Absolutely belongs among the 100 greatest- at his best he is unsurpassed! I love the way his diction and slight rubato gives him the ability to create a character on the spot- his characters live, as few others do. Listen to his Che gelida manina (in french!) for a perfect example, and his Classical arias- such as Bannis les craint or Vainement Pharaon are completely living, but classical figures. Thill is as communicative as Callas was. And what gorgeous tone! thank you, thank you!
@baltoman24 Thank you! It's nice to know that I'm not alone in thinking this. Even his Calaf makes more sense to me than many other versions. I have no idea how much of an actor he was on stage, but when it comes to conveying the drama through singing, at his best, I too believe that Georges Thill is in the same caliber as Callas or Chaliapin or any other great singing actor, no empty vocalise! This might be the secret behind the freshness of their recordings,& their immortality as artists.
@RoyKa2010 Hello- we are not alone! I think that most everyone who enjoys Thill's art loves his special communication- it is so subtle that the way he does it is often overlooked. Thill told Janine Reiss that he sang as he spoke- and indeed that is how it sounds. Whether he is singing Gluck, Gounod or Lehar, he seems so immediate- and everything he does is at the behest of the composers! best wishes!
Thill seemed to have it all, but suffered seriously from performance "nerves'. Ninon Vallin aborted their "Louise" recording, complaining that he was "behaving like a baby". His confidence somehow evaporated during a 1940s Australian tour and he cancelled the Melbourne concert I hoped to attend. - John Austin, Austraia
C'est quand même autre chose!(Je viens de me farcir de vieux tromblons français)Malgré ces quelques difficultés d'émission ,il n'arrive jamais à me mettre mal à l'aise.Son honnêteté et son humilité devant l'écriture vocale porte à la sympathie.Et c'est ce qu'un chanteur se doit de posséder s'il veut succiter l'empathie du public.
Indeed closest to the french stile than many. Though for some reason personally i see great beauty in Richard Leech's powerful Faust and Di Stefano delivers - to me at least - the best high C in this. I'm very pleased with the choice though.
@Republicrat74: yes, actually I have uploaded both Jussi's and Caruso's version of "O Holy Night" - for me the best versions - along with Thrill's - of that wonderful carol.
I agree, almost all modern tenors blast out high C as if it's Puccini's or Verdi's aria. I do too. Thill's version of this aria is more internal then vocal alone.
He says nay instead of nuh, for the negative later on. This video has provoked interesting comments. I didnt notice comment , I mistook it for the other oneon Thill, same title.
where has Steane written about centrist voices? I want to see it in context.
His French pronunciation is very balanced. He aspirates rather than trills most of his r's which keeps it le francais de tous les jours. . . I hate it when tenors pronounce the french é like the italian i-- domingo did it, and now juan diego does.
apology accepted. I didnt see the correction till now, I was so shocked when you first wrote it, I condemned you to the ranks of those pretentious ninnies who like to attend to the needs of others while neglecting their own development. (At the time you offered to help me with French)
Back to centrist voices, have you heard Alberto Guardiola's performance of the tenor parts of messiah. It is on FRANSESCGAMON'S channel. It is a chorus and orchestra in catalonia. A balanced natural voice.
Not only deserves to be in top 100, I can't imagine leaving him off the list. Beautiful voice, always exquisite taste, perfect diction. Agree with the comment about O Holy Night - his is my favorite version.
This is THE CLASSIC version of Salut and Thill deserves to be in any top 10 list. Anyone who questions Thill's greatness is directed to his Werther complete, the Les Troyens aria, the Wagner excerpts, and the Romeo final scene and Ah, leve toi soliel. A personal favorite of mine and someone who grows on a listener as you realize that the music never sounded better.
Listen to his version of O Holy Night and you might change opinions of liking him or not. I put him second to Bjorling on that song. I think maybe it is that native French speakers don't ornament the voice the way others do in the same fach. I personally like him very much.
Hm, I guess I was a bit strict. Just having written a comment I started singing "Salut demeure chaste et pure" - very well. Actually I never sang this - because i am a soprano ))) If a singer makes you breath and sing it's a good singer.
