Most gorgeous baritone voices EVER
Charlie Handelman
qulities ever ever...
Merrill is surely up there...maybe the GREATEST...plus Pavel Lisitsian,Dmitri
Hvorostovsky,Thomas Quasthoff,John Charles Thomas,Ettore Bastianini,Riccardo
Stracciari. Opinions????? CH
My best, Charlie.
My Website dedicated to the vocal art is located at:
Premiereopera
>Merrill is surely up there...maybe the GREATEST...plus Pavel Lisitsian,Dmitri
>Hvorostovsky,Thomas Quasthoff,John Charles Thomas,Ettore Bastianini,Riccardo
>Stracciari. Opinion
Agree with all- and John Charles Thomas doesn't get his due. The man had a
simply glorious sound. Though not strictly opera, his recording of the song "My
Hero" with the words slightly altered, is one of the most gorgeous things ever
recorded by any baritone!
I might add MacNeil at his best, Warren, Manuguerra. I have never seen Quastoff
live, but do think that Hvorostovsky, though with a beautiful natural sound, is
always inflating it out of shape in trying to sing roles which he just doesn't
have to vocal power for.
To me, Merrill is in a class by himself as the most gorgeous baritone voice.
Ed
http://www.premiereopera.com GIANT 1/3 OFF SALE NOW IN EFFECT!
John
Leonard Warren
Thomas Quasthoff
Ettore Bastiannini
Honorable mention: the young Cornell MacNeill
It's really hard for me to judge voices thru truly awful recordings, so I
don't list any baritones recorded before about 1940. And I've never liked
Robert Merrill - too generic for me. Milnes gets my voice for the "most",
but each of the others could claim the title on any given night.
- John
"Charlie Handelman" <plac...@aol.comnojunk> wrote in message
news:20040606215112...@mb-m06.aol.com...
Leonard Tillman
Robert Merrill
Ettore Bastianini
Titta Ruffo
Riccardo Straciari
Apollo Granforte
Gino Bechi
Robert Weede
Richard Torigi
Earl Wrightson
Nelson Eddy
Herrmann Prey
Josef Schwarz
Richard Fredricks
Alexander Sved
Dominic Cossa
Giorgio Zancanaro
Paolo Coni
Vladimir Chernov
Paval Lisitsian
Giuseppe Scandola
Luigi Piazza
Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Thomas Allen
Robert McFerrin
Sherrill Milnes
Piero Cappuccilli
Todd Duncan
Peter Glossop
Nicolai Herlea
- and several others.
Leonard Tillman
Charlie Handelman
Italian..CH
Leonard Tillman
>Robert Mcferrin????How did he get there?
He was a much-underrated baritone who dubbed for Sidney Poitier in the
Preminger movie Porgy and Bess. - Best singer in it , IMO.
He was the father of Bobby McFerrin, who, while talented in his
pop-specialties, doesn't seem to have inherited his dad's great vocal
sound. McFerrin, Sr. was also Rigoletto in the old Met Record Club's LP
of highlights.
Leonard Tillman
dtritter
and whose entire met career consisted of a single performance of
rigoletto. fair to middling baritone, largely unremarkable.
Pete
I have always been extremely excited listening to Lawrence
Tibbett...Merrill and Warren round it out for me as my favorite 3.
CHSIII
Tom Kaufman
growl--therefore, it's Ruffo and Bechi for me.
Absolutely crazy about these two.
Tenormonster
Tom Kaufman
URL of web site:
<A href="www.geocities.com/Vienna/8917/index.html">Tom Kaufman's site</A>
Robert Deutsch
underrated singer whose voice I'm quite fond of. I don't much care for
Nelson Eddy, though--the sound is a bit too wooly and unfocused for
me.
Bob
Leonard Tillman
From: rdeu...@yorku.ca (Robert Deutsch)
>Interesting list, noteable for the inclusion of
> Earl Wrightson, an underrated singer whose
> voice I'm quite fond of. I don't much care for
> Nelson Eddy, though--the sound is a bit too
> wooly and unfocused for me.
>Bob
IMO, no one sang "They call the wind Maria" quite like Earl Wrightson,
nor did anyone equal Eddy's "Stout hearted men".
I've always enjoyed both of these wonderful, personable baritones who
shared some song-repertory.
When Wrightson and Lois Hunt made their three "A Night With"
albums of solos and duets and appeared on TV and in concerts, they were
possibly the truest successors to Eddy and MacDonald, though without
appearing in movies as the somewhat older duo had done.
