# Favourite Baritones in Opera



## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

Who are some of your favourite baritones in opera?

Some that spring to mind are:

Pavel Lisitsian
Riccardo Stracciari
Cornell McNeil
Titta Ruffo
Vladimir Chernov 

Many baritones I hear after these few just sound sub-par to me, so I'd like to hear about some more greats.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Mattia Battistini, was probably the best.
Giuseppe de Luca.
Lawrence Tibbett.
Heinrich Schlusnus.
Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender.
Erich Kunz.
Hermann Prey.
Gerard Souzay.
Robert Merrill.

These are all great singers,some of them were great in the world of song as well as opera.
I never understand why Americans undersell their native singers,the two above are certainly very great Italian baritones.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Those are mine: Riccardo Stracciari, Mattia Battistini, Pavel Lisitsian, Leonard Warren, Giuseppe de Luca, Heinrich Schlusnus, Giuseppe Taddei.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Simon Keenlyside






Quinn Kelsey. To quote Ferruccio Furlanetto in a recent interview _"We finally have a Verdi baritone!"_


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Riccardo Stracciari
Lawrence Tibbett
Tito Gobbi (for acting skill as well)
Robert Merrill
Mattia Batistini

Tibbett underwent a "vocal crisis" in 1940 and his voice was never the same again although he underwent a partial recovery in the mid-forties. Gobbi had trouble with his higher notes after 1959 or so. A potential sixth choice would have been Pasquale Amato, whose voice also experienced a short-lived splendor. One guilty choice I've omitted was Leonard Warren. _Morir! Tremenda cosa_. Another would be Titta Ruffo.


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

sospiro said:


> Simon Keenlyside


I cannot 'get' keenlyside's appeal at all. To me his voice lacks grace or beauty, although I won't lie he really brings the characters to life on the stage, for his acting performance I cannot fault him.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Sherrill Milnes!!


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Jobis said:


> I cannot 'get' keenlyside's appeal at all. To me his voice lacks grace or beauty, although I won't lie he really brings the characters to life on the stage, for his acting performance I cannot fault him.


Errm



Might have something to do with basic instinct!! He's just gorgeous!


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

MAuer said:


> Sherrill Milnes!!


OH, yes. Applause, applause. You know, Gobbi was probably the best, but Milnes is my favorite.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Peter Mattei, Peter Mattei, Peter Mattei, Peter Mattei and Peter Mattei.





I'd come rushing too if Peter sang to me!


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

sospiro said:


> Simon Keenlyside
> 
> Quinn Kelsey. To quote Ferruccio Furlanetto in a recent interview _"We finally have a Verdi baritone!"_


Great examples, thanks. Keenlyside's voice is like whiskey: warm, soft edged, but with a welcome bite, and Kelsey's is like good deep red wine: you can almost taste the color. Great singers.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

...and you know what: Maria Callas really has to be on the list, just for her Cortigiani... just a priceless performance.


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## Pip (Aug 16, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> OH, yes. Applause, applause. You know, Gobbi was probably the best, but Milnes is my favorite.


Lawrence Tibbett
Giuseppe de Luca 
Ettore Bastianini
Dietrich Fischer-dieskau
Peter Glossop
Tito Gobbi
Vladimir Chernov
George London

All well known . Tibbett could sing anything(and did) , possibly the best Wotan voice of all .Glossop was very underrated, one of the very best post-war Verdi Baritones. Chernov, was wonderful but lost it quite quickly. 
De Luca was the most elegant stylish singer. Bastianini was taken from us much to early. Fischer-Dieskau was never given the credit for singing Italian as well as he could German - a tremendous artist.
Gobbi, the consummate singing actor. 
Today's baritones pale by comparison. As good as they are, they can not match up to the kind of voices I, and others have listed.
One other I mentioned was George London. Like Tibbett, he could sing Bass or baritone, and I am afraid that messrs keenlyside et al can only dream of producing sound such as this. The only modern Baritone with the power and vocal tone I have heard in recent years is Hvorostovsky. He is the nearest thing to a modern day Pavel Lisistian.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

London's Amfortas was out of this world.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I'll list mine in (roughly) chronological order:

Lawrence Tibbett, Robert Merrill, Sherrill Milnes, Vladimir Chernov, Giorgio Zancanaro, Dwayne Croft, Mark Delavan, Simon Keenlyside

*Guythegreg:* In my view, "better" is a bit vague. I think it would be right to say that Tito Gobbi was a keener vocal actor than Sherrill Milnes.

*Jobis:* I'll just explain Keenlyside's appeal for me. I love that his voice is slender yet rich. I LOVE his singing line -- I believe he has some of the very best legato among singers today. I like that he's emotionally forthright and not "precious." He does my favorite version of "Per me guinto" from _Don Carlo_; and he's a fine, forthright actor (I saw him as Rodrigo in 2010 via HD).


