저 역시 대한민국 테너 김호중 가수님의 팬입니다. 김호중님과 비슷하다고 하여 기대했는데 정말 체격이나 음색이 비슷해서 놀랬습니다. Ben Heppner 님의 Nessun dorma도 정말 감동입니다. 클래식을 잘 모르지만, 김호중 가수 덕분에 클래식의 세계를 알게 되었고 Ben Heppner 님도 알게 되어 클래식 입문이 더 즐거워집니다. I'm also a fan of Korean tenor Kim Hojoong. I was looking forward to it because I heard it's similar to Kim Hojoong, but I was surprised because it has similar physique and tone. Ben Heppner's Nessun dorma is really touching. I don't know much about classical music, but thanks to singer Kim Hojoong, I got to know the world of classical music and Ben Heppner got to know it, which makes the entrance to classical music more enjoyable.
Wer hätte das gedacht: Ben Heppner mit dieser Arie. Großen Respekt! Man sollte diese Arie nicht nur mit den Einspielungen von Pavarotti vergleichen. Gratulation zu dieser großen Tenor-Stimme!
This has always been my favourite version of Nessun Dorma...and I consider myself lucky to have seen Mr. Heppner perform this in Vancouver many years ago.
Ben Heppner sings Nessun Dorma better than anyone in the world. I don't care what anyone says. He is the very best. Gives me the biggest chills every single time.
The first time I heard Ben sing Nessun Dorma was on a classical music station on the radio of my car.I was so move, I began to cry. I will never forget this.
Bravo!!!, great easy sanged, even charming by Ben Heppner. A master class about delivering this great aria; he makes it look easy, BRAVOOO!!!! (agree with "Joana Banyeres" 100%!!!)
I have seen Ben Heppner twice in concert. Every year he comes back to his hometown to hold a concert and donates the proceeds to a well deserving project. In 2011 he helped build the art center here. He performed even though he was sick. I was in tears several times through out the performance. It was so beautiful. He wrote me a scripture for my bday and my mom scrapbooked it into a page and framed it. His talent is just like hearing the angels.
Agree. Pavarotti and Bjorling are as good in their different ways, but not better. Heppner has that rich, honeyed voice, with the right striving but the high notes secure. I take it this is the recital cd with Roberto Abbaddo and Munich Orchestra. Did Heppner ever sing this live?
It's nice to listen to a lyric tenor who is actually proud of his being a lyric tenor, and makes the most of it, rather than helplessly trying to prove otherwise. Well done! I always hated the word "tenorino" that some people use when referring to these artists. Bigger is NOT always better"(or in this case, more beautiful)! and here is a living proof!
Actually, Heppner made a great deal of his reputation singing heldentenor roles and singing them very well. He's a very versatile performer. He did start out as a lyric tenor, but then became one of those singers who was able to transition well to heavier roles.
Heppner is such a rare gem. His Wagnerian roles are a source of amazement, his Walther von Stolzing in particular. I was disappointed that he was ill for the Met's live broadcast of Tristan und Isolde some weeks ago (though his replacement was good). That Heppner can also perform the Italianate roles is testament to his immense talent.
I read of this version at the page for the Jussi Björling page and I wanted to hear it. Bravo!! Rich in emotional content, nearly a tenderness...a fine, valid interpretation. Comparing is useless, apples and bowling balls..
Think of a clear fine crystal bell. Luciano's voice has that clarity that I find many come close to but just do not match-Let us be reasonable, it remains a matter of personal taste. I like the clear pitch of Luciano fine! maybe another likes a more lush sound-again it is personal taste. I do however give a resounding Bravo to my Heppner. I shed a tear. I found great passion in his vocice and to me, passion and clarity are the thing. Again bravo Ben
One saying Pavarotti sang sharp, other can't see the difference between a light production of the sound, of which PAvarotti was a master, and a light voice... Quite a league of deaf men.
En fait la voix de ce grand ténor ne peut se comparer à celle de Pavarotti sûrement plus légère et adaptée à des rôles moins lourds. M. Heppner a été un des derniers grands ténors des cinquante années écoulées. Bien entendu Pavarotti a été un excellent ténor lyrique dans les rôles qu'il a défendus ,et je l'ai bien apprécié, mais b.Heppner était d'une autre pointure bien qu'ayant été moins connu du grand public. Salutations.
