MITRIDATE.BRUCE FORD

[@pabloco2627]

Wow, what a voice. I don't understand why he's not as popular as others since he's a phenomenal singer.

[@DrGarri]

Hardly ever you see a tenor sing something so difficult with such finesse and elegance and at the same time a stage presence and masculine tone as we see Ford doing. I've had the luck to see him in a recital 2 years ago in Frankfurt, what an incredible artist this nice and humble man is!

[@inesdeerausquin5658]

I was introduced to this by my vocal pedagogy teacher (thank you Dr. D.!!) and keep coming back to it. the effortless beauty of Mr. Ford's sound makes me tear up every time...if I were a tenor I'd want to sound like this!

[@spgtenor]

This is truly phenomenal singing. Bruce has such a robust, yet warm and elegant tone that you don't hear from tenors anymore. Bravo!

[@RickChristman]

A perfect study in open throat, relaxed larynx breath-based singing. We all can learn from this! Bravo Bruce. BEAUTIFULLY sung!

[@FacePaster]

what a perfect balance of chest and head voice! this must be what the bel canto masters had in mind when they talked about blending the registers. I love this clip!

[@BrettKarlin]

This needs to be shown in every Vocal Ped. class. He's one of the most technically put-together singers.

[@aarontenor]

Bruce has just displayed some of the best singing that has ever occured. This is near perfection. Ford is basically saying, "I can do whatever I want with this voice, and there is nothing anyone can do about it." And he does this all while maintaining incredible musicality and artistry.

[@karilamminpaa8987]

Not even the incredibly weird costumes can distract us from this vocal perfection. Mr Ford, thank you for this unique performance.

[@thapelo27]

The best tenor in the world to singing bel canto the likes of Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini etc. This is is the most beautiful tenor voice on planet earth believe me

[@DrGarri]

PERFECT singing! I've been lucky enough to hear this incredible artist live, his artistry and control over the voice are trully amazing, and plus, he is such a nice and humble person! BRAVISSIMO!

[@spgtenor]

Where to begin? Well, that's simply one of the most elegant and beautiful tenor voices around. Bravo!

[@dannysnigh]

Uno de los mejores cantantes liricos,su especialidad Mozart y Rossini ,lo maximo............

[@xavierluceno7006]

Que maravilla !!! Canta como un dios.

[@bigdigger87]

I love his technique. He does not move his mouth when moving through different parts of his range he lets the acoustics do all the work. Truly perfection.

[@piustwelfth]

This is phenomenal singing of a very difficult aria. There's only a few tenors who can even perform this, and nobody as good as this rendition. Mozart would be thrilled!

[@tenorschofield]

WHAT a nice combination of chest and head voice; he smoothly passes from high to low!!! His voice is full, his voice is beautiful...why he is not seen in central pages?, I guess his still young and active (isn't him?).Bravooo Ford!!!!!

[@tenorschofield]

Marvelous tenor!!!, a full voice with all the ellegance and style needed for Mozart. he is always in control, but in a so deep emotional way that he really is a "lyrical star giving us a master class onstage, with all his brigth talent"!!!! Bravo!!!!

[@detectivefiction3701]

Bruce Ford is the first operatic tenor I ever seriously listened to, and is still one of my favorite tenors.

[@piustwelfth]

Is there another aria which has such a huge range of notes for the male voice? I don't think so.

[@12Trappor]

Yes, there are. This aria has a range of C3-C5, i.e. two octaves. Off the top of my head, Malcolm's aria "Eccomi a voi" from Rossini's La Donna del Lago comes to mind. It has some crazy runs, including going from C5 down to Ab2 (2 octaves + a third) in two bars. In Mozart's Entführung aus dem Serail there is Osmin's aria in act 3 which has a range of D2-E4, two octaves + a major second. I am sure there are others. But for sure, the unusual range and huge leaps in this aria from Mitridate makes it stand out as very challenging indeed.

