This aria is a favorite of deep basses, some of whom interpolate a low C at the bottom of the cadenza. "Si la rigueur" Cardinal Brogni's aria from La Juive by Jacques Halevy. Leopold Ludwig, c. 1955
His German-language duet with Marti Talvela in the Grand Inquisitor's scene from "Don Carlos" is hair-raising! Now, THAT would have been something to see on stage! It's also on YT.
He was a really great German bass, like Weber, or Moll. But listen to the Hungarian Mihály Székely(sung in Hungarian) or Cesare Siepi and compare the the voices and the vocal styl also. There was also a Hungarian bass singer, József Bódy. Listen to his version and the low end of cadence. Clear, strong with a nice timbre. So we had very good version in the past. And the present? Have you any good examples? Laszlo Baranyay
One of Greindl’s better performances, early on probably. He does some good work in the LOEWE Balladen series with MIchael Raucheisen when he was in his early/mid thirties.
I always thought Greindl was a mainstream low bass rather than a very low bass. I would not have expected him to command a legit low C. But he did, and the very low tessitura of this aria held no terrors for him at all.
Victor Christy There are two recordings of "DER FLIEGENDE HOLLANDER" (1965 & 1966) with Greindl singing the title-role (both performances are conducted by Lorin Maazel and the Orchestra is the BERLIN DEUTSCHE OPER).
Sean Coxen Did hd ever sing Wotan/Der Wanderer in a complete production of "Der Rinh des Nibelungen"? Or was this the only time he approached the role?
+immeralles besserwisser it's really sad nowadays (or maybe from long ago also) many german professors don't like avanti and light sound but dunkel dunkel sound. and as a Bewerber in germany i really have no idea what to do... it's really making me struggle.
J.J Ryunahnea young man you want an answer? Don't sing dark vowels with high pressure, that makes sound like bass, but it takes energy out of the system. A slim man sounds like a slim man, you can not substitute the lack of 40 or 50 kg with over- power. You should work to achieve freely swinging vocal chords, deep in your body. Not the New German style, listen to old singers before DFD. Your intention should not be to sing loudly, sing sonorous.
+sebthi wow thank you so much for your advice! i listen to old bel canto singers a lot to analyse and study how they sing. it's also really a temption for me to sing a bit darker because my voice is somewhere in between baritone and bass baritone and i want to be a bass baritone but i guess it doesn't matter what i am if i can sing freely without too much pressure because in the end that will help me to find out what i really am. by the way who or what is DFD?
J.J Ryunahnea Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. He was the one who ignored the old technique. Intellectuals after the war in Germany wanted to brake with the Old, and also the old spoken German. DFD transformed the new spoken language into the singing. In the begining of his career he was fresh and followed his teacher, but later he changed more and more into non-passagio-singing. It's a petty Herrmann Prey was bullied by the intellectual music sceen, estimated almost as Schlagersänger, ignoring his high intelligence, because he was really warm hearted. Listen to his Neapolitanische Gesänge by Henze. Here show how to sing modern music. His voice managment was exeptional. After geeat priblems in the 80s he returned with a fresh voice in the 90s. I listen to him in Deutsche Oper with Löwe Lieder, clear and big, dark and brilliant.
i never knew such a story was hidden behind. that's kind of shocking. ok i should check them out. can you also recommend me some german basses with good old techniques?
J.J Ryunahnea listen to Walter Berry, Matthäus Passion with Klemperer, the oldest and most round voicing Berry, later recodings lost a little. Also love the Johannes Passion with the Bass Franz Crass. I like the Ucrainian Bass Kipnis who studied in Berlin. Also listen to Schorr, Schlusnuss, Domgraf-Fassbender, these are Baritons. It is helpful to learn to understand the technique. To imitate the sound is bad, because you have your body and they had theirs. Every singer had his best periode, because the body is changing over the years. You need to be humble and wait to the moment your physological skills are ready. Colleagues are laughing about me when i say i can hear if a singer is more or less fat or skinny, huge or small. I can not substitute the body of a 2meter Bass, but i can prove my vocal skills, life long study. When you find a way to let your vocal cords freely swinging you will achieve the most and sonorous sound. Perhaps you suddenly reach really high or deep tones.
There are at least THREE significant differences between Josef Greindl and Kurt Moll. 1. Moll's vibrato is rapid, tight, and consistent; Griendl's vibrato is wider, slower, and more variable. 2. Greindl's voice is more harsh and edgy than Moll's. Moll sounds like a contrabassoon. 3. Greindl was a more versatile actor. Although he was very smart, he had the ability to SOUND crude and savage, unlike Moll, who always sounded like a natural genius with a warm, friendly personality. This was a problem for him when he played "cave-man" roles like Fafner and Hunding, and when he played stupid characters like Osmin and Baron Ochs. Even his Commendatore is more sympathetic than menacing. I think the only time Kurt Moll ever scared me was when he sang Monterone in RIGOLETTO.