Never knew that Mr. Heppner, always the voice of “The Hero” to mine ears, ever sang this aria. How wonderful and gentle and splendid and sweet! But I would be the first to admit that the late-great Luciano Pavarotti owns this, as it was but one of a few of Luciano’s signature arias. “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, was clearly written for an “Italian” tenor with the voice of the timbre of a Trumpet, which is why Pavarotti sang this aria with such prolific eloquence. It is that innate beauty of language put to music and performed by native singers that grasps the soul. Could Pavarotti have sung “The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise” in English, as eloquently beautiful and soul-stirring as Mr. Heppner does - very likely not, because English was not Pavarotti’s native language. If you are a native Italian, then surely Anna Netrebko’s “Italian”-singing must leave a lot left to be desired, no? It is not with rancor that I express this humble opinion, but more so out of respect for the beauty of language, in all of its various forms. I must profess that I am a “goosebump” listener and many singers have “shivered me timbers” on many an occasion, e.g., Luciano Pavarotti, Ben Heppner, Jüssi Björling, Richard Tucker, Franco Corelli, Placido Domingo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Feodor Chaliapin, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Lawrence Brownlee, and ladies Beverly Sills, Renée Fleming, Kathleen Battle, Susan Graham, Eva Marton, Marilyn Horne, Roberta Peters et al.
@BassoCantante19 thanks! i thought so. truth in singing, as in all things, is very seldom found on the surface. but anything worth finding is worth looking for! good luck this year to us all, in the search for truth!
I had no idea that Heppner could sing this...but he can. I never cared for him in Wagnerian roles, but this is marvelous. Heppner actually had a voice that was appropriate for the role of Calaf, unlike Pavarotti's pure lyric tenor voice. Heppner's voice is even throughout its range and he doesn't scream the way so many tenors do. Heppner actually has a lower register and his voice doesn't drop out when he reaches down into the bottom of it. It's also a very beautiful voice.
Very good interpretation. Great voice. And it's all a matter of taste, but imo there simply isn't anyone even close to any of Pavarotti's versions of this piece. His voice was made for that kind of aria. And the seeming effortlessness he sang it with combined with the miracle of his sound made it incomparable. All from my subjective pov, of course :-)
I saw Heppner in his premier performance of Turnadot at the Lyric in Chicago. Was quite disappointed after all the hype. His voice cracked while singing as he went to strike the gong, announcing his challenge to the Princess.
@vpo2g2 -Oh really.It has already been many years.He is in the same league as that other Canadian icon Jon Vickers. Two of the greatest of the 20th.century tenors.
@GermanOperaSinger What nonsense. Pavarotti sang Calaf live several times, although it was by no means one of his common roles. There's even a clip here on youtube (audio only) of him singing Nessun Dorma live with the San Francisco opera, and he sounds as strong as usual (although they tailor the ending to give him an applause break, to suit his ego, of course!).
Ben is arguably the greatest "Wagnerian" tenor of our time...I'd give his version of this about 4 stars out of 5...the BEST version of this song is Deanna Durbin's version...check that out!!
The Bnatural at the end bar of the aria was not supposed to be "floated" as so many of you think. If people had bothered to listen to the orchestra and not just bad mouth singers they dont like they would realise that the orchestra AND aria build to a climax, thus meaning that if the vocal line should as well..IMHO Heppner handles the aria well even though it is not ideal for his voice he still sings the aria well and i certainly do not believe that Puccini ever intended that B to be floated
I respect you amicable rebuttal. Jussi has a very, very powerful voice and holds the crescendos extremely well. I just like Ben's version a bit better because I enjoy the tone of his voice and it's refreshing to see a lighter side of opera. Especially on love song such as this. When you think of love, you think of soft and delicate. Not powerful and boisterous. JUST my opinion & my preference though. Jussi Björling is a phenomenal singer, not disputing that.
+gaytenor I agree completely. Heppner wisely chose to sing this without belting and screaming and the result is quite beautiful. This aria is, as you say, overdone. And it's too often performed by tenors who have no business singing it, but who blunder on anyway because they think a tenor "has" to sing Nessun Dorma, which in itself is ridiculous. While I'm at it, I rather deplore the tendency these days for some singers to push into heavier and heavier roles, when their voices clearly were never meant for these roles. Jonas Kaufmann's sound has deteriorated as a result of this. He now sounds like he has a golf ball in his mouth and his tongue is being swallowed in an effort to make the sound bigger and darker. Heppner, however, never did that, and always chose his roles wisely.
