Ten Great Operatic Basses

Top Ten Bass Singers

    Samuel Ramey

Ferruccio Furlanetto

Pol Plancon

Ezio Pinza

Evgeny Nesterenko

Nicolai Ghiaurov

Nazzereno de Angelis 

Bonaldo Giaiotti

Cesare Siepi

Kurt Moll

I have been fascinated with the bass voice for about twenty years.  I remember my dad playing a recording of "Rigoletto" back then and I was trying to tell the difference between the baritone and the bass.  This list is not ranked in order.  It is based on ten singers I love listening to and who have contributed in significant ways to the field of opera.

Samuel Ramey- The most recorded bass singer in history.  Ramey had a powerful and dark timbre with tremendous bite in the sound when he was in his prime.  He sang all over the world, had a very impressive vocal range, and awesome agility when singing roles by Rossini.  In addition, since he had such an exceptional upper range, Ramey specialized in the early Verdi high bass roles.  He is possibly the greatest Attilla who ever lived combining impressive singing and strong stage presence.  I had the pleasure of hearing Ramey in 2000 as Verdi's King Phillip, and it was very powerful.  Here is Ramey at the height of his powers singing Attilla.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rQZJtOalC9U

Ferruccio Furlanetto, is still active and going very strong at the age of 64.  I was blown away when I heard him live in "Don Carlo" this past March because I wasn't expecting him to be as good as he was.  Furlanetto basically sings everything, and crosses over from comic roles to serious roles very naturally.  For example he was one of the great Leporellos in "Don Giovanni", and sang the role for several decades.  Currently he is a great Don Quichotte in Massenet's "Don Quichotte", which is a very serious role.  When he is interviewed he is a humble man, and very smart with the meaning of the music he sings.  I am sure he has some good years left. Check out the aria from L'Italiana in Algeri on YouTube from January of this year.  He doesn't sound 63 at all in this recording.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_2X21u3UPhk

Pol Plancon was one of the first recorded basses in the history of recording.  Luckily he lived when the gramophone was invented, so his art could survive.  Pol Plancon sang all over the world, and was a true lyric bass who used his instrument very wisely.  He was a frequent performer at the Metropolitan Opera, and was most widely known for his portrayal of Mephistopheles in Gounod's "Faust."  My favorite recording of Pol Plancon is his rendition of the Drum Major's Aria by Ambroise Thomas.  His coloratura is magnificent.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NsJoj4s_f4U

Ezio Pinza was perhaps the most famous bass who ever lived.  He had a beautiful and clear timbre with a tremendous forward resonance.  He was a Met regular for several decades, and many of his recordings are available on records and CDs.  He was most famous for roles such as Figaro, and Don Giovanni.  He also excelled in Verdi operas, and French operas such as Faust and "The Tales of Hoffmann."  Pinza's tremendous popularity, charisma and good looks made him a sensation on Broadway as well.  He is Emile Debecque on the original cast recording of "South Pacific."  Pinza was a basso cantabile, but he had a very nice low range down to low d.  Listen to his recording of "Le Cor" by Flegier.  His low D at the end is very strong, and that note isn't an easy one.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7eGY4h1PtNk

Evgeny Nesterenko is still alive, and was still singing as of 2008.   Nesterenko is currently most active as a teacher and competition judge in Russia.  Nesterenko sang repertoire in Russian, French and Italian, and is one of the greatest portrayers of Boris Godunov in history.  Nesterenko was without a doubt a heavy bass in his prime, but could also sing with great nuance and agility.  He was insanely popular in Russia.  Just watch his recital on YouTube.  The audience goes crazy over everything he performs.  He premiered several Shostakovich works such as the 14th and the Sonnets of Micelangelo.  He is on recordings of Nabucco, Faust and Il Trovatore. He is spectacular in all of them,  but his portrayal of Boris really stands out for me.  He sings the role as if he is a Shakespearean actor with tremendous nuance.  Here is Nesterenko singing Boris's death scene.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kyhRB-eXY8k

Nicolai Ghiaurov was one of the most versatile basses of the later half of the 20th century.  Ghiaurov had a stellar legato and was all about the musical phrase.  His voice could be very lyrical, and also very powerful.  His portrayal of King Phillip is one of the greatest of all time.  He recorded it several times and sang it all over the world, including multiple times at the Met.  Ghiaurov was also stunning as Gremin in "Eugene Onegin."  His great sense of the musical line works brilliantly in Gremin's Aria.  In addition he was one of the great portrayers of Mozart's Don Giovanni when he was young.  Like Pinza, Ghaiurov was very popular for a bass.  Audiences all over the world loved him.  Here is Gremin's aria.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wDEdULgViN8

