The Passion of Opera

José Carreras & Georges Thill Note: Finding recordings of and writings on Georges Thill was rather difficult in comparison with the previous singers I’ve studied. Rather than abandon the pursuit entirely, however, I decided to focus a bit more heavily on José Carreras by listening to three full operas and excerpts. For Thill I was limited to excerpted arias from a variety of sources and highlights of a Charpentier opera. José Carreras            José Carreras’ career defies easy explanation because of the multiplicity of factors that defined both his technique and his repertoire throughout. It remains unclear if his progression from Bel Canto lyric repertoire all the way through spinto repertoire caused or was caused by a darkening depth in the voice even as it retained its fundamental characteristics. Many critics questioned the function conductors and fame played in role selection and a strong suspi...

Grace Bumbry & Christa Ludwig Grace Bumbry             Wikipedia mentions in passing that Grace Bumbry is comparable to Shirley Verrett in her transition from mezzo-soprano to soprano repertoire. While I was approaching Verrett from the assumption that she was a soprano, I approached Bumbry from the perspective that she was a mezzo-soprano. Incidentally, my conclusion for both singers was that though they were successful in both voice types, they were both definitely sopranos. My two full-length selections for Bumbry were a 1967 Amneris in Verdi’s Aïda and a 1974 Salome in the title role. My findings reflected even more extremely my insights on both Verrett and Ponselle.             What I noticed almost immediately in Bumbry’s portrayal of Amneris was the extensive use of chest voice. The rich, throaty sound seemed quite natural and was thrilling as ...