Every time I listen to this I cry because it's soooooooo beautiful :) I remember seeing him on SNL w/Bowie & I was like "WHOA! Who is THAT?" and thinking "He's soooooooooo much better looking in a skirt than Bowie" :) Klaus was way ahead of his time, but I am grateful he left us his music to appreciate & enjoy.
Actually, he is not a countertenor but a pop falsettist performing classical stuff like Philippe Jaroussky pretending that he is a woman. A man singing in falsetto isn't automatically called countertenor. For it he needs true operatic technique, breath control, depth of interpretation and sing manly, not imitating a woman or an angel. It's a pure pop manner which can sound pleasant and can be interesting too...
@serenaluce Yes, I'm sure. Head voice is what he sings with in the upper range. I know because I used to have a high falsetto voice (before my voice changed) and now I have both a very limited falsetto and a decent head voice, so I know firsthand what's going on. I'll let someone else argue the countertenor point :)
@trylonperisphere In any case, a true countertenor, not a fake one like that overpromoted falsettist PJ doesn't pretend that he is a woman, an angel, or a teenager who stopped in this development long ago, but sings MANLY according to the image. Some true CTs as an exception sing this piece which is not from castrati repertoire and written for a woman, but I don't like it. I prefer them to explore man's repertoire. But as a pop piece why not? But he is a pop singer like Vitas or Artem Semenov.
@IngridBerg We are talking about different stuff. You can enjoy Nomi's falsetto or whatever technique he uses here, but he is still a POP singer. Singing for a man higher than a regular tenor without proper operatic technique doesn't automatically make him a COUNTERTENOR! I didn't say anything that such pop entertainment can't be good, interesting... What's your problem then?
@serenaluce Oh sorry, I didn't realize you were talking about pop. Nothing you wrote before applies to Nomi, because he wasn't a pop singer. Pop is Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, etc.
@IngridBerg I was talking exactly about Klaus Nomi. What do you classify him - a true operatic countertenor? Pop is from the word popular. You think that only singing "baby if you give it to me I'll give it to you" is POP, and if a singer performs an opera aria it automatically makes him an opera singer? No, it matters in what MANNER he sings. I can hear from his voice that it's absolutely flat and he doesn't have proper operatic technique.Besides,men with painted nails dressed as women are POP!
@c12mna What do you mean what else? He is just a falsettist like Klaus Nomi and Vitas, not a countertenor as his promoters claim it making money on people's ignorance what baroque is...
@serenaluce Are you saying that operatic technique, breath control etc... define fach? If he's not a countertenor then just say he is not one he is singing falsetto. But honestly a voice is a voice and a true countertenor would have the range anf qualities of a countertenor training or not. Of course one can be trained to extend their voice within a given range. But if he is a lyric or lyric leggiero training is not going to make him a countertenor.
@smokey4149 Are you talking about Klaus Nomi or Philippe Jaroussky this time? What's so bad about singing in FALSETTO?! I didn't say so. No, a true COUNTERTENOR can't be untrained. It's the most difficult sophisticated TECHNIQUE of singing, and it's impossible to maintain sufficient range for a countertenor just singing from time to time in falsetto FOR FUN like Russian pop singer Philipp Kirkorov. Nomi is a good pop FALSETTIST, not CT. PJ is a pop FALSETTIST too, pretender, virus in CT world!
@klavesin No, I meant Philipp Kirkorov who sings in falsetto from time to time FOR FUN while otherwise closer to pop tenor. Presnyakov and Vitas sing their pop songs in falsetto ALL THE TIME:-)
Holy Sh!t wot is it? Its Klaus Nomi, the one & only....never been anyone quite like him...the most beautiful piece of classical opera he ever sung....is what it is! RIP
it was as if an alien had heard our radio out in space and came to share the music in return as a way of greeting and a gift for the beauty,,,,(feeling poetic today lol)
@whatsbeendone oh my god really he was gay oh hahaha he was gay just like that fat nerd in my class he is gaaaaay gaaaaay gaaaaaay gaaaaaaaay gaaaaaaay gaaaaay gays burn in hell yes they do mommy told me
@Carthsting Today IS Sunday,so shouldn't you be outisde in your Nazi gear dressing up crosses to burn for that hillbilly barbecue you and Mummy were planning to have as soon as you can scrape up something good off the road instead of wasting the oxygen that GOD intended for the LOVING,decent,non spiteful beings he created-not you- and puking out your idiotic rants on YouTube?? If there is a Hell,IF,no one is going there for their sexual preferences sweet cheeks,but for their ignorance and hate.
@QueenFraggle83 I was only satirizing how people ussually accent personal preferences of an artist instead of artistry itself. I wouldnt say that it does not matter; it does, for a deeper understanding of them. It is just how people paying for a freakshow ticket instead of a tribute. I do not consider myself a moralist, i don't like judging book by it's cover. Klaus Nomi is not the case of judging book by its cover: Klaus Nomi is a cover he created himself. Wrong to look under the dust jacket.
