siriusly
Is it just me, or does Joseph Calleja sound simply amazing? La Cieca asks: is there a better lyric tenor out there today?
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Bur why , o why , hasn’t Benini learned how to conduct this piece, after all his attempts, this season?
I certainly like him. It’s so nice to listen to a tenor who’s not straining and lunging at high notes.
Yes…Calleja is superb…..I am upset I was on the way to the opera..but the traffic was stopped because some man fell off the Queensboro Bridge…some nerve..he must have hated opera.(I am sorry..i just was the victim of a tragic circumstance)…So sorry this happened….but at least I have Sirius..he is so wonderful..ch
Calleja sounds good in this…but everyone else seems way off/flat/slow/un-involved, to the max…..
Frizzo was conducting the night I was there. My review (which can be found at http://www.operatoday.com/content/2009/04/rigoletto_at_th.php); I thought he did a fab job. In fact Frontali wasn’t bad and everyone else was excellent – though Damrau hasn’t got a trill and both she and Calleja dropped their optional top notes and, in her case, the long dying fades.
I hadn’t heard Calleja before and was very pleased. He certainly beats the pants off Villazon, Filianoti, Alagna, Berti, Alvarez, Giordani, Giordano, Pittas and, in Verdi, Florez. (Not the Vargas of ten years back, however, methinks.) That Polish kid? Have to hear more of him to compare.
Today I heard Lucic singing Eri tu, and this confirms my belief that he’s the best Verdi baritone around. VERY SAD I didn’t hear HIS Rigoletto.
My taste does not run to this style of tenor sound.
I saw Calleja in this role in DC a year ago (opposite just-as-good Lyubov Petrova) and yes, this is the real thing. Thorough schooling in the old-school virtues like cultivation of pliancy over a full dynamic span throughout the range. No pushing to sound bigger (which, in a nice moral victory, allows the voice to sound full and buoyant). I wish we had several dozen like him.
But (despite being a perfectly good-looking man and an involved stage figure) he’s not the buff stud beloved of the PR machines, so he’s unlikely to become a big popular star figure. He should, though.
So far, his changes of dynamics and coloration have been wonderful. We should clone him. Let’s get rid of this conductor.
The first half did sound a little flat and uninspired. This act seems to have picked up a bit more sparkle. It may be the cocktail I’m drinking…
Is my ear off or is Cabell singing a constant quarter- tone above pitch?
messa (10)
SOMETHING–and I can’t quite put my finger on it-is really very unpleasant in Ms. Cabell’s singing…tonight, at least……
One of the best “Una furtivas” I’ve heard in a long time…
It must be Sirius because the Una Furtiva Lagrima sounded ragged and held in the passaggio and strained. There is a distinct beat in the sound and a muscularity to it. You can hear how musical he is clearly but perhaps it is the miking that makes the voice sound pushed up? To my ear the voice is strangled in the passaggio and husky. Cabell on the other hand sounds stunning and rich while remaining light. She does widen too much right above the F# which can sound a little harsh like Scotto but otherwise I feel like she is giving a solid performance. Again the miking can be deceiving.
The miking is always deceiving, particularly today’s directional-microphone-down-your-throat miking. That’s my mantra and I’m sticking to it. I actually don’t listen to MET broadcasts much any more. There’s no joy in it like when I was a kid–I go to the opera house, which for me means a three and three quarter hour drive, but I go to the MET or wherever and hear them in a real space with no electronics involved.
I’m a little shocked that someone would make a joke about being delayed for the opera because someone died and traffic was stopped on the bridge. And then claims to be the “victim” of traggic circumstances; I believe the victims would be the person who died and his family. Tacky.
Sanford- I think your ironometer may be a little off. I think the joke was at the poster’s expense (’WHY do these things always happen to ME?’) rather than at the expense of the poor soul who died.
Just got back from the Met and have to say that Joseph Calleja was simply amazing.
I was able to catch him last Friday in Rigoletto as well and thought he was great as the Duke but tonight as Nemorino?
Incredible.
