Ah, mes amis - Fille Contest - Alfredo Kraus

I thought it was time we gave the tenors a turn. There are so many wonderful belcanto tenor aria and one of the most celebrated is from Donizetti's frech La Fille du Regiment. It is a wonderful display of lyric singing, and of course those 9 high c's. When putting together this contest, I was stuck with the absence of some of the "big name" tenors, however, there is some really wonderful singing here. I hope everyone takes the time to watch all of the clips, I found it interesting the differnt approaches taken to this difficult aria.
Again a score of 1-5 for singing/characterization:
Alfredo Kraus - 1983
Deon van der Walt - 1993
Charles Burles - 1972
Bruce Sledge - 2007
Jean-Luc Maurette - 1989
Marc Laho - 1998
Luca Canonici - 1992
Gregory Kunde - 1999
Juan Diego Florez - 2007
Marcelo Alvarez - 1995
José Sempere - 2002
Rockwell Blake - 1995
Paul Austin Kelly - 1996
Rockwell Blake - 1990
Alferdo Kraus - 1986
Juan Diego Florez - 2004

Category:

Music

Tags:

• kraus
• opera
• donizetti

[rychehed]

miles better than florez,kraus had skill and better technical ability.

[Webarton]

Pavarotti lost his top at the end of his career. Kraus, at 70+ sings A mes amis flawlessly, I CAN state that one is technically superior, Kraus in fact is. Personally, I do prefer Pavarotti's singing/voice. However, Kraus's nasality u speak of is only a product of perfect technique... that is just how his VOICE sounds when the technique is employed... Pav sounds differently, and Gigli/Bjorling also sound differently.. the approach is the same, FOCUSING the tone in the mask, and HEAD.

[David50s]

I had the privilege of seeing Kraus in this role and as Edgardo in Lucia di Lamermoor, both times opposite Joan Sutherland. What a wondeful experience. I also was present to see Florez do an encore a few seasons back. I think Kraus is one of the most underrated of the great tenors.

[8x8MaVerick8x8]

@Webarton Part of that isn't necessarily technique related, it may be choice related. My personal opinion, which many disagree with, is that Pav went way, way too far down the road of heavy literature. It made him famous, and for someone who I don't think should have been singing much of the rep he did, he did it very, very well. But I think the Pagliaccis and the Cavaradossis might take a toll on a voice that was intended for much lighter repertoire

[jaketaz]

@Webarton

Thank you for being a person who understands what is happening. This is correct. Kraus still sounded nasal at 70, and the fact that he sounded the same at that age as he did in his prime PROVES that he had technical mastery Pavarotti never did.

[Agorante]

Kraus' voice was probably a whole tone higher than Pavarotti's. He sang high E Flats in his first recital disk. I heard both do Nerorino in the same production in the late sixties. Big P had a better, richer, warmer voice but Kraus gave a better performance. Pav simply didn't know the part - just the aria. The part of Tonio was intended for small. very high voices like that of Florez. It was an oddity that a mainstream tenor like Pav could sing it at all.

[apologeticacattolica]

@Webarton The approach is not the aame at all. Pavarotti's production is different. That much is self-evident from simply looking at them sing. 

[Turandotopera]

I was back stage at the MET and saw and heard Pavarotti tell Kraus: IO NON PUO CANTARE QUETS'ARIA COME TU (I can't sing this aria like you) Kraus received standing ovation from the whole audience, and I mean, the whole audience, near

4, 000 people

[MrNigribov]

@ivansperanza

He is not really living in the shadow right now. At least he is not Villazon, and has enough taste and intelligence to appreciate Kraus....but not enough to compare with him.

[ivansperanza]

You know what you're talking about, Florez is just another bad product of the media.He'll always live in the shadow of the real singers.

[ersoubi]

In my opinion, even though Pavarotti had a beautiful voice, Kraus was unsurpassable. This is not perhaps the greatest example, but his technique, phrasing and voice are even here exquisite. Both were great tenors, but for me Kraus was something more.He had elegance AND feeling. I cannot but always find something great in his performances. He was a great artist. Thanks for posting!