ahhahahahaha HILARIOUS to hear the "student" singing. Go and become a baker please! ...And Kraus, I think he was probably holding his laugh big time. Kraus, je t'aime! <3
@MrNigribov Gee, let me re-phrase that: Great singer...lousy master class giver. No matter who turns up, it's absurd to instruct them at a level, which is so far beyond what they can comprehend or duplicate. As for responsibility, we all have full responsibility for the positions we assume in life. When I am denoted as a "master," then even moreso. But the bottom line is, this is my opinion, and I'm entitled to it...as you are entitled to yours.
Cuando uno oye a Don Alfredo Kraus comprende a la perfección lo que una vez dijo el genial Albert Einstein refiriéndose a la estupidez humana y haciendo alusión a lo que según él podría considerarse en el Universo como absoluto. En el Concierto de Caracalla de 1990 y los que le siguieron, se impuso el carácter mediático y mercadotécnico. Un verdadero insulto al talento fue no invitar al mejor de todos los tiempos. Claro, es hasta cierto punto comprensible: A NADIE LE GUSTA QUE LE HAGAN SOMBRA.
@breakaliciouskid786 This is Juan Diego Florez, actually a great young tenor (hear him in "La Fille du Régiment" with Natalie Dessay, MET prodution), this videos must be recorded at the beginning of his study... The tenor voice is the most difficult to create because it is what is is, created, not natural as soprano or baritone...
@MisSty2589 Poor Florez would have a heart attack if he read this :) No, it is not him. He never studied with Kraus, they never met. People are just joking about him because he does look similar.
@MisSty2589 That is definitely NOT Juan Diego Florez ... Florez would never in a million years be singing Celeste Aida - that would be much too heavy for him. This poor chap basically has no voice, and no business singing for Master Kraus. Poor Alfredo - what can he do to transform dross into gold! He's a singer, not a magician LOL
To show off like that in front of an obviously struggling and deeply misguided student ( whoever told him he could be a singer?) is profoundly ill mannered and egotistical. Disgraziato Alfredo!
Pobre muchacho, se le fue el gallo, si tan sólo hubiera tenido más seguridad de hacer ese si b y menos nervios, pero ya sabemos que a Kraus se le escucha magnífico
Never do that ! Alfredo Kraus was a very good singer... But that student has not the level to sing this high, and A. K. should not let him try to do it. By doing that you just damage your voice.
I've always said that the hardest thing in singing is... to find a good teacher.
Alfredo Kraus was a very great singer and maybe also a great teacher, but his technique is clearly wrong for this kind of tenor voice. Thank you for the post!
@1ricocaruso There is a 4 part interview where Kraus (RIP)details in his native Spanish on his technique and the theory behind it. The documentary reveals that he was an exceptional musician who took a great deal of interest in the importance of the cranial/facial anatomy in relation to the vocal output of a singer. Simply impressive. If you see it you would appreciate why he perhaps was instructing this young novice in this particular manner. Brilliant Tenor Mr. Kraus was.
yeah , he sucks as a teacher- like most teachers- they open their mouth sing beautifully - then say " Do like I do"- it's like Usain Bolt running 100m in 9.58 secs, and saying' Just do like that"
Ever notice that the most Italianate singers weren't actually Italian, i.e Kraus, Nilsson, Metternich, Warren, Tucker, Peerce, Sibiryakov, Lisitsian... Just an observation.
@124235346 I was speaking with reference to vocal technique; those singers adhere most to the Italian teachings and methods of singing (thus the term an 'Italianate' voice) despite the fact that they originate from areas apart from Italy. That was not to say that there aren't a plethora of Italian singers who do have what would be considered an Italianate voice. However, I defy you to find a great opera singer whose voice is more Italianate than Kraus', who is a Spaniard.
@phatphace I think Caruso, Gigli, Del Monaco, Pavarotti, and many others are all totally Italian Bel Canto singers, and they are all better than Kraus... Actually, Kraus is the most nasal of all them, and that's not characteristical of bel canto!
@124235346 Haha, well we will have to agree to disagree on the tenets of Italian voice training. Kraus had, in my opinion, exemplary technique, justifying why he could sing so well into his late 60s (the nasality you refer is intrinsic in his physiognomy, not technique). Btw, I would agree the list of singers you provided were Italianate (perhaps Del Monaco, on occasion, would bellow and force his vocal line to become flat, but a stentorian voice nevertheless). Quarrels aside, Merry Christmas.
Whoever thinks that Kraus knew anything about singing should look at this video. At 0:26 with that gesture he is being explicit about shoving one's voice into the nasal cavities. Which even the dumbest of idiots knows to be VERY WRONG and the effects to be HORRIBLE SOUNDING. Look at him cocking his nose. Simply gritty. Just listening carefully (even not carefully) to Kraus singing makes you get that.
@rbb0509 It's totally hilarious how I'm the only one who actually bothers criticizing Kraus here, and how everybody loves his thin, whiny, squeaky voice. Tons of other people have my same opinion...there's loads of people who have a laugh at Kraus, his nose, and his unfortunate followers. You've probably noticed what I've said is actually not very wrong and truth hurts. I don't think Mr Del Monaco, Mr Corelli, Mr Caruso or Mr Pavarotti cocked up their noses.They didn't need to. Nasally regards.
@NicktheIrishman I think your looking into what he is doing far too much! Obviously we dont have the full clip here to see, but its quite clear from the sounds the student is producing, that he lacks the very basic techniques. I also think Kraus had possibly the best technique of many tenors, this is quite clearly demonstrated by how he was able to carry on singing to a few years before his death without transposing down like the vast majority of singers!!
@nochain2007 Mr Caruso, Mr Del Monaco and Mr Corelli didn't need to cock up their noses. And didn't sound nasally. And I think they never had to use the term "mask" to explain their technique
@NicktheIrishman I didn't see it like that, I thought he trying to show the student how to create the correct shape with his mouth!! True, Corelli, Del Monaco, Caruso did not have nasally voices, but you aren't comparing like for like! Kraus is a Leggiero tenor and others are all Dramatic Tenors. I think it may just be the case that Kraus's voice is not to your taste. Perhaps!
