Car Phone Salesman Becomes Next Pavarotti

[V]

Actually, I was asking about the semi-final song, not Nessun dorma.

BTW, I agree with you, this guy doesn't have that fantastic of a voice. However, consider the fact that our world is bombarded with the Spice Girls, Ashlee Simpson, etc. This guy sounds pretty darn good contrasted with them.

How many people that would attend a show like Britain's got talent, would actually know anything about opera? That probably has something to do with the response, not to mention the fact that they can't understand the concept of staying quiet during a performance.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by redforever

although why that audience is crying and so enraptured by his version is totally beyond me, they must never have heard Pavarotti singing the same aria.

I'm sure they haven't. No offence to the American Idol/British Idol fans, but they don't seem like a group of people that would listen to opera unless it was remixed by 50 cent. So my guess is that for the majority of the fans (which I am sure are 14 year old girls) have been exposed to very little opera. It isn't exactly mainstream. Heck, I can't even think of the last time I heard it outside of this thread.

I got a question for you though. Since I am a total opera noob, was all that cheering and clapping during the singing an opera faux paux? I always that applause and cheering was only to be done during certain parts of the song (like a long breaks in the song) or at the end. Or I could be thinking of the symphony. I ask because they cheered a lot during parts of the song, especially during the peak parts (for lack of a better term). And it overlapped the singing. So am I seeing nothing or is the crowd acting bush league?

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Burninator

I'm sure they haven't. No offence to the American Idol/British Idol fans, but they don't seem like a group of people that would listen to opera unless it was remixed by 50 cent. So my guess is that for the majority of the fans (which I am sure are 14 year old girls) have been exposed to very little opera. It isn't exactly mainstream. Heck, I can't even think of the last time I heard it outside of this thread.

I got a question for you though. Since I am a total opera noob, was all that cheering and clapping during the singing an opera faux paux? I always that applause and cheering was only to be done during certain parts of the song (like a long breaks in the song) or at the end. Or I could be thinking of the symphony. I ask because they cheered a lot during parts of the song, especially during the peak parts (for lack of a better term). And it overlapped the singing. So am I seeing nothing or is the crowd acting bush league?

The applause is usually at the end, for a couple of reasons. The orchestra has a tempo that they will have established with the conductor and with the soloist. That tempo will then be broken, it might not seem like so much of a faux pas, but you are interrupting the words and story line then too. And if the soloist is in the middle of say, the big ending such as in Nessun Dorma, then the soloist has to compete with the noise from the crowd. Usually they dont, but if they do, they risk the chance of straining their vocal chords. It is also rude to other members of the audience who have paid to come and hear the orchestra and soloist, not the crowd clap in the middle of the production.

Now sometimes if just the orchestra is playing, and there is say, a solo by maybe the trumpet player, and the conductor points towards him when he is done, then it is appropriate to clap at that point in time, even if the piece has not been finished.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by V

Actually, I was asking about the semi-final song, not Nessun dorma.

BTW, I agree with you, this guy doesn't have that fantastic of a voice. However, consider the fact that our world is bombarded with the Spice Girls, Ashlee Simpson, etc. This guy sounds pretty darn good contrasted with them.

How many people that would attend a show like Britain's got talent, would actually know anything about opera? That probably has something to do with the response, not to mention the fact that they can't understand the concept of staying quiet during a performance.

Well, when I click on the link in the thread, I dont hear him singing anything except Nessun Dorma. Do you have a link to what he sang in the semi finals? so that I could listen to it?

And by the way, I dont have problems with some of the modern music, some of it has a lot of talent as well. I have quite an eclectic taste in music and listen to just about anything except folk (to me it drones on just like that irritating elevator music does, too much sounds all the same) and what I refer to as "rap crap" (which is basically just talking to a beat). What I have a big problem with here is the masses treating Potts as the next up and coming in the opera world when that simply is not the case. Potts was born with "some" talent, he has paid to develop his talent, but he was not born with a gift and he does not sing even closely to anyone born with a gift. He has won a 2 bit talent contest folks, that is about it.

And I dont think you need to have listened to a lot of opera, listened to a lot of blues, listened to a lot of hard rock, whatever, to recognize talent. Talent is like cream, it usually rises to the top. Of course, if you have a musical ear, it does help to at least recognize if the people are even hitting the right notes))

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by redforever

The applause is usually at the end, for a couple of reasons. The orchestra has a tempo that they will have established with the conductor and with the soloist. That tempo will then be broken, it might not seem like so much of a faux pas, but you are interrupting the words and story line then too. And if the soloist is in the middle of say, the big ending such as in Nessun Dorma, then the soloist has to compete with the noise from the crowd. Usually they dont, but if they do, they risk the chance of straining their vocal chords. It is also rude to other members of the audience who have paid to come and here the orchestra and soloist, not the crowd clap in the middle of the production.

Now sometimes if just the orchestra is playing, and there is say, a solo by maybe the trumpet player, and the conductor points towards him when he is done, then it is appropriate to clap at that point in time, even if the piece has not been finished.

Yeah, I figured the crowd was getting too excited. I found it annoying, as like you said, I am trying to hear him sing, I didn't click on the link to here the crowd cheer like Britney Spears is bopping around on the stage.

