Just one thing, GermanOperaSinger. You wrote he choiced very well the roles he would play. Do you think he choiced Tosca well?
I actually don't. For me, his E lucevan le stelle was a blank page. His voice just doesn't suit Mario's role. If I actually hated it, I would have said a black hole instead of blank page.
If I recall correctly he only performed the role once, when he was first starting- the opera house had offered him Traviata, but ONLY if he also sang Cavaradossi. Grudgingly, he accepted, knowing the role was not good for him. He never sang it again, and only recorded the aria in studio once for his record. But you'll notice he never performed it again and the aria never appeared in his concert material.
What a great performance. I was lucky enough to hear him live in London in 1998 where he opened his concert with this aria. The true test of great technique is to have the ability to perform this in a live performance at age 71. We do all miss him; besides being a great singer, he was a gentleman.
Not a blessed thing. I had some hopes for Mattila, but she sounds ragged and thin now. Florez is probably the only good, intelligent, singer with a solid technique that we have. I saw him last night in "La Fille", he really sings beautifully. Of course it will be last time I step foot inside the Met, I hate what Gelb has done to the character and ambience of the company. But then does it really matter, nobody can sing.
Indeed, Florez has a very nice bel canto technique and a great voice, great for Rossini and such, but where are the full lyric, spinto/dramatic tenors? There have been none worth mentioning since Corelli, del Monaco, Tucker, di Stefano etc. the last of whom finished in the 70s. Villazon had the potential, but looks like he's burned his voice already.
Well that's just it, they start out ok, but then they crash because they're too stupid to maintain their voices, don't study long enough, and sing roles that are completely wrong for their voice type. We also don't have the teachers or mentors that the great singers of the past did. That's why I hugely respect Florez.
Tell me, what do you think of Jonas Kaufmann? He sounds like one of the best currently active tenors along with Florez. I think he's got great potential
Kaufmann has a strong voice, a distinctive voice, a powerful stage presence. Definitely a contender though, of course, for the next 50 years all tenors will be compared with the memory of Pavarotti, and found to be lacking.
You think so? I'm sure lyric/leggerio tenors like Florez will be compared with Pav. for a long time, but Kaufmann is more spinto/dramatic it seems. I'm a little surprised there doesn't seem to be any great italian tenors making the circuit now, because historically the majority of great tenors have been italian... I guess we'll just have to be patient... :)
Yes, one who sticks to the Germanic repertoire won't likely be compared with Pavarotti. When one sings the Duke, however, as at You Tube watch?v=Vps7hPjduN8 or much other Italian work, Pavarotti comparisons are likely. Luckily, not much opera came out of Italy ;-)
You are absolutely correct. In my opinion, Kaufmann, along with erwin schrott (bass baritone) are the best singers today. Both have correct technique and admirable voice quality.
Don't forget about Diana Damrau, Florez, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, Rinat Shaham, Christine Schaefer, Dorothea Roeschmann, Sarah Coburn, and several others from other generations who are still kicking. But yeah, director- and conductor-wise, maybe.
But why?!? I agree that the quality of opera is declining- HAS declined , significantly, but why? Is it just overcommercialization? Trying to make it mainstream, or modern? Lack of talented students/teachers? Or is it the same reason the quality of movies has declined, because people value looks and sensationalism over actual talent?
I can only agree with you... like... why are Bocelli, Villazon and Alagna bestsellers ? It's probably because of overcommercialisation, or because people don't have a lot of critical judgement. But yes, there are still a lot of great artists though (agreeing with KatherineXIX).
Yeah I think people don't have a lot of critical judgment. I still talk to people who consider themselves opera fans because they liked pavarotti or the 3 tenors concerts. :P I think people just assume that if they are famous they must be great. They aren't "into it" enough to do some exploring and find the better singers.
@GermanOperaSinger Opera is not dying!!! in fact its bigger than ever the competition for a job is stout right now very. It may be dying if you are in your 70's and see the talent pool as nothing and this isn't even true. There are many talents out there but just not comercial like Pav or flemming. BTW im working on this aria and would love to send you a personal audio file if you could give it a listen and an opinion of course not online and i promise it isnt garbage,
@js59695 You're quite right. Specially for tenors right now, the competition is a pressure cooker. Believe me, I've met a lot of very good ones that simply cannot break it.
@petion2010 right on man. I mean, for instance, listen to my recording of this. It isn't the "end all be all" but I at least know it is very very decent. I am hard on my recordings and I was even hard on my latest one but listen to other tenors on here and there are so many garbage tenors and People LOVE them! Just love them and they have so many problems in the high voice. I still havent even had a job in an opera house. I've done some oratorio work but I know I have what it takes.