Nazzareno de Angelis had a trumpet like bass voice, but could also sing very softly and lyrically.  The timbre was a high bass because of his fantastic top notes, but the size of his voice was unmistakable.  His portrayal of Boito's Mefistofele is brilliant.  Fortunately he recorded the entire role, and despite him being past his prime, it is still just fantastic.  The top notes in particular are just monstrous.  What's most unique about it is just simply everything.  de Angelis mainly excelled in early Verdi, and other bel canto repertoire. But he also sang Wotan in Wagner's Ring.  Here is de Angelis singing some of his signature role, Mefistofele.  

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XUZAFHZWwHY

Bonaldo Giaiotti is not as famous as he should be in my opinion.  However, he is up there with the all time greatest basses because of his powerful and clear timbre.  His top voice was very strong when he was in his prime.  His recording of the role of Walter in "Luisa Miller" is unstoppable.  His Italian diction is a model for singers to listen to.  Listening to his diction not only is helpful with Italian diction, but a good model for healthy singing.  Giaiotti sang well into his 70s.  His prime was the late 1960s through the 1980s, but he was still singing well into old age.  Giaiotti's bread and butter was the Italian belcanto repertoire from Rossini to early Verdi.  However, he did venture into mature Verdi, some verismo, and French opera, such as "Le Cid" by Massenet.  Here is Giaiotti singing "Un Ignoto" from "I Masnadieri" by Verdi.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XUZAFHZWwHY

Cesare Siepi was an excellent Don Giovanni, and was probably most known for that role.  He had a very dark and impressive timbre with a very wide range from low c to high f sharp.  He sang Italian bel canto rep, mature Verdi, French opera, verismo opera, art song, and Broadway show tunes.  Siepi sang well into his 60s and was famous as a recitalist of art song through the end of his career.  Here is Siepi singing some Don Giovanni.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8MXQ-gUrrs0

 Kurt Moll was a very smart German bass who I would call a lyric basso profondo, or lyric deep bass.  Moll was one of the most famous portrayers of Sarastro in "The Magic Flute" and Osmin in "Abduction from the Seraglio." Moll excelled in Osmin's famous aria with the sustained low d without any problem.  His recording of that role from 1971 on Deutsch Gramaphone is as good as it gets.  Although German is his native language, Moll's diction in that recording is clear as a bell, and vocally he couldn't be better.  Moll continued to sing Osmin until he was 65.  Moll also ventured into Italian rep and his bright forward sound worked very well in that repertoire.  He even recorded Monterone in "Rigoletto" which is either a dramatic baritone or a bass baritone.  Here is Moll singing some Osmin.  Moll'slow notes were booming in person. 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hWIBh5vUD34

The Manifestations of Fear

This blog is about fear, because fear is the number one driving force behind all negative emotions.  Fear shows up in anger, procrastination,, jealousy, lust, greed, envy, and many more negative emotions.  If you take the seven deadly sins for example, which are lust, greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, wrath, and envy, fear shows up in all of them.  What I am intending to demonstrate in this blog post is how fear can drive us in all sorts of ways.  It can rule our lives, but if we face fears the positive feeling is awesome.

  Fear=false evidence appearing real, fuck everything and run, or false expectations appearing real.  That last one can kick me in the rear sometimes.  Fear based expectations often appear right but are wrong.    Fear can also = face everything and recover, or face everything and rejoice, and I am going to add face everything and reality, or feeling exited and ready.

  There are many ways in which fear rules our thoughts and emotions.  Lets use jealousy as an example.  Why do people get jealous in relationships.  I don't claim to be a relationship expert, but I can conclude that jealousy is caused by fear of losing what we already have.  Othello is so afraid of losing Desdemona, that he kills her.  Of course he also listens to Jago who is probably the most evil villain in literature, or at least ranks up pretty high.  He doesn't get by with a little help from his friends if you know what I mean.  I will use a few examples from operas now to demonstrate the connection of fear and jealousy.  Tosca is afraid of losing Cavaradossi throughout the whole freaking opera.  He even calls her "mia gelosa."  Jealousy is pretty powerful isn't it?  Not to mention flat out dangerous and damaging.  Fear is where jealousy gets its power and goes way over the top.