His masque is really great but what about chest, he uses it scarecely and his voice lacks warmth. I would like him if didn't hear Caruso's version. After Caruso he sounds flat and his intonation is far from perfect
Thill is one of the greatest tenors on record. Many do not appreciate him because there is very little individuality about the sound of his voice. It is, as Steane calls it, a "centrist" voice. But the thing about many such voices is that they are models of correct (and often beautiful) singing. Another "drawback" to Thill's voice for some listeners is that it does not have a particularly ringing tenor sound. If one grows up with that kind of tenor voice in mind, one might be disappointed.
I think Steane meant generic. In other words, Thill's sound and technique do not call attention to themselves and they lack individuality. Steane also mentions Tebaldi as having a "centrist" voice. I don't believe Steane was referring to tonal color. But, as I stated previously, a so-called centrist voice can still be very beautiful.
Thill sang in the old French vocal style which, yes grew from the pronuciation of the French language. "In the mask" means a nasal vocal production which comes from French vowels. No wonder the critics in New York and London didn't get it. They helped to exterminate French vocal style from the planet as it does not exist anymore.
@ikmarchini No!!! He studied with De Lucia and he had problems with the covering of the sound that interfered with his french diction which made him sound strangely around d to G
How ignorant of the critics. When used correctly, the 'voix mixte' is one of the most beautiful sounds produced by a singer. In the context of this French repertoire, I don't want to hear a full blast fff high C, which completely destroys the beauty of the music.
How right you are. This not an heroic song, any more than is Nadir's aria ""je crois...." Yet people with undeveloped taste think every high C is supposed to konck your socks off. Even McCormack made this error, the master of the high note pp's I guess they forced him to.
I think that terms like "voix mixte" and "singing in the masque" must be clarified.
Does exist one and clear explanation for all these terms or everyone gives his own explanation depends of his culture,school and his sense of vocal apparatus?
"Voix Mixte" is a soundmix of chest- and falsetto voice, most used in french school of singing. The term of "mask" is deceptive, it means a piece of the face that could be covered with half of a mask. Here a singer probably could feel something. It´s the feeling of resonance in this region a singer can´t produce with wrong muscle contraction of his vocal chords. He feels his voice in front of his face, not in his throat. Singing in the mask is the result of correct breath support and control.
Thill used what is called reinforced falsetto his is the most impressive i've ever heard, (first heard in '06). Chest pull is lacking in his sound, if it was present in the right degree, he would have had a huge sound. It's all A LOT to explain and it's something i'm still working on with my own voice. Basically you NEED chest "pull" in your voice, this voix mixte idea is a muddled version of balanced vocal registration, between the arytenoids (falsetto) and the cricothyroid (chest) muscles.
Beyond superb.This man should be in evrybodys top whatever.TY for posting.
paulostroff99 4 months ago
Your taste in singers is immaculate and Thill's choice for your ever-growing list is evidence of that taste. Thanks!
MrRafael1943 9 months ago
Absolutely belongs among the 100 greatest- at his best he is unsurpassed! I love the way his diction and slight rubato gives him the ability to create a character on the spot- his characters live, as few others do. Listen to his Che gelida manina (in french!) for a perfect example, and his Classical arias- such as Bannis les craint or Vainement Pharaon are completely living, but classical figures. Thill is as communicative as Callas was. And what gorgeous tone! thank you, thank you!
baltoman24 1 year ago 2
@baltoman24 Thank you! It's nice to know that I'm not alone in thinking this. Even his Calaf makes more sense to me than many other versions. I have no idea how much of an actor he was on stage, but when it comes to conveying the drama through singing, at his best, I too believe that Georges Thill is in the same caliber as Callas or Chaliapin or any other great singing actor, no empty vocalise! This might be the secret behind the freshness of their recordings,& their immortality as artists.
