# Do You Like Thomas Hampson's Verdi?



## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I don't want this thread to become too controversial, yet I would like to know what people here think of Hampson's Verdi singing. On Youtube you see mostly fanatical comments (my favorites: "How is Hampson even _allowed_ to sing Verdi?" and "The Italian style of singing is dead") that lack any sense of perspective and imply that Hampson is somehow showing Verdi disrespect by singing his music. Posters on this forum seem much more reasonable.

I'll give you my view. I feel Hampson is good with the more bel canto-like Verdi. Examples would be the roles of Germont, Posa, Carlo in _Ernani_, and Macbeth. (I've heard him sing at least portions of all of those roles.) He's also good as Ford in the duet with Falstaff on the DG recording with Bryn Terfel, probably because Ford's line in that duet is bel canto-like. But I don't think his voice is ideal for Ford's Monologue: he has some trouble rising to the ending, and he brings what I'm guessing are stylistically inappropriate kinds of emphases to it. I also heard his Simon Boccanegra on a Met broadcast several years ago and didn't feel his voice sounded right in the part.

Those are my impressions. What does everyone else think?


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

My personal impression (and it's just only that) is that Hampson has tried to retake the tradition of the last bel canto baritones like Mattia Battistini and the transitional ones like Apollo Granforte and Giuseppe de Luca, reasserting the legato phrase and the even more demanding rubato technique into their singing. As opposed to the more extreme verismo baritones like Titta Ruffo and even Stracchiari. Whether he has succeeded in doing this, from the point of view of technique and even on the sheer basis of vocal instrument, is another thing altogether. And we must remember that the great de Luca did not have a large voice (Ruffo called himself the Voice of the Lion and called de Luca the Voice of the Mouse), but he was a master of technique and was able to project his voice very well, as Tito Schipa did as a light tenor. De Luca was a fine actor and a renowned Scarpia, but was outshone in this role by Pasquale Amato. Amato lost his voice early, as happened not infrequently with some dedicated Verdi-verismo baritones. Granforte, though he never achieved wide fame or even recognition, was a strong dramatic baritone and an absolute master of rubato. To my ears, Hampson sometimes lacks that dark baritonal quality that we have come to associate with Verdi baritones. I don't feel I can answer your question categorically, just add these observations until someone more knowledgeable than I chimes into this thread.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

There's only one role I really like Hampson in: Germont. Most of his other work has been unwatchable for me, because of his terrible overacting. I still have a burnt hole in my brain from his Amfortas - I won't be able to use those brain cells for years, probably. Although to be honest his Scarpia wasn't bad.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Oo - but his Posa was good too. On the DVD with Mattila? I thought he was good in that. Well, everybody stepped up on that one. That was great all around.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> There's only one role I really like Hampson in: Germont. Most of his other work has been unwatchable for me, because of his terrible overacting. I still have a burnt hole in my brain from his Amfortas - I won't be able to use those brain cells for years, probably. Although to be honest his Scarpia wasn't bad.


I've only ever heard Hampson on radio broadcasts and CD recordings, so I have no idea what his acting is like. I agree with you that he was a great Germont vocally.

Edited to add: Wait, that's not quite true -- in 2008 or so there was the telecast of the Renee Fleming Gala, in which Hampson sang Germont. I can't remember much about his acting; I do remember that with his height he had an impressive stage-presence.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

There are lyrical, middle of the voice roles in the Verdi baritonal repertoire that a voice like Hampson's can handle well, I believe. Some of those were mentioned by the OP. But can you imagine Hampson as Rigoletto? As Iago? Oh he can do it. And overact them just a little. But then... what?


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

I like Hampson as a performer and love his voice. I wouldn't say I dislike his Verdi, but will admit that he's not the optimum Verdi baritone.

Hampson is one of those performers who seems to always end up playing himself to some extent - kind of like Robert Redford, and - for that matter - his fellow baritone Dmitri Hrorostovsky. I've seen Hampson's Germont, MacBeth, and Boccanegra. The Germont was probably most successful, but he brought a unique stamp to it, creating a distinguished, bespectacled, almost doddering figure. This paid off with his heartfelt _Di provenza_, and heightened the contrast when he unleashed a bit of power and righteous indignation in the condemnation scene.

His distinguished bearing and delivery can be his undoing though. Ok, I can buy him as a king, but not a power-hungry, roughhewn Scottish king who consults with witches. And as I've mentioned before, his regal bearing undermined his portrayal of the supposedly plebian sailor/pirate Simon Boccanegra opposite the more earthy Ferruccio Furlanetto's portrayal of the nobleman Fiesco. Seemed to me like the two should have switched roles. But Ferruccio, well there's someone who completely inhabits whatever role he takes on.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

*Revenant:* I really _can't_ imagine him as Rigoletto, but I've heard he did do Iago. Even that seems like a stretch.

*Guythegreg:* Scarpia is one of the very last roles I ever would have imagined he would do!

*Cavarodossi:* I like what I've seen (on Youtube) and heard of Hampson's Macbeth. It's interesting you say he basically plays himself, as my complaint about him is a bit similar -- that is, he always sounds, to me, very intellectual and "artistic," and that's not always what I, the listener, want to hear. I suppose it's the same dilemma as with Dietrich Fischer-Diskau and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf -- i.e. "can't hear the music for the interpretation." Also: while he's good at expressing anger in his singing, when called upon to express the "softer" emotions he tends to sound not like someone expressing a feeling but like someone imitating someone expressing a feeling (if that makes any sense). I like Hampson: he has/had a very fine voice, and I appreciate his interpretive care. But generally I tend to prefer a more "artless" forthrightness. Simon Keenlyside comes to mind as a modern baritone who is comparitively "uncomplicated" from an expressive point of view. I love vocal nuance, but I don't like it to sound precious, and Hampson has a tendency to sound precious.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Bellinilover said:


> *Revenant:* I really _can't_ imagine him as Rigoletto, but I've heard he did do Iago. Even that seems like a stretch.


Oh, I saw his Iago. He may have done it well at some point, but not the night I was there. For a guy with so much power to seem under-powered is just a little weird, but that's what happened.



> *Guythegreg:* Scarpia is one of the very last roles I ever would have imagined he would do!


Get the DVD with Emily Magee and Jonas Kauffman, you won't regret it. Magee is a WONDERFUL Tosca and Kauffman a pretty good Cavaradossi.



> *Cavarodossi:* I like what I've seen (on Youtube) and heard of Hampson's Macbeth. It's interesting you say he basically plays himself, as my complaint about him is a bit similar -- that is, he always sounds, to me, very intellectual and "artistic," and that's not always what I, the listener, want to hear. I suppose it's the same dilemma as with Dietrich Fischer-Diskau and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf -- i.e. "can't hear the music for the interpretation." Also: while he's good at expressing anger in his singing, when called upon to express the "softer" emotions he tends to sound not like someone expressing a feeling but like someone imitating someone expressing a feeling (if that makes any sense). I like Hampson: he has/had a very fine voice, and I appreciate his interpretive care. But generally I tend to prefer a more "artless" forthrightness. Simon Keenlyside comes to mind as a modern baritone who is comparitively "uncomplicated" from an expressive point of view. I love vocal nuance, but I don't like it to sound precious, and Hampson has a tendency to sound precious.


Well put.


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