# Mezzo Round 2: Al Quel Giorno by Arsace: Marilyn Horne and Franco Fagioli



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

For our last contestants for Arsace's big aria from Semiramide I am pitting probably the most famous Arsace, Marilyn Horne with what I consider the greatest proponent of the role today: Franco Fagioli. Fagioli has the greatest high notes and low notes of any counter tenor I am aware of and to my ears the most beautiful and spectacular voice today of any singer. See what you think.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

This is tough. I feel like choosing Fagioli, but I'm not sure that it isn't just for his ability to keep me fascinated by the unlikely fact that he can do what he does. It's brilliant in its way, and he's fun to hear. There's also the problem of the music itself, which I firmly believe is precisely the sort of opera that God sent Wagner to exterminate.

Horne is flat a few times, as she sometimes was, but there's not much else wrong with her. She doesn't excite me, though, and she looks nothing like a man.

Oh, all right... Enough talk. Frank Beans it is.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

As you know, I'm not big on Marilyn Horne, but given the choice between her and a countertenor...yeah. Not a difficult call. Horne gets the win.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> This is tough. I feel like choosing Fagioli, but I'm not sure that it isn't just for his ability to keep me fascinated by the unlikely fact that he can do what he does. It's brilliant in its way, and he's fun to hear. There's also the problem of the music itself, which I firmly believe is precisely the sort of opera that God sent Wagner to exterminate.
> 
> Horne is flat a few times, as she sometimes was, but there's not much else wrong with her. She doesn't excite me, though, and she looks nothing like a man.
> 
> Oh, all right... Enough talk. Frank Beans it is.


You likely are not as adept as fashion as you are at opera, but if you were you should have been a guest on Joan Rivers' Fashion Police LOL LOL You kill me. I would love to know how big Fagioli's voice is in a house. What is notable about this performance for him is he is often difficult to watch because of his mannerisms as he creates his sounds, but here he is handsome and very restrained in his gestures compared to his normal videos on Youtube. I love the richness of his sound and to my friend Balalaikaboy's point, how does he exactly sound like a countertenor? He is one, but I think if someone heard him on the radio with no identification they would think he was a female contralto with a powerful chest register and glorious upper extension. Frankly, he sounds much more like Ewa Podles than he does your typical countertenor sound. Of course, these are my ears "speaking".


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> As you know, I'm not big on Marilyn Horne, but given the choice between her and a countertenor...yeah. Not a difficult call. Horne gets the win.


See reply to Woodduck please, sir.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I'm not sure I like what Fagioli does, but he's much more interesting and the mere fact that he can do what he does is very impressive. I can't say I like it very much, but I don't much like it in Horne's version either. It's the kind of note spinning that puts me off Rossini, who, with one or two exceptions, has never been a favourite composer of mine.

I'll give it to Fagioli for pulling off the seemingly imossible.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

This one is going to downright kill me with embarrassment. A Rossini lover I am not.
I played "Jackie's" first and loving Horne's voice said, "that's the one!" because of my aversion to countertenor voices.
And then I heard the most gorgeous rendition and slapped myself on the brow from my prejudice.

Faggioli stole the prize from Horne. (I can only say that I guess my problem with countertenors are when they are singing a soprano aria instead of a mezzo.) Lesson learned.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> This one is going to downright kill me with embarrassment. A Rossini lover I am not.
> I played "Jackie's" first and loving Horne's voice said, "that's the one!" because of my aversion to countertenor voices.
> And then I heard the most gorgeous rendition and slapped myself on the brow from my prejudice.
> 
> Faggioli stole the prize from Horne. (I can only say that I guess my problem with countertenors are when they are singing a soprano aria instead of a mezzo.) Lesson learned.


I am surprised at the lack of love for my beloved Rossini in this forum. I have fun here and enjoy my colleagues, but often I find I swim against the prevailing stream here LOL . Nina, thanks for sticking this contest out to hear Fagioli. I hope to introduce an occasional non well known singer to the group like Bonetan did.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

This was Marilyn Horne before she became General Horne, the piece is still unformed; plus she's dressed like a woman, which makes it even more difficult to suspend disbelief. Vocally,she became much better later in the coloratura, making the divisions a lot clearer. 
But, in this video - she is just singing the notes. Ordinarily, though, Horne would get my vote automatically; I learned to love the opera with her as Arsace.

While I like the image of a man singing this music, Fagioli's sound is not pleasing to my ears. I much prefer Max Emanuel Cencic, whose career I've been "following" since he was in the Vienna Choir Boys. But _vis a vis_ Horne in this video, Fagioli gets my vote.

Here's Cencic for a different view.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> This was Marilyn Horne before she became General Horne, the piece is still unformed; plus she's dressed like a woman, which makes it even more difficult to suspend disbelief. Vocally,she became much better later in the coloratura, making the divisions a lot clearer.
> But, in this video - she is just singing the notes. Ordinarily, though, Horne would get the vote automatically; I learned to love the opera with her as Arsace.
> 
> While I like the image of a man singing this music, Fagioli's sound is not pleasing to my ears. I much prefer Max Emanuel Cencic, whose career I've been "following" since he was in the Vienna Choir Boys. But _vis a vis_ Horne in this video, Fagioli gets my vote.
> ...


