# Not so well known opera stars that you kind of like



## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

In the spirit of 'what big opera stars do you not like?" - I propose the opposite.

To start with:









Ildiko Komlosi

In a beautifully staged outdoor performance of Mascagni's CR I saw on DVD the other night, this mezzo totally dominated the stage. Riveting.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Dang it. ..... watch this space ...

Well, I'm trying to load a pic of Kate Lindsey and I just can't do it! Well, she's probably too well known for this thread anyway ...


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

One of my recent discoveries:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

The Belgian soprano, Anne-Catherine Gillet, just in the frontier of the light and the lyric soprano. She has musicality, is very expressive and a good singing-actress. The top notes are a little bit metallic.






About not so well known opera singers from the past, especially not so well known to young opera fans of today, that I like ... well, I think there are just too many of them for a single post.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

As it happens, mine are all baritones:

I have always loved the voice of Dwayne Croft, a Metropolitan Opera baritone who has become more famous since the first time I heard him but still is not a star. He was the Count in the Metropolitan Opera telecast, in 1999, of _Le nozze di Figaro_. His rendition of "Vedro mentr'io sospiro" in that production is my favorite of all the ones I've heard. I remember him too in other roles in Met broadcasts, including Ford, Sharpless, and Germont.

Another one is Mark Delavan. I saw him as Falstaff at a local opera company, and I remember his Met debut shortly afterward as Amonasro in AIDA. Especially in that small theater where I saw Falstaff he had a _big _voice. Actually, I think he's pretty well-known now but like Croft not quite a "star." It saddens me that people forget or don't know about him and then claim that there are no "Verdi baritones" around today!

There's also a baritone called Nmon Ford (I think that's how you spell the first name), from Puerto Rico, who was Count di Luna in a production of IL TROVATORE I saw at Virginia Opera several years ago. He was outstanding in every way; his singing of "Il balen" was maybe the very finest singing I had heard at that opera company -- truly great singing and acting.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> Dang it. ..... watch this space ...
> 
> Well, I'm trying to load a pic of Kate Lindsey and I just can't do it!


she is probably too famous by now but so what? just for you (and me), a bit of over-acting by the lovely KL:






looking forward to her Sesto, hopefully soonish.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

*Svetla Vassileva
*
Unknown to me until I began journey through Tutto Verdi series of operas this year, very impressive in all respects stars in Traviata, Falstaff and Joan of Arc


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

deggial said:


> she is probably too famous by now but so what? just for you (and me), a bit of over-acting by the lovely KL:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm also very keen on Lucy Crowe. She is wonderful in this fantastic DVD:


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

deggial said:


> she is probably too famous by now but so what? just for you (and me), a bit of over-acting by the lovely KL:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. The embedding was disabled but I hopped over to Youtube and watched it there ... still pretty amazing. You're looking forward to her Sesto? I'm looking forward to her Rosina! And yes, Lucy Crowe was pretty amazing too ...


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> You're looking forward to her Sesto? I'm looking forward to her Rosina!


she strikes me as the kind of mezzo who fares better singing tragic men rather than saucy girls (hers was surely the most dramatic Annio I've seen so far - also based on her rendition of Tu fosti tradito). Nonetheless I'll check her Rosina out as well


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

deggial said:


> she strikes me as the kind of mezzo who fares better singing tragic men rather than saucy girls ...


I think you're right. We'll see, I hope. She's doing Rosina over in Europe, I just have to hope she brings it back here.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I am very keen on Topi Lehtipuu - he's great in Classical and Baroque repertoire, and is an excellent Tom Rakewell in the Glyndebourne Rake's progress.

I recommend this CD:


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Bellinilover said:


> Another one is Mark Delavan. I saw him as Falstaff at a local opera company, and I remember his Met debut shortly afterward as Amonasro in AIDA. Especially in that small theater where I saw Falstaff he had a _big _voice. Actually, I think he's pretty well-known now but like Croft not quite a "star." It saddens me that people forget or don't know about him and then claim that there are no "Verdi baritones" around today!


