SPICING THINGS UP • Interpolated notes, cadenzas and showing off

Click the CC button for subtitles!
The Ego vs. The Score: this fun compilation presents some (in)famous (dis)improvements, mostly done for effect or to outsing a colleague. There are countless examples, and I picked the ones I found most amusing. I left most of the most obvious and standard ones out (Di quella pira, La donna è mobile etc.). In the beginning, you can see Riccardo Muti arguing against altering scores. And he makes good points (quoting Verdi). On the other hand, aren't we misunderstanding Italian opera if we want it to be as serious as a Beethoven symphony?
In this video:
Michael Bohnen (Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Aida) • Helge Rosvaenge (Il Trovatore and Don Carlo) • Lawrence Tibbett (Pagliacci) • Lauritz Melchior (Die Walküre) • Jussi Björling (Pagliacci) • Beniamino Gigli (La Forza del Destino) • Maria Callas (Aida) • Richard Tucker (Onegin) • Leonard Warren (La Forza del Destino) • Gencer & Mac Neil (Rigoletto) • Daniele Barioni (La Rondine) • Jaume Aragall (Rigoletto) • Franco Bonisolli (Aida, Turandot) • Piero Cappuccilli (Attila) • Sherrill Milnes (Rigoletto) • Dimitri Hvorostovsky (Il Trovatore) • Alfredo Kraus (Les Contes d'Hoffmann)
PS: I am aware that Björling and Tibbett sang their pieces for fun and would never have attempted such stunts on stage.
For great books, recordings, sheet music visit www.bongiovanni70.it

[@AfroPoli]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ3JXp-rZd6ZeLc Mind boggling...

[@tenoremodernotecnicavecchi2151]

What aria was Melchior singing? Could you link the recording?

[@AfroPoli]

@@tenoremodernotecnicavecchi2151 Ein Schwert verhieß mir der Vater, Die Walküre, Boston 1940

[@jairosantanafigueroa4139]

At least these singers could show off. Most singers nowadays can’t even sing properly what’s written on the score.

[@draganvidic2039]

Strong point

[@crazyorganist1609]

You're absolutely right

[@davidmolina7543]

😂😂😂

[@armandosanchez4978]

In Callas defense she also thought that the High eb was bad taste and only did it to piss off Baum.

[@oliverdelica2289]

I love Callas even more 🤣🤣

[@stevenlevasee6742]

But she also sang that e flat many times over the run of that performance. It might have been to spite Baum, but she nonetheless had a GREAT time singing that note.

[@stevenlevasee6742]

11:10 Bonisolli's perm with that sleeveless leather waistcoat...YAAS GURL! Do it!!

[@piccaluga35]

If Verdi heard a Bonisolli or Filippeschi or Lauri-Volpi singing Di Quella Pira and heard the audience roar with applause at the end I am sure he would not be displeased. That aside, great collection, I have never heard Tibbett singing tenor before, amazing!

[@andrzejzborowski4920]

If he only heard Corelli singin in C major...

[@charlespowell9117]

Re:Tibbett-- That's why he lost his voice.as well as been an alcoholic.

[@Michael-mh4vr]

Alcohol more so

[@ozielich]

Verdi was not an idiot.. 432 is what he though of!

[@draganvidic2039]

Remember what opera once was. People went to hear opera and it was more like today’s rock concerts. It was exciting, entertainment, engaging and gripping. Today people get either ANAL about it or most singers are crap with flawed limited voices…

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

‘Franco Bonisolle creates ... adding high Cs everywhere’ 😂😂😂

[@potusumanbibingka]

insignificant high Cs. I think the only significant High C alteration was when Carlo Baucardè sang the last part Di quela pira in C instead of G.

[@baoanhnguyen9186]

Pretty much xD Great high Cs, terrible alteration. And I consider myself very easy-going and lenient xD

[@jimmychoo1857]

High C’s do not sound great in 90% of good voices:even in Pavarotti’s case

[@Jeff4014]

@@potusumanbibingka IF IT'S BONISOLLI HITTING THOSE HIGH C'S THEN IT'S PERFECT! IF IT'S PAVAROTTI THEN YOU WILL HEAR LOTS OF CRACKS.... WE HAVE THE PROVES ON KZbin!

[@potusumanbibingka]

@@Jeff4014 no issue for hitting C5, he's really good doing it even C♯5 yet remember that singers are reading notes.

[@revivaljesus]

Nice video! We must still remember that Verdi (and Wagner, who wrote similar things about following the score) adored for example Battistini, who at least on his recordings did not follow the score slavishly, but sang with seemingly spontanious creativity in terms of phrasing, dynamics and candences. For me it's a far greater sin to sing like an unmusical robot than to sing with great musical imagination and passion and sometimes stray off the written score, while still remaining within the style of the music.

[@quequitoAR]

About the "unmusical robots", totally agree.

[@jimmychoo1857]

If You know the technic actually, You will never sing like a robot. Greats sang great because of great technic at first and than because of their musicality

[@revivaljesus]

@@jimmychoo1857 Sure, but even the greats had different strengths. The come scritto approach which Toscanini advocated ultimately made singers less imaginitive and musically individual. For example there were many great baritones after Battistini ofcourse, but who sang with similar amount of individual phrasing and light and shade? Muti is Toscanini's successor in this regard. The recording idustry also contributed. But you can ofcourse sing great even if you stay strictly within the written score, no argument there.