@nochain2007 My voice teacher bought his manual just to laugh at it. He highlightened all the worse. He keeps talking about "facial cavities" and "mask", he NEVER speaks about physique or chest resonance. And in this movie he is being explicit about the nose thing. And the poor guy is not only lacking the very basic techniques, he is not being helped at all by the idiot. Actually he is getting vocally damaged. He's trying VERY hard to shove the voice in his "facial cavities": not useful.
I'm hoping to get a chance to hear you soon on all the great stages of the world, given your bright teacher, your physique and chest resonance. And congratulations on finding that teacher, by the way - he is quite a catch.
@nobodyimportant09 Hahaha Mr Irony! Maybe not me, but if anybody knew anything about theatre and opera ambience...they'd know that people who sing with Mr Kraus' system...do not get far. At all. And they are many, as many are those who do not get far. People who make it through are slandered and called "miracoulous singers" or "lucky bastards" or "natural singing voices", "dirty whores" in case they're women.
@nobodyimportant09 Jaysus Christ it's a masterclass recording with a small panphlet by him where he keeps talking about his beloved facial cavities and mask. He kind of gives any advice as wrong and vocally dangerous as it can get. I call that a singing manual.
@nobodyimportant09 the irishman sounds a little crazy but he's sooo right I hear so many young singers singing in their noses and looking and sounding stupid and it's only Kraus school's fault his technique is ridiculous, which is good because it gives young singers with the right method the opportunity to have some chances
Dear Basso, those singers likely sound stupid because they are stupid, and thus unable to distinguish between his advice and singing in the nose. There is a huge difference between the two, as he always explained, but it takes certain IQ to comprehend it. Moreover, in the last 20 years much research has been done, so Kraus' figurative language can be translated into precise terms now. Also this technique in not ‘his’, it is the classic Italian ‘maschera’.
@nochain2007 it doesn't matter, nasally voices are always ugly!!! Actually...expecially in light voices such as Krauses nasal resonance should be most avoided!
People seem to think that the word "masterclass" means going for a singing lessons. In the opera world a masterclass is presented by a singer who had a very highly esteemed career and who selects or is presented with ADVANCED students who have already begun a career and are there to get advice on interpretation and to polish their technique not to LEARN technique. There is a massive difference between a singing lesson and a masterclass.
Oh for fuck sake another student who is a total beginner taking a masterclass from one of the old greats! If you don't have the basic technique under your belt what are you doing taking a masterclass? The word Masterclass indicates a class for advanced students! Not beginners. Che cazzo!
That guy should have felt inferior enough to never get on that stage in the first place. Maybe Kraus just could not stand the aria getting butchered any more :)
@qw3rtydud3 I was just thinking the exact same thing... :) He obviously didn't think a second about how his student must have felt. That must have been a pretty shattering experience really. :(
@qw3rtydud3 Kraus was not a show off, I think he ran out of patience because the student is far from ready to be in a masterclass. He doesn't even have the basic technique under his belt, why has he been sent or why did he go for a masterclass with a world renowned singer? Will you send a beginner piano player for a masterclass with Horowitz? NO!
Strangely, Kraus does not pick up on the lack of legato into the final note, something which he himself handles superbly. I imagine that the moment the musical breaks, even slightly, the throat closes; not a good idea when approaching a high note.
ich glaub nicht, dass sich Kraus profilieren wollte. Er hat das nicht nötig. Er zeigt vielmehr, dass man die Töne ohne Mühe formen kann. Das hat auch der (zugegeben nicht sonderlich guter Schüler) begriffen. Es geht doch hier nur um die Technik der Höhe, welche Kraus versucht zu vermitteln. Ich finde, es ist ihm gut gelungen.
who is this guy? does anyone knows? Im sure that someone have already make this question but its hard to read these 350 comments. Did he go any further than this?
De que Alfredo Kraus era uno de los más grandes no hay duda. Pero el único que podía cantar a perfección con la técnica que utilizaba, era él mismo. No es bueno entrenar a todos los cantantes tenores con su modo nasal. El sonido no sale limpio y más allá, alguna gente se confunde, en pro de obtener un timbre brilloso y metálico meten la voz a la garganta y se aprietan las cuerdas vocales. Lo cual no sólo estrangula la voz sino que puede lastimar las propias cuerdas.
ma avete mai visto un bravo cantante con quella faccia orribile quando canta??? avete mai visto un bravo cantante cantare con la bocca "a sorriso" come si usa dire..mio dio oltre ad essere esteticamente orribile fuori il risultato è misero e stridente..questa è l'origine della caduta del bel canto.....
@Fragenoa92 - I agree, but I have heard , and I believe, that this is not a masterclass but a staged event. No singer, or pianist, would make fun of a student, especially a beginner like this one, in a masterclass. Furthermore, Alfredo Kraus would not be coaching a terrible, inexperienced singer in a masterclass. (Sorry, but it's true, he is no tenor and never will be).
@spgtenor io credo che comunque se uno ti insegna bene certe note orribili e certi sforzi evidenti in questo ragazzo che cerca di fare come lui dice non ci sarebbero...comunque ho un'idea diversa del canto rispetto a kraus..ho sentito il soprano che cantava un bel dì vedremo e quando ha segiuto le sue indicazioni il suono era decisamente peggiore, spinto, forzato e soprattutto stretto..mentre il suono dovrebbe essere morbido e con una grande cavità INTERNA
La mejor clase magistral de Alfredo Kraus est´ña en toda su carrera, en su buen gusto, e su elegancia, en su técnica perfecta, en su seriedad artístiica, en su profesionalismo, en su bella voz... ¡Bravo Maestro Kraus!, nunca podremos olvidarlo, usted es de los más grandes que en el mundo han sido, usted es un ejemplo perenne de lo que debe ser un cantante y, aún más, de lo que debe ser un tenor...
or how a very great singer can be a very bad teacher... However the video looks edifiant on the way the maestro uses his nose to grab the intonations!
I feel sorry for this young student. He may actually have been a beautiful concert singer who decided to try his luck at opera. I was in the same situation some time ago. My teacher on hearing me, told me that no one would hear me past Row B in an Opera House. What Kraus is trying to show the student here, is where the placement should be, so the student can get not only a fuller sound, but also those high notes. Granted, the student should be singing only lyric repertoire for now.
