Samuel Ramey "Te Deum" from Tosca

[yamiko193]

What Samuel Ramey does in this performance can only be refered to as "mean- mugging"... God, he's scary.

[callasnuts]

Is this Julius Rudel conducting?

[Onegin65]

@callasnuts Indeed!

[snowheat]

he's got some serious stones, love it.

[esclarmonde1]

What a perfect vocal performance and his acting is superb. Ramey is the finest Scarpia I have ever heard and gives credence to Baron Scarpia's character.

[readerjoy]

Chills!

[CateSoprano]

pelle d'oca.



[11792654]

holy fuck, that voice is big

[pucciniverdi777]

Sam Ramey, the best Scaerpia of them all. I've seen him perform the role live, and he's one scary Scarpia.

[raycanto76]

Large columns of sounds...Bravo Ramey!!

[rojp08]

A top 5 all-time performance! Impossible not to like/enjoy/admire.

[Eldonahaley]

Sam one of the best Scarpia's ever. lol

[johnnytheslider]

Utterly stunning.

[snowheat]

he's feirce, i am scared!

[cookie2000ify]

It is the role of Scarpia that can make or break a performance of Tosca. You can have your Tito Gobbi. Give me Samuel Ramey anytime-the greatest Scarpia.

[WotansSpeer]

Intergalactic! A true Scarpia! Ramey - a hero for ever!!!!

[Eldonahaley]

Samuel Ramey...definitely 'Rocks'.

[DanyNicola]

I used to have his same hair before half of them fell off :( And I'm 50 years rounger than him

[kcsomegaman]

Absolutely fantastic!!!

[andyrawn]

VERY Cool Video ~ Hearty Congratulations! Perhaps You & Your Viewers Would Also Enjoy Watching On You Tube: 1st Lesson FREE !

[callasfan100]

magnicisent.voice

[pichuco1945]

PUCCINI, UNICO!

[xMarceMarcex]

Eargasm.

[BillF1967]

What a wonderfully huge voice and what GREAT hair!!

[shimmyhinnah]

AMAZING VOICE!! He is so gifted.

[4the3dom]

Majesty!

[mikemraz]

One of the greatest moments in all of opera, performed by one of the greatest!!!

[cstrum]

What a Wotan he would be!

[Arashi110]

@cstrum Hear, hear! I just thought what a pity it was that Ramey had almost completely ignored the German repertoire during his career. Even though he had sung practically every role for bass in 5 other languages...

[beignet58]

@Arashi110

How true! He could have been a great Wodan!

[Konwitschny]

@beignet58

...really not at all- neither Wagner nor other german roles , but a great singer in his roles!

[arpeggio1358]

@Arashi110 As a basso cantante, his voice was much more suited to belcanto, Mozart, much of the French repertoire. He did sing a lot of Verdi also. Wagner would have just been too heavy for his voice. He has said that he had been offered Wotan, but he turned it down. He also looked at the title role in The Flying Dutchman, but never actually sang the role.

[logica10]

This is an outstanding performance. The finale is amazing.

[ranigema]

é basso?é baritono?

[cernacerna]

bè, direi che si classifica come bass-baritone, pur mantenendo profondità, ha degli ottimi acuti. io stesso sono un basso-baritono, arrivo a cantare un Lab in acuto ( se sono bello caldo) e un Mib nel registro basso ( arrivo anche a cantare D se la sera prima mi scolo 2 bottiglie di vino :D ), ma la tessitura da baritono rimane comunque troppo alta. Grande Ramey, spero di raggiungere una tecnica come la sua, un giorno!