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Bellinilover said:


> ... In my view, "better" is a bit vague. I think it would be right to say that Tito Gobbi was a keener vocal actor than Sherrill Milnes.....


I dunno. I can't say exactly why I think Gobbi was better, but i THINK i think he's better because he had a better voice! The reason I differ on this is that when I gave some thought to just what Milnes did so well on his Rigoletto, the communication through his voice, the ability to use his voice to tell you everything you need to know about the character, seemed to be the quality that most stood out. The knock on Milnes' voice, I think, is that it is a little colorless or nasal or something like that. On the other hand, I've never heard Gobbi's Rigoletto, although I saw a little clip of his Cortigiani on Youtube. Now what complicates the whole argument for me is that I really prefer Callas' Cortigiani! I cannot listen to more than two or three minutes of it without breaking up. It's as though she picks a spanner of exactly the right size, applies it to my heart in exactly the right place, gives one wrench and the thing comes to pieces. Makes me wonder what Dessay would do with it, ridiculous as I know that sounds.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> I dunno. I can't say exactly why I think Gobbi was better, but i THINK i think he's better because he had a better voice! The reason I differ on this is that when I gave some thought to just what Milnes did so well on his Rigoletto, the communication through his voice, the ability to use his voice to tell you everything you need to know about the character, seemed to be the quality that most stood out. The knock on Milnes' voice, I think, is that it is a little colorless or nasal or something like that. On the other hand, I've never heard Gobbi's Rigoletto, although I saw a little clip of his Cortigiani on Youtube. Now what complicates the whole argument for me is that I really prefer Callas' Cortigiani! I cannot listen to more than two or three minutes of it without breaking up. It's as though she picks a spanner of exactly the right size, applies it to my heart in exactly the right place, gives one wrench and the thing comes to pieces. Makes me wonder what Dessay would do with it, ridiculous as I know that sounds.


You've said a lot there! I feel Gobbi did have an inherently beautiful voice. His use of it was not always "beautiful," or graceful, but the timbre itself was beautiful -- very Italian. Milnes sounds very American to me, and I happen to LOVE the "American baritone sound." It's just such a resonant, robust, generous, and "giving" sound, whereas the Italian baritones, to me, sound more "confined" by comparison (well, not Titta Ruffo, but he had an exceptionally big voice). Milnes' voice had all the qualities I just listed, as well as a gentleness that you don't always hear in Verdi baritones. I think he lacked a mezza-voce _alla_ Leonard Warren, but his _piano_ singing was always so beautiful. As for his Rigoletto, he's one of the few Rigolettos I've heard to sound outraged rather than merely put-upon at the beginning of "Cortigiani." His voice had sufficient steeliness and "bite," and his rhythm was strong enough, so that he could make a convincing effect of anger there. The reason Gobbi strikes me as the keener vocal actor than Milnes (or Tibbett, who is called a great vocal actor among Americans) has to do, I think, with the fact that because his voice was not as robust or opulent the tone could drain or "bite" or scowl more easily. On the other hand, I've always felt (especially with his Rigoletto) that listening to a Sherrill Milnes performance is like taking something that in the past you've only experienced in one or two dimensions and suddenly experiencing it in three dimensions. For example, his recorded Iago may not be as coherent as a whole as are some others, but it's filled with what the late J.B. Steane would have called "moment to moment" insight and detail.

In college I read a transcript of the Callas master class where she discussed "Cortigiani" and noted that everything she said to do, Milnes does in both of his recorded versions.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

I like that idea - Milnes gives you an extra dimension. Good one.


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

So many but will list 5 I listen to a lot and feel are the best for me.

1. Titto Gobbi
2. Leonard Warren
3. Piero Cappuccilli
4. Robert Merrill
5. Ingvar Wixell

This is in order.


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## EllenBurgess (May 30, 2013)

Mattia Battistini, was probably the best.
Giuseppe de Luca.
Lawrence Tibbett.
Heinrich Schlusnus.
Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender.
Erich Kunz.
Hermann Prey.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

EllenBurgess said:


> Mattia Battistini, was probably the best.
> Giuseppe de Luca.
> Lawrence Tibbett.
> Heinrich Schlusnus.
> ...


If you admire me so much that you feel compelled to merely repeat my post why leave off the last two names ?
I think the idea was for you to list your favourites.


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## mchriste (Aug 16, 2013)

I'll have to post more when I had time to think, but for now - how about *Rolando Panerai*?
I'm listening to Il Trovatore right now (the 1956 Karajan version) and his
"*Per me ora fatale*" is maybe my favorite recording of a baritone aria ever, despite very stiff competition!


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

An honorable mention that I would like to add to my earlier post in this thread would be Giuseppe Taddei. I like his Gerard in the 1950s video of Andrea Chenier (with del Monaco) and his Leporello in Don Giovanni. As far as acting baritones go, a notch under Gobbi, imo. He also has a video of Falstaff.


