for god´s sake the nerone´s visual and his voice do not match. due to the impossibility to cast a women in public presentations, monteverdi recurred to countertenor to manage that inconvenience, but today what keeps us from presenting a tenor instead?
Thanks to Bejun for this clip. The duet ("Pur ti miro") that starts at minute 4:44 has got be one of the most beautiful duets ever written. I wish Richard Croft and Patricia Schumann had recorded this for CD, not just DVD. The clip here shows just a portion of the duet. Can anyone who has the DVD please post the whole duet?
no no no!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Neron - soprano!!!! Ottone - countertenor!!!(no half/half tenor/countertenor). please - go and listen in Chamber Opera in Warsaw!!!
I agree with you. A mezzo or soprano is better because of the sonorities. A tenor simply doesn't get at the sound Monteverdi heard when he scored the opera. I thought this conundrum about whether to cast for what the composer scored or what producers think audiences would prefer had been resolved in the 1980s by Janet Baker's successful assumption of Cesare at the ENO. I didn't realize producers still struggled with it. Too bad. I wouldn't bother with a tenor Nerone under any circumstances.
I thought these wars were over and won, especially once the new generation of countertenors brought producers the best of all possible worlds. And Alessandrini no less! Depressing indeed. As JFK once noted, "there's always somebody who doesn't get the memo."
Actually, normally I'd agree with you, but in this case I'll make an exception. The seconds may become sevenths, but the singers actually nail them a lot better than usual; this is actually one of my favorite renditions of the duets!
It is magnificent and generally considered as one of the high points of the opera. It wasn't written by Monteverdi, however. It was written by Francesco Sacrati.
blckglam...who is your teacher? can you tell me? I also am an opera singer and if he is one of y fovourite singers in this vieo IU could decide to ask him/her to listen to me one time! Thank you anyway! By Ricky
Wow!! What awesome integration of chest and head voice. Jeffrey is a fabulous actor with excellent declamation and wonderfully stylish singer in general. He is the perfect type for this part..
for god´s sake the nerone´s visual and his voice do not match. due to the impossibility to cast a women in public presentations, monteverdi recurred to countertenor to manage that inconvenience, but today what keeps us from presenting a tenor instead?
egomorfo 1 year ago
Ottone has a weird voice... too mixed, he should be a countertenor, not a haute-tenor.
jfbecks17 2 years ago
they sing Pur ti miro very well, but sadly because R.C. is a tenor all the clashes in seconds are lost!!!
Such a pity!
:-(
luisortmul 2 years ago
True, with Nero as a Mezzo this duet sounds better, but overall I think I like Nero as a tenor more. More manly.
jfbecks17 2 years ago
Thanks to Bejun for this clip. The duet ("Pur ti miro") that starts at minute 4:44 has got be one of the most beautiful duets ever written. I wish Richard Croft and Patricia Schumann had recorded this for CD, not just DVD. The clip here shows just a portion of the duet. Can anyone who has the DVD please post the whole duet?
lmspr 3 years ago
I just realized that somebody has already uploaded the full duet. If you want to see it, just type "Final Act Duet Poppea Nerone".
lmspr 3 years ago
no no no!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Neron - soprano!!!! Ottone - countertenor!!!(no half/half tenor/countertenor). please - go and listen in Chamber Opera in Warsaw!!!
benncanto 3 years ago 2
I really do prefer when Nero is a tenor, as in this production, than a counter tenor; especially for the duets.
I really must get this dvd,if I find it, as I only have the glyndbourne version on vhs, with Maria Ewing, equally great.
JAYJAY1000000 3 years ago 2
i agree!! i prefer also a tenor, because is more viril!, and Ewing version is marvellouuus
cantanteporsiempre 3 years ago
Ever heard a good mezzo sing Nero? This guy is terrible
LaMagnifica13 3 years ago
I agree with you. A mezzo or soprano is better because of the sonorities. A tenor simply doesn't get at the sound Monteverdi heard when he scored the opera. I thought this conundrum about whether to cast for what the composer scored or what producers think audiences would prefer had been resolved in the 1980s by Janet Baker's successful assumption of Cesare at the ENO. I didn't realize producers still struggled with it. Too bad. I wouldn't bother with a tenor Nerone under any circumstances.
corlyssd 3 years ago 3
Sadly, La Scala is about to cast a tenor Nerone in their Monteverdi series under Rinaldo Alessandrini. All very depressing
LaMagnifica13 3 years ago
I thought these wars were over and won, especially once the new generation of countertenors brought producers the best of all possible worlds. And Alessandrini no less! Depressing indeed. As JFK once noted, "there's always somebody who doesn't get the memo."
corlyssd 3 years ago
Comment removed
CzarDodon 2 years ago
Comment removed
CzarDodon 2 years ago
Actually, normally I'd agree with you, but in this case I'll make an exception. The seconds may become sevenths, but the singers actually nail them a lot better than usual; this is actually one of my favorite renditions of the duets!
BethDiane 2 years ago
Sorry! I mean this Ottone is terrible, not Richard.
LaMagnifica13 3 years ago
The final duet is magnificent!
LOVERofCLASSIC 4 years ago
It is magnificent and generally considered as one of the high points of the opera. It wasn't written by Monteverdi, however. It was written by Francesco Sacrati.
kkallebb 3 years ago 2
que bakan la puesta en escena, buenos cantantes
melisandedebussy 4 years ago
great!
almost as good as Harnoncourt and in particular : Rachel Yakar!
aeneas0troy 4 years ago
Great!
Came the other day accross with Harnoncourt's recording (1970') amazing too - in particular Rachel Yakhar - anyone has this recording?
aeneas0troy 4 years ago
my voice teacher is in this production..... i'm proud
blckglam 4 years ago
blckglam...who is your teacher? can you tell me? I also am an opera singer and if he is one of y fovourite singers in this vieo IU could decide to ask him/her to listen to me one time! Thank you anyway! By Ricky
Straricc 3 years ago
Wow!! What awesome integration of chest and head voice. Jeffrey is a fabulous actor with excellent declamation and wonderfully stylish singer in general. He is the perfect type for this part..
Handelfreak 4 years ago 2
Fantastic Richard Croft !
alexandrevlad37 4 years ago 6
Ah wait a second. I think I meant Jeffrey Gall. The first singer.
cuicuimusic 4 years ago
yes the first es J.Gall as Ottone (the man in black). Richard Croft is Neron (the man in red)
bejun 4 years ago
Richard Croft really has an extraordinary voice. He seems to use a tenor voice to complete his countertenor register, which is rather acrobatic, no ?
cuicuimusic 4 years ago