# Any fans of Ferruccio Furlanetto, René Pape and Ildar Abdrazakov here?



## Gaby Opera (Jul 13, 2015)

I admire and love Ferruccio Furlanetto (one of the greatest as King Philip II in Don Carlo) René Pape and Ildar Abdrazakov! 
Are there any fans of these three marvelous Opera Artists here? 
Gaby


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## Steatopygous (Jul 5, 2015)

It seems not! :lol:
Actually I love the first two, don't know the third.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Seek no further.
Pape for his remarkable King Philip in Don Carlo & Gurnemanz in Parsifal
Furlanetto also for his King Philip
Abdrazakov for his fabulous Mefistofele


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I only have listened to one of the three: Pape, and only in his Gods, Kings, and Demons CD. But I enjoy this CD very much.


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## Steatopygous (Jul 5, 2015)

Gaby Opera said:


> I admire and love Ferruccio Furlanetto (one of the greatest as King Philip II in Don Carlo) René Pape and Ildar Abdrazakov!
> Are there any fans of these three marvelous Opera Artists here?
> Gaby


Yes, isn't Furlanetto fantastic! I am going through a Carlos craze right now. I just watched Furlanetto on Youtube in his great monologue, then in an earlier performance of the monologue and inquisitor scene with Furlanetto and Salminen in the Karajan live recording. I made my poor wife sit through it, to show her how wonderful that scene is (she'd been very happy with my first recommendation of Netrebko and Garanca in the Barcarolle from Hoffman and my credit was temporarily good. A bit frayed now, I fear.)


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Gaby Opera said:


> I admire and love Ferruccio Furlanetto (one of the greatest as King Philip II in Don Carlo) René Pape and Ildar Abdrazakov!
> Are there any fans of these three marvelous Opera Artists here?
> Gaby


Absolutely! The bass voice is my favourite voice type and these are three of the very best.

I had the honour of assisting a colleague interview Furlanetto and Eric Halfvarson and then we saw Don Carlo the next night. Unforgettable weekend.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Rene Pape is incredible! I enjoy his Wagner singing.


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## Gaby Opera (Jul 13, 2015)

I am so happy that you are also a Ferruccio Furlaneto fan! And Don Carlos is at the top of my list of all time favorite Operas! I think, in my opinion, that Don Carlos is Verdi's grand masterpiece (and also Otello) and I agree, "Ella giammai m'amo" is one of the greatest arias/monologues of Don Carlos. The production that you are saying is the extraordinary Salzburg production of Don Carlos with Herbert von Karajan conducting and with Ferruccio Furlanetto as King Philip II, Matti Salminen as il Grand Inquisitore and José Carreras as Don Carlos. This production made Ferruccio Furlanetto famous! And I agree with you, the confrontation between King Philip II and Il Grand Inquisitor is one of the greatest moments of the history of the Opera!


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

All three are outstanding, but Abdrazakov is my favorite. He's probably my favorite bass next to Nicolai Ghiaurov.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Furlanetto does a hell of a job as Philip in Don Carlo. I love the ROH production, and I had the pleasure to hear him live in Vienna in the same role. It is his signaure role - if I get the chance I will go again.


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## Fat Bob (Sep 25, 2015)

I was lucky enough to see Furlanetto as Philip in the ROH production when it was brought to the Edinburgh festival a good number of years ago. Spellbinding, especially throughout Act 4, from the great monologue onwards. This performance included the music after Posa's death that Verdi excised and used later in the Requiem. Hairs standing on the back of the neck moment!


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

Back in May 2014 I saw Furlanetto in Massenet's _Don Quichotte_. I was enthralled - he just puts so much humanity and passion into his portrayal. I was also very pleasantly surprised by what a good opera this was.


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## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

All three are among my favorites (well, not much of a recommendation from me who counts practically every good bass she hears as favorite, but still!). I'm so sad I still haven't heard any of them live - Abdrazakov sings Attila regularly, but it always seems to be on the day I'm at my busiest.

Though as for Pape, I don't like his Wotan very much. The acting I mean, his voice is always wonderful. In my opinion, that Wotan looks more like Sarastro trying to cosplay Wotan and failing miserably. He's too kindly-looking for the part.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Autumn Leaves said:


> ... who counts practically every good bass she hears as favorite, but still!


And me!

I went all the way to Seattle (from UK) to see/hear John Relyea in _Attila_. He was fab.

I keep hoping they'll release this on DVD eventually.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I have enjoyed René Pape's performances in the Meistersinger on DVD and Fidelio on CD (with Waltraud Meier and Placido Domingo).


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

I became a bit of a Furlanetto groupie after seeing his Philip in the Met HD Don Carlo broadcast. Since then I've been fortunate to see him as Boris and Fiesco (Boccanegra) in Chicago, de Silva (Ernani) in Bologna, and finally got to see his Philip live in New York this spring. He never fails to steal the show.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

This is the DVD where I first became aware of Rene Pape:





He is also a way-too-young Rocco in a modernized Fidelio (Video Clip Here).


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## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

Finally I've seen Abdrazakov live, as Attila! Absolutely breathtaking! (That video, although five years old, has most of the cast the same as in the performance I watched).


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

Definitely a fan of all three. All of them make an excellent King Philip, and all very different - Furlanetto is probably the most dignified, but deeply human and tragic. Pape has some incredible raw emotion in his aria, he's powerful yet vulnerable. Abdrazakov is still a bit young, so the aging man's bitterness doesn't suit him - he comes off more like someone still in his prime who is just starting to realize his own mortality and weaknesses. Give him another 8-10 years and he will mature into it. Vocally he's already fantastic.

Other roles I've seen them in: 

- Furlanetto as Fiesco and Silva. They two have a lot in common - proud, aristocratic, vengeful old men. Fiesco, of course, mellows out in the end. Silva is a cold, unforgiving son of a bitch, yet I sympathized with him. Furlanetto always has such a noble bearing and frankly, by Act II I was already done with Ernani's drama queen ways and Carlo Quinto's smug arrogance (later he gets character development, but still). Silva needs a break.

- Pape as Mephistopheles, Boris and Marke. He's a fun, charming Devil and looks great in a dress. His Boris is once again vulnerable and in dire need of therapy, but sounds like a god. Marke is pretty much perfection. There really isn't much you can do with him apart from being sad and singing beautifully, but I wish Isolde gave this Marke a chance.

- Abdrazakov as Attila and Oberto. His Attila is exactly the sexy beast he should be, and he sounds magnificent. He makes for a believeable barbarian. He sort of has this Khal Drogo vibe. Oberto is more your standard vengeful dad obsessed with his honour, but he's dignified and fierce.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

You're looking at one!


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

I think Pape is the best bass voice of this era & Furlanetto is THE Filippo of recent years. Abdrazakov is a fine singer with a great career, but his bottom notes are pretty weak.


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