Your comment reminds me of a funny story about Paul Althouse at the Met that my teacher who studied with him told me. Althouse was having vocal issues and went to his teacher. He came back and he sang beautifully. People asked him why. He said his teacher told him to sing as though he had a golf ball in his mouth. The next day, every teacher in New York was telling their students to sing with golf balls in their mouths. The funny thing is, that's only for the velar vowels, not the palatal ones. He just wasn't getting his tongue up for the velar line. So because no one took the time to listen carefully to Althouse, generations of singers have been taught to sing their palatal vowels wrong. Typical.
to address your last statement, a rather good friend of mine is a top tier tenor. He's been singing bel canto and light rep for most of his career so far. He told me the Gelb sat him and his agent down and said the Met has already heard him in most of the rep he sings, and either needs to move into different (read heavier) rep or the Met won't offer him much if anything anytime soon. So he started doing MUCH more concert work and same rep all over the world, but not so much at the Met. Vargas did it. JDF did it. I'm not sure they are successful at it, but they did. My friend said no. There are a few factors that go into a tenor changing rep. Offers start to come for heavier rep or offers STOP coming for the rep you do well. So you choose.
@@MichaelWadeLeeKapsalis A pity that it has to be this way. A very knowledgeable friend said the same thing to me. The opera houses want the performers to move on. Not many choose to sing a limited repertoire, like Viveca Genoux who concentrated on just a few coloratura mezzo roles and did quite well. Many more push their voices into roles that their voices were never meant to sing. Also deplorable is the tendency these days to hire pretty faces and bodies because the opera house managers think more people will come to opera to see these pretty faces and bodies...most of whom are inferior singers. The Met hired one of these "pretty" singers some years ago, presented her in one opera where she was very badly received. She had a contract for several more operas with the Met, and the Met was unable to buy her out of her contract. In other words, they were stuck with her.
@@MichaelWadeLeeKapsalis Mention might be made of baritone, Erwin Schrott, who has decided to move on into bass roles like Attila. He has difficulty getting down to the bottom of the lower register of the bass range, so the orchestra just plays louder to cover up this. I can't imagine the pressure put on singers of all voice types to move into heavier roles. That top tier tenor friend of yours made the right decision. It's often very difficult for singers to learn to say no. In fact, Samuel Ramey has said that it's one of the most difficult things for a singer to learn. Your friend said "No", and chose preserving his voice over singing repertoire that would have been inappropriate for it.
@sefferpot What is with you Bjorling fans? Bjorling never OWNED this aria he sang it extremely well but he never sang the role on stage nor could he had sung the role on the stage his voice was way too small point or no point. Great versions of this aria by Corelli, Tucker, DelMonaco, Rosvaenge, Lauri-Volpi, etc. are as lease as good as Bjorling's. If we were talking about Romeo, Boheme, or Faust the judgment would, perhaps, be far different.
Mario Lanza was the greatest tenor that ever sang. He set the standard for tenors. But Ben Heppner in my estimation, came the closest. Ben is awesome. And Nessun dorma is the test.
Lanza sure had the voice to be an opera singer, but he did not have the discipline necessary for a career in opera. Perhaps he made the best choice for himself when he chose to make movies. The powers that be in the movie industry were a lot more forgiving of his habitual lateness, temperament, and other traits that showed a lack of discipline than the directors of the great opera houses of the world would have been.
Joseph Campbell: MARIO LANZA!! “Mario Lanza was the greatest tenor that ever sang.” GET YOUR EARS CHECKED. There are far better tenors-even Aretha Franklin singing this aria is better-than the puffed up, stuffed Lanza. He couldn’t even maintain habits to stay in movies; he was too undisciplined for movies and could never have maintained a professional operatic career.
Pavarotti set the bar for this aria, and he held it forever. Then along came this barrel-chested Canucklehead from Vancouver. Sorry. The bar is way up now. Any takers?
