# Talk about a classic tenor...



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)




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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

nina foresti said:


>


I love the voice, especially his Edgardo with Dessay from the Met :tiphat:


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

My favourite of the current tenors. I was lucky enough to hear him in "Madama Butterfly" in Munich about 18 months ago.

(I can't believe this thread has only merited one single reply until now!)


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Annied said:


> My favourite of the current tenors. I was lucky enough to hear him in "Madama Butterfly" in Munich about 18 months ago.
> 
> (I can't believe this thread has only merited one single reply until now!)


Sometime a boost like this will help, feel free to response whatever you want .


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Very nice. Calleja has the quick, narrow vibrato we associate with "golden age" singers trained in the 19th century bel canto tradition. He's still a modern singer, which means that he doesn't know how to play with rhythm and tone like a real golden age singer, and I don't get much personality in the voice or otherwise, but he does make a pleasing sound.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Calleja is a throwback to the Golden Age of tenors with his slight vibrato so reminiscent of the time. I remember writing to him when no one ever heard of him to tell him he was going to be BIG (I did the same with Villazon) and look where Calleja is today.
He clearly has the most classic tenor voice of today and he expresses it with a deep inner feeling. Beczala has the most beautiful tenor sound, Grigolo has the most exciting sound, and Fabiano has the greatest tenor sound. (IMO)
We are blessed with some really superb tenors. 

So where are the baritones and basses? 
Yes, we have a few (Mattei comes to mind and of course without a doubt Hvorostovsky) but basses are few and far between.


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

nina foresti said:


> I remember writing to him when no one ever heard of him to tell him he was going to be BIG (I did the same with Villazon) and look where Calleja is today.


Did they reply?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Annied said:


> Did they reply?


I had a warm relationship with Villazon. We traveled to Pittsburgh to see him in Lucia, then to his debut at the Met in Traviata, and then to LA with Netrebko where they did an historic Romeo et Juliette. I went backstage and had a picture with him. He was very sweet and engaging. He remembered my name as I approached him.
I was devastated when he came to his eventual end with that last Edgardo note in the wedding scene. We watched him carefully and knew the writing was on the wall that he was going to blow out. Very sad end.

As for Calleja, I got a thank you response but I did not continue to develop a relationship. I only watched him grow and watched audiences slowly discover this fine and unusual voice which is immediately recognizable to me.
I remember Beczala coming onto the scene at the same time and at one point the Met was scheduling them both and I was in such a quandary as to which performance I should see. Due to seat and time constraints, we ended up seeing Beczala and was pleased to recognize a new and wonderful tenor.


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

nina foresti said:


> I had a warm relationship with Villazon. We traveled to Pittsburgh to see him in Lucia, then to his debut at the Met in Traviata, and then to LA with Netrebko where they did an historic Romeo et Juliette. I went backstage and had a picture with him. He was very sweet and engaging. He remembered my name as I approached him.


Oh, that's good to read, he's always come across as a very endearing chap whenever I've seen him in documentaries. That said, I think it would wear me out to be around him any length of time as he seems to be a complete bundle of boundless energy! Although he's never been a favourite of mine as far as his voice is concerned, I too was devastated for him when he began to have problems. What shone out of every documentary was his love of singing and performing. He's still very popular in Germany, appears regularly at the BSO and sells out there.



> As for Calleja, I got a thank you response but I did not continue to develop a relationship. I only watched him grow and watched audiences slowly discover this fine and unusual voice which is immediately recognizable to me.


Interesting man, I haven't seen enough of him "off duty" to form an opinion on the individual. I discovered his Facebook page recently, which is very active. He seems to enjoy interacting with his fans. Having asked for questions, he had everyone guessing where he was going to make his next vblog. A somewhat rough and ready video appeared yesterday evening with a stumbling Calleja standing in the middle of an empty beach, having to admit that he'd forgotten to bring the questions along with him! It was all rather sweet.


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