RoyKa2010 1 year ago
@RoyKa2010 Hello- we are not alone! I think that most everyone who enjoys Thill's art loves his special communication- it is so subtle that the way he does it is often overlooked. Thill told Janine Reiss that he sang as he spoke- and indeed that is how it sounds. Whether he is singing Gluck, Gounod or Lehar, he seems so immediate- and everything he does is at the behest of the composers! best wishes!
baltoman24 1 year ago
Thill seemed to have it all, but suffered seriously from performance "nerves'. Ninon Vallin aborted their "Louise" recording, complaining that he was "behaving like a baby". His confidence somehow evaporated during a 1940s Australian tour and he cancelled the Melbourne concert I hoped to attend. - John Austin, Austraia
jrakg 1 year ago
Comment removed
RoyKa2010 1 year ago
C'est quand même autre chose!(Je viens de me farcir de vieux tromblons français)Malgré ces quelques difficultés d'émission ,il n'arrive jamais à me mettre mal à l'aise.Son honnêteté et son humilité devant l'écriture vocale porte à la sympathie.Et c'est ce qu'un chanteur se doit de posséder s'il veut succiter l'empathie du public.
abracadabranque 1 year ago
@abracadabranque ...Susciter...Ouh le vilain!
abracadabranque 1 year ago
His diction is outstanding
johnster1964 1 year ago
Indeed closest to the french stile than many. Though for some reason personally i see great beauty in Richard Leech's powerful Faust and Di Stefano delivers - to me at least - the best high C in this. I'm very pleased with the choice though.
tneprescintr 2 years ago
He definately belongs here amongst the top singers. Just alone for his Cantique de Noël - probably the best performance of that carol ever.
tomfroekjaer 2 years ago
@tomfroekjaer I'm a fan of Thill also. As for the greatest recording of "O Holy Night", have you heard that of Jussi Bjoerling....sung in Swedish?
Republicrat74 1 year ago
@Republicrat74: yes, actually I have uploaded both Jussi's and Caruso's version of "O Holy Night" - for me the best versions - along with Thrill's - of that wonderful carol.
tomfroekjaer 1 year ago
@tomfroekjaer -The only three worthy of listing after hearing them all Many are wonderful these three stand out.
paulostroff99 4 months ago
I agree, almost all modern tenors blast out high C as if it's Puccini's or Verdi's aria. I do too. Thill's version of this aria is more internal then vocal alone.
steakopera 2 years ago
He says nay instead of nuh, for the negative later on. This video has provoked interesting comments. I didnt notice comment , I mistook it for the other oneon Thill, same title.
where has Steane written about centrist voices? I want to see it in context.
moo7chi7ld 2 years ago
His French pronunciation is very balanced. He aspirates rather than trills most of his r's which keeps it le francais de tous les jours. . . I hate it when tenors pronounce the french é like the italian i-- domingo did it, and now juan diego does.
moo7chi7ld 2 years ago
I just noticed that Jonas Kaufmann does the same thing in his singing of the "La fleur que j'ai jetee" from Carmen.
meltzerboy 2 years ago
Excuse me, that should be "La fleur que tu m'avais jetee."
meltzerboy 2 years ago
apology accepted. I didnt see the correction till now, I was so shocked when you first wrote it, I condemned you to the ranks of those pretentious ninnies who like to attend to the needs of others while neglecting their own development. (At the time you offered to help me with French)
Back to centrist voices, have you heard Alberto Guardiola's performance of the tenor parts of messiah. It is on FRANSESCGAMON'S channel. It is a chorus and orchestra in catalonia. A balanced natural voice.
moo7chi7ld 2 years ago
Thill WAS French. I therefore assume that his French diction was at least good:) --
stevevandien 2 years ago
Hi Stevie,
Est-ce que vous fumez quelque chose maintenant?
Happy New Year!!!
moo7chi7ld 2 years ago
The critics in New York and London were idiots!
quakercub 2 years ago
Gotta agree with this statement. Fools indeed. At least, we have this wonderful example on recording.
Tenorboy29307 2 years ago
Not only deserves to be in top 100, I can't imagine leaving him off the list. Beautiful voice, always exquisite taste, perfect diction. Agree with the comment about O Holy Night - his is my favorite version.
ikey14 2 years ago
Lovely singing! Gorgeous phrasing! Bravo! TY.
paulostroff99 2 years ago
This is THE CLASSIC version of Salut and Thill deserves to be in any top 10 list. Anyone who questions Thill's greatness is directed to his Werther complete, the Les Troyens aria, the Wagner excerpts, and the Romeo final scene and Ah, leve toi soliel. A personal favorite of mine and someone who grows on a listener as you realize that the music never sounded better.
gaytenor 2 years ago 5
Listen to his version of O Holy Night and you might change opinions of liking him or not. I put him second to Bjorling on that song. I think maybe it is that native French speakers don't ornament the voice the way others do in the same fach. I personally like him very much.
rhomp2002 3 years ago 2
Hm, I guess I was a bit strict. Just having written a comment I started singing "Salut demeure chaste et pure" - very well. Actually I never sang this - because i am a soprano ))) If a singer makes you breath and sing it's a good singer.