@Carthsting thats all fine,because your comment suggested that you may not have many morals to begin with. You're entitled to your opinion,that's not my concern. I'm not worried about how you feel about Klaus,his abilities as a performer,or a "freakshow". I have bigger things to worry about. It's not your opinion of Klaus that triggered me,it's that awful statement you made about homosexuals burning in hell cause "mommy" said so. Please don't pervert the issue and try to justify what you said.
@Carthsting Yes..and I heard what you said,all of it. You say we're all a bunch of "shallow" hypocrite pieces of *wipes tear from eye*...goat crap...did I get that right? The guy who said something horribly judgemental-and hateful,and shallow- about a group of people (and I guess that "fat nerd in -your- class") HIMSELF. Out of ignorance. What a compelling argument you have. What a splendid display of how you are much more civilized than the rest of us.
@Carthsting beans and rice are very nice and always make me happy,digest quick don't make me sick and leave the potty...*sparkling* Tacos are cool,tacos are fun,but they hit the wrong way and give you the... WORST indigestion ;) BURRITOS are great,tasty and swell- satisfying when you're hungry as Hell! A taco is good for a quick messy bite,burritos slay hunger throughout the night. Beans cheese and lettuce do NOT upset us. With sour cream its like a dream,MY burrito supreme will make you SCREAM!
I've heard many great opera singers perform this piece, and while some of them may possess better technical skill than Nomi did, I've never heard any portray the depth of tenderness, heartache, and surrender that he did in this performance. Perhaps sometimes the "pros" have that raw emotional quality trained out of them, I don't know.
If you're not familiar with the words, enter "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" on Wikipedia. It's got French and English side by side so you can follow along.
I want to edit my comment: I think maybe it's the aspect of vulnerability that he portrays that makes this performance so thrilling. Maybe he was nervous of whether he could pull it off or not- fearing what would happen if the audience didn't fall under his spell. I don't know, of course. But perhaps it's that initial fear, growing into beautiful, pure, emotional power, that holds me so spellbound. I watch this vid very, very often. I'm so thankful that this moment was captured on film.
@suzbailey23 Totally agree with you. I'm a trained soprano , and when it comes to delivery of expression and feeling, Klaus is a big inspiration for me. While I wouldn't say that the pros so much have the emotion trained out of them, it is true that with most, it's more of very carefully rehearsed expression than true feeling. In this case Nomi can be compared to Maria Callas, so intensely immersed in the beauty of the music. I look not to Sutherland for inspiration, but Klaus Nomi!
valuable archive! unless you were there, part of this magical time in NYC, you can't even begin to understand. I met Klaus & Joey one night when I was working the graveyard shift at Ruskays Restaurant. Then I saw them at Hurrahs. We became pals of course. Meeting these divine beings changed my life! He had a great time vacationing in Ohio. He was too sick for visitors towards the end, but he knew I had come to see him. i miss you my friend you were taken too soon. ah, but Joey is still here...
@jxosavage no, we can't even begin to understand - only you, the chosen, can understand. we are all just uncomprehending nobodies who haven't had that transforming experience that only YOU, because you were there in NYC, and we weren't, can begin to understand. After all, it is about you, you, YOU, right?
I was in the audience this night, totally randomly and not knowing what to expect. You can't imagine what being in the same room with Klaus was like. Its was awe inspiring, deeply moving and surreal. My knees almost buckled after this performance. It changed my world forever. The following week I met Joey Arias with Klaus at Fiorucci's and my life was transformed.
If this doesn't convince you that music has the power to change our souls, then nothing will. Thank you, Klaus, for your brilliant beauty and your inspiring courage. I never knew you, but I miss you like hell.
Perhaps even more stunning than Klaus' (literally) stunning performance is the fact that I went through 15 pages of comment and didn't find one derogatory comment. We need more like him, but sadly, you will probably never see his like in this lifetime.
According to people who were at this performance, nearly everyone thought he was lip-synching to a Maria Callas record, until they realized that that really was HIM singing! Note how the performance starts with cat-calls, and ends with thunderous applause.
Es ist erstaunlich, wie eine Person mit Talent soviel gesegnet werden kann, und bevor sie erhalten, die Früchte ihrer Arbeit zu sehen, werden sie gegangen.
My nipples started to itch the first time I listened to his version of Sant-Saens', 'Samson & Delialah', but nevertheless he had an amazing, angelic voice...:-)
No matter what. I am always brought to tears. His voice is still chilling, sweeping and captures emotions not easily expressed. I have nothing but positive words and thoughts on him. I always will. RIP, sweet Klaus. I hope to hear your song one day in the heavens.
@moby406 I believe this was his first appearance at David McDermott's "New Wave Vaudeville" in 1978. Note how the audience goes from heckling to loud cheers.
I've heard that in his early performances he would get a lot of hoots and catcalls until he started singing, and people's jaws would just drop, they would forget about drinks halfway to their mouths, and if going to the john, would turn around and just stare.
I've found this via the note on the new Muse album that says part of one of the songs was taken from this and I do prefer Muse's version but I'm glad I checked this out =] I'm a fan of Opera anyway so it's cool to see a single song in multiple contexts.
"Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" (My heart opens itself to your voice) from Camille Saint-Saëns's opera Samson and Delilah. Note how the audience suddenly grows silent when they realize he isn't lip-synching!
Oh I am, but I heard Muse's version before this which might have changed my mind. I know you was probably saying that light heartedly but I'm not too bothered, I don't feel a need to proove myself to someone upon le internets and I am a fan of many genres, Ukranian Folk, Russian Basso Profondo... The mixing of genres is a wonderful, wonderful thing.
I can't stop watching you. Beautiful Klaus. You've stolen my heart, your voice rang into my soul, and I love you. Rest in peace, dear Klaus. May many be blessed with your voice.
@proudmary64 Yeah,Gangsta rapper attire would've been a vast inprovement over the transparent 60's raincoat,which is what he was wearing...I apologize in advance for giving into the urge to rib you a little over that comment.
does anyone else hear a split second of Simple Man at the beginning? srsly tho, this vid only makes want a time machine even more so i can see Klaus in person
Nomi was/is art.Thanks for putting this on here.Interesting too to see his use of hands in this and the live French "Cold Song"elsewere on YT .Expressive in both but so strong and sure here.Very sad time in history.
Every morning i hear this beaitful Song sung by Klaus, i can`t believe it, it`s magical, this Aria is touching me very deeply and i will or not, it rans tears out of my eyes...
There were several shows of this kind in the late-seventies and early eighties, which was at Irving Plaza. I had no idea that Klaus was doing anything in the show. I had known him for a while, but had never seen him perform. In fact, I don't think I even knew that he was a performer. Anyway, when he came out and sang that aria, I almost fell off my chair. It was great. Five years later, he was gone. Long live Klaus Nomi.
For those real Nomi fans out there "Nomies' as we're called, I created a Facebook tribute group to him, just trying to let everyone know.. if you happen to be on Facebook, please feel free to join the group.. if you are interested, I'll let you know the info,. thanks..
Spectacular! What a voice and his costuming and movements make me wonder if Peter Gabriel studied him during Peter's very early days as front man for Genesis. I am a new fan of Klaus. R.I.P. you incredible performer.
If there is one person I would love to meet in the afterlife, it would be Klaus..! Even more than anyone else frankly! (in reply to Goatbed13's comment, originally posted 3 months ago)
One of finest countertenors to walk the planet! Notice how the audience goes silent when they realize he's not lip-synching to a Maria Callas record, and the snickers turn into applause. This was the performance that changed his life, and Klaus Sperber the pastry chef became Klaus Nomi the phenomenon.
Out of nowhere zap! KLAUS NOMI, I remember him back in the 80's, so different, so unique, so talented, there was no one to compare him too, he was even more far fetched than Bowie....He shocked, he entertained, he stunned and mesmerized.........then he died.
I think the movie the Fifth Element ripped this artist off...I'm completely serious....the blue alien diva's performance of Lucia di Lammermoor is very reminiscent of this!
I think the tape flutter add to the performance, it seems to come from afar before reaching us completely
quaxk 4 days ago
wow
quaxk 4 days ago
klausnomicoldgenius.blogspot.com
VanzellcKirk 1 month ago
Klaus Nomi......catch my heart
xuckxuck 1 month ago
I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Nomi!!!!!!!!!!
Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix!
Lola4392 2 months ago
It begins with mocking laughter, it ends with thunderous applause. Nomi had them in the palm of his hand.
MrUnidyne 3 months ago
Rest In Peace sweet prince
BirthOfSerpents 3 months ago
Comment removed
ambrose741 3 months ago
@ambrose741 Actually this was probably from 1978. Klaus died in 1983.
trylonperisphere 3 months ago
Comment removed
ambrose741 3 months ago
@trylonperisphere Klaus didnt die, His home planet just needed him back
BirthOfSerpents 3 months ago
Every time I listen to this I cry because it's soooooooo beautiful :) I remember seeing him on SNL w/Bowie & I was like "WHOA! Who is THAT?" and thinking "He's soooooooooo much better looking in a skirt than Bowie" :) Klaus was way ahead of his time, but I am grateful he left us his music to appreciate & enjoy.
KickazzRedhead 4 months ago
Is "true countertenor" the new "true Scotsman"?
Nihixul 5 months ago
So beautiful.
heida200 5 months ago
Ironic how I found this on a list which was titled WTF!music ... this is just soo beautiful!
bhooootha 5 months ago 3
@bhooootha I'm not too surprised. Klaus was a bit of a shock to me, too, initially. Under different circumstances, I might have reacted negatively.
trylonperisphere 5 months ago
Actually, he is not a countertenor but a pop falsettist performing classical stuff like Philippe Jaroussky pretending that he is a woman. A man singing in falsetto isn't automatically called countertenor. For it he needs true operatic technique, breath control, depth of interpretation and sing manly, not imitating a woman or an angel. It's a pure pop manner which can sound pleasant and can be interesting too...
serenaluce 6 months ago
@serenaluce It's not falsetto, it's head voice.
