Ruggero Raimondi - Carmen - Votre toast

[dapontemozart1989]

MAGNIFICO!!!!

[bassbaritonexiaodi]

basso cantate!  basso baritono!

[athleticrules]

who is carmen?

[Mateus4193]

@athleticrules Teresa Berganza

[vivatletorero]

Just by ear I would guess Raimondi is a bass-baritone, but closer to a baritone.

[TheLittleDoubleA]

Dios mio, y eso se supone que es España? no teneis ni idea , this isn´t a good recreation of Spain...

[Chaserpeach]

He has got much better pronunciation in the films

and can I say, 11 people listen to Bieber

[rovingdesertfox]

EPIC Raimondi. WOW........

[dedal141]

Ayer vi a Ruggero Raimondi cantando Basilio en el Teatro Municipal en Lima, con 69 años una voz increíble, un gran cantante sin duda

[Elgranbajo]

@dedal141 Y como parece que fue su último Basilio y, quizá, hasta su última interpretación en escena, ¡¡¡¡dichoso tú!!!!

[enrom55]

Además de gran cantante, gran actor. Ahora bien, puede ser que en esta grabación o por estos días su voz se haya degradado bastante...

[hypothese]

BRAVO!!!

[Laeghaire]

Great role for Raimondi, vocally perfect and great stage presence. Bravo!

[arpeggio1358]

The best Escamillo is Sam Ramey in the 1987 Met production. He's the only one I've ever seen who made Escamillo the rock star he should be. One reviewer said of Ramey's performance, "At last, Escamillo is no longer the dullest man in Spain."

[deiasilva10]

Wonderful!

[goldenthroat86]

Bravo! I admit I've never been a fan of Raimondi, but he sounds and looks fabulous here. What a great Escamillo...

[Ethratian]

Iirc this performance was conducted by Claudio Abbado, Terasa Berganza was Carmen and Placido Domingo was Don Jose.

All the best

[DarthWill3]

Uh oh! It's Gaston! Lol

[vanhaneggan500]

Denititivamente alli vemos a mejor escamillo en la gran caracterizacion del grande RUGGIERO RAiMONDI, No olvidemos a los actores secundarios y a la maravillosa orquesta que con sus acordes plasmaron esta creacion de Bizet en este portal. Encore!!

[stevevandien]

I believe Raimondi is generally overrated. But here he is at his best.

[Y2H]

Best Escamillo EVER!!!!!!!!!!!

[onaqskosata]

One of the best Escamillio I've ever heard! Excellent!

[spyridon77]

Who is the condactor?

[kendoscot]

this is good....

[Musikkristin]

Ruggero Raimondi was an international sensation in this part and he is it still today in every parts he sings. He was and is generally grandios in his singing and playing. No one singer today sings a Escamillo or Don Giovanni like Raimondi. Happy New Year from Munich

[luigipavabartolotti]

l'interpretazione è una delle migliori,ma non capisco una cosa come fa un basso baritono ad avere il timbro di un tenore?:O

[vilabreze]

Mamma mia! Raimondi's Escamilio is proud and passionate, a little condescending, with just the right amount of arrogance. Brilliant! As always!

[OperaAdmirer]

In one interview Raimondi says that the "Votre Toast" is not a vain showing-up, but a brave song of fight and death.

[vilabreze]

Ruggero Raimondi sweeps onto the stage like a summer hurricane and owns it instantly! He owns the action and the audience and the opera.

[OperaAdmirer]

This performance of Paris May 14, 1980 is known as the ""Carmen" with the forelock" because of the famous passionate move of the head of Escamillo-Raimondi singing "Votre Toast". The vehement applauses after this aria almost have pull down the house.

[OperaAdmirer]

Raimondi is a bass-baritone! Bass or baritone, he is the best Escamillo, as well as the best Scarpia for all times.

[LifeJuice90]

And he is a damn good Basilio. I think he also has a charm that has a dark undertone to it. This man can make you cry and make scare you in the same opera. Great singer, amazing actor. And his French is so smooth. Most people who sing this sound like they have learned the language from Maurice Chevalier.

Yes he is the best Escamillio ever. He is one of the greatest singers of all time.

[ElisabethLackner]

Jepp!!!

[OperaAdmirer]

If you have seen the premiere of "Carmen" in La Scala, yesterday evening, December 7 2009, with the featureless, pale Escamillo of Edwin Schrod, you can realise how we, operafans, are happy and gratefull to have Ruggero Raimondy performing so many roles!

