# becoming the character.......



## classidaho (May 5, 2009)

Don't you just love it when the opera singer not only supplies the voice but becomes the part?

Here is my nomination for a complete transitioin to the performed character:






What is yours?


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Mine would be Domingo as Alfredo in Zefirelli's Traviata - much more field for acting when you have music recorded and then you're recording visual stuff separately. Love his gestures and mimics in this movie. But at the other hand it's not fair competition for DVDs from theatres.

Theatrical nomination would go to MdM:






I really belive he is Polline in this video. But the Flavio is rather dull, couldn't he grab him and attempt to drag away in the "vieni..." part so it would look like he is really afraid of being discovered? No, he had to stand like a statue of tonality... Monaco has splendid gestures though. I can even forgive him rising his hands, it's cliche gesture today but I suppose it wasn't so academic and silly back then + ha has a lot of originality in other moves.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

One of my favorite performances (apart from Natalie Dessay, whose every performance is astonishing) is Diana Damrau's famous Covent Garden queen of the night. It's certainly "stagier" than Ms. Dessay's more Method-style approach, but there are tons of great touches





She plays the Queen as someone who, while upset over her daughter's disappearance, is still objective enough to manipulate people. The look she gives Tamino at 3:09 to see if he's buying what she's selling is perfect. Seeing he's undecided, she bumps up the emoting another notch 





Nothing I really need to add to this





So many great little moments here. She doesn't so much walk as glide onstage, the very epitome of an arrogant queen. The "whatever, peon" expression on her face as Monostatos reminds her of her promise, her expression when she picks up the knife. Just a fantastic scene and performance.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Great thread -I often think about roles and the singers I feel 'are" them.

Simon Keenlyside is absolutely Hamlet - weary, despairing, hopeless.






Natalie Dessay is completely "La Fille", feisty, and so French. This was brought home to me recently by watching Patricia Ciofi who was a pale second in comparison.






And El Guapo is the only Werther for me, despite the odd dodgy "é" in réveiller:






Watching this reminds that Sophie Koch is the only Charlotte for me.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

This:





I don't think I've seen anyone go mad more convincingly in like ever.


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

Maria Callas is my best Rosina, best Norma, Tosca, Violetta,Lucia...and the list goes on.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

This is one of the most impressive "becoming the character" performances I've ever seen:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Aksel said:


> This:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I agree absolutely. And I love the words to this. English definitely works well as a poetical musical language in this scene.


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

Although there are more wonderful baritones that played Figaro in Rossini's Il Barbiere, these are my nominations.

One of my favorites is John Rawnsley:






I also have this production on DVD and I loved it!
So, another one- Gino Quilico:






Last but not least, Tito Gobbi:






The winner is: ...


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> I agree absolutely. And I love the words to this. English definitely works well as a poetical musical language in this scene.


Absolutely. I find the text absolutely terrifying. I mean, "Chain me, ye furies/to your iron beds/and lash my guilty ghost/with whips of scorpion." How do you get any more terrifying than that?


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

classidaho said:


> Don't you just love it when the* opera singer not only supplies the voice but becomes the part*?
> 
> What is yours?


*First image that comes to me is Strauss Salome*.......allows a singer to leave the world of sane rational thought and go completely over the edge is exploring the mind of a sadistic derranged jealous psycho who enjoys bloodlust and necrophilia

Do they teach this class at ROH young artists program? :devil:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

One of the things that makes the Glyndebourne Giulio Cesare so superlative is the way each and every protagonist owns his or her role. You have the scheming kittenish Cleopatra; the petulant spoiled sadistic boy-king Tolomeo; Sesto who starts his journey as a gangling child and ends up as a traumatised boy soldier; the dignified proud Cornelia who will sacrifice even her own child's sanity in return for revenge, the sexy beast henchman Achilla manipulating his weak master to feed his own desire.

Most glowing in this firmament of stars is the Cesare of Sarah Connolly. How this woman becomes the middle-aged battle-scarred soldier is a joy to behold.

Watch "him" striding up manfully to survey his new land "Veni, vidi, vici"; slap Cleopatra playfully on the bum: "Pretty little thing. Now, where was I...? Ah yes, conquering the world"; and face off with Tolomeo: "Watch it, pipsqueak! You've bitten off more than you can chew":


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

DarkAngel said:


> First image that comes to me is Strauss Salome.......allows a singer to leave the world of sane rational thought and go completely over the edge is exploring the mind of a sadistic deranged jealous psycho who enjoys blood lust and necrophilia
> 
> Do they teach this class at *ROH young artists* program? :devil:


 Hehe next time I bump into one I'll ask him 

I think there are several singers today who research their role thoroughly & do their utmost to portray the character accurately.

When John Relyea took the role of Don Quichotte for Seattle Opera, he read the book Don Quixote, which is a feat in itself. Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin was the first to sing the role & as part of his research John also watched this.










Not an opera, more of a musical but Chaliapin sings 'live' & isn't lip-synced.


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

sabrina said:


> Maria Callas is my best Rosina, best Norma, Tosca, Violetta,Lucia...and the list goes on.


I'd have to agree that one cannot discuss singing-actors, or singers who inhabit a character , without a nod to Maria Callas.

We'd probably also have to add Tito Gobbi, Renata Scotto (when at her best), Toti dal Monte, Boris Christoff, Ljuba Welitsch, and Feodor Chaliapin to the list.


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

Gobbi was THE Scarpia and Rigoletto.


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