I prefere the Kurt Moll recording on youtube. Probably cause I'm a German enthusiast and hate to see the language changed.... Does anyone else think Pape does strange things with his vowels (i.e. "salvation" @ 1:39) ?
Che delusione... ho suonato con Pape molti anni fa, all'inizio della sua parabola artistica, e mi aveva fatto ben altra impressione. Aveva una voce molto ampia, ma anche morbida e molto ben emessa, con un bel legato che riecheggiava lo stesso Ramey. Sembrava sulla strada di diventare un autentico fuoriclasse.
Invece, qui sento molta fibra, suoni duri ed ingolati, estremi bassi svuotati e persino vagamente rauchi. Boh, sono alquanto perplesso.
Emissione sguaiata e tendente al nasale, non c'è rotondità, morbidezza, piuttosto molto spesso fibra, ovvero gola. La linea è condotta senza alcun pathos interpretativo, solfeggiata priva di un vero legato, senza alcuna flessione espressiva ed agogica; totale l'incapacità di emozionarsi.
Whether in German or English or in any other language, René Pape's voice has such a lot of strength and clearness that it doesn't depend. For me he is one of the best and greatest opera singers in our modern era.
SARASTRO ¡Oh Isis y Osiris conceded a ésta nueva pareja el espíritu de la sabiduría! Vosotros que guiáis los pasos de los peregrinos, fortalecedlos en el peligro dándoles paciencia. Hacedles ver el premio de la prueba; y si debieran ir a la tumba, recompensad su audaz virtud, acogiéndolos en vuestra morada. (Traducción libre) Vosotros que guiáis los pasos de los peregrinos, fortalecedlos en el peligro,dándoles paciencia. Hacédles ver el premio de la prueba;
Not to be a debbie downer, but really Rene Pape is a bass-baritone. His low F's in O Isis und Osiris are almost nonexistent. You can't argue against that either because this video is all the evidence you need. This is not at all disrespectful to Mr. Pape in any way, shape, or form, I'm merely stating what is evident. Mr. Pape is a phenomenal singer. I have a recording of this in English as well of me performing if interested. Just remember I'm still a beginner.
@uglymoon78 Yes, many. It was to be translated not just for meaning, but for rhyme and vowels. It's called a "singable translation" and each translator copyrights them.
Magnificen production and great voice, but my question is the same, WHY IN ENGLISH??? Must be german, is a singspiel, non a Haendel's opera :( So sad.
It's an abridged version in English targeted more toward children. In this particular performance numbers were shortened or totally cut and some text was change. But they still do plenty of the full original libretto and length. This was just the kid's version. Relax.
I think because of were Rene Pape's passagio lies in his voice, he is either a high bass or a bass-baritone. I personally think more the latter, because he is certainly no Kurt Moll, who is a true bass.
@nshelton88 You make a great point that I never really took into account. Although I think that this aria sounds better sung in German, I do see your point and yes to keep opera alive in the US is a huge task.
I'm a fan of opera in the orig. lang., but do you realize that the U.S. is the only place that attempts to sing every opera in the orig. lang.? In Italy, Spain, Germany...they regularly sing translations and realize that many of the composers even thought it ridiculous to listen to operas in foreign languages.
The goal is to keep opera alive in the U.S., not to satisfy a proud group of purists. Sadly, we're really the last country to realize the benefits of presenting accessible art. It shows.
@BorisGodunov I love René pape, and do think he is a bass with a big voice. However, this aria doesn't show the best of him...He surely is a bass but not a deep bass, and I think his Gounod's Mephisto suits him much better than Sarastro..;I lose the quality of his timbre in this recording, maybe he was just in a bad day
i forgot, if someone cld plz tell me, which is higher: barritone or bass? lol im pretty sure its barritone but if someone cld plz answer tht wld b a big help :]
He sings well, but---UGH-what a musically inept translation. One wonders if the translator was a native English speaker. or if (s)he ever listened to the music!
@zdymadlo Because this is the HD cinema showing of "The Magic Flute" that was performed and taped live at the Met a couple of years ago. It was heavily abridged for younger audiences ( I guess maybe those with a short attention span) and translated into English. Julie Taymor directed this. This year, Ms. Taymor directed the full-length original at the Met, in the original German. Both versions were broadcast over the radio.
