Contemporary Top 5

[Jana]

In the "top five" thread, there has been mentioned (only) one young
tenor, Rolando Villazón.
However, there are some voices saying that nowadays, there's no great
tenor. Sure, there are a few famous names: Villazón, Florez (has his
own thread here), Vargas, Licitra, Alagna (a great admirer of
Lanza)...
But really, do you think none of them can be called "great"? Why could
that be? If Villazón is, why so few people mentioned him?

[ShawDAMAN]

I am not a big fan of Villazon. He has a nice voice but sadly has not
learned proper technique like so many modern singers. I like his
timbre, very similar to Domingo but a bit lighter.

Florez I like very much for light repertoire!! I've been impressed
with him so far.

Vargas, not a big fan. Alagna I think had a lot of potential but has
ruined his voice a bit in the past few years and some of his
interpretations are a little overboard IMO. :)

Two you didn't mention who I am very impressed with: Joseph Calleja, a
Maltese lyric tenor, and Jonas Kaufmann, a german spinto. I've heard
some fantastic stuff from them and would love to hear either one live.

[Jana]

Thank you very much. I agree on most points of you, except that I like
Vargas :-) Especially personally, his website should be prescribed as
a medicine against depression! .:-)

I'm sorry about Calleja, he doesn't move me. As opposed to Kaufmann,
whom I like pretty much, thank you for driving my attention to him!

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[ShawDAMAN]

Calleja doesn't move me much either, but I appreciate his excellent
technique which is rare these days! But some tenors just don't have
that natural passion/emotion in the voice, it's true. Although I am
not an especially emotional person by nature.

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[Derek McGovern]

Coming up with five consistently great contemporary tenors is quite
tricky, actually. If you look at the tenors singing today -- even some
of the younger ones -- quite a few have experienced serious vocal
problems during the last few years. The operatic world can be a cruel
business. Alagna at 45 seems to have worn his voice out, Heppner's
been engaged in mighty vocal struggles at times & is still not out of
the woods (he had a rough time at the Met recently), Villazón suffered
a lengthy vocal collapse (good to hear from Ann-Mai that he's doing
better now, though), Giordani's apparently had problems, Licitra's had
difficulty with his top and his intonation...I guess it's an
indication of the pressures of performing today (singing too often
without a solid technique, or -- as in, say, lyric tenor Alagna's
case, singing roles that are far too heavy for the voice).

But Argentinian tenor Marcelo Álvarez sounds impressive on everything
I've heard of him so far, Joseph Calleja continues to improve (his top
is better and his very fast vibrato has slowed down a bit) -- and I
think he'll enjoy a long career -- and Vargas is another very good,
reliable lyric tenor (and a good actor to boot). Then there's Rossini
specialist Juan Diego Flórez, in a class of his own, really (though
without the kind of timbre that I respond to) and the aforementioned
Jonas Kaufmann, whom I really need to hear more of before I offer an
opinion! (I thought he sounded very good singing Deep in My Heart,
Dear in duet on a youtube clip from the 1990s; at other times, his
voice has sounded much less attractive & somewhat throaty -- as on a
live E Lucevan le Stelle I recently watched -- except when he's
singing full out, when he can make a powerful impression.

Shawn: Are you aware that Joseph Calleja is a huge Lanza fan? He was
actually a member of the previous Lanza forum that I ran, and he
writes to me occasionally when he has something Lanza-related to pass
on. Two of the recordings he most admires are Mario's home rehearsal
of the Improvviso (the complete version of which can be heard in our
Photos and Recordings section) and his Otello Death Scene. One day he
hopes to own all of Lanza's recordings, and he often performs numbers
in tribute to Mario in concert.

An even newer tenor on the scene is our very own Andrew Bain. Like
Calleja, a Lanza-inspired tenor, Adrew's debut disc (on the SonyBMG
label!!) is coming out early next year. You can hear and see him here:
http://www.andrewbainmusic.com/

Cheers
Derek

[ShawDAMAN]

Thanks for the comments. Yes I saw Alvarez on television singing a few
selections in recital a couple years back, I liked him. Haven't heard
from him since though, maybe I should look him up.