I love him and didn't know about this. He is still gorgeous, but when he was young in his twenties he was GORGEOUS!!!! There used to be a video concert when he was a young man on Youtube where he sang arias such as soprano arias for La Somnambula. Glorious. He just doesn't have the jawdropping range of Fagioli. The only male with better notes of C6 and beyond are Dimash in my experience. David Hansen, who I love, has very nice C6's, but not as nice or big as Fagioli. I'd rather have a date with David Hansen, though LOL.
I do prefer later Horne but do you guys care if a video is up against an audio clip on Youtube or not. I try to match them up and Fagioli is from the video age, which is why I chose this Horne sample.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

To me it seems fairer to the singers to match them up in the same genre.


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## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

nina foresti said:


> To me it seems fairer to the singers to match them up in the same genre.


I agree with you.

(To be honest with you, dear friends, I didn't like both the performers. Horne is flat (kudos to Woodduck) the guy is unnatural and unsuitable for the role and that's it...)


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Well firstly, I love this opera, adore Rossini and thoroughly enjoy Sutherland, Horne, Larmore and Studer. You can't listen to Melchior singing Siegfried every night. (Well, you could, but you'd go mad!)

I agree with those who have said that Faggioli is impressive in terms of being able to sing the aria. However, this aria wasn't written for a countertenor and having heard Frank Beans live, like Gheorghiu, recordings always make his voice sound larger than it is in the actual theatre (although I have only heard him at Covent Garden). I still find his voice annoying here (especially his gurgles).

Horne should win this round, but unfortunately the recording chosen is possibly her worst performance of the aria (those who can only need compare it with the studio recording of the complete opera with Sutherland).

I choose neither and would rather vote for Larmore again! :devil:

N.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

The Conte said:


> Well firstly, I love this opera, adore Rossini and thoroughly enjoy Sutherland, Horne, Larmore and Studer. You can't listen to Melchior singing Siegfried every night. (Well, you could, but you'd go mad!)
> 
> I agree with those who have said that Faggioli is impressive in terms of being able to sing the aria. However, this aria wasn't written for a countertenor and having heard Frank Beans live, like Gheorghiu, recordings always make his voice sound larger than it is in the actual theatre (although I have only heard him at Covent Garden). I still find his voice annoying here (especially his gurgles).
> 
> ...


I agree - I've heard Horne sing this in the theater as well, and she was always an astounding technician and I carry her voice in my mind's ear in this role. The video used for this contest is misleading. I'm not a Horne fan in general, but in this role, as in the Händel roles she sang ( and Vivaldi) that I heard, she is unbeatable.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

The Conte said:


> Well firstly, I love this opera, adore Rossini and thoroughly enjoy Sutherland, Horne, Larmore and Studer. You can't listen to Melchior singing Siegfried every night. (Well, you could, but you'd go mad!)
> 
> I agree with those who have said that Faggioli is impressive in terms of being able to sing the aria. However, this aria wasn't written for a countertenor and having heard Frank Beans live, like Gheorghiu, recordings always make his voice sound larger than it is in the actual theatre (although I have only heard him at Covent Garden). I still find his voice annoying here (especially his gurgles).
> 
> ...


Nice to actually hear from someone who heard Fagioli live. He sounds very big in recordings, but one has trouble believing a falsetto singer could have a huge sound.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> I agree - I've heard Horne sing this in the theater as well, and she was akways an astounding technician and I carry her voice in my mind's ear in this role. The video used for this contest is misleading. I'm not a Horne fan in general, but in this role, as in the Händel roles she sang ( and Vivaldi) that I heard, she is unbeatable.


I like her best in castrati roles and I like her voice better as it grew darker with maturity. I only heard her in lied so I never heard Horne sing her best material.
By the way I am going to declare this a tie between Larmore and Fagioli. I don't think there is the interest for a third round on this one. Both winners failed to arouse strong feelings with the forum members.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I like her best in castrati roles and I like her voice better as it grew darker with maturity. I only heard her in lied so I never heard Horne sing her best material.
> By the way I am going to declare this a tie between Larmore and Fagioli. I don't think there is the interest for a third round on this one. Both winners failed to arouse strong feelings with the forum members.


Don't give up! Do a third round anyway. :devil:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

MAS said:


> Don't give up! Do a third round anyway. :devil:


If there's a third round of this collection of scales I'll have listened to more Rossini in the last week than I've done voluntarily since I had all my hair.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I like her best in castrati roles and I like her voice better as it grew darker with maturity. I only heard her in lied so I never heard Horne sing her best material.
> By the way I am going to declare this a tie between Larmore and Fagioli. I don't think there is the interest for a third round on this one. *Both winners failed to arouse strong feelings with the forum members*.


Um..excuse me, I adore Larmore's Arsace thank you very much (side note: the role of Arsace has always been much, MUCH more interesting to me than the title role).


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Well, once again, Horne's performance chosen for this poll is probably the weakest available so I cannot cast my vote for her, but Fagioli doesn't float my boat either. So I'm skipping voting in this round to dive into the Finals.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Azol said:


> Well, once again, Horne's performance chosen for this poll is probably the weakest available so I cannot cast my vote for her, but Fagioli doesn't float my boat either. So I'm skipping voting in this round to dive into the Finals.


I only use video with other video contestant entries and Fagioli, like most current singers, doesn't have audio recordings for most of his opera offerings. I also have heard Horne do this better on my studio recording.


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