Johan Botha - "Morgenlich leuchtend" - Meistersinger '08

[@clorq178]

So saddened by the tragic news. I saw Meistersinger 3 times in a 10 year span, and all 3 times, Walter was sung by Johan Botha. His physique didn't matter and I DID "see" and hear the personification of a young knight in his glorious singing. I guess I learned the transformative power of the art form called opera through this - there's something beyond what you see that moves you irresistibly. His Tannhäuser at the MET last year will also remain in my memory. R.I.P. Johan.

[@Foudedanse]

What he died???? Noooo!! He was my Othello at sf opera. I love this video so much. He made this song pure magic.

[@asifitmatters1]

You must have one hell of an imagination… seeing this gigantic lump of lard struggling to push these squashed and nasal or throaty sounds out of himself like some massive turd really didn’t make me see a young knight. It made me see how terrible the casting is in the majority of houses!

[@donceasar6375]

A great tenor voice silenced forever, may he Rest in Peace.

[@MicahandModesta]

@Bruno56 No JB died of cancer. You're thinking of Oleg Bryjak and Maria Radner

[@Piflaser]

@Bruno56 Whatever happened

[@301250]

No matter how many times one listens to this, one can never get tired of it, so beautiful is the singing and set. If only we can see the rest.

[@Alexander.Christian-0612]

Wunderschön. Zu schön, ihn unter Levine in einer klassischen Inszenierung live an der Met erlebt haben zu dürfen. Dankie, Johan.🇿🇦💗

[@AhmedAliHamouda]

Extraordinary! We should be grateful that we can listen to this magnificent music and singing time and again.

[@hermikaleta2912]

Es ist traurig, dass dieser begnadete Sänger so früh von uns gegangen ist. RIP

[@Nibelungenfrau]

Danke vielmals von Herzen für dieses schöne Video! Was für eine herrliche Stimme!!! Just beautiful.

[@evapettersson8592]

There are very few tenors that have the voices with the ability to capture the partitura and the libtretto and, on top of that, the beauty of the music. Their unique voices can do that. But not without the extraordinary musical intelligence they possess. Johan Botha was one of the utmost intelligent and sensitive musicians ever. Thank you Johan for what you gave us.

[@duwir5959]

he was the most convincing Wagner tenor since Kollo. He has a voice of sheer beauty and also a big volume.

[@stranraerwal]

Don't forget the fabulous Ben Heppner!

[@opera10er]

this is one of the most gifted singers of the last 30 years. He can sing in a variety of styles, languages, and dynamics. My opinion is that his voice is best suited for German repertoire, but he sings the dramatic Italian roles very well. I dont care personally what he looks like, he tries to act and maintain a presence of the character onstage. Bravo Johan!

[@urherman1]

magnificent singer plagued by serious health problems. We are lucky to have many of his recordings

[@JoePalau]

Love the ringing tone of his voice.

[@louisenaude3146]

We lost a great South African today! R.I.P. Johan

[@derSpuk]

we lost a great artist today.

[@basstian]

Wonderful voice. Will be missed.

[@dorotheafayne]

Wonderful. This is how I love to hear Wagner's music sung and performed. Thank you. Christian Thielemann is an exquisite and sensitive conductor! Dorothea :)

[@KarlheinzDietzel]

Wunderschön gesungen von Johan Botha sehr melidiös und einfühlsam, so hätte es auch Wagner geliebt 5 Sterne von mir!

[@tlawrence8926]

Johan is amazing.

[@borisvonderlinde5184]

Toll gesungen. Schöne, schimmernde Stimme mit einem guten Volumen.

[@jackylen57]

Très jolie vidéo et quel plaisir d'entendre le ténor Botha. il a une très belle voix ! Merci

[@nina1608]

I was lucky enough to hear him sing Bacchus in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos and Lohengrin live - he had one of the most cultured and universal tenor voices of the present time. Few can do what he did. He will be sorely missed.

[@thricegreatart]

I am so sad I never got a chance to hear him in either of those roles. He will be missed.

[@faisceauhh]

This is the first opera I've ever entirely watched, and he was the Walter. It's sad he died before I ever learned of his work, the first time I saw him emote in the introduction I couldn't help but smile, actually smile and feel a bit of elation! I don't even know why I did, but I did! I had expected the entire opera to be a more dry affair in my ignorance; beautiful voice aswell of course but I enjoyed his entire performance, for what my uneducated impression may be worth.