I like Heppner very much, I posted him singing from Fidelio on youtube
a while back, but as you say he's struggled at times and he's getting
up there a bit, frankly. :)

Yes I have heard Calleja singing "Be my love," etc! but that's nice to
know what a big fan he is. I'd like to talk to him. :) He certainly
picked 2 fine Lanza recordings, 2 of my favorites as well. :)

regards,
Shawn

[Babajaga]

My fave top five contemporary tenors are the followings:
1. Francisco Araiza, pupil if the famous Mexican soprano, Irma
Gonzalez,
2. Vladimir Galuzine, Russian tenor, with the nicest and biggest voice
in the last 20 years,
3. Roberto Alagna
4. Luis Lima, Argentinian, his voice is wonderful, and his acting is
always thrillingly assuring,
5. János Bándy, a not really known Hungarian tenor, whose voice
deserves the attention of the world.

[Thelma]

Sean I will be hearing Joseph Calleja live at the Met in Riggoletto in
April 2009. I will give a review after that. From what I hear I
like Jonas Kaufman very much too.

[Sean Glass]

I will look forward to that. Although I probably won't be there I'll do my best to catch the live broadcast. :)

Kaufmann's doing Beethoven's 9th (soming up I think, have to check his schedule again) is something else I'd love to see :-o

[Derek McGovern]

There's been quite a bit of discussion recently on the Opera-L forum
about the current state of Rolando Villazón's voice, and, sadly, the
consensus from those who have heard him during the last few months is
that, vocally, he's in real trouble. According to one fellow, a recent
Che Gelida Manina that Villazón performed in Vienna had to be
transposed down a *full* tone -- "something that not even Domingo has
ever done." And this from one Villazón admirer who heard his recent
Hoffmann in London:

"It was so terribly sad, the voice so diminished and shrivelled, the
more so because his debut here in 2004 in the same production was so
intense and full of life, both the portrayal and the voice, and
promised so much for the future. His Don Carlo here in the summer was
vocally passable in some performances, but others were heartbreaking
to sit through. [...] I fear that he is finished. It is one of the
most unhappy stories of recent years."

No one seems to be able to put their finger on the exact cause of
Villazón's vocal decline, but the usual "suspects" are all being
trotted out: singing repertoire that is too heavy for his voice,
lacking a solid technique, and an "insanely" busy singing schedule. I
think it's safe to say that it was a combination of all three.

Meanwhile, Joseph Calleja -- at 31, six years Villazón's junior -- is
earning raves from some of the Opera-L regulars, one of whom wrote
that in a recent concert, Calleja "sailed through Edgar's "Orgia
chimera" and "Recondita armonia" as if they were nursery ryhmes, took
the optional High C in the Rondine quartet (after several and
perfectly placed b flats) and...[sounded] like the reincarnation of
Bjorling"!


On Dec 15 2008, 3:04 pm, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[ShawDAMAN]

I never really liked Villazon even when he was younger, but I am truly
sorry to hear about his struggles. I would tend to think poor
technique is likely the primary culprit. The technique taught so
commonly today just isn't complete, I understand- bringing the
dangerous weight of the chest voice into the upper register, not
understanding "covering" properly, etc; I'm no expert by any stretch
but you can see/hear the telltale symptoms if you listen and read a
lot.

On the other hand I'm delighted to hear how well Calleja is doing. I
spoke to someone who heard him sing the Duke in Rigoletto recently and
he raved about him. Hopefully I'll hear him myself some time. :)

[Ann-Mai]

Hi Derek.
I’m very sad to hear that Villazon’s vocal problems have returned.
This august when he was here in Copenhagen he seemed perfectly fine,
and he got nothing but the best reviews in the Danish newspapers. I
remember thinking he had eased down a little. So I was under the
impression that he was getting better at sparing his voice and
economizing his energy.
On many of the Youtube clips and DVDs that I have watched with him, I
have often been a little concerned about the huge amount of energy he
seems to burn off at times, wondering for how long he can keep doing
that. At times it is very obviously that he strains his voice
unnecessarily.
I sincerely hope that he will do something serious about it before he
ruin his voice, whether it means changing his technique, cutting down
on his schedule or sticking to a lighter material. Just anything! I
would be very sad to see him burn out untimely.

