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From: brividokaldo
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  • With all these comparisons, personal taste and preference must count for something- it's not a science after all. I love his voice over Juan Diego Florez' because I prefer the rich, full, (soulful?) sound. Analyse it all you like, It's what appeals to me when I'm listening.

    

  • Though Pavarotti, Domingo ,carreras have there own class Lawrence sings good and has a refined rich tenor voice ,keep it and bravo for a wonderful performance.

  • nettement supérieur à J D F . Il a une musicalité incroyable et un velouté dans la voix qui me paraissent assez rares chez les ténors (c'est une voix que je n'aime pas trop ! je trouve que beaucoup hurlent et oublient de chanter)

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  • I saw him at the Vienna State Opera House yesterday. He was breathtaking.. I'm still trying to recover!

  • and he stabs at the high C just like poor florez. then again, it is not fair to compare them to the maestro, Pavaorotti. problem is one can't enjoy the farm once one has seen Paris. Pavarotti ruined this aria for ever - no one can sing it like him. at least we have the records.

  • very good, but the top register is empty and hollow. Pavarotti is in another class.

  • fantastic!

  • è una bella sorpresa x me......eccellente. ma Kraus è ancora su un altro pianeta...

    il ragazzo deve ancora lavorare sullo STILE, ( cantare è anche ,ma non solo volume di voce)

  • Lawrence Brownlee is excellent, but not Kraus, which his high Cs used made holes at the ceiling of the MET and got 3,000 plus people giving standing ovation, including myself

  • i just got chills.....

  • The comparison is un-necessary. There is enough work to go around and we can all enjoy them both. No one has to be better than anyone else

  • E' bravissimo,ma Florez ha un'eleganza tutta belcantistica assoluta.

  • If you want to compare, should compare both at a live opera performance!

    In my opinion JDF still the best!

  • great singing. I also like Juan Diego Florez, but I still prefer the great Rodrick Dixon, maybe less famous but an impresive tenor. Check it out.

  • NO..i dont feel nothing...with JUAN DIEGO FLOREZ its better..like a orgams

  • The question of who has a better voice is subjective, the statement that Brownlee sings much better in tune than Florez does in his famous Met clip is not subjective, it is scientifically verifiable.

  • Yes.

  • Pavarotti is the best! In his youth years he outsang another tenor lirico or robusto.. Pavarotti is just incomparable!

  • @kleytoncarlos1 That was not the question.

  • don't fret ... this poster does know NOTHING about the human voice or singers! just igrnore him, he doesn't know what he's talking about!

  • Florez is the best!

    

  • only idiot Americans compare this way! Like it was the super bowl or something.

  • @stephanofmunich711 People of all nationalities have compared singers this way for centuries. You might want to drop the "idiot Americans" cliche. It's old and tired.

  • Sorry this voice does nothing for me.

  • Disliked for the troll-worthy "Don't you think his voice is way much better than Juan Diego Florez's?!?". Shame on you brividokaldo. I'm sure Brownlee and JDF barely even notice each other much less feel any competition. This is Opera, not UFC.

    BTW Brownlee does an admirable job here but has been better. He locks his sound a bit through the mid-range (something he normally does not do). His C's free themselves from the tension but I've heard him much more resonant in other outings.

  • Beautiful voice BUT, it's very different to give a recital than to sing the opera. Lawrence has a microphone just inches from his mouth, most videos of Juan Diego are taken during performances where he is singing against the full orchestra. Beautiful voice? Yes!. Bigger? I couldn't tell. In any case, I agree with OSCOMAS1. The poster should enjoy ALL voices instead of trying to see what's bigger. Size and beauty depend on likes and dislikes, something very subjective.

  • Florez probably has the more technically sound voice, but I prefer Brownlee's tone much much more.

  • He's quite good...why compare him to other tenors? Just listen and enjoy.

  • simply not true. In order for this man to ousting florez, he would need to be able to not be below the pitch for starters, example? 0:28. Simple because you want to think he is better than Florez, I immediately want to think he is not so my answer is no. Florez has the easiest voice I've ever heard, but it still pierces right through your soul. btw In the high C section, his pick up Cs are in a clearly different voice than the 2nd, Florez easily keeps it in one easy voice. try again

  • disastro

  • What a strong, full and beautiful sound!