[ElisabethLackner]

I've seen it!

And you are right, ruggero raimondy is one of the best bass-baritones all over the world.

I love the diabolical expression in his eyes... sorry, can't explain it better my english is soo bad...

[OperaAdmirer]

Yes,... "the diabolic expression in his eyes".. combined with the dark power and the deep soft (and husky at the same time) gentleness in his voice...

[vilabreze]

Exactly!

[GudrunO]

Das ist doch ein Escamillo, wie er im Buche steht! Bisschen schwach der Nachwuchs in dieser Rolle, der momentan auf den europäischen Bühnen steht- man muss doch verstehen, für wen Carmen Don José verläßt:-) 1980- meine Güte- ein Traum!

[voltape]

Is raimondi a bass or a baritone?

[chaiter1]

He is a bass-baritone.

He has the possibility to encompass both bass roles and baritone roles.

And he did so quite sucessfully during his carreer.

Other notable bass-baritones include Jose van Dam , Samuel Ramey , George London and other.

[zegermans750]

Terfel, Furlanetto

[LifeJuice90]

Ferruccio Furlanetto has a range that is unsurpassed. He can hit notes that would make Siepi proud and he can also reach the skies with Milnes.

I could never classify him. I guess if Samuel Ramey can be called a Bass Baritone then so can Mr. Furlanetto.

If only there were more singers like Furlanetto, Raimondi, Ramey, Terfel, and Milnes.

These newcomers are really boring. Looks have become a priority in the opera world.

[vilabreze]

Absolutely agree with you, particularly about Ruggero Raimondi! As for looks becoming a priority--not a problem for Ruggero Raimondi! he has the looks and the charm and the magnetism and the voice!

[LifeJuice90]

@vilabreze

Ruggero Raimondi can play any role he wants to.

[vilabreze]

With his immense artistic talent, great charm, and fantastic voice, absolutely!

[LifeJuice90]

He is a huge influence on me. I wanted to be a bass singer for years, and hated when I was classified as a bass-baritone. Thanks to Mr. Raimondi, I am proud of it now.

[vilabreze]

Of course you should be proud of being a bass-baritone! There are so many roles you can sing. Are you in the U.S., or Europe?

[LifeJuice90]

@vilabreze

U.S.

[vilabreze]

Yes, I have seen Raimondi live 3 times--I saw him as Duke Alfonso (in "Lucrezia Borgia" (2008) and as Scarpia in Vienna and Berlin (2009). He was absolutely fantastic every time! He truly becomes his characters on stage, and his voice is as powerful and resonant as ever.

[LordHettrick]

@voltape Both...a bass-baritone!

[PLetcful]

@voltape Baritone, a real bass is more like Nikola Ghiaurov.

[barmanjoe]

@PLetcful And incidently I think Ghiaurov himself has at least recorded this aria, I'm not sure if he's actually played the part on stage.

[psalmtone2008]

@voltape He's a bass-baritone...bass range with baritone timbre.

[warriordiva26]

Raimondi=Escamillo. Look at that marvelous sneer and the way he tosses his head! Don Jose ... is... history.<3.

[Y2H]

Raimondi is just the best Escamilo in history!

[ptichkagulnara]

der beste Escamillo aller Zeiten...ausdruck,macht,echt,r­eflexiv,beherschend,zaehmend..­. BRAVO!!!

[jackfeirytheonlyone]

BRAVO.

[serenade00007]

He has a small voice.

[ILuvNymphadoraTonks]

he is really good!

[silviustzutzu]

this is the best escamillio i ever seen.the message that he's sendig to the croud is fabulos,it makes me feel like i;m really there,next to him and i'm really living the story that he sing's.he's great

[stereomaxout]

Raimondi is not only a GREAT singing actor in opera, he's very very sexy in real life, despite his lack of conventional handsomeness. And that sexiness communicates wonderfully on the opera stage, especially as Don Giovanni.

[Aetion]

Very nice voice and a good actor. Bravo!

Who's Carmen pls?

[blichilde]

Teresa Berganza

[Aetion]

Thank you.

[LucioLuzLux]

Raimondi is not the most beutiful man in the world but he is extremely charming (see Losey's Don Giovanni)...besides this he is a great singer and actor in my opinion :)

[Stancaco]

Yes, he has the presence but what an ugly man... no neck, the figure...no,no, I've seen his Don Giovanni too and I like it but it's a kind of vilan appearance always...