Best,
Leonard Tillman
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
Ettore Bastianini
Nelson Eddy
Piero Cappuccilli
Julian Patrick
Theodor Uppman
Dimitri Hvorostovsky
Mateo Manuguerra
Robert Merrill
Robert Weede
Herrmann Prey
Eberhard Waechter
Peter Glossop
Thomas Allen
In that order of preference, I think...for me anyway.
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
"Charlie Handelman" <plac...@aol.comnojunk> wrote in message
news:20040606215112...@mb-m06.aol.com...
GRNDPADAVE
Sherrill Milnes
Giuseppe Valdengo
Bryn Terfel
Ettore Bastianini
Giuseppe Taddei
Giangiacomo Guelfi
Gino Bechi
Lawrence Tibbett
Tito Gobbi
Juan Pons
Piero Cappuccilli
Renato Bruson
Wladimiro Ganzarolli
Ingvar Wixell
Robert Massard
Gabriel Bacquier
Michel Dens
Mateo Manuguerra
Robert Merrill
Robert Weede
Herrmann Prey
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Thomas Allen
John Brownlee
Nelson Eddy
==G/P Dave
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
Gobbi's voice 'Gorgeous' as the title of this thread states. Nor Milnes,
Terfel, Guelfi, Ganzarolli, Wixell, and DFD is a 2nd tenor not a baritone.
Don't know a few of the others Dens, Winters, Valdengo...and I don't
remember Bechi very well.
Good baritones all...I think but not all 'gorgeous' sounding.
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
"GRNDPADAVE" <grndp...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040608090851...@mb-m05.aol.com...
John
You don't think Milnes or Terfel have "gorgeous" voices??!! I left Terfel
off my original list (I think of him as a bass-baritone, not necessarily
baritone), but he has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard (in
any voice category). Milnes had some vocal difficulties during various
phases of his career, but the basic voice was amazing. What do you not like
about either Milnes or Terfel?
- John
"Jon E. Szostak, Sr." <jszostaks...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:fRjxc.62514$eY2.19151@attbi_s02...
Leonard Tillman
>I left Terfel off my original list (I think of him as
> a bass-baritone, not necessarily baritone), but
> he has one of the most beautiful voices I've
> ever heard (in any voice category).
Agreed, on both points. Terfel's mighty, resonant bass-baritone voice is
great in quality as well as its amplitude.
>Milnes had some vocal difficulties during
> various phases of his career, but the basic
> voice was amazing.
Its only flaw wasn't of the voice itself; --rather a tendency toward
an occasional straying off pitch.
Leonard Tillman
donpaolo
characterization suffers. I prefer the promordial bark & growl. But,
someone like Warren could accomplish astonishingly beautiful things with the
voice - his "il balen", "era la notte" & Prologo, for examples. This
pertains mainly to Verdi & the verismo operas; Mozart requires a softer,
prettier sound.
DonPaolo
"Tom Kaufman" <tomk...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040607222143...@mb-m16.aol.com...
Charlie Handelman
Leonard Tillman
>How did Pons and DFD get there????CH
They snuck in under the MTA turnstiles. Not an easy move for a couple of
big fellows, it must be said.
> My best, Charlie.
> My
Website dedicated
> to the vocal art is located at:
> htt
>p://www.handelmania.com
Leonard Tillman
Richard Loeb
breath control, incredible phrasing and feeling, the voice perfectly
equalized from top to bottom (a quality which eludes many of those already
listed), every vowel pure with flawless diction - the tone sunny and
brilliant - for me he is the Verdi baritone of this century Richard
"Charlie Handelman" <plac...@aol.comnojunk> wrote in message
AnMeinKlav
of exceptional quality IMO.
grndp...@aol.com
> Gobbi's voice 'Gorgeous' as the title of this thread states. Nor Milnes,
> Terfel, Guelfi, Ganzarolli, Wixell, and DFD is a 2nd tenor not a baritone.
> Don't know a few of the others Dens, Winters, Valdengo...and I don't
> remember Bechi very well.
>
> Good baritones all...I think but not all 'gorgeous' sounding.
>
> Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
>
Tito Gobbi for the 1953 TOSCA. I think his singing is gorgeous here
as he conveys the subtleties of Baron Scarpia such as no other
baritone I have ever heard.
Sherrill Milnes for his magnificent Monforte (VESPRI SICILIANI);
indeed for every complete opera recording in which he sang opposite
Placido Domingo.
Bryn Terfel: a marvelous Falstaff.
Ganzarolli and Wixell are a wonderful pair in the Colin Davis-led
Mozart / Da Ponte operas. Ganzarolli's Figaro recalls another deep
baritone exponent of the role: Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender. Wixell had
something of a fluttery voice but he sang the roles of Count Almaviva
and Don Giovanni quite well: no barking (à la Waechter).
