You have all forgotten that we are hearing a version which has been fiddled with by a recording engineer, so none of us can actually tell what it sounded like live, either in terms of volume or timbre. Just my two pennies worth....:)
Total nonsense to label voices. Some have a few notes more or less at one end or the other, some have vocal colour suggesting lower or higher voice types. Sir John is a versatile singer who might once have been described as "basso cantate", but the C# is remarkable for a singer in his sixties.
Bass or bass-baritone? one of those timeless discussions. Notes or sound?
Quite old discussion indeed. In opera character is more important than "how deep or how high" a singer can go. And character is given by the sound. Since it seems most of his career is in the opera it is quite accurate to call him bass-baritone, though I would prefer "lyric bass" if there was such a voice ( traditionally I mean). It is quite normal for man's voices to "go up" as men get old, especially the low voices.
I also believe that he is just a standard bass. Maybe he was bass-baritone when was younger, but this voice I can hear now is simply too dramatic and heavy to be called "bass-baritone". It´s an ideal voice for Hagen I think.
@JamalRahmanLS17 Lol not terribly loud. I'm somewhere between a baritone and a bass-baritone. I'd say Sir John is a baritone with a quite extensive range (not many baritones or bass-baritones can even hit a low C#, and it wouldn't be very cavernous anyways), and not all parts of it are natural in his range. He's still quite good, but the baritone range is clearly more comfortable. Willard White has frequently been called a bass-baritone; now HE is a bass indubitably.
I agree with pianomags ... and on top of that I think people should consider Earlier repertoire with more repsect and more professionalism when they sing it!
Aw brikkiant! ?I do love Sir John, his manner and his singing.....AND FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH - in some ways ~Purcell is more difficult! THANK YOU for pointing this out - Early Music is not "easier", rant over. BOY did I recognise his satisfied smile at the end for getting through the blimmin song in one piece :D Loved it!
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qwertyoop 6 months ago
You have all forgotten that we are hearing a version which has been fiddled with by a recording engineer, so none of us can actually tell what it sounded like live, either in terms of volume or timbre. Just my two pennies worth....:)
scammelldaz 8 months ago
Total nonsense to label voices. Some have a few notes more or less at one end or the other, some have vocal colour suggesting lower or higher voice types. Sir John is a versatile singer who might once have been described as "basso cantate", but the C# is remarkable for a singer in his sixties.
hedgechair 9 months ago
Bass or bass-baritone? one of those timeless discussions. Notes or sound?
Quite old discussion indeed. In opera character is more important than "how deep or how high" a singer can go. And character is given by the sound. Since it seems most of his career is in the opera it is quite accurate to call him bass-baritone, though I would prefer "lyric bass" if there was such a voice ( traditionally I mean). It is quite normal for man's voices to "go up" as men get old, especially the low voices.
AlBarathur 11 months ago
I also believe that he is just a standard bass. Maybe he was bass-baritone when was younger, but this voice I can hear now is simply too dramatic and heavy to be called "bass-baritone". It´s an ideal voice for Hagen I think.
billpleska 11 months ago
@JamalRahmanLS17 Alright.
YourFaceWillDie396 1 year ago
@JamalRahmanLS17 Lol not terribly loud. I'm somewhere between a baritone and a bass-baritone. I'd say Sir John is a baritone with a quite extensive range (not many baritones or bass-baritones can even hit a low C#, and it wouldn't be very cavernous anyways), and not all parts of it are natural in his range. He's still quite good, but the baritone range is clearly more comfortable. Willard White has frequently been called a bass-baritone; now HE is a bass indubitably.
YourFaceWillDie396 1 year ago
His lower register is far too quiet. I could hardly hear the C#.
YourFaceWillDie396 1 year ago
Are we sure Sir John Tomlinson is a Bass-Baritone? Sounds to me like a full-fledged bass!
josephwehbeparis 1 year ago 2
I agree with pianomags ... and on top of that I think people should consider Earlier repertoire with more repsect and more professionalism when they sing it!
ARTUROPVIOLA 2 years ago
Aw brikkiant! ?I do love Sir John, his manner and his singing.....AND FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH - in some ways ~Purcell is more difficult! THANK YOU for pointing this out - Early Music is not "easier", rant over. BOY did I recognise his satisfied smile at the end for getting through the blimmin song in one piece :D Loved it!
pianomags 2 years ago 2
AGREED!!!!
ARTUROPVIOLA 1 year ago
He is a wonderful Wotan.
drtmuir 2 years ago 2
Very resonant. Why isn't he bigger in the opera world. I have always loved him.
LifeJuice90 2 years ago 2
Very good bottom Db!
glendempsey 2 years ago 2