I remember hearing this at the time. It was a Saturday Met radio broadcast, and as I recall it was Horne as Rinaldo, Benita Valente as Almirena and Edda Moser (not in great shape, sadly) as Armida. Not a cast to be sneezed at, but when Ramey came on with this aria, he blew them all out of the water. Absolutely magnificent singing, and so wonderful to hear the fioriture sung full voice and LEGATO rather than the half-voice, aspirated mess which passes for male coloratura singing nowadays. When people accuse us of romanticising past singers and say the ones today are just as good, we can play them recordings like this one and say, 'Show me anyone today who sings like THIS!' Brings back memories! Thank you Manoli! ☺
@@manolis.799 What people forget, too, is that the Met is a huge barn of a house, round about four thousand seats, I believe. Overly quick tempi in such a large space can quickly turn the music into an undifferentiated mess of overlapping harmonies and fudged running passages. Levine was excoriated for his slow tempi in the Ring and Parsifal, but he was right to take his time. The music needs time to breathe at the Met.
I was lucky enough to be in the audience for his Met debut in this role (at the time Horne was blamed for wanting the slow pace) as well as a later performance when Ewa Podles (Rinaldo) and Carol Vaness (Armida) both made their debuts on the same night. Fun note: Ramey almost made his debut on his butt when the chariot he was entering on got stuck and was yanked to free it just before this aria - he swayed back, grabbed the sides, and had to start singing!
In July 1982, I was one of the charioteers that pulled him out on stage before this aria back when it was in preproduction in Ottawa for The Met. Samuel Ramey was totally amazing! The thunder of the applause they gave him vibrated my chest like I've never felt before or since. As dancers, we were also impressed that he sang full out in every rehearsal. Amazing to listen to him in person! One of my highlights as a dancer!
i think it's incredibly impressive that THIS is his Met debut role. the way he performs this aria is so captivating and memorable. you can absolutely tell he knocked the audience's socks off, just with that tremendous applause alone! all of this before his later opera stardom as well! totally wish i was alive in the 80's to see this performance live.
I'm listening again and again.. His voice is shocking in how much talent it has. It is trult golden age. Rossini would've been on his knees begging him to sing! Such a deep, "cavernous" and crystalline voice, with such mastery of fioriture in the bel canto way, naturally coming from the throat and not the tongue and coup de glotte (Bartoli). I'm in a phase of Handel and the older operas.. The baroque laments are heartbreaking and then there are pieces like this which make my heart flutter in joy.. Ευχαριστώ!
N. Lidar at one point I will be posting Ramey singing Rossini in which he goes full basso assoluto. One of the most difficult bass arias of all... stay tuned
@@jeppoo1 was referring to la del ciel. Looking back it is definitely hard but Rossini has stuff on a comparable or higher difficulty level that Ramey also sang. To say nothing of some of the things Handel wrote for bass.
Certainly one of the great basses. I heard his Figaro, Assur, Mephistopheles, Attila and villains in Hoffmann in London. All wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
I recorded this broadcast on my cassette player - this aria is stunning. And it's in modern pitch - D major, not our D flat as it would have been in Handel's day. Those top notes are F sharps!
@@xxsaruman82xx87 I've never liked her voice it's almost like she sounded like a transvestite LOL the only recording I have with her is Sour Angie baby. Scottie was very adequate. But the best part of it I discovered Cotrubas as sister Genevieve. I recorded it on VHS and converted it to DVD. My wife was literally in tears after watching it. So I gave it to her she watches it at least once a year. The funny thing is and I quote my dear Linda I cannot believe that old alley cat sounding that old bag brought me to tears. She certainly missed her calling she should have been a voice instructor she has excellent artistic instincts. Of course that's one of the things that attracted me to my wife. And the fact that she had an IQ of 141 a true intellect with a very diverse sense of humor. That was 48 years ago. She looked like Hedy Lamarr the first time I saw her at the age of 22. Those were the days my friend I thought they'd never end. Enough nostalgic reminiscing take care and be safe my friend. 💙😷🙏 Arnold Bourbon Amaral
Thank you so much for posting. You have opened my eyes to so many opera artists that I would have never otherwise have heard. Opera lovers are indeed licky to have you on RUclips to help expose us to new music and artists.