Well, you should know that I've such admiration for Heppner, but for me, his voice sounds not enough "insolent" in the high notes for the Italian reportory. Of course, the voice is "light" for Wagner, than other wagnerians from yesterday (Vinay, Vickers, King,...) or today (Stephen Gould,...), but the volume is impressive, so IMO it's OK ! Precisely, the fact that the voice sounds "light" give to Heppner's wagnerian roles much clarity and such beauty of sound. With he, Wagner sounds like Mozart!
The members that view those damn foolish vomparison videos should stop at this site to hear another and ,in my opinion, better approach to this overly performed aria.Heppner is a great tenor and he could belt the aria out but he chooses to sing it in a nontraditional manner that works extremely well and he does end the piece with an exceptional top b. Bravo Heppner!! Heppner's whole performance on the RCA complete recording is on this level or higher and Heppner had the power the role demands.
Incredibly light production because he was a leggere tenor who was silly enough to sing 'nessun dorma' in the first place. Turandot's roles don't call for 'incredibly light productions'. The prime roles in Turandot require a heavy voice which is powerful in both the middle and upper registers...Pavarotti fails miserably to provide this. He should have stuck to singing L'elisir or or Favorita, which he was good at (in my opinion) and not butchering Turandot.
Strongly disagree. Pavarotti's rendition was by no means the best. He sang it with a microphone in a stand up concert...he would never be able to provide a convincing Calaf in the house. Listen to Franco Corelli in a real opera house...now that's a real Nessun dorma. With regard to Heppner, he does splendid.
There are few people in the world who can sing this kind of music but millions who can tell them what they do wrong...
대한민국 테너 김호중 팬으로 김백도님의 추천으로 찾아 들어 보았습니다
호중님 처럼 서정적인 리릭테너 부드러운 넬순도르마 깊은 감동을 줍니다
Clear and honeyed pronunciation of the naturally beautiful sounding words, not saving the best for the last, with a great high range. Unbeatable.
저 역시 대한민국 테너 김호중 가수님의 팬입니다.
김호중님과 비슷하다고 하여 기대했는데 정말 체격이나 음색이 비슷해서 놀랬습니다.
Ben Heppner 님의 Nessun dorma도 정말 감동입니다.
클래식을 잘 모르지만, 김호중 가수 덕분에 클래식의 세계를 알게 되었고 Ben Heppner 님도 알게 되어 클래식 입문이 더 즐거워집니다.
I'm also a fan of Korean tenor Kim Hojoong.
I was looking forward to it because I heard it's similar to Kim Hojoong, but I was surprised because it has similar physique and tone.
Ben Heppner's Nessun dorma is really touching.
I don't know much about classical music, but thanks to singer Kim Hojoong, I got to know the world of classical music and Ben Heppner got to know it, which makes the entrance to classical music more enjoyable.
Unbelievably beautiful. Tears of joy.
Wer hätte das gedacht: Ben Heppner mit dieser Arie. Großen Respekt! Man sollte diese Arie nicht nur mit den Einspielungen von Pavarotti vergleichen. Gratulation zu dieser großen Tenor-Stimme!
This has always been my favourite version of Nessun Dorma...and I consider myself lucky to have seen Mr. Heppner perform this in Vancouver many years ago.
One of the finest performances of Nessun Dorma ever. Those who only think of Heppner as a Heldentenor have a surprise n store for them,
Great voice Ben Heppner !! Bravo
an exceptional interpretation. beautifully sung with warmth and feeling
Ben Heppner sings Nessun Dorma better than anyone in the world. I don't care what anyone says. He is the very best.
Gives me the biggest chills every single time.
have you heard limmie pulliam’s rendition? it’s the best i’ve ever heard
Sunt aproape de acord, dar asculta l pe Ludovic Spiess
Thank you. Mr. H;eppner; I miss your Sunday night show on CBC Radio.
Ben Hepner is one of "the great tenors" of recent time....and all time. In this version Mr. Hepner sounds sweet and musical! Love it!
I agreed. He does everything right, but in the end, his sound is a bit nondescript.
The first time I heard Ben sing Nessun Dorma was on a classical music station on the radio of my car.I was so move, I began to cry. I will never forget this.
Bravo!!!, great easy sanged, even charming by Ben Heppner. A master class about delivering this great aria; he makes it look easy, BRAVOOO!!!! (agree with "Joana Banyeres" 100%!!!)
