Bryn Terfel - Bass-Baritone, Part 2

[@labadazen]

The first time I heard Terfel's voice I knew that I was in for a world of great, warm, beautiful sounds. Terfel not only possesses a huge, wonderful baritone but his diction is unsurpassed among modern opera singer. His personality is happy and humble, a rare find. As he gets older, his voice has darkened slightly and his singing gets even more professional. He is simply the best singer in the world!

[@baritonebynight]

I desperately wanted to sound like him when I was a young singer and would imitate his voice. It got me into big vocal trouble as this was NOT my voice but an imitation of what I thought I wanted. After years of retraining a high lyric baritone emerged..nothing like Terfel's and I had to learn to like what I had. Still love listening to him! I heard him in recital before I went to music school and snuck back stage to get an autograph. He took time with everyone and was very gracious to all of the fans. I was terribly nervous but he was very down to earth and signed my program "keep on singing!!!".

[@ejaussietaff618]

Absolutely fantastic interview, thanks to Dennis for his searching questions and for ensuring he pronounced Terfel correctly, to Bing for his grace and praise and of course Bryn, for his consummate professionalism and being a great Welsh ambassador. Ardderchog!

[@cariadcaroline]

I absolutely adore listening to Bryn sing and I often dissolve. However, the interview was wonderful in that it allowed me to see a whole new side of him. I'm impressed with a lot of his character and kindness. I was also interested to see his critical skills in action, in particular, that he feels he could not attempt certain roles. Hard to believe but I love his humility.

[@annetteluciahellman]

❤️

[@nicolasaleksandra6722]

Hello Caroline 🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@judithroberts5487]

As a Terfel fan I really enjoyed listening to this interview. It's fun to listen to his Welsh accent, and to realize how close it is to German. Never realized that! It's fun to get a fix on the character of this great singer too. Quite a chatty guy.

[@nunumumu09]

wonderful interview! Bryn Terfel is so likable.

[@cariadcaroline]

Alright . . . I admit it. I have to confess: "Sing with Bryn is on my bucket list." Will probably never happen but will give me a good reason to hang around a long time waiting.

[@cadfalladr]

Wow, he's such a funny, nice guy! I've liked his singing before, but I've now also become a fan of the man behind the voice.

[@lindepaula9035]

Thanks much!

[@suzannederringer1607]

Thanks for this. Bryn is such a nice person, as well as fine artist.

[@janiscortese]

OMG someone's GOT to make "Citizen Kane" an opera. That's too cool an idea. Pob lwc i chi hefo'r syniad, Bryn!

[@AntoineGarnier]

at 13:04 the subtitles say Linden. It's George London

[@NicholasWingComposer]

I wholly agree with the glowing comments regarding Terfel's on stage acting and I'd certainly like to see him perform the role of Hans Sachs one day. I would add that perhaps Terfel has a special understanding of Mozart and that this affinity comes through in the depth of his performances.

[@jk21619]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHfEi2Okeat9ldE

[@Agorante]

The story about the tenor who interrupted his audition is a bittersweet tale. Franco Bonisolli had a big career in basically the same repertoire as Pavarotti. Many people preferred Bonisolli. Bonisolli's voice came to be larger and of course he had a better top. But his antics were always a problem. He was known everywhere as "Il Pazzo" - the crazy man. But Bonisolli died of a brain tumor. Maybe he had had a reason for acting crazy for so long.

[@rationalsceptic7634]

Better top of than Pavarotti..are you tone deaf!. Bonnisolli was a Lyrico Dramatic Tenor... Pavarotti was a essentially a Bel Canto..you can't compare: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hn7RdGONZ5t7odk

[@Agorante]

@@rationalsceptic7634 No I'm not tone deaf. I went to hear Pavarotti sing many times. (once he came to hear me) I heard Bonisolli early when his voice was smaller and later when he sang heavier roles. I heard both of them in the same production (Gioconda) from the same seats. And of course I bought their recordings. But even if you never heard them except on records you should recognize that Pavarotti's famous title of "King of the High C's" was mostly marketing. He got that title by his own Manager/Promoter Herbert Breslin . Sutherland discovered him and valued him for his height not his high notes. He was thin then. When I first heard him in an opera he wasn't fat. He was said to be the first tenor "with a voice" who could sing Tonio in Daughter. That's because parts like Tonio were written for lighter voices often sung in smaller theaters. It's more like an Offenbach Operetta than an Italian opera. Some Offenbach shows have very high tenor roles meant for high light tenors. The Met is huge. Little voices like Florez can sing a C with ease but many great big voice tenors like Vickers or King had no C. There were several other tenors with better tops. Fisichella has a smooth brilliant easy top voice. Bonisolli always had an easy big top. He welcomed seeing a C in the score. Domingo could sing a C on records - never live on stage - alas even on records it wasn't too good. Top note tenors of earlier times include Mario Fillipeschi, Leon Esclais, and Helge Rosweange. Gedda and Rosweange were both called "Knight of the High D" . All sang higher than Pavarotti. Bruce Ford, Jussi Bjorling, Joseph Schmidt and Michael Spryes too. The new crop of East Asian tenors all sing excellent High C's and higher. Pavarotti of course had more than just high notes. He sang Ezio Grimaldi with a smoother prettier tone than Bonisolli. But Bonisolli was better overall. He had anti-stage fright. He wanted to be out their. The great movie actor Kevin Klein said that when he walked out on stage for the first time he immediately knew that's where he was meant to be. Bonisolli was like that. Bonisolli sang a lot of Manricos because only he and Jimmy McCracken (among the big name tenors) sang a real C in "Di Quella Pira". I heard both sing a High C on stage. Bonisolli's was better. Bonisolli was an opera singer- meaning he sang in opera houses. Lanza was a movie singer and Pavarotti was a stadium singer. Brelin got him out of the oeopra house as soon as he could. Your tenor classifications are bunk. I written enough here. I'll tackle this later elsewhere. It's a epistemological issue not musical And you say you can't compare two top Italian tenors who sang largely the same repertoire around the same time in the same theaters. Super bunk.

[@johnblasiak9331]

@@AgoranteI fully agree with you Sir Pavarotti had a tiny voice in comparison to Bonisoli and Corelli and others . Great marketing The King of the High C’s Gedda was better as proven in Postilon Aria High D unbeaten and 6 High C’s and a Db Glinka Brothers in the storm Aria . Still loved Pavarotti though in certain things

[@annetteluciahellman]

❤️

[@jcortese3300]

Llais sy'n for hardd a phwerus ... Dw i'n caru i glywed iddo yn y Gymraeg.