Sibillar gli angui d’Aletto, E latrar vorace Scilla, Parmi udir d’intorno a me. Rio velen mi serpe in petto, Né ancor languida favilla Di timor, pena mi diè.
Very nice sound, powerful AF, but at that tempo they are barely coloratura, which basically means I'm more impressed by his breath control here than his ability so sing accurate coloratura ;)
@@manolis.799 I do, I sing this aria. :) I'm not going to pretend it sounds as powerful as him, but the tempo of coloratura is one of the reasons why, if I sang it this slowly, it would be considerably easier, cause the hardest thing here is the constant changes of registers, and to keep the tone strong thoughout, with barely any time to let your voice bloom open on a note. Also, if everyone could only have an opinion about things they did themselves, and not things they were knowledgeable in, this world would be very boring no?
@@aneamarlivana172What Pizza are we referring to? Ezio had a marvelous instrument and an even better vibrato. He demonstrates the correct oscillation and correct vibrato action -- not showing any defects nor a tremolo or a fluttery, goat-like vibrato (caprino). You can like Ramey but you don't have to disparate -- especially when it's false -- the great Ezio Pinza, who was a true basso unlike his much younger counterpart.
He had his day in the Sun and no one can take that away from them not even you my friend. Must I go on? Be safe in these death dealing times my friend. 😷🙏💙🇪🇸🇫🇷 Arnold Bourbon Amaral
@@arnoldamaral7406 Our lives are shaped by the choices that we make. Temptations are all around us, but if we choose wisely and take the road less traveled by it may ultimately lead us to our hearts desire 🕊️
This tempo feels more like practice tempo performance tempo. I suppose I'm not marveled by a bass singing half as fast as a tenor or soprano. On the other hand, it feels to me like Ramey is holding himself back, I fully believe he could have sung this much faster.
Since when does faster = better? The scene is a very grand entrance, it’s about power not speed, I think the tempo conveys the scene just fine. I’d rather have this full-voiced singing over modern Handel too fast/machine gun singing anyway. Let’s the voice really shine.
@@manolis.799 the point of coloratura is speed; in that case faster=better. I am in no way implying that Ramey has done a poor job, actually, if you read my comment closely I believe he can do most of it twice as fast if he (or more likely the conductor) wanted to, like that one flourish shows us
@@PcCAvioN The point of coloratura is most certainly NOT speed, particularly in the Baroque era. Fioriture were a rhetorical device of the composer, like the key, the time signature, the tempo, the rhythm, the gestural contour. All of these devices combined together to produce the 'affect', the emotional content of the piece that was paramount in the Baroque aesthetic. Brainless canary singing intended to wow and dazzle had no place in Händel's work. Every note has a place, a significance, a meaning, not only in the phrase but in the piece as a whole. Speed merely for speed's sake, and mindless vocal display devoid of semantic meaning were never part of Händel's aesthetic.
I remember hearing this at the time. It was a Saturday Met radio broadcast, and as I recall it was Horne as Rinaldo, Benita Valente as Almirena and Edda Moser (not in great shape, sadly) as Armida. Not a cast to be sneezed at, but when Ramey came on with this aria, he blew them all out of the water. Absolutely magnificent singing, and so wonderful to hear the fioriture sung full voice and LEGATO rather than the half-voice, aspirated mess which passes for male coloratura singing nowadays. When people accuse us of romanticising past singers and say the ones today are just as good, we can play them recordings like this one and say, 'Show me anyone today who sings like THIS!' Brings back memories! Thank you Manoli! ☺
Yes but some people claim he is “too slow” here... GIVE ME A BREAK!!!
@@manolis.799 What people forget, too, is that the Met is a huge barn of a house, round about four thousand seats, I believe. Overly quick tempi in such a large space can quickly turn the music into an undifferentiated mess of overlapping harmonies and fudged running passages. Levine was excoriated for his slow tempi in the Ring and Parsifal, but he was right to take his time. The music needs time to breathe at the Met.
Jason Hurd very true! Take a while to make it to the back!
I was lucky enough to be in the audience for his Met debut in this role (at the time Horne was blamed for wanting the slow pace) as well as a later performance when Ewa Podles (Rinaldo) and Carol Vaness (Armida) both made their debuts on the same night. Fun note: Ramey almost made his debut on his butt when the chariot he was entering on got stuck and was yanked to free it just before this aria - he swayed back, grabbed the sides, and had to start singing!
