# Who, in your opinion, are todays best opera singers?



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Favorites or otherwise.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Don't we have your favourite soprano, mezzo, tenor, already?


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Bass: Ildar Abdrazakov
Baritone: Quinn Kelsey
Tenor: Marcelo Álvarez

Not knowledgeable enough to comment on women singers


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Sopranos: Radvanovsky/Netrebko/Gheorghiu
Mezzos: Blythe/Barton/diDonato
Tenors: Calleja/Beczala/Kaufmann
Baritones: Hvorostovsky/Mattei/Kwiecen
Basses: Pape/Furlanetto/Abdrazakov


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Sopranos: Anna Netrebko, Anja Harteros, Nina Stemme, Angela Gheorghiu
Mezzos: Joyce Di Donato, Elina Garanča, Waltraud Meier, Sarah Connolly
Tenors: Jonas Kaufmann, Lawrence Brownlee, Piotr Beczala, Joseph Calleja
Baritones: Simon Keenlyside, Quinn Kelsey, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Peter Mattei
Bass-baritones: Bryn Terfel, Luca Pisaroni, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, Eric Owens
Basses: René Pape, Stephen Milling, Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Ildar Abrazakov


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I basically agree with Mauer's choices, especially the outstanding Kelsey (a voice like amber!); I'm always on the lookout for new Verdi baritones.. But I'd like to add Mariusz Kwiecien -- his "Slavic Heroes" CD _really_ impressed me.


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

MAuer said:


> Sopranos: Anna Netrebko, Anja Harteros, Nina Stemme, Angela Gheorghiu
> *Mezzos:* Joyce Di Donato, Elina Garanča, Waltraud Meier, Sarah Connolly
> Tenors: Jonas Kaufmann, Lawrence Brownlee, Piotr Beczala, Joseph Calleja
> Baritones: Simon Keenlyside, Quinn Kelsey, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Peter Mattei
> ...


to add Cecilia Bartoli and Ambrogio Maestri (the greatest Falstaff ever)


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Other than Stephanie Blythe, Jamie Barton, Jonas Kaufmann, Larry Brownley, and Radvonovski, my favorites are all counter tenors: David Hansen, Phillippe Jaroussky, David Daniels


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

I made a quick short-list but scrapped it. Whilst the singers were still active, I felt that I was reminiscing past glories and the voices had changed considerably over time. If we're brutally honest. How many singers on this thread would make it on current form? 

Cruel but fair?


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Couac Addict said:


> I made a quick short-list but scrapped it. Whilst the singers were still active, I felt that I was reminiscing past glories and the voices had changed considerably over time. If we're brutally honest. How many singers on this thread would make it on current form?
> 
> Cruel but fair?


I honestly don't know if it's fair. I do know however that I can go to a live performance of all the singers in this topic (even though it will take a lot of effort and luck, and money) and have the experience how it looked and sounded with my own eyes and ears. I prefer this over listening to a record or watching a DVD of dead opera legends. Having said that, I wonder how I will look at this in, let's say, 40 years.

-Edit-
I may have misinterpreted the statement by Couac. Did you mean that they don't deserve to be on this list judging by their latest achievements ?

Maybe some... I'm not a specialist on most of the singers mentioned. Netrebko has had some very impressive achievements the last years, new roles (Tatyana, Leonora, Lady Macbeth, Manon Lescaut) all to high critical acclaim. I can't imagine how much work and stress this involved.


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

I don't know of any great tenors around today; not compared to those of the past. Then again that is just my opinion.

We have some fantastic counter tenors as Seattleoperafan said; Franco Fagioli and Iestyn Davies are very very good. 

Peter Mattei and Gerald Finley are both very good baritones. 
Feruccio Furlanetto is great, though he's getting old. 

I don't care for any of the current sopranos who are in the spotlight; Natalie Dessay is an obvious choice though, and I like Waltraud Meier. Barbara Hannigan is incredibly talented, but in the modern/contemporary repertoire. 

I like Joyce diDonato and Sarah Connolly.

As for altos, I love the voice type, just wish I knew some singing today!