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## Pip (Aug 16, 2013)

Interesting! the last two posts by mchriste and Revenant mention Panerai and Taddei, who both appear in the same video of a live performance under Karajan from Salzburg 1982. Panerai reprises his sojourn as Ford (he was Karajan's first Ford at Salzburg in 1957). It is a splendid traditional production with some really fine singing, none better than Taddei, who warms up quite quickly ad really turns in a tour de force. Kabaiwanska leads the ladies beautifully and the great Christa Ludwig does a star turn as Mistress Quickly. A delightful DVD.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

I thought I'd add some more artists as there appears to be no rush going on here.
Paul Schoefler.
Josef Metternich.
Charles Panzera.
Georg Ots.
Paolo Silveri. 
Eberhard Waechter.

The usefulness of this type of list is that it would be worth members investigating these artists as there seems a paucity of front rank singers now. I have chosen great singers as opposed to great actors as that is the most important factor in opera,though you may be lucky enough to get them coming together .


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## mchriste (Aug 16, 2013)

Alright, I thought about my faves some more.
In no particular order, baritones I really like are:

*Rolando Panerai* (already mentioned above)
*Tito Gobbi*
*Sherrill Milnes*
*Eberhard Wächter*
*Leo Nucci*
*Piero Capucilli*
*Giorgio Zancanaro*
*Ettore Bastianini*

Honorable mention goes to *Simon Keenlyside*, though more for his stage presence than his voice alone.
Sometimes I think of him as the male pendant to Anna Netrebko! :lol:

At the other end of the scale, I must admit that I cannot stand *Dmitri Hvorostovsky*.
I can't get over the "sonorous" way he catches his breath, ruins the whole aria for me.
And tbh he could adopt a slightly less arrogant persona on stage... but maybe that's just me.


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## mchriste (Aug 16, 2013)

@mamascarlatti

Shoot, I can't believe I forgot about *Peter Mattei*!!

I even saw him live only a couple months ago as Don Giovanni, in the infamous sect leader / murderous psychopath version...









Not quite what people associate with the name "Don Giovanni", eh? 

Yet even though the performance was absolutely ripped to shreds in the local press, I have to say that I enjoyed it. Mostly...


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

*mrchriste:* I like Rolando Panerai very much; I'll add him to my list. He had a very "friendly"-sounding voice. I must admit that I like Cappuccilli and Nucci within strict limits and that I've never cared for Ettore Bastiannini. In fact, the reason I didn't include Dmitri Hvorostovsky on my list is because his sound sometimes reminds of Bastiannini's (whom Hvorostovsky has called his favorite baritone): with both baritones there's occasionally a lack of emotional warmth in the sound, as well as a sense that they're "oversinging," or using too much tone for the words (if that makes any sense). Hvorostovksy has other qualities I admire, but among modern baritones I prefer Simon Keenlyside, and among Russian baritones I prefer Vladimir Chernov. Both, to my ears, have more emotional warmth in their sounds than does Hvorostovsky.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

mchriste said:


> @mamascarlatti
> 
> Shoot, I can't believe I forgot about *Peter Mattei*!!
> 
> ...


Was that the DG where Peter Mattei was wearing a gorilla mask?

I was going to see this, but in the end didn't go (sorry Natalie).


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## mchriste (Aug 16, 2013)

@sospiro
Yes he was briefly wearing a gorilla mask early in the opera but let's just say that its not the aspect i remember most... the whole thing was quite outrageous! I will gladly discuss this Don Giovanni further but maybe we should start a separate thread? I don't want to hijack this one. 

@bellinilover
Thanks for your insightful comments! What I like most about Panerai is the weight of his voice I guess. He really belches out (in a good way!) that particular aria. Funny that you should mention his "friendly" voice considering the utter hate his character expresses in II Trovatore! But I think I know what you mean and I agree.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

*mchriste:* The year I first got interested in opera, there was a Lyric Opera of Chicago radio broadcast featuring Panerai as Gianni Schicci. At the time he was 75 years old. I don't recall much about the broadcast, but I do recall that on the radio his voice sounded HUGE and very warm.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I can't believe anyone hasn't mentioned Titta Ruffo:



Yes he was a long time ago, but it was the most beautiful baritone voice ever in my opinion. I also LOVE Leonard Warren and am so sad no one ever recorded that enormous, dark voice singing tenor arias up to C, which he often sang walking home after performances at the Met on the street with friends! I also have greatly enjoyed Lawrence Tibbett in historic recordings from the Met. I'll also give honorable mention to any baritone who makes it into http://www.barihunks.blogspot.com/.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I can't believe anyone hasn't mentioned Titta Ruffo:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes he was a long time ago, but it was the most beautiful baritone voice ever in my opinion. I also LOVE Leonard Warren and am so sad no one ever recorded that enormous, dark voice singing tenor arias up to C, which he often sang walking home after performances at the Met on the street with friends! I also have greatly enjoyed Lawrence Tibbett in historic recordings from the Met. I'll also give honorable mention to any baritone who makes it into http://www.barihunks.blogspot.com/.