    There are so many ways in which fear rules live.  I'm not going to talk about all seven deadly sins.  I was basically talking about envy in the last paragraph, but not exactly.  Envy is wanting to possess something I don't already have. Lets go back to relationships.  If I am envious, I wish to have something that another person has, like another mans wife.  If I say, well she shouldn't be with him, but she should be with me, I'm being quite envious for sure.  Now, if I ask this person to a romantic dinner and a hot tub, I am totally crossing the line, and if the other guy is jealous, then we have jealousy.  Of course the jealousy would be the result if she goes through with the romantic dinner and hot tub idea, the other guy would be afraid of losing her. 

   Sloth is another way in which fear really can kick our behinds.  I pair sloth together with procrastination.  In my experience procrastination stems off of fear.  If I am afraid to make positive changes or afraid to do auditions or whatever, I might put them off.  That's procrastination.  Sloth can play a role because something like cleaning my apartment is a positive change, and if I procrastinate it's slothful.  By sloth I am not talking about the slow moving animal that actress Kristin Bell starts crying over, although since they are slow, there is a connection to the double meaning of the word sloth.  However, all jokes aside, procrastination is totally based on fear from my experience, and can really drain us in a major way.

   There are many ways in which anger manifests, and fear plays a factor im all of it.  One of them is in the form of getting defensive.  If someone asks me something personal, by which the answer might make me vulnerable, fear shows up in the form of anger, and I can get defensive.  People respond like that with certain subjects, I'm not the only one.  Underneath the anger response is fear of failure, fear of rejection or whatever.  Fear of being vulnerable, boy that's a big trigger for anger sometimes isn't it?  Fear can show its ugly head when I'm driving in traffic.  The good news is that we can outgrow all this fear, and it is important to do so.

   I want to end this post on a positive note.  I like the acronym feeling excited and ready.  Now it depends on what we are talking about when I say that.  If I have a concert, there's going to fear of the unknown, that shows up in the form of anxiety.  Okay, so what am I going do with that?  The choices are positive, feel excited and ready, face everything and rejoice, or the negative f everything and run.  What choice results in a better concert?  Maybe there are people who can go into a concert 100% nerve free, but I am not that lucky.  Pavarotti said if you say you're not nervous you're lying.  That's a powerful statement from Pav there isn't it?  So, how do I go to the positive place?  Prepare well for the concert, and bring in positive energy.  

   The opposite of fear is faith, which is trust.  Turning fear into trust is the ultimate cure for fear .  There has to be a trust in something to face a fear, or I'll never face it.  By trust, I mean just a feeling that whatever the situation is needs to be faced.  If I have a fear that really needs to be faced, I will know because when I don't face it then the desire to f everything and run increases 100 fold, so therefore, I know I need to face that situation.  Let me ask this question.  How awesome does it feel when you face a lingering fear?  It feels like I'm on top of the world, but facing fears is a lifetime process.  Go easy on yourself about it, and if there is a fear you have on a really important issue, really put in the effort to face it.

    

    

   

Great Historical Singers (Mark Reizen)

Mark Reizen (1895-1992) was a Jewish-Ukranian bass who was one of the most intelligent singers I've ever heard on record.  His voice was, in my opinion a basso-cantante, with an easy upper extension, and a faster vibrato than a basso profondo.   The most important thing is that Reizen was smart.  He kept singing almost up until his death.  My goal in this post is not to present a biography, but to talk about why I think he's important in history.
   What impresses me most about Reizen is his incredible longevity, and musicianship.  He never pushes his voice in any recording I've heard of him, he excelled in opera and song, and he makes every word mean something.  I like to call music a canvas of colors.  Reizen had a wide variety of vocal colors to express the meaning of the text, including an excellent mezza voce.  He had incredible breath support, and expression.  Also, he sang Prince Gremin at age 90 on stage at the Bolshoi, in costume.  I've heard other singers on YouTube who were famous singing in their homes or studios, but on stage in costume is a different ball game.  To my knowledge this feat has not been done by any other singer.  Reizen sang recitals into his 70s and 80s, and the breath support is just incredible, and there is no wobble.  Check him out on YouTube.
     Does Reizen have the pipes of other great Slavic basses such as Ghiaurov, and Nesterenko?  In my opinion, no he doesn't, but there is so much artistry in Reizen's singing that it makes up for it.  Reizen makes Aleko's Cavatina a real jealous lament, I recommend his recording of that aria.  He really delivers the words with a nuance for each word, like a Shakespearean actor delivers a monologue.  He did that with everything I have heard him sing.  There was a unique and deep commitment in his musicality which is impossible to duplicate.  Every singer has their individual art, and Reizen's was pretty amazing.  Listen to this recording of Reizen singing Konchak's aria for an example of his great art.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z8NN6BODzeg&feature=related

