GREATEST BASSO - Boris Shtokolov

[gossiny]

Boris Christoff is an example for basso profondo and strong in the same time.

[gossiny]

Have you ever listen Boris Christoff also??

[sack36]

This man is as basso profundo as I am. ...and I'm female. I'll give him standard base, because he actually hit two or three notes I couldn't. That's being VERY generous. I sing second tenor. His voice is beautiful, mellow and worth listening to for those of us who enjoy the lower voices. He's just not profundo.

[basenjidiva]

Phenomenal! The most magnificent sound, the most extraordinary control, the most profoundly moving delivery! Beyond gold...

[JokerrWoW]

Slenderman



[paulostroff99]

Sensational! TY MT for posting

[PureZOOKS]

he is fantastic, but the stuttering of the music is making me have some kind of "ear seizure"

[Haus2288]

You ever notice that almost all the lowest and loudest bass vocals come from russia and romania? Must be genetic

[elainebmack]

@Haus2288 I have noticed this phenomenon myself. In fact I would extend that list of countries to Finland, Bulgaria, and even Estonia.  In short the Baltic and Slavic countries. I think there must be a rich, dark timbre that cultivated within these cultures. You will also hear that same dark, rich tone in African-American singers as well. Again, it seems that these cultures recognize and cultivate that sound.

[judassab]

@Haus2288 It is most definitely training. Much like Brazilians are good footballers, while Venezuelans are not. Obviously those two countries have rich tradition and that makes possible young talent to want to follow down the same path, while at the same time being expertly trained by good teachers.

[TIBETANMELOMAN]

I listened to a Rumanian basso-Titus Pauliuc-almost the same colour, perhaps Pauliuc had a little more "metal" in his voice1 what a shame he was so little known abroad....!

[basenjidiva]

MAGNIFICENT!!!

[HoOkaHMaInUsEr]

fuck i´m 15 right now and my voice changed into basso pfrofundo , this is like really strange , my father (bariton) is opera singer and i can sing much deeper than him

[steadric]

@HoOkaHMaInUsEr wow that's cool

[elainebmack]

He has a fabulous top as well!

[BolgarArts]

Out of any competition and similarities!

[Mushinronsha3]

6:00 Tetris Theme A.

[Aubury]

profoundly moved, I am at a loss

[k0it123]

from 7:00 what is it?

[bodiloto]

Boris Shtokolov basso lirico?ahahahahahahahahahahaha­h

Puo dirmi qualquno tra voi Signore e Signori in che anno e dove ha cantato questo grande basso sul palco?

Aspetto...

E senza microfono?

Incredibile,tutti questi commenti per un dilettante...

[ruffoite]

profondo, cantante, or somewhere in between. it doesn't matter to me. simply one of the greatest singers i have ever heard

[drummerboy1138]

For those of us less educated in such matters, might it be possible for someone to give titles of these excerpts so we can appreciate it more? Wonderful montage, and a wonderful artist.

[vlalkh]

I am sorry you missed any chance to listen to Shaliapi live, then you would not say taht he was just a cantante. At least you can read his biography and testimonials of those who were blessed to hear Chaliapin - a real operatic basso profondo

Shtokolov has a beautiful bass voice, and he sings his songs with deep feeling.

But you need to listen to Shaliapin's Boris Godunov to know an operatic basso profondo.

Vladimir

[chowman007]

according to the bass classification, In my opinion he is a basso cantante.

[bullogh]

My favorit: Mihaly Szekely.

[operamark1]

One word: Stunning!

[elainebmack]

What an incredible voice. Such a dark, rich timbre, yet flexible and expressive. Gorgeous. I love the bass voice, my favorite of all vocal categories.

[Aetion]

Great voice, really mesmerizing. I little care whether he is called a basso profondo, or madama Butterfly! I like his voice very much and that's enough for me.

[mrotto100]

Thank you very much for issuing these beautiful music.

The life is better, easier and happier after hearing these.

Ottp

[luisiege2]

Damn I'm Studying to sing something nearly of his.

I'm a good bass singer but This is GREAT, no words, Beautiful Color, Perfect Resonance, and the High notes are perfect!!.

Hope to have someone like him teaching me something, someday.

[abracadabranque]

@luisiege2 I know someone.Contact me.

[MrNikodemus2]

Not as great a bass as Paul Robeson. I know you have posted many brilliant Robeson clips on you tube, and I thank you for them. I personally find Robeson to have the greatest bass I have ever heard. In fact, in my view Robeson has the greatest voice ever recorded. It is almost always perfectly in tune, and so deep and rich. Thanks for all the Robeson clips - the greatest bass in my view.

