Ruggero Raimondi - Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Scintille diamant

[Framozart1]

TERRIBILE!!! STONATO, FUORI TEMPO.... stavolta proprio non va bene

[dapontemozart1989]

@Framozart1

Stonato? Ma dov'è che è stonato? E fuori tempo non mi sembra proprio...

[ranigema]

o r r e n d  o!

[dapontemozart1989]

How can a poor tenor confront such a devil? Mesdames et messieurs, Lucifer is here!!!!

[bodiloto]

@Reisebuspilot a 1:36 e alla fine il microfono si vede benissimo accanto l'orecchio destro di R.R. .Ciao .

[Reisebuspilot]

Sorry, but there are NO MICROPHONES in the Arena di Verona. And to our lnguistic guy. Maybe that is the reason why there are better linguists in France and better singers in Italy. I prefer the better singer, even though I hear the probems in the high register as well, which are normal for a singer who comes from the low repertoire. This also explains some vowel-colours which he sings due to the technical position (I am singer and conductor) Most sngers don't have this range at all. Simply Great

[vilabreze]

@Reisebuspilot

With all due respect, I've seen recordings of performances at the Atena and the singers clearly wear microphones (cleverly concealed, of course). Are you certain that microphones are never used?

[ElisabettaVS]

Oh my, just rediscovered this jewel within my favourites! Still my favourite interpretation of this aria!

[OperaAdmirer]

There is a DVD - Original DVD Recording, Dynamic - Frederic Chaslin, La Scola, Rancatore, Raimondi, 2005. There is a better DVD Les Contes de Hoffmann" Schicov, Raimondi, Krassimira Stoyanova, Salzburg 2003. Ruggero Raimondi is magnificient in the both DVD's.

[Baccalaureus79]

Does anybody know if it's possible to get this staging on DVD?

[vilabreze]

Ruggero Raimondi has such a marvellous velvety voice! And such a wonderful presence!

[bodiloto]

anche con microfono , brutta interpretazione ............

[OperaAdmirer]

Raimondi is just great!

[jamesjmertins]

Yes he does have a mike, but this does not stop him from singing this badly, the tone has gone from his voice. I worked with him in his production of Don Giovanni and the middle voice was very beautiful but that was 20years ago. His Scarpia and Don Alfonso have been really bad because of growing pitch problems and hollow tones. He does remain a presence on stage despite the singing

[ElisabettaVS]

Unfortunately, I was not able to see Les Contes d'Hoffmann yet, but his interpretation will certainly lead me to the next performance at our opera house. I love his beginning at 0:32

He is just great! Bravo Raimondi!

[Bastikalk]

I think he wears a mic, could it be?

[blichilde]

No, he doesn't.

[Bastikalk]

But I think so. Look at 1:40, near his left temple.

[ElisabettaVS]

I think he wears a mic, because they are recording it. Then it might be possible, right? I am not sure how they do it otherwise...

[vilabreze]

This is a recording of a live performance at the Sferisterio Arena in Macerata, Italy. That's a pretty big space (I saw an opera there recently), and it's possible that the singers wear microphones, just like they do in Arena di Verona.

[ElisabettaVS]

But in the video description it says it has been recorded in Salzburg, where they wouldn't wear microphones, would they?

[vilabreze]

I think the video description might be incorrect. I have the recording of the performance from Salzburg 2003 (got it from PremiereOpera) and it's not the one shown in this video. To the best of my knowledge, this is the performance from Macerata 2004.

[ElisabettaVS]

Oh ok ^^ I bet you know more than I do xD Thanks for sharing the information.

[sable56bb]

Still a strong presence, vocally, but shouldn't an international artist have better French diction?

[vilabreze]

Raimondi's French diction is practically flawless. He has been living in France and has been associated with France for a great many years.

[BrianDonaldMcKay]

Sorry, I am a linguistic and can hear with utter clarity the fact that nasal o and a are practically identical, the mute e at the end of words sounds unlike any French singer's - que is even pronounced, in the recit, like the Italian che, the open e in allouette is like é, and vice-versa sometimes, etc. The colour is un-French. Listen to Samuel Ramay and you will understand why he has been so popular in France.

