Wolfgang Windgassen - Otello - Dio, mi potevi

[ibnhazm]

"finezza" no puede traducirse aquí por finura, más bien sería sutileza, y eso es lo que yo echo en falta en esta interpretación, es demasiado plana no aparece la lucha interior de Otello, ni sus terribles dudas entre su amor por Desdemona y la certidumbre de las pruebas que le está presentando Yago; no se trata de un salvaje que asesina por placer sino por sentido de la justica. (su sentido y el de su época evidentemente)

[jotahuene]

An excellent rendition, but I don't thin Windgassenn is a dramatic tenor. He is a lyric/lyric spinto

[Bquillamus]

@jotahuene Does it matter? Most dramatic tenors don't make this better than him.

[ibnhazm]

¿qué dirían los alemanes si cantara Sigfrido en italiano? no es posible cambiar idiomas tan completamente diferentes. Además Wolfgang está fuera de papel "manca finezza"

[callasnuts]

@ibnhazm en ese caso se puede ver asi: Windgassen,sublime actor vocal interpreta Shakespeare/Boito con la musica de Verdi. Simplemente soberbio!

[Bquillamus]

@ibnhazm Quisiera saber qué tiene de fino un tipo tan celoso que va a matar a su esposa.

[valdengo1]

....so unnatural in German...unidiomatic, corroded.....Windgassen can hit the notes, but the voice is too light for this role.....he is competing with the finest heroic tenors in history, too, and comes out lacking.....yet I like this tenor in appropriate roles....

[gaemp]

not his role and a hysteric Otello...

[tenorismo]

@gaemp Whos Otello is more hysterical ? Verdis or The Bards ?

[gaemp]

@tenorismo sorry...????

[nitrate6971]

I have a sense that he is trying to channel Olivier's Othello from 64, which was one of the theatre events of the 60s, and Olivier emoted the role like a madman. Always that problem of how much Shakespeare should go into a production of Verdi-Boito's opera.

[isabelle070209]

Et dire que j'ai cette version en DVD.

[jamesjmertins]

Wonderful, even in the German. He can and does really act more than I can say for many a Otello. His death scene overshadows nearly every tenor, because he does act and sing with the text in mind not just for effect like most Otello's.

[xarissof]

seriously i have a problem you can call me anything you want but why the hell translate such a piece of music into another language ??????????????????????????????­?

[giacominifan]

Sounds weird, doesn't it?! After listening to a lot of Fritz Wunderlich and Anneliese Rothenberger, I found out that German opera houses often would translate opras into their vernacular.

[bradleyjenks]

German singers and German audience? It's not that hard to understand. I am an advocate of original language performance. But I would never begrudge anyone wanting to hear and understand the storyline in their own language. It is, after all, theater. And the viewing public should always be given serious consideration.

[CzarDodon]

dear me! how can you be 26 years old and so narrowminded, today with surtitles it may have beome obsolete to translate operas, but once upon a time it was quite normal, please take a step bak and listen to what he does with this wonderful music, you might even enjoy it.

[xarissof]

narrow minded you say

well i am seeing this from the aspect that,the composer wrote a piece and give some words to describe something,you can off course understand that between languages the meaning changes not the words but i order to comprehend fully a piece of art,imo you have to learn how to read it in the composers language it's like translating Shakespeare;s

plays in another language,people will never understand the primary emotion only some fragments of the play.

I think.pardon me

[CzarDodon]

You've missed my point. Today it would be objectionable to have Otello in German since the audience can read a translation in their own language. Of course I agree that the original language will bring us closer to the composer's intention. Narrowminded I say because you fail to see this performance within its historical context, thus robbing yourself of the enjoyment of a very fine performance.

Interesting that you bring up Shakespere, do you think that Verdi read his Shakespeare in English?

[xarissof]

+1 for you my friend

when i am wrong i learned to admit it

i am learning faster like this

i'll try to see what you're seeing,still i would prefer that great performer,to singing in Italian.