@zdymadlo This was a children's version of Die Zauberflote. It was only two hours and in English so that little children wouldn't have to read the subtitles to understand.
@me148 I think he means not a basso profundo.. compare with Martti Talvela's rendering for instance. Mind you he sings it very well for a bass-barytone.. although I'm not sure why the conductor goes through it as if he had a train to catch.. As to singing this in English.. sigh..
To me he sounds like a basso cantante, a light bass, a shade under the lowest bass-baritone. He is absolutely not a profundo and I would further say that this production was miked.
I heard him live and the voice is bigger and darker that way. I understand btw why dont you think he is a bass... you were friend with Jerome Hines, and compared to him everyone else sounded like a tenor with a cold.
Yes, but that is only part of it. We have come into an era of vocal miniaturism where people with small voices are far preferred to people with big voices. In many cases I will hear a singer today who would never have been hired in my day. This is the era of the vocal miniaturist. Rene Pape has a lovely timbre but it is not a very impressive voice as regards resonance. Siep. Tozzi and Hines are what basses sound like. These other creatures are not basses. But its not their fault. It is the era.
vocal miniaturism ?!?!? what are you talking about ? every era knew very famous singers with both big and small voices. Try and compare Pavarotti and Simoneau, for example, going a bit backwards, and Ben Heppner with Juan Diego Florez presently, and that's just a couple examples of tenors. And a smaller voice desn't necessarily means it's not as good as a big voice, and small voices often tend to be healthier than huge dramatic voices.
That's a perfection comparison. I knew Jerome Hines and I had the privilege to work with him on a recital concert. His rich bass voice is for the ages. I like Rene Pape and his vocal texture and interpretations. And like Hines, Pape commands a strong stage presence.
I regard myself as a baritono (F2 to A4), but my low F certainly is not so strong! He must be bass also because of the spoken sentence at the beginning.
@eutanazius Ofcourse he is a bass. In fact this aria is ment for a basso profondo, which is the deepest kind of bass and it requires a certain charachteristic timbre also... Kurt Moll is probably the best example of a basso profondo still singing today. So just compare Pape's voice with Moll's and you'll hear=)
WSTYD!!! HAŃBA!!! Śpiewać M O Z A R T A po angielsku?! Szczyt wszystkiego!! Okropne... I znowu ci durni amerykanie dopuścili się profanacji tak wielkiego dzieła!!! Gdyby słyszał to Mozart, to by się w grobie przewrócił..
!!!
"Śpiewanie oper w języku angielskim, jest tak bezsensowne, jak gra w baseball we Włoszech[...]"
Wstyd!!!
Żal, żal, zal, żal, żal, żal... Prawdziwy meloman powinien się wstydzić tego ^ czegoś ...
I suppose that if you are a moderate bass singer (like me) then it makes it easier to copy. I sing along with him on the odd occasion, certainly can't with Moll's version in German, which of course is better on the ear, especially if I'm doing a bit of accompaniment!!!
this version was produced by the metropolitan opera as a way of introducing a younger audience to opera. It's very "kid friendly," I know this because i was at this performance, and there were basically a bunch of kids there. The younger children aren't going to read the translations on the screens(much less know the language), it's just too hard, but exposing them little by little, I guess, is what was intended.
oh, okay, let's expect every child to know two+ languages before middle school O__O. I knew two languages before I entered middle school, but one of them was not german...By kids I meant 4-10 yr olds.
I generally would agree with you on this point, but I believe there is something to be said for this idea of reintroducing good music into society. As mote65 stated, it was intended for younger audiences who would probably be unable to translate the text on their own and even possibly be too young to read, but no one is too young to appreciate art, as long as it can be understood. This seems to be a stepping stone on the way to bringing the classical forms closer to mainstream audiences.
There's nothing wrong with doing opera in a translation. If it gets more people into the opera, great. Purists can always find productions in the original languages.
This point could be argued, but I think first the translation would have to be easily understood. I am a native English-speaker and needed those subtitles.
Reading some of these comments you'd think the entire world spoke fluent German. While I readily admit that many English versions are clumsily translated, the point remains that most of the general public does not(!) speak German. If I were to see this with someone who didn't know the language, I would greatly prefer a translation that all could understand and enjoy. It's still Mozart, stop pretending to be a connoisseur of high art just because you watch something in a foreign language.
