SieglindeMoos (September 19, 2008 at 7:58 pm)

Huh?

whateveruchoose (August 30, 2008 at 7:00 pm)

Lew Dewitt and the Statler Brothers have a much better country rendition on YouTube.

Mropera111 (July 21, 2008 at 6:47 pm)

I enjoyed this, but I like the tenderness of Leonard Warren. I pray I spelled his name right. Leonard was sincere in his rendition.

operacrasher (June 30, 2008 at 4:59 pm)

I also sang with him (at The Music Academy of The West...in Santa Barbara)in the late 1970's.He was only about 20-21 at the time.Even then(as a "post-teenager"),it was indeed, quite evident,that Mr. Hampson was destined for great(world-wide,grammy award winning) success.

dellanmetoud (June 18, 2008 at 3:22 am)

So? The guy can sing all night and never be tired. Wish we could say as much for the people having to listen to this force-fed rendition, it sounds like it was being pressed out of some kind of syllabllic pump of relentless pressure. Yes, there are also guys who can service a woman all night without stopping. But the woman just gets sore and bored. The guy never loses his breath, nor does he create anything which causes her to lose her own breath. Give me breathless performance anytime.

opmaus (June 9, 2008 at 3:27 am)

Projecting across an orchestra CAN be damaging, if the singer is not singing properly and supporting. But classical training strengthens the voice and surrounding muscles to stand that kind of use. In fact, opera singers (good ones) can sing a 3-4 hour opera without amplification at night (over an orchestra) and then the next morning have vocal chords that look fresh and healthy as if nothing happened (as per scoping by an ENT).

Sqid101 (June 8, 2008 at 8:17 pm)

If you are a fan of opera, then it is probably the amplification of his voice that you find unpleasant. Think how voices in the hallway of an apartment house or shouting across a canyon can be amplified. But in a tiny room with properly sound-proofed walls, you can't hear someone shout across it (literally). There is such a room at the local university, and a TV studio may use similar techniques (but not to the same degree).

Sqid101 (June 8, 2008 at 8:05 pm)

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the term "nonsense". I was thinking more of those who claim it cannot be art unless it is done exactly to opera conventions. There are a lot of singers, like the 3 New Zealand so-called "popera" singers who have had some "classical" training (voice coaching) for the the sake of vocal health. But I just read somewhere that the technique used to project over an orchestra is not that good...? The basics of opera style may be healthy vocalism.

UniqueRobbo (June 8, 2008 at 12:48 pm)

hmmmm good point perhaps

opmaus (June 7, 2008 at 4:40 am)

Well, in fact, opera technique IS good. It is hands down the healthiest way to sing. And really, it does take time to develop, but once the technique is there, it's easy. Technically, it is superior from the standpoint of vocal health. May not be to everyone's taste, which is fine, but it is simply good, solid vocalism.