Gioachino Rossini - Ricciardo e Zoraide - "O popoli di Nubia" (Bruce Ford)
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2008
- The primo, Andrea Nozzari, gets the second word in this cavatina from "Ricciardo e Zoraide".
Tenors can be found in most rossinian operas most often playing the romantic interest of the heroine, the seeker of the heroine's affection (in the case of Nozzari and David, both played such roles with equal success) and even fathers or tyrants, especially if the heroine's lover was to be played by a contralto.
Although both Giovanni David and Andrea Nozzari were certainly talented singers, it seems that it was the latter who gave Rossini more inspiration. Nozzari frequently played villains, especially in operas where he was accompanied by David (in three out of four operas where they appear together he plays such a part, only in "Otello" the situation is actually reversed with David being the more oppressive party), though Rossini also wrote quite a lot of romantic or heroic parts for him: Rinaldo, Osiride & Leicester are all such roles. Plus, in one instance, Nozzari actually played the father in "Maometto II". The range of roles and, even more importantly, motivations is quite broad.
Nozzari, similar to Pesaroni who started as soprano, had begun his career as a high "tenore contraltino", probably similar to David's. In 1803 - 1804, however, as the result of an illness he suffered in Paris (again, much like Pisaroni), he had lost his ability to sustain this uppermost register; and though upon his return to Italy he had recovered much of his strength of voice, he never regained this seemingly effortless highest extension.
He is thus commonly described as a "baritonal tenor", still agile and florid in style, but without the extreme top to his voice, or, to express it perhaps more accurately, the ability to sustain the extreme top. In the roles Rossini wrote for him, we may note that he is still taken high above the top of the stave in solo passages, but that when he sings with another tenor, he is generally allotted the lower line, a third below the upper. There is also a discernible concentration upon the middle voice and the chest register rather than the topmost extension. The composer makes a conscious feature of the strength of his lower reaches: for example, in the present number his voice is taken as low as a substantial low A.
Concerning arias... Even more interesting and quite unusual is the fact that three parts for Nozzari: Rinaldo in "Armida", Osiride in "Mose" and Erisso in "Maometto" -- feature no arias at all. Actually, in "Armida", while the primo has no solos, both conprimaprio tenors have a cavatina. Still, all three occupy a central place in the action of their respective operas. In all other examples Nozzari has at least one cavatina ("Otello", "Ricciardo e Zoraide", "La donna del lago") or big scene & aria later in the opera ("Elisabetta", "Ermione"). In "Zelmira" he has the most arias, unusually, both pieces are sung in the first act.
I choose the cavatina from "Ricciardo e Zoraide" for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is a typical Nozzari piece complete with a three-part structure of "march-like opening - andante - cabaletta". Secondly, it features prominently all merits of the singer: both the high and low registers, coloratura, declamation etc. Finally, it is a very extroverted piece, not exactly one of Rossini's best scenes, but still very much enjoyable. I would especially note the brilliant cabaletta with a very difficult finish. The central aria is, alas, interesting but not really melodically rich.
The piece is actually a bit longer but I decided to leave out a choral transition between the central aria and cabaletta to limit the whole scene to one upload.
Like most of Rossini's stars, Nozzari has several counterparts in today's singers: Chris Merritt, Bruce Ford and, more recently, Gregory Kunde. In this particular cavatina I decided to go for Ford who, inspite of being a bit lighter vocally than the more powerful Merritt, is, in my mind, closer to the elegant ideal. Plus, like Nozzari, he is more comfortable in the middle of the voice. Enjoy :)! - Hudba
This voice sound really really beautiful, in a way I think i've never felt with contemporary tenors. It sounds deep but at the same time it has flexivility. It reminds me a way of singing more similar to that of mezzosopranos, and with agility.
From 6:00 to 6:22 The most amazing tenor coloratura I've ever heard! From tenor Hi-C to basso Ab2 !!!!!
Wonderful singing by Ford as always!!!
That reminds me, thank you for the recordings: I especially liked the song from "Blood+", though I was unfamiliar with it before :). I would have to single out both "coloratura" sections and the final accent to the F, very nicely done :)! And, yes, you are right that this way the high notes are given more life.
Really impressive Ford in this extremely difficult aria. It is a pity that "Ricciardo and Zoraide" isn't frequently performed.
I'm even more surprised by the fact that singers were very mobile: Nozzari, Galli and Pisaroni managed to redesign their respective voices to lower variants of themselves and continue their careers successfully :D.
About the range of the tenors (+ your comment on David): and I thought the F5 was high :)! A soprano high B flat! Though I'd imagine that David wouldn't sing such high notes in performance (or did he :)?). Perhaps voices were lighter then and thus had wider vocal ranges :)?
Could I hear it too please? My take on the higher extensions of previous generations of tenors, is definitely stylistic - it's not as if their tenors grew up dreaming to sing nessun dorma :) - their style was grace and beauty to bravura and fireworks. Is it tenable that their voices were like Matuezzi's with more head/falsetto up top? It would be interesting to undertsnad the progression from this bel canto tenor sound concept to that of the verismo tenor.
is there a complete recording of this opera still available? or an english translation of the poem upon which it was based?
8:06
In this year 2018 is Juan Diego Flórez the Star of this Opera His bright and brillant Voice is amazing and unique
The role of Agorante was sang by Sergei Romanovsky. Flores has not a baritenore voice (tenor with strong low notes and chest voice) necessary for this role. He (Florez) is good like Riccardi but he can't sing Agorante
Or we can say that for this role and aria you need an assoluto voice range. Bruce Ford is this kind of singer, Florez just not.
spevoljub This Is Nonsens !!!!
@@dieterflorian865 What exactly is nonsense?
@@dieterflorian865 you are very confused about the different types of Rossini tenors. Florez did not sing this role, he sang the much lighter, more youthful and lyrical Ricciardo.
I have heard this aria with the unforgettable Alfredo Krauss. Useless to say that there is no comparison but what satisfactory is to hear such beautiful aria
you must be dreaming. kraus had a totally different voice, very light and high. he’d not have sung this role at all.