3:58 :)

До мурашек!!! Дух захватывает!!!

Malheureusement décédé trop tôt. Une vraie BASSE avec une sensibilité incroyable!!

Christoff, Ramey

Of course.

Totally agreed. Though I think Pinza is the greatest bass of the 20th century. But Ghiaurov was simply incredible. Siepi too. They were GODS.

Yeah!

I had a crush on him 😉 Saw him in Don Carlo at CG, also in Milan.

And Nicholai sounded beautiful!

Ладно, ладно, мы вас то же любим!

And his Mephistopheles! He is the best Mephisto in Faust EVER!!!! And my personal favourite Godunov, too.

Yeah!

Yeah!

Sí

He was one of the best.

@@xxsaruman82xx87 He was the best.

Yeah! I think he’s the best!

Yeah!

That's Karajan for you!

That’s right!

Yeah!

What about Boris Christoff?

Really an honor to read a report from someone who actually saw and listened two these titans live! Thank you, Mr. Patterson.

Past thirty? Siepi began his career in the 40s. And Ghiaurov debuted in the 50s. But that must have been incredible to see them together. What did you see them in? And you are most certainly right about the lack of good quality basses. I don't really think there are any true basses on stage nowadays.

Indeed they were around for more than thirty years but didn’t perform much if at all past the late 8o’s as far as I know. I saw Siepi as Don Basilio in San Francisco in 1983 and as King Philip II in Long Beach Ca in 1986. I saw Ghiaurov as Prince Gremin in 1986 and as Colline in 1989 both in San Francisco. Both were well past their primes but still singing wobble free and with beautiful line and characteristic vocal beauty but less power than In their younger recordings.

@James Patterson Wow! What an experience! How big were their voices?

@@xxsaruman82xx87 , they both still had fairly large voices but not huge dominating sounds. I understand from conversations with older mentors when I was a very young singer that Ghiaurov’s voice was huge as a younger singer but that he experienced some vocal issues and had to restructure his technique and it resulted in a slightly smaller sound as a result. Siepi’s voice was so beautiful that it didn’t sound as loud as it actually was if that makes sense. Jerome Hines had a larger voice that was truly heroic while Siepi always sounded refined and he never sounded “pushed “. Just beautifully resonant and regal!

Impossivel de discorda disso

He is Bulgarian.

Pasero is even better

Love your comment, and you're right. He was in a class of his own!

Totally agree with your comments, Christian. People like Pinza, Siepi were great vocalists with excellent voices and smooth, extremely even vocal production but monotonous as interpreters.

I salute you for your accurate comment! Fortunate are we who can hear the brilliance of this magnificent voice and the absolute mastery and that sheer stupendous voice!!

Couple of observations. Ghiaurov had great technique. This is not necessarily a credit. More a function of finding a voice teacher that teaches such. Also, he was french. They are very proud of their expressiveness. Only correct technique gives the freedom to express a full range of dynamic. This was a lot more hit and miss just 30 years ago. I finally got a decent teacher that taught correct technique. It is a toss up with older teachers, so find a fully qualified younger one if you can that studied Richard Miller. His observations from lab work observations back in the '80s turned teaching on it's ear. I studied under a few teachers, one of which was a career opera singer who never taught me correct technique. Find the 2nd passagio beyond shadow of doubt and you are on the right path.

ERIKEPAIOS j

This is valid for everybody.

It's definitely an alveolar tap, as you suggested. Just with a lttle ghost schwar between the 'n' and 't'. I see (hear?) what you mean though.