trylonperisphere 6 months ago
@trylonperisphere Are you sure? You mean his unbroken voice? Still he is not a countertenor...
serenaluce 6 months ago
@serenaluce Yes, I'm sure. Head voice is what he sings with in the upper range. I know because I used to have a high falsetto voice (before my voice changed) and now I have both a very limited falsetto and a decent head voice, so I know firsthand what's going on. I'll let someone else argue the countertenor point :)
trylonperisphere 6 months ago
@trylonperisphere In any case, a true countertenor, not a fake one like that overpromoted falsettist PJ doesn't pretend that he is a woman, an angel, or a teenager who stopped in this development long ago, but sings MANLY according to the image. Some true CTs as an exception sing this piece which is not from castrati repertoire and written for a woman, but I don't like it. I prefer them to explore man's repertoire. But as a pop piece why not? But he is a pop singer like Vitas or Artem Semenov.
serenaluce 6 months ago
@serenaluce Nomi sang in falsetto? LOOOOOOOOL, that's the best I've ever heard. Dickhead.
IngridBerg 3 months ago
@IngridBerg We are talking about different stuff. You can enjoy Nomi's falsetto or whatever technique he uses here, but he is still a POP singer. Singing for a man higher than a regular tenor without proper operatic technique doesn't automatically make him a COUNTERTENOR! I didn't say anything that such pop entertainment can't be good, interesting... What's your problem then?
serenaluce 3 months ago
@serenaluce Oh sorry, I didn't realize you were talking about pop. Nothing you wrote before applies to Nomi, because he wasn't a pop singer. Pop is Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, etc.
IngridBerg 1 month ago
@IngridBerg I was talking exactly about Klaus Nomi. What do you classify him - a true operatic countertenor? Pop is from the word popular. You think that only singing "baby if you give it to me I'll give it to you" is POP, and if a singer performs an opera aria it automatically makes him an opera singer? No, it matters in what MANNER he sings. I can hear from his voice that it's absolutely flat and he doesn't have proper operatic technique.Besides,men with painted nails dressed as women are POP!
serenaluce 4 weeks ago
@serenaluce Philippe Jaroussky a falsettist ? And what else !!!
c12mna 3 months ago in playlist Autres vidéos de trylonperisphere
@c12mna What do you mean what else? He is just a falsettist like Klaus Nomi and Vitas, not a countertenor as his promoters claim it making money on people's ignorance what baroque is...
serenaluce 2 months ago
@serenaluce Are you saying that operatic technique, breath control etc... define fach? If he's not a countertenor then just say he is not one he is singing falsetto. But honestly a voice is a voice and a true countertenor would have the range anf qualities of a countertenor training or not. Of course one can be trained to extend their voice within a given range. But if he is a lyric or lyric leggiero training is not going to make him a countertenor.
smokey4149 2 months ago
@smokey4149 Are you talking about Klaus Nomi or Philippe Jaroussky this time? What's so bad about singing in FALSETTO?! I didn't say so. No, a true COUNTERTENOR can't be untrained. It's the most difficult sophisticated TECHNIQUE of singing, and it's impossible to maintain sufficient range for a countertenor just singing from time to time in falsetto FOR FUN like Russian pop singer Philipp Kirkorov. Nomi is a good pop FALSETTIST, not CT. PJ is a pop FALSETTIST too, pretender, virus in CT world!
serenaluce 2 months ago
@serenaluce ...just singing from time to time in falsetto FOR FUN like Russian pop singer Philipp Kirkorov...
You must have meant Vladimir Presnyakov.
klavesin 3 weeks ago
@klavesin No, I meant Philipp Kirkorov who sings in falsetto from time to time FOR FUN while otherwise closer to pop tenor. Presnyakov and Vitas sing their pop songs in falsetto ALL THE TIME:-)
serenaluce 3 weeks ago
Weird. Actually, it's a woman's aria, and I prefer men to sing men's stuff and women women's...
serenaluce 6 months ago
Holy Sh!t wot is it? Its Klaus Nomi, the one & only....never been anyone quite like him...the most beautiful piece of classical opera he ever sung....is what it is! RIP
electro808kat 6 months ago
wow he sings with complete female timbre - very rare among counter tenors. Has he changed the words?
LohengrinT 7 months ago
Thank you so much ! I cried for this song!Klaus Nomi is my kami!
khukhem1001 7 months ago
this was a beautiful peice, im honestly tearing up. i hate to say it but it's true.
Capitalmills 7 months ago
What year is this?
bastinadofan 7 months ago
@bastinadofan One of the commenters believes this was from 1978. Sounds about right.
trylonperisphere 7 months ago
MUSE have a version of this.
citizenpaparazzo 8 months ago
Er war nicht von dieser Welt..!
Nangelfans 8 months ago
This is where I met Klaus and he would up being an amazing friend! Very missed! - Man Parrish
ManParrishArtist 8 months ago 3
@ManParrishArtist Thank you, Man! I mean that.
trylonperisphere 8 months ago
Thank you so much for sharing this truly rare gem.
eldacar351 8 months ago
I wonder if the singing alien in The Fifth Element was inspired by Klaus Nomi.