*note i'm only doing this to see if it really works kay*now if you stared reading this dont stop its really scarey!ok send this to five other videos in 143 minutes.When you are done press F6 and your crushes name will apear on the screen in big letters this is weird because it does work.If you break this chance you wont have a crush in the next five years
Si effectivement Die zauberflöte devrait être chantée dans sa version originale, René Pape est quand même un Sarastro exceptionnel que j'ai découvert grâce au film de Branagh. Quelle voix magnifique j'ai eu l'occasion d'écouter dans ce petit bijou qu'est Die Zauberflöte. Merci Monsieur
Eh...I sat DIRECTLY in front of Pape when he was singing Wagner in concert a year ago. His voice is not as deep/bass-like as you might think...but I hope he will make an excellent Wotan.
It's funny to read that some "experts" here categorize nearly every bass singer (even Kurt Moll!) on youtube as "baritone" or "too light". That's stupid! René Pape is no russian profondo or something like that but he has the bottom and the weight for Sarastro. Go and listen to him on stage!
Hehe, funny, that's exactly what I'm arguing about in a Ruggero Raimondi post, where some people are accusing him of being too lazy to sing baritone, so he sings bass. Now, Pape is definitely a bass, no argument there; you don't get hired to sing Gurnemanz, Fasolt, Hunding, or King Marke unless you're a bass...
How so? Mozart only wrote the music, and this translation doesn't change the melody at all. The only "genius" killed here is that of Schikenader(sp?).
well... I think if Die Zauberflöte would originally have been written in English, then Mozart would composed the music differently from the German version.
Not his best singing... but what a bass nonetheless. best young bass out there. Also, one comment, he is German. He probably has sung this in his mother tounge 100 times. The english, to my bass ears, sounds so difficult to sing for him. But his enlgish diction is good.
To me this is The Highest Point in Die Zauberflote. One of the most exquisite extracts from Mozart's immortal genius. Pape's rendition is absolutely noble and this version couldn't possibly be more moving. Profondo or not, his sovereign basso is dense and masterfully delivered, and his Sarastro speaks to the gods. BRAVISSIMO !
We should all give a standing ovation to Geld's, Maestro Levine's and Ms. Sills' revolutionary iniciative in broadening American audiences' perspective of the most sublime art form. Through their innovative work in bringing Met's Top-notch productions IN VERY ELEGANT ENGLISH to silver screens in our own towns, many families now have the precious opportunity of being exposed to this fascinating world called Opera. Thank you Peter Geld. BRAVI TUTTI !
Oh my gosh! Do you realize you're the only person who has this stuff?? I've been looking so hard for the Papageno/a duet from this performance! Do you have it? I would so apreiciate it if you put it on here!!
I don't know what his lowest note is, but I do have a recording of Rosenkavalier where he takes the optional low C (below bass staff) with seemingly room to spare.
I've got a low C with seemingly room to spare lol. (and im just some kid who hasn't been singing long) Could be an area of comfort, or he could have an incredibly low range. Maybe I'll never find out. If you could perhaps send me the recording somehow though.. or post it? that'd be great!
True....but Moll was more of a profondo, and Sarastro is a better fit for a profondo. Pape is a cantate, and will be more at home in higher lying bass roles(Verdi). Regardless, Pape's is a tremendously well produced and tastefully used voice. I would love to hear him as Zaccaria, if he can manage it.
I prefere the Kurt Moll recording on youtube. Probably cause I'm a German enthusiast and hate to see the language changed.... Does anyone else think Pape does strange things with his vowels (i.e. "salvation" @ 1:39) ?
strodden 2 weeks ago
Danke, habe Link gesetzt
MrConvivator 2 months ago
Jesses, Iris Osiris!
boriswienholz 3 months ago
Che delusione... ho suonato con Pape molti anni fa, all'inizio della sua parabola artistica, e mi aveva fatto ben altra impressione. Aveva una voce molto ampia, ma anche morbida e molto ben emessa, con un bel legato che riecheggiava lo stesso Ramey. Sembrava sulla strada di diventare un autentico fuoriclasse.
Invece, qui sento molta fibra, suoni duri ed ingolati, estremi bassi svuotati e persino vagamente rauchi. Boh, sono alquanto perplesso.
anoperamusician 3 months ago
His voice is nice, he just doesn't have the rumbles....like a real bass. IJS...
jojiggums 4 months ago
Emissione sguaiata e tendente al nasale, non c'è rotondità, morbidezza, piuttosto molto spesso fibra, ovvero gola. La linea è condotta senza alcun pathos interpretativo, solfeggiata priva di un vero legato, senza alcuna flessione espressiva ed agogica; totale l'incapacità di emozionarsi.