[@goscinnydyrygent]

Just to keep things precise - Verdi's only letters about Battistini are not very favorable. He called him (along with Kaschmann) "baritoni sdolcinati" - hard to translate, but it means something like "too sugary." He did suggest that this meant they were better for Ernani than for Otello, so it's not entirely a condemnation. But there's no evidence of him "adoring" Battistini.

[@revivaljesus]

@@goscinnydyrygent I remember reading Verdi wanting Battistini for Falstaff, but It's possible I remember wrong, I certainly haven't read all of Verdis letters. Wagner atleast held Battistini in very high regard, he said his Wolfram was the most beautiful interpretation of the role he had ever heard.

[@clefnoteproductions6695]

I'll take unwritten high notes any day as long as they're sung well. So many singers today even in their youth have wobbles, many are strident almost yells.

[@draganvidic2039]

Strong point

[@noelmann3607]

Corrections! The note added in the Forza excerpt is a C# (not a C ) and Milnes adds a Cb to the Rigoletto excerpt not a Bb!

[@kapellmeisterr]

How is interpolation more desecrating than Aida in german ?

[@goscinnydyrygent]

Let's not forget - Muti helps himself freely to the right of changing Verdi's tempos - often quite radically. There are Verdi letters about that too (he was against it). He never wrote one against high notes, oddly enough - and every review of the revised Don Carlo (premiered at La Scala in 1884 under Verdi's supervision) mentions how thrilled the audience was with Tamagno's high C at the end of "Dio che nell'alma infondere."

[@TD05SSLegacy]

Ah, that IS Muti.

[@hermajesty52]

Holy CRAP 14:54 on…. In a room of exceptional voices Kraus flew to the head of the class!! Bravo! RIP dear Alfredo ❣️

[@philiprostek]

What a great post - Thank You! Seasons Greetings!

[@DaDooshinator]

Bravo!!! Thank you for this work!

[@BigNoob1012]

The Melchior one is amazing and infamous. I remember driving in a car with a friend and he mentioned it and we stopped what we were doing to listen to it. absolutely ridiculous in both good and bad

[@draganvidic2039]

It’s very fascinating indeed

[@Tkimba2]

@@draganvidic2039 it's horrible taste indeed

[@draganvidic2039]

@@Tkimba2 But fun. Nobody forces you to listen.

[@TVDandTrueBlood]

Melchior is beautiful!!!!!!!!! I do not mind this kind of "creating" at all, in fact I love it!

[@AfroPoli]

Haha, breathtaking, isn't it!

[@SpecialtyHorseTraining]

Thanks for so much fun.

[@AfroPoli]

You're most welcome!

[@PcCAvioN]

I think the justification is in the audience reaction. Didn't Verdi himself say that the people were the greatest measure of success?

[@MarcoSantorobaritono]

Bello riascoltare Muti dopo lo stupendo acuto di Kraus : " Oh porca miseria " 😀😃😀😀😀

[@cmclean6475]

William Crutchfield did exhaustive research into how Verdi's singers embellished a lot - it was the performing style of the day after all - and he never interfered as far as I can recall. Look up his publications thereon

[@maestroclassico5801]

How did Melchior do that without passing out?

[@bradleymonroe6443]

My favorite part was when Bonisolli sang high Cs everywhere because I am a fan of the tenor high Cs. 🎵⭐

[@sananton2821]

Jussi's interpolation is actually a Bb, I think, when played at the right pitch. He does sing it sharp, but it's a sharp Bb. The copy I have is a bit between standard piano pitches, but it's definitely well below the one in this compilation, and sounds more like him.

[@ransomcoates546]

There are interpolations so fixed in the audience’s mind they are essentially part of the score. (Pity the tenor who sings the ‘Pira’ ‘come scritto.) We all know which ones they are. It’s the eccentric ones, heard here and sometimes nowhere else in my experience, that are questionable.

[@evgeny9965]

Great segment....

[@odyssorpheus3230]

Proprio questa è la punizione che meritano tutti loro, chi ascoltano Rossini e Verdi in tedesco...

[@baoanhnguyen9186]

"Adding high Cs everywhere" Pretty much Bonisolli's entire career

[@absdyna]

Some of those are written notes that no one actually sings like the C# in the Lucia finale. Honestly, if more people had high notes as secure as Bonisolli's, we would see a lot more of what he did.

[@vitabella6481]

Bonisolli was an excellent singer, to reduce him on his highCs is ver unfair.

[@nolango6160]

I guess, if we only talk about Verdi, he probably heard too many distasteful cadenzas when he grew up listening to operas of Rossini or Donizetti, therefore it shaped his style of art. It has to be precise, delicate, disciplined, controlled, stick to the character and the drama. I agree very much on this point, frankly I don't want to hear every aria becoming Una Voce Poco Fa with pointless coloratura. Adding the dominant high note or resolving upwards in cabaletta is probably the bottom line for Verdi, as we know high notes, especially tenor high notes are not really his taste. We can see that his music is not flashy, it is lyrical, sentimental, very expressive. When he sees the need of singing high notes, he would allow so. He often wrote big high Cs for soprano and high Bbs for tenors. His melodic lines are his signatures. There is no need to change any of that. Altering it would quite literally be blasphemy. Puccini and verismo are all about crazy drama, so adding high notes everywhere do not hurt as much. (Despite I think there are enough high notes for Puccini operas already lol) P.S. Callas' Eb, to me, despite being galactic, is really optional. After all the magic of that scene is not only about Aida, it is about the massive choral singing.