  • What's with the MIKE??

  • No "shame on Brividokaldo". This tenor has a real operatic voice at least and does not sound like Mickey Mouse.

  • JDF can "play" better with his voice. By this I mean that he is better at differentiating between emotions. LB just sings loud. Hence, you might be right: LB out-sings JDF, but only by decibels, not by the technique.

  • Bastante bien, pero no necesariamente mejor que florez, ni peor. Por un estilo Aunqu el primer Do de cada fragmento lo hace demasiado rápido.

  • This aria is for tenors what "Der Holle Rache" from Die Zauberflote is for sopranos. Anybody who can hit those notes spot on like that is awesome in my book.

  • it is very good, but he doesn't outsings anybody. Actually I prefer Alfredo Kraus' version. check it!!

    youtube.com/watch?v=UrD6JJuUJ0­E

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  • That way of singing is for the new generation of opera lovers. It does very little for me, an old fart of this art.

    No doubt a very good voice.

  • I absolutely love this voice and perhaps he outsings Florez, but does it really matter?

    The pronounciation of the French lyrics? Excellent!!!

  • @David45NV1, dos o tres decadas mas en los escenarios? ahaha! Tio, dos o tres decadas en el mejor de los casos es una carrera entera para cualquier tenor, y si encima JDF, lleva lo que lleva cantando.....de que hablas tio, entonces. Querias menospreciar a JDF, y te ha salido un halago....ahahaha!

  • Saw this opera with this very tenor tonight at the Metropolitan Opera, and after being stunned by his beautiful voice I had to learn more about him. I'm so appreciative of videos and audio recordings, but man, there is nothing like the sound of a live voice filling a house. The audience roared with approval after this aria. I also will remember how beautiful and lyrical he sounded in the non-show-stopper pieces. A fine artist.

  • I was present when Florez did an encore. This performance by Brownlee was extraordinary too and I have a ticket to hear him in this role three nights from today. Decades ago, I heard Alfredo Kraus in this role opposite Joan Sutherland. What a privilege it was to be at the Met to hear those two all time greats.

  • @David50s you saw krause and sutherland? oh my

  • Fair, covers. Listen to Sergei Lemeshev

  • excelent voice, excelent tenor, the only thing i saw a little wrong on him is the pronuntiation and a little bit on the legato line but he's young i hope he will "erase" this bad thing in the future

  • Yes , he has a beautiful light tenor voice and what splendid high notes .

    I admit that I find Flores voice a little thin and reedy , but I have a soft spot for him as I shared a box at the opera with his then fiancee .

  • interesting...BOTH Brownlee and Flores skip one note at the end of each phrase of the "high C's section of the aria.....the note that takes them blow the passagio point. Only Pavarotti seemed to be able to make that transition in concert and on stage without seemingly affecting the quality of his C's.....it makes the line of the aria uneven, and I feel is an unfortunate cheat.....Donizetti would be whirling!

  • They are both amazing and bel canto specialists in their own right. I can't say one is better than the other.

  • I have heard both in person, and both are exciting. Larry's sound is elegant, and one can hear him in the concerted passages, over the chorus and orchestra. His high F in Seattle's Puritani was fabulous.

  • Am listening to WQXR life transmission of La Fille Du Regiment and got to hear Brownlee as he sang Mes Amis beautifully. @ etyde I agree with you, opera singing is an art and having heard Juan Diego and Brownlee, both sang the aria beautifully.@ sushiyang:agreed, c'est un chant viril!

  • Brownlee will be absolutely awesome in a few more years.....

  • I agree wholeheartedly with Oscomas1....both are absolutely great....tenorscome in different sizes, voices, pesonalities...they were all given a great talent....enjoy them all and stop this stupid bickering of who is the best and so forth.....

  • Absolument extraordinaire!! Un chant viril !BRAVO !!!!!