JosquenD 5 months ago
@JosquenD LOL
NedRorem 4 months ago
Whether in German or English or in any other language, René Pape's voice has such a lot of strength and clearness that it doesn't depend. For me he is one of the best and greatest opera singers in our modern era.
rokkasotilas 7 months ago
Now this sucked...Kurt Moll and in german....please!
maleficare 10 months ago
@maleficare In German yes, but I prefer Samuel Ramey to Kurt Moll
arpeggio1358 7 months ago
WARUM!!?
nimesse 10 months ago
paradoxicus 1 year ago
So beautiful , so moving , a masterpiece.
MrKnockna 1 year ago
English or German Version - Nebbich! This wonderful Music sounds great in every language, even in Klingon!
MrTelltale 1 year ago 3
@MrTelltale Star Trek Zauberflote... I'm surprised some German director, or Peter Sellars, hasn't done it yet! lol
lucyliesinashes 1 year ago
@lucyliesinashes I think, this is able to do only Leonard Nimoy. So forward - let's give him oxygen!
MrTelltale 1 year ago
Not to be a debbie downer, but really Rene Pape is a bass-baritone. His low F's in O Isis und Osiris are almost nonexistent. You can't argue against that either because this video is all the evidence you need. This is not at all disrespectful to Mr. Pape in any way, shape, or form, I'm merely stating what is evident. Mr. Pape is a phenomenal singer. I have a recording of this in English as well of me performing if interested. Just remember I'm still a beginner.
UKbasso22 1 year ago
German bass sings a German aria in English? Can somebody say Irony?
ElSalvador50 1 year ago
MAGNIFIQUE PRODUCTION ET BASSE SUPERBE !!!!
543693The 1 year ago
Paul Robeson's version, also on YouTube, has a different english text. So there are different translations?
uglymoon78 1 year ago
@uglymoon78 Yes, many. It was to be translated not just for meaning, but for rhyme and vowels. It's called a "singable translation" and each translator copyrights them.
lucyliesinashes 1 year ago
Compare with Aria: " O Gudar ! Styrken mig " from opera Aeneas i Cartago by JOSEPH MARTIN KRAUS (1756-1792).
igorvragovic 1 year ago
OSIRIS WAS REFERRED TO AS- THE PERFECT BLACK ---WHY ARE THE ACTORS WHITE ????--EUROPEANS DISTORTED AFRICA'S HISTORY AND DESECRATED OUR GODS !!!!!!
tamaduni 1 year ago
Magnificen production and great voice, but my question is the same, WHY IN ENGLISH??? Must be german, is a singspiel, non a Haendel's opera :( So sad.
Gabofeles 1 year ago
@Gabofeles
It's an abridged version in English targeted more toward children. In this particular performance numbers were shortened or totally cut and some text was change. But they still do plenty of the full original libretto and length. This was just the kid's version. Relax.
Jaydoggy531 1 year ago
@Jaydoggy531 LUCKY Kids getting to see Rene Pape at a "children's show!"
me148 1 year ago
I think because of were Rene Pape's passagio lies in his voice, he is either a high bass or a bass-baritone. I personally think more the latter, because he is certainly no Kurt Moll, who is a true bass.
UKbasso22 1 year ago
@UKbasso22 I agree. This is a VERY modest performance of this piece, especially for the fees he's commanding. He's a bari-bass or a lazy bari.
iriisblue 1 year ago
@nshelton88 You make a great point that I never really took into account. Although I think that this aria sounds better sung in German, I do see your point and yes to keep opera alive in the US is a huge task.
Devistasion 1 year ago
in english? this is just aweful... what a shame
lancagel 1 year ago
@lancagel Agree
SandrineSoprano 1 year ago
Like dark chocolate and caramel for the ears, wonderful.
vigwig 1 year ago
In every case, the costumes are breathtaking. I have never seen a more beautiful Sarastro. I think René Pape will have sound better in German anyway.