I connected Othello with great M.D.M,but i always searching around to see if there is something different,to be honest Windgassen matches M.d.m theatrical skills,yet i would love to hear this in italian to be more certain.

A narrow minded's stupid mind game.:)

[CzarDodon]

And Now I should compliment you for your openmindedness. :)

I would venture to suggest that you should take the score in hand and you will find that Windgassen is infinately more faithful to the composer's wishes than MdM, though singing in German. I have had several fights on YT regarding del Monaco and his Otello, in particular because I believe he has propagated a vision of Otello that is nothing like what Verdi and Boito created. Vickers and Vinay with less beautiful voices are much truer.

[gaemp]

you are right...!

[antfreire]

He lacks a free b flat. Melchior sounds better.

[gepopo1]

Windgassen-Fans, die ihn noch live erleben durften, haben mich darauf hingewiesen, dass sein Otello sozusagen ein Geheimtipp sei. In der Tat: Ich hätte eine solch authentische Kunst nicht für möglich gehalten: welch ein ergreifender Sängerdarsteller!

[gaemp]

Otello is one of greatest operas ever created by a human mind... we could say that this opera could be sang in any lanauge... but I don't think so... the "O Gioia!" at the end sounds much better if sang by del Monaco in Italan,

[canagalilaeae]

Great, great, great and great.

[tenorismo]

I  had this video in my hands but I didn't buy it .I could kick my self. What a great Tenor

[wolfmaxtrp5]

falta más anchura. voz muy entubada. muy cerrada en los agudas. tiene que soltar más. ser más abierta.

[girardje70]

Windgassen est un grand ténor,

[stevevandien]

Windgassen was a great artist. I wish he'd had the chance to record this tremendous role in Italian --

[phantom4087]

The German Caruso.

[bellatrix58]

The singer is magnificent: if the aria is sung in italian or german, it is of no importance. That it combines geniouses like Sheakaspeare, verdi and Mr.Windgassen is.

[zachschro9]

To really hear Windgassen at his best, listen to his recordings of Siegfried and Gotterdammerung, with Solti and the Vienna. A real tenor.

[UteRosbach]

Als junges Mädchen ich habe ihn als Otello erfahren. Seine Stimme war zwar deutsch pur, ohne der Metall von eimem Del Monaco z.B., aber trotzdem singt er mit Emotionen und Seele wie der Martinelli. Bravo!

[francotenelli]

I thought I'd never enjoy Italian opera sung in German, but I was wrong:)

Great voice, great interpretation, great acting.

this is from the movie though, so lipsynching; I'd love to here his live Otello, please post it if you got one

[pafnuzzi]

@francotenelli This was filmed live!!! A legendary production

[ellandelachapelle]

Well well, Verdi and Wagner had more in common than you might think! (have to check out this Windgassen more. He´s great!)

[EmilyDilling]

Windgassen has the ability to make your spirit soar and to break your heart. He does this with consummate artistry.

[kmillard]

I guess it's matter of personal tastes but I actually prefer this aria to be somewhat SUNG all the way through instead of panted halfway through as Herr Windgassen does. Thn the voice goes just a tad too bright in the latter stages like he's in a Vienese operetta. To cap it off, I don't care for the the guttural Germanic attacks of the phases at the end. This is still ITALIAN music after all.

[Cesaare]

Yes, it's a metter of a personal taste, and I thing it sounds beautiful because he is not trying to compliment Italian language and use as much legato as Italian language requires, as for Vienese operetta I strongly disagree, I think Mr kmillard you are missing the point altogether

[CzarDodon]

Verdi asks for voce soffocato and ppp here, and if you follow Windgassen score in hand you will find him very faithful to Verdi all through (not like someone else who seems to be untouchable) As for the gutteral German... well German is gutteral. I think he is superb

[ricordisimo]

Where can I find the full video? from the full opera? I would like to check the duo bron batino and tenor 2 act! Thanks

[ricordisimo]

Increible!

[cabelleto]

A very dramatic, satisfying interpretation by one of the truly great singers of the German repertoire.