Yes! I know he's been around for a while, but this year I've really taken notice of him starting with his scary-good performance in the Met HD _Francesca di Rimini_ this spring. I was delighted that he cropped up as The Wanderer in the Met Siegfried we attended this spring. And I just caught his _powerful_ Amonasro in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's concert performance of Aida on Saturday night at the Ravinia Festival.

In the same category, I think, is mezzo Michelle DeYoung. She was Amneris on Saturday night, also scary-good, with stage presence to spare. When I think of some of the great, milestone performances I have experienced to date, so often she was there: a Mahler's 3rd with the CSO, the wickedly demanding role of the Shaman in the Met's First Emperor, Brangane under Barenboim at the Met, Das Lied von der Erde with the CSO.

Conductors seem to love her, but I wonder if stage directors are biased against her imposing physical presence. (She's got to be over 6' tall; they were careful never to have her stand next to and dwarf little Roberto Alagna the other night.) According to her website she's starting to sing Sieglinde, Kundry, and Isolde, so maybe stardom awaits! (Alagna was fantastic as Radames by the way, delivered the goods as well.)


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Last night I re-watched a DVD I have of a Metropolitan Opera ERNANI telecast from 1983 and realized that I really like Leona Mitchell's voice. It's lush and multi-hued, powerful yet agile. I wonder why she wasn't a bigger star? The only fault she had, in my opinion, was that her diction was quite "covered." But among sopranos she's hardly unique in that respect.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

I've heard that term before, but what does it mean? ("covered")


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> I've heard that term before, but what does it mean? ("covered")


I know it when I hear it, but it's a bit hard to explain. I guess the best I can come up with is that it's as though the singer is "covering" the sound with the roof of his or her mouth, so that, for example, the Italian "a" vowel ("ah") comes out more like "oh."

Sometimes "covering" is a good thing to do -- apparently, you're supposed to "cover" as you're going up the scale toward the high register -- but when applied to diction, it tends to dull the clarity of the words.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Bellinilover said:


> I know it when I hear it, but it's a bit hard to explain. I guess the best I can come up with is that it's as though the singer is "covering" the sound with the roof of his or her mouth, so that, for example, the Italian "a" vowel ("ah") comes out more like "oh."
> 
> Sometimes "covering" is a good thing to do -- apparently, you're supposed to "cover" as you're going up the scale toward the high register -- but when applied to diction, it tends to dull the clarity of the words.


I think I see what you mean. It sounds like a safeguard against damaging the voice, maybe?


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> I think I see what you mean. It sounds like a safeguard against damaging the voice, maybe?


Yes, because an "open" sound all the way up the scale would be more like shouting than singing and would damage the voice. Have you ever heard Giuseppe di Stefano? I think he's a good example of a singer who didn't "cover" enough -- he always had those wide-open vowel sounds, and I've heard people say that's why his voice declined early. On the other hand, Joan Sutherland perhaps "covered" too much, and that's why her diction was murky. (I'm not knocking Sutherland, by the way -- she's happens to be a favorite of mine.)


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

First singer that comes to mind is Allison Hagley. She did a fantastic Susanna under Haitink at Glyndebourne. You can find it on youtube. 

And Rodney Gilfrey.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Bellinilover said:


> Yes, because an "open" sound all the way up the scale would be more like shouting than singing and would damage the voice. Have you ever heard Giuseppe di Stefano? I think he's a good example of a singer who didn't "cover" enough -- he always had those wide-open vowel sounds, and I've heard people say that's why his voice declined early. On the other hand, Joan Sutherland perhaps "covered" too much, and that's why her diction was murky. (I'm not knocking Sutherland, by the way -- she's happens to be a favorite of mine.)


Thanks so much! Yes, she was one of the greats - maybe the best ever, who knows?


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## Galo (Aug 8, 2013)

I did like Sirkka Lampimaki when I saw her a few months ago. I was fortunate to sit on the second row and since the performance was in a concert hall instead of at a opera house, so I was very close. What I liked about her is her liveliness on stage, how she communicated with the audience and transmitted a lot of energy. She is by no means a conservative soprano.