But I don't think him getting so much recognition is necessarily a bad thing. I would say there is a good chance that it will get more people interested in opera and possibly other types of classical music. And if they start getting into it they will learn and find better voices out there. A lot of this "next Pavarotti" talk is just the media looking to get peoples attention. Not serious talk by people who actually know the scene.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Yeah, I figured the crowd was getting too excited. I found it annoying, as like you said, I am trying to hear him sing, I didn't click on the link to here the crowd cheer like Britney Spears is bopping around on the stage.

But I don't think him getting so much recognition is necessarily a bad thing. I would say there is a good chance that it will get more people interested in opera and possibly other types of classical music. And if they start getting into it they will learn and find better voices out there. A lot of this "next Pavarotti" talk is just the media looking to get peoples attention. Not serious talk by people who actually know the scene.

Possibly, not sure. I never got into opera, seriously, until around 15 years ago. I of course was familiar with most of the basics, knew some of the main talents out there, but basically, was a novice, still consider myself quite an amateur. I come from a very musical family, but had never really ventured much into the opera world. My sister and I had always talked about going to some of the productions that the Opera Society puts on every year, to familiarize ourself with some of the old established operas, but we had only talked. We finally decided to just do it, got ourselves some seasons passes and delved in. And now I have made myself more informed and once you know some of the history or have actually heard some of the old masterpieces, then you can appreciate opera a lot more.

I think no matter what kind of music you appreciate, to go outside of that genre, you have to get to a certain stage in your musical journey or life, and once you do that, you step outside of the realms you are familiar with and make yourself ready to learn about other styles of music.

You might not enjoy all of it, but then, if you are into rock, do you like all the rock bands out there? I would wager not. Some you will always like more than others.

[redforever]

By the way, if any of you are interested in hearing some of the more famous arias from opera, or the famous choruses found in some of the operas, then try to attend "A Night of Opera" put on by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Saturday, March 15. It will be a night of music by Verdi and Pucinni, two of the most famous composers of opera, both from Italy. They will have a guest tenor, a guest soprano and the full Calgary Philharmonic Chorus will be attendance and performing too. It will be worth it just to hear the famous chorus from Verdi's Nabucco, March of the Hebrew Slaves. And our Calgary Philharmonic Chorus does not have to take a back seat to anyone either!!!

I know that I for one, wont be able to listen to this music without tearing up, it is simply music that is divine to the nth degree, at least IMHO.

Take a listen))

The first one here is conducted by Myung-Whun Chung who at the time was principle conductor for the symphony at Rome. Look at him too, as you listen to the music, see how he feels the music? I think that in turn gets sooooooooo much more out of the orchestra and the choir. And watch how he ever so gently closes the chorus down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0EAL3vXZrM

And this is the same piece of music, as performed by the children's choir during the closing of the 2006 Torino Olympics, just as great, I always find that to listen to children's voices of this calibre is simply amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5OfG5DABRM

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by redforever

By the way, I have a new respect for Michael Bolton, the man does have a voice!!!

Michael Bolton: Yeah, well at least your name isn't Michael Bolton.

Samir: You know there's nothing wrong with that name.

Michael Bolton: There was nothing wrong with it... until I was about 12 years old and that no-talent ass clown became famous and started winning Grammys.

Samir: Hmm... well why don't you just go by Mike instead of Michael?

Michael Bolton: No way. Why should I change? He's the one who sucks.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by V

Actually, I was asking about the semi-final song, not Nessun dorma.

BTW, I agree with you, this guy doesn't have that fantastic of a voice. However, consider the fact that our world is bombarded with the Spice Girls, Ashlee Simpson, etc. This guy sounds pretty darn good contrasted with them.

How many people that would attend a show like Britain's got talent, would actually know anything about opera? That probably has something to do with the response, not to mention the fact that they can't understand the concept of staying quiet during a performance.

I did some searching, is this the song that you mean?

Potts, his semi final performance, singing Time to Say Goodbye?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvUKUZaiDvE

and this is Time to Say Goodbye as sung by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. She got her claim to fame being married to Andrew Llloyd Webber and starred in his production of The Phantom of the Opera. Potts just does not compare to Bocelli, he does not have the phrasing Bocelli does when singing this number, nor the emotion.

The main difference between amateur talent and gifted talent, is the gifted feel the music and that comes through in their presentation when they sing. Same with say playing a piano, many can play the keys, too few can make the keys sing.

The ending to this duet is amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp0ccQVy1og

Here he is singing the same song, solo, it is track #1 on the Romanza CD that he has out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhh8MaRnzMc

This duet is featured on Bocelli's Romanza album and here is the link

http://www.amazon.com/Romanza-Andrea...149437-2887825

By the way, the second piece on the disc, Vivere, as well as the 14th piece on this disk, Miserere, composed by Zucchero, is dynamite too. The whole album is nice.

Time to Say Goodbye is also featured on many CD's that Brightman has out by herself.

[V]

Yeah, that's the song. Thanks.

I actually thought Potts did a pretty poor job of it, to tell you the truth. If anyone were to listen to Bocelli do it, and then Potts? Yeah, there's an obvious talent gap there.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by V

Yeah, that's the song. Thanks.

I actually thought Potts did a pretty poor job of it, to tell you the truth. If anyone were to listen to Bocelli do it, and then Potts? Yeah, there's an obvious talent gap there.

Yes, Potts did do a better job on Time to Say Goodbye than he did on Nessun Dorma.