I don't think so, neccesarily. I mean, the libretto and music will still exist, so it's just a matter of having the singers...plus, I think you're overreacting just a little bit. I don't think it's on its way to death.
And having the teachers, the conductors, the management, the mentoring, directors, and just plain common sense on the part of all of them. The music is eternal, the interpreters are not.
It's the death of singing and artistry, not the death of opera as music. It's the generic voice type- listen to Renee Fleming for example, lovely person that she is, there's not a single, identifiable color or characteristic of that voice to separate it from so many others. Same for the generic tenors- Villazon,Cura,Licitra,Vargas, etc. There as a time when listening to say Tebaldi or Callas meant HEARING TEBALDI AND CALLAS, not just a sound with music.
perfekt.
fanofclassic 8 months ago
SIX STARS!
CateSoprano 1 year ago
uhn... the french libreto goes better with the music.
great performance though!
tneprescintr 2 years ago
Truly a great tenor. Thank you for posting.
mayatatyana1 2 years ago
Very good indeed. Great tenor, no comparison with the new generation.
01baritono 2 years ago
Bravo germanoperasinger, thank you very much indeed, Kraus is also my greatest inspiration to me. Thanks again.
tena2 2 years ago
Just one thing, GermanOperaSinger. You wrote he choiced very well the roles he would play. Do you think he choiced Tosca well?
I actually don't. For me, his E lucevan le stelle was a blank page. His voice just doesn't suit Mario's role. If I actually hated it, I would have said a black hole instead of blank page.
LordMgls 2 years ago
If I recall correctly he only performed the role once, when he was first starting- the opera house had offered him Traviata, but ONLY if he also sang Cavaradossi. Grudgingly, he accepted, knowing the role was not good for him. He never sang it again, and only recorded the aria in studio once for his record. But you'll notice he never performed it again and the aria never appeared in his concert material.
Merryjest 2 years ago
Not bad at all. Kraus did a very good job.
boxingin 2 years ago
i didn't believe in kraus before, but this is really admirable
dimakauffman 2 years ago
What a great performance. I was lucky enough to hear him live in London in 1998 where he opened his concert with this aria. The true test of great technique is to have the ability to perform this in a live performance at age 71. We do all miss him; besides being a great singer, he was a gentleman.
NathanMGluck 3 years ago 9
Wise words Nathan. Not much to add to your comment. Thank you and German for posting this piece of art.
TheEternaut 2 years ago
what language is it?????
Kraus4ever 3 years ago
French. It's still spoken in some parts of France.
patrick96321 3 years ago 2
Sorry, but this is the italian version. He is singing something like "Amici miei!", not "Ah! Mes amis" ;)
TrovadorManrique 3 years ago 4
Ah, sorry I didn't pay attention to that. But I was right about French still being spoken in some parts of France :-)
patrick96321 3 years ago
@TrovadorManrique THATS WHAT I THOUGHT
jcmendezify 6 months ago
@Kraus4ever italian language
glaucodichio 2 years ago
The last decent opera singer in recent memory. Thanks for posting!
SheHadManHands 3 years ago
Absolutely true, and how nice to see I'm not the only one who feels this way. Opera is on it's way to fast death.
Andante735 3 years ago
Unfourtunately it is...and there's nothing we can do about it.
GermanOperaSinger 3 years ago
Not a blessed thing. I had some hopes for Mattila, but she sounds ragged and thin now. Florez is probably the only good, intelligent, singer with a solid technique that we have. I saw him last night in "La Fille", he really sings beautifully. Of course it will be last time I step foot inside the Met, I hate what Gelb has done to the character and ambience of the company. But then does it really matter, nobody can sing.
Andante735 3 years ago
Indeed, Florez has a very nice bel canto technique and a great voice, great for Rossini and such, but where are the full lyric, spinto/dramatic tenors? There have been none worth mentioning since Corelli, del Monaco, Tucker, di Stefano etc. the last of whom finished in the 70s. Villazon had the potential, but looks like he's burned his voice already.
GermanOperaSinger 3 years ago
Well that's just it, they start out ok, but then they crash because they're too stupid to maintain their voices, don't study long enough, and sing roles that are completely wrong for their voice type. We also don't have the teachers or mentors that the great singers of the past did. That's why I hugely respect Florez.
