# Halloween Contest: Satan Sings.(Le veau d'or) Tibbett, Pape, Ghiaurov, Pinza



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Happy Halloween. I know there are other great Mephistopheles but I wanted live action video. 4 video Mephistopheles to be judged as complete performances, not just vocal. You should be able to play Tibbett by clicking on the link




From the movie Under Your Spell. Tibbett




from Act II | René Pape | Metropolitan Opera, 2014 | conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin




*Nicolai Ghiaurov in Black and White. No more info.




From Strictly Dishonorable movie 1951.*


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Since I detest this piece of bombast, I will refrain from voting.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Delicious!!! Wonderful Halloween choice SOF and vocally a bag full of candy!!! You rock!! Thought Pinza was going to turn it into a draw but for me, not quite. Ghiaurov’s delightful sense of fun combined with his youthful prime, basso to beat all bassos took the day. This was the first thing I ever heard him in and I was dying to see if he always did the same conducting gestures... love big Nick! Tibbet was VERY not a bass and too serious for Halloween fun but sang like his usual glorious self. Pape chose the wrong business just because nature gave him that glorious voice. If I see him call walking around a stage acting one more time...!!! Pinza is right behind Ghiaurov but Nick rules!


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

MAS said:


> Since I detest this piece of bombast, I will refrain from voting.


My word Mas...detest???


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

ScottK said:


> My word Mas...detest???


ScottK! Some music just does things to my ears! 😂


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> ScottK! Some music just does things to my ears! 😂


Wishy washy is not a word for our disparate members LOL


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

ScottK said:


> Delicious!!! Wonderful Halloween choice SOF and vocally a bag full of candy!!! You rock!! Thought Pinza was going to turn it into a draw but for me, not quite. Ghiaurov’s delightful sense of fun combined with his youthful prime, basso to beat all bassos took the day. This was the first thing I ever heard him in and I was dying to see if he always did the same conducting gestures... love big Nick! Tibbet was VERY not a bass and too serious for Halloween fun but sang like his usual glorious self. Pape chose the wrong business just because nature gave him that glorious voice. If I see him call walking around a stage acting one more time...!!! Pinza is right behind Ghiaurov but Nick rules!


I didn't think anyone would end up enjoying this but having your wonderful response made it worthwhile!!!!!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I like them in this order: Tibbett, Ghiaurov, Pinza, Pape. Tibbett's is pitched a half-step high to accommodate the fact that he's a baritone, but that's no drawback. He's brilliant. Pape really shouldn't be singing this, with his dull, strained upper range.

I feel almost as MAS does about this piece of kitsch, and watching Ghiaurov camping it up, making little bat wings with his fingers, is just cringeworthy. Kinda fun, though, for a trick-or-treat prank.


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## PaulFranz (May 7, 2019)

The others are not even in Tibbett's league.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Just as an interesting footnote, Gounod's *Faust *was 30 years in the making and there were quite a few different versions from the one we hear now. It originated as an _opéra-comique _with a good deal of spoken dialogue and the role of Méphistophélès was a character bass-baritone, who originally sang a ditty in celebration of the dung beetle at this point. The _veau d'or _was a later addition. Not so long ago the 1859 version was recorded and issued on the Bru Zane label and it's quite a different opera but well worth hearing.










Anyway to the matter at hand. The Pape I discounted fairly quickly, but I find it hard to choose between Tibbett, Ghiaurov and Pinza as I thought they were all great. Er.. Tibbett then.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

MAS said:


> ScottK! Some music just does things to my ears! 😂


This may put it even further in the debit column....think I mentioned this at some point! My Dad chose the Ghiaurov Faust for us to see one June. My vote was going to be to hear Cav/Pag with Tucker and....what would have been my one and only chance to hear in person???.....Franco Corelli!!!...alas!