I have seen Ben Heppner twice in concert. Every year he comes back to his hometown to hold a concert and donates the proceeds to a well deserving project. In 2011 he helped build the art center here. He performed even though he was sick. I was in tears several times through out the performance. It was so beautiful. He wrote me a scripture for my bday and my mom scrapbooked it into a page and framed it. His talent is just like hearing the angels.
One of the sweetest guys in the business. He is a lovely man. Superb singer.
Makes me feel sad for the rest. Nobody does it better!
Agree. Pavarotti and Bjorling are as good in their different ways, but not better. Heppner has that rich, honeyed voice, with the right striving but the high notes secure. I take it this is the recital cd with Roberto Abbaddo and Munich Orchestra.
Did Heppner ever sing this live?
This Aria is bad singing from Heppner
Every time I hear this I am astonished again--so great!
What a voice I listen again and again, Bravo.
So beautiful he sings with so much wonderful feeling
김백도선생님 말씀처럼 호중님 목소리 같습니다.
리릭스핀토의 매력에 푹 ~^^
it dosen't get any bettrer than this...well done Ben...thank you poster
Grandioso
No matter how many times I listen to this, the last descending notes always give me the shivers.
Only second to the greatest, most spectacular performance vocally and dramatically: Franco Corelli's.
Lyric rendition. Love it.
It's nice to listen to a lyric tenor who is actually proud of his being a lyric tenor, and makes the most of it, rather than helplessly trying to prove otherwise.
Well done!
I always hated the word "tenorino" that some people use when referring to these artists. Bigger is NOT always better"(or in this case, more beautiful)! and here is a living proof!
Actually, Heppner made a great deal of his reputation singing heldentenor roles and singing them very well. He's a very versatile performer. He did start out as a lyric tenor, but then became one of those singers who was able to transition well to heavier roles.
Heppner is such a rare gem. His Wagnerian roles are a source of amazement, his Walther von Stolzing in particular. I was disappointed that he was ill for the Met's live broadcast of Tristan und Isolde some weeks ago (though his replacement was good).
That Heppner can also perform the Italianate roles is testament to his immense talent.
This rendition is truly beautiful unassuming it is as if the light of God himself come forth like the sun's rays
Wow Wow WOW!!!!
This is the better performance I have heard Thanks for posting
Absolutely Brilliantissimo!
정말비슷하네요!
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
In my personal view, no one ever has or will ever perform this aria better than Heppner. I don't even like to hear other attempts.
my aunt actually was Ben's girlfriend for a while and he sang at my uncle and aunt's wedding
Oh, my what a voice.
Bravissimo ,,, mi piace molto ,e' un LEONE !!!!!!!!!!Mari
Thank you.
Maravilloso, excelso, inenarrable Calaf...
BRAVISSIMO!!!
Very nice performance.
He has great breath control.
Bravo
La versión de Ben Hepner de Nesum Dorma es la mejor que he escuchado entre tantas. Un aria escrita para él
Posibil sa ai dreptate, dar asculta si varianta lui Ludovic Spiess
Very very good!
Great!
I read of this version at the page for the Jussi Björling page and I wanted to hear it. Bravo!! Rich in emotional content, nearly a tenderness...a fine, valid interpretation. Comparing is useless, apples and bowling balls..
Think of a clear fine crystal bell. Luciano's voice has that clarity that I find many come close to but just do not match-Let us be reasonable, it remains a matter of personal taste. I like the clear pitch of Luciano fine! maybe another likes a more lush sound-again it is personal taste. I do however give a resounding Bravo to my Heppner. I shed a tear. I found great passion in his vocice and to me, passion and clarity are the thing. Again bravo Ben
One saying Pavarotti sang sharp, other can't see the difference between a light production of the sound, of which PAvarotti was a master, and a light voice...
Quite a league of deaf men.
Never heard a better Nessun Dorma.
Woweewowwowwow!!!
Je viens de découvrir ce ténor. Après Pavarotti c'est la meilleure interprétation de ''Nessum dorma'' que j'ai entendu.