[@giacominifan]

What a pleasure to hear such a talented heldontenor with such a lyic line and beautiful tone.

[@BassetHoundTrio]

I heard Botha sing Lohengrin live at Lyric Opera in Chicago - incredible. I honestly felt like the opera lasted 20 minutes - which it definitely wasn't!

[@BassetHoundTrio]

Such a loss for the opera world - very sad.

[@paulostroff99]

Beautifully sung.TY for posting.

[@johan52312]

Ich habe Bothas Werdegang beobachtet, er gehört zur den wenigen, die auch nach Generationen zu den allerbesten gehören. Sensationell!

[@shaun20483]

So proud of you, Johan!

[@becharahatoum8195]

Rest In Peace Johan BothaRest In Peace Johan Botha

[@macddavid]

RIP Johan 🇿🇦 A great ambassador for South Africa and a great talent taken too soon!

[@shaun20483]

This is wonderful! Matched only by an earlier recording of René Kollo. Bravo Johan! Makes me proud to be a South African

[@wesendonkey]

Love his performance here. But what really impresses me is the breath control of the soprano in the end of the clip.. that last frase. Veeery long. Great

[@helenakeane2449]

Have a listen to the John McCormack recording of Il Mio Tesoro from Don Giovanni. It is a magnificent example of breath control and sweetness which has never been equalled in a century of tenors.

[@rudolfsmolej9495]

Ricarda Merbeth

[@gratecourt]

Wonderful, stupendous, delightful. Sounds like a god (after three acts) and looks like he's genuinely transported. No wonder the chorus looks so involved. Thanks so so much.

[@XPRT10R]

Great singing. Especially of this aria! So damn hard

[@adamphillips3425]

Amongst the best for sure- Botha. Superb Opera. Chorus are really substantial too:))

[@mk5244]

....wonderful line of singing and dynamics. What are handsome looking guys for if they lack the voice? Wagner demands the utmost of a human voice. JB did deliver in an excellent way!

[@francis726]

Beautiful melody, beautiful singing, beautiful opera ( saw it live 3x in one season in nyc, Levine's last year or so)...Botha was not silenced; he'll sing in the beyond if he wants.

[@Labienus]

I'm happy to report he was great in last year's Met Meister(2014)-and wonderful in this year's Tannhauser-that killer role-in fact the best live performance I've ever heard-great endurance Sure he's big-but like the young but still fat Pavarotti-he moves well, perhaps not light on his feet, but can move, and has an expressive face-and like Pav benefits from closeups

[@alejandrosotomartin9720]

Thanks for sharing this gem of unfortunatelly dead Botha. Just one thing, you wrote above Nurnbeg.

[@juhanipalola9046]

R.I.P. you great singer!

[@shaun20483]

This is wonderful! Matched only by an earlier recording of René Kollo. Bravo Johan! Makes me proud to be a South African. Wonderful acting by Ain Anger's Pogner, as well.

[@Foudedanse]

Awesome- I really like this tenor.

[@37Lohengrin]

Incredible! Thanks for posting this!

[@jamessmith1929]

This is so beautiful. Meistersinger is my favorite opera but in many ways is the scariest of Wagner. What are we to make of Hans Sachs leading to "pure German art." I always watch it transfixed but sometimes afraid of what it is to be a musician. Yes, we try to make beautiful things, but in the service of what? I'm getting old, and need to convince myself that beauty is enough in itself. Botha - what a 'pity. Not so many honest singers around, though there are some great ones.

[@jeannecohen451]

I love this opera. Chubby or not. Gorgeous voice. Can't imagine leaving .

[@MrAndredekock]

My countryman has done us proud and the Wagnerian roles truly are his fach and where the beauty of his voice is able to shine! Mooi skoot Johan ons is almal verskriklik trots op jou en hou aan met die uitstekende werk en verteenwoordiging van Suid Afrika in die buiteland! Just left to say a BIG bravo!

[@omairagamboa7821]

Magnífico tenor de voz aterciopelada, gracias Johan Botha por habernos hecho soñar! Que brille para tí la Luz Perpetua

[@shaun20483]

Sounding so fresh after a long evening! Brava Johan. Ek is baie trots op jou en is is daardeur 'n spoggerige Suid Afrikaner! Jy is 'n ware kulturele ikoon- mag al jou lewensdrome bewaarheid word. Sterkte en . . . wys hulle!