Zingo33 8 months ago 2
beautiful
robertbombino999 8 months ago
How lucky we are to have a record of this performance.
physalia2 9 months ago
~beautiful
panic0in0paradise 10 months ago
it was as if an alien had heard our radio out in space and came to share the music in return as a way of greeting and a gift for the beauty,,,,(feeling poetic today lol)
Dravenswraith 10 months ago 4
was he gay?
my14favorite20videos 10 months ago
@my14favorite20videos
I believe he was as gay as a parade.
And arguably one of the most interesting and talented performers of the past 50 years.
hobokombat 10 months ago
@my14favorite20videos
he was gay
and one of the first in usa to die of aids
whatsbeendone 8 months ago
@whatsbeendone oh my god really he was gay oh hahaha he was gay just like that fat nerd in my class he is gaaaaay gaaaaay gaaaaaay gaaaaaaaay gaaaaaaay gaaaaay gays burn in hell yes they do mommy told me
Carthsting 8 months ago
@Carthsting
i feel sorry for you pal
i think you may have a problem about your sexuality
its ok to be gay
whatsbeendone 8 months ago 2
@Carthsting Today IS Sunday,so shouldn't you be outisde in your Nazi gear dressing up crosses to burn for that hillbilly barbecue you and Mummy were planning to have as soon as you can scrape up something good off the road instead of wasting the oxygen that GOD intended for the LOVING,decent,non spiteful beings he created-not you- and puking out your idiotic rants on YouTube?? If there is a Hell,IF,no one is going there for their sexual preferences sweet cheeks,but for their ignorance and hate.
QueenFraggle83 7 months ago
@QueenFraggle83 I was only satirizing how people ussually accent personal preferences of an artist instead of artistry itself. I wouldnt say that it does not matter; it does, for a deeper understanding of them. It is just how people paying for a freakshow ticket instead of a tribute. I do not consider myself a moralist, i don't like judging book by it's cover. Klaus Nomi is not the case of judging book by its cover: Klaus Nomi is a cover he created himself. Wrong to look under the dust jacket.
Carthsting 7 months ago
@Carthsting thats all fine,because your comment suggested that you may not have many morals to begin with. You're entitled to your opinion,that's not my concern. I'm not worried about how you feel about Klaus,his abilities as a performer,or a "freakshow". I have bigger things to worry about. It's not your opinion of Klaus that triggered me,it's that awful statement you made about homosexuals burning in hell cause "mommy" said so. Please don't pervert the issue and try to justify what you said.
QueenFraggle83 7 months ago
@QueenFraggle83 I said what i said, that meant you all are bunch of shallow hypocrite pieces of goat crap.
Carthsting 7 months ago
@Carthsting Yes..and I heard what you said,all of it. You say we're all a bunch of "shallow" hypocrite pieces of *wipes tear from eye*...goat crap...did I get that right? The guy who said something horribly judgemental-and hateful,and shallow- about a group of people (and I guess that "fat nerd in -your- class") HIMSELF. Out of ignorance. What a compelling argument you have. What a splendid display of how you are much more civilized than the rest of us.
QueenFraggle83 7 months ago
@QueenFraggle83 Now bring me some taco, you!
Carthsting 7 months ago
@Carthsting NoOoOoOo!!! I BRING TACO FOR NO ONE...I BRING BURRITO ONLY!!! You may have burrito....BURRITO IS SUPREME!!!!
QueenFraggle83 7 months ago
@Carthsting beans and rice are very nice and always make me happy,digest quick don't make me sick and leave the potty...*sparkling* Tacos are cool,tacos are fun,but they hit the wrong way and give you the... WORST indigestion ;) BURRITOS are great,tasty and swell- satisfying when you're hungry as Hell! A taco is good for a quick messy bite,burritos slay hunger throughout the night. Beans cheese and lettuce do NOT upset us. With sour cream its like a dream,MY burrito supreme will make you SCREAM!
QueenFraggle83 7 months ago
To think we had him in our lifetime and that he reached so many to appreciate him. Simply amazing, like this performance.
DazeyMay 1 year ago
What a beautiful voice! :)
I wish I'd have been alive in the 70s---I'd have seen this for sure!
Quinton111100 1 year ago
Magnifico Klaus Nomi, esta Aria tambien es introducida por un grupo actual llamado MUSE en la cancion "I belong to you", tambien extraordinaria.
skygranada 1 year ago
I've heard many great opera singers perform this piece, and while some of them may possess better technical skill than Nomi did, I've never heard any portray the depth of tenderness, heartache, and surrender that he did in this performance. Perhaps sometimes the "pros" have that raw emotional quality trained out of them, I don't know.
