Diana Damrau - Juan Diego Flórez - Rigoletto duet

[saagua1953]

One topic seldom mentioned is the relative fees of singers. I suspect (from some research I have done) that Florez gets paid quite a bit more than Damrau, and more even than Jonas Kaufmann. I wonder how conscious artists are re relative fees. If those paid less resent those paid more.

[EMusically]

Very sensitive conducting by Fabio Luisi. And some lovely lines from Damrau. Florez is more concerned about singing to the audience than to his soprano, which is the sort of selfish attitude the Duke would take(he probably has a mirror with him to check his hair...!!). Vocally it's just too light for this role,even though he tries to sing with style.A good idea to drop the role, before he damages his light, flexible instrument.

[zhangshinyi]

damrau is so perfect <3

[tenorotti]

d'accordo con bodiloto

[xxlilcuty4u]

Stunning! They are just great together! a great great balance!

[eurydike]

i like this. i am not an expert, but i like his duke. handsome to look at, pleasing to be listened to.

[macbetsy1]

Very well done and effective performance in this famous duet by both performers. HEM, Vero Beach, FL

[aguacun]

no more Rossini, more of this... Talking to you Juan Diego

[ezev8logos]

Le tengo un gran respeto a florez!

pero no deberia cantado esto no es para su voz

[giuliaceleste]

due grandi cantanti ed attori, non c'è che dire!! Ma con Rigoletto non c'entrano niente.

[bodiloto]

la" zanzara" e la belle au bois dormant .

[mozartsinger]

Florez sings correctly but is his voice (size and colour) is utterly inappropriate for the Duke. When you hear him in a theatre like the Met (as I have on many occasions), his voice sounds like a buzzing mosquito with little substance or colour. All the more reason he should stick with Rossini and leave Bellini and Verdi alone.

[roykogan]

@mozartsinger "CORRECTLY"? You may be a singer, but you're not a musician. Or you can't be objective about a singer to whom you couldn't possibly compare. This is one of the most exciting & beautiful clips I've seen of an operatic performance. The two of them are a dream. We are so lucky to have Florez in our midst...a singer like this comes along once in a lifetime, maybe. NO ONE can sing his repertoire like him--I don't know if anyone has, ever.

[roykogan]

@roykogan I've actually heard everything he's done at the Met, some performances multiple times. And I would agree with another poster, he's just gotten better & better. (His Sonnambula was a peak, stunningly beautiful.) I am overwhelmed by his technical ability, but am smitten with his tonal radiance & natural, profound expressivity. This man knows what a musical line is. He's been a great inspiration to this (non-singing) musician. Buzz off, sir.

[karifrid]

@roykogan I saw a live performance from Met with him. He was almost perfect....(I am a tenor and listen a lot....)Great singer...Perhaps better Duka after some ten years,but still sounds great...Vise of him to stop singing it and wait.,I hope he will sing after 60 years old age .If he does sport and thinks about his health, HE WILL...

I am sorry to say that I have never done this on stage but the duett is on youtube with me,I think my High D flat is good..To find it: karifrid,rigoletto,duett.

[castelsantangelo]

l'hanno fatta diventare un'opera leggera: e ci sta la damrau, e ci sta florez (il baritono non lo so, scusate) xò non è così che si fa il rigoletto! se florez aspettava ancora un po': è così che ha cominciato pavarotti, xò lui ha aspettato!

[AfroPoli]

Hai completamente ragione. Rigoletto non è un'opera leggera, ma Florez è un tenore lirico leggero. Loro che l'hanno fatto cantare il Duca non capiscono un tubo del melodramma verdiano...

[Satirike]

Piotr Beczala has an incredible voice as well. Check out his Lucia [well, his Edgardo] di Lammermoor performance :-]

[operafilia24]

¡Juan Diego is so young and cute!

He don't look like a pervert and rapist and neither his voice is for this role.

[NedRorem]

The Duke SHOULD be young and cute (Rigoletto tells it: "Questo padrone mio, Giovin, giocondo, sì possente, bello") And he is NOT a rapist. It's quite clear that Gilda likes him a lot. And so does Maddalena.

Perhaps in theatre he can have problems with Verdi because his voice is not very loud. But here he is absolutley perfect.

[operafilia24]

¡Que joven y que lindo es Juan Diego Florez!

Aparte de todo lo que dicen de su voz demasiado tierna para este rol, definitivamente con esa carita de niño no le queda el papel de un tirano vicioso y violador.

[saagua1953]

Actually we may never hear him again in this opera. He cancelled his performances in Madrid next year, saying that it was a role that damaged his voice and he would not sing it any longer. These excerpts may be the only record of his singing this role that we will ever have. I don't think it was put on DVD or CD.

[achimoper]

Wherefrom do you know that he cancelled his performances in Madrid? It is still on his

internet page and also on the internet side

of the "Teatro Real".

[saagua1953]

I believe there was an article in El Pais to that effect. I will check and give you the URL.

[achimoper]

Thanks a lot!

[saagua1953]

It seems You Tube won't allow me to post the URL. You can find the story and link on the blog Operachic under Juan Diego Florez.

[AndresVera24]

Bravi!!!

[Satirike]

awesome vid.

[bigdigger87]

I forgot how amazingly beautiful she is and an amazing voice to match

[madeyetonks]

Where is this?

[gabhai7]

It's recorded at the Semperoper in Dresden. I've seen Rigoletto there live yesterday, all singers are really great, not only Diana and Juan Diego, but also Zeljko Lucic as Rigoletto - an outstanding performance.

[madeyetonks]

You're so lucky! I've never seen them perform together.

[gabhai7]

I guess I really am... I hope they'll perform together again in the future, they matched really well.

[maggeo78]

That's great, thank you!!!! Diana is the best!!!!

[mignon44]

Thank you for posting this so quickly. More, more!

[sevoflurane]

Damrau is getting better and better! It is so refreshing to hear a soprano who is actually making progress! You promptness in uploading is remarkable coloraturafan!

[Operaphile]

I concur!!!! JDF is in the same boat - just getting better and better. He is sooooooo animated both in voice and acting now compared to those early days!

Again, many many thanks to Coloraturafan - certainly THE BEST opera poster on youtube!!!!

[coloraturafan]

:-)