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> I think I see what you mean. It sounds like a safeguard against damaging the voice, maybe?


Essentially there are a few ways for opera singers to tackle the passaggio (the 'breaking' point of an amateur singer) and one of the safe and popular ways it to distort the vowel sounds as was mentioned, which keeps the vocal cords taut but also opens up the voice, kind of like a yawn.

There are some however, like Pavarotti, Caruso, Melchior, who were masters of the appoggio technique, that is; singing entirely in one register, giving their voices an even sound from the low ranges to the high. It takes many many years to master, but it allows for you to slide up past passaggio with ease - without covering.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Galo said:


> I did like Sirkka Lampimaki when I saw her a few months ago. I was fortunate to sit on the second row and since the performance was in a concert hall instead of at a opera house, so I was very close. What I liked about her is her liveliness on stage, how she communicated with the audience and transmitted a lot of energy. She is by no means a conservative soprano.


Oh yes, the cartwheeling soprano. She's fun!


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Jobis said:


> Essentially there are a few ways for opera singers to tackle the passaggio (the 'breaking' point of an amateur singer)


care to explain some more; I could never wrap my mind around what exactly the passagio is. Breaking point is which way?


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Wikipedia says the passaggio is the region between the secure registers, when your sound quality changes (in either direction, going up or down). I think by "breaking" Jobis meant the tone produced in the passaggio is insecure and may crack.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> Wikipedia says the passaggio is the region between the secure registers, when your sound quality changes (in either direction, going up or down).


you mean the place between the chest and head registers? Like wherever that occurs?


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

exactly. ...exactly.


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

deggial said:


> care to explain some more; I could never wrap my mind around what exactly the passagio is. Breaking point is which way?


Essentially if you're completely untrained, if you try belting out notes and getting progressively higher eventually your voice is going to crack. For a bass this occurs a few tones lower than for a tenor. This is how a singer discovers his or her natural placement. When singing past this point in your range, it requires support and good technique to keep the voice from cracking.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

I think I got it. Thank you both :tiphat:


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

I really like the baritone Dietrich Henschel, who has appeared on several DVDs but still doesn't seem all that well known among those singers whose careers have reached the international level.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

I find Liliana Nikiteanu extremely hilarious (and a good singer to boot) in pretty much all I've seen her sing (including stuff not exactly known to be funny):


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

I really don't know how long he has been around but Andrzej Dobber is a wonderful baritone. I have seen him perform Riggoleto-Glorious. I have a cd w/him singing Gorecki's Sym. #2 'Copernican' and Beatus Vir. One of my favorite recordings.


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

I like the tenor Paul Groves...especially his Nemorino -full of fun, youth and so well acted. I see he also did Tamino and Don Otavio amongst others. His Adina in the Elisir i have on DVD (Belair label from Paris) is Heidi-Grant Murphy a fiery little American soprano and i enjoyed her very much as well as on the Le Nozze DVD from Paris.

From the Copenhagen Ring cycle and the new Jenufa on DVD i really like Gitta-Maria Sjoberg.

And well known in some circles but Anja Kampe really impressed me in Die Walkure at the London Proms recently with Barenboim conducting. Her voice cut through the orchestra with ease.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

schigolch said:


> The Belgian soprano, Anne-Catherine Gillet, just in the frontier of the light and the lyric soprano. She has musicality, is very expressive and a good singing-actress. The top notes are a little bit metallic.


You can catch Mlle Gillet in a principal role in Grétry's Guillaume Tell on Arte Live TV for 5 more months from time of post: clicky


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

deggial said:


> I find Liliana Nikiteanu extremely hilarious (and a good singer to boot) in pretty much all I've seen her sing (including stuff not exactly known to be funny):


She's one of my favorites, too. Love her over-the-top witch in the Zürich production of _Die Königskinder_. She's also a wonderful Annio in their production of _La Clemenza di Tito_.


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Yashin said:


> I like the tenor Paul Groves...especially his Nemorino -full of fun, youth and so well acted. I see he also did Tamino and Don Otavio amongst others.


