BARITONE REACTS TO BASSES w/ CHRISTIAN VAN HORN (Siepi, Ramey, Pinza)

[@o.p.9413]

Absolutely loved the buddy energy in this one, I gotta say prime Ghiaurov is probably my favourite bass voice of all time

[@BeastBeauty12]

Sam Ramey - what a legend - also sings Musical Theatre great. So much pleasure from these insights - many thanks

[@smurf902]

Christian is one of those people u look at and listen to and wonder how someone could be so handsome and talented equally!

[@ritahunterlafavorita]

Yes indeed...the art of a singer making something sound easy and effortless, when in fact...it isn't! That has always been the magic for me, as the listener!

[@matthewwhite4495]

The sadness that Christian refers to in Siepi’s is one of the most attractive sounds in all of opera. I find similar quality in Leonard warrens O du, mein holder Abendstern. Glad y’all did this video. Basses are probably my favorite voice type to listen to.

[@moishemillerr]

so true! The warm sad tone is gold

[@zanebrolin4817]

Great stuff as usual. I would love to see you guys take a look at some of these basso profundos…Moll, Talvela, etc. Totally different kind of voice and it would be great to see your takes on those low ends

[@jefolson6989]

Siepi's vibrato never got wide!

[@victorchristy1706]

I am grateful that you were able to make this video because I happen to be one of those who requested you to make video reaction to basses. I was hoping you and CVH had covered and reacted to other basses than Siepi, Ramey, and Pinza like Christoff, Chaliapin, Ghiaurov, Neri, Talvela, and Journet. But, thanks Lucas and Christian! So grateful to hear your thoughts!

[@LucasMeachem1]

Excellent, great suggestions. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@DávidVarga-o9n]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqutfaiedsyZm6s

[@DávidVarga-o9n]

Hungarian baritone, in his 70's With, love from hungary😉

[@LucasMeachem1]

thank you! those are great suggestions. there's only so much time but I can include those in my next bass video. best regards!

[@victorchristy1706]

@@LucasMeachem1 No problem Lucas! Be sure to look and react to rare recordings of Marcel Journet on my channel. He's an idol to Pinza all the way to Ramey.

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

Pinza is incredible as is Ramey! Such personality.

[@musicstudent116]

So happy to finally see a Bass react video! Legit my FAVORITE basses covered in this video. Siepi in my opinion is the GOAT of basses.

[@womanofacertainage5892]

I was lucky to see Christian at the Des Moines Metro Opera last month. Loved it so much!

[@TonyPartington]

Absolutely wonderful! Thank you Lucas and Christian.

[@ritahunterlafavorita]

I am really REALLY enjoying these reaction videos!

[@nielrishoi8156]

Glad to hear advocating listening to historical recordings. They're always saying, "Don't listen to recordings, don't listen to recordings, don't learn from them!" Well, crikey. Why SHOULDN'T one learn from the greatest singers of the past?? If they're providing the " (non)-secrets in sound", traditions, vocal production, technique, why the heck not?? It's THERE to learn from. How they did it, what instructional touchpoints there to learn from, and emulate? No, the recordings can be greatly instructional tools from which to glean valuable things.

[@darrensciberras4551]

I've been waiting for this a long time !!!! Two of my idols sharing ideas, laughing and being musical !!! Amazing 🙏🙏 thanks a lot to both of you and may you have a lot of musical years ahead of you 💪

[@curzonproduct]

I was lucky to see Sam multiple times and not just in the obvious roles. The first time I saw him live was in Nabucco, the next in Susannah with Renee! His top extension was simply astonishing - I think he hit an extended G in the Nabucco cabaletta!

[@Vivi16392]

Meachem said about Siepe ::::: This was mezzo forte with piano intention ,,,,, brilliant observation ,,,,,,, so smart ,,,,,,, in good vocality piano is more a color than a dynamic ,,,,, good stuff

[@Vivi16392]

Excellent point about the diction coaching ,,,,, everything has to be transferred to the reality of singing onstage, with vocal comfort and expression ,,,,, certain things work for speaking but not for singing , let alone opera,,,,,,, Great video guys ,,,,, you are such pros ,,,,, great stuff

[@marccioffi5270]

Two of my favorite contemporaty singers, commenting on three of my favorite historical singers. What could be better?