If you're not familiar with the words, enter "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" on Wikipedia. It's got French and English side by side so you can follow along.
suzbailey23 1 year ago 2
I want to edit my comment: I think maybe it's the aspect of vulnerability that he portrays that makes this performance so thrilling. Maybe he was nervous of whether he could pull it off or not- fearing what would happen if the audience didn't fall under his spell. I don't know, of course. But perhaps it's that initial fear, growing into beautiful, pure, emotional power, that holds me so spellbound. I watch this vid very, very often. I'm so thankful that this moment was captured on film.
suzbailey23 1 year ago
@suzbailey23 Totally agree with you. I'm a trained soprano , and when it comes to delivery of expression and feeling, Klaus is a big inspiration for me. While I wouldn't say that the pros so much have the emotion trained out of them, it is true that with most, it's more of very carefully rehearsed expression than true feeling. In this case Nomi can be compared to Maria Callas, so intensely immersed in the beauty of the music. I look not to Sutherland for inspiration, but Klaus Nomi!
eleonora1782 11 months ago 2
Note how Nomi's performance is first met with mocking comments, and ends with thunderous applause.
MrUnidyne 1 year ago
@MrUnidyne
That's so perceptive! Amazing, isn't it? People from all realms could take inspiration from that.
DazeyMay 1 year ago
valuable archive! unless you were there, part of this magical time in NYC, you can't even begin to understand. I met Klaus & Joey one night when I was working the graveyard shift at Ruskays Restaurant. Then I saw them at Hurrahs. We became pals of course. Meeting these divine beings changed my life! He had a great time vacationing in Ohio. He was too sick for visitors towards the end, but he knew I had come to see him. i miss you my friend you were taken too soon. ah, but Joey is still here...
jxosavage 1 year ago 33
@jxosavage Thanks for sharing!
trylonperisphere 1 year ago 5
@jxosavage no, we can't even begin to understand - only you, the chosen, can understand. we are all just uncomprehending nobodies who haven't had that transforming experience that only YOU, because you were there in NYC, and we weren't, can begin to understand. After all, it is about you, you, YOU, right?
BernardProfitendieu 1 year ago
@jxosavage Hi, are you an artist or a singer? You seem like a very interesting person. Would love to chat sometime. Are you on facebook?
miocynar 1 year ago
Fear! o.o
juliopollak1 1 year ago
I was in the audience this night, totally randomly and not knowing what to expect. You can't imagine what being in the same room with Klaus was like. Its was awe inspiring, deeply moving and surreal. My knees almost buckled after this performance. It changed my world forever. The following week I met Joey Arias with Klaus at Fiorucci's and my life was transformed.
recovergirl 1 year ago 20
@recovergirl It must have been very very shocking for such a young person! :)
trylonperisphere 1 year ago 2
@trylonperisphere Gracias por el video, Thank You.. Spain!
skygranada 1 year ago
@recovergirl May I ask, were Joey and Klaus a couple?
miocynar 1 year ago
@recovergirl WoW you are so lucky!
pipy05 10 months ago
If this doesn't convince you that music has the power to change our souls, then nothing will. Thank you, Klaus, for your brilliant beauty and your inspiring courage. I never knew you, but I miss you like hell.
DearRealDiary 1 year ago 2
I love the voice at the beginning: Holy shit! Alright!
badATchaos 1 year ago
Perhaps even more stunning than Klaus' (literally) stunning performance is the fact that I went through 15 pages of comment and didn't find one derogatory comment. We need more like him, but sadly, you will probably never see his like in this lifetime.
Bogframe 1 year ago 8
@Bogframe That's is due, at least in part, to your ever vigilant Nomi video provider ;)
trylonperisphere 1 year ago 6
According to people who were at this performance, nearly everyone thought he was lip-synching to a Maria Callas record, until they realized that that really was HIM singing! Note how the performance starts with cat-calls, and ends with thunderous applause.
MrUnidyne 1 year ago 4
i miss klaus, such a talent
blackpool321 1 year ago
what an amazing voice. kicks the complete shit out of modern singers these days. true talent
Skillsss123 1 year ago
his exits are even more epic than the performance themselves
joelaka3pac123 1 year ago
Es ist erstaunlich, wie eine Person mit Talent soviel gesegnet werden kann, und bevor sie erhalten, die Früchte ihrer Arbeit zu sehen, werden sie gegangen.
syndicateSalandSally 1 year ago
Greatest exit ever....
CowboyClucky 1 year ago
Master of all that is awesome! Klaus, we salute you
Shindai 1 year ago
Sounds strangely like Susan Alexander Kane.
gugenheim84 1 year ago
i love the guy in the beginning; "what is it?" Little did he know. : )
vinylsoda892 1 year ago
My nipples started to itch the first time I listened to his version of Sant-Saens', 'Samson & Delialah', but nevertheless he had an amazing, angelic voice...:-)
Jofph 1 year ago
MAGNIFIQUE !
Naturesprings5 1 year ago
No matter what. I am always brought to tears. His voice is still chilling, sweeping and captures emotions not easily expressed. I have nothing but positive words and thoughts on him. I always will. RIP, sweet Klaus. I hope to hear your song one day in the heavens.
SnjKakashiSensei 1 year ago 2
this was a very early appearance
moby406 1 year ago
@moby406 I believe this was his first appearance at David McDermott's "New Wave Vaudeville" in 1978. Note how the audience goes from heckling to loud cheers.