Hullo, actually they've all been mentioned --You did pick an unusual avatar, but who is it ? Or should I know ?


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I can't believe anyone hasn't mentioned Titta Ruffo:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes he was a long time ago, but it was the most beautiful baritone voice ever in my opinion.


taste can differ so much. I find him terrible (although it's mostly his interpretation, he sounds bored out of his skull; the voice as such is rather pleasant).


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

moody said:


> Hullo, actually they've all been mentioned --You did pick an unusual avatar, but who is it ? Or should I know ?


I must have missed Ruffo. I know the others were mentioned.
The photo is from a funny episode in Birgit Nilsson's career when she was singing in the Ring at the Met and the set was so dark that during dress rehersal she came out in a miner's helmet with the light on with Valkyrie horns attached Nilsson was a very funny woman! She was my first major diva affair 43 years ago and is still one of the 2 or 3 at the top of my list. As a personality she is the queen.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

sospiro said:


> Was that the DG where Peter Mattei was wearing a gorilla mask? [snip...]


It's official. I'm out of touch and have been away from staged operas and new productions for very very long. Learning that someone wore a gorilla mask in a staging of Don Giovanni makes me feel, well,...., sad. As General Beck said before he died: "I was thinking of former times."

Sorry for the hijack. Panerai, yes, absolutely. Another great one.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Revenant said:


> It's official. I'm out of touch and have been away from staged operas and new productions for very very long. Learning that someone wore a gorilla mask in a staging of Don Giovanni makes me feel, well,...., sad. As General Beck said before he died: "I was thinking of former times."
> 
> Sorry for the hijack. Panerai, yes, absolutely. Another great one.


Oh now, don't despair. The shock value of productions like that gets them much more attention than is really necessary - I think a list of the top ten worst Regie productions of all time actually included the Met's new Sonnambula, which was actually pretty restrained. Most Regie productions are not awful, and most new productions are not Regie. I think.


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## manuelnobre (Aug 2, 2013)

i would choose Bastianini, MacNeil, Gobbi (as Scarpia), Merrill, Panerai altough i admit i'm not really "familiar" with many baritones!
as for those from the present i do enjoy Keenlyside and Hvorostovsky but they don't really thrill me that much!i still haven't hear Mattei very carefully yet...

ps: Moody you mentioned Georg Ots and I've only heard him very recently in a few excerpts from Onegin and i really loved him
(specially that amazing final duet with Vishnevskaya!!!)
but i can't seem to find a complete opera recording (Onegin or any other!) with him...
where can i find them??help!


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Tito Gobbi
Piero Cappucilli
Renato Bruson
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Giorgio Zancanaro


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Having been listening to and watching a lot of him lately, I've decided that Thomas Allen is another one of my favorite baritones. I really like the color and texture of his voice, and he was one of the best operatic actors ever, I think.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

As Sospiro said: Quinn Kelsey. It's not that often that I hear a voice live for the first time and literally go  and






at the same time because of the ridiculous beauty of their voice. I brought a friend along to hear him do Rigoletto, who'd never been to opera before and never really been into it and she spent most her time in tears. The voice has pain, beauty, soul... I could go on.

Also, I do enjoy a bit of Piero Cappuccilli. Leonard Warren. George London. Robert Merrill. To name a few.


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

Operafocus said:


> As Sospiro said: Quinn Kelsey. It's not that often that I hear a voice live for the first time and literally go  and
> View attachment 27396
> at the same time because of the ridiculous beauty of their voice. I brought a friend along to hear him do Rigoletto, who'd never been to opera before and never really been into it and she spent most her time in tears. The voice has pain, beauty, soul... I could go on.
> 
> Also, I do enjoy a bit of Piero Cappuccilli. Leonard Warren. George London. Robert Merrill. To name a few.


I'd pay an arm and a leg to hear Quinn Kelsey live... will have to check whether he'll be in london any time soon.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Jobis said:


> I'd pay an arm and a leg to hear Quinn Kelsey live... will have to check whether he'll be in london any time soon.


ENO's Rigoletto February 2014


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

What sospiro said. At least


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

sospiro said:


> ENO's Rigoletto February 2014


Haha yes, I googled him last night after posting that comment and have booked tickets to see his rigoletto since then.

thanks though


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

Jobis said:


> Haha yes, I googled him last night after posting that comment and have booked tickets to see his rigoletto since then.
> 
> thanks though


Which date are you going to? Maybe we'll see you! Are you based in London?