Am I the only one who can’t get past the bleat in the tone? I admire his phrasing and musicality, but the bleat is off putting to me. Is it less noticeable in the house?
@ 18, Ashton… you raise a good point. I had the same problem when I first started listening to him—it was always straddling the border between bleat and just really fast vibrato. Now I hear just fast vibrato, not bleat any more. Whereas with for example Radvanovsky I ONLY hear bleat.
Just back from the Met. There really is no bleat in Calleja’s voice, IMO. Sirius effect, perhaps? His performance was outstanding in every way, singing well within his capacity, and his acting was excellent as well. His Nemorino was naive rather than brainless, which gave credence to “Adina, credimi” and “Una furtiva…” A superb evening, and Alaimo’s Dulcamara was a tour de force.
If anyone is interested, I’ve uploaded Calleja’s “una furtiva lagrima” to zshare, from my recording of tonight’s performance. Here’s the link.
http://www.zshare.net/audio/5905376412c8a844/
Enjoy!!
btw, it’s like monkey see monkey do with the Met audience. One idiot comes in before the aria is done and the others all jump in early too. predictable.
Just played Aristotle’s clip from tonight’s performances, and this is really fascinating, as Calleja’s vibrato was very much more prominent in the clip than in the house, and we were sitting in Row A. The mics are on the apron of the stage, very close to the singers, perhaps accounting for this. Also, his voice sounded much drier on Sirius than in real space. The voice is evidently one that needs space. I have heard Calleja from various places in the house, and Sirius gives little idea of the size of the voice. Trust me, it carries.
best lyric? no. best light lyric? absolutely. I don’t want to hear him sing anything heavier than rodolfo maybe ever. although I would love to hear him sing pearl fishers
I disagree, sean. To me (Ive heard him sing now Duke, Macduff, and Nemorino live), Calleja is a large lyric with some spinto qualities. I could see him singing roles like Don Jose, Pinkerton, and Ballo in the next 5-10 years (lets remember he’s only 31 as of now). He has that natural unforced ring and size to be a great lirico spinto.
I was in the house tonight, and I loved every minute of his performance. His stage demeanor reminds me of Luciano (and no, not only because he’s a tad on the large side)
Also, I have to say having just heard it, this clip doesnt nearly do justice to the actual in house sound. So strange.
And as a final point, I think today’s 3 best tenors are
Beczala, Calleja, and Kaufmann
The caprino or flutter happens only when support isn’t working properly – Popp also had that. Nevertheless a verry good musician with a very good instrument with a very good top – no strain W H A T S O E V E R! Bravo!
Calleja was SUPERB and carried the evening on his back. The conducting and rest of the cast were secondary..but Calleja made the evening one of those “memorable” ones at the Met. BRAVO CALLEJA!!
messa di voce – it is not your imagination – she is sharp at least half the time – one can’t quite relaz when she is singing. But even apart from that she has no business singling at an A-level company – her voice is both tiny and undistinguished (if very pretty, at times).
La Cieca is absolutely right. There is no one out there right now even in the same league as Calleja. Not as charismatic as the late lamented Villazon, but what a thrilling sound.
I would hope, ahem, that someone will review this Elisir in the conventional press. I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that the NYT will not, as they often ignore cast changes. Calleja has not gotten his due in print this season.
Joseph Calleja’s voice is very sweet, and he handles it with great dignity, charm and control, although the nasality bothers me a little. If he would cultivate a sound which is no longer nasal, I believe his voice would gain in beauty, volume, squillo and color…and also the flutter in his vibrato would become a shimmer, instead of almost a bleat. This non-nasal approach takes more vocal/physical involvement though, and has to be kept balanced so as not to become muscular and too heavy. Microphones can change the perception of a voice…both on radio and in the house. Like it or not, what Sirius picks up is the real sound, unenhanced.
totally agree with you #27 for me the three best tenors today are also Calleja, Beczala and Kaufmann. Each is different and we are lucky to have all three of them today.
Fine tenor. Gorgeous. And he’s BIG! (Sorry but the hefty guys always sound better than your lean n’ mean machines AKA Florez, Bostridge, etal, IMHO).