[wotanman]

@BrianDonaldMcKay Oh MARY! Look, people who are language "purists" really need not listen to opera. Simply because of the acoustical properties of the upper voice it's difficult (not impossible but difficult) to always hear "pure" vowels all of the time. Most Americans dont climb all over foreign singers who butcher English diction so long as we bascially understand what they are saying. I say the French "purists" need to take the sticks out of their arses (and I love French, esp Souzay!)

[Armenterosma]

Raimondi is great! And including the two gay young men was risky but shows a lack of prejudice in that area among the producers! Thank you! Adrien Alpendre

[libro07]

Raimondi is still a giant!!

[bodiloto]

@libro07 si confermo  é grande quasi due metri ...hahahahahahahahahahaha

[blichilde]

@bodiloto Mica è un difetto essere alti, no?

[blichilde]

Risus abundat in ore stultorum.

[Grey159]

This is one of my favorite arias, yet I never seem to hear it performed well. Raimondi gives an excellent performance and shows why he is still performing after all of these years. Usually bass-baritones end up letting me down in the last few notes by barking them or singing the optional lower ones; Raimondi not only hits the high F#, but does so well. Simply amazing.

[elizasparrow]

@Grey159 Have you ever heard Robert Hale sing it??? A dream!!!!

[bassfanne45]

@elizasparrow , Ah, someone else appreciates Robert Hale. He sang the Flying dutchman in San Diego a few years ago. What a wonderful voice. He certainly has stage presence and charisma, too. He's not too tall and is a bit thick around the middle, but when he walked out on that stage he radiated tall, dark, and handsome. His was a marvelous Dutchman, vocally and dramatically.

[elizasparrow]

@bassfanne45 Appreciate??? :) Love him!!! The Dutchman and Wotan of my heart! I miss him singing in Europe...

[bassfanne45]

@elizasparrow When Hale sang in San Diego, I had never heard him before. My friend and I were completely knocked out by his performance. I wish he'd come back here to sing.

[elizasparrow]

@bassfanne45 I heard him the first time in 1997 as Wotan in Berlin, then went to every Ring he sang here. Dutchman followed 2000 and in 2002 the 4 villains in Tales of Hoffmann. He set my mark for all Dutchmen and Wotans that followed... Guess what: no-one even got close ;)

[bassfanne45]

@elizasparrow You're so lucky to have heard Hale all those times. I love the Walkure excerpt you have on your channel. I have an Anna Bolena on CD with Hale as Enrico...and a very young Samuel Ramey as Rochefort. I've heard Ramey as the 4 villains in Hoffmann. He was very good, but I'd have loved to have heard Hale in those roles.

[elizasparrow]

@bassfanne45 It was great!! The Hoffmann production was very funny, Hale had rhinestone cowboy boots as Dapertutto and had to voodoo-kill a pidgeon as Dr. Mirakel, which he did with villainous glee :) Apart from his great singing, his acting was freaky-cool :) As for his Wotan - he made him the tragic centre figure of the whole epos. Would do anything for another Ring with him...

[bassfanne45]

@elizasparrow Ramey was pretty good as the 4 villains, too. He absolutely gloated while Antonia was singing herself to death. I still wish I could have heard Hale. His Dutchman in San Diego was so beautifully sung and acted...and what charisma he has. Every woman in the audience was thinking, "Senta, if you won't do it, I'd be willing to die for him." I feel deprived that I haven't heard his Wotan and 4 villains.

[leporello89]

Can you post some videos of this production?? Antonia's aria, or Barcarolle?? Thank you

[ontologix]

This production is available on DVD

[girardje]

c'est la première fois que je vois cette production

j'aime beaucoup

[Galilea13]

Thx for posting! I liked this version very much when i saw it on tv last year. Could you please post Olympias aria?

[tomtallis]

Ummm. Its 4 villains. Unless someone else is playing Lindorf.

[Toscarpia]

Is that an example of what NOT to do ?