[@cliffgaither]

Nolan Go :: Yes ! Yes ! I don't usually like the choruses, in opera, so much, but you are right-on about that scene not being just about Aida. The choral writing is magnificent ( especially when the priests cut-in w / their dissenting opinion ! ) & when they all sing together, including the principles, it's an exhilarating musical experience. The Triumphal Scene & the finale, belongs to the chorus, w / the principles. I've never enjoyed choral singing so much. Nor have I heard C's upper-register sound so flawlessly sung -- again ! I'm not the best of her fans. As you know, throughout her career, she stressed the importance of respecting the composer's score, that everything was _in_ the music. She definitely didn't believe that when in Mexico or maybe she was over-come w / the cumulative effect of that great choral singing ?

[@nathandavis3002]

My favorite theory is that she did it to spite a misbehaving tenor...

[@M.Stabile]

@@nathandavis3002 yes because Buam in 1950 and for fun in 1951 which the Eb was the loudest in history of mankind.

[@filmlover542]

Excellent compilation! Thank you for your laborious work!

[@carlosmanueldelgadonule2313]

@@cliffgaither I wish I could upvote this more than once.

[@user-vx5id5ku2e]

I just want to point out that when the addition of an interpolated note is contributing to the dramatic effect - it is most welcome. there are only a few singers that have this tact so we tend not to allow this at all. one good example will be singing high C at the end of the don Carlo duet. a bad example is Bonisolli virtually everywhere.....

[@Catalogue2]

A few of these examples are either time-honored traditions or “bending” the voice expressively, rather than just rogue singers going “vigilante” on the score. (several, however, are indeed blatantly, dropping-of-the-pants rogue)

[@EliominDZ]

el ignora la tradición, es muy inflexible

[@smemr]

Regarding Rosvaenge's interpolated Bb in the "Ah, si ben mio" aria, Caruso did the same thing in his 1908 recording of the aria. I prefer Caruso's version to Rosvaenge, but it shows that interpretation existed for decades before Rosvaenge recorded it.

[@AfroPoli]

Muti's 1977/1978 Trovatore from Firenze - Ah sì ben mio and Di quella pira performed as written: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYrVZqhoqtqNZrs

[@baoanhnguyen9186]

I like this Trovatore only because of the excellent tenor, Carlo Cossutta. Otherwise, I find it to be unexciting. I believe Muti conducted the same original Trovatore, but with Salvatorw Licitra as Manrico. Needless to say, it was a fiasco... of course, not Muti's fault.

[@ilgattopardo3231]

Also I would include optional high B from Lamento di Federico. Even though, to my knowledge, this alteration was approved by Cilea himself.

[@AfroPoli]

True. I always felt very ambivalent about it. In my opinion, it doesn't really fit the mood of the piece.

[@AfroPoli]

@everyday tenor Yeah... the problem is similar to the ending of Celeste Aida (the popular fff vs. the ppp morendo in the score) or the Cs in Di quella pira. The public (and even agents etc.) are so used to it that they believe you can't sing it if you don't.

[@jackhamm1745]

Mein Gott! That Melchior extract makes me shiver and cry! Nothing about this is in bad taste! Wow!!!

[@Luifernal6]

I Love All that ego

[@draganvidic2039]

Bonisolli...‼️😂💪🏼🕺🏻😎👍🏼

[@robertevans8010]

Wagner would have loved Melchior. Simply outstanding!

[@emileric_]

wow great video

[@williammorris584]

Bonisolli: the bodice ripper of tenors.

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

More like the ham of tenors.

[@lanchotto]

you should add Shalyapin's version of Aleco cavatine by Rachmaninoff. he completely rewrited it

[@AfroPoli]

That's true. I forgot about that one!

[@chesterinthefield]

or Ezio Flagello's low E flat and High A flat in "Lucrezia Borgia" kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKrckp6gqL6AmtE

[@JJ-vv5id]

so Verdi wrote that kind of letter but he also let his own singers do their music like cadenza and singing forte on the piano part? i'm confused

[@guidolebronbaritone]

Some of these high notes are definitely in bad taste. But the composers themselves allowed many interpolated high notes. They just didn't make it into to the Ricordi editions. (The same as with tempo markings like in the case of the "Vendetta duo" in Rigoletto.) Many times they come from the composer himself or the first singers who sung the roles while the composer was still alive. Traditions are traditions for good reasons. Maestro Muti is a good conductor but is greatly responsible for opera being so boring today. Who wants to hear a "Pari siamo" without the high G? One gets the feeling it's all about his ego.

[@baoanhnguyen9186]

I agree that Muti is, to me, a bit misguided. And that's putting it lightly. The man loves the art, though. That's unquestionable.

[@guidolebronbaritone]

@@baoanhnguyen9186 Yes! He is the abusive boyfriend that “loves” you and then gives you a black eye. 😆

[@baoanhnguyen9186]

@@guidolebronbaritone Well...that's too much... But yes. There are some elements xD

[@juanclorduy9821]

Que el maestro Muti hace hoy día aburrida la opera? Es en serio? Muerto Levine es el único director vivo y activo que dirige ópera con un nivel insuperable. Para quienes van a la ópera solo a escuchar sobre agudos desde luego que resulta aburrido. Pero para los que vamos a escuchar música, buen canto y drama, una estúpida nota aguda no significa nada. A los que buscamos drama y música en la ópera los agudos inexistentes importan un comino. Quien va a la ópera solo a escuchar agudos, lo siento, es una forma totalmente inculta de escucharla. Y lo mismo pasa con los directores de escena.