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

Operafocus said:


> Which date are you going to? Maybe we'll see you! Are you based in London?


On the 7th of March, and yep.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

So here's my revised list (roughly in chronological order) of my favorite baritones:
Lawrence Tibbett, Robert Merrill, Rolando Panerai, Sherrill Milnes, Thomas Allen, Vladimir Chernov, Giorgio Zancanaro, Dwayne Croft, Mark Delavan, Simon Keenlyside

I'll have to listen to some more Quinn Kelsey (I did enjoy that ATTILA duet he and the bass with the Russian name I can't spell did at a Richard Tucker Gala). I'm always eager to hear new Verdi baritones.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

Bellinilover said:


> I'll have to listen to some more Quinn Kelsey (I did enjoy that ATTILA duet he and the bass with the Russian name I can't spell did at a Richard Tucker Gala). I'm always eager to hear new Verdi baritones.


I saw him do "Attila" in San Francisco with Ferruccio Furlanetto. Yeah, that worked. 

On this page you'll find arias from a recital he did in May, which includes "Ah, Carlo, ascolta", "Di Provenza", "Il balen del suo sorriso" and "Si Puo"


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Bellinilover said:


> I'll have to listen to some more Quinn Kelsey (I did enjoy that ATTILA duet he and the bass with the *Russian name I can't spell* did at a Richard Tucker Gala). I'm always eager to hear new Verdi baritones.


Ildar Abdrazakov

Did you see it live?


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

sospiro said:


> Ildar Abdrazakov
> 
> Did you see it live?


Thanks! I'm afraid I was too lazy to look up the spelling.

No, unfortunately -- I saw it on TV.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

For those interested in the duet:





And I think he'll be amazing in Andrea Chenier some day if this is anything to go by:


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

I'll avoid the "old masters" as they've already been well represented. I've seen Christian Gerhaher and Gerald Finley in recent years and both caught my ear.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

Couac Addict said:


> I'll avoid the "old masters" as they've already been well represented. I've seen Christian Gerhaher and Gerald Finley in recent years and both caught my ear.


I saw Gerhaher in Tannhäuser and his "O du mein..." he was by far the most beautiful thing of the day. Well, except my favourite moment in the opera, which is the "Pilgrims´Chorus"  . I´ve also heard him do lieder in concert.


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## peeknocker (Feb 14, 2012)

So many great baritones, but as in anything there are a handful that really stand out. I'd like to second moody in making particular mention of Georg Ots, easily one of the greatest baritones of the 20th-century. Here he is in his signature role, to which I have added English subtitles:


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

I love baritones and basses. They are my favourite voices.
Again, I have problems ordering baritones in a line. So, in no particular order: Tito Gobbi, Renato Bruson, Sherill Milnes, Leo Nucci, Ildebarando D'Arcangeli (bass/baritone), Simon Keenlyside, Nicolae Herlea, Cornell MacNeil, Peter Mattei, Bryn Terfel, John Rawnsley.
There are more than five, just because I could't stop.






My favourite Figaro on DVD:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

sabrina said:


> My favourite Figaro on DVD:


I met John on a plane from Milan to London, in about '85. I told him how much I admired his Rigoletto at ENO. For a while we used to have lunch quite regularly when he was in London. That's when I learned that being an opera singer was not the glamorous job I had thought before.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

I have Jerome Hines in the Kempe Walkure as Wotan.
One of the best i ever heard.

Gabriel Bacquier in French opera is great.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

sabrina said:


> My favourite Figaro on DVD:


Mine too. His "Largo al Factotum" is ace.


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

mamascarlatti said:


> I met John on a plane from Milan to London, in about '85. I told him how much I admired his Rigoletto at ENO. For a while we used to have lunch quite regularly when he was in London. That's when I learned that being an opera singer was not the glamorous job I had thought before.


Wow that is amazing! You were so lucky! On the other hand, I am not surprised about opera singers not having a glamorous life.  Even the big names in opera don't make as much money as big names in pop, football, NBA, and many others.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

John Rawnsley was also Schaunard in that classic Covent Garden LA BOHEME from 1982 on DVD. In that production he looked sort of like a red-haired version of Dante Gabriel Rossetti.


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## HumphreyAppleby (Apr 11, 2013)

Mario Sereni is my favorite baritone. His phrasing, diction, and interpretation are all superb. But most of all, his voice is just gorgeous. The refinement and beauty of his voice is something that I don't think I've ever heard duplicated by another baritone, as incredible as many of them are.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

HumphreyAppleby said:


> Mario Sereni is my favorite baritone.


Not _totally _dissimilar to Cappuccilli, though Sereni is a bit richer.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Operafocus said:


> Not _totally _dissimilar to Cappuccilli, though Sereni is a bit richer


Their financial affairs bear no meaning to me.