[@Vivi16392]

Richard Cross is a master and one of the greatest singers this country ever produced ,,,,, cudos for these guys to pay homage to him ,,,,,,,,

[@joffreybluthe7906]

I saw your Don Giovanni in Paris Mr Van Horn and I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed the warmth and thickness your voice brought to the role! Bravo 👏

[@anastasromansky8626]

Wow! From the start - Ramey, Siepi & Pinza are my absolute favourites! 😍💕

[@TenoreMr]

Lol, you're awesome, Mr. Meachem. Love these videos. Omg gotta figure out podcasts I guess. Cause I ❤ opera! LMAO "Fuck yeah it does!"

[@jonasecke02]

Great video!! If you plan to do one on Mezzos, I hope you include Cossotto, Barbieri, Simionato, Ludwig, Verrett or Bumbry. Best regards from Germany

[@PaolaBarrientos]

Christian Van Horn 😍

[@stevenandrewmurray8412]

This was super cool and educational(even for a tenor😂). Two of the class gentlemen in this biz!😊

[@LucasMeachem1]

Ha! Thanks! Happy to have shared this

[@bradycall1889]

I wonder Mr. Meachem can I have an interview with you?

[@jefolson6989]

Siepi sounded the same from his early 20 until the end. Ramey's great but something about his vibrato was distracting, and not enough upper rattle for me. But instantly identifiable. Pinza was my first basso idol.

[@Operetto1]

I love your videos, they are very interesting and insightful. Could you make one reacting to baritone Ingvar Wixell? That would be great! Kind regards

[@asavarrette9757]

Ghiaurov has technique on a whole other level. Amazing!

[@johnblasiak2499]

Great interview

[@hwelf11]

I love the way Ramey snarls those 3-fold "hah'hah-hah's", down to the low C (not in the written vocal part). I bet he stole that from the old Cetra recording under Capuana, with Giulio Neri (the scariest ever Italian bass).

[@doctorgrigori585]

Siepi was the most refined Bass ever.

[@bradycall1889]

Yes. Greatest bass voice of all time.

[@wotan10950]

What a great discussion! I met Lucas after a Pearl Fishers (dragged along my then-young son). I saw Christian as Mefistofele (the final matinee). Great great great. And I saw Ramey God-knows-how-many times, mostly at the City Opera. I think I first really noticed him when he sang the old count to Beverly Sills’s Manon. I just have to add that on one of the old galas, Ramey sang the Inquisitor to James Morris’s King. The ground shook. What a confrontation! Have you guys thought of singing that scene together?

[@w8383n]

A very informative conversation about the disadvantages or advantages of a presenting media personality for an opera singer. I agree that 90% of us come to hear the singing. Opera is about the only place in entertainment left without microphones, and the trill of hearing the vocal sound without enhancement is unequaled. The production is secondary, and too much movement on stage in today’s productions is a distraction to many of us.

[@grantyoungblood7895]

Christian has it right: Theft is the sincerest form of flattery! Listen to 25 different recordings of the music, and if you hear something you like that works for your voice, steal it!

[@jefolson6989]

Siepi and Tozzi are the 2 most beautiful bassos I've ever heard in person. Ghiaurov is 3rd. They all had easy, rolling volume and wonderful legato. Raimondi was the worst famous basso i heard.

[@johnblasiak2499]

I totally agree My Father was a Bass and had a miracle ear I remember his face look sour after hearing Raimondi

[@alexandrecarbonel5908]

14:00 Do you feel the same way singing in italian in Italy? Or is it just german and french that you both feel more foreigners?

[@clefnoteproductions6695]

Is that Blanche Thebom in the video with Pinza? 😊

[@ransomcoates546]

Yes.

[@whtchoclt1]

As a lifelong voice student I have to say the ‘bookshelf’ analogy is pure genius on so many levels!!

[@LucasMeachem1]

Mind blown!

[@diggythree]

Yes, it's such a clear visual. Great take-home.

[@ColonelFredPuntridge]

So much of Siepi's power was visual! His eyes. If you hear him without seeing his eyes, you're missing 60% of the performance. With that in mind, I'd love to see you react to Matti Salminen, and Bonaldo Giaotti, and Kim Borg - all three of whom were great visual actors as well as great musicians.

[@labienus9968]

Really exactly 60% You get Siepi from the voice alone-boy do you ever, really don't know what you're talking about. I saw him in quite a number of performances, particularly his Don several times. Great actor, dynamic figure on stage and perfect for that role. He formed the idea for me that it is a bass role, if you know how to pull it off. I know Lucas prefers the video with the singers (I suppose to see what they are doing physically to create the sound), but with older singers that have videos, films, often they are not their best performances or often lip synched.. Wish he would just use the best vocal performance.