Delifine 3 years ago 2
"If a singer makes you breath and sing it's a good singer."
Thank You! You couldn't say that better!!!
hologramlink108 3 years ago
His masque is really great but what about chest, he uses it scarecely and his voice lacks warmth. I would like him if didn't hear Caruso's version. After Caruso he sounds flat and his intonation is far from perfect
Delifine 3 years ago
Wonderful singer- absolutely delightful French pronounciation and very elegant phrasing indeed
magicflute3 3 years ago 2
Top 2 or 3, it's magic! really, Thill was one of the best of all time.
petrof4056 3 years ago 5
Thill is one of the greatest tenors on record. Many do not appreciate him because there is very little individuality about the sound of his voice. It is, as Steane calls it, a "centrist" voice. But the thing about many such voices is that they are models of correct (and often beautiful) singing. Another "drawback" to Thill's voice for some listeners is that it does not have a particularly ringing tenor sound. If one grows up with that kind of tenor voice in mind, one might be disappointed.
meltzerboy 3 years ago
a centrist voice...could generic be substiuted? Its not too dark, its not too light, its in the center...HMMM, Is that what steane meant?
moo7chi7ld 2 years ago
I think Steane meant generic. In other words, Thill's sound and technique do not call attention to themselves and they lack individuality. Steane also mentions Tebaldi as having a "centrist" voice. I don't believe Steane was referring to tonal color. But, as I stated previously, a so-called centrist voice can still be very beautiful.
meltzerboy 2 years ago
Gosh, I can't agree. What other tenor has sounded anything like Thill? I certainly find his sound individual and unmistakable --
stevevandien 2 years ago
Thill sang in the old French vocal style which, yes grew from the pronuciation of the French language. "In the mask" means a nasal vocal production which comes from French vowels. No wonder the critics in New York and London didn't get it. They helped to exterminate French vocal style from the planet as it does not exist anymore.
ikmarchini 3 years ago
@ikmarchini No!!! He studied with De Lucia and he had problems with the covering of the sound that interfered with his french diction which made him sound strangely around d to G
monpitt500 1 year ago
How ignorant of the critics. When used correctly, the 'voix mixte' is one of the most beautiful sounds produced by a singer. In the context of this French repertoire, I don't want to hear a full blast fff high C, which completely destroys the beauty of the music.
GermanOperaSinger 3 years ago
How right you are. This not an heroic song, any more than is Nadir's aria ""je crois...." Yet people with undeveloped taste think every high C is supposed to konck your socks off. Even McCormack made this error, the master of the high note pp's I guess they forced him to.
moo7chi7ld 2 years ago
I think that terms like "voix mixte" and "singing in the masque" must be clarified.
Does exist one and clear explanation for all these terms or everyone gives his own explanation depends of his culture,school and his sense of vocal apparatus?
voceuniversalis 3 years ago
"Voix Mixte" is a soundmix of chest- and falsetto voice, most used in french school of singing. The term of "mask" is deceptive, it means a piece of the face that could be covered with half of a mask. Here a singer probably could feel something. It´s the feeling of resonance in this region a singer can´t produce with wrong muscle contraction of his vocal chords. He feels his voice in front of his face, not in his throat. Singing in the mask is the result of correct breath support and control.
100Singers 3 years ago
Thill used what is called reinforced falsetto his is the most impressive i've ever heard, (first heard in '06). Chest pull is lacking in his sound, if it was present in the right degree, he would have had a huge sound. It's all A LOT to explain and it's something i'm still working on with my own voice. Basically you NEED chest "pull" in your voice, this voix mixte idea is a muddled version of balanced vocal registration, between the arytenoids (falsetto) and the cricothyroid (chest) muscles.
songsofscarlet 1 year ago
What a sound... very much enjoying the channel thus far... Kindest regards,
WiseMonki 3 years ago