I think Calleja is a fantastic singer with a very beautiful voice, but live in the theatre I have found him seriously infuriating, making no attempt whatsoever to act or indicate any level of engagement with the dramatic situation at all. Perhaps he has improved in recent years – I don’t think I’ve seen him since 2006.
What you hear on Sirius is NOT what you hear in the house.
A certain vibrancy in many voices, which spins through the theater, gets picked up as wobble or bleat.
I’m sick! I know … go ahead and say it! I Am Sick!
I love what you call “bleat.” That vibrato-like sound that emanates from Calleja’s (and Villazon’s, even Racette’s) throat. And not only do I find THAT appealing, but I also love the Gigli/Alvarez/Tucker-type break or cry (not Cura’s however because he overdoes it constantly).
Further, I actually have little objection to anyone who sings a pitch “slightly” above the note. I find it attractive. But the slightly “under” pitch (Tebaldi/del Monaco) drives me bonkers.
I am sick. Take pity on me.
#37…NO PITY whatsoever. To the executioner’s block with you!!!
He is a wonderful tenor and a thoroughly lovely man. Hopefully he will become a regular at the Met — and will not let himself be abused by its management,
I was at the performance yesterday. Calleja’s voice yesterday only tended towards nasality in “una furtiva” as I presume he got a bit tired. NOT SINCE PAVAROTTI did we have such a performance at the MET. If I had to nit pick with a magnifying lense I would say the optional C he took with Belcore wasn’t the best I have heard him do. Other than that his performance ranked with the greats. What an ADINA CREDIMI!! As an actor he was also great. Please stop comparing him with Villazon. Villazon was never even close to this kind of singing. Remember this a 31 year old with, I hope, a lot of development and learning to do. I do hope he will not get ruined.
Those who mention his weight I have met the (big) man backstage. I didn’thave a measuring tape but he has at least 3 inches on me and I am 5′11. He is BIG!
“I think Calleja is a fantastic singer with a very beautiful voice, but live in the theatre I have found him seriously infuriating, making no attempt whatsoever to act or indicate any level of engagement with the dramatic situation at all. Perhaps he has improved in recent years – I don’t think I’ve seen him since 2006.”
This does not describe his Duke in RIGOLETTO that I saw in DC a year ago (and by the way, my apologies for saying “this same role” in my initial post — my brain was momentarily fuddled and momentarily thought RIG was the opera being performed last night, then remembered as soon as I hit Return).
Calleja is probably not going to be one of the handful of incandescent “true actors” among opera singers (a Stratas or Bacquier or Soderstrom), but I found him to be amply involved, and engaged with his scene partners — well above average in this respect. He and Petrova really got something cooking in their scene, putting the genuinely uninvolved, uncaring Carlos Alvarez (as Rigoletto) to shame.
Gorgeous sound. Can’t remember last time I heard a tenor not straining at all on anything. May al the gods in Walhalla save him from the destruction that seems to plague singers nowadays.
Re #22: Thank you so much for this clip–what gorgeous singing. Can you please upload some other excerpts? Perhaps the “Adina, credimi”?
He’s cute as all heck too. Looks like a cuddly teddy bear. Anyone know if he’s family?
Hearing him in Rigoletto a couple of weeks ago I thought he sounded like a young Pavarotti . . . But I kept that thought to myself (until now), because I didn’t want to be ridiculed by La Cieca’s invariably gracious commenters . . .
I was at the L’elisir last night, one of many times I’ve heard him live, and I agree with the other posters that this is NOT a bleaty voice in the house. In fact, it is quite full and warm. Last night when he repeated “morir” at the end of Una furtiva, the pianissimo he floated was absolutely ethereal…like it was poised on the proverbial water jet.
This voice penetrates through everything else on stage…you can hear him individually in every ensemble. Not overbearing, but there. Last night he did some quite hammy acting at points, too!
To those of you who bring up his weight: Shut up. He’s a big man (6′2″ or so) and carries it well.
In summary…this is the great tenor of my generation, and I’m fully confident that he will be one of the legends in the world of opera.
