OMG, what a voice! So sweet, smooth, silken, and soothing. This is my first time hearing him sing "Where 'er ...." and it's the best one I've heart yet. Where have I been?
There are other wonderful versions of this aria out there, but this one tops them all. Mr. Ainsley's singing is so seductively beautiful, an exquisite performance. His ornamentation in the da capo section is stunning. Listen to him sing "Waft her, angels, through the skies" from Handel's Jephtha -- another example of truly remarkable singing.
What an amazing voice, he has awesome control with his head voice, im going to be performing this piece in the next month or so, this is a great example to follow...
Extremely subtle and artistic ornamentation and very heart felt - I have been comparing this version with other wonderful singers. He really sings the ornamentation being inside the song, some renditions the ornamentation is more an outer brilliance - impressive, but this is really special, I think. The more I listen to it and compare it.
For Handel style and beautiful nuance this is the version. simple effective ornamentation He is a chamber singer and he sings very humanely-- very moving
Everyone is entitled to their own views as to what constitutes a valid interpretation of a piece. The fact that John Mark-Ainsley is a world renowned Handel specialist and Mr Schantz has clearly hidden his immense musical talent under an equally huge blanket points to whose interpretation matters.
+oswald wellman Mr Ainsley worked closely with the conductor, Sir Charles Mackerras, on the performance and vocal style. Sir Charles was instrumental (pun intended) in the re-introduction of Handel's opera into the repertoire, which prior to English National Opera's 'Xerxes' cond. by Sir Charles, were almost never, ever performed. And I have spoken with Mr G F Handel & he assures me that, having watched this clip on youtube, he is absolutely delighted with the performance.
+moore7778 Mackerras was one of the leaders in the "authenticity" movement, so I'm not surprised they are in accord. Of course, when I say authenticity, I mean the practice of improvisation established in an era when castrati were more idolized than composers, and rivaled with each other for the reputation of most agile and inventive vocals, with no regard for the destruction of a masterpiece. Re your message from Handel, don't waste your money on mediums
+oswald wellman quite true, but hardly true in this instance, when the performance enhances the work, bringing out the intense emotions that Handel described so movingly in the music. And Mackerras wasn't exactly a leader in the authenticity movement, he was all for a mixture of the authentic and the modern, which is probably why he was so successful at getting people to come to Handel's operas - in the UK anyway. Ah well, we'll agree to disagree about Mr Ainsley. (It also helped that the production, by Robert Carsen, was so compelling, and I think it is still being revived.)
+moore7778 As you say, we'll agree to disagree, not about Mr.Ainsley, but regarding decoration, which appalls me. I find sincere simplicity more moving in any art, than what to my ear, sounds like self aggrandizement. But I concede I appear to be in a minority.
When I hear this type of music, I am convinced that Handel is one of those composers who had a divine connection. Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven are others, though not exclusively.
✨🌹✨ Thank you Senor. Your rendition is very very beautiful. Very very beautiful. You do honour to the piece. Thank you very much indeed . Thank you very very much indeed. Hamlet ✨💖✨💖✨💖
✨🌹✨You have a very fine voice Sir. A very fine voice. I pay respect to it. Indeed I pay respect. Thank you sir, for your rendition. Very lovely. Very lovely indeed. Thank you very much. You do us great honour. Great success in your future career. Highly talented performer. Highly talented. ✨🌹✨💖✨💖✨💖✨💖
The ornamentation does in no wise distract from the beauty of this version because of the perfection of his diction and phrasing - Haendel would have approved immensely I think.
I sang this song in Ohio Solo singing competition and was awarded a blue ribbon. Mind you that was in 75 or 76. I thought I would do a search just to see if I could find it and boom about a 1000 times over on youtube here it is. In all it's splendor.. :-)
John Mark Ainsley sings this love aria most beautifully. If you're looking for the purest sound, he did a studio recording with the King's Consort (Great Baroque Arias, Part 1. 1994). Available for download from your favorite online store.