[blichilde]

I think that the interest must be focused on singing,not on appearence.Anyway,there's a lot of women that don't agree on his ugliness. :))

[vilabreze]

You're so far off the mark, it's not funny! Ruggero Raimondi isn't a plastic Ken, he's a tall, handsome, and very sexy live man! And he's a brilliant singer and actor! Only the jealous people like yourself write negative things about him.

[Aetion]

If you find him that ugly, then don't mary him! :)

[Operaandchant90]

As if looks matter!

its about the singing.

[charminsouthernbelle]

What a man. *Sigh, fans herself*

[BethDiane]

Damn, he's hot!

[emacasta]

I like his voice and stateliness on stage!

[dude999998]

When you can spread E's and F's like that, you're a baritone. God bless him!

[APaivaM]

i think he's a bass baritone with a great range... awesome production ;)

[trem0lo]

Raimondi had a long stage, television and film career spanning over 20 years as primarily a bass-baritone. This aria is admittedly high for him but he sings it in the famous 1984 film version of Carmen with Domingo. Many bass baritones with a secure top often tackle this role.

As far as Hvorostovsky goes, his career is not even 10 years old and already his voice is in decline. A wonderful voice that will never reach its potential because of poor repertoire selection.

[babajaga39]

you should know that repertoire is not chosen by the singer but by intendants or impressarios. singers can say no to a role, but after twice saying no, the singer can say goodbye to his/her career. hvorostovsky mentioned in an interview that he had many fights with this, but if he wants to remain a singer, he has to accept bad roles too.

[trem0lo]

baba, not to get off topic, but a singer absolutely chooses his or her own repertoire in consultation with their manager. If Hvorostovsky is letting inappropriate roles get pushed on him then that's his own fault and just shows his naivety. Maybe he should consider a new manager!

[babajaga39]

i agree: this one seems just to earn good profit on him, not considering his real interests. gyimka is naive, really, so what? it is a sin just in the western world... regarding raimondi: I still love him, he is the nicest ugly guy on the world!

[blichilde]

Ruggero ugly?? he sings villains'roles,but I should say that he's no ugly at all...

[babajaga39]

Sorry, he is not really what I call good-looking, but he is strikingly and disarmingly attractive.

[bradleyjenks]

@trem0lo Hvorostovsky's career is not even 10 yrs old?!?!? where have you been? He has been singing for many years. He came to worldwide recognition winning the Cardiff competition the same year as Bryn Terfel, in 1989, which is now 21 years ago. He is still singing well, and shows no signs of slowing down. Are you one of those people who doesn't consider a person's career to have started until YOU have heard of them?

[Snowss]

I love Raimondiiiiiiiiiiii

[NeoBlight]

This guy is really elegant, cool. He's much better than Hvorostovsky. Maybe not the same raw power but he's just better in every other way. Imo, can't even compare them. I like this much better.

[chantalminet]

Something went wrong... "Are you kidding?" was not directed to keopsdelfuturo - DH is quite a good baritone, but to OperaticVoice, who doesn't seem to know what or who he's talking about.

[keopsdelfuturo]

there's an interpretation of this aria by Hvorostovsky here on youtube... I like him better

[LucianoKraCore]

right Hvorostovsky, he is great, this raimondi, just a mediocre operatic voice, right time, right moment, and people that may recommend someone too. Yo are right.

[OperaticVoice]

I agree he had not a big voice, highs difficult for him, too skinny too, not presence at all, anyway...opinions and no more.

[tehen162]

On the contrary, Raimondi had a big voice, whereas Hvorostovsky's is small live, a disappointment. Besides, Raimondi is bass-baritone, Hvorostovsky a baritone trying to deepen and darken his voice.

[babajaga39]

raimondi was in his time one of the biggest and the best voices of the operatic world: his voice was big, not too thick, and had the most wonderful sound. you should hear him in other roles.he was a great actor also.

gyimka is another type: for me he and d'arcangelo are the best escamillos... of course amny people criticize gyimka for that he has certain "problems" with his voice and repertoire: you should consider that he is not a "normal" opera singer, he is something else... a wizard instead.

[tehen162]

Yes, I agree. I have heard Raimondi several times live. Amazing presence, a brilliant actor, big voice with individual timbre. I can understand, that Hvor. is a phenomenon for his fans, has his allure, but alas for me, having listened to him live, was a dissapointment.

