The Talk of the Town
I have always loved this recording of Canteloube‘s Chants d’Auvergne sung by Dawn Upshaw and conducted by Kent Nagano.
Jessye Norman really embraces elements of the song falling somewhere between classical art song and popular ballad.
Janet Baker sings Elgar‘s Sea Pictures with such honesty and clarity and fervor.
It’s not where you start but where you Finnish
Wolfgang Holzmair‘s performance was amazing in its personal and intimate approach.
William Parker‘s career launch coincided with the closet door fully opening for American male classical vocalists; the cruel irony is that Will was also an early AIDS casualty, gone in 1993 at 49.
This song has always been one of my favorites.
The song recitals I remember most vividly were, unsurprisingly, the most vivid ones.
The staggeringly great Ukraine-born Jewish bass Mark Reizen sings “The Ebullient Kura Swirls” a/k/a “The Persian Love Song” by Moldova-born Jewish composer Anton Rubinstein.
Frida Leider is a major Wagnerian soprano who does not sound like a Wagnerian soprano.
As a (former) bass singer myself, I’ve always been captivated by this aria.
Pure class. Kurt Moll really knew his own voice inside out.
As we reach the end of “Bass Month” I’d like to call attention to the superb American Gregory Reinhart who particularly shone in music by Jean-Philippe Rameau.
The greatest bass performance I ever experienced was actually four – four performances in four roles.
This performance was introduced to me by Norman Treigle’s granddaughter —very fine mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle; while I was preparing the role of Olin Blitch, and it completely changed my understanding of the character.
The Met in HD proved to be a major gateway drug for me, showing me my first Don Carlo in 2010.
This bass aria “Sous les pieds d’une femme” from Gounod’s La Reine du Saba used to be a concert favorite
Tancredi Pasero is so noble in mien and rich-voiced here, a perfect complement to Caniglia’s earthy Leonora who honestly charts the movement from despair to fervent, transcendent faith in this duet.
I don’t know if I’ll ever hear as great a performance as René Pape‘s Gurnemanz.
Cesare Siepi and Giulio Neri give a reference rendition of the Grand Inquisitor scene.
Not much to say here. Legendary bass Mark Reizen was born in the USSR and thus never got to tour much to the west.
Boris Christoff’s Procida (along with Cerquetti’s Elena) lifts Mario Rossi’s RAI Torino Vespri to distinction.
If I must choose a single bass performance, it is still Boris Christoff’s Boris Godunov.
Boris Christoff‘s sound is justly famous, and his vocal splendor is on full display here.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