I love this guy's voice, which I just discovered a week ago -- on You Tube!! Who knew? I have to say, though, I felt there was way too much embellishment at the end for my taste. I felt it became a little self indulgent and took away from the simple beauty of this piece.
I couldn't find a simple, single concert version with string parts so I have put the sheet music of this on www.sheetmusicplus.com/publishers/pam-moutoussi-sheet-music/3008021. The vocal part is easy to find.
Beautiful performance. Listen to his performance in Brigadoon (!) from the early '90s - incredible singing. He was here in Atlanta to sing Elijah a few years back... also stunning.
Where'er you walk Cool gales shall fan the glade Trees where you sit Shall crowd into a shade Trees where you sit Shall crowd into a shade Where'er you tread The blushing flowers shall rise And all things flourish And all things flourish Where'er you turn your eyes Where'er you walk Cool gales shall fan the glade Trees where you sit Shall crowd into a shade Trees where you sit Shall crowd into a shade
This opera is based on the myth of Semele and the god Jupiter -Jupiter has just snatched Semele from her wedding ceremony and taken her to a love nest in the sky but after a few days of being left alone she becomes bored and impatient -when Jupiter returns she tells him of her problems and Jupiter here is telling her he will create a magical world where flowers will spring up magically wherever she looks and lovely cool breezes will soothe her.
@pianoman654 Over the years I've become accustomed to Handel being sung a certain way and this is not it. Years ago Handel was not sung this way; it's only been within the last few decades that the so called experts have decided anemic and wimpy is how Handel is to be sung. The context of the piece makes no difference to me; I want to hear a great voice in a great performance and that's it.
Handel expected ornamentation, specifically in the recapitulation of the A form in an A-B-A aria. Not only did he expect it, he encouraged it! He got paid more for it, because his audience loved it!!
I like his interpretation and his voice but a little more guts to the singing might be nice. . However, don't like the fact that he puts an "h" in front of all the moving vowels. Otherwise, fine job.
+Ernie1 Really? I don't hear that. It sounds a little bit to me like you can hear the breath used to produce the head-dominant sotto voce he's using throughout many parts, particularly on the moving notes in "shade," but not any actual aspirate Hs? Maybe I just don't have the volume up high enough, but I don't hear the Hs.
+Ernie1 Way off my friend. No guts needed. It's called tenderness, which is expertly rendered here in his passion and expression. This is, in my opinion as one who sings this regularly, the pinnacle performance of this song.
+James Netusil Haha no problem. I mean I love this interpretation, but I would be open to someone preferring another, which is what I would interpret "penultimate" to mean, but this is pretty exceptional interpretation of this, in my opinion.
Wimpy, anemic, and boring. It's unfortunate that in the last 30 or 40 years this has become the standard way of singing Handel. Even John McCormack sang it with more balls than this.
eh, I hate the ornamentation actually. I wish hed make everything more subtle. Everyone is like 4:144:14 MY GOD. No, he got carried away. That was pretentious and annoying. And fuck, the stretching of his phrases is ridiculous. How can the orchestra even follow him?
bb+Theodore Schantz I agree. Mr Ainsley has a fine voice, but gives a highly decorated account, absorbed with voice production instead of the glory of Handel. Such an approach precludes spontaneity. He would do well to study Kenneth McKellar's rendition. Pure Handel without self aggrandizement, highly musical, great diction,sincerity sans sentiment,strength with subtlety,.beauty rather than prettiness. I heard a radio interviewer and famed tenor,laughingly deriding the great Isobel Baillie and the tenor's own mother, because neither believed in decoration. The pinnacle of arrogance. But then, you have to be very arrogant to imagine your alterations improve on Handel's composition.