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Dongiovanni wrote:

_I honestly don't know if it's fair. I do know however that I can go to a live performance of all the singers in this topic (even though it will take a lot of effort and luck, and money) and have the experience how it looked and sounded with my own eyes and ears. I prefer this over listening to a record or watching a DVD of dead opera legends. Having said that, I wonder how I will look at this in, let's say, 40 years._

I won't claim I've never had (fleeting) thoughts that today's singers aren't as good as the singers who were "hot" when I first got into opera (around 1997), or as singers from a generation or two previous whose recordings I've heard. But if I'm being honest, I'd have to admit that this is largely subjective and that in direct and specific, "point by point comparisons" (to use one of J.B. Steane's favorite phrases!), today's young singers would probably hold up quite well and, in some respects, surpass their predecessors. At any rate, I think it's important to live my life in the present and enjoy things as they're given to me, and that includes opera and singers. Admittedly, it can be hard to do, because I think human beings in general tend to want to live in an idealized past or the future rather than in the here and now.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Nostalgia has a lot to answer for 

As I was making the list, I realised how few were under 50 which made me wonder how many are really on top anymore? Am I just recalling performances from 10-15 years ago? I've seen Meier several times in the past couple of years and I have to admit that she's a shadow of her former self. The consistency isn't there - particularly with the recitals. Excellent at times but no control on other occasions. No fault about the effort but I suspect fatigue is causing the problem. Let's face it , she's nudging 60. But when I think how great she is, I'm problem thinking of performances a decade ago.

Previous comments about the surplus of counter-tenors is right. Where are they all coming from? haha.
A lot of Sth. Korean/Sth. African singers coming through as well.


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## BaronScarpia (Apr 2, 2014)

GioCar said:


> to add Cecilia Bartoli and Ambrogio Maestri (the greatest Falstaff ever)


Argh! Anyone but Ceci B!

I love these threads:

Kate Royal, Marina Poplavskaya, Sonya Yoncheva, Marina Rebeka, Olga Peretyatko, Patrizia Ciofi, Angela Gheorghiu, Dorothea Roschmann, Ekaterina Scherbachenko, Susan Gritton, Elizabeth Watts, Pumeza Matshikiza, Sondra Radvanovsky, Renée Fleming, Anna Netrebko

Jamie Barton, Joyce DiDonato, Elina Garanca, Ann Hallenberg, Jennifer Larmore, Anna Bonitatibus

David Hansen

Michael Fabiano, Piotr Beczala, Vittorio Grigolo, Juan Diego Flórez, Joseph Calleja, Javier Camarena, Topi Lehtipuu

Ludovic Tezier, Massimo Cavalletti, Mariusz Kwiecien, Simon Keenlyside, Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, Luca Pisaroni, Erwin Schrott

René Pape


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

GioCar said:


> to add Cecilia Bartoli and Ambrogio Maestri (the greatest Falstaff ever)


This is the Stage of World History Calling: "Have you ever heard of Tito Gobbi?"


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

GioCar said:


> ... and Ambrogio Maestri (the greatest Falstaff ever)


Fabulous isn't he? Have you seen him live?


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

Marschallin Blair said:


> This is the Stage of World History Calling: "Have you ever heard of Tito Gobbi?"


This is the Present Times Staging Committee asking: "Have you ever seen Maestri live?" 

I'd say that Tito Gobbi was the greatest Scarpia ever, but I cannot see him as the "perfect" Falstaff.



sospiro said:


> Fabulous isn't he? Have you seen him live?


Yes, I saw him at La Scala in a recent production by Robert Carsen, Daniel Harding conducting. 
Terrific.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

I'm sorry, I have to say it, Angela Gheorgiu is terribly overrated....

@OP
sopranos: Annick Massis (I don't like many current sopranos lol)
mezzos: Dolora Zajick, Joyce DiDonato, 
contraltos: Ewa Podles
tenors: Jonas Kaufmann 
baritones: Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Peter Mattei 
basses: Samuel Ramey


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

GioCar said:


> This is the Present Times Staging Committee asking: "Have you ever seen Maestri live?"
> 
> Yes, I saw him at La Scala in a recent production by Robert Carsen, Daniel Harding conducting.
> Terrific.


