# Who's the Best?



## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Hello all! I wanted to start a thread highlighting the finest modern interpreters of some of operas biggest roles in the opinions of TC members. I apologize in advance if this has been done already. I will offer some opinions of my own to get it started, but my knowledge is limited to Wagner mostly, with some Strauss, Verdi, & Puccini sprinkled in, so I'm very interested in learning about some singers who are having their moment in some rep I'm not very familiar with. Most of these singers I have not heard live, but through recordings:

Isolde: Nina Stemme
Brunnhilde: Christine Goerke
Elektra: Evelyn Herlitzius
Tristan, Tannhauser: Stephen Gould
Siegfried: Andreas Schaeger
Lohengrin: Klaus Florian Vogt
Ortrud: Petra Lang
Sachs: Wolfgang Koch
King Marke, Gurnemanz: Rene Pape
Hagen: Hans Peter Konig
Tosca: Anja Harteros
Cavaradossi: Jonas Kauffmann
Scarpia: Brynn Terfel

That's all I got so far. I of course welcome debate on these singers & I'm excited for any contributions!


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## dreadnought (Nov 27, 2017)

The two that immediately come to mind for me are:

Susanna (_Nozze_, Mozart): Alison Hagley
Onegin (_Onegin_, Tchaikovsky): Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Those are the roles where I just compare everyone else to those singers (and always find that everyone else comes up short).

The Figaros come close - Figaro (Rossini): Peter Mattei, and Figaro (Mozart): Bryn Terfel


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

dreadnought said:


> The two that immediately come to mind for me are:
> 
> Susanna (_Nozze_, Mozart): Alison Hagley
> Onegin (_Onegin_, Tchaikovsky): Dmitri Hvorostovsky
> ...


I don't know Hagley, but I will go listen to her now! Thanks


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

> modern interpreters of some of operas biggest roles in the opinions of TC members. I





> Onegin (Onegin, Tchaikovsky): Dmitri Hvorostovsky


Can they( the artist) be dead or not singing any more? confusing.


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## dreadnought (Nov 27, 2017)

Pugg said:


> Can they( the artist) be dead or not singing any more? confusing.


I'd still call Hvorostovsky a modern interpreter, but yes, if the original poster meant "people who might pop up singing the role next year", Dmitri wouldn't qualify any more.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

dreadnought said:


> I'd still call Hvorostovsky a modern interpreter, but yes, if the original poster meant "people who might pop up singing the role next year", Dmitri wouldn't qualify any more.


 Agree with Fleming the best there is, but neither on Opera stage any more.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Bonetan said:


> Hello all! I wanted to start a thread highlighting the finest modern interpreters of some of operas biggest roles in the opinions of TC members. I apologize in advance if this has been done already. I will offer some opinions of my own to get it started, but my knowledge is limited to Wagner mostly, with some Strauss, Verdi, & Puccini sprinkled in, so I'm very interested in learning about some singers who are having their moment in some rep I'm not very familiar with. Most of these singers I have not heard live, but through recordings:
> 
> Isolde: Nina Stemme
> Brunnhilde: Christine Goerke
> ...


I'm not sure about all of those.

Isolde: Nina Stemme (I haven't heard her live but I prefer Evelyn Herlitzius)
Brunnhilde: Has to be Catherine Foster
Siegfried: Andreas Schaeger (and Parsifal!)
Ortrud: Petra Lang (Whoops! Waltraud Meier hasn't retired yet!)
Hagen: Hans Peter Konig (I haven't seen Konig live, but Stephen Milling gave me nightmares after seeing him in this role.)
Tosca: Anja Harteros (I would still go for Gheorghiu in this role.)

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Agree with Fleming the best there is, but neither on Opera stage any more.


Mozart's Requiem: Renee Fleming

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Agree with Fleming the best there is, but neither on Opera stage any more.


Mozart's Requiem: Renee Fleming

N.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Owners of their Roles:
Adriana Lecouvreur: Olivero
Adriana Lecouvreur: (Michonnet) Bastianini
Adriana Lecouvreur: (Mauricio) Corelli
Il trovatore: (Leonora) Radvanovsky
Il trovatore: (Count di Luna) Hvorostovsky
Un Ballo in Maschera: (Renato) Hvorostovsky
Don Carlo (Posa) Hvorostovsky
Don Carlo: (King Phillip) Pape/Siepi (tie)
Eugene Onegin: (Lensky) Shicoff
Eugene Onegin: Hvorostovsky
Dialogues des Carmelites: (Old Prioress) Felicity Palmer
Salome: Karita Mattila
Tosca: (Cavaradossi) Corelli (Parma)
Tosca: Callas
Madama Butterfly (Cio Cio San) Scotto
Norma: Callas/Radvanovsky (tie)
The Consul (Magda Sorel) Patricia Neway
Otello: Otello Pertile/Vickers (tie)
Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia) Sills
Mefistofele - Norman Treigle/Ramey (tie)


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

The Conte said:


> I'm not sure about all of those.
> 
> Isolde: Nina Stemme (I haven't heard her live but I prefer Evelyn Herlitzius)
> Ortrud: Petra Lang (Whoops! Waltraud Meier hasn't retired yet!)
> ...


Thanks for your opinions! I can't argue with your choice for Isolde. Those 2 are neck and neck for Brunnhilde, Elektra, Isolde imo & it comes down to a preference for quality of voice (Stemme) versus pure electricity on stage (Herlitzius)...however in regards to Meier she's far from the singer she once was. She was in a league of her own for years, but she's not that singer anymore.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

nina foresti said:


> Owners of their Roles:
> Adriana Lecouvreur: Olivero
> Adriana Lecouvreur: (Michonnet) Bastianini
> Adriana Lecouvreur: (Mauricio) Corelli
> ...


