Johns Observations

I hope you enjoy this GORGEOUS aria from Faust by Gounod. The scenario surrounding this aria basically involves, the character Valentine singing about his upcoming battles… He talks about the glory of the battlefield….but then introspectively reflects on what the fate of his sisterwould be if he were killed gloriously in battle…he prays that God will watch over his sister……… in the opera…he clutches a medallion given to him by his siter…Margerite.

This is Dmitri Hvorostovsky…the famous Russian baritone known for his performances of Verdi andTchaiskovsky.. He sounds brilliant on this particular aria… capturing the French style well.. However, At times, he tries to darken the sound a bit much for my ear…None the less, his interpretation is uncanny. He certainly does a good job at the beginning talking about the prayer—–he asks the King of the Heavens to look after his sister…………… If he were to die in battle……

Then…he breaks into a military like declamation…….singing about his future conquests in battle, and the glory that awaits him in war. I think he particulary captures this mood well. You can hear a marked change in his voice as well as his body language.–right about 2:30

This was one of the first arias my voice teacher gave me when I started exploring into Lyric Baritone rep. Not an easy piece by any means…. Melodically, it is fairly simple, but requires a long line…..Among baritones….this aria is thought of as the “Baritone National Anthem..” haha… every baritone must sing this one at some point…..!

Listen at the end…….

Perhaps my favorite artistic choice..is the return of the Avant de quitter line at the end…He doenst take a breath!! What an emphasis on this line……. “As I leave this place—knowing I may die”

By the way…the high Ab is acceptable in French opera…however, I feel that Hvorostovsky is tying to Verdi this aria a bit much…….

This is a great clip of the GVB from the late eighties. The lineup here is Bill, Mark Lowry, Jimmy Murray, and drum roll….Mike English… He is only a few years removed here from the Singing Americans. For those of you who arent familiar with Michael and his tenure with the SA’s…He was the lead singer that really brought them to national acclaim. His renderings of “I wouldnt miss Heaven for the world” and “I Bowed on my Knees” became immortalized on the 1983 recording “Live and Alive.”

Michael went on to sing with the Goodmans, another stint with the S. Americans, and later the Gaither Vocal Band. After his time with the Gaithers, he hit the road to pursue a solo career. He has really gone through some horrific experiences and strayed away a few times. However, he, like the Prodigal Son returned home and the Lord welcomed him.

I point this excerpt out for a few reasons. Michael displays here his classic QT style of singing. No screaming, no serious vowel modification…just good signing that balances out the rest of the group. Listen to his phrasing and the way in which the other singers pattern their production after his.

I notice alot of lead singers today in the SG world tend to push their sound foward creating a very tinny, bright sound that is not aesthetically pleasing to me. English doesnt do that. Instead he sings with his voice, but uses a good techique and placement to achieve a great “blendable” sound.

Many singers have ruined their voices by trying to emulate this man….However, emulating singers can kill a vocalist…..

BTW, Mark dont sound to bad either……….