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

I discovered this great singer, Chang Yu Sang, today:











He has a great evenness in tone and solid high notes.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Getting back to Quinn Kelsey, I've been listening to him more lately and have found that I love his voice. In fact, I've been having to go to Youtube or his website every day to listen to at least one aria. For example:






I can't get enough of that robust, amber sound!


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

I hear ya! And in that clip you posted he was only about 29. Just _imagine _ him at 40, 50 etc.

Did you find this aria, btw? I was lucky enough to be there for this performance. I can't wait for him to do Boccanegra himself - here, as Paolo in Dec 2012.








Bellinilover said:


> Getting back to Quinn Kelsey, I've been listening to him more lately and have found that I love his voice. In fact, I've been having to go to Youtube or his website every day to listen to at least one aria. For example:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

*Operafocus:* Thanks for the video! Not only does he sound great, but the production itself looks beautiful -- contemporary opera direction at its best.

Of course, not even Kelsey is immune to Youtube bashing from the "vocal purists." Someone said he sounds like Louis Quilico past his prime! I mean, can you believe that? All I hear is flowing, vibrant sound. I guess some people are just delusional, hearing "faults" that don't exist.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

Yeah, there are trolls (or purists, as you call them) everywhere. Have you noticed that there´s at least one person who goes onto every tenor video on Youtube and says "he´s not as good as Björling"? lol. I also noticed that someone thought Kelsey was a tenor - yeah, having heard that voice _quite a lot _in the past few years on quite a few different occasions, I can say with absolute certainty that that´s a load of toss. Yes, he can do high notes. Like that fine example somewhere in the middle of that clip I posted. But he also has _very _satisfying bottom notes - which is what tenors-pretending-to-be-baritones _don´t _have.

Was it you who said you were going to see him in Rigoletto in London?



Bellinilover said:


> *Operafocus:* Thanks for the video! Not only does he sound great, but the production itself looks beautiful -- contemporary opera direction at its best.
> 
> Of course, not even Kelsey is immune to Youtube bashing from the "vocal purists." Someone said he sounds like Louis Quilico past his prime! I mean, can you believe that? All I hear is flowing, vibrant sound. I guess some people are just delusional, hearing "faults" that don't exist.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Operafocus said:


> Yeah, there are trolls (or purists, as you call them) everywhere. Have you noticed that there´s at least one person who goes onto every tenor video on Youtube and says "he´s not as good as Björling"? lol. I also noticed that someone thought Kelsey was a tenor - yeah, having heard that voice _quite a lot _in the past few years on quite a few different occasions, I can say with absolute certainty that that´s a load of toss. Yes, he can do high notes. Like that fine example somewhere in the middle of that clip I posted. But he also has _very _satisfying bottom notes - which is what tenors-pretending-to-be-baritones _don´t _have.
> 
> Was it you who said you were going to see him in Rigoletto in London?


Unfortunately, I have no plans to see him in London. I think that might have been Deggial.

I haven't noticed the Bjoerling Youtube guy, but I have noticed a couple of users who can say nothing good about any singer unless he or she is a.) Italian and b.) retired or dead.

As for vocal category, it's not what notes you can hit that makes you a baritone or a tenor or whatever; it's where the "center" of your voice is.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

it wasn't me who said that but I would! I was very impressed with that Di Provenza  I also laughed at the tenor comment. After a while you just become immunised to silly youtube comments.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

Too bad you won't be seeing him in Rigoletto. You'd have to look for the next opportunity near you 



Bellinilover said:


> I haven't noticed the Bjoerling Youtube guy, but I have noticed a couple of users who can say nothing good about any singer unless he or she is a.) Italian and b.) retired or dead.


Hah, yeah I know the type. The "if it doesn't sound like Corelli, Björling or Pavarotti it's no good" theory is pretty interesting. It's also interesting how the same singers, who would receive bad reviews when they were alive, are suddenly the best thing that's happened to singing since Jesus walked on water as soon as they're dead. Yeah...



Bellinilover said:


> As for vocal category, it's not what notes you can hit that makes you a baritone or a tenor or whatever; it's where the "center" of your voice is.


Exactly. I know baritones who can do a B/B-flat but that doesn't make'em a tenor.


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

Favorite baritones? Such a lot really. I'm currently obsessed with a tenor (ahem) but baritone or bass baritone is my favorite male fach.

*Peter Mattei*: My absolute favorite current baritone/bass-baritone. Beautiful singing as Amfortas in the MET PArsifal, the best I have ever heard - and that was in a role debut while executing an extraordinary feat of physical acting. Wonderful Don Giovanni, Onegin etc. He can do little wrong in my book.