[@einherzundeineseele]

Was für eine Stimme !! So gut wie keine Register zu erkennen. Der Wechsel aus der mittleren Lage in höchste Höhen gelingen ihm bravourös. Dazu die voluminöse Fülle seiner strahlenden Stumme. Warum hört man von ihm so wenig? Grandios! almebo(einherzundeineseele)

[@gerharring]

This guy is really in the pocket, he can literally dance up and down his range with unbelievable ease, fantastic!!

[@KBrockPorterfield]

My dear friend, I always marvel at your God given talent! West Texas boy with the golden voice!

[@mscott3918]

They certainly grow them big in the Lone Star state. Fabulous voice.

[@UlfenDaddy]

I'd never considered that Pontus could be a far, FAR Eastern land, such as mediaeval Japan, but this is a very interesting take on Mitridate. I do think the costuming and scenery are all far too dark (and stark) but the weird suppliants observing and serving their King are way cool. Now then, the SINGING... nothing short of awesome. One of the best tenor voices in the world at present, I do hope to find more of Bruce Ford.

[@aguacun]

Just GREAT! This is a great voice with easy top notes but witout loosing color in the voice...good body support.

[@rommellecachonde9845]

Q formidable tenor su bello timbre y sus formidables agudos y sobre agudos

[@PedroFurtado]

Que voz! Timbre muito agradável!

[@Musicdok]

Stunning singing!

[@pecabi]

Incredible, this voice is simply fantastic.Bravo!!!!

[@Dobrib]

Stunning rendition, a marvelous voice.TY

[@UlfenDaddy]

From a traditional (and technical) persepctive, such ornamentation in the repeats of a Cavata-cavatina style aria are totally apropos and expected in a live performance. There are details in other performances and some in this one I like [more.] But as you said, tasteful and gorgeous!

[@alessandroscano8]

Interpretazione meravigliosa

[@tenorsanyone]

This is a revelation. I had only heard the Rockwell Blake version prior to this, but this is much better. I shall keep my ears open for Ford!

[@vitellia]

His singing is phenomenal, and he's surprisingly a committed actor, not to mention a very handsome man. This production calls for a comparion with that Ponnelle production, which is just as interesting. I wish the dancers were more synchronized in their movements, though. I mean, their choreography wasn't so complicated or difficult, and yet, they were all over the place.

[@Agorante]

I did a little research and found that the 14 year old Mozart wrote those wide intervals to accomodate the lead tenor Guglielmo d'Ettore. d'Ettore was a composer in his own right but no friend of the Mozarts. He made Wolfgang rewrite one aria five times and ultimately substituted music by Gasparini into the first performance. d'Ettore was a true tenor star, probably the best tenor Mozart ever had but he was dying by the time of Mitridate. He died at age 31 a year after the premiere.

[@tenorschofield]

MERAVIGLIOSO BRUCE FORD!!! 🙌😊🎶

[@albertovelez-grilo3967]

I like his voice very much and Ford is great in Mitridade. Last year I saw him in Brussels Mitridate. I was a bit disapointed with the power...but he was very very good, with a beautiful tone...

[@Agorante]

Some things to remember about this aria. Mozart was only fourteen when he wrote this long elaborate opera with many big two part arias. Some of the cast were skeptical that this kid could pull it off. The star tenor for whom this aria was written was one of these. He made Mozart write aria after aria until he got what he wanted. d'Ettore the tenor didn't like fioratura. He made his mark on the stage singing big leaps. That's why this opening aria is so different from most of the rest of the music. The sopranos all have big florid multi part arias like a conventional eighteenth century opera seria. But this aria has no runs - just leaps. We owe d'Ettore a debt of gratitude for giving us this music. If he had been more competent as a singer we would have had something more conventional.

[@kevinschuwer371]

‘Vado incontro al fato’ also has the same kinds of leaps. But its an aria from the same tenor.

