# HELDENTENOR TOURNAMENT (Semifinal 1): Völker vs Urlus



## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Franz Völker, Germanz, 1899-1965 (defeated Florian Vogt 22-1, Kaufmann 13-4)

HELDENTENOR TOURNAMENT (Round 1, Match 7): Völker vs Florian Vogt

HELDENTENOR TOURNAMENT (Quarterfinal 2): Völker vs Kaufmann






Jacques Urlus, Netherlands, 1867-1935 (defeated Svanholm 13-3, Lorenz 6-4)

HELDENTENOR TOURNAMENT (Round 1, Match 2): Urlus vs Svanholm

HELDENTENOR TOURNAMENT (Quarterfinal 4): Lorenz vs Urlus






'Durch die Wälder' from von Weber's _Der Freischütz_.

Who's singing did you prefer and why?


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Volker is as good as I'd expect him to be, but so is Urlus. And when Urlus is that good he's unbeatable. Has this aria ever been sung with such fluidity and ease, such perfect tonal emission, such impeccable legato and phrasing? And this is a guy who sang Tristan and Siegfried. A pity we don't get as much of the scene from him as from Volker. 

I don't feel the need to say more. Such singing can speak for itself.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

This one was a tough choice. While Urlus makes the singing sound easier than does Völker, the former's diction is less crisp, and some of his vowels are decidedly odd-sounding. While I realize that some of that may be due to the acoustic nature of Urlus' recording, I have to give this one to Völker.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I could not get over the fact that Urlus sounds like he has something stuck in his throat. As beautiful as the smoothness of his sound was, it was too off-putting for me to choose him.
Volker didn't thrill me much either.
Actually, I should not vote because I don't even like the aria very much either.
Pass.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Interesting that neither sounds like what today we call _Heldentenor_; these voices are used more gently than I'm accustomed, perhaps. I like both singers, but prefer Volker's voice to Urlus's. Like Nina Foresti, I don't care for this aria. However, I voted anyway.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

I enjoyed observing the points from the both sides of the poll, but Urlus won it with his effortless tone emission and beauty of the vocal lines. Volker is up to the task as well but I just liked Urlus' performance more in this particular aria.


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