Dear Mike, Graham and co vocalisters,
Mike: How do you know that Siegfried Jerusalem 'started singing anything too
late'? It always sounds very cool to say that singers with a great career like
Jersusalem, are crap, and it sounds even cooler if you give reasons for your
statements, but to me it sounds rather cheap (like most 'cool' things). You
might as well say: 'Jerusalem smoked way too much, or - what to me seems the
easiest explanation - he is just not a real Heldentenor. Either thing could be
an explanation for his somewhat husky sound, a sound he did not have at the
very beginning of his career.
He started his career in his thirties by the way, and he has been a bassoon
player at the RSO Stuttgart, so unlike most late starters, he had a good
musical background. For one of his first performances he asked Celibidache for
permission (he had to take a day off) and Celibidache first heard him sing, and
than told him to continue his musical career as a singer.
But please tell me, why somebody who starts his career with a fresh voice, not
damaged from singing too large roles for a too young voice, shortly before the
glory years for tenors, would be in a bad starting position. I think it is more
a matter of technique and material than of anything else. We only have proofs
of voices that ruined their voices by starting too young, not of the opposite.
After all, Jerusalem sang over 25 years at Bayreuth: no matter how his voice
may sound, this is already a proof that there he some material left :), when
he started his career.
I realise this sounds somewhat as an oratio pro domo, so be it.
Graham wrote: '[...]In my own case, it has taken 10 years of singing on stage,
to place myself
in the position of being ready for my Siegfried and Otello next season. I
never believed that close to 40 years old, the voice would blossom, however
it was true. James also said that a 40 year old singer is a young singer.[...]'
Add ten years to the starting years of Jerusalem, and he should have started
his Heldentenor career at 45. I think Jerusalem started too early, not too late!
Graham: could you please tell us something more about the
heldentenor-tradition, and what's wrong with it nowadays in your opinion? This
sounds very interesting!
Best greetings,
Dré
|
|  |