[anabusca]

No canta nada mal éste chico, pero si comparamos éste Te Deum con el de Ruggero Raimondi, Ramey sale bastante malparado

[EdiEllerymissing]

@anabusca Jejejeje, "no canta nada mal éste chico"... jajajaja. Color? Pasión? Dos excelentes y plausibles argumentos musicales. Cuidado que la música no se trata ni de ver, ni de sentir (únicamente). Coincido, Raimondi hace un excelente Scarpia (mi favorito), pero lo que escuchamos aquí es una interpretación increíble. Gustos aparte, sus fraseos son magníficos, su técnica vocal es impresionante, el trabajo de y con la orquesta es maravilloso. Cuidado con los juicios ligeros y personales .

[NickHelsen]

what a voice!

one of the best version I've ever heard.

[robertanico]

Whitout Ruggero Raimondi's perversion this aria is boring

[paddyswok]

One of the great stars of opera. This is a tour de force. Thank you Maestro Ramey.

[voltape]

Ramey is a basso. How could he sing Scarpia, which is a role for a baritone? They they lower the score?

In any case, a remarkable rendition of one of the very best opera singers

[MABenBB]

@voltape He is a Bass-Baritone they didnt lower the score

[llamasaresmelly]

@voltape Scarpia is written for a bass-baritone, but it's not particularly high (I'm a low bass, and I can pretty much hit every note of the Te Deum). Ramey is also extremely flexible in his high and low range, making him one of opera's greatest basses who ever lived.

[Arashi110]

@voltape The Scarpia part is comfortable enough for a high bass or a bass-baritone, and they sing it quite often (Ramey, Raimondi, James Morris, to name a few). By the way, the best Scarpia of modern time is Ruggero Raimondi who is also a basso cantante like Ramey.

[amoxtlacatl]

@voltape

For whatever it's worth, NO - they did not lower the score.

You hear Ramey singing the aria in its original key.

[WotansSpeer]

I've heard him in Vienna in 2008 as Barone Scarpia.... He was wonderful.... His power was magnificant!!

The greatest bass of our times!!

[llamasaresmelly]

In regards to his wobble, I saw his final performance at the Met as Bishop Leone and there was little to no trace of his wobble. He was incredible in his two lines. His voice is still as powerful as ever, and I'm sad that he's retiring. I wish I could have heard more of him.

[arpeggio1358]

@llamasaresmelly I'm glad to hear that the wobble has diminished. He sang a wonderful Boris in San Francisco in 2008. The voice had a wobble early on, but went away as the performance went on. He's recently said that he isn't retiring quite yet.. And we have many, many great recordings to listen to always.

[01jocooper]

Lol the chorus sucked at their first entrance!!

[redhead529]

And my God, you can hear him over the orchestra and the chorus! just the way it should be sung.

[brigid88]

@redhead529 couldn't agree more. beautiful,beautiful, beautiful....

[cernacerna]

dio, che voce

[31122051]

Scarpia = Tito Gobbi, Giangiacomo Guelfi, Cornell MacNeil, Giulio Fioravanti, Matteo Manuguerra ...

[61550LizziE]

OMG! What utter otherworldly, glorious ferocity he exudes!

[xav71176]

Wow.

The way he sounds over this big choir in the unisson in the last bars, that is beyond me.

[bassfanne45]

@xav71176 I've heard him live in ths role, and even live he can be heard easily over the orchestra and chorus going full tilt! Pretty impressive.

[anabusca]

@xav71176

No canta nada mal éste chico, pero si comparamos éste Te Deum con el de Ruggero Raimondi, no hay color. La pasión que le pone Raimondi, es inigualable

[gerPzoidberg]

@xav71176 well... he has a mic just in front of his mouth

[whatsreallyhoodbitch]

BRAVO!!! Wow that was amazing!! I would love to see him sing lead roles. I saw him in Turandot a few weeks ago at the Met as Timur. He was wonderful! Earlier this year he was Rambaldo in La Rondine at the Met, and we all know Rambaldo has like 3 lines LOL!

[mrantiquedealer]

Corelli should have never done those roles at that point in his career! He should have gone in another direction. that's when all the real "head stuff" got the better of him!

