Their best role

[Schigolch]

Here we just need to decide what is the best role ever sung by a particular singer, in our opinion.

We can vote with just a name, or a more lenghty post, according to our mood. Debate is welcome. I think we can devote a few days to each singer, and then go for the next one.

Let's start with an easy one, with just a few roles in his career... Plácido Domingo.


Alfredo Germont*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxOv7U6M26o*

Werther*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaDphm_ATP0*

Cavaradossi*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyh7r1uOhM0*

Radames*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dslf53h4Bls*

Manrico*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNTlTJ1c2IY*

Don José*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8brlvy_s1g*

Samson*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdHP_Ud4j5I*

Lohengrin*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAXtHw7ZZy0*

Parsifal*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdRv7i1rsCo*

Siegmund*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkV5cOTbf8k

Calaf*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b7R3JS-Q_0*

Rodolfo (Bohème)*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eMtK2-0GOU*

Rodolfo (Luisa Miller)*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h0qOERov68

Andrea Chenier*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L_rvQh0EJ0*

Loris Ipanov*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFd44T3jE_U*

Otello*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzTwgd-ADEc*

Pinkerton*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr1rqtOYtn8*

Maurizio (Adriana Lecouvreur)*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmYOtjlNTIw

Hermann*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FisC6RHBp_w*

Don Alvaro*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djl_bmEib8A

Hoffmann
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbcSC9QINTw

Des Grieux (Puccini)*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbG03VOmqY*

Riccardo*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKvuQM7gScM*

Don Carlo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud_HCDqRjA4*

Canio*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R0iaRcUqDI*

Ernani*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuwIxXxm-Bs*

Turiddu*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VODxpzul-rA*

Gabriele Adorno*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKUcrSwnYEE*

Stiffelio*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VutATNDmxU*

Duca di Mantova*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5lOCjQkM7c*

Enzo (Gioconda)*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA025O3NsHY*

Paolo (Francesa di Rimini)*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8t1bn9dhhM*

The roles here are just an example, you can vote for any other you may like.


My favourite Domingo role is Hoffmann.

[Amfortas]

My favourite Domingo role is Hoffmann.

Probably an obvious choice, but I vote for Otello. Whereas Domingo as a performer can be a bit bland and generic, too much the same from one role to the next, I think something about Verdi's tragic hero brought out a passionate intensity he was able to display nowhere else. And to sing such a killing role with such distinction over so many years is itself a major accomplishment.

[MAuer]

Otello would also be my pick -- but I think Don José would be a close second.

[Anne of Green Gables]

I'm torn between Alfredo (Levine) and Cavaradossi (Bartoletti). To avoid dillema and be more original by choosing role that was not mentioned in first post, I'll go with Nemorino from L'Elisir d'Amore (Pritchard). His voice at it's best and the whole recording is of similiar class.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Live I've only see Domingo as Otello and Samson. He made a big impression on me as Samson.

[Operafocus]

I've only seen him live in "Simon Boccanegra" and that was a pretty stunning performance!

[jflatter]

Hoffman for me.

[AnaMendoza]

I've never seen him live, but I'm going to go for Othello. As Amfortas said, to sing such a difficult role so well, so long, is noteworthy.

[Schigolch]

Domingo is Otello.

Next one, Renée Fleming:


Countess Almaviva

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NToJ2phG7Qk

Rusalka

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHXAC6lTXR8

Tatyana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X03fgUK_XHQ

Rosina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4sIcK9spzQ

Desdemona

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhcqkeXID5g

Susannah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk9JV3gpwvc

Donna Anna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrTgxcI305k

Arabella

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArUqDOh9LjE

Blanche

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GADdPQ02mLo

Marschallin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRCAiaQrw68

Thaïs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEJoK4Rpnbw

Countess Madeleine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oUABPNM_AI


I lover her in many of those renditions, but I will choose her Countes Madeleine, from Capriccio.

[jflatter]

Marschallin

[Dark_Angel]

I will go off the beaten path with Thais for Miss Fleming.............

There are fewer great performances to go up against thus easier to stand out, love the DVD for this opera with Fleming/Hampson

I fully agree that R Strauss suits her well, she is the current active queen of Strauss replacing Kiri Te Kanawa for the spot

[MAuer]

I would also vote for the Marschallin -- though I agree with Dark_Angel that her voice really seems ideal for Strauss.

[Schigolch]

And for Korngold, though she regrettably will not sing Marietta.

[Amfortas]

I vote for Renee as the Marschallin as well--though Blanche DuBois will always be *her* role in a way unlike any of the others.

[rgz]

La Contessa for Ms. Fleming imo.