  • Heard him sing this aria a few hours ago at the MET, and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had at the opera. It was one of those moments when you could feel the entire crowd with you, breathing together. Opposite him was Nino Machaidze, who was wonderful, and Kiri Te Kanawa as the Duchess.

  • Juan's singing of this is much more effortless.

  • @Greatheil How so? Please identify the point(s) at which Brownlee's singing more effortful than Florez's. I challenge you!

  • @FaustinaBordoni Don't get me wrong, I'd love to sing as well as JDF, but I'm also unconvinced of his "effortlessness" over LB. Having seen LB do "La Fille du Régiment" just last week, I was floored by his "Pour me rapprocher de Marie". No hesitation, no leapfrogging to a C# - and it's warm, well-connected and sustained. Listen to JDF try; not only does he have to work his way up from an A, he can barely cling to the C# once there. Hope someone posts a clip of LB doing that aria soon.

  • @notsobluebear Thanks for agreeing with me. That being said, I recall Juan Diego Florez handling the interpolated C#in "Pour me rapprocher de Marie" respectably well in the few YOUTUBE clips I've watched. In my opinion, his high notes are not as free as they once were--and they aren't as free as Brownlee's. Which is why comments about Florez's singing being less effortful than Brownlee's sound malicious, stupid, or both. I listen to Brownlee much more often. I like him better.

  • Singing isn't a competition, it's an art.

    Both of them sing beautifully.

  • His voice is absolutely beautiful!!

  • the third top C I died a little inside from pure joy

  • I have only seen Florez once live at the Royal Opera House doing Barber with DiDonato (at the performance when DiDonato fell on the stupid set and broke her ankle, which, at the time, did not look too bad). Florez was very effective but I did not warm to such a thin, nasal tone. Additionally, his acting is very limited and consists of two facial expressions; doggy is sad and doggy is happy - even Villazon has 3, possibly 4 facial expressions to his acting but then his roles are more dramatic.

  • Yes, I think he is substantially superior to Florez although I have not heard Brownlee live. Florez has quite a thin, nasal tone which enables him to hit the high notes and have effective coloratura. Brownlee does the same with a far superior tone plus he can sing bel canto beautifully because he has such a fine, full tone.

  • @BigglesWatch I saw Florez at the prima of "La Fille" at the Met back in 2008 and I saw Brownlee at the prima of the revival on Monday (12/12). The size of their voices is quite similar (meaning neither really fills the house), but Brownlee has a fuller, rounder tone. He was somewhat tentative in "Ah Mes Ami" and he didn't hold out the final C as long as he did in this video, but his D flat at the end of the Act II aria "Pour me rapprocher de Marie" was absolutely stunning.

  • To me he is putting every cell in his body into every phrase of this aria, much more so than JDF whose high C is a little more spontaneous and light but then all of his singing is light, but this is like a better wine

  • I've been listening to this and JDF's version side by side, and I have to say it's hard to decide who "sounds better." They're both technically brilliant and have the high C's so easily within their range, neither of them sounds strained. They both have terrific stage presence, too. I'd probably say JDF has a slightly more velvety voice, LB's is a little brighter. I can't remember a time when we've ever had two tenors of this caliber. A grim luxury to pick them apart!

  • this is the first black tenor I've heard and he's brilliant!

  • you must be deaf!! hes struggling to reach the high Cs while JDF reaches them so easily!! and his voice is not as bright nor as light as JDF even though they are going in the same direction. He obviously has an identity crisis, being unable to produce huge voluminous sounds like parvarotti yet not good enough to be a true legerrio tenor!

  • ThePoster should enjoy all the voices with the knowledge that they are all humans, and all have or will have a bad performance. Brividokaldo states in his postings that his/her ears ache over a bad high E from Renée Fleming, calls Natalie Dessay a singing dead, Gorchakova the worst Leonora, and Joan Southerland the worst Traviata. Now he/she wants to make headlines by attempting to compare two of the best tenor voices in opera today. Shame on you, let us all enjoy the good in them all.