[@ksh430]

Rest in Peace Johan botha!

[@kevinrawlings7985]

You are so right Niel, The quest for a younger audience having only young thin pretty singers has given us singers like Klaus Florian Vogt in this Rep. Sad at best. NO one gave more in a performance than my friend Niel Shicoff.

[@thesilvershining]

YES, Niel is my FAVORITE!!!

[@paulostroff99]

Superb.TY rexeterna for posting.

[@aleesa6]

give credit to Thieleman for his restrained, dreamy, and mesmerizing influence on the orchestra

[@vincenzomarenghi1660]

Mi dovrei vergognare perché nessun italiano si è degnato finora di mettere il commento a questa pagina sublime dei MAESTRI CANTORI che è una delle più belle di Wagner, dimostrando in quale abisso di ignoranza musicale siamo caduti. Ebbene sarò io a riscattare tanto disonore affermando che quando ascolto questo canto, specie contrappuntato dal coro, mi sembra davvero di essere in Paradiso. W WAGNER

[@henryautumn37]

he was awesome

[@jeanmauricedennery4868]

Excellent ,comme tour ours Botha

[@terryhammond1253]

Exquisite.

[@bogorzelak]

Simply wonderful.

[@MIGUEL2005LIMA]

Perfecto. conmovedor hasta las lagrimas. confieso que del "Meistersinger"solo conocia la obertura.... y ahora me encuentro con esas melodias amadas como una maravillosa cancion, la orquesta ,perfecta tambien.

[@carrieestill1180]

He was super... in all ways.

[@paulostroff99]

Excellent! TY

[@raticida123456]

beautyful production

[@markuskohler1196]

Einmalig...❤

[@nicolasgarcia2894]

La opera ya es su línea. Y el fraseo,la vocalización, el timbre de voz muy wagneriana, la actuación escenica insuperable. No me canso de verlo y oírlo. Nicolás de Mugardos.

[@301250]

The best rendition of Walher preislied for all time....simply amazing

[@JoePalau]

I hate invidious comparisons among performers and performances. That said, I simply love this prize song and wished I could him at the NY Met in person. RIP

[@robertscherb1455]

magnifique chanteur et grand technicien.Merveilleux Sigmund a Bayreuth 2015

[@waynesmith3767]

I heard him in Lohengrin at Lyric Opera in Chicago and he was great.

[@FacePaster]

This guy is perfect for this lyric Wagner rep! I have to admit I do not like him as much in Italian rep like Otello and Aida, but for operas like Meistersinger, Lohengrin, and Tannhauser I think he is simply ideal! Beautiful performance!

[@unotenore]

Superb singing by Johan Botha! Thank you!

[@tonshaad1230]

Pavarotti was called "Teddy Bear" for a reason and had the vocal goods to prove the complete opposite. Shouldn't matter about the weight unless you, the singer, is trying to lose it.

[@michaelbutler2938]

So sad...RIP.

[@duwir5959]

He has the most beauty voice as a Wagner Tenor since Rene Kollo.

[@rexeterna]

wow, signore tamagno you're back from the dead!

[@MehdiD.Ardebili]

You have to be inhuman to not be moved by this music and his voice.

[@borisvandruff7532]

Daniel Ard I was never sweet on Wagner until the last year and a half or so. This particular excerpt was the bug that finally bit me.

[@301250]

Thank you very much, rexeterna, though Fischer-Diskau is my favourite Sachs on Jochum's Die Meistersinger, but Struckmann is also very good here. But Merbeth, she is the best Eva of the lot! Beautiful voice & singing.

[@301250]

Pity, Mo, it's only a sampler as the costumes, set and of course, Walther, Sachs AND EVA (what a discovery!)and the rest of this heavenly music are simply stupendous!

[@1sumiresan2]

Wirklich schön gesungen

[@jegraham440]

The problem is the advent of videos. He looks well enough--from a distance. (a G & S reference--points of you can place it.) He can sing under my window any time, and if he should climb in the window, I'll keep the lights down low

[@josealbertovelazqueza.4537]

Que pena!!!! acaba de morir este gran tenor. Dios lo tenga en su gloria cantándole. descanse en paz.

[@sonjabaevska8028]

R.I.P.

[@SteveNelsonBrigade]

Fucking fantastic.

[@Vielflieger01]

Bravo!! no need to add more!

