tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9458752.post1338751056443194854..comments2023-10-26T08:19:23.900-04:00Comments on an unamplified voice: Met Council Finals 2011JSUhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02477558636942883735noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9458752.post-25799710427882319252011-03-19T03:03:59.886-04:002011-03-19T03:03:59.886-04:00Philippe Sly sounded more like a lyric baritone th...Philippe Sly sounded more like a lyric baritone than a bass-baritone and the Tannhauser aria didn't really carry that far, definitely too large of a piece for his voice. <br /><br />Deanna Briewick... Her rep choices weren't my favorites.<br /><br />Joseph Lim: Count aria sounded unbalanced and very unimpactful, but I thought the Borodin suited him best. He seemed more connected to the text and the music than in the Mozart.<br /><br />Ryan Speedo Green: Incredible instrument! Middle voice was lost, but the top and bottom were strong. I think his repertoire will be broader once the middle is in place.<br /><br />Sasha Djihanian: The overall sound made me feel uneasy, but none the less beautiful. Her top sounded shrilly and out of line from the rest of her voice. The Handel wasn't a great choice for her, but the LiĆ¹ aria allowed her to show a bit more color.<br /><br />Nicholas Masters: Boccanegra was good, but it sounded too manicured of a sound and unoriginal for me. The Britten aria did nothing for his sound, although it showed his strong acting ability, but that didn't seem to be a quality the judges were looking for as much this year.<br /><br />Michelle Johnson: The Cilea aria suited her perfectly and really made an impact with the audience, whom (myself included) applauded loudly before the orchestra finished. I'm sorry it was just beautiful and I think many of us couldn't contain ourselves, it just happens. =) Dove sono was proportioned well and was a daring programming choice for her.<br /><br />Joseph Barron: Va ravviso was great! One of the few true bass-baritones of the evening. I enjoyed the added cabaletta at the end, always a nice way to round out a bel canto aria in a competition. Faust was well acted, however I would've liked to see a voice with more malice in the bottom half to really bring across the treachery of Mephistopheles. <br /><br />The 5 winners were decided rightly although, I would've only really picked 3.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com