Boerenfox 1 year ago
I'm a fan of opera in the orig. lang., but do you realize that the U.S. is the only place that attempts to sing every opera in the orig. lang.? In Italy, Spain, Germany...they regularly sing translations and realize that many of the composers even thought it ridiculous to listen to operas in foreign languages.
The goal is to keep opera alive in the U.S., not to satisfy a proud group of purists. Sadly, we're really the last country to realize the benefits of presenting accessible art. It shows.
nshelton88 2 years ago
superbe, malgré son interprétation en anglais, il c'est faire les 3 fa dièses c'est le principal. BRAVO MON PAPE
clown84700 2 years ago
Having heard Pape live on numerous occasions, I find assertions that he either has a "small" voice or is not a "true bass" to be laughably absurd.
I guess some people's idea of opera singing really is screaming at the top of the lungs...
BorisGodunov 2 years ago
@BorisGodunov I love René pape, and do think he is a bass with a big voice. However, this aria doesn't show the best of him...He surely is a bass but not a deep bass, and I think his Gounod's Mephisto suits him much better than Sarastro..;I lose the quality of his timbre in this recording, maybe he was just in a bad day
tenorbasse 2 years ago
Beautiful, beautiful performance. I found this extremely moving and lovely. Thank you for posting this, Gabba.
76Basso 2 years ago
The costumes are absolutely great.
Boerenfox 2 years ago
His voice is quite too small to fill this role.
MariadelMonaco 2 years ago 2
but what an F
SandyRiver24 2 years ago
i forgot, if someone cld plz tell me, which is higher: barritone or bass? lol im pretty sure its barritone but if someone cld plz answer tht wld b a big help :]
XoToriBearXo 2 years ago
bass
lower
SandyRiver24 2 years ago
thts wat i thought thnx so much
XoToriBearXo 2 years ago
La voz de Rene Pape cada vez más grandiosa, aunque es surrealista escuchar Die Zauberflöte en Inglés.
Baumarbol 2 years ago
Great voice, good production, but in english? Pls, let us see in german!
Gabofeles 2 years ago
@Gabofeles Agree
SandrineSoprano 1 year ago
He sings well, but---UGH-what a musically inept translation. One wonders if the translator was a native English speaker. or if (s)he ever listened to the music!
OlDoinyo 2 years ago
Very well, but WHY IN ENGLISH???
zdymadlo 2 years ago 33
ANd why not? It's nice to understand what's going on for a change without using subtitles. And before you call me names, I'm multilingual myself.
saintsaens21 2 years ago
this translation sounds AWFUL!!!!!
papagena92 2 years ago 3
@zdymadlo Because this is the HD cinema showing of "The Magic Flute" that was performed and taped live at the Met a couple of years ago. It was heavily abridged for younger audiences ( I guess maybe those with a short attention span) and translated into English. Julie Taymor directed this. This year, Ms. Taymor directed the full-length original at the Met, in the original German. Both versions were broadcast over the radio.
al1936ful 1 year ago
@zdymadlo Its the met, a lot of operas nowdays are performed in english there.
Thats because the want that everyone understands.
luisiege2 1 year ago
@luisiege2 Actually, no. Only the Christmas time children production is translated into English (this one, for instance).
LordHettrick 5 months ago
@zdymadlo english version really sucks...
FerozHC 1 year ago
@zdymadlo and that for a german bass.
Tenderness6 1 year ago
@zdymadlo This was a children's version of Die Zauberflote. It was only two hours and in English so that little children wouldn't have to read the subtitles to understand.
llamasaresmelly 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
This is not a real bass, let alone a Sarastro bass. He sounds more like a lyric baritone used to sound. This is more of the vocal miniaturism today.
MaestroJosephShore 2 years ago
ARE YOU ILL? Rene Pape? Not a real bass?
Get your ears checked
me148 2 years ago 18
@me148 your right he is a baritone and can't really pull it off like kurt moll
akaz07 1 year ago
@me148 I think he means not a basso profundo.. compare with Martti Talvela's rendering for instance. Mind you he sings it very well for a bass-barytone.. although I'm not sure why the conductor goes through it as if he had a train to catch.. As to singing this in English.. sigh..
salmig99 1 year ago
@me148
To me he sounds like a basso cantante, a light bass, a shade under the lowest bass-baritone. He is absolutely not a profundo and I would further say that this production was miked.