[@changingego]

Tears my heart

[@siegmundwaelsung2217]

Botha is singing Walther at the Chicago Lyric Opera, Winter 2013

[@jamessmith1929]

BTW - How many of us look prepared to appear in People, Hola or Paris Match?

[@samarkin399]

R.I.P

[@dibladiblup]

@coryisawake Heppner will be singing Otello with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, WDR Radio Chorus under Daniel Harding this September in Baden-Baden, Luxemburg, Dortmund and Paris.

[@forallyouknow]

Who's that playing Pogner? The singing here is really good... Better than most interpretations I've heard!

[@michaelquirmbach9939]

DAS ist ein Stolzing...

[@ChristopherMarlowe]

A legendary tenor... A quite a sandwich maker also.

[@paulostroff99]

@Torquemada0 Agreed.Up there with the best half dozen or so versions ever.

[@karifrid]

I am putting a "video response" here with me singing this aria,(if rexeterna does not stop it). Some years ago,my teacher then,Stuart Kale,tenor said I should try some Wagner arias.Today they are easyer for me to sing so I wonder...Will I sing Wagner and Verdi 2013, the year they were born??? Kári Friðriksson ,karifrid on youtube. Che gelida manina,Di quella pira,O soave fanciulla,Chella mi creda,Esultate,Dies Bildniss,Dalla sua pace,La donna e mobile,O sole mio,Mamma quel vino,Mein Lieber Swan

[@mozart2306]

Descanse en paz Johan Botha, un gran tenor sudafricano/alemán con poco más de medio siglo de existencia. En este excelente vídeo hace más grande a Richard Wagner.

[@wamozart2306]

Para quienes no se sepan bien el alemán, el vídeo corresponde a la ópera "Los maestros cantores de Núremberg", con música y letra de Wagner.

[@pablogarciadesola8110]

Y que no se me olvide: "Los maestros cantores de Núremberg" se estrenó en 1868. ¡¡ Más de 4 horas y medio de espectáculo!!

[@karifrid]

@shaun20483 I have a feeling that Kollo is a bit low in tone almost always.... I must listen if Kollo sings this in tune.... Botha has a beautiful voice......Great singer.....

[@romearomeo]

RIP 😢😢😢

[@thegnomeidentity]

very nice. also, james king, heppner in his prime, and, of course, kollo. my sentimental favorite, for all his shortcomings, is windgassen.

[@TheCraigMann]

Johan Botha sings like a young god

[@MIGUEL2005LIMA]

absolutely right, i agree.

[@diletantus]

Grandioso!

[@301250]

Who is this fantastic soprano playing Eva here and also, Hans Sachs? Can someone tell, danke. sd goh (malaysia)

[@Agorante]

My girl friend Barbara had a very sweet high voice. She knocked them dead in the SF opera bars singing Glitter and be Gay. But it wasn't a big voice so when she went to Germany to sing opera she sang in the chorus. She told the story about singing Meistersinger. When the chorus was finished for a while they all when out to the movies. Then they would rush back for this scene. Meistersinger is long. But when it finally came to SF Opera and the curtain came down, I jumped to may feet and screamed "Encore, encore". I wanted to hear it from the top again. It's a hell of a show. I heard Ben Heppner the one time I heard the whole opera. The best tenor in this show IMHO is James King. More voice and better voice that any other in this part - at least that's my taste. I heard Botha as Otello. He's better cast in the Wagner. He sounds real good here. The problem is of course that Botha is much too fat. It killed him. He was a very fine singer with a sweet sound for a dramatic tenor. In a few decades this sort of thing (malignant obesity) won't happen. Medical science advances. It's not like there have ever been enough dramatic tenors.

[@karifrid]

I use here the good name of Botha to advertise me,singing on my video, Morgenlich leuchtend, after singing Di quella pira and Donna non vidi mai ,first. After the Wagner aria I sing Che gelida manina, (with a high C ) Johan Botha is famous singer, overloaded with work. I hope someone will "discover me" here and I get more jobs..OK, I am less dramatic than he is today , but AFTER some years, I can be of similar weight and quality, IF I sing..2013 IS the year that Wagner and Verdi become 200 ! !

[@annamariapoma-swank6458]

why talking about stupid things as weight and other silly problem... questa ' una voce di paradiso che abbiamo perduto ma che ricorderemo sempre!!!!!!