I had the honor of sharing the stage with James Morris when he sang this role in Miami years ago....probably my favorite operatic experience....and no one has EVER sung this role better, or with such haunting excellence!!!
I had the privilage of seeing Mr. Morris perform while he was a young man, and I still a child. His voice made my toes curl back then and it still does. Thanks for posting this!
I just saw James Morris in this role last night(still awesome at 61), and I have never been so enthralled by a bass-baritone in my entire life. He really has changed the way I look at Wagner. Thanks for posting, i have goosebumps all over again.
Morris is a great artist and a hell of a nice guy too! As you can tell from my nom-de-plume, I have a special reverence for his Wotan. I have never heard a greater Wotan in 50 years. I saw Morris in his early Met years, doing parts that were just burps, but he was even great in those! And his Man of La Mancha - wow, he could give Broadway a lesson in great singing. Bravo Morris. (And thanks for the pen when I asked for your autograph!)
Retumba hasta el Misterio, grande siempre este interprete con el tonelaje de una voz cada vez mas honda y potente que nos estremecía. Gracias señor Morris. Uno de los mejores holandeses de su época.
@raigekimaru I used to think that too - i.e. basses sang longer. Now I don't know. Both Tozzi and Siepi were dropped from the met roster when they were only about fifty. Both sang as guest artists for another couple decades. Hines sang forever and Plishka longer yet. But Chevanowsky (a light baritone) I believe set the Met most performance record. Charles Antony (a light tenor) also sang a good long time. Which voice type sings longest? Sounds like a doctoral dissertation to me.
@MrNorm1949 I have heard 5 different recordings of Hollander and the 1997 Sony CD I think you a refering too is THE best with Levine conducting Morris, Voigt, Rootering, Heppner and Paul Groves. Groves "Mit Gewitter und Sturm" and Morris "Wie oft in Meeres" are BOTH spectacular as is the "Steuermann! Lass die Wacht!" opening of scene 3. it's a "must own" for any Wagner fan.
@Agorante you're right, but in general I think basses sing longer because they have a few advantages 1) the characters they play are older 2) the bright, youthful voice of the tenor make signs of age more apparent 3) the male voice generally tends to get higher with age 4) basses tend to have higher testosterone levels than tenors
I've seen Morris live on several occasions, and I have to say that he tends to be uneven. I saw him sing Die Fliegende Hollander at the Baltimore Opera, and he was terrific. I then saw him sing Scarpia in Tosca at the Met, and he was terrible. Maybe he was ill, but his voice broke several times, and he had a terrible time with the high notes. Finally, I saw him sing Boris Godunov, also at the Met, and he was once again impressive. Maybe he excels more in German and Slavic roles...
The house at the MET is bigger than the Baltimore Opera im sure.. perhaps he was pushing the voice at the MET-which is a big venue.. or perhaps maybe he was sick that night.
@@baritoneblazzin1965 I would agree, except everyone I know who has performed at the met says it amplifies you like no other house. Joseph Shore said he believes you could sing a solid level more dramatic rep there than you ordinarily could
I think it is a very bold choice for an older bass. This is very high and difficult. There were much more prudent choices, but he went for a real tester. At least his voice rolls over the orchestra with real power in the house.
@Agorante well, basses tend to have the longest careers of the male singers. dramatic baritones and heldentenors can stay in their pretty long, but tenors usually sound terrible by 50 (in contrast to basses who often start sounding good then)
Haha, I didn't mean any disrespect to the age, it's just rare to see a singer much past their early 50s still singing at their peak. Basses and sopranos especially who are putting so much stress on their chords by singing out of their normal speaking range. Even more, someone who's spent so much of the time singing something as demanding as Wagner (the very first Sigfried died a short while after starting to sing the role under suspicious circumstances, not foul play, but vocal stress).
Yes I've read about the first Sigfried dying after singing the role. I am pacing myself to learn this role (Wotan) and will probably undertake it in several years.