*Ludovic Tezier*: Beautiful tone, fine actor, good looking, his voice has grown in last few years. Wide repertoire (including early music once upon a time), he has been moving into more dramatic roles recently; he was excellent in the Bastille Werther in 2012. Reached new heights with a very compelling performance in the recent Munich Forza with Jonas Kaufmann - they were insane good together. Tezier may be my Verdi baritone for now.

*Simon Keenlyside*: Fine lieder singer as well compelling and convincing actor. Sensitive and intelligent singer, I just believe him in whatever he does.

*Gerald Finley*: Loved him in Billy Budd and especially in the recent ROH Parsifal. Very versatile and terrific actor. Like Mattei, not afraid to shade his Wagner lyrically, especially wide dynamic range.

*Quinn Kelsey*: Now _this_ sounds like a BIG voice. I haven't heard him very much yet but color me very intrigued. Would love love love to hear him live.

*Bryn Terfel*: because when he's on he is ON. He can still surpise me. Not always the subtlest actor but by God when he is _on_ he is firing on all cylinders.

*Dimitri Hvorostovsky*..cuz he's the Silver Fox, natch. Lovely timbre, not the biggest voice but easy on the ear and very nice to look at...what can I say...I'm shallow.

Honorable mention:
*Thomas Hampson*: The voice is not so plush as it once was...and he can't do a big sing in a big house, but I do enjoy his intelligent interpretations and well thought out acting - he can still surprise me (as in the Zurich Tosca and Salzburg Don Carlo) without actually thrilling me. He remains an excellent recitalist and concert singer in a wide range of song material.

Some favorite baritones of the past would have to include* Dietrich Fischer-Diskau, Hermann Prey, Joseph Metternich, Tito Gobbi, Gerard Souzay, Giuseppe De Luca, Sherrill Milnes, Robert Merrill, Leonard Warren, and Thomas Allen (although he is still semi-active). *


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Rackon said:


> Favorite baritones? Such a lot really.
> 
> Current: Peter Mattei - my absolute favorite. Best Amfortas I have ever heard and that was in his role debut! Wonderful Don Giovanni, Onegin etc.
> 
> ...


With you on all of those except for Tézier, who sounds good but has a tendency to do very little acting as a rule. I call him The Haddock because often sports a kind of wet fish look. He WAS more animated than usual in that Munich Forza.


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

mamascarlatti said:


> With you on all of those except for Tézier, who sounds good but has a tendency to do very little acting as a rule. I call him The Haddock because often sports a kind of wet fish look. He WAS more animated than usual in that Munich Forza.


LOL! I thought he was quite good as Albert, who can be indeed a haddock! A lot of his acting is in the voice, and not always a lot of movement per se. But I don't find him necessarily a stand and deliver sort. I'll check my DVDs but I know I have him in something else as well.

I think he has a future in Verdi roles. If he hadn't been animated in Munich JK would've just creamed him physically. They work well together. Tezier - for him - let it all hang out. Verdi is good for him.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Good list and assessments, Rackon. It's good to hear from someone who has heard some of these baritones live. 

Many of your favorites are mine as well (Milnes, Merrill, Keenlyside, Allen, Kelsey). I too would give Hampson an honorable mention; I like him, but somehow he doesn't quite make my "all-time favorites" list because he tends to be a little "precious." Same with Hvorostovsky, whom I can find a little cold. As for Terfel, he is a favorite of mine but I always put bass-baritones in a separate category than baritones.


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

I debated about Terfel, but I think I saw someone else list him. We could do a separate bass-baritone thread 

I like Hampson very much for his recitals and song concerts - he is excellent at this, and very knowledgeable. I watched a bit of his rehearsal with ISO when they did Das Knaben Wunderhorn last winter...he even knew the bowings and fingering for the strings! The man knows his Mahler. I still cherish his complete songs of Barber that he did in the early 90s with Cheryl Studer - so even if my heart doesn't leap when I see his name in a cast, I do enjoy him for his musicianshsip'

Someone I love who I completely left off the list of current singers is *Nathan Berg*, whom I've heard several times, in recital and in concert as well as opera. He's a singer's singer, a bit under the radar for most people (but a conductor favorite.) We had him in residence for two weeks of Schubert when Raymond Lepard was still music director of the ISO - the man was just a treat...beautiful.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

*Rackon:* Oh yes, Nathan Berg. He's a great Alidoro on the Glyndebourne DVD of _La Cenerentola_. He's probably the best Alidoro I've ever seen or heard.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Bellinilover said:


> *Rackon:* Oh yes, Nathan Berg. He's a great Alidoro on the Glyndebourne DVD of _La Cenerentola_. He's probably the best Alidoro I've ever seen or heard.


And also wonderful as Prince Andrei in this:


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

:clap:: Oh, this has made my day, that several of you know and appreciate Mr. Berg. He usually gets glowing reviews from critics but I never see anyone post about him and darned few articles.

If you ever get a chance to hear him perform - GO. He is even better in house. (And he's also a nice fella.)


