I heard records of Ah Mes Amis sung by Florez, Brownlee, Kunde, Camarena and Pavarotti, but I have to say Lopardo’s rendition was really really special. Amazing.
@@nurhandrio that's impressive. I have seen him interviewed several times, and he is indeed a very humble man. I also wrote to him years ago, and he mailed me an autographed photo that hangs on my wall next to autographed photos of Pavarotti and Corelli. All the best.
I was there. I heard that performance and I also heard Florez do the same role more recently. The biggest difference? I could hear Lopardo. Florez - the singing peanut - has a tiny voice. For a guy with such an easy top Lopardo has a rather dark voice. He sounds manly. In that production Lopardo was singing with Kathleen Battle. She also had a tiny voice. The SF War Memorial Opera House is big. Small voices get lost in there. Florez and Battle don't really belong on that stage. Lopardo is also just about the funniest tenor I've ever seen on stage. I first saw him in l'Italiana. He interpolated a little sailor dance into the proceedings. He was jolly. I was singing Colline in a local Boheme at the time. Our tenor kept going on and on about Lopardo. He couldn't believe anyone could sing like that.
I agree that Frank Lopardo is magnificent, and his voice was only matched by his great comedic acting skills. During the singing of the nine high C’s he was spinning the rifle better than any soldier that I have ever seen. I was at four of those performances, and I taped two of the operas completely. This performance I only taped the highlights, and I feel that he was at his best. He is pretty much unknown to the general public as is Rockwell Blake, and both men were much better than any of the “Three Tenors.” As for JDF, I have seen him several times in live performance, and it is true that his voice is not large. However, his agility, flexibility, and the laser-like ability to sing the high notes is unmatched. I am glad you enjoyed the selection, and thanks for the comments.