Thanks Nina! But I was looking for the best interpreters currently performing these roles


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Bonetan said:


> Thanks Nina! But I was looking for the best interpreters currently performing these roles


OOps. Well then, let's bring this list down to 3 of which only two are still singing.
Hvorostovsky RIP
Radvanovsky
Pape


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The Conte said:


> Mozart's Requiem: Renee Fleming
> 
> N.





The Conte said:


> Mozart's Requiem: Renee Fleming
> 
> N.


Not by along shot Conte, don't get your wires crossed, she full of life, at her age I might add.


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## Star (May 27, 2017)

I thought this was modern interpreters of the role yet I see Callas and Corelli included. Is there any historical boundary here?


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Gurnemanz - Zeppenfeld.


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## damianjb1 (Jan 1, 2016)

Lady Macbeth - Anna Netrebko
Turandot - Amber Wagner
Peter Mattei - anything????


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Not by along shot Conte, don't get your wires crossed, she full of life, at her age I might add.


She may be full of life, but I've never seen her as anything other than a beautiful voice (heavenly and definitely one of the most beautiful voices of all time) and I WANT more than that!

N.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The Conte said:


> She may be full of life, but I've never seen her as anything other than a beautiful voice (heavenly and definitely one of the most beautiful voices of all time) and I WANT more than that!
> 
> N.


Try the new Rosenkavalier.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

The Conte said:


> Hagen: Hans Peter Konig (I haven't seen Konig live, but Stephen Milling gave me nightmares after seeing him in this role.)


You're right about Milling. What a presence on stage!


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## JosefinaHW (Nov 21, 2015)

I'm too much of a newbie for my list to count, but I'd like to ask you if you know why Petteri Salomma (a great Figaro) left singing to be a professor of singing? Did something happen to his health?

Oh, why not:

Don Carlo, Rodrigo: Simon Keenlyside
Don Carlo, Felipe: Rene Pape
Verdi, MacBeth: Thomas Hampson


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

JosefinaHW said:


> I'm too much of a newbie for my list to count, but I'd like to ask you if you know why Petteri Salomma (a great Figaro) left singing to be a professor of singing? Did something happen to his health?
> 
> Oh, why not:
> 
> ...


Good call with Pape! He's excellent in most everything he does. Hampson & Keenlyside are fabulous singers, but are under-powered as Verdi baritones imo. I'll look up Peteri Salomma. I don't know the name. Thanks Josefina


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

damianjb1 said:


> Peter Mattei - anything????


Absolutely - I think that he's the best current Amfortas and (especially) Wolfram, and arguably the best singer in the roles of Posa, Figaro (Rossini), Count (Nozze).


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

Lately, I've admired the Swedish mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg for her various roles in Handel (& Haydn) operas--her Ariodante in Ariodante, Gismonda in Ottone, Ezio in Ezio, Tolomeo in Tolomeo, Tirinto in Imeneo, Siroe in Siroe, King of Persia, etc. She's a wonderful singer.

https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Hande...5697654&sr=1-4&keywords=ann+hallenberg+handel

https://www.amazon.com/Carnevale-17.../ref=tmm_msc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

I've also enjoyed Joyce DiDonato in Handel's Alcina, with Il Complesso Barocco, conducted by Alan Curtis (although my favorite Alcina probably remains the Arleen Auger, Della Jones recording with Richard Hickox, which I imprinted on).

https://www.amazon.com/Alcina-CD-Ge...&qid=1515697444&sr=1-2&keywords=handel+alcina

I agree with others about Bryn Terfel's Figaro. He's a terrific singer who can act!

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Marri...15697965&sr=1-2&keywords=figaro+mozart+terfel

I wasn't overly keen on Nina Stemme's Isolde, not to my tastes (nor her Strauss Four Last Songs either). I much prefer the late Margaret Price as Isolde, with conductor Carlos Kleiber and the magnificent Staatskapelle Dresden, among modern recordings of the digital era. (I even prefer Price's Isolde to Birgit Nilsson's--at least in the recording studio.) I also prefer Linda Esther Gray's Isolde.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/ワーグナー-楽劇「ト...697162&sr=8-4&keywords=wagner+tristan+kleiber

https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8079290--wagner-tristan-und-isolde

Finally, I've enjoyed the marvelous trio in Carlos Kleiber's 1994 production of Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier--Felicity Lott (Marschallin), Anne Sofie von Otter (Octavian), & Barbara Bonney (Sophie).

https://www.amazon.com/Strauss-Rose...rd_wg=DJUE1&psc=1&refRID=1DDQEX95X1Y5EPQ1D6ZV


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

wkasimer said:


> Absolutely - I think that he's the best current Amfortas and (especially) Wolfram, and arguably the best singer in the roles of Posa, Figaro (Rossini), Count (Nozze).


Also a superb Onegin and wonderful in the Mahler lieder.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Terfel as Falstaff. Thank you wkasimer for reminding me about him in this role in another thread


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

After some re-examination I think Stemme is tops as Brunnhilde & Elektra. Very impressive singer. I'm rolling with John Lundgren as the best Wotan. Sweden holding it down


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## JosefinaHW (Nov 21, 2015)

I hope a new recording will reveal Gerald Finley as Scarpia.

A few teasers:

Please ignore the translation and just enjoy the voice:


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

JosefinaHW said:


> I hope a new recording will reveal Gerald Finley as Scarpia.
> 
> A few teasers:
> 
> Please ignore the translation and just enjoy the voice:


Fine artist & seems like a great guy. I will be referring to that 2nd video again for sure. Thanks Josefina


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