I've never been able to find a live interview of Warren! He has a lovely speaking voice, and interestingly - so different from his singing voice. One can hear the dark, burly tone of his singing voice in his chuckle. Thank you for this gem.
They say he was arrogant. After having listened to this, I rather think that he had high standards (like Callas). He surely expected his colleagues to have the same and did not hesitate to let them know when they hadn't.
I find it very interesting that Mr. Warren refers to "the snake of mediocrity" (7:39) in his assessment of the world of 1958. How often do we think/hear that in the 21st century?
Great comment from a brilliant artist near the end of his career: "I feel, like all professions; I mean even a Doctor, if he didn't go back to a post-graduate course at some hospital or college, that he wouldn't even know about penicillin!"
Terrible that he only had 2 more years to live after this broadcast. I guess had he lived longer he would have appeared at the leading opera houses of Europe. I understand he only sang at La Scala, Milan in one production.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEONARD WARREN, BORN ON 21 APRIL, 1911. MY TEACHER, GIANNI GERACE, SAID THAT HIS TEACHER EXPRESSED HIS OPINION THAT WARREN WAS A LAZY TENOR. HE HAD HEARD HIS AT PRIVATE PARTIES WHEN HIS HIGH B FLATS, B NATURALS & HIGH C'S MADE RICHARD TUCKER TURN PALE!
I too find Warren's comments about "the snake of mediocrity" resonant, indeed prophetic. His biographer suggested Warren's speaking voice was tenorial. I don't hear that, although of course he was a high baritone, which his speaking voice reflects. He retains the remnants of a Bronx accent, which I find charming --
Many singers speak high on purpose . It keeps you warmed up. Domingo and Pavarotti (lots of tenors) Thomas Allen, Hampson. Bjoerling said if you speak like you sing you are always warmed up. This was very interesting.
@@jefolson6989 I'm not sure that is true, Jef, that singers speak higher than normal for any reason, least of all to keep the voice warmed up. The best starting point for any singing voice, is from a relaxed, naturally placed speaking voice. Once you begin playing around with your natural speaking pitch, you begin losing your sense of where the voice instinctively wants to place itself, & you are on a slippery slope. For example, a singer might subtly alter his timbre for a particular role, as Gobbi often did, but if you do that constantly, the base setting for the true perfect placement & register balance of the voice, which is implanted within the subconscious after years of exercises, gets altered over time, & you never retrieve the setting which once gave the voice its initial freedom & ring. Many basses & baritones have struggled with their singing voices due to trying to 'enhance' the depth of their natural speaking voices. Jerome Hines had an amazing bass singing voice, but his speaking voice was that of the average man, exactly how nature intended.
I had heard he started lessons as a tenor. You can clearly hear tenorish overtones here. Many baritones have rather high speaking voices. Bryn Terfel for example. Now listen to Tucker speak. Very baritonal.
@@bencopeland3560 low-brow? What does that comment even mean? You believe a great artist talking about the need for excellence and the danger of mediocrity and un-discriminating taste is somehow “low-brow?” You feel that an artist of any kind acknowledging the gargantuan task of interpreting Shakespeare’s Macbeth, much less adding Verdi’s music on top of that is not somehow “high-brow?”
Obviously, a man of conviction and strong opinions. His singing has integrity.....
I've never been able to find a live interview of Warren! He has a lovely speaking voice, and interestingly - so different from his singing voice. One can hear the dark, burly tone of his singing voice in his chuckle. Thank you for this gem.
whatup! i thought the same thing!!!
I was surprised his speaking voice was so bright!
It reminds me a lot of my late grandpa John-his speaking voice is very similar to my grandpa’s.
@@dramaturge231 Well, he did start off as a tenor, which could explain the bright sounding speaking voice...
@@flanplan5903 I didn’t know that!!!
a great interview!!the great american dramatic baritone
leonard warren,gone too soon!!
his glorious voice!!gone too soon!!