oswald wellman Theodore Schantz Interesting to get these perspectives. I can see the orchestra might struggle to follow him but, with the right people involved that could be okay. As far as the ornamentation and style goes, I quite like it. McKellar, while possessing a fine instrument, does not in my opinion capture the caressing nature of this piece. Yes, there is an overly-inward focus on vocal beauty here, perhaps, but it generates the softness the piece demands. As far as ornamentation goes, I do appreciate this ornamentation, though B section ornamentation is a bit unusual. I would question whether ornamentation was truly crass in Handel's day. His operas and oratorios contain a vast number of highly virtuosic bravura arias and included leading roles for castrati, known in that time for exactly the kinds of excesses we see here. Now, Handel may not have appreciated those; I haven't studied his particular thoughts on the matter, but audiences certainly did. I guess in conclusion I think the vocal quality employed here effectively conveys the intent of the text; the ornamentation arguably may run counter to that by saying "look at me" instead of "I wish you well" but nevertheless might be historically justifiable.
+Christopher R. Skinner I agree decoration was standard practice in Handel's day, Famous castrati of the period were often held in higher esteem than the composers, and were expected to display virtuosity, just as instrumentalists did, with long showy cadenzas. Composers became fed-up, and wrote their own, but had no success in reining in singers. your opinion may be better received than mine. You're correct in saying McKellar is less delicate, but Dick Drewes in a comment below, feels Mr Ainsley is too dainty .I tend to agree.
oswald wellman Yeah. Agreed. I'm open to preferences for other interpretations. I mostly wanted to field the opinion that this is possibly within the realm of historical conceivability, if not necessarily something that probably would ever have actually occurred historically (I have that high Bb in mind as that caveat). The biggest questionable aspect for me is the audibility of Mr. Ainsley (whom I have never seen live) in the house in this performance. It is a sharp voice, no doubt, but it seems like many of the moments here might lack sufficient core to really carry, though perhaps with the light orchestration it's fine.
+Christopher R. Skinner I saw this production twice in the Coliseum Theatre in London and I can assure you that Mr Ainsley's voice carried. Many in the audience were in tears during this aria: contrary to some comments here, Mr Ainsley did Handel proud.
Wonderful music, and a wonderful singer.
Wow! Perfection times 20. I sang this song for several competitions - this interpretation and style is simply unmatched! Goosebumps.
OMG, what a voice! So sweet, smooth, silken, and soothing. This is my first time hearing him sing "Where 'er ...." and it's the best one I've heart yet. Where have I been?
There are other wonderful versions of this aria out there, but this one tops them all. Mr. Ainsley's singing is so seductively beautiful, an exquisite performance. His ornamentation in the da capo section is stunning. Listen to him sing "Waft her, angels, through the skies" from Handel's Jephtha -- another example of truly remarkable singing.
Dies kann ich nur bestätigen.
So gentle with his onsets, and the tone is so beautiful and clear.
What an amazing voice, he has awesome control with his head voice, im going to be performing this piece in the next month or so, this is a great example to follow...
This version tops my list....his voice.....so gentle, so very tender.
Amazing voice - Handel was a true genius
Something beautiful to brighten a dark time in our lives.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Amor eso lo es todo.
Wonderful performance. I wonder, Mr. Ainsley, I hope you continued with a career in music. Thank you!
He did - I saw him in Britten’s Billy Budd at Glyndebourne.. great!
Extremely subtle and artistic ornamentation and very heart felt - I have been comparing this version with other wonderful singers. He really sings the ornamentation being inside the song, some renditions the ornamentation is more an outer brilliance - impressive, but this is really special, I think. The more I listen to it and compare it.
That voice is AMAZING!!!!!👌
Beautiful voice, beautiful interpretation.
Such a beautiful song, He can sing this to me any time!
Me tooo
The composition and the performance are exquisitely beautiful.
For Handel style and beautiful nuance this is the version. simple effective ornamentation He is a chamber singer and he sings very humanely-- very moving
Ich höre mir diese Fassung immer wieder gerne an. Einfach wunderschön.
Love this version. Fabulous voice.