@ MisterSenseless - Did you know him in real life? I think that's unfair to past judgment on someone you didn't know personally. Even if he was difficult at times, he was a genius, and geniuses aren't known for being the easiest people to deal with. Have some respect for the master tenor!
Pobrecito...probablemente podia elegir una parte menos dificil...se metio solo en la boca de leon!Kraus....siempre un mito...un gran maestro,persona y cantante ecepcional...no tiene iguales!!
Un trono vicino al "D'oh!" Como va a elegir 'Celeste Aida' con el nivel de canto que tiene? Así nunca va a aprender. Es como comenzar con 'Pour Mon âme'
Admirable Kraus...menos aqui, en este episodio lamentable, que hace sospechar de su nunca probada fama como maestro (que le sobra como interprete legendario). Innecesario sufrimiento (para todos)...y sonrojo ver al maestro, en desigualdad absoluta, luciendose a costa del frustado ¿tenor?, que no habra vuelto a abrir la boca. Un buen maestro le impide el ridiculo facil. Si tuviese enfrente a un spinto de verdad,que pudiese imitarle, todavia estaria justificada esa exhibicion innecesaria.
just watched this video again, and man...even though I know i already commented, i just can't get over how beautiful his voice was. absolutely gorgeous!
@discardedbard He's has an incredible voice and is a compelling actor - but I've heard he's a bit of a dick in real life - a real teacher wouldn't be so intent on showing off in a lesson, even in a master class. Demonstrating good technique is important, but this goes too far.
That being said the 21 year old student should NOT be singing "Celeste Aida." Verdi's earlier, bel canto-esque operas such as Traviatta and Rigoletto, are excellent accessible repertoire choices for younger singers.
Yo pienso que este alumno se ganó de parte de Alfredo ese fenomenal agudo final y también se ganó un par de patadas en el culo; es realmente un enigma como una persona tan negada para el canto como ese, se le ocurre estudiar canto e ir a tomar un curso con Papa Kraus...!
Also das dieser "Villazon für Arme" keinen vernünftigen Ton herausbekommt sieht man doch schon an dieser falschen Körperhaltung (Hohlkreuz etc.).
Ich finde es scheiße, dass Herr Kraus sich profilieren muss und den Hohen Ton so fabelhaft und wunderschön singt, denn es demütigt den Schüler und hat ihn bestimmt kaum geholfen.
Sorry, aber du hast ja mal überhaupt keinen Plan... Soweit ich weiß, hat Kraus nie so dumm draufgedrückt, dass er ne Stimmband-OP gebraucht hat und anschließend nur noch Händel singen konnte :)
Hilarious all good fun. Bless him for trying. When I hit a top A or B well it feels like the top of my head is about to come off!!! Good for irritating the neighbours though HA!
Alfredo Kraus, amazing singer....not the greatest teacher lol. Well at least not in this video. Seriously, this is a nightmare situation for a student in a masterclass. Then the accompanist laughs and shakes his head as if he knows how to do it. Yes it's really hard to play a high B flat on the piano. Kraus then decides to belt it out which may be entertaining to some but does not assist the student at all. An instructor should never seek audience approval at the expense of a student.
I honestly respect your comment but I don't see Krauss showing off but demonstrating what he means by SAL, SAL. I don't know you but in terms of singing I've learnt more by imitation than by theory. I see Mo. Krauss showing HOW to implement what he just taught. It's sad thought to see the attitude of the audience and the accompanist, to everyone I'd say: "You can only laugh if you can show you can do it too".
I don't see any evidence of "audience approval seeking". I think Maestro Kraus was secure enough in his own right not to have the need for such behavior. Or is it simply jealousy?
The only video where Corelli sings that Bb on a piano is the following recorded in a studio. Look for this slide/video presentation "CORELLI canta CELESTE AIDA 1954." If you know of any please send the link or tittl be I stand by my comment. I'm yet to know of a tenor who IN A LIVE PERFORMANCE will sing it pp. NONE!!!
well, if you want to look at this logically, you should be the one giving examples to support your claim.
corelli didn't do high note diminuendi until the late 50's on.
i guarantee you if you looked harder you could find a live recording of him doing the diminuendo; he did it that way from the late 50's on ('58 or so)
And I guarantee you that having worked for a long time in recording studios, it's more likely ANY singer will do in studio what he won't do on stage. Voices are rested, microphones are calibrated and recordings can be edited. I don't doubt that Corelli could have done it as I mentioned before, but I have NEVER seen anybody do a pp on this Bb on a live performance. Nobody! No tenor of the past and no current tenor. No Domingo, no Pavarotti, no Carreras, no Villazón NONE!
While I don't doubt that there are several tenor who may have tried to go diminuendo in that Bb, I'm not familiar with any LIVE recording of ANY tenor who does it "morendo" just Verdi wrote in the score.
i can not stop laughing at this...especially when Kraus says "sal, sal" as if that's gonna help him! hahahahahahaha lolol bless his heart for trying. lol lol lol
Sal, sal. Being a voice instructor myself I see the value of telling a pupil to open the "o" as found in "sol" (a throne close to the Sun). Obviously meaning close to god as to the Egyptians the god-sun was the greater god. The old "aperto ma coperto" means to open the vowels and then cover them. O is a very closed vowel which was giving this singer a hard time to reach the high note. Looking at the video you can see the student not breathing nor supporting well.
Thanks for the insights. I, a beginning tenor, have the same problem in singing high notes (above G sharp or A) with "o" vowel and I always need to "soften" a little to "fake " those notes. Maybe I should consider your words and try to correct my techniques. Thanks.