MrUnidyne 1 year ago
my 17 month old won't go to sleep without seeing this video first... but then she goes right to sleep after hearing it.
craftiestcraftstress 1 year ago 26
@craftiestcraftstress that's awesome :) glad i could help.
trylonperisphere 1 year ago
@craftiestcraftstress how sweet!
perryproudhon 1 year ago
@craftiestcraftstress I hope my kids will have such good taste in music.
vect0rwolf 1 year ago
@craftiestcraftstress Now, THAT is fuckin cool.
genesisharmonicas 1 year ago
who has the courage and the talent to do something like this anymore? bizzare yet very cool
coopkabob 1 year ago 8
I've heard that in his early performances he would get a lot of hoots and catcalls until he started singing, and people's jaws would just drop, they would forget about drinks halfway to their mouths, and if going to the john, would turn around and just stare.
ysbaddaden2003 1 year ago 3
Awesome! Hehe, what a trip it would have been, though, to be there and have a performance like that dropped in your lap!
csskalet 2 years ago
*crying* so beautyful. R.I.P :'-( <3
loveMCRgerard 2 years ago 5
I've found this via the note on the new Muse album that says part of one of the songs was taken from this and I do prefer Muse's version but I'm glad I checked this out =] I'm a fan of Opera anyway so it's cool to see a single song in multiple contexts.
philosoful 2 years ago
@philosoful could you tell me what that song is called? i would like to hear it
Ignigknawt 2 years ago
Yeah, it's:
Muse - I belong to you/ Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix
youtube (dot) com / watch?v=IgH7XF_l-VE
philosoful 2 years ago
"Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" (My heart opens itself to your voice) from Camille Saint-Saëns's opera Samson and Delilah. Note how the audience suddenly grows silent when they realize he isn't lip-synching!
MrUnidyne 2 years ago
I don't believe you're an opera fan if you like this or Muse's version, he he. Sorry...
ejrouge 2 years ago
Oh I am, but I heard Muse's version before this which might have changed my mind. I know you was probably saying that light heartedly but I'm not too bothered, I don't feel a need to proove myself to someone upon le internets and I am a fan of many genres, Ukranian Folk, Russian Basso Profondo... The mixing of genres is a wonderful, wonderful thing.
philosoful 2 years ago
@ philosoful I think the same way :) I was just joking.
ejrouge 2 years ago
Then all the best to you and lets not abstain from the subject matter here - Bel Canto!
philosoful 2 years ago
I can't stop watching you. Beautiful Klaus. You've stolen my heart, your voice rang into my soul, and I love you. Rest in peace, dear Klaus. May many be blessed with your voice.
SnjKakashiSensei 2 years ago 3
The recording doesn't do his voice justice. He was amazing. Such a shame he died so young.
ElveeKaye 2 years ago 4
I came from Morrisey on Desert Island Discs to here via wiki!! Thank you for posting this amazing piece of cultural history!
megimo2009 2 years ago
WOW... thanks for sharing :)
fransalazar66 2 years ago
It took pure balls to do something so original...and pure skill to do it so well.
Lengsel7 2 years ago 9
maravilloso, un gran artista
JacoPastorius0 2 years ago 3
this is really cool.. one of his very early shows?
landslug 2 years ago 2
Yeah, his debut as "Klaus Nomi"
trylonperisphere 2 years ago 2
Thank you for posting this very important gem from that time and place now fixed in memory
joftoronto 2 years ago 2
Thank you for posting this gem from a very special time and place
joftoronto 2 years ago 3
This is where he stopped being "Klaus Sperber" and became "Klaus Nomi".
MrUnidyne 2 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Pity about the outfit...
proudmary64 2 years ago
@proudmary64 Yeah,Gangsta rapper attire would've been a vast inprovement over the transparent 60's raincoat,which is what he was wearing...I apologize in advance for giving into the urge to rib you a little over that comment.
Polyphemus 1 year ago
I get a little misty every time I hear this song. His voice has a way of traveling to the very core of your soul.
BreatheAkasha 2 years ago 4
Good description
gyroplanefdk 2 years ago
does anyone else hear a split second of Simple Man at the beginning? srsly tho, this vid only makes want a time machine even more so i can see Klaus in person
Ignigknawt 2 years ago 4
That's because I took this from a videotape that had other Klaus Nomi songs on it.
trylonperisphere 2 years ago
what a beautiful talent RIP dear Klaus
rockinjellyfish 2 years ago 12
style + pop + classical = Klaus Nomi
thank you for the few beautiful years you spent.
kruzifaxis 2 years ago 8
Nomi was/is art.Thanks for putting this on here.Interesting too to see his use of hands in this and the live French "Cold Song"elsewere on YT .Expressive in both but so strong and sure here.Very sad time in history.
ssballs 2 years ago 4
Every morning i hear this beaitful Song sung by Klaus, i can`t believe it, it`s magical, this Aria is touching me very deeply and i will or not, it rans tears out of my eyes...
Thank you my Friend Klaus !!!
