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From:  Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Date:  Wed Apr 5, 2000  3:07 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] Ben Heppner


John Alexander Blyth wrote:

> I must admit that I agree about Karen's critique of Heppner: judging only
> from Met broadcasts, and recordings, he has a smaller than ideal voice for
> Tristan, like everyone else :o) Beautiful under other circumstances, though.

I have to disagree. I heard him in the house - way up in the Met Balcony, last
row (the
Balcony in the Met is the 2nd section from the top of the house, pretty high up
and far
from the stage!). Even over the huge Met orchestra (which sounded incredible,
I must
say), which was not holding back its volume, his voice has tons of size, and
could be
heard without the least straining by the listener. However, the color of his
voice is
unusual for a role like Tristan. Heldentenors usually have a darker, more
baritonish
timbre, but Heppner's sound has a very lyric quality. But I've never heard a
lyric tenor
with a voice the size of his. I think his voice is one-of-a-kind. He
certainly is the
best singer of those Wagnerian roles at present. And of the tenors his
generation I've
heard in person (which is many of them), the only one for whom I have
unqualified
admiration.

Peggy

--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...

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