I already sent an answer, but just remember, you don't have to soften the notes or to fake them. Do exactly what this young man is not doing: Breath well and support your voice and relax the larynx while covering the vowels. As a tenor myself I know how difficult the notes you mentioned are, but you'll be surprised how wise were the old Italian masters as they'd teach the "open but covered" technique. Remember, "covered" doesn't mean "closed."
ahhahahahaha HILARIOUS to hear the "student" singing. Go and become a baker please! ...And Kraus, I think he was probably holding his laugh big time. Kraus, je t'aime! <3
lefaguais 2 weeks ago
ALFREDO KRAUS ES EL MAESTRO. Gracias desde dónde estéssssss.
vhoza35 2 weeks ago
THE BEST.SIEMPRE "BELLCANTO"
franviniegra 2 weeks ago
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Great singer...lousy teacher. I think he left out a few dozen steps.
ian1856 2 months ago
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MrNigribov 2 months ago
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@MrNigribov Gee, let me re-phrase that: Great singer...lousy master class giver. No matter who turns up, it's absurd to instruct them at a level, which is so far beyond what they can comprehend or duplicate. As for responsibility, we all have full responsibility for the positions we assume in life. When I am denoted as a "master," then even moreso. But the bottom line is, this is my opinion, and I'm entitled to it...as you are entitled to yours.
ian1856 2 months ago
One can only teach so much. Even Kraus cannot teach some to sing like Alfredo Kraus.
DCFunBud 3 months ago 5
He is Flórez??? =O
anttonyuchiha2 4 months ago
Poor chap ;-)
Gunnifunz 4 months ago
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Cuando uno oye a Don Alfredo Kraus comprende a la perfección lo que una vez dijo el genial Albert Einstein refiriéndose a la estupidez humana y haciendo alusión a lo que según él podría considerarse en el Universo como absoluto. En el Concierto de Caracalla de 1990 y los que le siguieron, se impuso el carácter mediático y mercadotécnico. Un verdadero insulto al talento fue no invitar al mejor de todos los tiempos. Claro, es hasta cierto punto comprensible: A NADIE LE GUSTA QUE LE HAGAN SOMBRA.
animandes 4 months ago
That was a very awkward part of the song startinf on the F if you don't have it settled in yet.
fedeymini 6 months ago
its a Bb not a B
(soying 10)
956wizkid 6 months ago
that dude cant sing to me.. -___-
Maestro Kraus was wasting his time
breakaliciouskid786 7 months ago
@breakaliciouskid786 This is Juan Diego Florez, actually a great young tenor (hear him in "La Fille du Régiment" with Natalie Dessay, MET prodution), this videos must be recorded at the beginning of his study... The tenor voice is the most difficult to create because it is what is is, created, not natural as soprano or baritone...
MisSty2589 6 months ago
@MisSty2589 Poor Florez would have a heart attack if he read this :) No, it is not him. He never studied with Kraus, they never met. People are just joking about him because he does look similar.
rbb0509 6 months ago 2
@rbb0509 Really? Oh, he looks very similar to me :P even if this guy was Florez, now he's great :)
MisSty2589 6 months ago
@MisSty2589 That is definitely NOT Juan Diego Florez ... Florez would never in a million years be singing Celeste Aida - that would be much too heavy for him. This poor chap basically has no voice, and no business singing for Master Kraus. Poor Alfredo - what can he do to transform dross into gold! He's a singer, not a magician LOL
tenorbear60 5 months ago
Divino Alfredo
barakderfarber 7 months ago
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To show off like that in front of an obviously struggling and deeply misguided student ( whoever told him he could be a singer?) is profoundly ill mannered and egotistical. Disgraziato Alfredo!
Lindow 7 months ago
Pobre muchacho, se le fue el gallo, si tan sólo hubiera tenido más seguridad de hacer ese si b y menos nervios, pero ya sabemos que a Kraus se le escucha magnífico
soying10 7 months ago
waste of time !
maxlor4 7 months ago
Why is this kid in his masterclass... let alone presence...
Swany243 8 months ago
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Never do that ! Alfredo Kraus was a very good singer... But that student has not the level to sing this high, and A. K. should not let him try to do it. By doing that you just damage your voice.
I've always said that the hardest thing in singing is... to find a good teacher.
Enjoy !
Chrisdenancy 8 months ago
Alfredo Kraus was a very great singer and maybe also a great teacher, but his technique is clearly wrong for this kind of tenor voice. Thank you for the post!
1ricocaruso 9 months ago
@1ricocaruso There is a 4 part interview where Kraus (RIP)details in his native Spanish on his technique and the theory behind it. The documentary reveals that he was an exceptional musician who took a great deal of interest in the importance of the cranial/facial anatomy in relation to the vocal output of a singer. Simply impressive. If you see it you would appreciate why he perhaps was instructing this young novice in this particular manner. Brilliant Tenor Mr. Kraus was.
truediabolique69 8 months ago
@truediabolique69 Sí, vi la entrevista y estoy de acuerdo en que Alfredo Kraus era un tenor muy brillante.
1ricocaruso 8 months ago
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classicalgalNYC 9 months ago
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yeah , he sucks as a teacher- like most teachers- they open their mouth sing beautifully - then say " Do like I do"- it's like Usain Bolt running 100m in 9.58 secs, and saying' Just do like that"
mascaraware 9 months ago
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Not sol... here we sing SAL... no no no no.... I said SAL
Mother fucker can you fuck understand what the hell I am trying to tell you...
SALLLLLLLLLLLL
Put this fucking cock sucking jaw down when you sing SALLLLLLLLLL ok? SALLLLLLLLLL.... try now.
SOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Can someone gives me a gun... I am about to kill this faggot right now
RonaldBarone 9 months ago
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best technician but definitively worst teacher!!
floztenor 9 months ago
how can it be that Kraus didn't shoot the dog on the spot...
Barbapippo 10 months ago
Un bellissimo incontro tra un Dio e un dilettante...
bodiloto 10 months ago
Ever notice that the most Italianate singers weren't actually Italian, i.e Kraus, Nilsson, Metternich, Warren, Tucker, Peerce, Sibiryakov, Lisitsian... Just an observation.
phatphace 11 months ago
@phatphace Tucker italianate? Please, his diction was atrocious, you could hear he wasn't Italian in 2 seconds.
tklogan111809 10 months ago
@tklogan111809 I was speaking with reference to vocal technique; the singers adhere most to the Italian teachings and methods of singing.
phatphace 10 months ago
@phatphace I hope you're just joking. That's ridiculous.