Andante735 3 years ago
Tell me, what do you think of Jonas Kaufmann? He sounds like one of the best currently active tenors along with Florez. I think he's got great potential
ShawDAMAN 3 years ago
Kaufmann has a strong voice, a distinctive voice, a powerful stage presence. Definitely a contender though, of course, for the next 50 years all tenors will be compared with the memory of Pavarotti, and found to be lacking.
patrick96321 3 years ago
You think so? I'm sure lyric/leggerio tenors like Florez will be compared with Pav. for a long time, but Kaufmann is more spinto/dramatic it seems. I'm a little surprised there doesn't seem to be any great italian tenors making the circuit now, because historically the majority of great tenors have been italian... I guess we'll just have to be patient... :)
ShawDAMAN 3 years ago
Yes, one who sticks to the Germanic repertoire won't likely be compared with Pavarotti. When one sings the Duke, however, as at You Tube watch?v=Vps7hPjduN8 or much other Italian work, Pavarotti comparisons are likely. Luckily, not much opera came out of Italy ;-)
patrick96321 3 years ago
Interesting, thanks.
ShawDAMAN 3 years ago
You are absolutely correct. In my opinion, Kaufmann, along with erwin schrott (bass baritone) are the best singers today. Both have correct technique and admirable voice quality.
bazzlanD 3 years ago
Don't forget about Diana Damrau, Florez, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, Rinat Shaham, Christine Schaefer, Dorothea Roeschmann, Sarah Coburn, and several others from other generations who are still kicking. But yeah, director- and conductor-wise, maybe.
KatherineXIX 3 years ago
But why?!? I agree that the quality of opera is declining- HAS declined , significantly, but why? Is it just overcommercialization? Trying to make it mainstream, or modern? Lack of talented students/teachers? Or is it the same reason the quality of movies has declined, because people value looks and sensationalism over actual talent?
ShawDAMAN 3 years ago 2
I can only agree with you... like... why are Bocelli, Villazon and Alagna bestsellers ? It's probably because of overcommercialisation, or because people don't have a lot of critical judgement. But yes, there are still a lot of great artists though (agreeing with KatherineXIX).
tenor9216 2 years ago
Yeah I think people don't have a lot of critical judgment. I still talk to people who consider themselves opera fans because they liked pavarotti or the 3 tenors concerts. :P I think people just assume that if they are famous they must be great. They aren't "into it" enough to do some exploring and find the better singers.
ShawDAMAN 2 years ago
Could you please tell me, where was it recorded and when?
discovolante21 2 years ago
@GermanOperaSinger Opera is not dying!!! in fact its bigger than ever the competition for a job is stout right now very. It may be dying if you are in your 70's and see the talent pool as nothing and this isn't even true. There are many talents out there but just not comercial like Pav or flemming. BTW im working on this aria and would love to send you a personal audio file if you could give it a listen and an opinion of course not online and i promise it isnt garbage,
js59695 1 year ago
@js59695 You're quite right. Specially for tenors right now, the competition is a pressure cooker. Believe me, I've met a lot of very good ones that simply cannot break it.
petion2010 1 year ago
@petion2010 right on man. I mean, for instance, listen to my recording of this. It isn't the "end all be all" but I at least know it is very very decent. I am hard on my recordings and I was even hard on my latest one but listen to other tenors on here and there are so many garbage tenors and People LOVE them! Just love them and they have so many problems in the high voice. I still havent even had a job in an opera house. I've done some oratorio work but I know I have what it takes.
js59695 1 year ago
I don't think so, neccesarily. I mean, the libretto and music will still exist, so it's just a matter of having the singers...plus, I think you're overreacting just a little bit. I don't think it's on its way to death.
chcknpie04 3 years ago
And having the teachers, the conductors, the management, the mentoring, directors, and just plain common sense on the part of all of them. The music is eternal, the interpreters are not.
Andante735 3 years ago
It's the death of singing and artistry, not the death of opera as music. It's the generic voice type- listen to Renee Fleming for example, lovely person that she is, there's not a single, identifiable color or characteristic of that voice to separate it from so many others. Same for the generic tenors- Villazon,Cura,Licitra,Vargas, etc. There as a time when listening to say Tebaldi or Callas meant HEARING TEBALDI AND CALLAS, not just a sound with music.
Andante735 3 years ago 2
I ran across a video of a young tenor with potential at You Tube watch?v=GyTZJxR0NxE (if you can overlook the camera work).
It's fun to see the young ones coming on board. But you know what we really need to do to solve the "opera is dying" problem?
Get the Chinese interested!
patrick96321 3 years ago
Wow, if that is considered a "young tenor" I must be infantile :)
I have some vids of my singing...tell me what you think!
chcknpie04 3 years ago
Not decent. Kraus was more than decent, he was a master of his art.
Merryjest 3 years ago
bravo alfredo !
lasultanica 3 years ago