It seems to me, Warren was very shy when giving public interviews as I can see it here. He was very private person in his life.
They say he was arrogant. After having listened to this, I rather think that he had high standards (like Callas). He surely expected his colleagues to have the same and did not hesitate to let them know when they hadn't.
I find it very interesting that Mr. Warren refers to "the snake of mediocrity" (7:39) in his assessment of the world of 1958. How often do we think/hear that in the 21st century?
humans always look back to past generations with rose colored glasses and lambast current generation.
Great comment from a brilliant artist near the end of his career: "I feel, like all professions; I mean even a Doctor, if he didn't go back to a post-graduate course at some hospital or college, that he wouldn't even know about penicillin!"
Terrible that he only had 2 more years to live after this broadcast. I guess had he lived longer he would have appeared at the leading opera houses of Europe. I understand he only sang at La Scala, Milan in one production.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEONARD WARREN, BORN ON 21 APRIL, 1911. MY TEACHER, GIANNI GERACE, SAID THAT HIS TEACHER EXPRESSED HIS OPINION THAT WARREN WAS A LAZY TENOR. HE HAD HEARD HIS AT PRIVATE PARTIES WHEN HIS HIGH B FLATS, B NATURALS & HIGH C'S MADE RICHARD TUCKER TURN PALE!
I too find Warren's comments about "the snake of mediocrity" resonant, indeed prophetic.
His biographer suggested Warren's speaking voice was tenorial. I don't hear that, although of course he was a high baritone, which his speaking voice reflects.
He retains the remnants of a Bronx accent, which I find charming --
No hay que hacer
No te gusta el
No 8 pm 22
Many singers speak high on purpose . It keeps you warmed up. Domingo and Pavarotti (lots of tenors) Thomas Allen, Hampson. Bjoerling said if you speak like you sing you are always warmed up. This was very interesting.
@@jefolson6989 I'm not sure that is true, Jef, that singers speak higher than normal for any reason, least of all to keep the voice warmed up. The best starting point for any singing voice, is from a relaxed, naturally placed speaking voice. Once you begin playing around with your natural speaking pitch, you begin losing your sense of where the voice instinctively wants to place itself, & you are on a slippery slope. For example, a singer might subtly alter his timbre for a particular role, as Gobbi often did, but if you do that constantly, the base setting for the true perfect placement & register balance of the voice, which is implanted within the subconscious after years of exercises, gets altered over time, & you never retrieve the setting which once gave the voice its initial freedom & ring. Many basses & baritones have struggled with their singing voices due to trying to 'enhance' the depth of their natural speaking voices. Jerome Hines had an amazing bass singing voice, but his speaking voice was that of the average man, exactly how nature intended.
I agree that his speaking voice is definitely bright. But you can definitely hear the baritone come out a bit in his laugh ;)
Yes. On the other hand, Cornell MacNeil’s speaking voice was quite deep, almost sounding like a bass.
The Man
I had heard he started lessons as a tenor. You can clearly hear tenorish overtones here. Many baritones have rather high speaking voices. Bryn Terfel for example. Now listen to Tucker speak. Very baritonal.
I prefer just to hear his fabulous baritone singing voice...his opinions on Macbeth not so much....
Señor Díaz, ¿sabía usted que existía grabación de este dúo que hizo con Domingo? th-cam.com/video/JECqQyYdqqs/w-d-xo.html
your opinions on leonard warren not so much....
That’s fair. Ha has a pretty low brow take on just about everything here
@@bencopeland3560 low-brow? What does that comment even mean? You believe a great artist talking about the need for excellence and the danger of mediocrity and un-discriminating taste is somehow “low-brow?” You feel that an artist of any kind acknowledging the gargantuan task of interpreting Shakespeare’s Macbeth, much less adding Verdi’s music on top of that is not somehow “high-brow?”
@@danielakerman8241 no idea. I don’t remember writing that comment or even watching this video, lol.