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Rackon said:


> :clap:: Oh, this has made my day, that several of you know and appreciate Mr. Berg. He usually gets glowing reviews from critics but I never see anyone post about him and darned few articles.
> 
> If you ever get a chance to hear him perform - GO. He is even better in house. (And he's also a nice fella.)


I'm a bit cross with him actually. He did come to New Zealand last year - one of the rare singers to do so - but in a programme of crossover/Broadway etc with Mandy Patinkin. Wasted opportunity as far as I'm concerned.


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

Mama S- Nathan Gunn or Nathan Berg? I've never head NB in crossover. Indeed, crossover would be a waste of time for either of them even on this side of the planet (as far as I'm concerned).


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Aaaagh I'm getting them confused. Off to look up Nathan Berg forthwith!!!!


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

Nicolae Herlea


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

deggial said:


> it wasn't me who said that but I would! I was very impressed with that Di Provenza  I also laughed at the tenor comment. After a while you just become immunised to silly youtube comments.


In the past month I've stopped looking at Youtube comments altogether. I think if Quinn Kelsey does have a "fault" it's that he (to my ears) occasionally sounds a bit like a pop singer, which I think has something to do with the fact that his voice has an element to it which -- I'm going to sound like J.B. Steane here -- is not a _tremolo_ but has a way of bringing that word to mind. But those Youtube claims that he's actually a tenor or sounds like an over-the-hill Louis Quilico are, I agree, silly. But the people making those comments are obviously biased toward "the old Italians" (whoever they were).


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## messadivoce (Apr 18, 2014)

I've actually thought about this a lot before. If I had to only pick one, Riccardo Stracciari. Here is a more complete list

Riccardo Stracciari
Mattia Battistini
Mario Ancona
Mario Sammarco
Ernesto Badini
Guiseppe De Luca
Guiseppe Bellatoni
Enrico Molinari
Richard Bonelli
Lawrence Tibbett
Robert McFerrin Sr.
Afro Poli
Leonard Warren
Paolo Silveri
Giuseppe Taddei
Robert Merrill
Sesto Bruscantini
Ettore Bastianini
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Pierro Cappuccilli
Thomas Hampson

Sorry if its a long list  I narrowed that down from a list of 87


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## marcbusquet (Aug 28, 2014)

MAuer said:


> Sherrill Milnes!!


The best !!


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## OperaGeek (Aug 15, 2014)

The US had a magnificent, unbroken line of great Italianate baritones for the better part of the 20th century. All were brilliant in their prime. Almost all of them have been mentioned here, as they should: Bonelli, Tibbett, Warren, Merrill, MacNeil and Milnes. While Gobbi tends to get all the praise from the critics today, his voice as such, good as it was, was not a match for any of the Americans.

There remains one great American baritone who has not yet been mentioned here, however: *John Charles Thomas*. He was in the same league as his compatriots listed above, with a voice that has no equal among current baritones:


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## Divasin (Aug 8, 2014)

In my youth it was Tito Gobbi and Sherrill Milnes...,
followed by flirtations with Brendel, Van Dam and Leiferkus,
more recently early Hvorostovsky and Terfel
and present fav's are Peter Mattei and (Batter my heart) Gerald Finley who I'm very much looking forward to hearing in the upcoming ROH William Tell.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Merrill/Gobbi/Bastianini/Hvorostovsky/Quillico


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Sherril Milnes
Richard Fredericks
Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Leonard Warren
Robert Merrill 
Teddy Rhodes


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> Sherril Milnes
> Richard Fredericks
> Dmitri Hvorostovsky
> Leonard Warren
> ...


Fellow Milnes fan here. I was also intrigued to see Richard Fredericks on your list. As far as I know, he was mainly a New York City Opera baritone (I remember that he was Germont opposite Beverly Sills in a non-Met production of LA TRAVIATA I saw on video years ago). I also remember him in an episode of the American TV comedy "The Odd Couple." Actually, I heard that Milnes was supposed to do the episode, but there was a conflict with his opera schedule and they got Fredericks instead. It's the episode where Felix's opera group puts on RIGOLETTO.:lol:


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Bellinilover said:


> Fellow Milnes fan here. I was also intrigued to see Richard Fredericks on your list. As far as I know, he was mainly a New York City Opera baritone (I remember that he was Germont opposite Beverly Sills in a non-Met production of LA TRAVIATA I saw on video years ago). I also remember him in an episode of the American TV comedy "The Odd Couple." Actually, I heard that Milnes was supposed to do the episode, but there was a conflict with his opera schedule and they got Fredericks instead. It's the episode where Felix's opera group puts on RIGOLETTO.:lol:


I was captured by this clip in particular


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Yes, he has a very attractive voice. (And my neighbors are probably wondering why I'm listening to the _Cantique de Noël_ in September!:lol: )


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