Martin Muehle - An interview on singing, opera, life and art

On becoming a tenor and being an artist in today's opera scene: Martin Muehle, one of the best tenors of our days, answered to your and my questions.
PART I - On becoming a singer
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:37 MM and Berlin
00:04:06 Porto Alegre
00:04:36 The first lessons
00:05:26 Not a baritone
00:08:00 To Germany
00:11:05 German Conservatories
00:13:10 In search of a voice I
00:14:15 Masterclass with Bergonzi
00:16:51 Problems of conservatory teaching
00:20:45 In search of a voice II
00:24:00 Rock bottom in Bremerhaven
00:27:15 What to do when success does not come
00:31:00 Learning by teaching
00:31:55 Which tenors of past generations inspired him
00:33:00 There is no technique that fits all
00:34:40 Low larynx
00:35:08 When is a singer an artist
00:37:12 Problems with modern productions
PART II - MANON LESCAUT
00:44:18 No opera goer...
00:45:00 Why Manon Lescaut isn't heard so often
00:45:45 How the acts are different from one another
00:47:25 Most difficult moments
00:48:50 Problems of technical thinking
00:51:15 Interpolating notes à la Gigli
00:53:15 About this production
00:54:05 Schedule for 2023
PART III - SINGING TECHNIQUE
00:55:30 Routine on performance days
00:56:39 On drinking and smoking
00:57:10 On singing in languages one does not speak
00:58:30 How much time for preparing a piece
01:00:25 On his own technique
01:04:04 Breathing
01:06:11 On warming up
01:07:44 On specific exercises
01:08:49 Vowels for scales
01:10:15 Advice for young singers
PART IV
01:17:26 Goofing around
The interview took place at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin on May 6, 2023, and I am very grateful to the opera house for granting us access to practically the entire front house. Also, I'd like to thank my friend Max Stolarow who made these beautiful images.
I could not use all the questions you posted, but as you will notice, they have served as an inspiration, and many of the questions were being discussed even without that I needed to ask them explicitly.
I hope you find this interesting. We had a good time, and I'd certainly do something similar with another singer if this format interests you.
Thanks for watching!

[@tenormartinmuehle]

I am grateful for your all interest. And thanks to Afro Poli for this interview. As you may notice, more than answering questions, sometimes it's more important to raise questions that you, me, we will try to answer for ourselves. There is a lot to talk about. I hope you will enjoy this interview. For me, it was a great pleasure !

[@shahramyazdani7575]

Grande Martin Muehle❤

[@rowley555]

As the late Tina Turner would have sung, "You're Simply The Best" Chapeau

[@XPRT10R]

Obrigado !

[@TimothyJonSarris]

Sento anche la voce di Corelli.

[@carolinafaria_opera]

My dear Martin, fly high!

[@rowley555]

Bravo Martin Muehle!!! I am so happy to see "golden age" singing again. You are exemplary. We need more singers with your commitment.

[@AdolfoRufatt]

Where has he been hiding until now? I follow opera and have never heard of him before. Great man, demeanor, unassuming, and what a voice!!!

[@MichelePearson-dn4tb]

Great, candid interview.

[@michaelvaccaro3129]

Martin is truly like the Opera Singers of the Golden Age of Opera. He is one of the only active Opera singers who fits in the Category. I speak from my personal experience with some of the Opera Singers of the Golden Age, not just an opinion.

[@JillyCookeMusic]

1:17:33 Holy cow! I was not expecting that sound! I always thought that those who post critical online videos on bad opera singing have no business being so harsh on singers producing sounds that they themselves can't produce (or, at least, they don't show themselves singing on their channel). I'll have to make an exception for this guy. I've always respected the reviews on this channel for being well-spoken, technical, and tonally calm (in fact, this is one of my "soothing" channels I like to watch). Perhaps this approach stems from a masterful artist's empathy for those who have a similar passion for their work in the opera field.