@@manolis.799 Deaf mostly 😎💙 Arnold
In July 1982, I was one of the charioteers that pulled him out on stage before this aria back when it was in preproduction in Ottawa for The Met.
Samuel Ramey was totally amazing! The thunder of the applause they gave him vibrated my chest like I've never felt before or since. As dancers, we were also impressed that he sang full out in every rehearsal. Amazing to listen to him in person! One of my highlights as a dancer!
Sounds like an incredible experience. How lucky you were 🙂.
i think it's incredibly impressive that THIS is his Met debut role. the way he performs this aria is so captivating and memorable. you can absolutely tell he knocked the audience's socks off, just with that tremendous applause alone! all of this before his later opera stardom as well! totally wish i was alive in the 80's to see this performance live.
I'm a simple man, I hear Ramey I click *like*.
I'm listening again and again.. His voice is shocking in how much talent it has. It is trult golden age. Rossini would've been on his knees begging him to sing! Such a deep, "cavernous" and crystalline voice, with such mastery of fioriture in the bel canto way, naturally coming from the throat and not the tongue and coup de glotte (Bartoli). I'm in a phase of Handel and the older operas.. The baroque laments are heartbreaking and then there are pieces like this which make my heart flutter in joy.. Ευχαριστώ!
N. Lidar at one point I will be posting Ramey singing Rossini in which he goes full basso assoluto. One of the most difficult bass arias of all... stay tuned
@@manolis.799 I'll be watching for that upload too
@@manolis.799 I must have missed it when did you post it? Please advise hijo Mio 💙 Arnold
@@manolis.799 which bass aria are you talking about?
@@jeppoo1 was referring to la del ciel. Looking back it is definitely hard but Rossini has stuff on a comparable or higher difficulty level that Ramey also sang. To say nothing of some of the things Handel wrote for bass.
Surely one of the great voices to grace any stage in the world 🙏
Certainly one of the great basses. I heard his Figaro, Assur, Mephistopheles, Attila and villains in Hoffmann in London. All wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Bass-Baritone*.
Note this is not the broadcast but was recorded from the audience
That is some of the most incredible singing you will hear from anyone, anytime!
I recorded this broadcast on my cassette player - this aria is stunning. And it's in modern pitch - D major, not our D flat as it would have been in Handel's day. Those top notes are F sharps!
I'm in heaven!!!!!! It's too infinitely beautiful to believe in this miracle! Billion thanks
Each one at their own time. This was Rameys time to shine. 👑 I have this on his play list he was spectacular. Thank you my friend. Arnold
Wichita rocks Ramey the man. Hernandez is the lady. These two together in the perfect Opera world mostly. GRAZIE Manoli. 🎶💙☺🎼 Arnold
A truly outstanding voice!
Thank you, Manoli S.
I was there! Of course Marilyn Horne was stupendous, and Benita Valente sang with that celestial voice of hers. But Ramey blew the roof off the place!
Horne is so nasal. Ramey is most definitely NOT!!!
Marilyn Horne = 000 Sorry 😥 Arnold
@@xxsaruman82xx87 I've never liked her voice it's almost like she sounded like a transvestite LOL the only recording I have with her is Sour Angie baby. Scottie was very adequate. But the best part of it I discovered Cotrubas as sister Genevieve. I recorded it on VHS and converted it to DVD. My wife was literally in tears after watching it. So I gave it to her she watches it at least once a year. The funny thing is and I quote my dear Linda I cannot believe that old alley cat sounding that old bag brought me to tears. She certainly missed her calling she should have been a voice instructor she has excellent artistic instincts. Of course that's one of the things that attracted me to my wife. And the fact that she had an IQ of 141 a true intellect with a very diverse sense of humor. That was 48 years ago. She looked like Hedy Lamarr the first time I saw her at the age of 22. Those were the days my friend I thought they'd never end. Enough nostalgic reminiscing take care and be safe my friend. 💙😷🙏 Arnold Bourbon Amaral
Ramey is so fantastic!!!
Sensational.....BRAVO from Acapulco!
Magnifico, magnifico Ramey!
Bravo bravo bravo brilliance fantastic genial vocal super
beautiful
Outstanding singing.
Che gioia....Dear Samy great great..... the best.
Thank you so much for posting. You have opened my eyes to so many opera artists that I would have never otherwise have heard. Opera lovers are indeed licky to have you on RUclips to help expose us to new music and artists.