[@guidolebronbaritone]

@@juanclorduy9821 Jajaja! Eres el problema de Facebook y KZbin. Tienes varios CDs de ópera y ya te crees culto y conocedor. Y lamento informarte que Jimmy, tu segundo director favorito, está muerto. Ese era un gran director. Y sí, Muti ha hecho que la ópera sea aburrida. Nadie dijo que era solo por los agudos pero sí, eso y sus tempos tienen que ver. Cuantos años de carrera como cantante lírico llevas? En qué teatros de Europa, América Latina, Asia y los EEUU has cantado? O eres simplemente un fan de la ópera con una cuenta de KZbin? Muchas veces trabajando en España nos divertía ver como los fans se pensaban expertos. Agradecemos el entusiasmo ya que ustedes nos pagan las cuentas y deudas pero no hablen mierda. Tu comentario de los directores de escena quedó incompleto. Las redes sociales son terribles porque ahora todos los fans son expertos en todo con sus IPhones y tabletas. Son músicos, pilotos, arquitectos y hasta inmunólogos! Demasiada democracia digo yo.

[@marioparisi2533]

Eccezionale Kraus...alla faccia di Muti!

[@Tkimba2]

Quel Do era perfetto!

[@OLIVCHEN77]

Ach, an was haben wir uns nur gewöhnt. Ich erinnere mich, dass ich einmal bei einer Probe zu Norma 2010 in Warschau dabei war. Der Maestro ließ Hasmik "oh non tremare" 5 x singen- weil er mit dem Orchester unzufrieden war. Ich hab sie gefragt, warum sie sich das gefallen läßt. Ich hätte bei der 2. Wiederholung daen Saal verlassen. Er hat damals Norma konzertant mit 100 Musikern gespielt. Es war schlimm. Danke für Ihre immer kontroversen, aber durchaus berichtigten Kommentare!

[@CantorCantante]

El agudo final de "la Donna e mobile" no está escribo. Ahora bien: se imaginan ustedes esa aria sin ese final?

[@Tkimba2]

Tanto vale mettere un Jukebox sul palco,no? Viva la fantasia e creatività

[@hentyamenty8120]

Amadeo Vives the spanish composer of Doña Francisquita has , in his book Julia, a chapter against the High C...

[@jimmychoo1857]

Thank You very much ! I just wanted to record O isis und Osiris with two low C’s.. I will not now. Stupid idea cause I love Muti and know that he threw out all that additions in his productions, so Rigoberto for example sounds the whole other thing,really tragical, not Cirque du Soleil

[@alexgabriel5650]

Great video! I believe the audience is mostly unaware which high notes are the composer's creation and which are not, and as long as they are well executed and not overly-sustained to the point of becoming an obvious show-off, they are most likely to be appreciated. Oh, but the horror and embarrassment when such a creative attempt fails is unspeakable. It can ruin the whole performance.

[@jimmychoo1857]

Many of those singers(Milner Khvorostovsky) had to think first about producing released open sound and to change their voice types to tenors..

[@tg92277]

The High A in the forza duet, didn't Cappuccilli do this also?

[@boristemkin]

Yes. He did.

[@user-ds6hd9dv6l]

And You want to say, that you guys don't like Manrico with high c? Or Tonio with As?

[@andrzejzborowski4920]

Singing as¹ or A flat in Prologue makes no sense if you understand the meaning of tbe words and the harmony. But usually singers aren't very good at it ;)

[@MaxLuetgendorff]

One can argue if these are crimes. But what you can clearly can't argue about is that those singers were way better than what you're hearing today...

[@TwistingWays]

Okay, but Tucker's high B in Onegin was VERY exciting!

[@Sutherland2]

Common performance practice for over 200 years to interpolate notes, add decorations in the repeats, adorn melodies with the singer's personal strengths. Nothing new about this. Muti goes against 200 years of performance practice, but it's his right. He can conduct and control opera as he sees fit. For audiences, however, stellar singers bring life and excitement to opera by tasteful decoration and interpolation.

[@AfroPoli]

You need to consider that there are different kinds of performance practices. Muti has (as Verdi) adopted the German one, after it got imported by Wagner. This is an orchestral practice where you don't alter the score. The Italians have no orchestral culture, their practice is the one of Bel Canto where alterations were normal. Now, you can argue if Verdi's (and Toscanini's and Muti's) initiatives were/are suited for transforming the old Italian way of performing...

[@ferrancomptepuerto1578]

to me... WELCOME of most of this "creations"...

[@federicovalentino3767]

someone should then ask Muti why he feels so free to change the agogic and dynamic of almost any (and especially Verdi's) score he touches. His Nabucco, his Rigoletto, his Trovatore are jokes, to the point of sounding like parodies.

[@draganvidic2039]

Basically he’s right but have in mind she chose Renata Scotto for Abigaille and: DISASTER…

[@SimonTBam]

Some of those worked better than others. And frankly Alfredo Krauss's Top C was right on the money....

[@ahogbin2644]

Some splendid voices here if not always used in the modern rigid manner. Muti was not as much of a puritan as people think. I remember an I Capuleti at Covent Garden in 1984 in which he permitted decorations in the second verses of the cabaletta. I think he was mainly against prolonged high notes at the end of arias and ensembles. With the state of singing today I probably agree!