Everyone is entitled to their own views as to what constitutes a valid interpretation of a piece. The fact that John Mark-Ainsley is a world renowned Handel specialist and Mr Schantz has clearly hidden his immense musical talent under an equally huge blanket points to whose interpretation matters.
iain mason Does Handel's composition genius not have precedence ?
+oswald wellman Mr Ainsley worked closely with the conductor, Sir Charles Mackerras, on the performance and vocal style. Sir Charles was instrumental (pun intended) in the re-introduction of Handel's opera into the repertoire, which prior to English National Opera's 'Xerxes' cond. by Sir Charles, were almost never, ever performed. And I have spoken with Mr G F Handel & he assures me that, having watched this clip on youtube, he is absolutely delighted with the performance.
+moore7778 Mackerras was one of the leaders in the "authenticity" movement, so I'm not surprised they are in accord. Of course, when I say authenticity, I mean the practice of improvisation established in an era when castrati were more idolized than composers, and rivaled with each other for the reputation of most agile and inventive vocals, with no regard for the destruction of a masterpiece. Re your message from Handel, don't waste your money on mediums
+oswald wellman quite true, but hardly true in this instance, when the performance enhances the work, bringing out the intense emotions that Handel described so movingly in the music. And Mackerras wasn't exactly a leader in the authenticity movement, he was all for a mixture of the authentic and the modern, which is probably why he was so successful at getting people to come to Handel's operas - in the UK anyway. Ah well, we'll agree to disagree about Mr Ainsley. (It also helped that the production, by Robert Carsen, was so compelling, and I think it is still being revived.)
+moore7778 As you say, we'll agree to disagree, not about Mr.Ainsley, but regarding decoration, which appalls me. I find sincere simplicity more moving in any art, than what to my ear, sounds like self aggrandizement. But I concede I appear to be in a minority.
wonderfully beautiful song and voice. Glory to providence!
I've watched this 5 times in a row trying to understand why people may dislike his rendition.
Ich finde sein Gesang einfach himmlisch.
great voice. very nice person. sang in concert of Messiah with him :)
lovely professional voice
Phew!
Well that gave me goosebumps - god knows what it did for her.
When I hear this type of music, I am convinced that Handel is one of those composers who had a divine connection. Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven are others, though not exclusively.
Absolutely!!! Handel is my favorite of all time.....Bach , a close second.
Or just talent
@@RogwinMusic exactly my opinion
Sencillamente fascinante. Gracias.
absolutely lovely - perfect
John Mark Ainsley is magical, such a voice,
Perfection. Thank you for making me so happy
Einfach wunderschön, diese warme weiche Stimme ist hervorragend.
✨🌹✨ Thank you Senor. Your rendition is very very beautiful. Very very beautiful. You do honour to the piece. Thank you very much indeed . Thank you very very much indeed. Hamlet ✨💖✨💖✨💖
Beautifully sung :)
Lovely voice - effective but discrete ornamentation
MARVELOUS!!!
✨🌹✨You have a very fine voice Sir. A very fine voice. I pay respect to it. Indeed I pay respect. Thank you sir, for your rendition. Very lovely. Very lovely indeed. Thank you very much. You do us great honour. Great success in your future career. Highly talented performer. Highly talented. ✨🌹✨💖✨💖✨💖✨💖
Fantastic.
Exquisite voice.
Marvellous!!! Love this
Best version!
Beautiful!!!
The ornamentation does in no wise distract from the beauty of this version because of the perfection of his diction and phrasing - Haendel would have approved immensely I think.
Lovely song
Lovely voice!
I sang this song in Ohio Solo singing competition and was awarded a blue ribbon. Mind you that was in 75 or 76. I thought I would do a search just to see if I could find it and boom about a 1000 times over on youtube here it is. In all it's splendor.. :-)
John Mark Ainsley sings this love aria most beautifully. If you're looking for the purest sound, he did a studio recording with the King's Consort (Great Baroque Arias, Part 1. 1994). Available for download from your favorite online store.