Mejor Calaf que Pavarotti como de aquí a Lima
En fait la voix de ce grand ténor ne peut se comparer à celle de Pavarotti sûrement plus légère et adaptée à des rôles moins lourds. M. Heppner a été un des derniers grands ténors des cinquante années écoulées. Bien entendu Pavarotti a été un excellent ténor lyrique dans les rôles qu'il a défendus ,et je l'ai bien apprécié, mais b.Heppner était d'une autre pointure bien qu'ayant été moins connu du grand public. Salutations.
김호중님 음색과 많이 비슷해서
착각할수도 있겠어요
가슴이 시원해지는 노래 잘 들었읍니다
공감입니다~
Never knew that Mr. Heppner, always the voice of “The Hero” to mine ears, ever sang this aria. How wonderful and gentle and splendid and sweet! But I would be the first to admit that the late-great Luciano Pavarotti owns this, as it was but one of a few of Luciano’s signature arias. “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, was clearly written for an “Italian” tenor with the voice of the timbre of a Trumpet, which is why Pavarotti sang this aria with such prolific eloquence. It is that innate beauty of language put to music and performed by native singers that grasps the soul. Could Pavarotti have sung “The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise” in English, as eloquently beautiful and soul-stirring as Mr. Heppner does - very likely not, because English was not Pavarotti’s native language. If you are a native Italian, then surely Anna Netrebko’s “Italian”-singing must leave a lot left to be desired, no? It is not with rancor that I express this humble opinion, but more so out of respect for the beauty of language, in all of its various forms. I must profess that I am a “goosebump” listener and many singers have “shivered me timbers” on many an occasion, e.g., Luciano Pavarotti, Ben Heppner, Jüssi Björling, Richard Tucker, Franco Corelli, Placido Domingo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Feodor Chaliapin, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Lawrence Brownlee, and ladies Beverly Sills, Renée Fleming, Kathleen Battle, Susan Graham, Eva Marton, Marilyn Horne, Roberta Peters et al.
I heard him sing Calaf in Chicago in the mid 1990's. He was wonderful!
Thanks, you really know, at last.
Best 'Helden Tenor'!
Nobody does it better!
김 호중님 같이 서정적으로 부르는것이 비슷합니다
Its not "your impression"--You are correct. He is just one of those voices who can do a lot of roles.
very good critic Samuel you know quite a bit about Puccini... Good, very good
@BassoCantante19 thanks! i thought so. truth in singing, as in all things, is very seldom found on the surface. but anything worth finding is worth looking for! good luck this year to us all, in the search for truth!
I had no idea that Heppner could sing this...but he can. I never cared for him in Wagnerian roles, but this is marvelous. Heppner actually had a voice that was appropriate for the role of Calaf, unlike Pavarotti's pure lyric tenor voice. Heppner's voice is even throughout its range and he doesn't scream the way so many tenors do. Heppner actually has a lower register and his voice doesn't drop out when he reaches down into the bottom of it. It's also a very beautiful voice.
Very good interpretation. Great voice. And it's all a matter of taste, but imo there simply isn't anyone even close to any of Pavarotti's versions of this piece. His voice was made for that kind of aria. And the seeming effortlessness he sang it with combined with the miracle of his sound made it incomparable. All from my subjective pov, of course :-)
호중님보는듯 ㅡ깜놀 ㅡ👍👍👍👍
@thegnomeidentity Very well said.
You know how many singers make the arias for them very easy. and the public easel incompetent believe that this is the form of singing it
I saw Heppner in his premier performance of Turnadot at the Lyric in Chicago. Was quite disappointed after all the hype. His voice cracked while singing as he went to strike the gong, announcing his challenge to the Princess.
@vpo2g2 -Oh really.It has already been many years.He is in the same league as that other Canadian icon Jon Vickers. Two of the greatest of the 20th.century tenors.
Absolutely sensational. Very few ever sang it any better.
Beniamino Gigli that must have been.
I agree 100% with you! Ben Heppner sings Nessun Dorma better than anybody I have ever listened to.
un poco light!
@GermanOperaSinger What nonsense. Pavarotti sang Calaf live several times, although it was by no means one of his common roles. There's even a clip here on youtube (audio only) of him singing Nessun Dorma live with the San Francisco opera, and he sounds as strong as usual (although they tailor the ending to give him an applause break, to suit his ego, of course!).