[@AfroPoli]

Thank you so much, that's very kind of you!

[@PragueImport]

I absolutely second that! Mr. AfroPoli, I swear I heard some Corelli when you started singing. I wonder why you are not on that stage in a costume of Calaf...

[@shahramyazdani7575]

One of the best interveiws I have ever seen! NO BLAH BLAH AND SO BRAVE AND ON POINT! Bravissimo grande Martin Bravo Mr. Afro Poli

[@pippo5745]

I am just in the beginning of the video and I am already "sous le charme" of this personality : simplicity, humility, kindness. But of course I am here to listen to advices about great tradition of singing and I am sure it will be great! A good point for him is that his "voix parlée" is absolutely fresh and young , very good sign of healthy voice ( I know some young stars who have already always a broken "voix parlée"). So.. let us continue to watch this wonderful interview, and thank you so much for your wonderful job, dear Afropoli !

[@AfroPoli]

My pleasure, thanks for listening and commenting!

[@tenoralvarozambrano]

Martin es el ejemplo a seguir. Admiración y respeto absoluto para él y para Afro Poli por todo su trabajo. Gracias de corazón y espero que podamos cantar nuevamente juntos querido Martin. Abrazos

[@dylanhughes5981]

Now this is the opera content I've been searching for online. Thank you for your channel and I hope to see more content in the future!!!

[@AfroPoli]

Thank you so much!

[@dudusplx]

perfect interview at the best opera youtube with an amazing tenor

[@AfroPoli]

Thanks for listening!

[@partituravid]

This is wonderful - the idea that technique does not exist alone as a goal, nor does passion, nor awareness.

[@susmateja]

Wonderful interview! ❤ Mr.Muehle is such an insightful person, gentle, but to the point. It's a joy to listen to his singing and his thoughts.

[@tinkerwithstuff]

Interesting development he had. Needing to find himself. One seems to learn all the other stuff (that's also important), _except singing,_ at university... I've heard that more than once. Seems like a nice lad!

[@swingingdaniel]

One of the best insider videos on singing and learning to sing. I remember Martin from Hamburg and Luebeck and I would like to confirm EVERYTHING he said on Luebeck, Maestro Wagner, Bremerhaven, self-learning and, and, and. Wonderful und ganz herzlichen Dank und Gruesse aus Peking!

[@akifumimaeda6833]

Thank you for the interesting interview. Atsuko and I watched with great pleasure.

[@AfroPoli]

This makes me so happy. I hope you are both well!

[@folkepaulsen4964]

What a lovely and informativ interview, I`m sure you touched not only my heart but the hearts of all viewers of this very personal "interrogation"...as a citizen and Operalover I will certainly come to watch and listen to this very artistsinger Martin Muehle as he performs closeby at the Deutsche Oper Berlin this and the coming season....thanks to Daniele "Afro Poli", for he made it possible to get a inside look of what it means to a young ambitious singerstudent to "find his very path" until your able to sing and perform on stage as described by this sympathetic, warmhearted and permeable tenore. Absolutely delighting !!!!

[@freddystoof7698]

Thank you so much for this interview ! Great voice, great artist, great human beeing !

[@alexandras484]

Very interesting, thank you for this amazing interview! Definitely one of the best tenors around nowadays

[@Oberon90]

Thank you for this interview! I can relate to it a lot having studied in Germany and experienced similar things at my university.

[@contraltissima]

Thank you for this beautiful talk! What a pity I did never meet Martin on stage, I would have felt less lonely and like a stranger in the operatic world, full of big Egos and underdeveloped human beings, knowing him. He is a mature soul. And yes, singing is more about discovering yourself and your voice/instrument than following a teacher guru or technique. But the old technique with open throat and open body did ask much more for such a development than the modern placing in the nose and mask. Which are only tricks...

