# First Round: Ah Mes Ami : Camarena, Florez, Alagna



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

PAY ATTENTION TO THE START TIMES. I CAN'T CUE UP.




 Start time 1:51




 Start time 4:42




 Also 4:42


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

This is all about high spirits and high Cs, and for me Florez wins on both counts. He sounds young, innocent, and happy, and his Cs are effortless and scintillating. In other roles I would find his shallow tone less gratifying - Alagna's fuller sound has more intrinsic appeal and more expressive potential - but this music fits Florez like a glove. Camarena is fine too, but less distinctive.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> This is all about high spirits and high Cs, and for me Florez wins on both counts. He sounds young, innocent, and happy, and his Cs are effortless and scintillating. In other roles I would find his shallow tone less gratifying - Alagna's fuller sound has more intrinsic appeal and more expressive potential - but this music fits Florez like a glove. Camarena is fine too, but less distinctive.


We have some fun ones next round, too. At least I think so.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

This is a tricky one for me as I have seen all three tenors in the theatre, though only one of them (Camarena) in this role, which possibly colours my reaction to him, or even to all of him.
Camarena's plump, jolly figure was a joy in the role of Tonio and he tossed off the top Cs with gleeful ease when I heard him, better in fact than he does here. He was so good that he was forced to encore the whole section and, if anything, was even more spectacular the second time around.
Florez I saw as a disappointingly small scale Werther. The role didn't really suit him at all and he seemed to be husbanding his resources all the way through until the last act, when he started to use a bit more voice. However Donizetti's Tonio is a role that fitted him like a glove and he had a tremendous success in it, also in the very same production I saw with Camarena. He is in best voice in this studio recording and is evidently enjoying himself, though his slightly reedy timbre isn't so much to my liking.
Alagna has the most appealing voice of the three and, though his top Cs weren't its greatest glory, he manages them well enough. If this is from his _Bel Canto_ studio album, then it was recorded in 2002, eight years after I saw him in *Roméo et Juliette *at Covent Garden, in which he was absolutely superb. I cheated a bit as I forgot to start when the top C bit started, which meant that I heard him in the whole scene, singing in impeccable French.
Woodduck is right in stating that this competition is about top notes, so I should probably go for Florez, but I still have that memory of Camarena in my head and I do in general prefer Alagna's voice. I shouldn't have listened to the whole scene, but I can't unhear it now, so I'm going for Alagna, but, let's face it, they're all pretty good. It makes a change to be praising three singers from this century, so let's go with the positives.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> This is a tricky one for me as I have seen all three tenors in the theatre, though only one of them (Camarena) in this role, which possibly colours my reaction to him, or even to all of him.
> Camarena's plump, jolly figure was a joy in the role of Tonio and he tossed off the top Cs with gleeful ease when I heard him, better in fact than he does here. He was so good that he was forced to encore the whole section and, if anything, was even more spectacular the second time around.
> Florez I saw as a disappointingly small scale Werther. The role didn't really suit him at all and he seemed to be husbanding his resources all the way through until the last act, when he started to use a bit more voice. However Donizetti's Tonio is a role that fitted him like a glove and he had a tremendous success in it, also in the very same production I saw with Camarena. He is in best voice in this studio recording and is evidently enjoying himself, though his slightly reedy timbre isn't so much to my liking.
> Alagna has the most appealing voice of the three and, though his top Cs weren't ts greatest glory, he manages them well enough. If this is from his _Bel Canto_ studio album, then it was recorded in 2002, eight years after I saw him in *Roméo et Juliette *at Covent Garden, in which he was absolutely superb. I cheated a bit as I forgot to start when the top C bit started, which meant that I heard him in the whole scene, singing in impeccable French.
> Woodduck is right in stating that this competition is about top notes, so I should probably go for Florez, but I still have that memory of Camarena in my head and I do in general prefer Alagna's voice. I shouldn't have listened to the whole scene, but I can't unhear it now, so I'm going for Alagna, but, let's face it, they're all pretty good. It makes a change to be praising three singers from this century, so let's go with the positives.


This was also an encore for Camarena in this video scene. There was an earlier recording of him but the sound wasn't as good. I had a hard time finding an Alagna recording that worked. I would enjoy seeing any of these in this role. The next round is someone I heard do this twice in an encore! Plus Pav and someone else fabulous. I'm often shallow and love listening to these showy pieces sometimes  More sturm and drang stuff to come I promise.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Though I was weaned on Florez I find his rendering a wee bit white for my taste. Camarena ticks all the right boxes for me. (ain't he cute?)


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

I'll go with Alagna but really I'd prefer a none of the above option


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I am an unabashed Alagna fan ever since his Roméo way back when, because he sings with such passion. The other two I can dispense with, though they sing this repertoire for a living. Alagna is not a natural Tonio.
The only one I didn’t hear live was Alagna, who canceled his anticipated performances In San Francisco.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

My only acquaintance with this opera is a DVD with Florez and Dessay, where she is much alike Giulietta Masina. It's a pretty piece and a decent answer to those who consider opera buffa a lower genre. I heard Florez live only once, in similar style, as Comte Ory, and I must say he has all for this kind of music. 
I heard also Alagna, but in totally different opera, Le Roi Arthus by Chausson. I remember that I liked him, but in general his voice is not sweet enough for such roles and for a comedy too. It's long to explain, but for me he is strongly associated with Italian tenor from first act of Der Rosenkavalier. 
Camarena is one whom I didn't hear live, but would like to. His voice seems the most beautiful to me.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I like Camarena, although his voice could be more distinctive. He does well here.

Florez is the most famous of the three in this number and he, of course delivers here. I think his high Cs have more authority and ring out more solidly than Camarena's. His voice isn't as thin as Camarena's either and he has a better command of the language and the vocal line. Excellent!

I didn't know that Alagna had sung/recorded this and was very much interested in hearing him in it. However, his voice is quite unsuited to this (although predictably he has the best French of the three). He has no feeling for the style of this spirited yet graceful aria and... OMFG what the hell was that? No! Bull in a china shop? More like a Mamoth at the Queen's (I suppose that should now be King's) garden party.

Florez wins easily.

N.


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