New Blog Post

Life is great as long as I allow it to be that way.  The spirit of the universe or whatever you want to call it wants everybody to have a good life I assume.  Although, a lot of bad things happen to good people, so maybe I'm not making any sense.  I do know that if I am angry, bitter, negative, and stubborn, my life can seem like it sucks really fast.  I say, can seems like it sucks, because its my perception that determines how my life is.  I think even when bad things are happening to people, tragedies, illnesses, etc..., there is a finish line in sight.  If I want to have a full and rich life, I have to ask myself, am I being kind to myself and others, am I trusting the universe, treating women with dignity and respect, loving what I do?  Am I experiencing life in general, or am I pissed about the past, angry, bitter, negative, eating poorly and what not?  It's all about choosing how I perceive my life.    How I perceive my life results in how I live it, and that's determined by negative or positive behaviors, resulting from my thinking.

    Here's a really clear example of negative versus positive behaviors.  If someone I know has a girlfriend, and I'm pissed that she's not my girlfriend, or if I am happy for the couple, or best yet not even cut into their business in my concioussness.  The first behavior I mentioned, which is jealousy, not only hurts me, but it hurts them too.  Whereas, thinking positive thoughts about them, and staying out of their business helps them and myself.  These are choices.  Now, this has nothing to do with whether I think they belong together.  That's not my concern.  It's for them to figure out themselves.  Guess what, I have no control over whether a couple is together or not, even if I think the woman should be with me.  

  

   I am talking about all this because when I partake in negative behaviors and thinking, my life stinks.  Negativity causes many problems.  It causes health problems, relationship problems, poor decisions, plus it wastes the short time we have in life.  Why does my chronic Lyme disease act up sometimes?  It's because I'm pissed off or in a self pity state.  I am doing good things today like writing this blog post, and I feel pretty solid and refreshed.  My thoughts are pretty centered too.  I'm talking about negativity which isn't necessary, like being jealous, pissed off, projecting negative results, playing out future and past scenarios, trying to get even.  Where's the present with all that shit?  Well it's now, but I'm not living in it.  The present is fine.  Learn from the past, that's the whole point of this blog, but why regret it?  It's too late, time machines are in Back to the Future, and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, not in real life.   I'll end by saying, that if I am in a negative mind set full of rage and what not, I feel like shit, and vice versa.  The end.

    

Complaints and Grievances about Driving

     I drive too much, although I am fully aware that driving is a huge privilege. There's just one problem. The other drivers!  How the fuck do some of them get licenses?  Part of the reason I am asking this is because a car is a vehicle, not a weapon.  You can't win on route sucks, I mean route 1.  Either someone is going super slow admiring the Hess station on the left or wants to have a hybrid of their car and my car.  After all, the scenery must look like the fucking Rocky Mountains, right?  Then there's route mental hospital, I mean 18.  I am driving on there earlier waiting in the obscene traffic jam, and people have the audacity to cut in line.  I'm in the right lane, and people drive on the shoulder and cut in front of people.  It gets them one car ahead of that person. Ah, hah, hah! 

     I'm venting because the other drivers get to me.  Also, I am being comical.  I'm also just perplexed at why people use cars as weapons or ways of bullying.  Cars are machines that weigh several tons.  If someone cuts me off on the right when the lane is merging, does it ever occur to them that one of us or both of us could be killed?  The amount of time they save is less time then a person going to the bathroom.  The alerts on the signs should say, "watch out for the other drivers." This includes me sometimes.  I don't claim to be a gift to driving.  I just want people to be safe.  Other drivers had the patience of rapid animals sometimes.  I hear enough fucking honking outside of my building for a composer to write a new symphony.  Some would jump at that idea in half a minute, so maybe I shouldn't publish this posting.  

     Last but not least there are the trucks.  I'm surprised I'm not still driving behind one since they go from 0-60 in 50 years.  They slow traffic down all the time, and some of them drive like maniacs.  This ain't fucking NASCAR, okay?  Last thing I need is some truck tailing my ass.  This is humor, I am not trying to offend truck drivers.  Most truck drivers are doing their jobs very responsibly I'm sure.  However, some do drive like maniacs and think they are racing a car.  