[@samelmi8929]

Thank you so much Maestro!! Such a humble and knowledge artist! I have goosebumps now! God bless you! We are so blessed to have you in our operatic world!!! Thank you for being so generous to share such pure and honest feedback about your life, singing and every things. Thank you Maestro!❤😇🙏

[@XPRT10R]

So many excellent points about the truth of singing and voice development: I wish I had heard an interview like this when I was a young singer, I would have learned then, the things I know now, which are in line with his astute observations.

[@ciociosan]

Thank you so much!

[@ritapapiri]

Thank you very much. BRAVO....

[@moorfan1]

Mr. Muehle is obviously an extremely learned and intelligent singer. He says something in this video that you hardly ever hear "singing people" say. He acknowledges that there is no one "correct" singing technique that all must use. He points out how different tenors through history, all great singers, had very different takes and understandings of correct singing. No one technique is suitable for all voices, because all voices have different strengths and weaknesses.

[@ricardocrampton5629]

grandissimo Martin!

[@stefankosz7265]

Very interesting, thank's a lot. The path to find out how to sing best with your voice and body is very well described and also aplies to other fields. Great you found it!

[@jasonstearns2666]

Hello again, Martin. I was very surprised that you worked with James Wagner in Lubeck. I knew him quite well...in fact we were students together at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. I knew nothing about how he taught, but I knew his singing. He always struggled with his technique. In later years, he seemed to have found a deeper and more supported way to sing...but always nasal and short of breath. His big moment was when he stepped in for Pavarotti at the last minute to sing Verdi Requiem in Munich. However, he fell ill and died soon afterwards. He was a funny guy...always kept us laughing at school...but that was soooo long ago. You came to singing at a time when voices were getting lighter and less dramatic. The teaching was failing most students. It failed me as well. I had to find my own pathway. Like you, I listened to great singers of the past and somehow internalized what they did to sing the way they did. Most great singers, after the career is finished, don't know how to teach what they did. They mostly taught by demonstration....but not with any concrete knowledge....I wanted to know what to DO. This they could not explain. So, I spent many years slowly figuring it out by trial and error....lots of errors! Ha ha ha!

[@BellaFirenze]

Lovely. Handsome men, both.

[@AfroPoli]

Haha, you are too kind! :)

[@BellaFirenze]

@@AfroPoli È vero. Lei e Martin Muehle siete bellissimi. Se non fossi sposato...

[@AfroPoli]

@@BellaFirenze 😀😘

[@BellaFirenze]

@@AfroPoli ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

[@win-times-win7359]

Thanks for the insightful interview! And glad to have had the short conversation with you at Manon Lescaut last Sunday AfroPoli!

[@AfroPoli]

It was nice meeting you! And thanks for watching!

[@matthewwhite4495]

Very Cool!! its great to hear the story and opinions of Martin!! It's always an interesting path for singers. I think many of us have had similar experiences with "singing teachers" and Academia. I'm so lucky I met Stephen O'Mara and Dropped out of school.

[@AfroPoli]

Good for you! And all the best for your career!

[@markoorvo62]

Thank you so much for this interview! What a singer (!!!), artist and human being. If only I had seen all this insight on singing and studying voice before I started to have voice lessons.... better late than... :-) And than you Martin for the Savonlinna Aidas in 2022, I never ceased to amaze seeing you joking back stage with Tommi and Alessio just a split of a second before going on stage. Chapeau!

[@ahava77]

Such a great interview. Thank you

[@AfroPoli]

Thanks for watching!

[@S1CKMON]

Wow what an inspiring interview. Would love to take a lesson with you anytime in the future.

[@gansonsalmon42]

Thank you so much for this interview! His perspective is so refreshing and so many singers need to hear about career paths like his. Thank you. If possible, please do more interviews of singers you admire!

[@Xerxes89]

Thank you very much! The voice is sounding great Afro Poli, shame you didnt do a full duet!

[@AfroPoli]

You're too kind, but my voice is terrible at the moment. I have to work so much that I never get to practice anymore. Once a week maybe - and it shows, of course.