[afroeroticus]

Who works God respects, who sing God loves.

[Ted10038]

Truly astonishing!

What a tragedy that he is is now reduced to minor roles.

[raigekimaru]

the man is 67. if you ask me, his career has been long full and fruitful

[Ted10038]

Of course you're right.

But: The voice is as powerful as ever and his personality is dynamite. As for his charisma, don't get me started! He's also in great physical shape and handsome as ever.

The only problem is a huge wobble.

One would have thought that this could be corrected by a technical change in breathing and/or emission. THAT's the tragedy I was referring to.

One is greedy and wants to hear more...

[dherrington]

I think it's his age and the breaking down of the system that has created the wobble. He's just old now.

[crwv]

This type of thing tends to happen to big voices that do high roles. Corelli sounded spent after years of doing romeo and juliet and faust.

[edraith]

Maybe the heart attack gave him some problems with respiration and control of the breath?

[stevevandien]

When did Ramey have a heart attack?

[redhead529]

@stevevandien, I don't think he ever did.

[stevevandien]

@redhead529 Thanks much. I had never heard about Ramey's alleged myocardial infarction. Sam is nearly 70. He doesn't sing as well today as he did 20-odd years ago. Surprise, surprise. No voice remains superb indefinitely. Re. Ramey's "wobble," I've certainly heard MUCH worse. Yep, his vibrato has certainly become slower and wider. BUT not nearly as much as those of many others over the years --

[redhead529]

@stevevandien , Thank you for your comments. I don't think the wobble is as bad as some people make it out to be, either. I heard him live 1 and 1/2 years ago, as Boris. I thought the voice wasn't what it once was, but still very good...and his performance was brilliant.

[stevevandien]

@redhead529 Where did you hear Ramey's Boris? Was it at the Met? Just curious. I know he's sung it fairly often, but had never read any critique of his performance --

[redhead529]

@stevevandien, I heard Ramey as Boris at San Francisco Opera in 2008. I drove up from San Diego on a Saturday (a 12 hour drive in the pouring rain), had to deal with a dreadful hotel, saw the performance the next day, and drove back to San Diego on Monday... and I'd do all of this again in a heartbeat to hear him live.

[stevevandien]

@redhead529 , Thanks so much for your information! Best, Steve

[Operaandchant90]

well he cant sing huge roles his whole life, can he? hehe

[1379852456]

OMG this is one of the most awesome arias I've ever heard

[latoyalewis]

oh my goodness, YES!!

[WotansSpeer]

I heard Samuel Ramey as Scarpia in Vienna 2008. It was an unbelievable performance with such a tremendous voice! He is the best Scarpia I've ever heard! Thanks, Sam!

[halavey]

He sang the role in a run several times in 2/05 With Neil Shicoff and Aprile Millo in Chicago 3 veterans bringing the house down, it was great they all where in great voice. Also in 1987 with Shicoff his singing in Faust was great and in 1979 his Chicago debut in Boheme as Colline was noticed and it also was the Debut in Chicago for Niel that night, luckily I heard all those shows.

[HMW]

is ramey able to sing the entire role of scarpia? this is quite impressive for a bass

[Arashi110]

Sure thing, he's performed the role dozens of times. There's also a remarkable studio 'Tosca' with him as Scarpia, Domingo as Cavaradossi and Mirella Freni as Tosca.

[vatosca1]

It's a Bass Baritone role - which Ramey is. He's amazing.

[HMW]

scarpia has no high G's? although, i think that ramey can sing G's... (look up the video of him singing an excerpt from faust on french TV)

[crwv]

ramey has (or at least has had) more than that; he did roles like escamillo, he had to have at least an Ab or A

[HMW]

i believe that i've heard of him knocking out some Ab's. as to A's, i really doubt that, but whatever...

[sukuchi1]

He did. He sing an interpolated Ab in Faust at the Houston Grand Opera a few years back. No joke.