[elikrussel]

my aunt's x-boyfriend who is a professor of art in St.Petersburg was a good friend of B.Shtokolov :> They even sang sometime together

[OlDoinyo]

This was indeed a beautiful voice, informed with impeccable musicianship. I agree with some of the commenters below that this voice probably lacked the abyssal-zone power of the real infrabasses (Vishniakov, Miller, Pasyukov, and perhaps some American gospel singers.) But as very little repertory ventures below low C anyway, it hardly matters in practical terms. And people may argue all day over what "basso profondo" really means--there seems to be no consensus on that point.

[svjatazarov]

шикарный бас, жалко, что недавно он умер, хотя, по словам моего педагога, его голос дальше 3 ряда не летел...не было у него хорошей школы, хотя он находился в поисках хорошего звука до гробовой доски, но на запись его голос шикарно ложился...шикарный наш Российский бас!

[geekbeeterupper]

agreed

[DoctorSteveCT]

I bought a Shtokolov LP in college 30 years ago, and played it to death. The B side was the last scene of Boris.

I agree with MusashiTzu's characterization completely. Shtokolov has always been my favorite basso. I can't think of many bassos who are so solid and rich on the bottom and also have his agility and true basso timbre in the higher range.

I'm also a Corelli fan, and would commend the baritone Ettore Bastianini to those who enjoy these artists. Good duets with Corelli on YouTube.

[MademoiselleGore]

i have no words

he is great!

[linguine99]

I am totally blown away.  Wonderful, expressive singing from an enormously low and colorful voice... really beautiful. Definitely a contender for that elusive "best" title.

One of those amazing voices that was kept from the world by the Iron Curtain.

[stratovenom]

good stuff

[dermotafan]

Beautifull voice. I wish to knew more of him. And, by the way, to mention Kurt Moll as a reference in this context and repertoir sounds a bit ridiculous.

[abracadabranque]

@dermotafan Tu as tout à fait raison.Et celà rassure de savoir qu'une belle couleur l'emporte au charme!Tant de voix ne tendent qu'à une efficacité toute relative et non à la beauté du son.Le timbre,c'est bien mais sans les résonnances le son est pauvre.

[krallison416]

I am thrilled to hear that voice again. Russian friends many years ago sent me records of his. When I moved west I had to give them all away as they would have melted in the moving van. It is like rediscovering an old friend. This is the voice outside of Paul Robeson's that moves me the most in life. Thank you for posting these.

[cattleman6420012000]

Amazing voice.

[j72050]

the resonance of Ivanov is unmatched...he is also on youtube

[lmspr]

OH MY GOD!! I had never heard this singer before. What a truly gorgeous sound. It's pure velvet. I love the bass voice and Boris Shtokolov is surely one of the most beautiful I've ever heard. His pianissimos are truly mesmerizing.

Thanks so much for posting this and for your excellent channel.

[paulostroff99]

Absolutely stunning! Bravo.

[DonPaolissimo]

Uncanny vocal resemblance to Boris Christoff. Despite the fact that I am of Italian lineage, I have always been partial to the Slavic-sounding basses.

Are there any CDs available with this gentleman - he's wonderful!

DonPaolissimo

[calzio71]

I'm not russian and I make some confusions between the title of the songs...please remind me the title of the song at 7'37. Thanks

[chivalrousdanlama]

hes okay i guess. nothing really special. forces some things. if you want a true bass, with great technique, look up kurt moll

[mrtyles]

you can really hear the overtones on some of the notes, particularly where there's vibrato. i wonder if anyone else notices that?

[mrtyles]

what's the name of the song at 6:36?

[khankonchak]

It's a Russian folk song, "Korobeinniki" ("Peddlers").

[khankonchak]

Chaliapin was a basso cantante, as were Journet, Pinza, Reizen, Strienz, Petrov, and Ghiaurov. Anyone who is unable to hear the difference between these voices and that of Shtokolov is either half-deaf, a terribly inexperienced listener, or both. In any case, some of the comments below make it painfully obvious that their authors know precious little about the bass voice. Shtokolov WAS an operatic BASSO PROFONDO, one of the greatest to have performed and recorded in the 20th century.

[MusashiTzu]

thanks for clearing that up friend. On another note did you notice there is now video of live shtokolov performances on youtube? Something I know you will enjoy:)

[abracadabranque]

@khankonchak Cher ami,je crains de devoir te contredire:Shtokolov a un timbre rond basée sur des résonances sombres,ce qui n'en fait pas pour autant une basse profonde.Je suppose que pour t'engager sur ce sujet ,tu l'aura entendu sur scène?Pour ma part ,le connaissant depuis longtemps grâce au disque,je suis allé l'écouter dans Boris Godounov .Désolé pour ceux qui croient que sa voix était immense.C'était alors une référence pour moi,il le reste pour ses qualités de son,non pour son amplitude.

[luigisolera]

Chaliapin was a bass-baritone, not a true bass. He himself, in his autobiography (written by Gorky) states that, when he introduced himself to Usatov (Bolshoi retired tenor and teacher by then) he "thought I was a baritone, and sung Valentine's aria from Faust". Indeed, in The Demon's aria Nie plachte, ditiah, he reaches and sustains an upper F-sharp, a high note that does not belong to the profondo range.

