John Alexander Blyth wrote:
> I must admit that I agree about Karen's critique of Heppner: judging only > from Met broadcasts, and recordings, he has a smaller than ideal voice for > Tristan, like everyone else :o) Beautiful under other circumstances, though.
I have to disagree. I heard him in the house - way up in the Met Balcony, last row (the Balcony in the Met is the 2nd section from the top of the house, pretty high up and far from the stage!). Even over the huge Met orchestra (which sounded incredible, I must say), which was not holding back its volume, his voice has tons of size, and could be heard without the least straining by the listener. However, the color of his voice is unusual for a role like Tristan. Heldentenors usually have a darker, more baritonish timbre, but Heppner's sound has a very lyric quality. But I've never heard a lyric tenor with a voice the size of his. I think his voice is one-of-a-kind. He certainly is the best singer of those Wagnerian roles at present. And of the tenors his generation I've heard in person (which is many of them), the only one for whom I have unqualified admiration.
Peggy
-- Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA "Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile" mailto:peggyh@i...
|
| |