[HMW]

yeah, we're agreeing here

[brigid88]

@sukuchi1

omgosh!! i saw that production!! highlight of my year, that was...

[edraith]

Natural A's and even a Live Bb ;)

[HMW]

eh, i'd have to hear a Bb to believe it. his voice is pretty old.

[edraith]

He sang natural A's, and not just in studio recordings.

And a Bb, wich is recorded in a "bootleg" :)

[sukuchi1]

Escamillo only goes up to an F.

[vatosca1]

@sukuchi1 It goes up to a G - I have sung the role.

[vatosca1]

@vatosca1 This is meant for the role of Escamillo.

[sezsaz]

Only G flat

[lhbbstar34]

@sezsaz Only? Its not about the highest note, its about the power and beauty of the voice.

[BassoCantante19]

@vatosca1 Nope. G-flat, dude.

[MrCafiero]

Escamillo only goes to G.

[arpeggio1358]

@HMW Yes he can! I've heard him in this role live. But then, he's always been quite impressive.

[lamsalgado]

Ramey is absolutely unique, IMHO.The beauty of his voice is unbeliavable. His upper register?... wow! His artistry: fantastic. "Il basso de tutti i bassi" !!!!!! WONDERFULLLLLL !

[61550LizziE]

Wow! What hair! And, of course, that magnificently manly voice. . . . :-)

[WotansSpeer]

Samuel Ramey is the best bass ever! He always shows vocal majesty! He is the most legendary singer!

[baritenor81]

unforgettable! this man is really a god's gift! bravo ramey!

[RdesGrieux]

Ramey is number one.

[huanghebasso]

grandissimo!

[serenade00007]

Erwin Schrott is the best bass!

[Brahmsfourth]

I saw Erwin Schrott in the LA Opera production of Don Giovanni. He was excellent, and he has a dynamic stage presence. Without detracting from Mr. Schrott, Samuel Ramey is riveting in every role he sings.

[javvie55]

Absolutely amazing aria. I saw this live with Mark Delvaney at the NYC Opera in 2000 and thought it was nice....this is truly amazing and awe-inspiring!

[paldrich1]

Yes! This is a one of a kind voice. On YouTube you can hear him sing everything from a Low D Flat to a baritone high A! Actually the high a is a tenor note. Baritones don't have to sing above A Flat in the standard repertoire. Ramey is incredible !

[Arashi110]

And don't forget his amazing coloratura ability when he was younger. Heck, a coloratura bass! Has such a thing ever been heard of before Ramey came?

[paldrich1]

You are so right! It is very rare for a singer to make the transition from singing fast, ornamented music to performing dramatic works. Those voices are usually not big enough. Ramey made the transition beautifully. Sadly there will probably never be another one like him. The confluence of talents and abilities embodied in Ramey is a one in a trillion occurrence. A force of nature.

[Operaandchant90]

i guess its not a fluke though..... he would have worked so hard.

[paldrich1]

The voice in and of itself is a genetic abnormality. Additionally Sam has worked as hard as any singer in history. He started in his early twenties and has worked like mad ever since. It took him until his mid 40's to break into the MET. Finally done with the aid of Marilyn Horne. Yes he is a very very hard worker.

[saiserieht]

Well, there have been coloratura basses in the beginning of the twentieth century, namely Paul Plancon

[Arashi110]

I heard some of surviving Plancon's recordings. Course, it's hard to say when the quality is of the beginning of the XX century but I believed that Ramey does the coloraturas much better.

[paldrich1]

The reason they have 150 singers is because it takes that many to come close to balancing Ramey in his high register. I was in the front of the MET one night when he let go with an F#. The sound got stuck between the two front walls and you could hear it bounce back and forth from one to the other. I have never heard another singer accomplish that at the MET. That voice sounds dark because he is a profundo. It is actually pointed as hall heck. AMAZING !