Stratocasterjosh 2 years ago 4
woooow esa si es voz, nada de tonterias
cobosastaroth 2 years ago 5
There were several shows of this kind in the late-seventies and early eighties, which was at Irving Plaza. I had no idea that Klaus was doing anything in the show. I had known him for a while, but had never seen him perform. In fact, I don't think I even knew that he was a performer. Anyway, when he came out and sang that aria, I almost fell off my chair. It was great. Five years later, he was gone. Long live Klaus Nomi.
strangeparty 2 years ago 28
I was at this show. Klaus really blew me away that night.
strangeparty 2 years ago 4
Please elaborate! :) No detail is too small. Honest!
trylonperisphere 2 years ago
This is bringing tears to my eyes. He's so beautiful.
ashleynikmusic 2 years ago 3
This is so damn amazing diabolic as well as angeiic...:-)
Jofph 2 years ago 2
For those real Nomi fans out there "Nomies' as we're called, I created a Facebook tribute group to him, just trying to let everyone know.. if you happen to be on Facebook, please feel free to join the group.. if you are interested, I'll let you know the info,. thanks..
videovixen71 2 years ago
I am a burning fan of Nomi, I want to join the group!!!
lili90277 2 years ago
This is unreal! How can such a voice become only known to a wider audience posthumous on YT - a shame to the music establishement and praise to YT!
hermx0 2 years ago 3
I wonder if had he lived, Klaus Nomi would've ended up starring in Europe in actual operas, and be about now retiring.
ysbaddaden2003 2 years ago
I love the lady that yells what is it right before he starts singing
bowiepest 2 years ago
That is just incredible, surreal!
While the video was playing, my mouth and my eyes were wide opened. I certainely looked ridiculous but this performance just blew my mind. God !!
xlilxvampirex 2 years ago 2
honestly, even Callas would blush from this marvelous performance
and Callas is my GIRL
ProteusX2 2 years ago 4
Spectacular! What a voice and his costuming and movements make me wonder if Peter Gabriel studied him during Peter's very early days as front man for Genesis. I am a new fan of Klaus. R.I.P. you incredible performer.
DarkKrush 2 years ago
Gabriel had already left Genesis before this first appearance of Klaus Nomi.
trylonperisphere 2 years ago
Thanks for the correction. I had not done the math.
DarkKrush 2 years ago
its easy just take your shoes and socks off if its more than 10 your looking for :)
spaff61 2 years ago
beautiful and tragic, i cant get enough
meowmixX23 2 years ago 2
la mort n'existe pas.............love klaus
eddiejoydivision1979 2 years ago
What a voice and an imagination! *sniff* goosebumps
wlchase 2 years ago 3
insane
valehathar 2 years ago
@_@ woow... he came down, enchanted everyone, then got on his space ship and took off. so neat!
yayoineko 2 years ago
Dieser Clip ist der allecoolste!
vonratt 2 years ago
Un artiste unique.
tousamis 2 years ago 5
If i could bring someone back from the dead that would be Klaus without a doubt... he left us too soon :(
Goatbed13 2 years ago 8
If there is one person I would love to meet in the afterlife, it would be Klaus..! Even more than anyone else frankly! (in reply to Goatbed13's comment, originally posted 3 months ago)
videovixen71 2 years ago 2
Yes, utter beauty... The good leave young...
(Btw the comment about the Fifth Element is awesome, that's indeed what it kept reminding me of!)
tulpoeid 2 years ago 5
truly a thing of beauty
Guacatechs 2 years ago 6
wow.........
drthess 2 years ago 2
so is his skills comparable to opera singers?
Zerion 2 years ago
Certainly!
trylonperisphere 2 years ago
If you have any doubt, listen to Jessye Norman sing this aria on YT. Klaus compares very favorably, I'd say.
battenwood 2 years ago
One of finest countertenors to walk the planet! Notice how the audience goes silent when they realize he's not lip-synching to a Maria Callas record, and the snickers turn into applause. This was the performance that changed his life, and Klaus Sperber the pastry chef became Klaus Nomi the phenomenon.
MrUnidyne 2 years ago 6
Out of nowhere zap! KLAUS NOMI, I remember him back in the 80's, so different, so unique, so talented, there was no one to compare him too, he was even more far fetched than Bowie....He shocked, he entertained, he stunned and mesmerized.........then he died.
jaygo33 2 years ago 5
I think the movie the Fifth Element ripped this artist off...I'm completely serious....the blue alien diva's performance of Lucia di Lammermoor is very reminiscent of this!
vintagevoices 2 years ago 5
great ! I`m a big fan from the start, end of the 1970s.....Never saw this one before, SUPER !
eartha80 2 years ago
Also Have a listen to Radu marian He sang some of the songs for the film Farinelli about the famous Italian castrato
ozzymandi 2 years ago
strange guy
but a class A singer
alucardisdumb 2 years ago
¡ALUCINANTE!!!! ,
centellas07 2 years ago
authentique ARTIST
manuelsylvain 2 years ago
Il a changé le texte... Mais bon, c'est une vraie voix de contralto masculin. Qui aurait pu faire concurrence à Cencic, par exemple....
mariasarda 2 years ago