Bravo!
Of course he has a wonderful voice. He is a famous tenor.
simply beautiful
This has to be my favorite rendition of the song, just one step above John McCormack.
beautiful!
I'm speechless...
However, beautiful voice !
exquisite!
Sublime!
Anyone else brought here by Robert Paul Wolff?
haha me
here
hahaha... here too
same
Hehe me
What a brilliant, insightful comment.
Brilliant Handel warbling as it should be!
HERMOSO
Amen!
I love this guy's voice, which I just discovered a week ago -- on You Tube!! Who knew? I have to say, though, I felt there was way too much embellishment at the end for my taste. I felt it became a little self indulgent and took away from the simple beauty of this piece.
Gr8
He borrowed from Mannheim School. Which was not established during this time yet. FYI
I couldn't find a simple, single concert version with string parts so I have put the sheet music of this on www.sheetmusicplus.com/publishers/pam-moutoussi-sheet-music/3008021. The vocal part is easy to find.
You can see Ainsley ( RUclips) in MESSIAH/Cleobury/ Kings College/ 1993/ as a young man, fantastic
Ça prend toute une technique pour chanter dans cette position!
Beautiful performance. Listen to his performance in Brigadoon (!) from the early '90s - incredible singing. He was here in Atlanta to sing Elijah a few years back... also stunning.
Where'er you walk
Cool gales shall fan the glade
Trees where you sit
Shall crowd into a shade
Trees where you sit
Shall crowd into a shade
Where'er you tread
The blushing flowers shall rise
And all things flourish
And all things flourish
Where'er you turn your eyes
Where'er you walk
Cool gales shall fan the glade
Trees where you sit
Shall crowd into a shade
Trees where you sit
Shall crowd into a shade
1.36...OMG
this is utterly magnificent. Dare I say, that Richard Croft is even finer?
4:14 al fini . . . ! ❤
@sgjake21 It's not dead completely - it's what I study as part of my degree.
I didn't think I'd like it. But I do. I just wish I could hear him better over the orchestra.
@MakinLifeFun : Can't Handel it! :-D
BRA...VO!!!
Immanuel Kant approves
can someone please explain the meaning of this song? i can't seem to understand the song..
This opera is based on the myth of Semele and the god Jupiter -Jupiter has just snatched Semele from her wedding ceremony and taken her to a love nest in the sky but after a few days of being left alone she becomes bored and impatient -when Jupiter returns she tells him of her problems and Jupiter here is telling her he will create a magical world where flowers will spring up magically wherever she looks and lovely cool breezes will soothe her.
@MotherWaggy :D
What key?
@Mrsgillhanson :D
@sheilajoynes :D
He sounded like me
@gruberosa :D
@rusz :D
:D
I like John Mark Ainsley's singing. I'm not too fond of the setting (costumes and decors), though I'm not against simplicity.
@meccabruva08 :D
i don't know what the song is about
I just sing that....trained by a prof of music
@pianoman654 Over the years I've become accustomed to Handel being sung a certain way and this is not it. Years ago Handel was not sung this way; it's only been within the last few decades that the so called experts have decided anemic and wimpy is how Handel is to be sung. The context of the piece makes no difference to me; I want to hear a great voice in a great performance and that's it.
Handel expected ornamentation, specifically in the recapitulation of the A form in an A-B-A aria. Not only did he expect it, he encouraged it! He got paid more for it, because his audience loved it!!
he should make his bed
Respond to this video...
:D
This is fake :/
I like his interpretation and his voice but a little more guts to the singing might be nice. . However, don't like the fact that he puts an "h" in front of all the moving vowels. Otherwise, fine job.
+Ernie1 Really? I don't hear that. It sounds a little bit to me like you can hear the breath used to produce the head-dominant sotto voce he's using throughout many parts, particularly on the moving notes in "shade," but not any actual aspirate Hs? Maybe I just don't have the volume up high enough, but I don't hear the Hs.