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[Thelma]

Lately I have read a lot about Jonas Kaufman and listened to him a
lot. He has been singing for 14 years professionally and according to
the critics has a good technique. I bought his "Romantic Arias" CD
and I enjoy it very much. He is now 40 years old and it appears he is
in very much demand at the opera houses around the world, so he must
be doing something right. He has a baritonal timber now, but still
has a ringing tenor top. This critic thinks he is good as anyone out
there singing today. By the way, I had to cancel seeing Joseph
Calleja in April at the Met, so no review will be forthcoming from
me. But from what I've heard him sing on one CD, I like him very much
as one of today's tenors.

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[Shawn]

I bought some of his stuff too. And yes he's been singing quite a
while now so his technique must be pretty sound. I like him a lot.

[Derek McGovern]

What are people's thoughts here on Polish lyric tenor Piotr Beczala?
I've had several e-mails about him recently, and now I see that on the
Rense forum, some of the regulars are all atwitter over him. He's also
been discussed a lot on Opera-L.

Much has been made about the fact that Beczala sounds like the great
Fritz Wunderlich (and, yes, I can hear similarities in their timbres
at times) and that, coincidentally, he was born in the same year that
Fritz died. (Shades of Lanza and his idol Caruso!) Beczala has often
said that it was Wunderlich who inspired him to sing, and he's also
stated that Fritz's widow and family have been following his career
very closely.

But I don't rate Beczala in the same class as Wunderlich. Although I
think he has a very good voice, there's no doubt that Fritz had the
more beautiful instrument (as well as a better top). I also feel that
Wunderlich was the more interesting singer of the two. I've just been
watching a live Beczala performance with piano of Che Gelida Manina
(this & other clips can be downloaded here: http://www.beczala.com/av.htm),
which I think is rather telling about the stark differences between
the two. Beczala doesn't seem to feel his words on this rendition at
all; he just marches his way through the aria (at quite a gallop; the
tempo reminded me of Mario's Coke Show rendition!) with little sense
of what he's singing about.

I think people are being swayed by his appealing stage presence rather
than actually listening to *how* he sings. Or maybe I just happened to
catch him on a day when phrasing wasn't his strong suit. But I will
listen to more of him when I have time.

[Derek McGovern]

I think it's time to revive this thread. Since Jana started it in 2008, Villazón has faded from the scene to a large extent, but I know he still has his enthusiasts. So, in your opinion, who are today's finest active tenors? 

[Thelma]

This is my subjective opinion. For living tenors, the top five:
Kaufman, Beczala, Calleja. in no special order. Stephen Costello of
Philadelphia (I like him best), and for opera and music in general, I
nominate Placido Domingo for all his great contributions to music!

[Lou]

I believe that a singer should be judged by his best performances
rather than his worst. On this premise, here are my finest active
tenors, in no particular order:

Placido Domingo – Unless he or she is a certified Domingo basher, one
will be hard-pressed to exclude this living legend from any “finest
contemporary tenors” list.
Ben Heppner – Clarion voice of lyrical beauty and dramatic power; a
wide repertoire encompassing the works of Wagner, Mozart, Verdi,
Puccini, and Britten. I hope his vocal crisis will finally be behind
him, and soon.
Marcello Giordani – Italian, tall, and handsome; lirico spinto with a
rich and clarion tone; a fine, extraordinarily versatile singing
actor.
Marcelo Alvarez – Lyric tenor with brains, gorgeous tone, and ringing
high notes; describes his singing style as “old-school”.
Ramon Vargas – Apparently effortless vocalism of great refinement and
elegance; known for easily floated high notes, stunning diminuendos,
and melting mezza-voce.
Jonas Kaufmann – Rich, smooth, almost baritonal voice; intelligent,
versatile singing actor who sees himself as an old-fashioned singer.

I know I’m supposed to name only five, but I'm at a loss as to who to
leave out.