Yitzhakhazak 10 months ago
I heard him live and the voice is bigger and darker that way. I understand btw why dont you think he is a bass... you were friend with Jerome Hines, and compared to him everyone else sounded like a tenor with a cold.
HansHottest 2 years ago
Yes, but that is only part of it. We have come into an era of vocal miniaturism where people with small voices are far preferred to people with big voices. In many cases I will hear a singer today who would never have been hired in my day. This is the era of the vocal miniaturist. Rene Pape has a lovely timbre but it is not a very impressive voice as regards resonance. Siep. Tozzi and Hines are what basses sound like. These other creatures are not basses. But its not their fault. It is the era.
MaestroJosephShore 2 years ago
To be fair, he seems to have no misunderstandings regarding his voice, he seems to be pursuing wotan as a role, which he has a well sized voice for.
crwv 2 years ago
vocal miniaturism ?!?!? what are you talking about ? every era knew very famous singers with both big and small voices. Try and compare Pavarotti and Simoneau, for example, going a bit backwards, and Ben Heppner with Juan Diego Florez presently, and that's just a couple examples of tenors. And a smaller voice desn't necessarily means it's not as good as a big voice, and small voices often tend to be healthier than huge dramatic voices.
tenor9216 2 years ago
That's a perfection comparison. I knew Jerome Hines and I had the privilege to work with him on a recital concert. His rich bass voice is for the ages. I like Rene Pape and his vocal texture and interpretations. And like Hines, Pape commands a strong stage presence.
harley75604 2 years ago
I regard myself as a baritono (F2 to A4), but my low F certainly is not so strong! He must be bass also because of the spoken sentence at the beginning.
eutanazius 2 years ago
@eutanazius Ofcourse he is a bass. In fact this aria is ment for a basso profondo, which is the deepest kind of bass and it requires a certain charachteristic timbre also... Kurt Moll is probably the best example of a basso profondo still singing today. So just compare Pape's voice with Moll's and you'll hear=)
danieldedaldo 2 years ago
@danieldedaldo I know, that he´s basso, of course :-) Only Mr. Shore was saying something different...
eutanazius 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I wish rene pape farted me in the face, so hard.. mm, let me smell.. then i would eat bratwurst from is anal.
thegorgeusboy 2 years ago
...die Arie wäre besser in der Originalsprache rübergekommen.
8AHdl 2 years ago 3
WSTYD!!! HAŃBA!!! Śpiewać M O Z A R T A po angielsku?! Szczyt wszystkiego!! Okropne... I znowu ci durni amerykanie dopuścili się profanacji tak wielkiego dzieła!!! Gdyby słyszał to Mozart, to by się w grobie przewrócił..
!!!
"Śpiewanie oper w języku angielskim, jest tak bezsensowne, jak gra w baseball we Włoszech[...]"
Wstyd!!!
Żal, żal, zal, żal, żal, żal... Prawdziwy meloman powinien się wstydzić tego ^ czegoś ...
-100/10
;-(
Pianista216 2 years ago
It was not his best day! But the best bass nowadays!
renepapelover2 3 years ago
In English?hahaha....it sounds ridiculous!
Poor Mozart,always betrayed!
MOZART forgive them,
they dont know what they do...
vonspre 3 years ago 6
I suppose that if you are a moderate bass singer (like me) then it makes it easier to copy. I sing along with him on the odd occasion, certainly can't with Moll's version in German, which of course is better on the ear, especially if I'm doing a bit of accompaniment!!!
rayrac 3 years ago
Yes, it's just plain absurd in English.
People, resist this Brave New World's dumbing down. Speaking of the BNW, see my list on amazon by googling these words:
Resist the Brave New World
Jitpring 3 years ago
this version was produced by the metropolitan opera as a way of introducing a younger audience to opera. It's very "kid friendly," I know this because i was at this performance, and there were basically a bunch of kids there. The younger children aren't going to read the translations on the screens(much less know the language), it's just too hard, but exposing them little by little, I guess, is what was intended.
mote65 2 years ago
Yes, it's part of this Brave New World's soft discrimination of low expectations.
