Definetely NO thin voice - are You serious??? There are very few tenor voices with such richness in sound! And even fewer in the Rossini repertoire!BRAVO MAESTRO ARAIZA!
It's incredible the way this great mexican tenor interprets Rossini. He always sings keeping the same color in his voice(low & high). And he shows a perfect singing line while he reaches the high C. Most tenors are afraid of singing this very dificult piece and hold the high C just for a second. Araiza holds it without panic and with full virile voice. Just amaizing !!
Very good Araiza, but you have not heard so many other versions (Björling, Baum, Bonisolli, Cecchele and so forth). There is not any best, but great versions. Sincerely,
Came across this by accident Monday April 27th 2020 in the middle of lockdown due to Covid 19 killer virus. Simply mesmerising! Tempo and wonderful tenor make it pure Rossini. A mental lift just when it was needed.
Francisco shows the world "How it should be done !" Every tenor in the world should listen to this over and over and watch how he sings. Simply amazing !
I admire him immensely for singing at the tempo he does, which taxes his breath control to the fullest extent and yet he came through it with FLYING COLOURS! His use of dynamics was also beautiful and a perfect top D! Bravo Araiza! It is very apparent that the Spanish-speaking countries have a claim to the exclusivity of the best tenors at the moment!
Maravilloso tenor el maestro Araiza!!!, presciosa voz y gran talento musico-interpretativo. Su voz es rotunda, con todos los armónicos en su sitio, fácil para los agudos, de color uniforme, que más pedir a un cantante lírico?, creo que este debe de ser unos de los mejores para nosotros los latinos, y uno de los mejores de todos los tiempos para toda la lírica universal. Gracias por compartir este maravilloso material filmico!!!BRAVOOO!!!!
BRAVO!!! UNIQUE! ... one of the very few Tenors (Aragall and Kraus are other examples) able to modulate not only his volume as the Belcanto dictates (Ref. Messa di Voce) but also his vibrato (in frequency and in combination with volume!!!) giving his renditions a special beauty and expressiveness otherwise not achieved. He resembles a great painter with an own painting technique.
What a wonderful performance. I had the chance to hear him singing in Mexico City's impressive Opera House many years ago ( mid 80's ) and he brought the house down with his portentous voice. One of the most memorable opera performances of all times there and many other places I've been throughout my life. Thanks to youtube, now we can enjoy such a wonderful voice. Thank you maestro Araiza for the memories.
SUBLIME! wonderful dynamic and Tempo! only possible for Artists like Abbado and Araiza. What a D-flatt!! like trumpet but with body resonance and the final piano phrase!!! after over 30 Years there has been no better interpretation than this one! BRAVI!
Araiza ...Una voz extraordinaria...centro poderoso y zona aguda acometida con colocación, brillantez y facilidad...da gusto escucharlo...hacen falta,hoy, cuando ya se fueron los grandes de los 50/60 cantantes con estas cualidades.
Es extraordinaria la voz de Araiza, pues combina frescura,agudos y potencia.Excelente voz de tenor lírico(suena en su tono natural;por eso, Obsérvese la diferencia cantando el dúo de Otello en sonido-colocación.
@Pawelp Actually Araiza began as a bass-baritone! Read Hines' book. He became the premiere Mozart/Rossini in the world but later tried spinto. I think he also did Lohengrin. In the theater his voice had color and size - something missing from Florez in a similar fach. A very great singer indeed.
Viva Zapata. Fantastic voice ! Where did he dissappear to ? Yes comparable ot to Giggli, Bjeorling, Di Stefano and Paveroti. Mervelloso Francisco. Netanel
Thanks for your comment!! I agree with you, this master piece shine much more while sung in fullvoice. I checked the score and the Key for this "cujus animam" is A flat, which means that the high note at the end is a D flat(equivalent of C#).
The weight of critical opinion favours Jussi Bjorling (who else?) as having made the best recording of this taxing piece. Is it heresy to say that Araiza even surpasses that legendary performer? His tone quality, his breath control and his brilliant top notes make this a wonderful recording.
Listen please to Il Mio Tesoro by Luigi Alva in Aix in 1971. Summa elegantia and frassing. Nevertheless, Bjoerling and Araiza here are in the same step
This performance is froma Rossini concert that included Caballe, Horne, Lind, Ramey, and others. as far as I can tell the man in the chair is to represent Rossini. (I think lol.)
A mi parecer un poco lento, quizás los tenores dramáticos como Araiza cantando detrás de la orquesta lo hacen para lucir la voz en todo su esplendor. Muy bello timbre y potencia única, indudablemente un gran tenor.
Listening to this makes one want to convert to Catholicism! Exquisite performance aside, let's not forget to mention one VERY important thing, the unequaled, masterful conducting of Claudio Abbado. Hell, I'd take him over Muti anytime.
@MauyGaby Con todo repeto, pero Francisco Araiza tiene una técnica vocal impecable, ahora bien lo está comparando con otros tambien muy grandes y reconocidos por grandes artistas, voces espectaculares, pero no por técnicos.
!!!GRAN VOZ E INTERPRETACIÓN ESTA DE FRANCISCO ARAIZA.!!! Reconosco que no lo habia escuchado ,sí he sabido de él por muchos comentarios. En verdad Gran voz por que cantar detrás de la orquesta no cualquier cantante lírico lo puede hacer, ni siquiera los mediaticos que hay aún. Raras veces tengo una duda como ésta,¿es tenor dramático o baritono?.
Why didn't this guy record the Rossini Otello? There aren't that many around who could do so. BTW did you know that he started as a bass-baritone. It's in Hines book.
Lyric: Cuius animam gementem, Contristatam et dolentem Pertransivit gladius. Hi, which variation rings more authentic to you, "contristantem" (the present participle" or "contristatam" (the past participle)?
Contristatam, of course. That's the original version ascribed to Jacopone da Todi. Moreover, the present participle ( the soul making sad whom or what?) does not make much sense, IMHO
I think the high note is C# That´s not less impresive! Rossini didn´t like fullvoice notes above G# he wanted more headvoice in the sound. But I think he was so wrong!
Muy bella voz, felicidades a México por tal tenor... Sin embargo y en mi humildísima opinión he notado un poco pesada esta voz para el Stabat Mater, pienso que una voz más clara como Florez o José Luis Sola han ejecutado mejor tal aria y su dificultad. Es solo una opinión. puedo estar equivocado. Veo que Araiza es Lírico.