I'm a fan too. Saw his Pylade in _Iphegenie_ both in Chicago and New York and got to see him close up in recital once. I'm surprised but pleased to see he's singing Parsifal (!?!) in Chicago next season.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

MAuer said:


> She's one of my favorites, too. Love her over-the-top witch in the Zürich production of _Die Königskinder_. She's also a wonderful Annio in their production of _La Clemenza di Tito_.


the stripiest, most cheerful Annio the world has ever seen  love the jaunty hat! Her Zerlina is also something else (I always thought you need a truly funny singer for Zerlina). I will have to haunt down Die Konigskinder then, I'm not familiar with that one.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

deggial said:


> t I will have to haunt down Die Konigskinder then, I'm not familiar with that one.


You want this:










Be warned: when people say "_fairytale ending_" they don"t mean this kind!


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

TrevBus said:


> I really don't know how long he has been around but Andrzej Dobber is a wonderful baritone. I have seen him perform Riggoleto-Glorious. I have a cd w/him singing Gorecki's Sym. #2 'Copernican' and Beatus Vir. One of my favorite recordings.


Thanks TrevBus, very interesting! I'm going to see his Simon Boccanegra in Lyon next year.

Is this the CD you mean?










Or is there another one?


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

mamascarlatti said:


> Be warned: when people say "_fairytale ending_" they don"t mean this kind!


does the witch eat the kids, then? I might just like it that much better, I think children in white sauce are delicious :devil:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

deggial said:


> does the witch eat the kids, then? I might just like it that much better, I think children in white sauce are delicious :devil:


She gives the goose girl and king's son a poisoned loaf and they eat it and die in each other's arms.


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## Pip (Aug 16, 2013)

Ian Patterson is another to watch out for. He has recently been singing Gunther in the Met's Götterdämmerung and just had a
big success with his first Wotan in Das Rheingold at the Proms under Barmenboim. Impressive.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

mamascarlatti said:


> She gives the goose girl and king's son a poisoned loaf and they eat it and die in each other's arms.


vintage Grimm, then. I like it.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

sospiro said:


> Thanks TrevBus, very interesting! I'm going to see his Simon Boccanegra in Lyon next year.


You lucky girl! I saw him in Stiffelio and he was GREAT. Memorable - this was some years ago now and I haven't forgotten. You'll have a wonderful time, I'm sure.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

guythegreg said:


> You lucky girl! I saw him in Stiffelio and he was GREAT. Memorable - this was some years ago now and I haven't forgotten. You'll have a wonderful time, I'm sure.


Thanks Greg! Wanna come?


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Cavaradossi said:


> I'm a fan too. Saw his Pylade in _Iphegenie_ both in Chicago and New York and got to see him close up in recital once. I'm surprised but pleased to see he's singing Parsifal (!?!) in Chicago next season.


He seems to be moving into somewhat heavier roles now. He's scheduled for Florestan next summer in Santa Fe.


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

sospiro said:


> Thanks TrevBus, very interesting! I'm going to see his Simon Boccanegra in Lyon next year.
> 
> Is this the CD you mean?
> 
> ...


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

TrevBus said:


> The cd I am referring to is Naxos recording of Gorecki's Sym. #2 'Copernican' and 'Beatus Vir'. Wonderful recording and beautifully sung by him. One of my favorites.


It is available on Spotify....Not quite the same as having the cd, but perhaps better than nothing.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

sospiro said:


> Thanks Greg! Wanna come?


Love to, thanks - but unfortunately I've been unable to even arrange any LOCAL viewing for this coming season, yet! Well, I'm working at it ... wish me luck ...


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

guythegreg said:


> Love to, thanks - but unfortunately I've been unable to even arrange any LOCAL viewing for this coming season, yet! Well, I'm working at it ... wish me luck ...


Good luck! I sympathise with anyone who has an addiction like ours. :devil:


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Remember me? I started this thread...

Seriously, I don't have much to offer, but I'm certainly enjoying your comments. Keep them coming!