    In writing something like this my intention is to get a point across, and do it with humor.  This is comedy, and there are elements of truth in it.  Although, I won't lie to you, some drivers piss me off!  For example if its a 50 zone, why go 35??  Drives me crazy.  Excuse the pun, couldn't help it.  Reverse tickets should be part of the deal.  If a driver is driving at a speed a person can bike at, it defeats the purpose of a car.  Pull their asses over and tell them to ride their bikes or hit some sort of pedal.  This blog post is finished.  I'm outta here.

If You Are Being Bullied, Reach Out

In this blog entry I want to talk about bullying again.  First of all, if you are reading this and tend to bully people, please stop.  It really scars people for a long time.  I am talking about cruel teasing and harassment, versus the simple I'm jez, playin wit chu stuff that goes on which is harmless.  I am not writing this to complain or ask for any sympathy.  I am hoping that what I have to say might benefit those who are getting bullied at school or work.  Those are the main two areas where people get bullied.  Oh yes, there's parents too, who bully their kids.  Wonderful, terrific.  

  Bullies are insecure.  I have bullied a couple times in my life regretfully, and I felt insecure or was afraid of getting bullied myself every single time took part in bullying.  However, I could stop when the victim started to get upset or cry.  I could not go through with it.  I made a friend cry at a camp a number of year a go, and I felt terrible.  I was trying to impress some girls.  It doesn't work that way.  Often bullies do not stop at that line.  The line, where it is enough and the victim, who is a human being by the way is really getting very upset.  When that line is crossed, get help immediately.  If the school doesn't care, get counseling. Also, hang out with friends you have things in common with.  If not in school, find an activity you like.  

   Suicide is becoming a more and more common theme with bullying.  Remember that suicide is an all or nothing choice.  Once you make that choice, you're done.  Reach out instead.  The president himself was making that suggestion.  Of course there are cases where bullying victims have been beaten and died from their wounds.  If beatings are happening, change schools, call the police.  Just simply get help.  Fuck the consequences.  Getting help is your best chance.  Now, there are instances where parents tell the school, and they don't do anything.  Why are they working at a school, then?  A school is a place for learning, and not bullying.  This especially includes the teachers.  Coaches actually call student losers.  Then if the parents over hear it they get nice again.  Listen, abusive coaches and teachers, you are not fooling anyone.  

  So, to quickly review.  Bullies, cut the crap.  Get help, and figure out why you are bullying.  For those bullies who apologize, I applaud you.  Victims of bullying, please get help before you hurt yourself, or kill yourself.  

Talk up to people, not down

     I have been drawing a blank on what to blog about lately.  So, I am siting in the dark watching my tuxedo cat sleep on my dresser.  She has grown to love that spot.  So much so, that I actually had to clean some of it off for a change.  This cat is certainly a music fan.  She finds it very peaceful.  I was playing songs by Charles Ives earlier, and her ears perked up.  I know that's a good thing because if she doesn't like something she runs away.  A lot of famous composers had cats such as Vaughan Williams and Stravinsky.  My cat is cool, and I can always count on her for the early morning wake up calls I don't want. This is so far a post about nothing.  I guess the purpose is to put my thoughts toward something other than myself.

    I would like to address one thing in this post, and it's my opinion, so take it or leave it.  If I think I can control someone or run their life, I am setting myself up for a disappointment.  People's lives are their lives for a reason.  Now, say I am a parent and my kid is just screwing around and slacking off.  I can point that out and say, hey, you are capable of a lot more, go out and go for your dreams. However, I cannot control the situation.  It seems like a lot of people think they can run people's lives.  They know what you should do.  Sometimes people tell me I should do this and that, and the advice makes no sense, and I didn't ask for the advice.  I realize that the other person may be coming from a loving place, but there is a way of doing it that can be effective.  If I am telling someone they should do whatever like a know it all, that's just arrogant, not helpful or encouraging.  I guess condescending is the word.  I'll be damned if I think I know what other people should do.

   I am a bit annoyed because I get a lot of unsolicited advice, and have been lately.  It makes me feel like I'm not good enough, or I am not being accepted for who I am.  Here's the deal.  There is no need to be arrogant or condescending, or tell people what they need to do.  What a bunch of garbage.  I put people like that out of my life.  They're not building me up, they are shooting me down.  Do not shoot people down or talk down to them.  No one is less than any one else.  People have their own destiny, so who am I to mess around with it.  Do not give advice, especially if it is not relevant.  Suggestions are cool.  I am talking about demands and know it all crap.  Believe in yourself and go after your dreams.