Dmitri Hvorostovsky

[musicfanBRA]

Amazing force and expressivity, besides his magnificent voice! Not to mention that he must be the most handsome man in the world.

[ahoghill54]

I live in Cardiff! I remember watching part of this competition on TV in 1989. We in Wales were very disappointed that Bryn Terfel didn't win but that hasn't held him back and he couldn't have lost to a more worthy opponent.

[Ariadne7710]

@ahoghill54 You are right. I watched the competition on TV in London. Once he opened his mouth and started to sing this and in the final "O Carlo ascolta" there was no contest. Everyone else paled into insignificance. All the TV commentators predicted the winner way before the judges made their decision. Since then I have seen him live many times both in concerts and in operas and his singing is always wonderful and his voice gets more velvety and more silvery all the time.

[juanf3lip3]

Amazing!!!!!!!

[jazmyn0549]

So yummy! I can't believe how young he is here!

[Ariadne7710]

@po1212Po The grounding that musicians get in Russia - both vocalists and instrumentalists - is superb. By the time they hit the international circuit they are fully equipped particularly in the right techinques. Hvorostovsky is endowowed with a phenomenally beautiful natural voice but his technical skills and breadth control are spectacular. And having an immensly long range helps too. In case anyone is interested he originally started to train as a tenor but decided to change to baritone

[eurydike]

@Ariadne7710 but why exactly did he change to baritone?don´t you know please?

[Ariadne7710]

@eurydike I remember listening to an interview he gave years ago when he said that after he started training as a tenor he found his voice was straining in the tenor range and felt more comfortable in the baritone range so he changed. Clearly his natural vocal placement was lower than he originally thought so his voice sounds better as a baritone. And I suppose the results prove that. He sounds absolutely magnificent as a baritone.

[marcelramalho]

man... he was only 27... best of all...

[BytomGirl]

Maturity of his voice and expression at such young age amazes me.....

[nessundorma111]

beautiful voice and interpretation, nice looking too, one "but" only, small voice in reality, though he sound like Verdian baritone in fact he is a barione-martin:), but who cares? I still have great thrills listening to his CD's or DVD's, live he was much less impressive, Heard him without mike:)

[LittleMongoosie]

What opera is this from?

[Angaenor]

@LittleMongoosie

it's from "Un ballo in maschera"

[LittleMongoosie]

Thanks!

[pavelrs17]

un ballo in maschera

[BytomGirl]

@LittleMongoosie It's Verdi's Masquarade Ball

[77Opera]

Unforgettable - unsurpassed!

[JackOperaMan]

Except by Tibbett, Ruffo, Warren, Merrill, Bastaninni, and a host of other great singers.

[leitewilma]

Ele é o melhor de todos e cada dia fica melhor ainda...Como se fosse possivel!

[MelpomeneAnna]

He's my favourite singer! I've heard him twice when he was in Kemerovo for Miners' Day celebration. I'm proud that in Siberia such people as Hvorostovsky were born!!!

[jschultz4]

What a voice.  He looks better with his white hair but the voice is timeless.

[ClassicA111]

Yes, I agree. His now white hair completes his appearance as a wonderful singer!

[canafinwe]

Beautiful singing. His voice is more gorgeous now as he's elder but here he was great, too.

[liebermex]

He sounds good in this interpretation, but certainly that I remain with his current versions of this aria. But I feel calm on having remembered that he was young once also ...just as I am now...lol

[liebermex]

WOOOW, it is VERY interesting to see how a singer is developmented...Im a young baritone now, I am 25 and I am working on this aria just right now, so in such way I felt myself identified with him for a moment. I am not trying to compare myself with him...please do not misunderstand, I am just confirming that WORK is indeed the only and secure way the we have to reach our goal(s) as an artist.

[agossyantoo]

el mejor baritono de la historia!

[Ankhsnammon]

Te recomiendo escuchar a titta ruffo,nicolae Herlea,tito -gobbi,Leonard Warrentibbett,Bechi,Battistini­,Bastianini,litsitsian...inclu­so a chernov,Hampson o Terfel...cualquiera de ellos es mejor que el tigre albino!

Alkhsnammon

[jirina42]

I ma sorry for being such an ignorant, but could somebody tell me from what Opera this is? Thank you.

[hsgiac03]

My favorite aria in the baritone rep...it's so gorgeous. Dmitri has an amazing voice, so beautiful.

[operarts]

Che belleza!! Si merita un bacio sulla fronte! Sempre ha stato un uomo impeccabile.

[cosentino1987]

cual es el nombre de este aria?

Gracias

[nosos370]

Un ballo in Maschera di Giuseppe Verdi...

E' l'aria tra Renato e Amelia "Alzati"

[borias12]

Wonderful!!!

[THEMAN200711]

If you guys really think Dima is 26 here, you are all nuts. No 26 year old baritone sings Verdi so well while moving from register to register. I am a singer myself. Trust me, the voice does not line up like this until a singer is between 30-35. Dima is now 52-54 years old. Regardless, I love his voice.

[Ros3tte]

Great. But he is 45 now.

[Ankhsnammon]

This demi-god was born in 1962.Please,sirs...What about Mathematics?

He`s 44 years old until next 15th October,11.59 hours pm.