124235346 2 months ago
@124235346 I was speaking with reference to vocal technique; those singers adhere most to the Italian teachings and methods of singing (thus the term an 'Italianate' voice) despite the fact that they originate from areas apart from Italy. That was not to say that there aren't a plethora of Italian singers who do have what would be considered an Italianate voice. However, I defy you to find a great opera singer whose voice is more Italianate than Kraus', who is a Spaniard.
phatphace 2 months ago
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@phatphace I think Caruso, Gigli, Del Monaco, Pavarotti, and many others are all totally Italian Bel Canto singers, and they are all better than Kraus... Actually, Kraus is the most nasal of all them, and that's not characteristical of bel canto!
124235346 2 months ago
@124235346 Haha, well we will have to agree to disagree on the tenets of Italian voice training. Kraus had, in my opinion, exemplary technique, justifying why he could sing so well into his late 60s (the nasality you refer is intrinsic in his physiognomy, not technique). Btw, I would agree the list of singers you provided were Italianate (perhaps Del Monaco, on occasion, would bellow and force his vocal line to become flat, but a stentorian voice nevertheless). Quarrels aside, Merry Christmas.
phatphace 2 months ago
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Oh gods! My ears...why! Elongate your vowels, man, elongate! I can see you smiling that's why it sounds so nasally and disgusting!
TwistingWays 11 months ago
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dimhyphon 11 months ago
BRAVISIMO
KriBlackRoson 1 year ago
and then he went to his house and "taught" him to please his wife...
sbjbound 1 year ago
@rodriguezjo - Alfredo Kraus is the best, enough said!
discardedbard 1 year ago 23
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Whoever thinks that Kraus knew anything about singing should look at this video. At 0:26 with that gesture he is being explicit about shoving one's voice into the nasal cavities. Which even the dumbest of idiots knows to be VERY WRONG and the effects to be HORRIBLE SOUNDING. Look at him cocking his nose. Simply gritty. Just listening carefully (even not carefully) to Kraus singing makes you get that.
NicktheIrishman 1 year ago
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rbb0509 1 year ago
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rbb0509 1 year ago
@rbb0509 Just wanted to have a laugh. I ended up monstrously sick about Kraus' "technique"
NicktheIrishman 1 year ago
@NicktheIrishman
Blah blah…. It’s totally hilarious how you have little clue, and proud of it, and think others are idiots. Usually people outgrow it by 16.
rbb0509 1 year ago
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NicktheIrishman 1 year ago
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@rbb0509 It's totally hilarious how I'm the only one who actually bothers criticizing Kraus here, and how everybody loves his thin, whiny, squeaky voice. Tons of other people have my same opinion...there's loads of people who have a laugh at Kraus, his nose, and his unfortunate followers. You've probably noticed what I've said is actually not very wrong and truth hurts. I don't think Mr Del Monaco, Mr Corelli, Mr Caruso or Mr Pavarotti cocked up their noses.They didn't need to. Nasally regards.
NicktheIrishman 1 year ago
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nochain2007 1 year ago
@NicktheIrishman I think your looking into what he is doing far too much! Obviously we dont have the full clip here to see, but its quite clear from the sounds the student is producing, that he lacks the very basic techniques. I also think Kraus had possibly the best technique of many tenors, this is quite clearly demonstrated by how he was able to carry on singing to a few years before his death without transposing down like the vast majority of singers!!
nochain2007 1 year ago
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@nochain2007 Mr Caruso, Mr Del Monaco and Mr Corelli didn't need to cock up their noses. And didn't sound nasally. And I think they never had to use the term "mask" to explain their technique
NicktheIrishman 1 year ago
@NicktheIrishman I didn't see it like that, I thought he trying to show the student how to create the correct shape with his mouth!! True, Corelli, Del Monaco, Caruso did not have nasally voices, but you aren't comparing like for like! Kraus is a Leggiero tenor and others are all Dramatic Tenors. I think it may just be the case that Kraus's voice is not to your taste. Perhaps!
nochain2007 1 year ago
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@nochain2007 My voice teacher bought his manual just to laugh at it. He highlightened all the worse. He keeps talking about "facial cavities" and "mask", he NEVER speaks about physique or chest resonance. And in this movie he is being explicit about the nose thing. And the poor guy is not only lacking the very basic techniques, he is not being helped at all by the idiot. Actually he is getting vocally damaged. He's trying VERY hard to shove the voice in his "facial cavities": not useful.
NicktheIrishman 1 year ago
@NicktheIrishman
I'm hoping to get a chance to hear you soon on all the great stages of the world, given your bright teacher, your physique and chest resonance. And congratulations on finding that teacher, by the way - he is quite a catch.
nobodyimportant09 1 year ago
@nobodyimportant09 Hahaha Mr Irony! Maybe not me, but if anybody knew anything about theatre and opera ambience...they'd know that people who sing with Mr Kraus' system...do not get far. At all. And they are many, as many are those who do not get far. People who make it through are slandered and called "miracoulous singers" or "lucky bastards" or "natural singing voices", "dirty whores" in case they're women.
Sláinte and nasally regards.
PS: Yes, unfortunately he has written a manual.
NicktheIrishman 1 year ago
@NicktheIrishman
Oh my! now your comments are just going strange. Wow.
PS: Really - a manual? Got an ISBN? I don't think so. There are 6 books about him, but none by him.
nobodyimportant09 1 year ago
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@nobodyimportant09 Jaysus Christ it's a masterclass recording with a small panphlet by him where he keeps talking about his beloved facial cavities and mask. He kind of gives any advice as wrong and vocally dangerous as it can get. I call that a singing manual.
NicktheIrishman 1 year ago
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nobodyimportant09 1 year ago
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@nobodyimportant09 Good luck and remember to cock up your "facial cavities" and sound as shrieky as possibile. 0:27!
NicktheIrishman 1 year ago
@nobodyimportant09 the irishman sounds a little crazy but he's sooo right I hear so many young singers singing in their noses and looking and sounding stupid and it's only Kraus school's fault his technique is ridiculous, which is good because it gives young singers with the right method the opportunity to have some chances
BassoCantante19 1 year ago
@BassoCantante19
Dear Basso, those singers likely sound stupid because they are stupid, and thus unable to distinguish between his advice and singing in the nose. There is a huge difference between the two, as he always explained, but it takes certain IQ to comprehend it. Moreover, in the last 20 years much research has been done, so Kraus' figurative language can be translated into precise terms now. Also this technique in not ‘his’, it is the classic Italian ‘maschera’.
nobodyimportant09 1 year ago
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nobodyimportant09 1 year ago
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@nochain2007 it doesn't matter, nasally voices are always ugly!!! Actually...expecially in light voices such as Krauses nasal resonance should be most avoided!