Thank you Charles I’m glad you enjoy, means a lot!
Sibillar gli angui d’Aletto,
E latrar vorace Scilla,
Parmi udir d’intorno a me.
Rio velen mi serpe in petto,
Né ancor languida favilla
Di timor, pena mi diè.
Very nice sound, powerful AF, but at that tempo they are barely coloratura, which basically means I'm more impressed by his breath control here than his ability so sing accurate coloratura ;)
Hey YOU try it
@@manolis.799 I do, I sing this aria. :)
I'm not going to pretend it sounds as powerful as him, but the tempo of coloratura is one of the reasons why, if I sang it this slowly, it would be considerably easier, cause the hardest thing here is the constant changes of registers, and to keep the tone strong thoughout, with barely any time to let your voice bloom open on a note.
Also, if everyone could only have an opinion about things they did themselves, and not things they were knowledgeable in, this world would be very boring no?
His is the most beautiful basso voice. Approches Pinza’s
Approaches??? Ramey's voice is clear and elegant, and not marred by the heavy vibrato that Pinza had.
Surpasses Pinza
@@aneamarlivana172What Pizza are we referring to? Ezio had a marvelous instrument and an even better vibrato. He demonstrates the correct oscillation and correct vibrato action -- not showing any defects nor a tremolo or a fluttery, goat-like vibrato (caprino).
You can like Ramey but you don't have to disparate -- especially when it's false -- the great Ezio Pinza, who was a true basso unlike his much younger counterpart.
Brilliant interpretation by Maestro Samuel Ramey. Can some share the lyrics of this great aria ?
❤🎉
1:46 I was in the house for Sam's debut. The greatest debut I ever saw/heard in decades of Met going.
@@BCBNYC how amazing!!! You’re so lucky!
@@manolis.799 Yeah. Great aria, great singer, in a chariot drawn by dragons: THAT'S an entrance!
❤️
Einfach superb
Are there any life recording of this area
This is live lol.
@@manolis.799 I guess some people think that no singer can sing this perfectly in a live recording.
Should have stuck to this and similar repertoire....would still be singing today.
He had his day in the Sun and no one can take that away from them not even you my friend. Must I go on? Be safe in these death dealing times my friend. 😷🙏💙🇪🇸🇫🇷 Arnold Bourbon Amaral
@@arnoldamaral7406
Our lives are shaped by the choices that we make. Temptations are all around us, but if we choose wisely and take the road less traveled by it may ultimately lead us to our hearts desire 🕊️
@@TimothyJonSarris bro he sang for several decades... he was singing high Gs in La Calunnia as late as his 60s... give it a break
@@manolis.799
Yes, that's true, he never lost his top.
Another expert heard from
This tempo feels more like practice tempo performance tempo. I suppose I'm not marveled by a bass singing half as fast as a tenor or soprano. On the other hand, it feels to me like Ramey is holding himself back, I fully believe he could have sung this much faster.
Since when does faster = better? The scene is a very grand entrance, it’s about power not speed, I think the tempo conveys the scene just fine. I’d rather have this full-voiced singing over modern Handel too fast/machine gun singing anyway. Let’s the voice really shine.
@@manolis.799 the point of coloratura is speed; in that case faster=better. I am in no way implying that Ramey has done a poor job, actually, if you read my comment closely I believe he can do most of it twice as fast if he (or more likely the conductor) wanted to, like that one flourish shows us
Manoli S. INDEED!!! INCREDIBLE INSTRUMENT! BRAVO SENORE ARNOLD BOURBON AMARAL. TY MANOLI MY FRIEND PARA SIEMPRE
@@PcCAvioN The point of coloratura is most certainly NOT speed, particularly in the Baroque era. Fioriture were a rhetorical device of the composer, like the key, the time signature, the tempo, the rhythm, the gestural contour. All of these devices combined together to produce the 'affect', the emotional content of the piece that was paramount in the Baroque aesthetic. Brainless canary singing intended to wow and dazzle had no place in Händel's work. Every note has a place, a significance, a meaning, not only in the phrase but in the piece as a whole. Speed merely for speed's sake, and mindless vocal display devoid of semantic meaning were never part of Händel's aesthetic.
The performance can be regarded in disregard of it's tempo and its beautifu!