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

I don't think I've heard either Jessica Pratt or Bogdan Mihai before but they are pulling out some excellent bel canto singing in this excerpt from Adelaide di Borgogna:






I'm going to keep an eye/ear out on both


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I've remembered another one: the mezzo-soprano Patricia Risley, who does small roles at the Met and bigger roles elsewhere. I've always loved her sound. She's been Tisbe in two Met broadcasts of LA CENERENTOLA, and I saw her as Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA at Wolf Trap in the late 1990's.

Then there's one from the past: the American tenor John Alexander, who was Pollione on the first Joan Sutherland NORMA recording. He never seems to come up in discussions of singers; he was before my time, and I've been wondering how famous he actually was. His timbre reminds me of a trumpet, particularly on the high notes. I think it was a good sound for Pollione, though the critic in "The Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera" doesn't feel it was Italianate enough.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

He was a good Pollione. I never heard of him anywhere else either, and I too always thought that was kind of strange!


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

I think Alexander was a regular at the Met, though probably one of their "A Cast" members. In later years, he was on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music, so I heard him a couple of times with the local opera company, as Florestan and Walther von Stolzing. It was a pleasant change to listen a more lyrical voice in those roles. I think he also recorded the role of Arindal in Wagner's early opera, _Die Feen_.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

I always enjoyed Maria Stader...she made a cracking Countess in Le Nozze!


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

And I like this gentleman, here.....


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Has anyone seen Susan Gritton in an operatic performance? I was majorly impressed with her concert singing on the Kuula disc I just heard yesterday.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

^^ didn't Araiza actually use to be rather well known back then? lovely voice, I agree.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

deggial said:


> ^^ didn't Araiza actually use to be rather well known back then? lovely voice, I agree.


Yes, I have several recordings with him -- Mozart's _Die Zauberflöte_, _Cosi fan tutte_, and _Die Entführung aus dem Serail_, Rossini's _Il Barbiere di Siviglia_, _La Cenerentola_, and _Il Viaggio a Reims_, Donizetti's _Don Pasquale_, and Verdi's _Alzira_ -- possibly a few others I can't recall. I've always found his more virile sound a pleasant change to the usual lightweight Rossini tenors.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

MAuer said:


> I've always found his more virile sound a pleasant change to the usual lightweight Rossini tenors.


indeed, and I like Ramon Vargas for similar reasons, although he's not quite as manly sounding, but fuller or something than the usual tenorino.


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

I rather like Bryan Hymel.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

MAuer said:


> Yes, I have several recordings with him -- Mozart's _Die Zauberflöte_, _Cosi fan tutte_, and _Die Entführung aus dem Serail_, Rossini's _Il Barbiere di Siviglia_, _La Cenerentola_, and _Il Viaggio a Reims_, Donizetti's _Don Pasquale_, and Verdi's _Alzira_ -- possibly a few others I can't recall. I've always found his more virile sound a pleasant change to the usual lightweight Rossini tenors.


He is a to-die-for Prince in this lovely DVD of Cenerentola, with the equally gorgeous Flicka.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Vesteralen said:


> View attachment 24875
> 
> 
> Has anyone seen Susan Gritton in an operatic performance? I was majorly impressed with her concert singing on the Kuula disc I just heard yesterday.


She's Ellen Orford in this rather good Peter Grimes from la Scala:


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Jobis said:


> I rather like Bryan Hymel.


He was a great Enee in the recent Met Troyens. Just a great job.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

guythegreg said:


> He was a good Pollione. I never heard of him anywhere else either, and I too always thought that was kind of strange!


He died in 1990. He was with the Met from 1961 to 1987 and appeared in 379 performances.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

JCarmel said:


> And I like this gentleman, here.....


But he was well known and very good,Pavarotti thought a lot of him.
The above was from a strange documentary type film about Rossini and included many singers.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I've just fallen in love, after hearing him in Cosi from Madrid.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Yes, I have that programme on video, moody....recorded in the 1980's if I remember correctly...its one of those music sort-of-things that I don't want to get rid of my old videos for...though truth to tell, most stuff is on youtube, nowadays!
PS You can't tell your old Auntie Julie anything, you know?!!


