Hvorostovsky - Valentin's aria from Faust (Gounod)

[7Mazeppa]

I was lucky enough to be at Covent Garden London on 4 October 2011, to hear Mr Hvorostovsky sing this sooooooo marvellously. And he ended the 2nd Act, holding the sword fragments in a cross, with a clear Valentin 10, Devil 0.

[BobWScott]

I'd say he makes you believe he really is praying for his sister as he goes off to war. One of the more elaborate cadenzas I've heard at the end.

[eurydike]

i can´t listen to this video enough:)

[eurydike]

this aria is beautifully sung:-))

[witness124]

Can someone tell me when this aria takes place in the opera?

[GEMahler]

@witness124  Act 2 Scene 2

[witness124]

@GEMahler Thankyou

[dinovalle1]

simply beautiful



[po1212Po]

Great singer!!!

[eurydike]

this aria as he is singing here I like really very much:-)))

[micky9321]

je l'adore !!

[straumeeee]

Молодец!всё-таки.тембр-есть тембр,это его партия!:))))

[straumeeee]

если б я не пела эту оперу на французском,подумала б ,что это итальянский.....

[harbottle99]

Wonderful! My favourite aria of all time and what a brilliant performance....what stage presence too...so handsome!

[Teqdor]

I am small heard performers which take at the end of it aria of A .Bravo Hvorostovsky,always powerful.

[sonkch01]

Easily one of the most gorgeous baritone voices ever to grace opera! Brilliant performance!

[Dekeldek]

Нельзя так брутально и поспешно. Это надо КРАСИВО спеть. Как П.Лисициан.:))

[JWallWill]

Lovely! And such a handsome brute too.

[ramqen951]

Sorry, but i think this is Tibbett's aria, all other efforts seem a bit like the cake without the fruit.

[Baritime]

though beautiful, it lacked the finese of some of his earlier recordings...and I couldn't stop staring at his neck

[slperry]

One of my favorite arias by one of my favorite singers. A nice D H story: my husband was in X city on business and finishing his dinner alone, when in came DH and 3 members of his entourage, and sat at the next table. Husband paid and paused at the table to tell DH how much we'd enjoyed his last concert in our city, and DH rose, insisted that husband join them for drinks, and muscled into the chair. Husband had two drinks, a great time, and when he left, they still hadn't ordered dinner....

[frufruJ]

Thank you very, very much for that wonderful comment! Best wishes (and congrats) to your husband.

[Tomam001]

@slperry What a wonderful memory!

[ILLDEGREE]

What you have to understand is singing Gounod is not necessarily the easiest composer to sing at least not correctly as he is doing i applaud him and think he did a great job.

[MARISOLDELMONACO]

Bravissimo!!! Hvorostovsky

[rovingdesertfox]

The whining from most of you is enough to

make one ill. My God....can't you see the emotion and strength this man has to give.

You people should keep your poison to yourselves.

[frufruJ]

Bravo!

[musoph21]

thats the problem. I am not sensing any emotion. Its like he is being forced to sing this..could also be the tempo of the song..its seems slower than usual.But it just lumbers. You will notice a big difference if you to this, after an earlier performance of this...A big difference!

[eurydike]

@rovingdesertfox i am grateful to be able to listen to such wonderful videos :-))

[musoph21]

he looks good..but this sounds terrible..he sounds sorta flat..Sounds like he is being forced to sing this..no ring in his voice..no emotion..this is the worst i've heard him sing

[angel75020]

Bon, mon commentaire s'est perdu, je recommence!!

C'est tout simplement fantastique, et je peux affirmer que je n'ai jamais entendu un si beau phrasé (parole de mélomane) dans cet air si connu, porté par une voix sans faille et une netteté confondante.Du très grand art, par un des plus grands chanteurs vivants, sinon le plus grand avec Placido Domingo.

[baricoop]

I think...I hate to say this, and I certainly could be wrong, but I think we are seeing the beginning of the decline of Dmitri Hvortostovsky. I'm basing this not on just this video, but most of his more recent things. The bigger the rep he's sung, the harder it is for him to use "finesse" and agile singing. And the top has gotten just a tad bit dull. Granted, he is still much better than I'll ever be!lol

[frufruJ]

It always seems to me that he sings more badly when he's in Russia. I was almost terrified after having heard a concert here on YouTube (difficult to find, I think the only description was "Хворостовский") in Moscow, about 2005-6, guessing by the hair :-). Maybe a bad day. Could you hear any problems with the upper register in Onegin?

Anyway, I agree he shouldn't sing the heavy rep any more.

[Polytes1]

@frufruJ A while back I culd see what you were speaking of, a bit of a dull top and swallowed tone. Whatever the problem was I think that he has fixed it, because some of his more recent videos show him seemingly revitalized. Everyone has a bad spell now and again. . .

[borias12]

I love him, too, but he looks as if he were sick...

[threecardmontegirl]

I thought that too, I love him, but he look kind of straining and sweaty, not that I wouldn't like to see him straining and sweaty! ;)

[stiemogo]

I second that. I love to see him straining and sweaty...

[johnwyte]

I love Dmitri..but isnt his neck a bit tense during this????!!

[Belcore14]

I love him too... but I see it too.

I think it's how he's breathing... big gasping breathes that he grabs on to his tongue with...

I hope he isn't beginning his decline... but I'll see him later this season in Il Trovatore at the Met and see...

[eunegin]

this is Eunegin. I will see him also at the met. let me know afterwards, how you liked it and what you thought of it. I am already so much looking forward to it.

[Belcore14]

He was amazing!

Any doubts I had were expelled. He was great.

We got to meet him afterward, and get a picture! He was very nice.

[eunegin]

I am glad that your doubts were expelled. I, of course, NEVER have any doubts about D.H. I will see him in two days and afterwards also try to meet him. From my experience, he is always very nice and gracious to his admirers. I will give you my impressions in a few days.

Eunegin

[eunegin]

saw "IL Trovatore"2 days ago. It was absolutely wonderful' Hvorostovsky was grandiose and flawless. He enjoyed as always his curtain calls. Leaving through the stage door and seeing about 80 or so people waiting on the right, he left quickly to the left. I enjoyed the opera very much!

eunegin

[nevskaya7]

Bravo - Dima payot kak bog - Valentin´s aria eto maya lyubimaya aria iz operi Faust. bolshe spasiba.