  • @oscomas1 Excellent reply to a most ridiculous post!. All of the above artists mentioned are superior. So what if they have a slightly off day or sing a role they might not be suited for. And no, I don't think Brownlee is much better than Florez. Both have tremendous voices and I love to listen to both. This kind of nonsense and priggishness is what gives so many people the wrong idea about classical music and opera fans.

  • @oscomas1 Great voice, and so is Juan Diego's I so agree with oscomas1, I would have much rather come to this video had it been titled "Lawrence Brownlee," sings an aria in fantastic fashion, instead of the unnecessary negative competition.

  • Both of them are good, I prefer J.D. cause his voice has more light.

    I think, we can compare 2 voices in our mind, dont need to make a title of that.

  • @singuntiltheend89 You are absolutely  rigth.

    Le doy toda la razón.

  • @singuntiltheend89 J.D. voice is not "light"....it' s "small and thin" which is not good...his career is based on a perfect technique and wide vocal range but the voice is small...

    Brownlee ' s voice is much better

  • @fabriou

    I agree. Brownlee 's high notes even reminds on Pavarotti.

  • Like most of you I agree that comparing to great lyric tenors is irrelavent. You can personally like one's voice over the other, but to say that one is better than another is non-sense. When we are in the league of Brownlee, Florez, Villazon, Kaufmann etc, it's just a question of personal preference. They are all technically brilliant singers.

  • Stating that one great artist is greater than another is simply a demonstration of your own limitations as a listener.

  • gosh !

  • BRAAAAAAVOOOOOOO BRABISSIMO, GRAN TENOR

  • He is so exciting to watch....bravo

  • Great video, amazing performance, had to make me embarrassed to share it with facebook thanks to your stupid, inflammatory title.

  • bravo

  • Say what you will, but as so few tenors actually sing this sort of repertoire nowadays, comparisons are unavoidable. Of course eveyone is different and thank god for that. But It doesnt mean one can make an assesment based on actual merits. For my money, though less experienced and a little lacking in final polish, LB is a far great instrument than JDF. Better tone, timbre and fullness of sound. Not to mention the lack of nasal and bleeting qualities that so distinguish Mr F. A bigger sound too

  • Mr. Brownlee has been pretty good tenor. But pls., do not ridicule yourself comparing him with J.D.Florez......He has long way to go to.....and to claim that he outsings J.D.F. is just pathetic !!!!!

    I am sure that Mr. Brownlee dosn't appreciate that remark himself......

  • How short he is...

  • While I love JDF as a fantastic representation of the leggiero tenor fach and he sings the bel canto rep written for those voices exceedingly well, Brownlee brings a surprising heft and excitement to the pieces he's performing. Like other reviewers, comparing the two is pointless as they have decidedly different instruments. Apples and oranges if you will... but this IS a very exciting performance and I look forward to Brownlee's continued ascent and progression. It is spectacular.

  • This is very good, but I prefer Juan Diego Florez's rendition. Brownlee is running out of breath at times. With JDF it seems so effortless.

  • I do think that comparing the two is a difficult thing to do, but they are both such great singers. I think that the brightness in Florez's voice really wins me out on this particular aria and is probably why he is cast in this role continuously. But that being said Brownlee is a BEAST!!!!

  • Beautiful voice, and Great technique.

  • I'm not a professional singer or something... but for my personal opinion, Juan Diego Florez has a brigther voice .

    Still he's really goood!

  • It is a true testament to what the human body is capable of when one hears this aria performed correctly. I stand in awe of Mr. Brownlee, Florez, Pavarotti, and the like. To sing on your body, within that tessitura, and access the lower register, is no small task. Incredible job!

  • BRAVO! What a talent! Tho both are not Pava, they bring their own uniqueness to the music and the world is richer for it! Thank you to each for sharing your marvelous blessings with us!

  • @appeace1 Thank god they are not Pavarotti! I admire him, but I don't want to hear the same voice all the time.

  • @flaze3 I absolutely agree! Tho Pava is my preference, what a boring world of music it would be if everyone strove to sound alike! NO ONE will ever be Pava again. After all, by his own words, "we are each one entity".I wish each performer would stick to and develop their own God given talent and rejoice in their uniqueness! Mr. Brownlee will never be the big, ringing, Italian, voice that was Pava but he has the higher tenor and is very pleasing to the ear and WHAT a personality! Im lovin it!