[Pollione88]

@khankonchak I haven't listened a lot to Bass voices but I love Shtokolov's voice. So it might be that I am terribly inexperienced (or half-deaf :), but to me Ghiaurov seems to have a similarly low, resonant and large voice, so I don't hear how Shtokolov has a different voice category, but would love to be educated by your explanation! :)

[bodiloto]

@khankonchak Shtokolov come basso nella "sua"epoca accanto á Ghiaurov,Christoff,Giaiotti era come é oggigiorno Boccelli accanto á Giacomini,Bonisolli,Nikolov...

cantante della musica leggera.

[muuha14]

The gratest russian singer!

[rayrac]

Wonderful tone but as said below, not a profondo,

But what does that matter, a profondo couldn't sing like this.

[JPC101060]

Great basso. I had never heard him sing; his voice is unique; It's dark, deep and so flexible at the same time. I have no words. Thanks for posting.

[32ivan23]

хорошо поёт, сильный голос

[SiViSaraVendetta]

I agree with LardoDiColonnate (nice nickname, by the way!!). He is defintely not a basso profondo.

[MusashiTzu]

Thats a 3rd person, but are you considering also the difference in choral and operatic profondos? If enough evidence points me in the oppisite direction I will change the title. Either way, he is still my favorite bass of all time.

[SiViSaraVendetta]

The evidence, in my opinion, is the timbre, the colour of his voice. To my ears it's crystal clear that he is a basso cantante. In any case he is a very good singer!!!

[khankonchak]

I am a bass, heard Shtokolov in concert, have a long-time familiarity with his recordings, and will tell you that he is nothing of the sort. The weight, heft, darkness, and cavernous sonority of the voice are a match for any of the great "black-voiced" basses, from de Angelis to Szekely to Weber. And Shtokolov was widely regarded in the USSR as one of the country's greatest singers in the operatic "bas profundo" category (not choral oktavist, mind you).

[LardoDiColonnata]

The voice is beautiful, very rich and the technic is good as well.

But the coulour is not a really "Basso profondo", not at all. In some aria He give the "intention" of the Profondo, but it's clear that He need to change is normal techinc of emission of the sound. I mean, His natural voice is Basso cantante, or Basso nobile, but he can sing - more or less, más o menos, più o meno - as almost-profondo.

Anyway, the quality of the voice is amazing!

[soren476]

Basso ProfUndo

[MusashiTzu]

Actually, your quite likely to find three different spellings depending on where you look, I just chose 1.

[elisaf]

Indeed, Shtokolov has a great voice, with a beautiful timbre and a remarkable flexibility, but I think he is actually a "basso cantante" and not a "basso profondo".

A good example of an operatic basso profondo is Giorgio Tadeo. You can see him here, in youtube, playing the role of Seneca in Monteverdi´s "L'Incoronazzione di Poppea". The colour of a basso profondo's voice is darker. (Sorry for my bad english. I am a Brazilian man and I use to speak portuguese).

Jair Ferreira

[MusashiTzu]

Your english is good:) I have come across one other person with that opinion, but at the moment almost all of my sources still tell me he is a profondo. You are not alone in thinking that however.

[DonegalRaymie201]

Great voice no doubt, but i wouldn't say he's a true basso profoundo! I can sing along (badly), because these recordings are in the range of an average baritone like me! Compare with the Orthodox Singers Male Choir - Basso

Now that's low!

[MusashiTzu]

Depends if your talking about choral singers or opera singers. Basso profondo's in opera include shtokolov, christoff etc. The profondo's in orthodox choirs are in a different classification, I perfer to call choral singers octivists to avoid this confusion, you will notice I do this in my other postings.

[DonegalRaymie201]

Yes, that's a useful distinction! So I was comparing him to the Octivists in Orthodox choirs, not other operatic basses. Shtokolov is similar in range to Paul Robeson.

[vonmeppen]

Wonderful singer!

[beastlybass]

Is there any chance that you might be able to send these to me as an MP3?

[MusashiTzu]

Well sure, but you can get mp3s of everything I post just by using keepitvid to download as mp4, then AoA audio extractor to convert to mp3. (Let me know if you need help figuring that out:))

[beastlybass]

Where exactly did you get some recordings of this fellow? I've been looking all over, and can't find any!

[MusashiTzu]

His CD's are out of stock most everywhere now days, but you will find plenty of his full songs on my channel. Also a search using Russian Google would probebly prove fruitful.

[sospello]

A distinctive timbre or vocal "face" combined with a remarkable flexibility and legato for a basso profundo give him an unusual ability to color the line and infuse it with emotion. Never had heard him before your posts. Thank you.

[MusashiTzu]

Listen right to the end, even if you dont know the songs. I save the best for last:) It's 10 minutes you wont regret!