[BethDiane]

D'Arcangelo? Really? Not a lot of pitch center there, alas.

I fail to see how anyone could be a better Escamillo than Raimondi; he's got the voice, he's got the looks, and he's got the moves. I'm not sure who was José in this production, but whoever it was, I'd leave him for this Escamillo in a heartbeat!

[blichilde]

Don José was Domingo, if I remember well.

[OperaticVoice]

Hvorostovsky is something else, this raimondi is nothing compared to him in any aspects, voice and presence too.

[phantom4087]

I saw Hvorostovsky in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra at The San Francisco Opera: I can't believe I wasted my money on STANDING ROOM to see him. I've heard nearly every baritone (and tenor) during the last nine years at SF, and most of them were loud and clear in standing room, but Hvorostovsky is the biggest pipsqueak I've ever heard there, and yes, I have been going to the opera since I was six-years old, and proud of it. However, the rest of the cast was superb.

[OperaticVoice]

Raimondi a very thin, small voice , not for singing opera, but well some is better than nothing.

[Gille2416]

You don't know very much about opera

[chantalminet]

Are you kidding ?

[wippocarter]

You are an idiot

[LucianoKraCore]

Tu eres inimaginablemente ignaro.

[floridas24]

ey guy, you are offending nobody but yourself, not to be an idiot means we have to say what you like or agree with you?, nobody cheats on anybody, they cheat on themselves my friend, you will never judge nobody an idiot since the idiot could be you, right?.

[croatiakristina]

Toréador, en garde ! Toréador, Toréador Yes,Raimondi is definitely one of the best Escamillos.

[tenorotti]

epicondyles you got that right. Bechi is a God next to Raimondi.

[bradleyjenks]

This may be the best singing I have ever heard him do.

[inthePequod]

Maravilloso!

[spyridon77]

Just Perfect!

[ginodina]

The best production of Carmen I see at the Opera Comique, Paris

[BravaToscaBrava]

bravoooooo!!

[epicondyles]

He is very good, but Bechi is much better.

[edelmixa]

mi padre dice k le encanta ps yo la pongo por mi padre xk sino no la hubiese puesto xk en su tienda lar resuena cuando ablas resuena jaja cuando me apoderare de la musica?¿

[mstrsims2]

Saw this for a music class. Yes he is very good. Berganza was 45 by the time she did this Carmen. She looks a bit older!

[bariton9]

Raimondi fascinated me when i saw him for the first time in Don Giovanni movie - and it was a ground breaking performance (for me).Since then i was follwing his produktions and movies and i was never dissapointed. :-)

[Alcisko]

He's a great musican and he looks great:)

[EmilyGreene1984]

Ruggero Raimondi is, I believe, a bass-baritone. Neither baritone nor basso. I could be wrong, but I'm certain that he's a bass-baritone.

[BravaToscaBrava]

I agree!!

[grobaniteforever]

He is if you look him up on Wikipedia

[hightenor123]

It is always a challange with Raimondi. His voice is very colorful and strident, but not large for a bass, in the verdi rep, but it doesn't really sit high enough to sing Baritone roles. But he obviously had a awesome instrument, so he carved his own rep. Don GIovanni, Scarpia, The COunt, Escamillio, on the baritone side The 4 Villains, Basilo, Silva in Ernani from the Bass side .. all parts that sit in between that he is accociated with.

[steainsy]

How would you compare him to Jose van dam, maybe less of a bottom (pun not intended)? Because of course van dam did do the verdi rep, but also did don giovanni, escamillio etc.

[hightenor123]

Jose Van Dam, as an art song fan, is indispensable for a mellow, beautiful voice. In opera, he sings the same rep. as Raimondi in opposing style. Raimondi's voice is strident, dry and open, Van Dam is more on the head voice side and easily produced. Raimondi has stage presence. I agree that below a certain point Van Dam's voice turns into a stage whisper. Both sing into their 60's, Van Dam maintains a certain charm, with drying tone, Raimondi is quite totally spent with regards to both.

[Elgranbajo]

This character was the first one I saw with this splendid singer. And I consider Ruggero one of its best performers as the famous film reassures!

[BravaToscaBrava]

indeed, he is!

[stevevandien]

Always thought Raimondi was more bass-baritone than bass - he does this very well -- who's the Carmen?

[Gabba02]

Teresa Berganza.

[rjw0886]

Bravo!