Unbelievably great singing. Bravo Richard Croft. Phenomenal performance of this masterpiece.

Surely the BEST version of this wonderful aria by Mozart... Absolutely fantastic! Thank you, Maestro Richard Croft!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤

I first saw this on a jumbo screen in one of the city squares of Salzburg. Richard Croft instantly became my favorite tenor of all time. What an incredible instrument, and such heart-felt performing. It's a shame we don't see him more often. I own this DVD and the entire show is incredible. The girl who plays Sifare could make stones weep.

Richard Croft....irraggiungibile di eleganza , dizione perfetta e tecnica....un miracolo come sempre. Bravissimo!!!

I have listened most critically to tenors for 40 years. I'm astounded that Bruce Ford is not a household name in US operatic audience. I'm equally taken by Richard Ford. This piece is a beast and I know it intimately and find Croft's singing of it much to be admired. Ford has more weight up top, but this Mozart piece doesn't demand that for a full characterization. So either voice I would pay to hear....

Bellissimo timbro: il tenore mozartiano per eccellenza! La sua esecuzione qui è veramente piacevole e ben fatta tecnicamente. 🎼🎶🙏

What a treat !!!!!!!! Grazie Signor Croft.

Commoventissimo il re Mitridate che piange ritrovando la patria dopo essere stato sconfitto ! Bellissima interpretazione. Grazie, grazie !! Bravo Croft !

Spyres, croft, Ford, Sabattini. Greats in this aria

I can't stop listening to this. Brilliant.

It's nearly impossible to not sound strained singing such an unforgiving tenor role, but it's amazing how Croft braves it with such flair, especially the first couple of arias. Bravo!

This has to be one of the best simple songs ever written. Croft is famous for his flexibility. His "Fuor del Mar" from Idomeneo is sensational. He has tremendous facility in fioratura. But none of that is used here. This aria unlike the female parts of Miradate has no fioratura. Mozart wrote this when he was fourteen, The cast apparently were upset that a kid was the composer. The tenor d'Ettore bullied the young genius. d'Ettore as it happened couldn't do fioratura but he could do big leaps. Mozart wrote him this lovely song with no little notes but giant leaps. If Croft had been around this aria would probably have been more conventionally florid. Mozart wrote music that was often too difficult for anyone but the best singers alive. So he wrote also simpler tunes. Many of those pieces written for limited singers are among his greatest masterworks. Of course the historical Mithridates the Great was a monster and war criminal but Mozart's noble music makes him into a saint.

Il mio accademico studio al dunque e presentabile sebbene ebbene non sia tra gente di poca prefessione... vi ringrazio e alla mai ora... 😊

Also, 14 years after this 2006 production, I’m STILL in absolute awe at tho how ingeniously Mark Minkowski incorporated K.444 into the end of this scene...

Un maestro

This is the best!

This is thrilling singing.

Bravo!!!!

Крофт - великолепен!!! Мой любимый тенор!

Is there a "Bruce Ford" sponsoring fund around or something?

Marvelous

Wow!

Que voz más bella!!!

Se di lauri il crine adorno, Fide spiaggie a voi non torno, Tinto almen non porto il volto Di vergogna e di rossor. Anche vinto, ed anche oppresso Io mi serbo ognor li stesso E vi reco in petto accolto Sempre eguale il mio gran cor.

Agree with you. Ford and Winbergh are wonderful. I also adore Croft's beautiful voice, but this not at his best, I think. Like you say still one of the best ones.

First of all, it's the sound a singer makes while singing that's important.. Second, when performing in a less-than-gigantic hall, especially with period instruments, throat articulations are historically correct. Third, he's been singing that way for 20 years or more, and still sounds the same as when he started, so he must be doing _something_ right. Of course, it doesn't hurt that as opera singers go, he's also one of the best actors out there.

yay! it's back!

Could anybody post the Aspasia's arias???

Believe me I am not questioning his style.....I think he has a very good grasp of Mozart. I just think he's got a very labored and tense technique.

But he does a great job regardless. A bit tinsy bit strained, but his breath control is really good. Very Mozartian

to hell with bruce ford. Croft is my guy.

Same here luv, excellent singers though

Sorry to have missed your comment. I'm not sure what you mean, bad juju, but I agree about his longevity and technique. Far too many "stars" let their success in other roles push them into attempting material that is a strain and ultimately damaging to their voices. (Thos Hampson comes to mind.) Crofts has had plenty of challenging and beautiful roles without doing so; Mithridate is a cool "niche" he's established. Opinion is just that; without detracting from any other, he's still my favourite.

This is absolutely exquisite. Flawless technique, gorgeous tone, just smooth and effortless throughout.

Nobody ever seems to mention the shocking fact that Mozart wrote this opera when he was 14 years old. They're all too concerned with who sings it "the best."

really need an english libretto translation for this one.

Si se tiene una bella voz y buen gusto sobra potencia. Dicho de otro modo: la potencia y la técnica son un complemento cuando hay buen gusto y bella voz. En su caso está todo. Lo esencial y el complemento. En muchos sólo una parte.

What exactly happens in this scene and what has happened before? I am confused...

Yes why dont we?

Faithful shores, if I do not return to you crowned with laurels, at least I do not carry a face flushed with shame and disgrace. Even defeated and oppressed I remain always the same, and I bring to you as ever a big heart in my breast.

Well, with all this bad technical juju, the amazing thing is that he still sounds just as fabulous as he did some 20 years ago; see the Drottningholm production of La Finta Giardiniera. I think the trick is that he's stuck to lyric roles instead of pushing all the way to dramatic as he clearly could have if he'd wanted to.

Preferisco il canto all'italiana come B. Ford ma, questa interpretazione è commovente!

hope you never have a hard night

Notice how Mr Croft tilts his head back (esp the cadences,) and "bites" the notes and words clearly, as opposed to the smoother (and far less-enunciated) performance of Bruce Ford. I think Croft gives the best rendition here, emotionally and "by the notes," although Ford's phrasing and ornamentation are in some ways better. Gosta Winbergh's long phrases are exciting in themselves, but I like Croft's clarity and diction best.

Dwayne Croft's brother

Oh my, that looked like it hurt.

He sings it very well, but I think Bruce Ford sings it much better!

The amount of tension in this guy's face and neck is crazy....watch his jaw and neck muscles twitch in time with his vibrato. Thins out on top and bottom(with an odd Kermit the frog edge to the voice on the bottom)....and he aspirates the fioratura. He has a good sense of the style and phrasing, but doesn't have the breath control to pull it off. It's not a bad voice.....but it certainly is wanting in comparison to Ford or Blake(though the voice is more pleasant than Blake's by a fair bit).

aveva solo il problema da 3:47 dove non ha potuto prendere abbastanza fiato per cantare gli acuti !! altrimenti "chapeau bas"

BRUCE FORD, is better

What a shame, I really admire Croft but there he did sound strained