[@paulostroff99]

Great voice and performance both! TY

[@tenorschofield]

Que maravilla!!!!, this is one of my favorite interpretations of this wonderful aria. Bruce Ford is superb!!!RAVOOO!!!!!

[@Antenorix]

@einherzundeineseele Diese Frage habe ich mir auch schon oft gestellt. Aber im Zeitalter der Südeuropäer (Domingo, Pavarotti ..) hatten offensichtlich die großartigen anglo-amerikanischen Rossini-Tenöre (Merritt, Ford, Blake, Kunde ...) das Nach-sehen. Will man die Amerikaner nur, wenn sie Popmusik machen? Seltsam ...

[@klemperer100]

QUALE MERAVIGLIA !!! GRAZIE PER IL VIDEO

[@tenordave]

This is the world's greatest tenor...believe me, I know! David Hall Sundquist

[@mscott3918]

Or maybe Eric Tappy or Gosta Winbergh. It's a narrow choice these days.

[@mirjamdevries9376]

​@@mscott3918 I prefer Richard Croft as Mozartian tenor.

[@yesblanche]

Thanks for the information....As an avid opera fan (not a practitioner) I'm always thrilled to learn more about the art form.

[@Agorante]

I believe you David. I am one of your oldest fans. Maybe you remember. I told you so that day in the bank in San Francisco. You had sung Roderigo to Somingo's Otello the night before.

[@gcarlos03]

mai sentita roba simile. voce incredibile!

[@Agorante]

Indeed, you are still a baby. As I remember I listened to a lot of JS Bach cantatas at that age. BTW I think the vocal style of this aria is Bolognese (extreme jumps in pitch). Is that a feature of JC Bach's opera music too. Maybe I'll just listen to some of your postings..

[@spintobear]

Not only does he sing like a god, but he's one heck of a nice guy to work with.

[@Startsingingnow]

Bravo Maestro...

[@Teresa-yw1he]

La perfezione dei Dei!...

[@francotenor]

GREAT SINGING

[@yesblanche]

This is near perfection...absolutely flawless technique and a fearless approach to this extremely rangy aria...sure the ornmanetation is a little strange in a Mozart piece but nontheless its tasteful and gorgeous!

[@jomoses07]

he makes me so upset! with his amazingness!

[@Agorante]

Oops. My bad. As I remember I saw Domingo as Otello twice and McCracken twice. I sometimes get of the casts of performances more than thirty years ago a little mixed up. I heard Ford sing Rodrigo too, but the Rossini Otello of course. On a stage full of tenors he stood out. As to who I am - just a fan. I gave the Merola and the Met auditions an opportunity to use me but they chose others instead - thousands of others as it happens. I sang big parts in small companies for thirty years.

[@Agorante]

Well, I learn something everyday. I've never heard a JC Bach opera and I've never heard of Salieri's Falstaff. Nowadays I listen to Rossini's opera seria. I was knocked out by the Ermione from Glyndebourne.

[@dannysnigh]

disculpa me equivoque al marcar tu opinion , me confundi en dar la votacion de aprovado jejejeje estoy de acuerdo contigo es muy bueno este gran tenor

[@aguacun]

Totally agree with you. And this is because Ford use his body support and that´s why is more colorful. You feel that you are inftont a MALE voice. Mr. Florz uses too much head voice..good artist but a bit white voice. He saoid that he do this because Rossini have to be sung like that... I do not agree with him but, if so, then is too much Rossini for him. WHere is Mozart in his repertory? I think his type of voice must be able to sing repertory like Alfredo Kraus.

[@Agorante]

I had a period when I advised people to never listen to any music written after 1791. I listen to a a lot of JC Bach's instrumental works at that time. But I did move on (into the 19th century). Rossini is the last of the true classical opera composers in the sense that he wrote so many operas on classical themes. His heroes come from Greek and Roman history and myth. Donnezetti and Bellini chose Romantic stories. If you like opera seria you should like Ermione or Semiramide.

