parterre box

30 comments

• Clita del Toro says:

  Monty Nostry:

  Gobbi was a wonderful actor, but a better musician and singer. And I happen to LOVE the sound of his (dry) voice and especially how he uses it. For me he was the greatest Jago, Falstaff and Scarpia–saw them all in person.
  This “only a great actor” thing (charge) is similar to what I used to hear about Callas–as if acting was their only asset.

  It’s fine that you don’t like or “get” Gobbi. Can’t love everyone.

  P.S. I was also a big Warren fan (not so much on recordings)–the two greatest baritones (Italian repertoire) I have ever seen. And Taddei was great too!

  on September 16, 2009 at 11:31 AM
• devon.c.estes says:

  browser,

  Not all Italianate baritones have to be from Italy…

  I heard Terfel sing the Te Deum at last year’s Tucker Gala and it was all ring. Now, he clearly didn’t want to be there that day, but he still sounded as meanicing as Gobbi ever did.

  Also, Christopher Maltman (this year’s Pappageno and last year’s Silvio at the Met) is another masky, dark, aggressive baritone that can put some evil behind his sound and be great in this role eventually, as he was great as Tarquinius.

  Also, I forget his name, but whoever covered Alfio last year at the Met had a great Italianate sound. He was also the Tonio in the Pag, and was very creepy.

  Lastly, Furlanetto is a bass, but he could have sung Scarpia when he was younger, and when I saw him in Ernani was by far the biggest voice on stage (with Hampson, Radvanovsky, and Giordani).

  on September 16, 2009 at 12:15 PM
• MontyNostry says:

  Clita: Now, Warren is **much** more to my taste as a voice! Sometimes it ‘yawns’ a bit (Milnes, maybe a bit of a Warren imitator did that too), but I find that big, warm sound very moving. And I think George London must have been glorious live. (I know he’s more bass-baritone than pure baritone, but we are talking Scarpias, so I thought I’d drop him in.)

  on September 16, 2009 at 12:26 PM
• Cassandra says:

  George has a smallish sound which he uses well. He was okay with the Philharmonic. He’s not particularly good on stage, so the match up with Mattila will be… interesting.

  on September 16, 2009 at 12:27 PM
• Krunoslav says:

  22 Maltman as Scarpia?????? Is this the Vicar posting under a new name?

  Perhaps with Rebecca Bottone and Ed Lyon as Tosca and Cavaradossi, staged with string quartet in Wigmore Hall.

  on September 16, 2009 at 12:36 PM
• Graciella Scusi says:

  As non Italian Scarpias go, Bacquier was one of my favorites. Not a glam voice, but a suberb singing actor who could be rough and elegant at the same time, and even in his late prime had plenty of volume for the Met.

  on September 16, 2009 at 12:52 PM
• Clita del Toro says:

  Monty: YES, London was a wonderful Scarpia–with Callas, 1956 at the Met!

  on September 16, 2009 at 1:22 PM
• browser says:

  Maltman? Are you SURE?!

  No Italianate baritones don’t have to be from Italy (hence the term ItalianATE); but to suggest that Maltman could even exist in the same league as Zancanaro or Bastianini…

  on September 16, 2009 at 1:44 PM
• browser says:

  And for those talking about bass-baritones singing Scarpia…the problem is that it goes up very quickly, and down very quickly!

  on September 16, 2009 at 1:47 PM
• CruzSF says:

  25: LOL.

  on September 16, 2009 at 2:09 PM