Ankhsnammon

[sunrider59]

Yes, it's right. I was a student in Krasnoyarsk polytechnical institute in the same time when Dmitri studied in the same city in Institute of Arts.

[Ankhsnammon]

Do you know Him personally?

Ankhsnammon

[sunrider59]

No unfortunately, but i met other students from his course, and heard the records from his examination.

[eurydike]

@sunrider59 what did he sing? how were they ?

[sunrider59]

@eurydike It was more then 25 years ago )))) but all told his singin was very good.

[YvonneSLa]

This year's winner is only 23 years old and he does look young. I don't think he is mistating his age! I saw Dmitri live at last year's Prom and I must admit he looked older than 44 years old.

[floravesta]

Dmitri was 26 when he won at Cardiff. He is now 44. I am a singer also. He seems to done at 26 what you say he should not have been able to do. I both heard and saw him on 11/14/07 at Avery Fisher and believe me he is NOT 52-54 years old. I was a table width from him when he was signing CDs. He just happens to have prematurely gray or white hair ... that's genetic and doesn't in his case reflect middle age (had the same happen to me).

[Ankhsnammon]

Yes,indeed.but look closely around his eyes...

Ankhsnammon

[floravesta]

I did.

[Ankhsnammon]

He seems so tired now...and this makes him look much more elder than his 45 years old!

Ankhsnammon

[floravesta]

His schedule now is brutal. I have looked at it. The travel & accompanying lack of rest will cause anyone to look tired. Whether this will affect his singing voice we will find out. I will see him again at Greensboro on April 6 & will serve as an observer. I confess that often when I look in my mirror & find evidence of time's passage.

[Ankhsnammon]

Yes,and he is wastening his voice with this continuous work...

Each performance means,at least,one or two days without sleep.

but superstars...divos' life is so!!!

and now he is a character of the show biz,too...

he is like a merchandise,indeed!

Hahaaa!

Ankhsnammon

[eurydike]

@THEMAN200711 he was born in 1962. 

[sparafucile2]

El mejor barítono del momento sin duda.

Y qué guapo....!!!!!!

[dolcehulk]

He is a genius. God granted him the voice. What more can you say. I am a baritone , I am so jealous!

[picapin]

such a stong voice and great technique for such a young Dmitri. No wonder he has made such a successful career. I like Dmitri better than Bryan Terfel

[vestilagiubba]

Bryn Terfel sucks...vorostovsky is better...but Ramey is simply the BEST

[picapin]

go give Ramey a blow job

[Ankhsnammon]

Bryn terfel is a good singer...and no more.DMITRI is a myth,a legend....His presence has something of cosmic,mysthical allure!

ankhsnammon

[YvonneSLa]

I have seen and like both of them. Bryn Terfel is an amazing singer as well as actor. I would go to Operas to see Bryn Terfel and a concert to hear Dmitri. Bryn Terfel won the song prize anyway. BTW this year's winner is also great and so very young like Dmitri!

[floravesta]

It would help if we had Terfel's Cardiff video for comparison to Hvorostovsky. A little shocked how worn Terfel's voice sounds on videos that have been posted here. Dmitri may be a myth & a legend already, but he has "the voice" & must be counted as excellent, not just good. I saw & heard him on 11/14/07. Astounding. The audience & the singer left only because we were tired & needed rest ... otherwise we would have preferred to stay to hear the whole thing over again.

[spaniarddamnit]

YES i saw him in dallas and he was phenomenal!

[sandraNorway]

I would add - I have never heard him sing this aria in his later career - but what I can say is I've never heard anyone sing it better. Despite the youngness in his voice this is just a beautiful rendition.

[tomtallis]

Amazing for his young age. You can still hear that the vocie lacks some of its later warmth and the top isn't as full and easy it will become.

[sandraNorway]

I just watched this again - it's even more impressive than I remembered. It's just so touching - more so because he looks so young. Lovely.

[Anario22]

He's so young here. His voice amazing.

[FacePaster]

Sounds great here! Especially for being 26 or 27! I love his legato.

[clewis2666]

he has never been so magnificent as he was then- but still bl--dy good!

[echen2000]

That is simply not true. Do you hear the depth and artistry in his singing today? He has recently put down a "Golden Age" performance in the Met Onegin. If you seriously think he was better at 26 you really don't know much about singing.

[sandraNorway]

Well I agree about the Met performance - and I thought he was just magnificent at last years Last Night Proms. I also happen to think his Cardiff competion performances were wonderful and so moving - they make me cry. But then his more recent performances make me cry too. I love Dmitiri's young voice/performance - there's a special charm in it. I also love Dmitri's mature voice. I just love Dmitri.

[sandraNorway]

Wow ! The complete performance - great technique, control , emotion , wonderful tone , presence - pure joy.

[marchx25]

he is 27 years old here, he was born in 1962...

[montestone]

Guessing he was about 30. Must be nearly 50 now.

[davidpershall]

Any know his age here... looks young... even more impressive so young

[stellasapon]

He is twenty six there. It is from 1989's Cardiff Competition. He is 43 to 44 now.

[inrharmony]

Thanks so much for posting this. If there was ever a do-all baritone, Dmitri is it. What an inspiration....