[@caseyfranco3959]

All changes made must be in good taste. What muti says(what Verdi says) is correct but he sounds hypocritical lol(muti), but if that were true then Toscanini is illegitimate as well as many of the great singers according to muti. No, performance is all about being in the moment and if it feels appropriate it should be done, and muti's performances are as robotic as they come. What is my point? Muti -put a sock in it honey

[@sananton2821]

LOVE the C in the Don Carlos duet.

[@XPRT10R]

Anche se poi Muti contradirà se stesso nella pratica, più in là nel tempo.

[@poolification]

Music would be quite boring if there where no variety. Imagine there was only one approved recording of every piece of music? Why does mr Muti himself continue to set up operas if all he is doing is to copy previous works?

[@alexgomez2]

In the case of Lawrence Tibbet it’s interesting to notice Giuseppe Giaccomini is really a great baritone singing tenors’ roles

[@ariasemusicaslegendadas7657]

No, he is a spinto tenor, His voice only sounds very dark because of his very low larynx

[@Operaandchant90]

I think interpolated botes become problematic when composers were meticulous about what they wrote in the score. Mozart wrote almost nothing, Puccini and Wagner were indeed meticulous. That said, while Wagner was very serious and severe about what he wrote, when Caruso interpolated a high C in Bohème in front of Puccini, Puccini cackled with joy.

[@tiagocosta8648]

Joan Sutherland is perhaps one of the singers who most "created" high notes and thrills. It is even shameful.

[@stevenlevasee6742]

I see your point on Sutherland. It would be shameful if her trills and scales hadn't been almost perfectly executed, but they were. It's also a matter of the art of embellishment, which prevailed in the period of music that she focused on. A typical soprano would have almost been expected at any time to have three different sets of embellishment and her own cadenza, rehearsed and handy, to be be interpolated into a Bel canto aria. The polonaise from I Puritani is a good example. Bellini composed a very simple melody with the expectation that it be flexible enough to be enriched.

[@crazyorganist1609]

Sutherland had a proper Bel Canto technique and was one of the finest Dramatic Coloraturas of all time

[@alejandrotm]

I miss a very disturbing rendition of Lucia's madness scene by Natalie Dessay, and it was not just once or twice, she does the same even in her recording of Lucie de Lamermoor (French version) with Alagna.

[@ER1CwC]

I think some of these interpolations are defensible, whereas others are not. The ones from Rosvaenge and Melchior are so inappropriate, but fun. The way I see it is that they have the credentials to do it and can be forgiven. But Bonisolli did not have the credentials. I think that as a general rule, he should not be taken seriously. What a circus performer. Believe it or not, there's actually a contingent on KZbin that tries to defend him as a model of good taste.

[@gustavometz]

In Rossini times and before the composition allowed personal ornamentation in the repetition. So, it is not proper to include La Calunnia as an example. Of course Rossini, as every composer, didn’t like singers to take to much liberties, so he composed some ornamentations himself. Curiously, the commonly cut repetition in La Calunnia is one of the less altered within the famous Rossini catalogue, but in other arias like Una Voce poco Fa or Bel Raggio Lusinghier the repetitions are sometimes not recognisable.

[@revivaljesus]

i've read that the reason Rossini wrote much of the coloratura in to his scores was that singers ability to decorate music had declined, so he decided to do it for them. In Mozart's time the singers would decoratate the music themselves.

[@davidkempster9535]

Sherrill Miles sings a C double flat at the end of Rigoletto, not a Bb as you have stated

[@hwelf11]

He actually sings a C flat followed by A double flat , then A flat

[@laprimmadonna2341]

Añadir o hacer una variación a lo que Verdi escribió es casi imposible. Se necesita ser un genio de la lírica para logarlo y eso son los ejemplos que aparecen en este vídeo…

[@brunopena3710]

I'm pretty sure that Caruso added the high Bb in Ah sì ben mio before Rosvaenge.

[@AfroPoli]

Without any doubt. Also the Rigoletto alteration is, of course, much older. I did not design this as a historical study, though. Not all the singers here necessarily did what they did for the first time.

[@ilgattopardo3231]

That's true

[@eduardoalvarado4330]

Jadlowker also sings a high Bb in the cadenza of Ah sì ben mio, but he also does the *trills wonderfully.

[@sananton2821]

@@eduardoalvarado4330 Trills.

[@eduardoalvarado4330]

@@sananton2821 Thank you.

[@xXFedericoChannel]

Adoro muti, alcuni acuti ci stanno, altri no.

[@michelez3710]

I'm afraid I cannot agree with Mr. Muti. If we start to treat opera this way, what's the point of putting on new performances? All these musical pieces have been recorded repeatedly and we can listen to them anytime we want. If you're not going to add any value, any new quality to those musical works, there is absolutely no justification for performing them. It's better to stay home and listen to opera with speakers. (They use speakers for amplifying the singers anyway at the theatres, so there's no difference). Addressing these recordings I think everybody will agree that Franco Bonisolli was completely over the top haha. I must say though, that I really liked Michael Bohnen's La calunnia. I think singing it an octave lower makes a great comical effect, and it doesn't sound tacky at all taking into account that his lower range was extremely consistent with the upper range and didn't sound forced at all. His Aida on the other hand... well, interpolating a high G, in my opinion, there completely ruins the scene and it's utterly out of place. When it comes to Lauritz Melchior I absolutely revere his captivating, endless high notes. What can I do? I've never been able to appreciate Bjorling's voice though. He just doesn't sound too natural and convincing for me. It has this kind of fake mellow tone that I absolutely detest and this is what I consider cheesy, not the fact of adding a high C. Callas' Aida sounds incredibly powerful and plain amazing. With this intensity and consistency I think that even had she sang the high note 3 octaves higher, I would not be able to criticise her. Richard Tucker completely shreds Onegin and his manner of singing is not able to render the beauty and atmosphere of true Russian opera I'm afraid. Even though I'm not a big fan of Warren whose voice I've always found throaty and artificial, I must say that he played this out well adding the high A in the famous duet. I would totally sell my soul to hear Si Vendetta performed by Big Mac live even once!! His high Ab sounds amazing here and seems to never end. In case of Mr. Milnes and Mr. Hvorostovski I think that adding kitschy high notes is the least of their vocal problems.

