On Sun, 9 Jun 2002, Mirko Ruckels wrote:
> A question for the group:
>
> How come so many tenors sing Mozart in such a limp-wristed way? Especially
> here in Australia, every Don Ottavio and Tamino (and every other Mozart
> tenor) is sung by extremely light awfully polite sounding tenorinos. I'm
> doing Tamino in September, and my voice verges on the dramatic, so there'll
> be none of that light sound. But I'm just curious as to why this there is a
> preference for the lightness? Does anybody have any idea? I've heard that
> in Europe, lyric tenors (even some spintos) do Mozart as well, not just the
> little guys.
> Fritz Wunderlich was no light tenor, and he had great success with Mozart.
So did Helge Roswaenge, Peter Schreier, Stuart Burrows, Cesare
Valletti, and Richard Tauber, who were certainly not "limp wristed" in
their Mozart renderings.
But then there were Schipa, McCormack, and Simoneau - all of whom sang
with an exquisite lightness that was, to my ear, totally lacking any kind
of masculine potency in their Mozart renderings.
But I don't think one can totally generalise as you have about today's
Mozarteans. Richard Croft (Dwayne's brother) is a very light voiced tenor
but his Mozart renderings are anything but "wimpy" - indeed, he sang what
was easily the most macho Don Ottavio I've ever seen and heard. Philip
Langridge, another tenor who has sung quite a bit of Mozart, is also
hardly what I'd consider a "limp wristed" Mozartean; Langridge's is not a
large voice, and he's not a macho performer either, but neither is he a
vocal or dramatic wimp by any stretch. Russian tenor Ilya Levinsky is another
occasional Mozartean who brings vigour to the Mozart tenor roles.
I think one must be careful not to confuse sweetness of tone with
"limp-wristed" or "wimpy" singing. Croft and Levinsky both have
sweet-toned voices, as certainly did Wunderlich. But then so did Schipa
and Simoneau and (to the ears of Irish tenor lovers of which, I am
admittedly, NOT one) McCormack.
There is a certain "school" of English singing that does, sadly, seem to
produce more than its fair share of sexless (if not actually "limp
wristed") singers. John Mark Ainsley produces beautiful sounds, excellent
musicianship, and absolutely DULL, sexless performances. I feel the
same way about Ian Bostridge, certainly Ian Partridge, and at times
Anthony Rolfe Johnson, among others. In lieder repertoire, their lack of
"oomph" seems to be less of an issue, but it makes their operatic
characters rather androgynous.
One last caveat: I don't think one should base their feelings about Mozart
tenor roles on renderings of Don Ottavio in DON GIOVANNI. Don Ottavio is
*ATYPICAL* of Mozart's tenor roles which, if one considers the rest of his
oeuvre, included the heroic Idomeneo, the decidedly erotic Ferrando, the
romantic Tamino, and the wicked Monstatos, among others. Indeed, the only
real tenor WIMP I can think of among all of Mozart's tenor characters, is
Don Ottavio - who I think Mozart painted rather extremely in order to
contrast his nobility, gentility, and sensitivity with the rampant
eroticism, wickedness, and heartlessness of the opera's protagonist.
Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
______________________________________
I will sing with the spirit, and I
will sing with the understanding also.
1 Corinthians 14:15
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