Best vocalist of all time?

**orgel** · 05-19-2012, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by crisnee

Want to judge female soprano opera vocalists? Listen to all the recordings of Mozart's two "Queen of the Night" arias; there are quite a few. I've listened to almost all of them (I have a bit of an obsession for "The Magic Flute") and have only found a couple of near perfect renditions.

And those are? (I could go for a good Die Zauberflöte. Don't currently own one.)

--David

**crisnee** · 05-19-2012, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by orgel

And those are? (I could go for a good Die Zauberflöte. Don't currently own one.)

--David

Three I like very much (not for the Konigen in particular) but in general, the Bohm, Solti and Abbado. I think they only have one each, but I'm a little confused about the Solti, so check into it if you decide to go that way.

-Chris

**Jay192** · 05-20-2012, 04:17 AM

Carol Kidd

**milos.dunjic** · 05-20-2012, 09:56 AM

Ian Gillan in the world of pop/rock for sure

**orgel** · 05-20-2012, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by crisnee

Three I like very much (not for the Konigen in particular) but in general, the Bohm, Solti and Abbado. I think they only have one each, but I'm a little confused about the Solti, so check into it if you decide to go that way.

Thanks, Chris.

So is this the Solti you're talking about?

Amazon.com: Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute): Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Georg Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker, Ruth Ziesak, Uwe Heilmann, Michael Kraus, Sumi Jo, Kurt Moll, Heinz Zednik, Lotte Leitner: Music

The Bohm is also tempting, but I'm a big Solti fan, so I'll probably go that way.

--David

**tomE** · 05-20-2012, 02:37 PM

I like Van Morrison and Elvis and Roy Orbison in pop/rock genres. K.D.Lang has a nice voice and I've always liked Linda Ronstadt. I never listened to opera much but heard a male member of the Canadian Opera Company at an outdoor venue once and I don't recall the singers name but I do remember being impressed. I went home and listened to Queen doing their opera thing and that Freddy guy wasn't even in the same universe as the opera guy. I like opera MUSIC a lot and the singing is superb but I'm still not that big of a fan of it.
Tom

**crisnee** · 05-20-2012, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by orgel

Thanks, Chris.

So is this the Solti you're talking about?

Amazon.com: Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute): Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Georg Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker, Ruth Ziesak, Uwe Heilmann, Michael Kraus, Sumi Jo, Kurt Moll, Heinz Zednik, Lotte Leitner: Music

The Bohm is also tempting, but I'm a big Solti fan, so I'll probably go that way.

--David

Hey David, Yup, I'm pretty sure that is the one. The reason I'm only pretty sure, for some reason I can't find the original of said version and only have the tracks on my HDDs (I'm not exactly exacting when it comes to cataloging).

I would go with the Solti too, over the Bohm. It is exciting, fun and moving, all at once, while the Bohm is lovely, which is not a bad thing either.

-Chris

P.S. Let me know what you think after you've heard it a few times.

**crisnee** · 05-20-2012, 05:16 PM

A few not so typical pop/jazz singers with wonderful voices:

Tim Buckley
Fred Neil
Eva Cassidy
Nina Simone
Cassandra Wilson

-Chris

**Bob Stern** · 05-20-2012, 06:48 PM

Re: Solti Magic Flute

I don't know that recording, but I love Solti's "Marriage of Figaro" with Te Kanawa, Popp, von Stade, Ramey et al.

**wisnon** · 05-20-2012, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by jhwalker

I think this is a good start (though I'd omit Marion Anderson - impressive as her accomplishments were, she wasn't that great a singer in the scheme of things).

I think my point would be we could easily expand this list to 20-30 :/ I certainly couldn't pick just one.

Who was it that said of Marion...."a voice like this comes along once every 100 years"?
Ella and Shirley Horne should be there as well.

If voice is treated as an instrument, then the power and range of say a Whitney must be respected. The range of Sarah is unwordly...like she had 5 distinct voices. Then there is the sheer purity of Karen....

**orgel** · 05-21-2012, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by Bob Stern

Re: Solti Magic Flute

I don't know that recording, but I love Solti's "Marriage of Figaro" with Te Kanawa, Popp, von Stade, Ramey et al.