[@AfroPoli]

Let me just address your first point. What do you think about operas and all other music in which you cannot modify? Wagner, Beethoven, Bach etc. Nobody would add something to a Schubert Trio, Beethoven’s Ninth, Parsifal or Bluebeard’s Castle. Yet, this music is repeated all over again all over the globe. Not worth it? 😉 Cheers!

[@michelez3710]

@@AfroPoli Ah I absolutely agree with you. There is no reason, especially at this point of time, to rewrite Schubert's or Beethoven's music and creating some kind of tradition of it. I was rather refering to Italian opera per se, my bad I failed to mention it haha. I think that spontaneity and tradition (which is after all also present in non-Italian opera) is an inherent part of la lirica and thus we as artists/audiences should not be deprived of them, just because someone found an old text written by Verdi (or whatever composer) and made it their creed. The composer himself "betrayed" previously mentioned principles on a great number of occasions and also he revered artists who had very little to do with "sticking to the score" at all cost, as is in case of Mr. Muti. This conductor's obsession with the score is zealous, quasi-religious and has, in my opinion, produced one of the most bland and insipid productions ever. Not to mention his admiration for the kind of opera "stars" that he's been promoting throughout his whole career. After all if we are dealing with a great voice, we don't really need fireworks. Beauty of their tone and musical intelligence will lend credence to the works the interpret. I hope I was able to clarify my point at least a bit. Best regards, Dear Daniele!

[@carsten8635]

So ist es! Als Italiener müsste Muti eigentlich wissen, wie Oper seit Jahrhunderten funktioniert, porca miseria!

[@MisterSoprano]

I like Muti a lot, but still - opera it theater, something alive, should never be the same. If you want it same all the time, got to see a movie. And singer have right to express, and to showoff if you want. Interpolated notes etc. work almost everywhere - for just now with Mozart (at all) and with Wagner.

[@jasonhurd4379]

I'm sorry, singers most certainly do NOT have the right to 'show off'. It is not about them. What they have the right to do, like all musicians, is to follow the score and to show the utmost respect for the great genius of the composer. Opera is not about giving the audiences orgasms through unwritten top notes held long beyond the point of inducing nausea. It is about expressing human emotion and portraying the drama through fidelity to the composer and librettist.

[@juanclorduy9821]

Le respondo tal como respondería el mismo Muti ya que así respondió una vez: ha visto a algún cantante hacer lo mismo con Mozart? Los austriacos y alemanes lo matarían. Por qué la ópera Italiana debe ser diferente? Precisamente por eso la ópera Italiana ha sido tan menospreciada por la crítica y Muti toda la vida se ha encargado de devolverle su dignidad artística. La verdad a mi de la ópera me apasiona el drama el buen canto y la música. Los agudos me tienen sin cuidado. Hay que cambiar esa manera absurda y estúpida de escuchar la ópera

[@josephhapp9]

@@jasonhurd4379 Darling, live a little and enjoy the sunshine. If you don’t like it, walk out or turn off.

[@draganvidic2039]

@@josephhapp9 Some take comfort in being anal about everything…

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

@@jasonhurd4379 Singers are not robots that needs to be plugged into the score. Singers are also artists in their own capacity. Every voice is unique with it’s own characteristics, singers need some space to add individuality and character to a performance. What is the point of being a singer and an artist in your own right, if you are never allowed any freedom? Then you can just as easily go into contemporary music, where you have freedom to do whatever you want.

[@normanzurich2781]

Ricardo Muti c’est un sketch 😂😂😂

[@xxluchino]

somebody help Hvorostovosky understand how to sing and how a baritone should sound

[@potusumanbibingka]

you should've added Pavarroti's insignificant 18 seconds "Vincero" in Nessund Dorma. Also when he did a duet with Sutherland in In questa reggia, prolonging "uno la vita" just to prove he could hold a note longer.

[@draganvidic2039]

In an opera none of them should sing...

[@baoanhnguyen9186]

Pavarotti's version was in a movie, which very much benefits from, a) not being live and b) studio manipulation. Pavarotti actually did sing Turandot live, but it was no good. Sutherland never did, and even if she had, it probably would not have been good.

[@potusumanbibingka]

@@draganvidic2039 why not? It's just that Pavarroti wears every shoes though it doesn't belong to him. He's good, he was an ambassador of opera but he's too overrated.

[@potusumanbibingka]

@@baoanhnguyen9186 Still insignificant prolonging. And many people, out of ignorance, praises him as the best version of Nessun Dorma. Sutherland and Pavarroti did Turandot in studio. I think Pavarroti sang Turandot only twice in live.