@raigekimaru You seem to have smart brains. The older character issue is true. I prepared to sing the Commendatore recently. It's pretty easy for an old fart like me. I would have preferred to do Leporello but I couldn't handle all the stage movement - the singing wasn't a problem. The sound of the bass voice is in fact the sound of testosterone. After age 65 male voices tend to rise a bit as testosterone levels drop. Backstage the guys chasing the chorus girls are ususally the basses.
There is a self proclaimed opera guru who posted that Tauber was the greatest tenor because he had the most success after fifty. Right! By that criteria Corelli, Bjorling and Caruso were failures. Those were the top three in the Opera Fanatic poll. I was just responding to another genius who gave me detailed instructions on how Domingo should "fix" his technique. BTW Domingo is 68. Why tell me? I personally sang better at 65 than I did at 25. Alas my musicianship was no better.
I think its just his age. I questioned his choice of such a high lying piece. I though perhaps Sachs's Flieder monologue would have shown him to greater advantage. Yet, even with John Reylea, Rene Pape and Bryn encroaching on his rep. he still brings a roundness of tone and gravity all his own. I think at least
Probably low testosterone on your part. I recommend lifting some weights and laying off the soy. Your gay little improv troupe might manage to fill a bar if you take just those two steps.
I had the honor of sharing the stage with James Morris when he sang this role in Miami years ago....probably my favorite operatic experience....and no one has EVER sung this role better, or with such haunting excellence!!!
I had the privilage of seeing Mr. Morris perform while he was a young man, and I still a child. His voice made my toes curl back then and it still does. Thanks for posting this!
I just saw James Morris in this role last night(still awesome at 61), and I have never been so enthralled by a bass-baritone in my entire life. He really has changed the way I look at Wagner. Thanks for posting, i have goosebumps all over again.
Morris is a great artist and a hell of a nice guy too! As you can tell from my nom-de-plume, I have a special reverence for his Wotan. I have never heard a greater Wotan in 50 years. I saw Morris in his early Met years, doing parts that were just burps, but he was even great in those! And his Man of La Mancha - wow, he could give Broadway a lesson in great singing. Bravo Morris. (And thanks for the pen when I asked for your autograph!)
Retumba hasta el Misterio, grande siempre este interprete con el tonelaje de una voz cada vez mas honda y potente que nos estremecía. Gracias señor Morris. Uno de los mejores holandeses
de su época.
Morris ranks alongside London, Hotter and Stewart as one of the greatest Wagnerian bass/baritones of all time.
one of my favorite Wotans.
I saw and heard him in the 80´s in Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Top notch!
Ich kann es nur wiederholen, was für ein Bariton!!!!! Und er transportiert Wagners Musik und Text als "Ami" perfekt!
After listening to George London... good job.
An excellent Hollander. I have the CD set conducted by James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera, with Morris in the title role.
Wow! Bravissimo! The best!
And one of the BEST Iago's.
@raigekimaru
I used to think that too - i.e. basses sang longer. Now I don't know. Both Tozzi and Siepi were dropped from the met roster when they were only about fifty. Both sang as guest artists for another couple decades. Hines sang forever and Plishka longer yet. But Chevanowsky (a light baritone) I believe set the Met most performance record. Charles Antony (a light tenor) also sang a good long time.
Which voice type sings longest? Sounds like a doctoral dissertation to me.
@MrNorm1949
I have heard 5 different recordings of Hollander and the 1997 Sony CD I think you a refering too is THE best with Levine conducting Morris, Voigt, Rootering, Heppner and Paul Groves. Groves "Mit Gewitter und Sturm" and Morris "Wie oft in Meeres" are BOTH spectacular as is the "Steuermann! Lass die Wacht!" opening of scene 3. it's a "must own" for any Wagner fan.
@Agorante
you're right, but in general I think basses sing longer because they have a few advantages
1) the characters they play are older
2) the bright, youthful voice of the tenor make signs of age more apparent
3) the male voice generally tends to get higher with age
4) basses tend to have higher testosterone levels than tenors
61 isn't old. Watch it! We geezers can get testy.