BassoCantante19 1 year ago
People seem to think that the word "masterclass" means going for a singing lessons. In the opera world a masterclass is presented by a singer who had a very highly esteemed career and who selects or is presented with ADVANCED students who have already begun a career and are there to get advice on interpretation and to polish their technique not to LEARN technique. There is a massive difference between a singing lesson and a masterclass.
Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago
Oh for fuck sake another student who is a total beginner taking a masterclass from one of the old greats! If you don't have the basic technique under your belt what are you doing taking a masterclass? The word Masterclass indicates a class for advanced students! Not beginners. Che cazzo!
Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago
How did this guy get classified as a tenor much less end up in a masterclass with Kraus...?
Harbaugh87 1 year ago
@Harbaugh87 Yes, that is something I'd like to know also. A masterclass with one of the old greats like Kraus. This "tenor" is a total beginner.
Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago
well... he can sing it well. but he has no idea how to teach this poor guy to do so:)
FlashJust88 1 year ago
@FlashJust88
There were not enough years left in Kraus' life to teach this guy to sing
nobodyimportant09 1 year ago
Kraus is such a show off... how is anyone going to learn from him if he makes them feel so inferior like that?
qw3rtydud3 1 year ago
@qw3rtydud3
That guy should have felt inferior enough to never get on that stage in the first place. Maybe Kraus just could not stand the aria getting butchered any more :)
rbb0509 1 year ago
@rbb0509 All I see there is Kraus provoking a reaction from the audience...but agreed he should have never chosen to sing Celeste Aida at his level.
qw3rtydud3 1 year ago
@qw3rtydud3 I was just thinking the exact same thing... :) He obviously didn't think a second about how his student must have felt. That must have been a pretty shattering experience really. :(
thomaz89 1 year ago
@qw3rtydud3 Kraus was not a show off, I think he ran out of patience because the student is far from ready to be in a masterclass. He doesn't even have the basic technique under his belt, why has he been sent or why did he go for a masterclass with a world renowned singer? Will you send a beginner piano player for a masterclass with Horowitz? NO!
Chanteuredelopera 1 year ago
EL SEÑOR DE LOS AGUDOS .EL MEJOR "SIEMPRE BELLCANTO"
franviniegra 1 year ago
Does anyone know what Aria this is???
Gr8singr84 1 year ago
@Gr8singr84
lol...celeste aida, from Aida by Verdi
ita40200 1 year ago
Good Kraus withhigh notes.
joanabanyeres 1 year ago
EL UNICO!!!
Frikinetto 1 year ago
Incontro fra un grande artista e un dilettante... Kraus,generoso e simpatico!Da dove trovava questi nervi per lavorare con i dilettanti?Non lo so.
ranigema 1 year ago
Listen to him boy! You'll NEVER get a better teacher. Ever...
zgopify 1 year ago 5
that guy is Juan Diego Florez?
yoheliomcr 1 year ago
@yoheliomcr The student looks like Juan Diego Florez, but sounds like Villazon.
TheVoicelesson 1 year ago 34
@TheVoicelesson LOL
Pollione88 1 year ago
Strangely, Kraus does not pick up on the lack of legato into the final note, something which he himself handles superbly. I imagine that the moment the musical breaks, even slightly, the throat closes; not a good idea when approaching a high note.
BrianDonaldMcKay 1 year ago
Do u know where can i get the whole lesson with this guy?
kharlitoz 1 year ago
@kharlitoz He died years ago you silly prick
Teltcher 1 year ago
@Teltcher I meant the guy who is receiving the class from Kraus.
kharlitoz 1 year ago
@maxhansendk - you're entitled to your opinion, but in my book, alfredo kraus is simply the best!
discardedbard 1 year ago
@MrTenor86
ich glaub nicht, dass sich Kraus profilieren wollte. Er hat das nicht nötig. Er zeigt vielmehr, dass man die Töne ohne Mühe formen kann. Das hat auch der (zugegeben nicht sonderlich guter Schüler) begriffen. Es geht doch hier nur um die Technik der Höhe, welche Kraus versucht zu vermitteln. Ich finde, es ist ihm gut gelungen.
carfit1 1 year ago
A) Why is he singing in this masterclass?
B) Why is he singing celeste aida?
01jocooper 1 year ago 2
In quanto a fisionomia non ricorda florez?....impossibile che sia lui
kingstontry 1 year ago
Didn't help the student much :(
SFOtter 1 year ago
alfredo is perfect, as always... but the pupil... it's too painful. i'm glad the video ends with kraus nailing it.
jorgepda 1 year ago 5
who is this guy? does anyone knows? Im sure that someone have already make this question but its hard to read these 350 comments. Did he go any further than this?
minorSi 1 year ago
you cant teach someone to have a great open voice....
choralstuart 1 year ago
@choralstuart yes u can.....it takes a lot of practice and patience on the students part tho.
zackinator007 1 year ago
What ending is that from? I recognize it. Is it Verdi's Celeste Aida?
bigdigger87 1 year ago
@bigdigger87 yes sir
TheRockStar2be123 1 year ago
De que Alfredo Kraus era uno de los más grandes no hay duda. Pero el único que podía cantar a perfección con la técnica que utilizaba, era él mismo. No es bueno entrenar a todos los cantantes tenores con su modo nasal. El sonido no sale limpio y más allá, alguna gente se confunde, en pro de obtener un timbre brilloso y metálico meten la voz a la garganta y se aprietan las cuerdas vocales. Lo cual no sólo estrangula la voz sino que puede lastimar las propias cuerdas.
aquiando1988 1 year ago
ma avete mai visto un bravo cantante con quella faccia orribile quando canta??? avete mai visto un bravo cantante cantare con la bocca "a sorriso" come si usa dire..mio dio oltre ad essere esteticamente orribile fuori il risultato è misero e stridente..questa è l'origine della caduta del bel canto.....
Fragenoa92 1 year ago
mio dio..povero ragazzo..