Jitpring 2 years ago
oh, okay, let's expect every child to know two+ languages before middle school O__O. I knew two languages before I entered middle school, but one of them was not german...By kids I meant 4-10 yr olds.
mote65 2 years ago
I generally would agree with you on this point, but I believe there is something to be said for this idea of reintroducing good music into society. As mote65 stated, it was intended for younger audiences who would probably be unable to translate the text on their own and even possibly be too young to read, but no one is too young to appreciate art, as long as it can be understood. This seems to be a stepping stone on the way to bringing the classical forms closer to mainstream audiences.
laser8389 2 years ago
Pape is not a real basso profondo; enough to listen to Kurt Moll, Talvela, Plishka, etc., not to speak of the Russian basses...
agcalem 3 years ago
I thought Pape was a Bass-Baritone! I love his voice more and more...
crwv 3 years ago
I think he is...sounds like it here anyway.
uniqueattack 3 years ago
I am so disappointed....
The voice lacks passion.
ianpark333 3 years ago
personally i prefer the german.
emoswithspoons98 3 years ago
What a terrible costume...
Pape´s deep F isn´t very good,the tone is going back in his mouth instead of in front.
WhiteProfondo 3 years ago
I like the costume...I'd wear it
uniqueattack 3 years ago
meh... I prefer Tom McNichols' performance over this.
Bencra 3 years ago
René Pape?.. Are not he Sarastro in The magic Flute? Nice voice! :-)
jennamusic74 3 years ago
Try this, it's maybe slightly better...although in German.
Kurt Moll - O Isis und Osiris
rayrac 3 years ago
I don't think I've ever been as moved by this aria as by this performance. Wonderfully sung in every respect (voice, interpretation, phrasing, etc).
jimblow32000 3 years ago
he is my god <3
RenePapeLover 3 years ago
He's a very noble bass.
Hans NL
qklq42 3 years ago 2
All wrangling about translation aside; Mr. Pape transcends the limitations of the English version, and crafts an exquisite rendering of the aria.
Baelmyrrdn 3 years ago
English is absolutely out of the question. It is an absolute monstrosity. The debate ends here. It is a profane butchery.
musicalidea 4 years ago 2
I didn't care for the translation in this Met version, especially in the dialogue sections. I have heard much better English versions.
mnwugn86 4 years ago
Maybe, but there are worse ones too. Check out the Ruth and Thomas Martin translation.
Agorante 3 years ago
There's nothing wrong with doing opera in a translation. If it gets more people into the opera, great. Purists can always find productions in the original languages.
BorisGodunov 4 years ago
This point could be argued, but I think first the translation would have to be easily understood. I am a native English-speaker and needed those subtitles.
coryisawake 3 years ago
Die Zauberfloete should NEVER be song in english. It sounds terrible. Better not to understand the words but keep true to Mozart and Schickaneder.
powerpointpete 4 years ago
Reading some of these comments you'd think the entire world spoke fluent German. While I readily admit that many English versions are clumsily translated, the point remains that most of the general public does not(!) speak German. If I were to see this with someone who didn't know the language, I would greatly prefer a translation that all could understand and enjoy. It's still Mozart, stop pretending to be a connoisseur of high art just because you watch something in a foreign language.
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silvr94 4 years ago
A German bass, singing a German aria in English... how absurd.
But he sounds great. Beautiful lownesses, velvety voice.
I've heard it in Hungarian many times (from the magnificent Mihály Székely) and in Swedish, too. But English never...
canafinwe 4 years ago
They did a good job of keeping from being too awkward and they kept good vowels on the low notes.
IceMasterEasthamJazz 4 years ago
I've heard a lot worse english translations.
Still like the German better
davisgloff 4 years ago
I don't think I like this aria in English. It should be in German. :D
Geronimo1913 4 years ago
In English or In german Rene Pape is magnificent!
linocogo 4 years ago 2
Very awkward English to my ears...not his best. And that costume...
Brett1123 4 years ago
Si effectivement Die zauberflöte devrait être chantée dans sa version originale, René Pape est quand même un Sarastro exceptionnel que j'ai découvert grâce au film de Branagh. Quelle voix magnifique j'ai eu l'occasion d'écouter dans ce petit bijou qu'est Die Zauberflöte. Merci Monsieur
luisamiller 4 years ago
Eh...I sat DIRECTLY in front of Pape when he was singing Wagner in concert a year ago. His voice is not as deep/bass-like as you might think...but I hope he will make an excellent Wotan.
