# Bass



## Marcel (Aug 14, 2014)

What do you consider good bass voices the last decades and the present? I like specially Peter Kooy that sings the baroque repertoire. He has a beatifull interpretation of Jesus in the St. Matthew Passion by Bach.

[Admin note: thread moved to current location 18-AUG-14 per request of OP]


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Bryn Terfel in Mendelssohn's Elijah (conductor Paul Daniel). Or do you mean voices that have come onto the scene only in the past 10 years?


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## Marcel (Aug 14, 2014)

In last ten years. Perhaps that I mistake because "Bass" is better in "Voices" but I can't change this. Thanks Florestan.


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## OperaGeek (Aug 15, 2014)

Peter Kooy is indeed very good. If you are primarily into baroque music, I'm sure you'll like the excellent *Christopher Purves*. Try him in Harry Christopher's all-round highly recommendable "Messiah".

One of the all-round best basses active today, is *René Pape*. Try his recital, "Gods, Kings & Demons" (DG).

If you are looking for the great bass/bass-baritone voices of the past 25 years or so, there are many to choose from. Here are a few:
*José van Dam*
*Ruggero Raimondi*
*Kurt Moll*
*Matti Salminen*


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## Marcel (Aug 14, 2014)

Thanks OperaGeek.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

I saw Riccardo Zanellato recently; he was superb.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Past:
Cesare Siepi, Siepi, Siepi
Ezio Pinza
Norman Treigle
Present:
Eric Owens


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Florestan said:


> Bryn Terfel in Mendelssohn's Elijah (conductor Paul Daniel). Or do you mean voices that have come onto the scene only in the past 10 years?


I've always considered Terfel a Bass-Baritone. Am I wrong?


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

I heard Stephen Milling as Sarastro at the Met eight years ago and was very impressed. I've since purchased the DVD of the Baden Baden Festival production of _Tannhäuser_ with his Landgrave Hermann. Unfortunately, I couldn't seem to find a YouTube video with him (unless one wanted to listen to an entire opera). Another fine bass who has come on the scene within the last 10-12 years is Franz-Josef Selig.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

nina foresti said:


> I've always considered Terfel a Bass-Baritone. Am I wrong?


Yes that is what they listed and I misunderstood to think that meant he sang both parts, but apparently you are saying he is in between the two. I should have figured since a mezzo-soprano is not a soprano, though some can sing both parts.


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

Kurt Rydl was very good as Baron Ochs (at the end of the season).
i attended both performances, he was a joy to hear.

Matti Salminen played in (our) Parsifal.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Ferruccio Furlanetto - _Don Carlo_






Interview by Operafocus. Photos by yours truly


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## JohnGerald (Jul 6, 2014)

Present: Furlanetto.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Talvela.............


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Salminen... The Flying Dutchman - '85 Bayreuth


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## OperaGeek (Aug 15, 2014)

Itullian said:


> Talvela.............


I wholeheartedly second that, even though Talvela's prime was more than 30 years ago. He had one of the largest and most beautiful bass voices ever recorded. A sample: 




If you look back to the '60s through the '80s (and you should!), other greats include:

*Hans Sotin
Nicolai Ghiaurov
Gottlob Frick
Karl Ridderbusch*


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Samuel Ramey was another wonderful bass from the '80s and '90s.


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Vladimir Miller is my present day favourite


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## Marcel (Aug 14, 2014)

The arias for bass, of course, are a minority compared to the rest of the vocal register. Maybe there is more proportionally in religious or sacred music. I hope the help of the Forum to search for them. Greetings to all.


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## OperaGeek (Aug 15, 2014)

Marcel said:


> The arias for bass, of course, are a minority compared to the rest of the vocal register. Maybe there is more proportionally in religious or sacred music. I hope the help of the Forum to search for them. Greetings to all.


A couple to get you started:

*Nicolai Ghiaurov* - "Confutatis" (Verdi: Requiem) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG7dj7GJROo#t=2086

*Hans Sotin* - "In diesen heil'gen Hallen" (Mozart: Die Zauberflöte)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0cKnC3UvWU#t=5402

*Kurt Moll* - "O Isis und Osiris" (Mozart: Die Zauberflöte)





*Ruggero Raimondi* - "Come dal ciel precipita" (Verdi: Macbeth)


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Here is a remarkable bass that member ahammel posted in a thread last Nov:


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## Marcel (Aug 14, 2014)

I was listening and recalling the voices of Pape, Kurt Moll, Sieppi, Ramey, Ghiaurov, Salminen and Talvella. some of these are baritones or bass baritone. So it seems with Ramey, whose voice is splendid. With respect to the others, Ghiaurov and Moll I like very much. I commented in this forum of the voice so beautiful, majestic and sweet of Peter Kooy. Although this specialized in the Baroque period, I think that it is not well known and should be more famous.


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## OperaGeek (Aug 15, 2014)

No, Pape, Moll, Siepi, Ramey, Ghiaurov, Salminen and Talvela are/were all basses, but several of them have/had a very strong upper range. At his best, Ramey had a quite exceptionally wide-ranging voice, allowing him to even sing Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca (very well, too), one of the great baritone roles. He is still a bass, though.

Singers like José van Dam and Ruggero Raimondi are bass-baritones.

For comparison, you may want to listen to some of the great baritones. There are many to choose from. Three to get you started:

*Ettore Bastianini* - 



*Cornell MacNeil* - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YdalNgObME#t=223
*Robert Merrill* -


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## Marcel (Aug 14, 2014)

OperaGeek said:


> No, Pape, Moll, Siepi, Ramey, Ghiaurov, Salminen and Talvela are/were all basses, but several of them have/had a very strong upper range. At his best, Ramey had a quite exceptionally wide-ranging voice, allowing him to even sing Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca (very well, too), one of the great baritone roles. He is still a bass, though.
> 
> Singers like José van Dam and Ruggero Raimondi are bass-baritones.
> 
> ...


Yea, and also my favorite baritone, Dietrich Fisher Dieskau. Moreover, Sherrill Milnes. Also Leonard Warren. Is there already a thread of baritones? No if so, would that create it!


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## Marcel (Aug 14, 2014)

My tastes are on the side of Peter Kooy, Kurt Moll, Ramey and Ghiaurov. The others are great bass of course. Please note that my knowledge of Richard Wagner's music is null.


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