  • @appeace1 Perhaps you'll find this controversial , but for me, Brownlee is just as good in his own way as Pavarotti was.

  • @flaze3 Not at all! I believe that Mr. Brownlee is well on his way to establishing himself as a great tenor. He certainly has all the tools necessary and has a wonderfully playful personality! If all technical things are level, choosing one singer over another is then, a matter of personal preference. I simply prefer Pava's sound over any other--past or present. Also, I do not believe, for me, there will ever be another to match him. However, I really do enjoy listening to Mr. Brownlee,

  • @appeace1 As do I :-)

  • @flaze3 I totally agree with you!!!

  • I've never heard of this tenor, surprisingly. He has a wonderful voice, but it is very different from Florez, and they're incomparable. You can't compare two voices, especially in opera, each voice being so different and with qualities that the other may lack

  • Bravo!!

  • I vote for Florez!

  • @Genauxbr .... I totally agree with you. BOTH are breath-taking tenors and ruling monarchs of this glorious repertoire. Bronwnlee has a rich adn beautiful voice... JDF has a lovely sound and is exciting to watch sing... and is so handsome!!!! I would travel far to see both of these virtuosos singing. They are a gift from God!!

  • Sybriix, I agree with you - it is pointless to say who is "better". They are both accomplished masters of bel canto repertoire. It comes down to personal preferences of timbre, individual style, etc. Having said that, I must say I can't get enough of Brownlee. To my ear, he is the quintessential Rossini and Donizetti tenor.  He has such easy vocal production and he has a quality to his voice that pleases my ear very much. Plus, I just love his legatos - so lovely! Bravo!!!

  • Bravooooooooooooo ! \o/

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  • I give him very high marks.......although he is still needs to develop a more subtle touch, the gifts are obvious....including the easy and ringing high C.

  • I think Lawrence is genial

  • Bueno, los que cantamos sabemos un poquito mas hacia donde va la voz, por ejemplo este tenor es lirico nato, con facilidades a los agudos, que rapidamente los perdera, (ya se siente en esta aria) y se quedara solo como un lirico de linda voz, en cambio JDF es un ligero nato, que los sobre agudos le acompañara por lo menos tres decadas mas.

  • @acitipo es obvio que Brownlee canta con una tecnica muy superior a la de Florez, todos los agudos estan bien plantados y para nada se siente que los perdera a corto plazo. A la edad de Brownlee (casi 40) la voz no cambia tan subitamente sino tiende a mantenerse hasta su degeneracion natural. De Florez si se puede decir que sus agudos han comenzado a escasearse (por ejemplo en Los Puritanos) y por lo mismo dudo que en dos o tres decadas aun estara cantando Opera en los escenarios.

  • @David45NV1 Es verdad el tiempo lo dirá; por lo pronto JDF canta en los mejores escenarios del mundo a 1 millon de dolares por presentacion, y encima catapultado por Placido Domingo como EL MEJOR tenor ligero de la historia.

  • @acitipo se nota que no tiene ni la menor idea del mundo de la Opera. Ningun Teatro del mundo paga a nadie 1 millon de dolares por presentacion y eso del mejor ligero de la historia dicho por Domingo no tiene ningun significado. Pura escenografia del marketing de la BBC. Hay que tener mas criterio propio. Para su conocimiento el Met tiene una top fee muy muy lejos de esa fantasia del millon de dolares y los otros grandes teatros estan ligeramente por encima. Bienvenido al mundo real.

  • I am really pleasantly surprised! I had never heard of Mr. Brownlee and although I was quite sold on Florez' version, I must say that I really enjoyed Mr. Brownlee's performance, here! Of course, he does betray his American origin when singing certain words (0:46-0:50, especially), but still, his pronunciation is, in general, good and he does a great job, here!

  • i love them both, but florez does seem to have more control and more ease into the C's

  • Florez has got the better French accent. Brownlee really sounds American...