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

JCarmel said:


> Yes, I have that programme on video, moody....recorded in the 1980's if I remember correctly...its one of those music sort-of-things that I don't want to get rid of my old videos for...though truth to tell, most stuff is on youtube, nowadays!
> PS You can't tell your old Auntie Julie anything, you know?!!


It had Marilyn Horne and Montserrat Caballe performing and they are so good.
I bought a new video machine just as everyone was getting rid of videos. But I have the last 50 years Wimbledon finals on video ,also a lot of opera because we once had opera on television often. Not anymore !!


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

moody said:


> It had Marilyn Horne and Montserrat Caballe performing and they are so good.
> I bought a new video machine just as everyone was getting rid of videos. But I have the last 50 years Wimbledon finals on video ,also a lot of opera because we once had opera on television often. Not anymore !!


Yes I had a lot of video opera recordings from the Beeb. That's sad if it's no longer the case (I can tell you that there has not been one opera shown on NZ TV since I moved here 23 years ago. Wall to wall rugby and America's cup).


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

mamascarlatti said:


> Yes I had a lot of video opera recordings from the Beeb. That's sad if it's no longer the case (I can tell you that there has not been one opera shown on NZ TV since I moved here 23 years ago. Wall to wall rugby and America's cup).


The TV company here that was really outstanding was the commercial outfit Granada.
All these people spew out now are so-called reality shows and dreadful sitcoms and films that appear to be shown once a month.
Of course we have Mr. Rieu and Miss Jenkins every so often.
But at least we just had the Proms.


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## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

Yashin said:


> I like the tenor Paul Groves...especially his Nemorino -full of fun, youth and so well acted. I see he also did Tamino and Don Otavio amongst others. His Adina in the Elisir i have on DVD (Belair label from Paris) is Heidi-Grant Murphy a fiery little American soprano and i enjoyed her very much as well as on the Le Nozze DVD from Paris.
> 
> From the Copenhagen Ring cycle and the new Jenufa on DVD i really like Gitta-Maria Sjoberg.
> 
> And well known in some circles but Anja Kampe really impressed me in Die Walkure at the London Proms recently with Barenboim conducting. Her voice cut through the orchestra with ease.


Paul Groves does have an excellent voice. Though I didn't quite like his image of Tamino, he seemed a bit dull… but well, everyone has their own tastes. My mother thinks him splendid in Die Zauberflöte.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

I'm very fond of Bruno Prevedi, tenor who seems to be exploited mostly as secondary tenor in operas like Macbeth of Nabucco, where he has one aria or not even that much to sing. Such recordings, though, are the only ones with him that I know are well known and he is not the main reason for it. I admire his fine voice and classy, noble way he sings (much like Bergonzi - "classy" is the keyword). He was exceptional Polline for Leyla Gencer's Norma.

He even did recital recordings, here is one I own and never saw it mentioned (maybe Schigolch has it among between numbers 387455252942 and 387455252944 in his collection):


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I like Paul Groves very much as a Handel and Mozart sort of tenor; he's a wonderful Don Ottavio on the Met telecast DON GIOVANNI from 2000. Yet compared to his strong middle register I always found his top a bit weak, which I thought might handicap him in the bel canto roles of Donizetti, etc. I wonder what others think of this.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Kelly Cae Hogan, who has the most powerful and penetrating soprano high notes I've ever heard live in an opera house:


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

George Petean, the Romanian baritone (and little brother of the baritone Alexandru Agache)


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

The Spanish/Basque soprano Ainhoa Arteta...


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Dmitra Theossdossiou


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Good moment to rave again about Maria Bengtsson ! This soprano excells in Mozart. Will never forget her performance as Contessa in Figaro under Gardiner at ROH 2013... Read it here. No recordings on CD, DVD yet (besides an abridged Don Govanni for cinema: Juan). Only one complete performance as Fiordiligi at La Scala 2014 on Youtube. I was lucky to be there. If she's singing Mozart, I'll go.


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