[@draganvidic2039]

@@potusumanbibingka He was by nature a leggero. Not lyric and absolutely not a spinto. Calaf is a spinto role. She was not a steely dramatic soprano. She was a spinto and ”messed up” her voice into coloratura singing. Turandot is for a dramatic soprano.

[@partituravid]

isn't that a B NATURAL at the end of Milnes' Rigoletto?

[@nichj487]

The only one here that truly offends me is Tucker’s in Onegin. The interpolation sounds triumphant in a way that is completely at odds with the scene.

[@quequitoAR]

Most controversial theme, almost as old as opera itself (i. e.: Glück vs Rousseau). I'll try to sum different inputs. First of all, Muti cites Verdi; so that should be the extent of that authoritative request. Donizetti adapted many of his operas several times, accommodating to singers and even theaters. Wagner and Mozart were forced to add, cut or rewrite for different reasons; Bizet's Carmen was a painful process. So "the score" is not always even what the composer intended, and many times is not just one. On the other hand you have... the singers. Many composers have been "seduced" by alterations made by singers, mostly with non other purpose than "show off" (and the public welcomed it enthusiastically). And then, there is the public, which in fact DOES exist. Let's be honest: would anyone at this point sing strcitly the writen version of "Di quella pira"? No Cs there at all... As the matter of fact, many singers (and conductors) prefer to lower down a step to sing those high notes (which I personally find absurd: if you can't, you can't and then deal with it). What does Mutti do in that particular case? And let's not forget opera is not all about studio recordings. All in all, I have no position about this matter. Only this: if you are going to change (that includes cuts!!!), don't do any absurd or distasteful.

[@AfroPoli]

You do know that Muti conducted Il Trovatore in Florence without the high Cs in Di quella pira. I believe the year was 1978, the tenor was Cossutta, and there should be a video. It was, of course, a controversy.

[@quequitoAR]

@@AfroPoli thanks for the data! And btw, great video!!!

[@HellasItalia4]

@@AfroPoli Alla Scala 2000 Licitra Nucci Frittoli. Proibito a Licitra il do acuto.

[@shettywap]

The ironic part about this is that those creations have become performance practice. So what was once spontaneity and creation has again become rigid. The audience and conductor expect to hear the high note at the beginning of cortigiani because of someone elses improvisation. Singers can't really do this kind of thing anymore. Man is opera stuck.

[@albertosousatenor]

Muti needs to read Divas and Scholars, by Phillip Gosset, someone who actually knew about 19th century performance practice… Adhering strictly to the score and just performing what’s written is a 20th century habit, for most of opera’s history, a score was a guideline, a canvas singers painted with their creativity, though, admittedly, not always in good taste.

[@AfroPoli]

You mean Muti, right? His approach is not only modern but also very Germanic. He treats belcanto operas with the same rigor as a Beethoven score - which is a misunderstanding I think. And yes, Gossett's book is excellent.

[@albertosousatenor]

Yes, Muti, not Abbado, sorry, I always get them mixed up, I’ll correct the original comment.

[@lucianomontanaro6091]

Ha ragione...Verdi scrive esattamente questo...ma personalmente certi acuti di tradizione...non le gigionate....hanno fatto la storia dell'opera e ne fanno parte integrante....non parleremmo delle stesse cose se le opere non fossero state arricchite da qualche acuto....anche i direttori interpretano i tempi in modo personale infatti della stessa opera possiamo trovare infinite versioni....e per me questo è la ricchezza di questa musica non un difetto....Muti e' un grande ma anche lui ha diretto talvolta con tempi molto discutibili e fuori dagli schemi....senza la tradizione non patleremmo dell'esultate di Del Monaco o della pira di Corelli

[@bartomiejmaslanka6958]

Is it really Björling?

[@giselamarch1994]

Singers are artists, and artists are or should be creative. So, why this unnecessary comparison? Verdi was not a singer and technics have changed a lot. Just sit back and enjoy.

[@ER1CwC]

I respect Muti a lot, even though I think that there is a distinction between tasteful and distasteful interpolations. But my bigger concern is that he has more than a tendency to cast singers for their willingness to follow his direction steadfastly (if not slavishly), rather than for their vocal suitability to the their assigned roles.

[@cmclean6475]

Well said! I have always been curious that most BIG names seem never to sing with him more than once, if that!!

[@kimmillard9445]

Bonisolli in Turandot was the worst in Turandot with the repeated High C's followed by the laughable false modesty of crediting Puccini for it. Milnes' added note was a B Natural.

[@MOV1983]

If every artist sang the music exactly as it was written that would be extremely boring. As far as I'm concerned, if you get the privilege to sing it or play it you also get the right to take a few liberties in the performance of the piece; put your stamp on it. I know people who sing like a metronome, every note exactly as written in the score - boring.

[@armandosanchez4978]

That did not apply to Callas, who had a religious devotion to the score and used minimal rubato. There are many ways a singer interpretation can stand out without changing the score.