Hmm. Maybe I'll go crazy and get both. They're both in my Amazon cart, and I need to order something else today, so ....

Thanks, Chris and Bob.

--David

**REShaman** · 05-21-2012, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by orgel

Hmm. Maybe I'll go crazy and get both. They're both in my Amazon cart, and I need to order something else today, so ....

Thanks, Chris and Bob.

--David

and Frederica Von Stade - Chants d'Auveregne, Vol. 1.One of the best.

Enjoy the music,
Richard

**Vindixon** · 05-21-2012, 10:44 AM

Richard,

I heard Frederica Von Stade sing from both Chants d'Auveregne and some Mahler at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires last Thursday night. She still has a lovely voice. The Teatro Colon is really beautiful and has great acoustics.
I will order Chants d'Auveregne, Vol. 1 today.

Thanks,

Vincent.

**REShaman** · 05-21-2012, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by Vindixon

Richard,

I heard Frederica Von Stade sing from both Chants d'Auveregne and some Mahler at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires last Thursday night. She still has a lovely voice. The Teatro Colon is really beautiful and has great acoustics.
I will order Chants d'Auveregne, Vol. 1 today.

Thanks,

Vincent.

My pleasure. I am truly transcended by her voice and the deep and spiritual nature of Canteloube's songs of the Auvergne. Of course, this is not the only, but it's one of the only. Listen and feel it and decide for yourself. Wish I was sitting next to you in Teatro Colon. But somehow you conveyed what you experienced and the raison d'etre for ordering this magnificent recording by Frederica Von Stade.
Thank you for your confirmation.
Enjoying the music with you,
Richard

frederica-von-stade-chants-dauveregne-vol.-1.jpg

**beetlemania** · 05-21-2012, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by mayhem13

I'd be surprised if there's much of a debate.

Really?

Scanning this thread, I didn't notice any other votes for Maria Callas . . .

I'm ignorant of most opera singers. I *really* enjoy listening to Alison Krauss - what a voice! OTOH, I find someone like Jonatha Brooke more emotive.

For me, Mirusia combines an incredible voice with emotive connection, albeit I've only heard a couple of her songs.

**les pako** · 05-22-2012, 12:53 PM

You've all missed an obvious choice:

Sandy Denny

**dalethorn** · 05-24-2012, 05:23 PM

Here's a little piece I wrote about a CD I got the other day. Fischer-Dieskau. Awesome sound, dynamics, performance.

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn & Lieder

**Desk Jockey** · 05-24-2012, 07:48 PM

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Unbelievable control, pitch and soul in a league all his own.

**mayhem13** · 05-24-2012, 11:44 PM

Clearly we all have very different criteria when it comes to singers....although there were some repeats such as Ella. When I consider a vocalist, I try and ignore the song itself and look towards the voice as an instrument and the singer as the musician. That allows me to seperate between tonal qualities as well as technical ability. That being said, I'm subjectively biased to Callas' tonal quality.....and again I'm not exactly an opera fan. Waaaay on the other side of the spectrum and my second choice...Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. Weird ha?

**blueixus** · 05-25-2012, 05:36 AM

Of course an impossible question to answer, but I would like to think Dusty Springfield would be on the shortlist, difficult to pick out a best album but Dusty in Memphis produced by Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin stands out.

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**ssgp2** · 05-25-2012, 06:31 AM

She is the only singer who reach me so profoundly

**wpauge** · 05-25-2012, 04:59 PM

ssgp2, you are absolutely right. Her performance brought me to tears, I have got to hear more. Many, Many thanks and Happy Listening.

Bill.

**ssgp2** · 05-25-2012, 05:04 PM

Yes, I'm a wimp too...

**brunk** · 05-25-2012, 07:57 PM

Purely for his own unique and mesmerizing voice - not technically best - Louis Armstrong

**brunk** · 05-25-2012, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by brunk

Purely for his own unique and mesmerizing voice - not technically best - Louis Armstrong

To add to my previous reply

Yes, he was the first to record "What a Wonderful World". God bless his soul!

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