[@ColonelFredPuntridge]

@@labienus9968 I agree that lip-synching is not an adequate substitute for a video of an actual live performance! My point is, I'd rather see Siepi close-up once than hear him on audio-only ten times. And if you think Don Giovanni is really a bass role, you need to hear Tito Gobbi, and John Brownlee.

[@labienus9968]

@@ColonelFredPuntridge I still don't get, at all, your seeing rather than hearing Siepi. Again 10x. not 8x? Also because of the era there is not much video of him-but lots of live performances. Whether DG is a "bass or baritone" is an old debate, affected by the older use of vocal classification terms. Clearly there have been great basses, and baritones who have done the role, though you might say it is a bass-baritone role(whatever that is). It doesn't matter what you call him;Siepi was one of the greatest Dons, as was Pinza, but they were special bass voices. Having seen Siepi on stage numerous times, everything after seemed pale and less authentic. At least in the last centruy 2 basses dominated the role, and Siepi was the Don for 3 decades. I haven't heard those voices you refer to-but really Gobbi that good in that role? Going from baritones I've seen-I was not so taken with them, but as I said I am spoiled. I remember Justino Diaz doing it, and liking it, (not Milnes, or James Morris)and I liked Hampson in it, for his dash as much as his voice, but when I had the opportunity to compliment him for it, he laughed and said maybe you're the only one.

[@labienus9968]

@@ColonelFredPuntridge Not sure what that's about? They don't do English language versions anymore-titles, you know. Will you be directing it with so much time to burn on KZbin? Would have preferred at least 8x more if you had some coherent response to what I wrote.

[@BellaFirenze]

It would be nice to be able to hear the basses discussed.

[@PamelaContiGlass]

I would love to see a "reacts to Countertenors". Apparently I am addicted to "Ombra mai fu" and I scoured for every performance by a countertenor of that aria. As ... baritone (purely a shower baritone, just to defuse any possible misunderstandings) I am fascinated by the ranges outside my own. Although, I still love a good baritone piece, but then the impulse to sing it becomes too strong and I end up scaring my cats and ending with a squeak.

[@jefolson6989]

Anthony Roth Costanzo's version is gorgeous

[@Seraphatum]

So where is Kurt Moll? :D Fantastic reaction of you guys!

[@dreamthedream8929]

Does being a bass-baritone also mean that he could sing the arias/songs/parts that Lucas is singing?

[@Seraphatum]

@@dreamthedream8929 Depends on the range that the bass-baritone has :) low range shouldnt be a problem, dealing with the highs could be a bit tricky ;)

[@JillyCookeMusic]

Considering that CVH nailed the "la speranza" phrase in "Che gelida manina" from _La bohème_ (complete with the climactic C5) - www.youtube [dot] com/watch?v=b4hF34-Lf3U- it's more of a question of tessitura rather than range. With that being said, he could readily perform the Count in _Le nozze di Figaro_ and has already performed Don Giovanni in Paris (both roles shared by baritones like Lucas and basses/bass-baritones the likes of Ildebrando D'Arcangelo).@@dreamthedream8929

[@retgrimes]

Probably two of my favorite singers! Good show, Gents.

[@Mastermind-tx9ob]

12:49 i disagree, Lucas. I'm glad Pinza straight-toned the low D and I wish more singers would straight-tone the low notes. It does not make sense to "bounce" the vibrato on the note like you said. Using vibrato in the low reigister is only going to affect your pitch accuracy, it always makes singers go off-pitch in low notes. Vibrato does not help singers project their low notes either. The best bass singers on earth don't use vibrato in their low range, for example Glenn Miller and Eric Alatorre straight-tone their low notes.

[@JoshuaFer57]

Agree. Although Ezio's note had no vibrato, it sounded natural, resonant and on pitch

[@TuromirCarnivore]

I'd love to see your reaction to Neri, Salminen and Talvela.

[@MUSCALI]

Boris Christoff !!!

[@luceomatic]

Hey Guys, the women swoon when the tenor sings, but the baritone takes them home! Ha! Ha! Sam Ramey is one of the best! I saw him do Mephistopheles in SF!

[@revivaljesus]

I'm surprised they are so impressed with Ramey and then almost ignore Pinza, who in my view was far superior in every regard.

[@ColonelFredPuntridge]

Agreed. Pinza was in a league of his own. There has never been anyone like him.

