There is a soft and very beautiful orchestral conclusion to this aria after Carlo's last line. But alas - it is almost always drowned by the audience, who have nothing else on their mind than applauding loudly as soon as they can get away with it.
I think he is using too much the chest voice, (do correct me if wrong), however he makes his way very good towards what the aria is supposed to mean, a King talking to himself about the majestic grandiosity of becomming the emperor of the world. And that acute La bemol at the end is like a big bang itself. Colossal.
If it will be written everywhere that somebody is a legend 90%of people will cry of extasy, even if singing is really bad. When Pavarotti was young and sang in the USSR nobody knew, that he is great, so the aplause was close to zero. But here, they knew allready that Milnes is a "legend", so the quality of singing was not important.
@@Vayou2023 Rispetto la sua opinione e il suo gusto. Per il conto mio antri Signori che appartenevano al passato glorioso loro erano dei Veri Baritoni Verdiani . I gusti sono solo dei gusti, a ognuno il suo… il vecchio PS Accanto ai Tenori tipo Ramon Vinay dal vivo Milnes aveva la voce del tenore corto. Questo per informarla … Ciao
@@lz43p15 Ed io mi sto chiedendo come Lei arriva ad apprezzare questo artista?! I gusti sono solo dei gusti, a ognuno il suo. Per il conto mio ho un’esperienza di più di 65 anni nella materia… Rispetto il suo gusto , è suo e a nessun altro . Ma quando un baritono sta interpretando il grande repertorio con una vocalità meno scura e meno pastosa dai Tenori che avevo sentito dal vivo per me personalmente c’è qualcosa che non va . il vecchio PS Vocalità severamente ingolata , purtroppo priva della bellezza artistica verdiana vera.
I saw Milnes so many times at the Met; Verdi, Massenet, many others. But never Hoffmann. This is a fantastic rendition. The aria, which Offenbach didn’t write for this opera anyway, is difficult for most singers, it’s just awkward. James Morris and Sam Ramey sang it successfully, but both had trouble on the climactic high note.
Anche se è after, non sono d accordo. La voce è un po' impastata e vagamente tremula. Il paragone con gli acuti fermi e laminati di Bastianini è impietoso. È bravo, ma basta. Ettore B. È su un altro piano dove stava e rimane solo.
I love Milnes! He is the best baritone that I have seen live on stage. His voice was vibrant, dominating, magnificent in quality, his stage presence imposing. For me Milnes was FAR better than Cappuccilli, Bruson, Zancanaro, Wixell, Nucci, etc etc. (not to speak of the ones of the last 15-20 years most of whom do not even deserve to be mentioned by name). Unfortunately, I have never heard MacNeil, Merrill and Warren live on stage to compare but I was so fortunate to have seen this giant of a singer Sherrill Milnes in a number of roles. Unforgettable!
Checking out most baritones on RU-vid, most opt to take it down at least a half step, sometimes a whole step. Theodore Lambrinos and Milnes seem to be the only baritones of note who take the aria to tremendous success in its original key of E. As a side note, opera legend has it that Mr. Milnes has been known to give a pretty amazing Che Gelida Manina at parties.
To criticize Milnes' "middle voice" is interesting. Most baritones would give a lot to havehis upper range. He's really more of a baritone/dramatic tenor if you may not a bass-baritone. You can't have it all. His strength was in the upper ranges.
Stunning presentation from his early career,,, Great upper register,,,, perhaps the best recording of this very difficult aria,,, in this key,,, from his debut album "the Baritone voice"?
I realize it has been a year since you posted, but this opera was filmed over three days back in Dec. of 1983. When Sherrill Milnes made his curtain call after the act was finished, you can hear numerous "thuds" caused by many people giving him a standing ovation and the folding seats are popping back in their upright position.