That's the one I saw! ROH are reviving it next year and I hope to go again.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

GioCar said:


> Ambrogio Maestri (the greatest Falstaff ever)


My avatar and I may have to quibble with you over the word 'ever'!

If you say 'the greatest Falstaff living' I am happy to take your word for it!


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

I won't (and cannot) argue with Monsieur Maurel , so please feel free to take off the word "ever".


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## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

I've always found Samuel Ramey rather dry and humorless. From the world-famous basses I'd pick Stephen Milling, Franz-Josef Selig, Renè Pape, Matti Salminen and Ildar Abdrazakov. My recent discoveries among the less famous ones include Mikhail Petrenko.

And as for baritones, my first favorite lyrical baritone is now the amazing Alexey Markov.


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## jflatter (Mar 31, 2010)

Most of the singers already mentioned would be on my list. I love Kaufmann, Pape, Stemme and Harteros in particular as they have all at some stage stunned me when hearing them live. 

Another singer who like Stemme is more a dramatic soprano that has stunned me when heard live is Evelyn Herlitzius, who I heard sing Elektra in Dresden. She is a fabulous singing actress and is the finest Elektra around in my opinion. 

I am also a fan of Kristine Opolais and I think as time goes on she could be a great singer.


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## Camillorf (Jul 18, 2014)

Mezzo: Joyce DiDonato
Tenors: Juan Diego Florez, Ramon Vargas
Baritones: Gerald Finley, Simon Keenlyside, Alessandro Corbelli
Bass: Ildar Abdrazakov

I don't really care for any of the current sopranos. Having said that, I am still very new to opera and this may well change as my listening experience increases.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Camillorf said:


> Mezzo: Joyce DiDonato
> Tenors: Juan Diego Florez, Ramon Vargas
> Baritones: Gerald Finley, Simon Keenlyside, Alessandro Corbelli
> Bass: Ildar Abdrazakov
> ...


Excellent choices!

Good luck with finding other singers to like.


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## PeterJ (Jan 1, 2015)

Juan Diego Flórez


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

Soprano: Nina Stemme
Tenor: Andrej Dunaev


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

At the Met, the most impressive voices I've heard were the bass Hans-Peter Konig and the mezzo Stephanie Blythe. They were easily the biggest, most imposing voices I've yet to hear. Neither of them has the body-type for superstardom but their voices are probably a thing beyond most of the 'superstars'. Though it's possible I'm just way too overstimulated and nothing gets through to me but the oversize voices.

I just don't know how Abdrazakov is a bass....he sounds lighter, like a bass-baritone to me.....I've only heard him on recording, which doesn't mean much, but that was my impression.


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

Sopranos: Angela Gheorghiu, Maria Aleida
Mezzos: Cecilia Bartolli, Joyce Di Donato, Ruxandra Donose
Tenors: Juan Diego Florez, Jonas Kaufman
Baritones: Simon Keenlyside, Peter Mattei, Renato Brusson, Claudio Desderi, Leo Nucci (I love baritones )
Bass: Furalanetto


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Jobis said:


> Barbara Hannigan is incredibly talented, but in the modern/contemporary repertoire.


She's fantastic! I need to get hold of one or two of her recordings.


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## aajj (Dec 28, 2014)

I've been partial to Dawn Upshaw since i heard her CD The Girl with the Orange Lips. She is equally strong with modern music as with the classic repertoire.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

starthrower said:


> She's fantastic! I need to get hold of one or two of her recordings.


These. Written on Skin is must-see anyway.










She sings about a quarter of this en pointe.










This is fun, if a little odd in that the musical effects proceed entirely independently of whatever is going on on stage. I wish we had a DVD version.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Already legendary to me are Elina Garanca, Joyce Didonato, Juan Diego Florez, Nina Stimme, and Renee Fleming (before she retires soon). Jonas Kaufman is up there too with Rene Pape .


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## wagner4evr (Jul 10, 2010)

No love for Greer Grimsley? Seriously?


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## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

Gaspard de la Nuit said:


> At the Met, the most impressive voices I've heard were the bass Hans-Peter Konig and the mezzo Stephanie Blythe. They were easily the biggest, most imposing voices I've yet to hear. Neither of them has the body-type for superstardom but their voices are probably a thing beyond most of the 'superstars'. Though it's possible I'm just way too overstimulated and nothing gets through to me but the oversize voices.
> 
> I just don't know how Abdrazakov is a bass....he sounds lighter, like a bass-baritone to me.....I've only heard him on recording, which doesn't mean much, but that was my impression.


