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Simon KEENLYSIDE
SIMON KEENLYSIDE IS MY NEW OPERA CRUSH. Not even because his singing is that beautiful, because I mean, it's great singing, don't get me wrong (also, he is always just right on. ALWAYS. I do not know why this is so hard for opera singers, but it is!) , but -- But his voice acting? Is amazing. And his actual acting? Is completely spectacular. Most opera singers, I think, are singers first and actors second, but he's both. Seamlessly. Flawlessly. The singing supports his acting, and his acting supports his singing. JUST.
Lovable Papageno in Magic Flute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlhbFk2GbcY
...3+/5, the Queen is lovely, Pamina is lovely, Tamino would be lovely if I hadn't been imprinted by other versions, Monostatos and Sarastro are so boring...
Psychopathic/seductive Don Giovanni: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRJKCQTCBgE 4/5 basically for Keenlyside and Joyce DiDonato, a stunning Donna Elvira who has amazing chemistry with Keenlyside and basically steals the show. Probably DiDonato will be my next opera crush. Leporello is also excellent. Donna Anna and Don Ottavio are never my favorites, but they try! The staging was... okay. (The end scene, Giovanni with scantily-clad lady in his arms, was not a good idea, but it was funny.)
Tortured Winston Smith in 1984: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yDqRroGHlE
I haven't watched this all the way through. It's looooong. Most of the amazon review comments boil down to "this is awesome, but would be more awesome if it were half as long."
It turns out he's (a suave-or-at-least-thinks-he's-so-suave, privileged, dangerous, not-so-bright... amazing how Keenlyside's portrayal brings all of these out!) Count Almaviva on my Rene Jacobs Nozze di Figaro (5/5, highly, HIGHLY recommended -- seriously, if you have only one opera recording in a foreign language, it should be this one) and I didn't even realize it. I did know he was Papageno on my English-language Chandos recording of Magic Flute (which by the way, all of the English-language Chandos opera recordings I have are FABULOUS, I would totally recommend these as a first-step to opera if you like musicals). SO GOOD. But even better when you watch him.
Lovable Papageno in Magic Flute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlhbFk2GbcY
...3+/5, the Queen is lovely, Pamina is lovely, Tamino would be lovely if I hadn't been imprinted by other versions, Monostatos and Sarastro are so boring...
Psychopathic/seductive Don Giovanni: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRJKCQTCBgE 4/5 basically for Keenlyside and Joyce DiDonato, a stunning Donna Elvira who has amazing chemistry with Keenlyside and basically steals the show. Probably DiDonato will be my next opera crush. Leporello is also excellent. Donna Anna and Don Ottavio are never my favorites, but they try! The staging was... okay. (The end scene, Giovanni with scantily-clad lady in his arms, was not a good idea, but it was funny.)
Tortured Winston Smith in 1984: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yDqRroGHlE
I haven't watched this all the way through. It's looooong. Most of the amazon review comments boil down to "this is awesome, but would be more awesome if it were half as long."
It turns out he's (a suave-or-at-least-thinks-he's-so-suave, privileged, dangerous, not-so-bright... amazing how Keenlyside's portrayal brings all of these out!) Count Almaviva on my Rene Jacobs Nozze di Figaro (5/5, highly, HIGHLY recommended -- seriously, if you have only one opera recording in a foreign language, it should be this one) and I didn't even realize it. I did know he was Papageno on my English-language Chandos recording of Magic Flute (which by the way, all of the English-language Chandos opera recordings I have are FABULOUS, I would totally recommend these as a first-step to opera if you like musicals). SO GOOD. But even better when you watch him.
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My regret is not seeing him when the Met did an obscure Hamlet a few years ago. That probably would've been a lot of fun.
DiDonato I've seen a few times... as... hmm... as Sycorax in The Enchanted Island, as Rosina in Barbiere, and probably something bel canto. She's wonderful.
My biggest opera crushes are on Kathleen Kim and Danielle DiNiese.
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*makes notes* I'll look them up! I've also crushed hard on Ileana Cotrubas after seeing her in my DVD of Figaro. And I will always have a massive crush THIS BIG on Ian Bostridge (though I think of him as more of an oratorio guy, he doesn't really have what I think of as an operatic voice).