[@giordisauro1]

Senza parole

[@laurabellisoprano]

WONDERFUL!

[@sparafucile2]

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 e anche oppresso io mi serbo ognor l'istesso e vi reco in petto accolto sempre eguale il mio gran cor.

[@Agorante]

Take that Malcolm Gladwell!! I'm reading his book "Outliers" in which he claims Mozart wasn't really a prodigy and that he never wrote anything remarkable before he was 21. Mithradate was composed when Mozart was 14.

[@jacobspjute]

I think I’m responsible for at least 50 of these views

[@piustwelfth]

I've watched and listened at least 30 times. This performance never ceases to amaze.

[@heroesakordes]

Voce buena e bella. Bufón tenores anche

[@AndresVera24]

Genial !

[@bigdigger87]

I meant his placement in conjunction with you stated.

[@rogerpropes7129]

Does his voice catch in the soft passage at 3:08 or is that normal.

[@wdmeinert]

I mean... does it? yeah. Is it normal? well, I mean, it's not ideal, but nobody's perfect. This guy's pretty damn close though.

[@piustwelfth]

It's not perfect, but it's spectacular!

[@dannyrafaelprietolopez3252]

Esa parte si es un insignificante desliz pero, nadie absolutamente nadie canta esta Cavatina como el lo hace, es insuperable hasta ahora en esta opera y el registro grave y agudo de esta composición de Mozart le queda como anillo al dedo .

[@jomoses07]

so what is the actual name of this aria

[@Agorante]

No. You probably don't know Gladwell's theories. He also tries to demonstrate that Bill Joy and Bill Gates were not truly exceptional but just the product of lucky circumstances. Mozart as a prodigy and genius is a real threat to his oddball notions of luck. BTW I learned Colas aria from Bastian and Bastienne when I was about 19. Mozart wrote it when he was about 11. There are two or three recordings of it in the catalog. I would call that lasting.

[@rayer1000]

perfection.

[@TanerOrhan-n8n]

BRUCE FORD 🙏 NUMMER ONE

[@jomoses07]

what is the name of this aria?

[@tenordave]

That was Jimmy McCracken...may he rest in piece...could you identify yourself, please.

[@heroesakordes]

Maletero correctore

[@jstarro59]

he is much better than brownlee.. and brownlee is beyond words... just Fords time was sooner.. befor the markeded era

[@biancacastafiore8760]

they are two different types of Rossini tenors. Brownlee is a much lighter type of singer, Ford like Kunde and Merritt, a bit heavier and darker type.

[@flaze3]

his top sounds quite different in quality--a lot lighter than his bottom. Maybe that's just his voice?

[@piustwelfth]

Because he's a man.

[@flaze3]

@@piustwelfth I was comparing him to other tenors

[@piustwelfth]

@@flaze3 Yes, but even tenors have a stronger (lower) chest voice compared to their high notes (head voice). Bruce Ford is no different. In this particular performance, Ford's high notes are powerful in the first part of the aria, but he lightens them for effect in the second part.

[@flaze3]

@@piustwelfth fair enough. I left that comment 12 years ago, so my understanding of the tenor voice has progressed lol

[@carlababelegoto506]

Dio

[@MrAlmebo]

Von Bruce Ford hört man leider viel zu wenig. Dafür sind andere Tenöre immer up to date, die dem eben genannten nicht das Wasser reichen können.

[@tjittemuizelaar]

Bin vollig einverstanden..

[@heroesakordes]

Buon

[@Agorante]

Mozart considered Haydn his only contemporary competitor. I agree. I like the works of Johahn Christian Bach but he didn't write operas. Cimerosa has one surviving opera in the opera canon - Il Matrimonio Segreto. I have performed it many times. It's charming but it isn't Mozart. I have also done Prima la Musica Poi le Parole - Salieri's most popular opera. Junk. Salieri was not a good composer. His works are only performed because of his connection with Mozart IMHO.