Fragenoa92 1 year ago
@Fragenoa92 - I agree, but I have heard , and I believe, that this is not a masterclass but a staged event. No singer, or pianist, would make fun of a student, especially a beginner like this one, in a masterclass. Furthermore, Alfredo Kraus would not be coaching a terrible, inexperienced singer in a masterclass. (Sorry, but it's true, he is no tenor and never will be).
spgtenor 1 year ago 3
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MrNigribov 1 year ago
@spgtenor io credo che comunque se uno ti insegna bene certe note orribili e certi sforzi evidenti in questo ragazzo che cerca di fare come lui dice non ci sarebbero...comunque ho un'idea diversa del canto rispetto a kraus..ho sentito il soprano che cantava un bel dì vedremo e quando ha segiuto le sue indicazioni il suono era decisamente peggiore, spinto, forzato e soprattutto stretto..mentre il suono dovrebbe essere morbido e con una grande cavità INTERNA
Fragenoa92 1 year ago
La mejor clase magistral de Alfredo Kraus est´ña en toda su carrera, en su buen gusto, e su elegancia, en su técnica perfecta, en su seriedad artístiica, en su profesionalismo, en su bella voz... ¡Bravo Maestro Kraus!, nunca podremos olvidarlo, usted es de los más grandes que en el mundo han sido, usted es un ejemplo perenne de lo que debe ser un cantante y, aún más, de lo que debe ser un tenor...
juandavid1969 1 year ago
It's so difficult trying not to laugh.
norisv 1 year ago
or how a very great singer can be a very bad teacher... However the video looks edifiant on the way the maestro uses his nose to grab the intonations!
floztenor 1 year ago
I feel sorry for this young student. He may actually have been a beautiful concert singer who decided to try his luck at opera. I was in the same situation some time ago. My teacher on hearing me, told me that no one would hear me past Row B in an Opera House. What Kraus is trying to show the student here, is where the placement should be, so the student can get not only a fuller sound, but also those high notes. Granted, the student should be singing only lyric repertoire for now.
salphonso 1 year ago
@ MisterSenseless - Did you know him in real life? I think that's unfair to past judgment on someone you didn't know personally. Even if he was difficult at times, he was a genius, and geniuses aren't known for being the easiest people to deal with. Have some respect for the master tenor!
discardedbard 1 year ago 2
Pobrecito...probablemente podia elegir una parte menos dificil...se metio solo en la boca de leon!Kraus....siempre un mito...un gran maestro,persona y cantante ecepcional...no tiene iguales!!
giomarci 1 year ago
he's amazing
tian2009 1 year ago
lol thts hilarious i love the end hes like move aside son ill show u how its done
MrMrmike5 1 year ago
Un trono vicino al "D'oh!" Como va a elegir 'Celeste Aida' con el nivel de canto que tiene? Así nunca va a aprender. Es como comenzar con 'Pour Mon âme'
f1a6b3 1 year ago
quien es ese malisimo canta mejor uno de cumbia jaja. kraus maestro el mejor de todos
tanpeke 1 year ago
he looks like juan diego f. :)
AAMGG 1 year ago 2
was ist mit der Stimme des Tenors mit der Stimme zu einer Masterclass? Ich habe seit 2 Jahren Unterricht und habe den entspannt.
jeanpaul20012 1 year ago
Excellent singer, but very poor teacher indeed, more interested in his own succes than teaching his student the right technique.
Ebubu69 1 year ago
Admirable Kraus...menos aqui, en este episodio lamentable, que hace sospechar de su nunca probada fama como maestro (que le sobra como interprete legendario). Innecesario sufrimiento (para todos)...y sonrojo ver al maestro, en desigualdad absoluta, luciendose a costa del frustado ¿tenor?, que no habra vuelto a abrir la boca. Un buen maestro le impide el ridiculo facil. Si tuviese enfrente a un spinto de verdad,que pudiese imitarle, todavia estaria justificada esa exhibicion innecesaria.
DeBonle 1 year ago
Do any of you have the whole class?
kharlitoz 1 year ago
Wow, what a crack :D I'm glad there is a master present.
restlesspride666 1 year ago
just watched this video again, and man...even though I know i already commented, i just can't get over how beautiful his voice was. absolutely gorgeous!
discardedbard 2 years ago 2
Is this guy for real? This situation looks like a comic relief.
nobodyimportant09 2 years ago
@nobodyimportant09 I think so too!
TheRockStar2be123 1 year ago
Alfredo kraus è un dio
Vendimi3 2 years ago
Wow, always wished for a teacher like him.
tenoregermania 2 years ago 3
lol...thats not fair Mr. Kraus!!
SweetFiness 2 years ago 2
Alfredo Kraus is the best opera singer I've ever heard...period!
discardedbard 2 years ago 30
ok, you did not hear too much opera i can say for sure
leonelfran 2 years ago
Franco Corelli, Leo Nucci, Gigli, etc.
Its never too late
leonelfran 2 years ago
@discardedbard
Agreed...
thanci 1 year ago
@discardedbard He's has an incredible voice and is a compelling actor - but I've heard he's a bit of a dick in real life - a real teacher wouldn't be so intent on showing off in a lesson, even in a master class. Demonstrating good technique is important, but this goes too far.
That being said the 21 year old student should NOT be singing "Celeste Aida." Verdi's earlier, bel canto-esque operas such as Traviatta and Rigoletto, are excellent accessible repertoire choices for younger singers.
MisterSenseless 1 year ago
@discardedbard Sorry to dissaipoint you discardedbard.
Franco corelli makes the best live performance of Turandot and "Piangeri leu..."
Jussi Bjorling makes the best performance of Bizets "Pearlfishers".
Sergei Lemeshev makes the best performance of "Lenskys aria" (Tjajkovski)
Gigli makes the best "O sole mio"
Di Stefano makes the best live performance of "Eluccevan estelle".
I can go on all night...But my point is that some tenors shine in some arias. A few, like Jussi shines in all.
maxhansendk 1 year ago
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nobodyimportant09 1 year ago
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@discardedbard nonsense!
rodriguezjo 1 year ago
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bodiloto 2 years ago
Yo pienso que este alumno se ganó de parte de Alfredo ese fenomenal agudo final y también se ganó un par de patadas en el culo; es realmente un enigma como una persona tan negada para el canto como ese, se le ocurre estudiar canto e ir a tomar un curso con Papa Kraus...!
komoelorto 2 years ago
El error es del libretista.Debia haber escrito: Querida, puedes pasarme la SAAAAAAAAAL!!!