[@purisermonisamator]

Est modus in rebus... Вокальный атлетизм исполнителей - неуемная сила, и весь вопрос в том, насколько органичны "изобретения" вокалистов. Например, вставные верхние ноты Хосе Мардонеса, обожавшего их, практически все были нелепы и естественно, не создали и не могли создать традицию. Но кому бы из нас сегодня понравилось слушать стретту Манрико или Пролог из "Паяцев" без "контрабандных" верхних нот? В авторской версии "Хованщины" в гадании Марфы нет верхних соль: они - гениальный "подарок" Римского-Корсакова своему ушедшему коллеге, и мне отвратительны дирижеры, из тупого пуризма отказывающиеся от этого подарка. Намного больше "отсебятин" канули в Лету, чем создали традицию, и поэтому над последними стоило бы поразмыслить - хотя бы о причинах их появления и их живучести. В конце концов, если бы не инициатива исполнителей, не было бы ни арии Аиды у Нила (заслуга Терезы Штольц), ни Vissi d'arte (заслуга Хариклеи Даркле). Проблема сложнее, чем кажется.

[@abcdefgh-db1to]

You like Hovrovstovsky ??

[@draganvidic2039]

He’s cute but sings throaty

[@AfroPoli]

Why would you think that? This is not a list of singers I like.

[@abcdefgh-db1to]

@@AfroPoli I thought so, Hovrovstovsky is definitely throaty so I was wondering why you put him there along great singers

[@AfroPoli]

@@abcdefgh-db1to Yeah, that was just because of the weird cadenza. The same goes for Milnes, whom I don't like either. I heard him once as Scarpia, and it really wasn't much to write home about.

[@kaiserjager2754]

Carissimo AfroPoli, segui il suono canale già per un bel po di tempo. Con un paio di suoi tesi non sono d'accordo, ma generalmente posso dire che lei ha ragione. Suppongo, che Lei con questo video voleva più o meno divertirci, pero io vedo questo come impulso per una discussione più profonda e con i standard mediocri di oggigiorno necessaria più che mai. Io la gran parte di questi cambiamenti di suo video trovo poco adatti e con poco gusto. Mi piacono MacNeil&Gencer, mi piace Kraus e qua già finisce più o meno. Altri esempi li trovo poco adatti, speso come una deviazione dalla linea musicale e dalla voce naturale del cantante. In caso di Callas (ora probabilmente m'assaliranno tutti i credenti di primadonna) vedo questo particolare acuto anche come mancanza di rispetto verso i colleghi. Per me i questa scena, dal punto di vista musicale i drammatico, tutti i solisti sono di stessa importanza, Callas si "butta avanti" come si dice nella mia lingua madre. Ma poi... Domandiamoci. C'e la differenza dal punto di vista artistico tra un acuto, che non si trova in partitura, o una interruzione a causa di applauso? Sopra tutto se non parliamo di Mozart, Donizetti et ali dove partitura e chiaramente divisa in "numeri" ma di brani come Un bel di vedremo etc.? Secondo me no. Cmq. un acuto artificiale e per me crimine minore, sopra tutto quando ben cantato. Non dimentichiamo che "come scritto" si rispetta ancora meno nel caso di libretto! Ci sono i piccoli reati come per esempio quando Violetta dice: prendi, questa e l'immagine... a invece di dare un medaglione ad Alfredo lo da un fiore (ho visto questo con miei occhi) ed fino porcherie sul alto livello dove il direttore di scena distrugge tutta l'idea originale, cambia l'argomento, disegna avvenimento drammatico proprio contrario di quello che e scritto in libretto? Pur troppo questi criminali (di solito di origine francese e tedesca, ma ci sono pure altri) hanno pochissima compresone di musica, pochissima conoscenza di vita, idee, valori dell'autore e debole esperienza con teatro lirico. Provengo dal teatro drammatico dove già per decenni e permesso tutto. Ad ognuna persona intelligente e chiaro che non e la stessa roba fare spettacolo con 5 attori in uno studio teatrale o spettacolo lirico con 10 solisti e 50 persone di coro! Pur troppo questi bastardi a volte hanno degni collaborati in persona di direttore di orchestra, che invece di proteggere esigenze di autore, ben volentieri aiutano massacrare la partitura. Per esempio, ero presente (2 anni fa mi pare) a Forza di Destino a Dresda dove sinfonia si dava DOPO la scena prima e morte di Calatrava!!!!! Ci sono quelli che dicono: questo sono tempi moderni. Si deve ritenere realtà di soggetto. Io invece vi domando cosi. Si può cambiare un scultura di Michelangelo per farla più adatta al mondo metrosessuale moderno? Si può cambiare Venere di Botticelli per essere accettabile al movimento femminista e metoo? Penso che la risposta sara un NO decisivo. Il mio professore di storia dell'arte in liceo ha esclamato, quando parlava di ristoratori che per volontà o per errore cambiano i pezzi originali: per bacco, Mirone dovrebbe alzarsi della tomba per fare questo, voi non avete il dritto! Perché quindi si può ignorare didascalie di Shakespeare, parole di Piave o notte di Puccini? Se qualcuno trova Otello colla pelle scura non-adatto per il mondo moderno e blacklivesmatter, nessun problema. Ma lascia stare Shakespeare e Verdi. Scrivi tua dramma o opera e fai da ammiraglio veneziano un influencer di Dubai. Si dice: non si fanno monumenti ai critici. E vero. Ma si fanno anche pochissimi ai direttori di scena.

[@triciaerimo]

2:49 Ma allora Corelli non ha inventato niente

[@albertofraschina1665]

Muti vai a raccogliere la frutta sarebbe meglio !! !

[@vitabella6481]

Verdis Diktum gilt für Verdi. Nicht für einen Rossini.

[@sananton2821]

Dima, don't add a high note if it slows your vibrato down that noticeably.

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

Great! Thank you! Though, you did forget to include Del Monaco: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXi9lHicqKh7prc 😊