+Ernie1 Way off my friend. No guts needed. It's called tenderness, which is expertly rendered here in his passion and expression. This is, in my opinion as one who sings this regularly, the pinnacle performance of this song.
+James Netusil Penultimate to?
+Christopher R. Skinner Sorry. I typed "pinnacle" and my autocorrect messed with me.
+James Netusil Haha no problem. I mean I love this interpretation, but I would be open to someone preferring another, which is what I would interpret "penultimate" to mean, but this is pretty exceptional interpretation of this, in my opinion.
Wimpy, anemic, and boring. It's unfortunate that in the last 30 or 40 years this has become the standard way of singing Handel. Even John McCormack sang it with more balls than this.
@pianoman654 I'm not making any argument other than to state this is shit. Have a nice life.
eh, I hate the ornamentation actually. I wish hed make everything more subtle. Everyone is like 4:14 4:14 MY GOD. No, he got carried away. That was pretentious and annoying. And fuck, the stretching of his phrases is ridiculous. How can the orchestra even follow him?
bb+Theodore Schantz I agree. Mr Ainsley has a fine voice, but gives a highly decorated account, absorbed with voice production instead of the glory of Handel. Such an approach precludes spontaneity. He would do well to study Kenneth McKellar's rendition. Pure Handel without self aggrandizement, highly musical, great diction,sincerity sans sentiment,strength with subtlety,.beauty rather than prettiness. I heard a radio interviewer and famed tenor,laughingly deriding the great Isobel Baillie and the tenor's own mother, because neither believed in decoration. The pinnacle of arrogance. But then, you have to be very arrogant to imagine your alterations improve on Handel's composition.
oswald wellman Theodore Schantz Interesting to get these perspectives. I can see the orchestra might struggle to follow him but, with the right people involved that could be okay. As far as the ornamentation and style goes, I quite like it. McKellar, while possessing a fine instrument, does not in my opinion capture the caressing nature of this piece. Yes, there is an overly-inward focus on vocal beauty here, perhaps, but it generates the softness the piece demands. As far as ornamentation goes, I do appreciate this ornamentation, though B section ornamentation is a bit unusual. I would question whether ornamentation was truly crass in Handel's day. His operas and oratorios contain a vast number of highly virtuosic bravura arias and included leading roles for castrati, known in that time for exactly the kinds of excesses we see here. Now, Handel may not have appreciated those; I haven't studied his particular thoughts on the matter, but audiences certainly did. I guess in conclusion I think the vocal quality employed here effectively conveys the intent of the text; the ornamentation arguably may run counter to that by saying "look at me" instead of "I wish you well" but nevertheless might be historically justifiable.
+Christopher R. Skinner I agree decoration was standard practice in Handel's day, Famous castrati of the period were often held in higher esteem than the composers, and were expected to display virtuosity, just as instrumentalists did, with long showy cadenzas. Composers became fed-up, and wrote their own, but had no success in reining in singers. your opinion may be better received than mine. You're correct in saying McKellar is less delicate, but Dick Drewes in a comment below, feels Mr Ainsley is too dainty .I tend to agree.
oswald wellman Yeah. Agreed. I'm open to preferences for other interpretations. I mostly wanted to field the opinion that this is possibly within the realm of historical conceivability, if not necessarily something that probably would ever have actually occurred historically (I have that high Bb in mind as that caveat). The biggest questionable aspect for me is the audibility of Mr. Ainsley (whom I have never seen live) in the house in this performance. It is a sharp voice, no doubt, but it seems like many of the moments here might lack sufficient core to really carry, though perhaps with the light orchestration it's fine.
+Christopher R. Skinner I saw this production twice in the Coliseum Theatre in London and I can assure you that Mr Ainsley's voice carried. Many in the audience were in tears during this aria: contrary to some comments here, Mr Ainsley did Handel proud.
MARVELOUS!!!!
Bravo!