That’s right, ms Lulu Pickle:
Complement any singer in this forum and expect to have your ass handed to you!
unless of course you are La Cieca, in which case everyone chimes in to agree… “yes, massa! oh yes sir i agree sir! HOW RIGHT YOU ARE YOUR HIGHNESS!”
It seems to La Cieca that if you are so afraid of “ridicule,” then internet commenting may not be your cup of tea.
Or, more seriously, La Cieca wants to re-emphasize the point that she wants to encourage the expression of opinions here. “Unpopular” opinions are encouraged!
@ 43, here you go, by popular demand:
Quanto e’ bella
http://www.zshare.net/audio/59075470919ed37c/
Adina credimi
http://www.zshare.net/audio/590753803e6278c5/
I read that Calleja is married to a soprano, Tatiana Lisnic. She sings Susanna, Zerlina, Norina, Adina, Lucia. Anybody here heard her and wish to share comments?
As long as we’re encouraging unpopular opinions: I have always found it strange that this blog (which I like) devotes so much attention to Villazon and others but hardly has mentioned Calleja at all.
La Cieca: i didn’t mean to say that this was your fault, and you were the unintended victim of lampoon in my post> I agree, opinions should be shared. Some folks make it hard, though!!
Thank you again, Aristotle, for more clips. In particular, the “Adina, credimi” was sublime. When I heard Calleja’s Duke last week, it was the first time I’d heard him in the house, and I was delighted to discover that he’s no CD creation. (Though I wish they’d let him repeat the cabaletta to “Parmi veder”–once was NOT enough!) To whomever asked about his wife, Tatiana Lisnic, I heard her Norina opposite JDF at Covent Garden. She’s not bad at all, but the voice was nothing special, certainly nothing like her husband’s.
I fully expect to be deluged with abuse for saying this but Calleja reminds me very much of a young Bjoerling. Anyone else had a similar feeling?
Rinaldo, thank you for your report of his dramatic skills – that is heartening news. I am next hearing him in Traviata in June or July, and I’m looking forward to it all the more now.
#54 – yes, that was more or less the first thing that popped into my head when I heard his Macduff at the Royal Opera. I’m not sure Calleja’s voice will fill out to give him as many repertoire possibilities as Bjorling ultimately had, but I certainly thought he had many similar qualities.
Thanks for the wonderful excepts. Calleja is indeed the real thing, a fantastic tenor with a unique sound. How I would love to listen to this complete MET elisir.
I heard Calleja live several times in Vienna in roles like Alfredo, Roberto Devereux and Tebaldo. I also heard his Nemorino there and he is ideal for the role. It is really exciting to witness how he improves from one year to the next. He has a great technique and his diminuendi are one of a kind. What a voice this guy has!
It seems that this elisir was his last appearance at the MET for quite some time. I noticed he is not booked there for the next season.
He next will sing Alfredo to Netrebko’s Violetta in May in Vienna. And I have a ticket!!!
Nine years ago, a 22-year old Calleja sang Rodolfo in Toronto. He was a nobody then but many (including me) heard similarities to Pavarotti. His alt notes weren’t fully developed yet but everything else was beautiful. It wasn’t until years later when he released a recording that I realised that he was that same guy. I hear shades of Pavarotti, Kraus and Bjoerling in the voice.
#54: I agree entirely and would extend the comparison not only to his voice but to things like singing repetoire that fits his voice and placing his primary focus on singing rather than stage behavior. Jussi pretty much walked out on stage, made sure he knew where his wife Annalisa was in the audience, and stood there and sang. But if you listen to his live recordings he is the essential sicilian Turridu, the hopelessly romantic Romeo or Rodolpho, or perhaps one of the greatest swashbuckling Manricos ever recorded. So keep on doing what you are doing Joseph and leave the “acting” to Rolandino.
As to the bleating may I refer the nay sayers to two gentlemen who were not too bad: Alessandro Bonci and Fernando deLucia.
Lastly my deep thanks to Aristotle for sharing the excerpt with us.