[@anastasromansky8626]

+ Samuel Ramey is a kind of fan of Pinza, as far as I know. Like... his journey to the opera world stasted with recordings of E. Pinza 🤔

[@patrickgallagher3513]

Of course, you're missing Giulio Neri and Pol Plancon amongst loads of others :-)

[@abdullahcansenkal3001]

And HUGE JOSE MARDONES

[@victorchristy1706]

And Christoff, Ghiaurov, Chaliapin, and Journet

[@patrickgallagher3513]

@@victorchristy1706 Notable that both Journet and Chaliapin don't over darken their tone giving a freshness to the delivery.

[@victorchristy1706]

@@patrickgallagher3513 Journet's popularity was dominated by the overrated Chaliapin. But as his rivals retired and died out, Journet reigned in La Scala as its supreme basso under Toscanini until he died in September 1933.

[@operafan6794]

I would love to hear your reaction and analysis of Pentatonix’s cover of The Prayer.

[@operafan6794]

One of the members of the a cappella band is a natural counter tenor. He can sing in the soprano range and he covers the Celine Dion part in The Prayer.

[@c.m.b.wagnerbariton9232]

And yes, shadow vowels and less clear diction!!! It’s nice to train being understood perfectly in a small room. But it simply DOESN’T work on a big stage with an opera orchestra. This simple truth is what most don’t understand. Even conductors! If THEY hear every consonant clearly it’s because we’re next to them or near. But or voice won’t be heard out there if we sing like we’re speaking. For conductors it might sound like being sloppy on diction, but it NEEDS to be done like this so our voice projects enough to be heard at the other side of the hall. And this is why voice technique is ABOVE comprehensible consonants and perfect (speaking-like natural) vowels. Just needs to be accepted! Saying this as a pro baritone and German native!

[@BeastBeauty12]

Lucas I have a question for you if ok. Watching your videos clearly it comes across that you and all of your colleagues know what these older singers do (you mentioned the wide open throat) and there is constant comparisons to the older singers for today's singers - why do some of the modern singers make a conscious choice not to sing like the older singers!

[@vanhorncvh]

I think it’s a huge mistake for any singer not to pour over and analyze the greats that went before. 👍🏻

[@BeastBeauty12]

@@vanhorncvh Fully agree and appreciate your response. It just appears at time the analysis takes place but a choice is made not to follow some of the older singers, as opposed to not being able to do what they used to do!

[@SwingShoes]

Here's the deal: Sing like Siepi and you'll have a career. Forget anything that your singing coach ever said-simply, copy Siepi. If one could do that they'd have a shot at a 40+ year career on the biggest stages on Earth.

[@pianoronald]

Mine too.

[@achmedmohamed4708]

Christian van Horn speakes like a bass, but he sings like a soft bass-baritone. I heared all basses talk to me, beginning with Tancredi Pasero 1976, very much earlier Kim Borg, Gottlob Frick, Cesare Siepi, Giorgio Tozzi, Boris Christoff, Nicola Ghiuselev, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Peter Lagger, Karl Ridderbusch and a lot of others. I know Michele Pertusi since he was two years young in the shoe-sellers-shop of his parents in Parma 1967. I heared his first concert when he was 17 years in Parma. I never thought that he will make such a big career.

[@juancarlosmartinezruiz8305]

Y Kurt Moll?

[@c.m.b.wagnerbariton9232]

On Siepi and others of that time: YES, Lucas! We wanna sing like this and CAN, but aren’t allowed to. Instead everybody wants (bass) baritones to bellow out our notes and sound like a bass pushing up the high notes. It’s a shame!

[@michelbaritone]

I like always the video's by Luscas, but I do not agree with Christian about Siepi. There is no gear shift in his sound because there is no gear shift inside. Siepi sings in an sensory way, you can here it in the sound quality, it is so much more rich then other singers. He does not have to adjust something in his body to sing higher or lower. He does not have to control anything, the sound gides him.

[@hanslick3375]

He knows he can't touch Pinza. That's why he becomes restless and doesn't give him the credit he deserves. It's almost as if he doesn't want a modern audience to become aware that such voices existed.

[@ransomcoates546]

Van Horn sounds like a lyric baritone, nothing like real basses like Siepi and Pinza. Sign of the times.

[@marksmith3947]

I don't care for these videos. Talking over the singers keeps the listener from hearing the voices

[@Markinsky]

I totally agree!