Basso Profondo

[Justin Ignaz Franz Bieber]

Through Rachmaninoff's vocal stuff I've become sort of familiar with basso profondos (spelled with an 'o' & not a 'u' ). So I know of this album, but I don't have it yet:


Are there other albums like that one? I guess anything with Vladimir Miller, Vladimir Pasuikov or Viktor Wichniakov would be worth getting.

Two of those guys are in this clip, which is unreal. I can hardly believe it hasn't been doctored 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WpD2Cspn6g

[Maciek]

Not sure if this will interest you but Penderecki sometimes includes basso profondo parts in his religious oratorios, e.g. Passion, Utrenja - especially the latter might interest you, since it's partly inspired by Russian Orthodox chant.

[knight66]

Wow, amazing stuff. There is a bit of such writing within the Rachmaninov Vespers, but nothing so concentrated.

Some of the other YouTube stuff on the low-voice section certainly comes as a bit of a culture shock after the link SP provided. Low voice in Country and Western!

Mike

[snyprrr]

I NEED to hear some jaw-dropping bass singing. I'm getting in a twist over these Shostakovitch basses in Symphonies 13-14, and I feel like I'm just not getting that physical thrill from these basses.

In general, what's some (maybe somewhat modern, maybe not) bass singing I might be able to get into? I've enjoyed Christopher Isherwood in that Varese piece (Nagano/Erato), but, beyond my old Haitink Shostakovitch, I have no bassics.

[kishnevi]

try Russian church music. They have a tradition of really deep bass voices.

[Brahmsian]

try Russian church music. They have a tradition of really deep bass voices.

Good recommendation, Jeffrey.

Snypps, if you can get your hands on either of these, highly recommended.  Men's choir, deep voices.  It is awesome. 

[asin]B000E3LD2W[/asin]

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[North Star]

Hillier & Estonian Chamber Choir's recording of the All-Night Vigil has a great basso profundo - and this set is a great bargain, with Gatti's Tchai 6 & Serenade for Strings, and Engerer's Mussorgsky solo piano disc (Pictures, Night on the Bald Mountain, etc)
[asin]B00699QOWO[/asin]

[knight66]

Search out Boris Christoff and Alexander Kipnis.

Mike

[jochanaan]

African-American basses!  Paul Robeson and William Warfield both had voices that could rattle any rafters.

Also Martti Talvela.

[Xenophanes]

The names of Josef Greindl, Martti Talvela and Kurt Moll come to mind.

[Drasko]

Maxim Mikhaylov and Boris Shtokolov.

http://www.youtube.com/v/A2yBOjZL19I

Mihkaylov you can see also singing as Deacon in Eiseinstein's Ivan the Terrible, famous coronation scene.

http://www.youtube.com/v/BUHvn1nJ1MY

[Papy Oli]

Arvo Part - De Profundis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eSz2J3nS2o

[Justin Ignaz Franz Bieber]

I can never listen just once

http://www.youtube.com/v/O_Vx1ZiqHOA

it's the first track on this album

[asin]B00000JQGJ[/asin]

there's also a different version of this track

http://www.youtube.com/v/z3A_ZlVB3r8

2nd half of this one, althought this guy sounds a bit more like a baritone than a basso profondo

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZOnOaSIo7mk

[EigenUser]

I NEED to hear some jaw-dropping bass singing. I'm getting in a twist over these Shostakovitch basses in Symphonies 13-14, and I feel like I'm just not getting that physical thrill from these basses.

In general, what's some (maybe somewhat modern, maybe not) bass singing I might be able to get into? I've enjoyed Christopher Isherwood in that Varese piece (Nagano/Erato), but, beyond my old Haitink Shostakovitch, I have no bassics.

snyprrr, have you heard the Beethoven "Missa Solemnis"? There is a great bass solo in the "Agnus Dei". When I heard it last week I remembered your request for bass singing .

[jochanaan]

snyprrr, have you heard the Beethoven "Missa Solemnis"? There is a great bass solo in the "Agnus Dei". When I heard it last week I remembered your request for bass singing .

And for some of the best bass singing out there, get the Karl Boehm/Vienna Philharmonic recording with Martti Talvela as the solo bass.  (I saw him live once as Gurnemanz in the Met's 1979 Parsifal.  His physical presence was as awesome as his voice: he was about 6'5" and 300 pounds of muscle.  Jon Vickers as Parsifal looked like a child beside Talvela.  Here's a picture: http://www.operacollectors.com/catalog/Matti%20Talvela%20N2302_W.jpg )

[snyprrr]

I can never listen just once

http://www.youtube.com/v/O_Vx1ZiqHOA

it's the first track on this album

[asin]B00000JQGJ[/asin]

there's also a different version of this track

http://www.youtube.com/v/z3A_ZlVB3r8

2nd half of this one, althought this guy sounds a bit more like a baritone than a basso profondo

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZOnOaSIo7mk

WOOOW!!!!

yea, THAT was the shizzle!! Now if he could only sing TWO notes!! haha- but yea, that's the sound I want to hear in DSCH 13!!!!

snyprrr, have you heard the Beethoven "Missa Solemnis"? There is a great bass solo in the "Agnus Dei". When I heard it last week I remembered your request for bass singing .

no- will check- thanks!







all the fuss is about the Leiferkuss? and Aleksasakian(?) (you know you know)- Lieferkuss especially seems like a one man DSCH 13 machine, but the Sacred Bass Voice is TheRealDeal.

The Part 'De Profundis' is a fav

[jochanaan]

...all the fuss is about the Leiferkuss?...

You're talking about the Kurt Masur/New York Philharmonic recording of DSCH 13?  Sergei Leiferkus sings the part competently, but he hasn't yet developed the awesome resonance of a William Warfield, a Martti Talvela, or even Mark Reshetin who sang the Moscow premiere of DSCH 14.  The best aspect of that recording is the New York Choral Artists.  On the other hand, hearing Yevgeni Yevtushenko recite his poem "Babi Yar" is worth the price of the album!