[Mike McAdam]

I've been listening to and watching, on YouTube, a few of the current
crop of tenors to see if any move me, so to speak.
I've heard Villazon, Alagna and Kaufmann in a variety of repertoire
and, of the three, I am most impressed with Jonas Kaufmann.
Though I realize he is a very baritonal spinto I find him a little
confusing when singing mainstream arias as he seems to use mezza voce
in unexpected places and, even though he hits some great high notes
without any visible or audible strain, in some of the famous
showstopper arias he cops out and opts for falsetto. For example, the
high-C in "Salut Demeure....." Strange...doesn't he have a secure high-
C?
Regardless, his technique reminds me of Björling; the way he covers
and shows taste and elegance in his phrasing. He is a rugged, good-
looking guy for the Opera stage and I have a feeling this lad is going
to go on to great fame if he uses his voice properly.

Roberto Alagna I see mostly with his (now estranged) wife, the amazing
Angela G. He seems to be a convincing actor and has a pretty good
voice albeit not a 'mover' for me. He closes his eyes a lot when he
sings as though he is emulating Andrea Bocelli. I find this quite
irritating. Also, poor Roberto tends to get overshadowed by his
showboat wife who is a stunner ( and knows it).

The remaining tenor of these three, Rolando Villazon, has a voice but
man, he doesn't cover at all (at least in the clips I've seen him in).
He belts everything flat out and I fear he will only be able to croak
by the time he is into his forties.

Guess I have tofind another two tenors to round out my five? ;-)
Mike

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[leeann]

Just three for now, I think: Marcello Giordani, Marcelo Alvarez, and
Jonas Kaufmann--all for similar reasons: intelligent interpretation
and the depth and range of their voices and musical scope. It's
interesting to read that each of these men seems astute about a
proper, measured, long-range development of their voices and their
repertoire. Best, LeeAnn

[Derek McGovern]

Mike asked (on another thread):

What has happened to Roberto Alagna of late? I know he stormed off the La Scala stage last year but how is his voice? Has he done some damage there already? I was fairly impressed with his singing in the Tosca film he made with his estranged wife Angela G. I had some high hopes for the lad.

Hi Mike: That walk-out was actually back in 2006! Since then, I think Alagna's been doing quite well. I haven't listened to anything recent of his, but I know he has received some good reviews. If his voice has indeed lasted, then I'm really surprised, as he's been singing some crazy things (in terms of potential vocal damage) for what is essentially a lyric voice -- e.g., Radames and even Otello.

Perhaps some of our other members may have more news about Alagna's current vocal state. (He's nearly 48, by the way, so he's getting up there in terms of a tenor's career.)

[Derek McGovern]

Here's a new interview with Jonas Kaufmann from The Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20110414/us-opera-jonas-kaufmann/

Interestingly -- given that we were recently discussing how Kaufmann's voice had changed dramatically since the late 1990s -- he touches on his latter-day vocal technique:

Early in Kaufmann's career, [singing the Wagnerian role of] Siegmund wouldn't even have been a possibility. He started out in the 1990's sounding "like a typical young German tenor with a very light, white voice."

As for his lower register, he said, "I had none at all. I think F or F sharp (below middle C) was the lowest note I had. Under that it was only hot air."

He also found that when he tried to sing out to express emotion, "I lost control. My voice just wasn't reliable."

That led him in 1995 to a teacher, American baritone Michael Rhodes, who had moved to Germany after World War II.

Rhodes said in an email reply to questions that he instructed Kaufmann in the use of a technique he calls "sbadigliare," from the Italian for yawning, which he himself had learned from the great baritone Giuseppe De Luca.

"Sbadigliare requires one to relax the whole body and really yawn – an involuntary reaction," Rhodes said. "In this state of relaxation, the voice is completely free, as Jonas's is."

Kaufmann said that after he had studied with Rhodes, many colleagues who knew him from before predicted he would quickly come to ruin. "They said, `Maybe another two to three years, maybe five, but then it's over.' Because everyone expected me to overdo, to artificially darken the sound. It was impossible to believe that this would be my own voice."