[lamsalgado]

Amazing and then some! Wonderful  Ramey! THx for the info about the live performance! --KRs!---Luiz

[paldrich1]

Ramey does things in live performance that stagger the mind. He absolutely loves to perform and you can see that very clearly. This is a profundo voice that has been developed past what would be considered possible. His baritone notes F# and G are better than any baritone I have heard. Then to hear the same voice sing a low D flat that can be hard in the back of the MET blows my mind !

Recordings can't do it justice.

[bassfanne45]

@paldrich1 The first time I heard him live was a recital in 2002. About an hour into the recital he sang Olin Blitch's Prayer of Repentence from Susannah. He hit that first note, and the power of it startled me so much that I jumped about a foot. That's a really big voice.

[jhgreenhorn]

his hair never moves!

[winnienoodlez]

My sister met him!! her username is lamostraesopra

[Chiliarches]

Hm. Can you hear him because he can sing through the chorus or because of the mic placement?

Great singing in any case.

[Arashi110]

He can easily sing through both the orchestra and the chorus. Sonorous as hell.

[HMW]

that's a recording mike, not for sound amplification

[Chiliarches]

Perhaps that's the mic used for this recording, which is why you can hear him so well?

[Dymension]

I've heard him in the hall several times and believe you me, you can hear him...

[goofyguy1987]

Yeah, my father-in-law plays trombone for the symphony and when Sam came for a performance he said that he is so loud that he could hear Sam sing from where he was, WHILE HE WAS PLAYING!

[Chiliarches]

That's a pretty definitive response! What orchestra does your father in law play for?

[goofyguy1987]

It's the Wichita Sympony Orchestra in Kansas

[liric01994]

non ha fatto molte volte Scarpia ma é comunque molto bravo anche qui, é il migliore; he is the best

[Arashi110]

He has the most regal and awe-inspiring voice I've ever heard in my life.

[suburbanboa]

I never tire listening to Mr. Ramey singing. The most versatile bass of all time. he should be cloned to preserve that magnificent voice.

[javvie55]

I agree totally!

[lamsalgado]

I couldn´t agree more! He´s THE BASSO! And his upper register? Beautiful and unbeliavable...I don´t think that in my life I´ll listen a Basso like him again...He REALLY should be cloned! The ideia is tetric but true!--Rs--Luiz

[arpeggio1358]

@Arashi110 As usual, we're in complete agreement on Ramey!

[chessmann]

What is more powerful, his voice or his hair?!?! :^)

[lamsalgado]

A Samson of singing, wonderful Sam Ramey?

[psvvac2]

His hairs are Epic! But god the music, im speechless!

[lamsalgado]

Yes, indeed! Nice comment ! Nevertheless my fave basso by far ! He spoiled my ears! Now I became very stringent about bassos ! Fantastic and uniquely beautiful upper register too, IMHO KRs! Luiz

[pechorin1841]

his singing is awesome but his locks are the Chuck Norris of hair. One word: omnipotent

[lamsalgado]

Indeed! onipotent, powerful, wonderful! great ramey! KRs---Luiz

[bruckner0001]

@chessmann He does have really big hair, but he sings so beautifully, I can ignore it. :-)

[sopranosd]

@bruckner0001 - It's 'baritone hair' - they're known for their leonine manes .... well most of them, anyway ;)

[vpgeiger08]

Beautiful rendition!

[tonytib]

Powerful aria, magnificent rendition, together with the strength of Ramey's voice. Wow!!!!

[lamsalgado]

You are right! This is simply unbelievable! Bravo for fabulous Ramey and divine Puccini!!!! Once more thank you Onegin65 for sharing this with us!!!

[beethoveniano16]

exellent Samuel Ramey!!! Great!!!

[vigwig]

I was there, it was great.

[orthochrom]

Thank you for the video. Best CP Vienna

[vicdomi]

Wow, very impresive

[nirbateman]

WOW!!!

Thank you for posting.