  • And why cannot we compare? I thougt the point in opera is precisely to compare how different people have been singing the same repertoire for 200 years.

  • @barralpha i thought the point of opera was to sing it...

  • Knowing it is not wise to compare this voice with Florez' voice I do must admit that Florez has a better control over his voice.

  • i give dislike based off of the title not porformance. juan diego is my fav. brownlee did this peace justice. great job to both outstanding artists.

  • caro zucchini 2007, sentilo cantare vieni fra queste braccia ha ragione faustina. If you're italian american I tell zucchini 2007 to go and listen brownlee in vieni fra le mie braccia from puritani. We've all seen florez growing up in italy nad we loved him as we locved rockwell blake, alfredo kraus and others. the potential of this guy is enormous. He must learn much better italian pronounciation though if he wishes to become a triple a lirico leggero tenor

  • @operalover67 Ci dispiace, ma io non parlo italiano. Io parlo spagnolo, quindi sono disposto ad imparare l'italiano. Sono originarie del Messico. Dove sei nato?

  • Juan Diego Florez is widely considered as the BEST tenor of the bel canto style, with his consummate vocal technique. Florez's pronunciation is better, and he has been compared to Pavarotti. So it's a huge exaggeration to claim that this guy is out-singing him here.

  • @zucchini2007 Why compare Pavarotti to someone who actually has talent like Florez?

  • Well of course Brownlee sounds wonderful here BUT is he the best Rossini tenor? Indeed is he even the best Black Rossini tenor? Kenneth Tarver also sings this repertoire at the Met and the big European houses. He is just as black but taller and much better looking. I imagine he would would be better on stage. I've heard Florez live but not either Tarver or Brownlee. Has anyone heard all three live?

  • @Agorante Not all three live, but I heard Florez and Brownlee live at the Met - Florez in Le Comte Ory and Brownlee as a guest artist at the Met Council Auditions grand final (he sang two arias while judges deliberated). I think they are both wonderful, I'd probably rate Florez higher overall, but I like Brownlee's darker and warmer timbre a little better than brighter Florez' color. It's a matter of taste really. They are both fabulous.

  • Thanks for putting up this video, brividokaldo! 

  • Larry, you do the United States proud :)

  • Not my favorite. Especially since his pronunciation of the french language is not very good . Florez does a better job in my opinion, but I hate it when people try to compare Tenors like this , especially when they are trying to advertise someone.

  • Magnificent voice. And Florez's voice is magnificent too.. =)

  • VOZ DO SECULO VINTE - MARIO LANZA. LAWRENCE BROWNLEE , SEM DÚVIDA UMA DAS MAIS LINDAS DA ATUALIDADE.

  • Great singing, though I don't understand, given the text, the angry expression throughout.

  • @jaketaz I agree. Great singing. And, yes. He seems angry. Especially at someone to his right hand side. He keeps staring at that direction.

  • Wow!

  • I do prefer this man to florez as i like warmth in a voice,

    Guys, all we can say is who we prefer, comparing these two great voices in any definative manner should be done but the experts, if at all.

  • I wouldn't say he outsings JDF in any way. Just two different - and amazing - voices with different interpretations. I'm just glad to see that there are a few decent bel canto tenors out there. Such a dearth. I will say that JDF seems slightly more effortless at the top while Brownlee has a more robust middle. Nice work from both! Unfortunately though, I think ethnicity is still an issue with some opera houses. Hopefully good directors will erase the rest of that in the coming years.

  • What a truly glorious voice this is. If you can pick this to pieces because he doesn't sound like someone else, then you are really missing a great talent. Bravo! I wish you all the success in the world!

  • Esta voz tiene mucho más cuerpo que la del gilgero de J. D. Florez. Prefiero mil vees esta vesión. Felicito al tenor.. Muy bien cantada.

  • @mesie1ever Es verdad que esta voz tiene mas cuerpo porque simplemente es un tenor lirico, tambien a Pavarotti se le escuchaba mucho mejor, pero esta aria es para un tenor LIGERO, y JDF seguira cantando esta aria por 30 años mas, cosa que lo dudo con el tenor lirico que lo esta cantando, ahora mismo este tenor ya no pone mas esta aria en su repertorio.

