# Single Round Countertenor Acting/ Singing Battle from Mozart's Mitradete re di Ponto: Hansen and Behta



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

These are two accomplished operatic stage actors so let's judge the complete performance like you would in an opera house. You have to turn up the volume on the Hansen performance.

*Let him come, threaten and rage*
Let my implacable father
come, threaten and rage.
This heart will not give in
to his rage or fury.

Either he will pay due respect,
and show due fear of,
the might of Rome in my person,
or his anger will make me
more barbarous and fierce.
https://lyricstranslate.com




*David Hansen (countertenor) - Venga pur, minacci e frema - Mitridate, re di Ponto - Mozart




Bejun Mehta (countertenor) performing the aria "Venga pur, minacci e frema" from Mozart's Opera Seria "Mitridate, Re di Ponto". Salzburg Fetival 2006; Conductor: Marc Minkowski with Les Musiciens du Louvre; Director: Günter Krämer *


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Mehta is an American related to Zubin Mehta and has won many prestigious prizes. He has received very high praise for his performances. I have wanted to do a contest with Hansen for a while, but many of my favorite videos of his are gone including one in a bathtub with bubbles. I slightly favor Hansen for his powerful physical acting and the incredible beauty and range of his voice ( he and Franco Fagioli are among the few countertenors who have upward extensions to high C and beyond). I will be surprised you find these fine actors boring. I was not familiar with this aria but must be one of the most difficult Mozart ever wrote with all of the coloratura and wide range.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> These are two accomplished operatic stage actors so let's judge the complete performance like you would in an opera house. You have to turn up the volume on the Hansen performance.
> 
> *Let him come, threaten and rage*
> Let my implacable father
> ...


Mitridate not Mitradete 
You wrote I can tell about typos you if I catch them early in the contest.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

It bothers me a little that Hansen is using a radio mike. I don't know the venue, but I have heard David Daniels sing this role at Covent Garden and he was perfectly audible without a mike. Mehta appears to have a little more cutting power than Hansen, whose voice is quite soft grained. On the other hand, some of Hansen's decorations are quite spectacular. Dramatically, they both do well, but ultimately I prefer Mehta.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

sorry


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I thought the mic was for his character who is supposed to be in the process of being filmed for tv. I could be wrong. I never noticed one before when he was filmed onstage before. It would have been hard with him shirtless in a tub of bubbles LOL.


He's not the only character with a mike though and it's so small I doubt it would have been visible to most of the audience. If you were going to make a point of it, I think you'd make it more obvious.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BBSVK said:


> Mitridate not Mitradete
> You wrote I can tell about typos you if I catch them early in the contest.


I changed it but that is how it was spelled in the Youtube video title.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Both lack strength in the lower range, but I suppose that criticism can be levied to most countertenors and I concur with Tsaraslondon that Hansen’s voice is too soft-grained in comparison with Mehta’s and thus the latter’s is a more successful performance.

i further dislike the rather violent movements Hansen makes in order to emit his sound.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Hansens's show was recorded, maybe this is an explanation of microphones.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> These are two accomplished operatic stage actors so let's judge the complete performance like you would in an opera house. You have to turn up the volume on the Hansen performance.
> 
> *Let him come, threaten and rage*
> Let my implacable father
> ...


LOL, the one with David Hansen - next time I hate a politician, I will imagine him like this. Maybe our Minister of finances  I will also forward this to someone 

But it is also very repetitive, and boring for watching full length.

The other production is more watchable and Bejun Mehta 
fits more seamlessly into the vision of the stage/production director. Somehow looks more naturaly, maybe it is the lip movement. 

I tried an aditional round with a libretto to get a better sense of the singing, but, due to many repeats, the text cannot hold my attention and I ended up staring at miniature youtube window that showed in in the corner of my cell phone. But I guess I like also the Mehta's singing better. So, let me vote for him !


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I have wanted to do a contest with Hansen for a while, but many of my favorite videos of his are gone including one in a bathtub with bubbles.


Sounds hilarious. Which opera was that ?


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BBSVK said:


> Sounds hilarious. Which opera was that ?






They have actually restored this aria to Youtube. The more rousing aria with High C's galore was deleted, which I really loved and he was very athletic during the singing. He is so cute in a tub.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> They have actually restored this aria to Youtube. The more rousing aria with High C's galore was deleted, which I really loved and he was very athletic during the singing. He is so cute in a tub.


This is a good one !


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

ColdGenius said:


> Hansens's show was recorded, maybe this is an explanation of microphones.


Lots of operas are recorded. I've not usually seen singers wearing body mikes. I'm beginning to think it might be because it was performed in a very large house.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Lots of operas are recorded. I've not usually seen singers wearing body mikes. I'm beginning to think it might be because it was performed in a very large house.


I can recall at least one Norma in Catania with Marina Rebeka and Stefan Pop. And it's not like they wear them otherwise.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

BBSVK said:


> I can recall at least one Norma in Catania with Marina Rebeka and Stefan Pop. And it's not like they wear them otherwise.


I guess I'm just not used to seeing them in opera.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

The second version (with Mehta) is better in every way (except one obvious one*) for me. The conducting, the more natural acting, the voice is fuller and I got the feeling that Hansen was trying to be a coloratura virtuoso, whereas Behta sang through the florid passages square on.

*Hansen would look better in a bath tub!

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I guess I'm just not used to seeing them in opera.


Are we still talking about countertenors in bathtubs?

N.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

I was going to write something for several days, but was swamped with work. 
Of course, Mehta! It's not only because I heard him live. The Conte was very precise, I doubt if I could add something. 
Hansen might be interesting live, but he depends on his appearance and acting. When I noted that Nadja Michael is successful due to her acting skills, someone wrote (I think it was Tsaraslondon), that Judy Dench is a great actress, but she never attempted to sing opera. Well, he looks better than an average opera singer in a bathtub, but would be lost beyond this party.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

I am not that appreciative to Hansens physical beauty as some people. But my girl - friend (not a girlfriend) was really taken by him, so there must be something to it. I guess I am more into older men and more chest hair. I am sure this comment was needed, so that we appreciate opera more profoundly.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Well, lack of a belly is a success for an opera singer. 
Angela Gheorghiou would look gorgeous in a bathtub. 😄


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BBSVK said:


> I am not that appreciative to Hansens physical beauty as some people. But my girl - friend (not a girlfriend) was really taken by him, so there must be something to it. I guess I am more into older men and more chest hair. I am sure this comment was needed, so that we appreciate opera more profoundly.


I enjoy fans of my type of beauty but your sweetheart is in no danger


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

After a few moments of being baffled and mildly intrigued by the weirdness of it all I coudn't watch any more and had to go back to listening only. I prefer Mehta.

I'm sorry, but there must never be such things as castrati in business suits.


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