Chiliarches 4 years ago
¿¡En Ingles!!???
migsagrero 4 years ago
It's funny to read that some "experts" here categorize nearly every bass singer (even Kurt Moll!) on youtube as "baritone" or "too light". That's stupid! René Pape is no russian profondo or something like that but he has the bottom and the weight for Sarastro. Go and listen to him on stage!
vonmeppen 4 years ago 2
Hehe, funny, that's exactly what I'm arguing about in a Ruggero Raimondi post, where some people are accusing him of being too lazy to sing baritone, so he sings bass. Now, Pape is definitely a bass, no argument there; you don't get hired to sing Gurnemanz, Fasolt, Hunding, or King Marke unless you're a bass...
ilFactotum 4 years ago
I agree he doesn't have the weight or the colour for Sarastro.
MissLadyboy007 4 years ago
I don't think he really has the bottom for this (and there is no pun intended their). His speaking voice is cooler than his singing voice in this.
steainsy 4 years ago
uiikioi
July2410 4 years ago
Voice is OK, but "Die Zauberflote" in English Spanish, Swedish (Ingmar Bergman!) kills the genius of Mozart.
Poor Wolfgang Amadeus!
Freder28XXX 4 years ago
How so? Mozart only wrote the music, and this translation doesn't change the melody at all. The only "genius" killed here is that of Schikenader(sp?).
mxl2003 4 years ago
I disagree as German songs translate so readily into English, without too much re wording to keep the meter.
elton1981 4 years ago
well... I think if Die Zauberflöte would originally have been written in English, then Mozart would composed the music differently from the German version.
kelvinmusic 4 years ago
Exactly. That is also my opinion!!
Aegisth 4 years ago
Not his best singing... but what a bass nonetheless. best young bass out there. Also, one comment, he is German. He probably has sung this in his mother tounge 100 times. The english, to my bass ears, sounds so difficult to sing for him. But his enlgish diction is good.
jdeslauriers 5 years ago
sorry for misspelling initiative, not "iniciative"...
soundfond 5 years ago
To me this is The Highest Point in Die Zauberflote. One of the most exquisite extracts from Mozart's immortal genius. Pape's rendition is absolutely noble and this version couldn't possibly be more moving. Profondo or not, his sovereign basso is dense and masterfully delivered, and his Sarastro speaks to the gods. BRAVISSIMO !
soundfond 5 years ago
We should all give a standing ovation to Geld's, Maestro Levine's and Ms. Sills' revolutionary iniciative in broadening American audiences' perspective of the most sublime art form. Through their innovative work in bringing Met's Top-notch productions IN VERY ELEGANT ENGLISH to silver screens in our own towns, many families now have the precious opportunity of being exposed to this fascinating world called Opera. Thank you Peter Geld. BRAVI TUTTI !
soundfond 5 years ago
He looks like a big piece of cheese
dinacarina88 5 years ago
haha very true
ah332 5 years ago
It's not Kurt Moll or Matti Salminen, and it is in English, but it's still pleasing to the ears. :)
mxl2003 5 years ago
yeah me too!so much better in german!i saw the german version and it was just great!!
Sapaum1506 5 years ago
i hate english translations
nkeo 5 years ago
This is the version that was shown live in HD?
jenie212 5 years ago
Oh my gosh! Do you realize you're the only person who has this stuff?? I've been looking so hard for the Papageno/a duet from this performance! Do you have it? I would so apreiciate it if you put it on here!!
rumpelteazer001 5 years ago
Do any of you know what kurt moll's lowest note is??
Sudso21 5 years ago
I don't know what his lowest note is, but I do have a recording of Rosenkavalier where he takes the optional low C (below bass staff) with seemingly room to spare.
AnthonyDeaton 5 years ago
I've got a low C with seemingly room to spare lol. (and im just some kid who hasn't been singing long) Could be an area of comfort, or he could have an incredibly low range. Maybe I'll never find out. If you could perhaps send me the recording somehow though.. or post it? that'd be great!
Sudso21 5 years ago
Not Kurt Moll
operachad 5 years ago
While it's undeniable that Kurt Moll is a God,
I think this guy is still pretty damn good. Shame the song is in english really.
Sudso21 5 years ago
True....but Moll was more of a profondo, and Sarastro is a better fit for a profondo. Pape is a cantate, and will be more at home in higher lying bass roles(Verdi). Regardless, Pape's is a tremendously well produced and tastefully used voice. I would love to hear him as Zaccaria, if he can manage it.
Fitz65 5 years ago