# BASS TOURNAMENT (Round 1, Match 5): Borg vs Pape



## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Kim Borg, Finland, 1919-2000






Rene Pape, Germany, 1964-






Who's singing did you prefer and why?


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Very different performances, the Borg slow with an "old-fashioned" solemnity, the Pape quicker, with a light, sometimes clipped "HIP" articulation of the orchestra part. Borg struck me at first as a little detached and sleepy, but the voice is more the deep, rolling bass I want in a Sarastro. I listened to him first, then to Pape, who made me go back to hear Borg again. It's interesting to hear him do the reverse of what opera singers normally do: instead of ending on an unwritten high note, he ends on an unwritten low one, the purpose of both being to show off. An unusual sort of cadenza, and I don't think Mozart would have objected. 

Pape is a fine singer, but I like bassier basses. Borg it is.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Pape isn't bad at all, but for me when it comes to Borg resistance is futile. I love his voice and his elegant manner of singing.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

René Pape sings sensitively and I quite liked it. However, Borg's voice cut through my soul like a hot, deep, mellifluous, sonorous, knife through butter; hard not to give your vote to a voice like that.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I'm listening to Borg's warm, serene voice late in the evening, thinking "this guy can come sing for me any night he wants to." But I guess he won't be getting my invitation. Shucks.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Pape had it's merits but after hearing Berg he sounded like a baritone. Borg, who I had never heard of had a both a voice that was very friendly and reached out to you, as well as a voice of great beauty and depth. I wanted to hear him sing more. Borg gets my vote.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I recently heard excerpts from Pappano's Verdi *Requiem* which has Pape singing the bass part and I kept thinking then that he sounded like a pushed down baritone and I can't help feeling the same here, especially when you compare his low notes to Borg's which are rich and sonorous. The lower reaches of the aria seem to tax Pape somewhat, whilst they are the glory of Borg's performance. Borg is an easy win for me.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Well I was forced to choose Kim Borg simply because the title voice was Bass and I happen to believe that Pape is more of a Bass-baritone and really didn't fit this particular aria as well even though his voice is beautiful and is always my #1 choice when I pick operas to attend. If he's in it, the opera moves right up to the front of my selections. (as in "Don Carlo's" King Philippe or "Parsifal's" Gurnemanz.)

PS. I'd really love to hear two equal Bass singers doing Gremin's aria from "Eugene Onegin".


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

I like both performances, but Borg best defines the "bass voice" to my ears - very role-fitting, by the way. These northern countries abounded in amazingly deep bass voices back in the days of aulde.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Borg’s voice is like the Old Man River’s adage, it jus’ keeps rolling along, like a Bass would do! I don’t usually chime in for the lower voices, but...


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I'm not much taken with either to be honest. Pass.

N.


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