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I had to find Tibbett on my own as it would not permit me up there.
I also added this one though I didn't vote for him but found him worthy to belong to the bunch: 




However, though close, I went for Ghiaurov. Just something more sincere about his rendering. Maybe it's the film versions that turn me off with all that lip synching.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

ScottK said:


> This may put it even further in the debit column....think I mentioned this at some point! My Dad chose the Ghiaurov Faust for us to see one June. My vote was going to be to hear Cav/Pag with Tucker and....what would have been my one and only chance to hear in person???.....Franco Corelli!!!...alas!


Is there no emoji for a surprised shriek AAAARRGH!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ScottK said:


> This may put it even further in the debit column....think I mentioned this at some point! My Dad chose the Ghiaurov Faust for us to see one June. My vote was going to be to hear Cav/Pag with Tucker and....what would have been my one and only chance to hear in person???.....Franco Corelli!!!...alas!


That was child abuse. I hope you and your father reconciled.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

PaulFranz said:


> The others are not even in Tibbett's league.


Few baritones have ever been.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> That was child abuse. I hope you and your father reconciled.


We managed to get by it!!!😉🤓


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> Few baritones have ever been.


 Removed from SOF’s rotten tomatoes fun, I could not agree more!


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

I picked Ezio Pinza, but it was a half whim, I don't have a strong opinion in this contest.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BBSVK said:


> I picked Ezio Pinza, but it was a half whim, I don't have a strong opinion in this contest.


Thanks for playing. This isn't for everyone. Try my next contest!!!!!!!! Exciting.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Just as an interesting footnote, Gounod's *Faust *was 30 years in the making and there were quite a few different versions from the one we hear now. It originated as an _opéra-comique _with a good deal of spoken dialogue and the role of Méphistophélès was a character bass-baritone, who originally sang a ditty in celebration of the dung beetle at this point. The _veau d'or _was a later addition. Not so long ago the 1859 version was recorded and issued on the Bru Zane label and it's quite a different opera but well worth hearing.


Interesting, thanx !


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

nina foresti said:


> I had to find Tibbett on my own as it would not permit me up there.
> I also added this one though I didn't vote for him but found him worthy to belong to the bunch:
> 
> 
> ...


Indeed, can I vote for Ramey ? Mefisto is supposed to be sexy. If you doubt it, let me tell you, I learned it at school, so it is official 🙃 . We had a lecture series on dramas and operas inspired by Faust, so I know, these devils were initially not meant to be attractive, but became such in the later works. And @Seattleoperafan wanted the evaluation to be about the overall impression, not just singing. So, yeah, Ramey !


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

I overcame a temptation to vote for Pape, as the one I heard live and enjoyed. Other voices nevertheless were impressive. Ghiaurov was the best for me, a beautiful unstrained voice, a perfect depiction of attractive evil and a certain pinch of comic.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

nina foresti said:


> I had to find Tibbett on my own as it would not permit me up there.
> I also added this one though I didn't vote for him but found him worthy to belong to the bunch:
> 
> 
> ...


Ramey's terrific! I wish they didn't get so into their rolling platform idea - at least for as long as they did - because he's more interesting than the platform by a fair margin!!!


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Well I'm coming to this late and catching up. Whilst some may have found this more of a trick, I found it a treat!

I watched Pape first and I generally liked his version, but felt that his voice wasn't dark enough and he lacked presence. Tibbett presumably has all the magic of Hollywood on his side, but I much preferred his more authoritative version and I was surprised that his baritone was dark enough to work here, but it did.

That said, it's another thing entirely when a bass sings this and with Ghiaurov and Pinza had voices more suited to the role. However, Ghiaurov's French disqualifies him (and people have a go at Corelli and Christoff!) I also found his dramatics to be way over the top. (I thought this type of thing that was mocked by artists as different as G&S and Wagner had long ago vanished from the operatic stage!)

So it's Pinza or Tibbett, those old stars of the old Met.

Oh, you old tease SOF, you left the best til last!

Pinza, because it's obvious!

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

ScottK said:


> My word Mas...detest???


For some this was obviously more of a trick than a treat!

N.


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