Hahahaha, We're the same age, since you wrote this 11 years ago. 49ers never even fade away.
I've seen Morris live on several occasions, and I have to say that he tends to be uneven. I saw him sing Die Fliegende Hollander at the Baltimore Opera, and he was terrific. I then saw him sing Scarpia in Tosca at the Met, and he was terrible. Maybe he was ill, but his voice broke several times, and he had a terrible time with the high notes. Finally, I saw him sing Boris Godunov, also at the Met, and he was once again impressive. Maybe he excels more in German and Slavic roles...
The house at the MET is bigger than the Baltimore Opera im sure.. perhaps he was pushing the voice at the MET-which is a big venue.. or perhaps maybe he was sick that night.
@@baritoneblazzin1965 I would agree, except everyone I know who has performed at the met says it amplifies you like no other house. Joseph Shore said he believes you could sing a solid level more dramatic rep there than you ordinarily could
Mon Wotan!!!!
That sounds better, like an old Dutchman, what it should sound like after all.
He´s a great artist and very impressive although past his prime.
I think it is a very bold choice for an older bass. This is very high and difficult. There were much more prudent choices, but he went for a real tester. At least his voice rolls over the orchestra with real power in the house.
so true. Last time I saw this with Bryn Terfel he sang an octave down
@Agorante
well, basses tend to have the longest careers of the male singers. dramatic baritones and heldentenors can stay in their pretty long, but tenors usually sound terrible by 50 (in contrast to basses who often start sounding good then)
Haha, I didn't mean any disrespect to the age, it's just rare to see a singer much past their early 50s still singing at their peak. Basses and sopranos especially who are putting so much stress on their chords by singing out of their normal speaking range. Even more, someone who's spent so much of the time singing something as demanding as Wagner (the very first Sigfried died a short while after starting to sing the role under suspicious circumstances, not foul play, but vocal stress).
Yes I've read about the first Sigfried dying after singing the role. I am pacing myself to learn this role (Wotan) and will probably undertake it in several years.
It does look strange him singing these words in what appears to be a lavish parlour!
Die Frist ist um,
und abermals verstrichen sind sieben Jahr'.
Voll Überdruß wirft mich das Meer ans Land . . .
Ha, Stolzer Ozean!
@raigekimaru
You seem to have smart brains. The older character issue is true. I prepared to sing the Commendatore recently. It's pretty easy for an old fart like me. I would have preferred to do Leporello but I couldn't handle all the stage movement - the singing wasn't a problem. The sound of the bass voice is in fact the sound of testosterone. After age 65 male voices tend to rise a bit as testosterone levels drop.
Backstage the guys chasing the chorus girls are ususally the basses.
Or the chorus girls are chasing the basses, heh.
There is a self proclaimed opera guru who posted that Tauber was the greatest tenor because he had the most success after fifty. Right!
By that criteria Corelli, Bjorling and Caruso were failures. Those were the top three in the Opera Fanatic poll.
I was just responding to another genius who gave me detailed instructions on how Domingo should "fix" his technique. BTW Domingo is 68. Why tell me?
I personally sang better at 65 than I did at 25. Alas my musicianship was no better.
I think its just his age. I questioned his choice of such a high lying piece. I though perhaps Sachs's Flieder monologue would have shown him to greater advantage. Yet, even with John Reylea, Rene Pape and Bryn encroaching on his rep. he still brings a roundness of tone and gravity all his own. I think at least
My comment from 13 years ago is stupid. He is excellent and the nitpicking is silly verging on Stupid. Ah well.. to be 22 again.
I just need to know why people like this. I don't get it.
Probably low testosterone on your part. I recommend lifting some weights and laying off the soy. Your gay little improv troupe might manage to fill a bar if you take just those two steps.
@@jamesrolfe7798 what does being gay have to do with testosterone or liking Wagner??
Awful. Sounds like a joke! He looks like chinese in upper register.