[@thomaslehmanbaritone]

@@AfroPoli No, your goods are still there!! :) Thanks for this lovely interview!

[@AfroPoli]

@@thomaslehmanbaritone Well, thank you! I have to say... during the first intermission (on the 14th) I talked to my friend about the fabulous Lescaut. We said: who is this guy, his voice is perfect from top to bottom. I truly mean that, you did a darn good job, and I am looking forward to hearing you again on Saturday!

[@thomaslehmanbaritone]

@@AfroPoli Thank you very much! Wishing you all the best!

[@mariusfelixlange6709]

@@thomaslehmanbaritone Ha! The friend was me! And AfroPoli is completely right! You are a marvellous singer!

[@zomgisha]

Thanks to both of you! A thought provoking discussion that very much resonated with my experience.

[@somerandomguy84]

This is so cool

[@ivanov.baritone]

Thank you so much for this interview🙏

[@cwhite1741]

What am I doing here? Middle-aged man just randomly getting interested in opera. Life is so very strange. Great interview. Great content.

[@AfroPoli]

Haha, I'm pleased to read that. Thank you for watching!

[@goldenagerecordings5295]

Wow! This is just fantastic.

[@AfroPoli]

Thank you for tuning in!

[@Chris-wm4th]

Wonderful video!! Great quality content, and great discussion on singing. He mentioned teaching, I’m wondering where he teaches his students?

[@expatmartin]

A most inspiring, honest and helpful interview especially for aspiring singers. Thank you to Afro Poli and Martin Muehle for making this video.

[@davidanania7577]

J'ai trouvé cet entretien très inspirant. J'aime son humilité, son honnêteté et sa pudeur. Merci M. Muehle de nous faire partager votre passion❤.

[@tonshaad1230]

I'd love to hear you do an interview with Saioa Hernandez and Ernesto Petti one of these days.

[@oliverdelica2289]

Wouldn't it be cool to cast them together in a single opera? 🤩

[@ransomcoates546]

@@oliverdelica2289 They’ve done ‘Chenier’.

[@oliverdelica2289]

@@ransomcoates546 i am aware of their Chenier performance. But are you satisfied with just one? 😏

[@krajncrocky]

Thanx 🤩Great Video 💫

[@derphysiker1774]

I saw Martin Muehle yesterday in the Deutsche Oper. He was absolutely fantastic as Des Grieux!

[@AfroPoli]

Interesting. Martin got a nasty review for that evening, read it here: deropernfreund.de/deutsche-oper-berlin/berlin-manon-lescaut-giacomo-puccini/

[@derphysiker1774]

@@AfroPoli That seems strange to me. He was well in voice, the only criticisms I would mention are that he was a little off beat in ,,Donna non vidi mai" and had a small, barely audible voice crack in Act 3. But these music critics of today are simply ridiculous. They praise an Anna Netrebko to the skies, although she forgot how to sing years ago, and criticize a Martin Muehle when he shows small and really insignificant weaknesses. Today's critics simply no longer know what proper opera singing is. That's why I don't pay much attention to it.

[@thomaslehmanbaritone]

@@derphysiker1774 He was lovely, as always, but I assure you, having had a standing place near or next to him on stage for the night, he was even better on Sunday! :)

[@jonasecke02]

@@thomaslehmanbaritone I was in the audience on Sunday and I can attest to that. Simply marvelous. You were too by the way, I saw that you will be singing the Count in January and I am very much looking forward to that.

[@thomaslehmanbaritone]

@@jonasecke02 Lieber Jonas, Danke! :-) It's a beautiful production of Nozze and I'm sure you'll enjoy!

[@alejandroibarraramirez3207]

love this

[@meisterwue]

Martin Muehle .....das ist ein wahrer Tenor , wie er klingen muss....die Karriere von Herrn Kaufmann ist völlig unverständlich, beide sind Jahrgang 1969....