Michel Dens, a fine French baritone -- outstanding Escamillo in the
Cluytens recording.
Lawrence Winters -- a terrific Porgy and a first-rate Amonasro.
Giuseppe Valdengo -- best Iago I've heard and quite good as Falstaff.
(Toscanini had a difficult time getting Valdengo to pronounce "Sir
John" properly in the rehearsals for the 1950 broadcast).
My edition of Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines gorgeous as:
"splendidly or showily brilliant or magnificent."
All these artists produced recorded evidence that, imho, merits the
adjective.
==G/P Dave
donpaolo
over Ruffo, Stracciari, Warren? Hmmmm, I don't think so.
DonP.
"Richard Loeb" <loe...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:kLadnYRHfqQ...@comcast.com...
Richard Loeb
stretches at the bottom (Warren), his voice doesn't peter out at the bottom
of the range (Ruffo - his voice also lasted longer than Ruffo) the only one
that could perhaps give him some competition is Stracciari and I find
Lisitsians voice brighter and more focused. Listen to Lisitsian sing
Germonts aria form Traviata - a perfect exampe of well nigh perfect baritone
singing. Richard.
"donpaolo" <donp...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:40c64319$0$2939$61fe...@news.rcn.com...
Premiereopera
>Subject: Re: Most gorgeous baritone voices EVER
>From: "Richard Loeb" loe...@comcast.net
>Date: 6/8/04 7:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <Ft6dnbp0rJj...@comcast.com>
>
>Yes I think so - his voice doesn't get shuddery when when singing for
>stretches at the bottom (Warren), his voice doesn't peter out at the bottom
>of the range (Ruffo - his voice also lasted longer than Ruffo) the only one
>that could perhaps give him some competition is Stracciari and I find
>Lisitsians voice brighter and more focused. Listen to Lisitsian sing
>Germonts aria form Traviata - a perfect exampe of well nigh perfect baritone
>singing. Richard.
I agree with what you write above, Richard. I would only change one word.
Instead of Lisitsian, I would insert Merrill.
Ed
(I do greatly admire the Russian baritone, BTW.)
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
Warren he was somehow convinced or convinced himself that all he had to do
was cover more to affect the Warren 'dark' sound...this was a fatal mistake.
His baritone was a beautiful, unforced sound more suited to bel canto or
Mozart...NOT the heavy Verdi roles. This artificial darkening of his voice
led to pitch problems and a woofy sound which find unattractive in a singer.
Terfel's voice is amazing...but sounds more 'broadway'...especially lately.
Mind you...I went nuts when I saw his 'Falstaff'...and in such a relatively
young man too. Just not what I call a 'gorgeous' voice...although he can be
if he so wishes...too early to tell just yet...but I think he may be going
in the direction of drama being more important than just a pretty tone.
There's nothing wrong with that...I'd just hate to see such a great voice
ground down too soon.
Gorgeous voice...Igor Gorin all the way as my fist pick...his sound in
person was drop-dead gorgeous...sung with great style and ease...and he
could act too. You can see my other choices earlier in this thread.
Well...that's my take on it anyway.
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
"John" <noney...@email.com> wrote in message
news:G6lxc.3472$po....@newssvr24.news.prodigy.com...
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
- Beautiful stunning elegant attractive striking good-looking dazzling
lovely -
good-looking doesn't fit in but the others do. "Splendidly or showily
brilliant or magnificent" just doesn't fit MY idea of
'gorgeous'...stentorian maybe...but NOT gorgeous.
Well...that's this man's opinion anyway.
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
<grndp...@aol.com> wrote in message
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Richard Loeb
"Premiereopera" <premie...@aol.com> wrote in message
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La Donna Mobile
although we're promised the other two the following season, and then a
Cycle. I wonder how many of the tickets will be snapped up by Classic
FM-lite people who worship Terfel, and won't have grasped that Walkure is
very long and not full of instantly hummable tunes...!
"Jon E. Szostak, Sr." <jszostaks...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:88wxc.6245$0y.2988@attbi_s03...
La Donna Mobile
singers such as 'a tenor with a baritonial timbre', 'baritenor', 'light
baritone' etc
Are they all describing basically the same thing, except for choice of
repertoire, or are we talking about definite, even if small, differences,
"Jon E. Szostak, Sr." <jszostaks...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:fRjxc.62514$eY2.19151@attbi_s02...
Premiereopera
>Message-id: <55udnWjyhJg...@comcast.com>
>
>But Lisitsian never "woofed" and his interpretations were better Richard
neither did Merrill in his prime year. Whatever "woofing" there may have been
came relatively late, though the voice remained gorgeous.