  • @acitipo no lo dude tanto, Alfredo Kraus la cantó hasta los 70!

  • It's almost shameful to compare the two tenors who are among the world known today. Do not compare two different voices, it's just pointless to come up with who's best when both are professionals, listen and enjoy whether it's Lawrence Brownlee and Juan Diego Florez you're listening to! (Thumbs up if you agree)

  • @Sybriix While I like your point, and yes the voices are "different", but they are of the same Fach classification of Leggiero Tenore. Both are wonderful singers, however, Brownlee has much "rounder" sound, most likely due to the fact that he is able to keep his larynx down. I am always impressed by how accurately Florez moves through his melismatic passages. Both have excellent coloratura abilities.

  • @Sybriix YOU ARE SI RIGHT. LET US BE HAPPY TO COINCIDE IN TIME WITH THSE TWO GREAT VOICES AND OTHERS AS WELL.

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  • @Sybriix Very well said. Much more sensible to enjoy if possible what is on offer and quietly avoid wrangling over matters of opinion and personal preferences.

  • so so clean. perfection.

  • lol y does he look so small

  • Thank you thank you, Lawrence !

  • how long will brownlee be praised before like Florez he will be thrown under the bus?

    as a black male it's heartening to see a black male for once getting his due; it's been long overdue, however Florez and Brownlee are two different tenors with equally outstanding power and reaches to scale the high c's. Br

    avo Brownlee! Bravo Diego!

  • excellent with much emotion thank you browlee

  • this dude is great. great presence and voice both. I'd much rather listen to him than Florez any day. can't stand the brightness and pinched sound of Florez. plusss I've seen plenty of interviews and read around, Florez is a freaking diva and not very nice.

  • i heard lawrence brownlee for the first time tonight, am a lover of opera, and do not understand many of these comments. my advice: relax, close your eyes and enjoy the wonderful talents of the world. each has it's own virtue, its own gift. surely one can totally enjoy each voice as one would enjoy the sound of any instrumental rendition. there is no such a category as "the best". each has its own timbre, its own beauty, its own elegance! truly blessed are. these fine artists. ENJOY!!

  • I truly enjoyed him when the Central State university chorus came to see him at Wright State...Great person!!

  • Juan Diego Flórez en este repertorio es el mejor actualmente. Su voz es bellísima, y su canto excelente. Creo que la envidia conspira contra él.

  • Love this video, but you seem to think that certain fachs are better than others. Brownlee is a spinto tenor, or even a heldentenor with a fantastic upper register, while Florez is a leggerio (lyric) tenor. The bottom line is personal preference, whether you prefer brightness or warmth.

  • @incredulousG3 Brownlee is def. a Leggiero tenor hence the whole just of the competition between the two.

  • He sounds like Pavarotti whereas Florez has the beautiful Colarutra voice similar to Carreras. There is a place for both. It all depends on your preference. If I close my eyes, I hear Pavaratti! For this song I perdonally prefer Florez's rounded performance.

  • Very excellent. 

  • Seems like we have a new king of high c's and he aint't German,French,Italian or Spanish..he really makes it all look too easy

  • MUCH better than Florez!

  • Lawrence Brownlee is the new Pavarotti. Closing the eyes you can hear Luciano's early voice. The advantage of Mr Brownlee with JDF is that Mr Brownlee has a broad register. In fact, Mr Florez, that is obviously extraordinary, has a serious problem with his limited low register and he could not open his repertoire (examples Duca, Romeo, Arturo...). Brownlee has a warmer voice, is very natural. Compare Florez's Barbiere from La Scala in 1999 with the last one and it is like a CD repeating.

  • @canariasesmusica Willard White is a very fine singer. I've seen him as Osmin among other roles. Not a tenor of course. There are however even among bass-baritones only a handfull of black ones. Plenty of super black women singers but only a couple black men in the highest ranks.

    I get a lot of heat for this observation but do your own count.

  • Where's the rest of the opera? Not out sung!