[@tinkerwithstuff]

Kaufmann fand richtiges Singen, als Mozart-Tenor, "zu anstrengend", und ließ sich von einem Bariton dazu überreden, mehr zu klingen, wie er... ;) (so in etwa ein interview mit J.K., interpretiert von mir)

[@sananton2821]

Excellent video. The audio is low, though.

[@AfroPoli]

Thank you! Will be better next time!

[@ilecier]

Great interview, great insight and a story that finally tells the truth about the way to go from an enthusiastic, aspiring singer looking for help and support to a succesful one. Debunking of myths and wrong perceptions about how "helpful" so called teachers, universities and professors actually are. Keywords here - self taught. Reminder: the best singers from the past didn't come out of universities.... that tells a lot if not all. I am wondering whether you, Afro Poli, are German. Overall a good translation job with the exception in 27:02 (Ulrike SSK). You pretty much formed your own questions but didn`t exactly translate what she wrote. However, yours were interesting, too......😄

[@AfroPoli]

Thanks, haha... Her question was hidden under the "Show more" field, I forgot to open it when I took the screenshot. Good point about the universities, an exception surely being Santa Cecilia.

[@clefnoteproductions6695]

Do you have other interviews? This is brilliant. Is there anyone that teaches low larynx in Vienna?

[@samuelkarlberg7773]

The problem with the teaching of voice today is that it focuses on sound before function. I was at a school in Sweden 2001-2003 renowned for it’s ability to get students in to the opera high school or music high school. My teacher gave me the aria “un aura amoroso” which as you know has a very high tessitura. I sang it with a high larynx and complained about feeling tight in the throat. My teacher a female mezzo-soprano who had ruined her voice in music high school at about 25 years of age heard no problem in my voice or at least didn’t say so. These ignorance and lack of knowledge is all around. I think all students would benefit from getting tough how to get control over the muscles that you need to sing opera and the ability to strengthen these muscles as much as possible. I’m not a professional opera singer but I can sing opera. I sang in the opera choir in Malmoe for a while and later in Copenhagen. A friend made this recording when we sang in the choir in “the masked ball” in Grangesberg Sweden. KZbin.com/watch?v=BT_L6iBkQ6o

[@AfroPoli]

Un'aura amorosa... crazy after having watched that video!

[@diegovazquezreal1078]

Thank you very much for the interview!!! Great singer and great person. By the way, do you know Alejandro Roy? It's also a great tenor. The loudest and most natural voice I've heard. I'd like to know your opinion. Thank you again for introducing me Muehle!!!!

[@AfroPoli]

Thanks. Interesting voice, but I've not heard him live.

[@katerynaverbytska5069]

Deutsche Oper has beautiful interiors

[@tinkerwithstuff]

Weird question alert: You seem to know Deutsche Oper Berlin well. I have _zero_ experience with such big houses, only saw a couple live operas in a smaller place many years ago. How big are the differences in loudness and sound quality between front, middle, back-of-theater seats? Can it be too much for a somewhat acoustically sensitive (like me... do I have the wrong hobby, lol...) But then, it seems I'm getting my father convinced to go see an opera with your interviewee here - he doesn't have the best ears anymore, they labeled it like "30%" or so (because one ear is totally out). Are the most expensive front-most seats advisable, or will somethiing in the middle do, according to your estimation w.r.t. my imprecise description attempt? ;)

[@AfroPoli]

Well, you do hear better when closer to the stage, for sure. Somewhere in the middle should be fine, especially when elevated a bit. If you are in the very front, the orchestra could be too loud, very far in the back only works when the singers sing well, I'd say.

[@tsquare076]

Did you call him a donkey 😂

[@EliominDZ]

no tiene registro de pecho todo es cabeza!!

[@stephaningleby2352]

Singers are craftsmen or artisans not artists

[@ziobembibembitenor3141]

Inascoltabile