Hans-Peter König has a wonderful voice and is perfect for the good guys' parts, but he doesn't (usually) make an impressive villain. Even as Hunding and Hagen he looked too kindly, in my opinion.

As for Abdrazakov, yes, I too think he's a "höher Bass" (and one of my favorites for that very reason!)


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## kineno (Jan 24, 2015)

Grimsley: yes; loved him in Seattle, 2013. My other votes would be for Christine Goerke, Jonas Kaufmann, and René Pape.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

starthrower said:


> She's fantastic! I need to get hold of one or two of her recordings.


Not only that but she can also dance & conduct!!

[In the interest of full disclosure, see my avatar]


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

"Who in my opinion are ""today's"" best opera singers?"

Well, I'm not interested in what's 'today' or 'yesterday,' but merely what's 'forever.'_ ;D_


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## Creatio (Jul 2, 2015)

I can agree only. And...

Sopranos: DAMRAU as well!
Tenors: Mironov (since 2008... heavens!)
Baritones: Gilfry, Mattei, Pisaroni,
Basses: Kocán

But how I love listening Kaufmann, Furlanetto, Netrebko, DiDonatto, Garanca, Ramey, Terfel, Florez and etc. How much!


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Jonas Kaufmann, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Renee Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, and Cecilia Bartoli.

These are my favorites of the current crop of singers.


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

GioCar said:


> to add Cecilia Bartoli and Ambrogio Maestri (the greatest Falstaff ever)


we have another great in Budapest: Alexandru Agache. he chose to live in Budapest because of her GF Gyöngyi Lukács. his roles are: Falstaff, Nabucco, Hollander, Rigoletto, Alfio/Tonio, Simon Boccanegra & Macbeth.

Maestri was our Scarpia last season, will be our Falstaff in May, can't wait to hear him again!


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## breakup (Jul 8, 2015)

Well these 2 certainly qualify as "eye candy", and they can sing.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Isabel Leonard is another add to my previous list.


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## Gaby Opera (Jul 13, 2015)

Bass Ferruccio Furlanetto/Rene Pape/Ildar Abdrazakov
Baritones/Thomas Hampson/Dmitri Hvorostovsky/Mariusz Kwiecień/Ildebrando D'arcangelo/Bryn Terfel (bass-Baritones)
Sopranos Anna Netrebko/Renee Fleming/Karita Mattila/Angela Gheorghiu
Tenors/Jonas Kaufmann/Piotr Beczala/Rolando Villazon/Juan Diego Florez
Mezzo Sopranos/Joyce DiDonato/Elina Garanca/Cecilia Bartoli


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

there are some wonderful singers around today; however, my biggest overall complaints are
1) viewing coloratura as "optional" rather than either learning to sing it properly or simply abstaining from such roles and sticking to less coloratura-heavy composers and roles (for instance: Puccini)
2) affected tone. the most common offenses are lyric voices trying to sing too dark or dramatic voices singing with exaggerated heft/vibrato (perhaps the only current Wagnerian I enjoy is Waltrud Meier).
3) strained/non-spinning high notes
4) singers who defend absurd repertoire choices based on "how dare you put me in a box!". look, no one is rigid enough to criticizing a heavier lyric soprano for dipping into a spinto aria, a lyric coloratura for trying her hand at Queen of the Night or a dark hued lyric baritone singing Germont . the fach system is not there for that, but it _is_ there to give singers some common sense and avoid having them sing repertoire which could hurt their voice (....or trying to sing Norma with virtually zero experience in roles requiring substantial coloratura. yes, I'm looking at you Radvanovsky...). perhaps in 30 years, people will be able to go to the voice plastic surgeon and purchase a dramatic mezzo, basso profundo or soubrette, but until then, have a sense of proportion and use what you got.


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## sonolucia (Jul 25, 2015)

For me, when it comes to tenors I've seen live, Juan Diego Florez and Vittorio Grigolo.


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