Tim
The bleat/ vibrato issue is interesting, not least because I think we all have our own tolerances. But singers with a pronounced vibrato (not a wobble) on record often seem less vibrant live – it’s as though the vibrancy settles as part of the voice, rather than the main part. I think it’s that with calleja, for me it was with Popp and Lorengar, and from reports, it was the same with the fabulous, but very vibrant Supervia.
Now I’m mad. I tortured myself choosing between Villazon and Calleja, and went with Villazon because of his reputation in this role and bacause I also wanted to hear Angela. I wasn’t completely impressed with Angela, and Barry Banks filled in for Villazon. I like Calleja in theory, and would have loved to hear him live. Oh well. Such is the life of a teacher who can afford only two operas per season.
Alessandro # 57
You’re lucky! As we speak, Netrebko’s singing Violetta in Zurich to Beczala’s Alfredo. They say she topped her Salzburg performance. Now, with Calleja in Vienna. That woman gets the top tenors and we’ll have multiple dream teams, but with the same soprano! I bet you, these young tenors love to sing with her.
Calleja is a very fine lyric tenor that allows us to to experience what “old school” singing was like(those of us who are not 100 years of age…). It is free, sonorous, “correct”… and like commenters before me said: quite full and very powerful because of it. The timbre has velvet and softness, which makes some people believe it’s a light lyric. He was about 6 years ago(he started singing onstage over 10 years ago).. but now it’s clearly a full lyric. How far he’ll ever venture into lirico-spinto repertoire I don’t know – judging by his wisdom up till now, it will probably as much as he can really handle.
The nasality, thin high C and other issues are mostly gone. Also the fast vibrato which has always been quite correct – more so than the slower ones today – it did sometimes switch to a tremolo(distinct break in the sound).. but that’s also gone.. it has settled.. His Che gelida manina at the MET gala(video on Youtube) was stunning!
P.S. Choose between Villazon and Calleja? Why choose? I prefer Calleja. Unfortunately already the operalia competition clearly revealed what would happen. Calleja sang a technically superb “Tombe degli avi miei”.. and Villazon revealed already a dangerously faulty technique in “La donna e mobile”. And I take no joy in saying this..I wish it would have been different for Villazon…he had less rigorous training than Calleja and less wisdom(singing too many too heavy spinto roles too early..)
ah! I’m so mad that I have never seen calleja! For one reason or another i have never been able to catch him when he’s singing at the MET…and now it appears I won’t be able to for a while (here’s hoping gelb calls him to save the day for hoffman).
The che gelida manina from the gala on youtube is so beautiful and effortless.
Dexter @#60 – I don’t think you’re correct about the vibrato. Correct vibrato is whatever an individual’s voice naturally has when everything is physically as released as possible and the air can flow unimpeded. In some individuals, that will naturally be fast (Calleja, Corelli) and in some it will be a little slower (Freni, Hvorostovsky). The likes of Supervia and Radvanovsky did not or do not sing with a completely free body, which causes that bleat or judder – an unnaturally fast vibrato – and makes their sound a little controversial or, in my book, just plain wrong.
Calleja is a very fine lyric tenor that allows us to to experience what “old school†singing was like(those of us who are not 100 years of age…)
You got it, he’s the closest thing I’ve heard to a singer preserved in amber from a century ago. The way he can suffuse a line with emotion, even the uncanny way the top sounds a little like it was recorded into a horn … it’s really something else.
As for Villazon vs. Calleja, I trust I’m not the only one who noticed the contrast between Villazon’s clownish, manic performances as “host” of the Opera Quiz and Calleja’s notably soft-spoken, well-spoken one last week.
Calleja is singing Gabriele Adorno in Covent Garden’s stop on the Domingo-does-Simon-B world tour next season.
Cocky K; I get your point about the pressured vibrato – I quite like it, which is why I enjoy the indiviuality of Supervia and yes, Sandra R. But with Calleja, to me, as to many others, he is a throwback to those voices where the rapid shimmer provides spin and penetration. Note shimmer, not bleat, which puts me firmly on one side the argument, though I do see the opposing side.
I like it too, but is Adorno right for him?