If we are to judge these singers at their cosiderable best, which I think is
fair, Merrill wins hands down, for me. Listen the either of the Preiser
releases of Merrill's 78's! Not one "woof" and the most glorious baritone
singing imaginable!!
I saw Lisitsian in his one Met performance. The voice was still magnificent,
but not quite what it had been 10 or 20 years earlier. So we should judge them
all at their very best.
Best wishes,
Ed
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
ability coupled with a big voice should be able to negotiate those two
'Wotan' roles...the 'Wanderer' in 'Siegfried' has different problems.
Terfel has great acting abilities...and that's a very important quality for
any of the 'Wotan' roles. I'd be interested to hear it live...and I hope he
has a very good German coach...I didn't care all that much for his recording
of the 'Abendstern' because of his mediocre German.
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
"La Donna Mobile" <donna...@brixton.fsworld.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ca6opj$h2a$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
william d. kasimer
> Yes I think so - his voice doesn't get shuddery when when singing for
> stretches at the bottom (Warren), his voice doesn't peter out at the bottom
> of the range (Ruffo - his voice also lasted longer than Ruffo) the only one
> that could perhaps give him some competition is Stracciari and I find
> Lisitsians voice brighter and more focused. Listen to Lisitsian sing
> Germonts aria form Traviata - a perfect exampe of well nigh perfect baritone
> singing.
I agree. I suppose that those who emphasize vocal size might have
preferred the other three (Ruffo, Warren, Stracciari) in live
performance, but on recordings, Lisitsian's superiority is undeniable.
Not merely the greatest Verdi baritone - the greatest baritone,
period.
Bill
La Donna Mobile
Rhinegold. Walkure has a spring and a summer run; in the summer run,
Siegmund is sung by Placido, who has only actually sung Siegmund in one
performance in London, IIRC.news:THDxc.4649$jw.2190@attbi_s04...
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
to describe roles which can be sung by an 'in between' voice or...for want
of a better term....'Zwischenstimme'.
My opinion is that DFD is a 'light baritone...and a 'Baritenor' is something
of a voice suited for Heldentenor roles. With the exception of 'Tannhauser'
and 'Walter von Stolzing' the Wagnerian Heldentenor roles are really more
for a big baritone voice with a great high end and an occasional very high
note or two. Also...this may be true because 'squillo' is not really
required of a true Heldentenor...perfect example would be Lauritz
Melchior...by every description the perfect Heldentenor. An old friend of
mine listened to Melchior's singing from the wings once...and he told me
that Melchior had a sound that approached 'squillo' when heard live...but
that on recordings tended to sound toward being 'pinched' at the top end.
I think this is what Wagner had in mind for that vocal category.
IMO...Milnes would have made a marvelous 'Wolfram'...don't know if he sang
it or not. DFD did NOT make a good 'Sachs'...far too light...'Gunter' or
maybe even 'Wolfram'...but not 'Hans Sachs'...had he a more 'hefty' sound he
might have been able to do justice to say...'Siegmund' or 'Lohengrin'...of
course that's conjecture on my part. Then again...many claim that's why
Domingo sounds so good in those roles...me included.
An argument can also be made that a 'high baritone' and 'second tenor' are
the same thing...and that opens a whole new can of worms. Nelson Eddy had
that kind of quality...a little richer tone than most perhaps. I can see
many possible points of view on this subject.
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
"La Donna Mobile" <donna...@brixton.fsworld.co.uk> wrote in message
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Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
so...how does one tune it in? Thanks in advance for you help.
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
"La Donna Mobile" <donna...@brixton.fsworld.co.uk> wrote in message
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La Donna Mobile
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/index.shtml?logo
and then click on 'Listen Live'. They don't tend to put operas and concerts
on the 'Programmes on demand'.
I don't know how good the quality is - it uses Real Player (I think). I tend
to avoid listening to radio-by-internet, except for speech - I'm cruising at
576 kps and can't really see the point of upgrading to a meg...although I'm
sure rmo denizens will come out with a reason!
"Jon E. Szostak, Sr." <jszostaks...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:QdHxc.24701$Sw.23803@attbi_s51...
La Donna Mobile
star Royal Gala for the LSO's centenary, starting with the dirge-like Nat
Ant. (oops wrong thread...)news:ca7kb1$5v6$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
La Donna Mobile
orchestra, a number of great and good conductors, and, gazooks, TWO John
Williamses - The Star Wars theme was played (as composed by John Williams)
and John Williams played the Concerto di Aranjuez on his guitar.
And the TV commentator was very excited at there being two John Williamses -
please own up to reading rmo if you're out there, Mr TV Commentator.
"La Donna Mobile" <donna...@brixton.fsworld.co.uk> wrote in message
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