

This is wonderful.

[Herur22]

It's nice from you to remember the birthdays of celebrated singers, GermanOperaSinger. This was very good.

[pearlmuth3]

Great singing. I remember hearing him in Lucia one week and pav another and thought Kraus sang it with even better phrasing and in that opera as a lyric tenor he was tops. His singing was moving and as they say classy without a big voice, it was smaller then Pav. but carried well all over the big Chicago house. He was a great favorite here and very dependable. He had all the artistry of Schipa and along with great high notes. I actually heard Schipa in 1963 when I lived in cal. he was older then

[Mooorhe]

Happy birthday Alfredo Kraus. Thank you for your wonderful years of singing.

[sospello]

A wonderful tribute to Alfredo Kraus whose voice was astounding in this repertory in the late fifties and for many years afterward--also a gift to hear Freni. Thank you.

[laonirica]

Totalmente de acuerdo contigo, Cara Sospello!!! Un Registro Inolvidable del Querido Maestro Alfredo Kraus,junto a la Maestra Mirella Freni. Digno de ser apreciado por las Nuevas Generaciones!!!

Gracias *GermanOperaSinger*por compartirlo desde YouTube!!!.

[macciboma]

Grazie se riesci ad essere presente per tanti

utenti essendo a CICAGO ? Stai assente nei miei

confronti ma le scuse? Saluti Walter.