Kapputschino12 2 years ago
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Kapputschino12 2 years ago
Alfredo the Great!
fr4gific3n7 2 years ago 2
Also das dieser "Villazon für Arme" keinen vernünftigen Ton herausbekommt sieht man doch schon an dieser falschen Körperhaltung (Hohlkreuz etc.).
Ich finde es scheiße, dass Herr Kraus sich profilieren muss und den Hohen Ton so fabelhaft und wunderschön singt, denn es demütigt den Schüler und hat ihn bestimmt kaum geholfen.
Ja,ja, so ist das wenn Publikum dabei ist...
MrTenor86 2 years ago 5
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Kapputschino12 2 years ago
@MrTenor86 Stimmt, das hilft ihm auch kein bisschen weiter
Stingerfyle 1 year ago
@MrTenor86 Naja, dieser Schüler gehört in eine Krauss-Masterclass von vornherien NICHT.
Tenorgeiger 1 year ago
@MrTenor86
"Villazon für Arme"????
Sorry, aber du hast ja mal überhaupt keinen Plan... Soweit ich weiß, hat Kraus nie so dumm draufgedrückt, dass er ne Stimmband-OP gebraucht hat und anschließend nur noch Händel singen konnte :)
fritzwunderlich86 1 year ago
@fritzwunderlich86 Ich glaub da hast du was falsch verstanden...
Stingerfyle 1 year ago
fuck how did a singer that shitty even get into a masterclass with him?
skitzo429 2 years ago
Hilarious all good fun. Bless him for trying. When I hit a top A or B well it feels like the top of my head is about to come off!!! Good for irritating the neighbours though HA!
TheWisemonkey8 2 years ago 2
lol
TheWisemonkey8 2 years ago
Alfredo Kraus, amazing singer....not the greatest teacher lol. Well at least not in this video. Seriously, this is a nightmare situation for a student in a masterclass. Then the accompanist laughs and shakes his head as if he knows how to do it. Yes it's really hard to play a high B flat on the piano. Kraus then decides to belt it out which may be entertaining to some but does not assist the student at all. An instructor should never seek audience approval at the expense of a student.
SkylineVoice 2 years ago 3
Kraus was one of the greatest teachers.
Webarton 2 years ago
I honestly respect your comment but I don't see Krauss showing off but demonstrating what he means by SAL, SAL. I don't know you but in terms of singing I've learnt more by imitation than by theory. I see Mo. Krauss showing HOW to implement what he just taught. It's sad thought to see the attitude of the audience and the accompanist, to everyone I'd say: "You can only laugh if you can show you can do it too".
alexgomez2 2 years ago 2
I don't see any evidence of "audience approval seeking". I think Maestro Kraus was secure enough in his own right not to have the need for such behavior. Or is it simply jealousy?
Andante735 2 years ago
"I'd love to know of any great tenor that has even done that Bb 'pp' and 'morendo' (NONE!)."
Corelli
look it up
crwv 2 years ago
The only video where Corelli sings that Bb on a piano is the following recorded in a studio. Look for this slide/video presentation "CORELLI canta CELESTE AIDA 1954." If you know of any please send the link or tittl be I stand by my comment. I'm yet to know of a tenor who IN A LIVE PERFORMANCE will sing it pp. NONE!!!
alexgomez2 2 years ago
well, if you want to look at this logically, you should be the one giving examples to support your claim.
corelli didn't do high note diminuendi until the late 50's on.
i guarantee you if you looked harder you could find a live recording of him doing the diminuendo; he did it that way from the late 50's on ('58 or so)
crwv 2 years ago
And I guarantee you that having worked for a long time in recording studios, it's more likely ANY singer will do in studio what he won't do on stage. Voices are rested, microphones are calibrated and recordings can be edited. I don't doubt that Corelli could have done it as I mentioned before, but I have NEVER seen anybody do a pp on this Bb on a live performance. Nobody! No tenor of the past and no current tenor. No Domingo, no Pavarotti, no Carreras, no Villazón NONE!
alexgomez2 2 years ago
Try to watch this one: /watch?v=l_eWsuMekSw
Pavarotti did diminuendo live. I don`t know how many times, but here you can listen one.
And this one Bb was easy for Kraus, he`s got about a minor-major sixth above this Bb.
BassoNero 2 years ago
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coryisawake 2 years ago
i believe there is a live corelli recoridng where he does the diminuendo.
Pawelp 2 years ago
While I don't doubt that there are several tenor who may have tried to go diminuendo in that Bb, I'm not familiar with any LIVE recording of ANY tenor who does it "morendo" just Verdi wrote in the score.
alexgomez2 2 years ago
i can not stop laughing at this...especially when Kraus says "sal, sal" as if that's gonna help him! hahahahahahaha lolol bless his heart for trying. lol lol lol
trustingbelieving 2 years ago
Sal, sal. Being a voice instructor myself I see the value of telling a pupil to open the "o" as found in "sol" (a throne close to the Sun). Obviously meaning close to god as to the Egyptians the god-sun was the greater god. The old "aperto ma coperto" means to open the vowels and then cover them. O is a very closed vowel which was giving this singer a hard time to reach the high note. Looking at the video you can see the student not breathing nor supporting well.
alexgomez2 2 years ago
Thanks for the insights. I, a beginning tenor, have the same problem in singing high notes (above G sharp or A) with "o" vowel and I always need to "soften" a little to "fake " those notes. Maybe I should consider your words and try to correct my techniques. Thanks.
cyeh2 2 years ago
I already sent an answer, but just remember, you don't have to soften the notes or to fake them. Do exactly what this young man is not doing: Breath well and support your voice and relax the larynx while covering the vowels. As a tenor myself I know how difficult the notes you mentioned are, but you'll be surprised how wise were the old Italian masters as they'd teach the "open but covered" technique. Remember, "covered" doesn't mean "closed."
alexgomez2 2 years ago