Ben is arguably the greatest "Wagnerian" tenor of our time...I'd give his version of this about 4 stars out of 5...the BEST version of this song is Deanna Durbin's version...check that out!!
wow, I really like his voice.
and better in Wagner you say?
this I have to see.
corelli , monaco y heppner son lo mejor en esta aria. la pronunciacion italiana de heppner no es perfecta pero se puede perdonar
The Bnatural at the end bar of the aria was not supposed to be "floated" as so many of you think. If people had bothered to listen to the orchestra and not just bad mouth singers they dont like they would realise that the orchestra AND aria build to a climax, thus meaning that if the vocal line should as well..IMHO Heppner handles the aria well even though it is not ideal for his voice he still sings the aria well and i certainly do not believe that Puccini ever intended that B to be floated
I respect you amicable rebuttal. Jussi has a very, very powerful voice and holds the crescendos extremely well. I just like Ben's version a bit better because I enjoy the tone of his voice and it's refreshing to see a lighter side of opera. Especially on love song such as this. When you think of love, you think of soft and delicate. Not powerful and boisterous. JUST my opinion & my preference though. Jussi Björling is a phenomenal singer, not disputing that.
When Heppner was on, he was amazing. This is a perfect studio performance. Live, he often got carried away.
+gaytenor I agree completely. Heppner wisely chose to sing this without belting and screaming and the result is quite beautiful. This aria is, as you say, overdone. And it's too often performed by tenors who have no business singing it, but who blunder on anyway because they think a tenor "has" to sing Nessun Dorma, which in itself is ridiculous. While I'm at it, I rather deplore the tendency these days for some singers to push into heavier and heavier roles, when their voices clearly were never meant for these roles. Jonas Kaufmann's sound has deteriorated as a result of this. He now sounds like he has a golf ball in his mouth and his tongue is being swallowed in an effort to make the sound bigger and darker. Heppner, however, never did that, and always chose his roles wisely.
Your comment reminds me of a funny story about Paul Althouse at the Met that my teacher who studied with him told me. Althouse was having vocal issues and went to his teacher. He came back and he sang beautifully. People asked him why. He said his teacher told him to sing as though he had a golf ball in his mouth. The next day, every teacher in New York was telling their students to sing with golf balls in their mouths. The funny thing is, that's only for the velar vowels, not the palatal ones. He just wasn't getting his tongue up for the velar line. So because no one took the time to listen carefully to Althouse, generations of singers have been taught to sing their palatal vowels wrong. Typical.
to address your last statement, a rather good friend of mine is a top tier tenor. He's been singing bel canto and light rep for most of his career so far. He told me the Gelb sat him and his agent down and said the Met has already heard him in most of the rep he sings, and either needs to move into different (read heavier) rep or the Met won't offer him much if anything anytime soon. So he started doing
MUCH more concert work and same rep all over the world, but not so much at the Met. Vargas did it. JDF did it. I'm not sure they are successful at it, but they did. My friend said no. There are a few factors that go into a tenor changing rep. Offers start to come for heavier rep or offers STOP coming for the rep you do well. So you choose.
Thank you for this
@@MichaelWadeLeeKapsalis A pity that it has to be this way. A very knowledgeable friend said the same thing to me. The opera houses want the performers to move on. Not many choose to sing a limited repertoire, like Viveca Genoux who concentrated on just a few coloratura mezzo roles and did quite well. Many more push their voices into roles that their voices were never meant to sing. Also deplorable is the tendency these days to hire pretty faces and bodies because the opera house managers think more people will come to opera to see these pretty faces and bodies...most of whom are inferior singers. The Met hired one of these "pretty" singers some years ago, presented her in one opera where she was very badly received. She had a contract for several more operas with the Met, and the Met was unable to buy her out of her contract. In other words, they were stuck with her.
@@MichaelWadeLeeKapsalis Mention might be made of baritone, Erwin Schrott, who has decided to move on into bass roles like Attila. He has difficulty getting down to the bottom of the lower register of the bass range, so the orchestra just plays louder to cover up this. I can't imagine the pressure put on singers of all voice types to move into heavier roles. That top tier tenor friend of yours made the right decision. It's often very difficult for singers to learn to say no. In fact, Samuel Ramey has said that it's one of the most difficult things for a singer to learn. Your friend said "No", and chose preserving his voice over singing repertoire that would have been inappropriate for it.
Great voice! Try jussi bjoerling 1944 youtube..very different..
@pigamous3
You are hard to argue with, when you're telling the truth.
I'd fix a couple of pronunciations, but the voice knocks me over every time.
An acceptable version.....
Sorry, I've heard 'em all and this is as good as it gets. My only minor carp is the vowel pronunciation at certain points (like, "steyley").
Nice. I enjoyed his Tristan at LOC a number of years back, but his Otello was underwhelming.
@sefferpot What is with you Bjorling fans? Bjorling never OWNED this aria he sang it extremely well but he never sang the role on stage nor could he had sung the role on the stage his voice was way too small point or no point. Great versions of this aria by Corelli, Tucker, DelMonaco, Rosvaenge, Lauri-Volpi, etc. are as lease as good as Bjorling's. If we were talking about Romeo, Boheme, or Faust the judgment would, perhaps, be far different.
Mario Lanza was the greatest tenor that ever sang. He set the standard for tenors. But Ben Heppner in my estimation, came the closest. Ben is awesome. And Nessun dorma is the test.
Lanza sure had the voice to be an opera singer, but he did not have the discipline necessary for a career in opera. Perhaps he made the best choice for himself when he chose to make movies. The powers that be in the movie industry were a lot more forgiving of his habitual lateness, temperament, and other traits that showed a lack of discipline than the directors of the great opera houses of the world would have been.
Joseph Campbell: MARIO LANZA!! “Mario Lanza was the greatest tenor that ever sang.” GET YOUR EARS CHECKED. There are far better tenors-even Aretha Franklin singing this aria is better-than the puffed up, stuffed Lanza. He couldn’t even maintain habits to stay in movies; he was too undisciplined for movies and could never have maintained a professional operatic career.
A heldentenor singing so soft and thin?
I’d say it’s more a lyric
Legato at 0:28.
Pavarotti set the bar for this aria, and he held it forever. Then along came this barrel-chested Canucklehead from Vancouver. Sorry.
The bar is way up now. Any takers?
Well, you should know that I've such admiration for Heppner, but for me, his voice sounds not enough "insolent" in the high notes for the Italian reportory. Of course, the voice is "light" for Wagner, than other wagnerians from yesterday (Vinay, Vickers, King,...) or today (Stephen Gould,...), but the volume is impressive, so IMO it's OK ! Precisely, the fact that the voice sounds "light" give to Heppner's wagnerian roles much clarity and such beauty of sound. With he, Wagner sounds like Mozart!
Screw Paul Potts, this is a real golden voice ^^
The members that view those damn foolish vomparison videos should stop at this site to hear another and ,in my opinion, better approach to this overly performed aria.Heppner is a great tenor and he could belt the aria out but he chooses to sing it in a nontraditional manner that works extremely well and he does end the piece with an exceptional top b. Bravo Heppner!! Heppner's whole performance on the RCA complete recording is on this level or higher and Heppner had the power the role demands.
But 2 diferent voices.
Limitado de facultades para este rol.muy hasta desentonado en varios paisajes. Hay carencia de tenores de primer nivel.
Del Mónaco was the best Calaf
discúlpame mi laampdegroot supongo que tu debes de cantar excelente por que este senhor se defiende muy bien.
Far better than Pavarotti, that singing machine.
Painful. A comprimario voice.
might not be the color you like, but it is pretty silly to call one of the top Heldentenors of a generation a comprimario. 😂
Je me demande si je ne préfère pas cette version a celle de Franco Corelli je suis tres partagee
moi aussi ...
ahahahahahahahahahahahahah !
Incredibly light production because he was a leggere tenor who was silly enough to sing 'nessun dorma' in the first place. Turandot's roles don't call for 'incredibly light productions'. The prime roles in Turandot require a heavy voice which is powerful in both the middle and upper registers...Pavarotti fails miserably to provide this. He should have stuck to singing L'elisir or or Favorita, which he was good at (in my opinion) and not butchering Turandot.
Strongly disagree. Pavarotti's rendition was by no means the best. He sang it with a microphone in a stand up concert...he would never be able to provide a convincing Calaf in the house. Listen to Franco Corelli in a real opera house...now that's a real Nessun dorma. With regard to Heppner, he does splendid.
I like Heppner, but this is not his Ace. His not open like some put it. he is too wide/white sounded in this piece. Where is the body!