Kaufmann is singing ‘with half a voice’
NewsBarry Millington, in the first print review of Werther at Covent Garden, states an uncomfortable truth about the great German tenor:
At one point in the second act of Massenet’s Werther, the heroine’s sister Sophie tells the eponymous hero, sung by Jonas Kaufmann, widely acclaimed as the greatest tenor of our time: “it’s you everyone wants to see”. And so they do: we were all there to see and hear Kaufmann take the role of the lovesick, melancholy poet.
The singer, alas, has had vocal problems for some years now, and they have clearly not gone away. By the end of the second act many were wondering aloud whether they would ever again hear the German tenor as he was in his prime. In those first two acts he managed little more than the half-voice croon that has become familiar in recent years. With Werther’s rival, Albert – Gordon Bintner in fine voice – and the role of his lover Charlotte taken by Aigul Akhmetshina – a former Jette Parker singer of enormous potential – Kaufmann was in danger of being eclipsed….
Read on here.
Not for the first time, Covent Garden has left it too late to engage a singer in one of his roles. Anyone doubting Kaufmann’s supremacy in this role should look at the 214 Met pwrformance on DVD. However, in those intervening nine years he has been singing roles such as Calaf and Radames…not good for his voice.
214 BC or 214 AD?
Obviously, I meant 2014. Did it make you feel smart to do that little jab?
BCE actually.
Being a natural bariton, but with technical ability to push into the tenor register, JK has to use more effort and control technique than most singers. He needs more effort to control the instable system (pneumatic pressure, acoustic impedance stuff in the vocal tract) than natural tenors. He will most likely fall out earlier in his career than others, due to this. Maybe it‘s already happening.
He is not a natural baritone, what an idea! Did you never hear him when he was young? Never heard his speaking voice? probably not, you’re just one of those omniscient people who have to make a statement on every subject, whether they have a clue about it or not.
Right. The “natural baritone” who sang Mozart’s Belmonte, Ottavio, Ferrando, Idomeneo, Tamino and Tito, Paisiello’s Lindoro and Pastore, as well as Fierrabras, Alfredo and Fenton — all but Ottavio and Fenton existing on record for the sceptics. These people tie timbre rigidly to range and convince themselves that Kaufmann’s openly discussed change in technique twenty years ago led to disaster, with only Alvaro, Carlos, Manrico, Radamès, Otello, Cavaradossi, des Grieux, Chénier, Paul, Lohengrin, Stolzing, Parsifal and Tristan, all of which we have heard in Munich, to prove their worries unfounded.
@HB: relax. He said so himself in interviews in the past IIRC. That his initial training was as baritone, his natural register, and later an encouragement happened to switch.
https://youtu.be/nvkVakdV4z8
Just listen, a baritone by any natural means, with a special talent and technique to conquer the altitude. But at a price…
Did not Domingo consider himself a baritone in his teens and started with baritone roles in his parents’ zarzuela company? He pushed his range when he allegedly sight read Borsa with the Mexican Opera, thereafter singing more comprimario tenor parts.
Where and when did he stated that he trained as baritone? you can listen to young Kaufmann, still at school: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EL4rM9DtA
Hmm, maybe I was wrong. I believed I read (or heard?) an interview with him, where he said such.
And you’re criticizing him for making a comment on everything by commenting on his comment! Oh vey!
I love when a comment has pneumatic pressure…
Some people have a lot of it in their head, due to a lack of solid matter there.
One shouldn’t rush to conclusions.
1. He has always had a “Knödel”, a constricted sound (“croon” is not the right translation for it, because a crooner is someone who sings with a smooth style, with quieter sounds and a more intimate manner).
2. He sang a magnificent Tannhäuser in Salzburg last April.
So probably he just wasn’t in good form at the ROH.
I was planning to skip this one as I am not a vocal expert – but I was in Salzburg in April and several people more knowledgeable than me said he wasn’t singing well in Tannhauser. So unfortunately your second claim is not correct.
Interesting argumentation. You’re not a vocal expert and because several people more knowledgeable than you said so, MY claim is not correct :-)) For your information, the performance was also broadcast, so everyone should be able to listen to it again and judge for themselves. And please, stop this bashing of musicians.
I also was lucky enough to hear his Tannhäuser in Salzburg and agree with you that he sounded great in that role.
Apparently he suffers badly from hay fever and there is a “pollen bomb” in the UK at the moment. He was also clearly coughing and clearing his throat a lot in the final dress rehearsal, as well as on opening night. I’m very surprised that no announcement was made as he was clearly unwell – but it’s good that most of the critics have acknowledged this. In spite of the problems with volume / high notes he sang with exquisite sensitivity and beautiful lines.
I fear he’s in a complete no win situation with this – if he drops out that he will be branded an unreliable diva by his haters but if he continues people will say his voice is finished. Jonas is a great artist and I wish him a very speedy recovery
I received independent evidence for such a “pollen bomb” from a colleague working in the UK who had to go on sick leave because it hit her so badly.
An announcement was made this evening (23rd) and should have been on the 1st night. Lack of one just gave carte blanche to those who just love to savage him, and of course they went to town. He sang superbly tonight.
He cannot do it anymore! A tenor like him doesn’t last. Time takes its toll on his voice and body and soul. But he was a very fine Werther ten years ago or so. I feel grateful for that 2010-2013 Werther .
“many were wondering aloud whether they would ever again hear the German tenor as he was in his prime”
This is the sillyest thing to write about a singer aged 55 after more than 20 years’ singing the most demanding roles in the rep. That of course doesn’t mean he is not suffering from vocal problems or he had a bad night.
What’s so bad about Kaufmann having passed his zenith with this upcoming job in Erl?
He will soon start drinking Ristretto instead of Espresso macchiato and will naturally go baritone – the hot Knödel remaining firmly in place.
He was recently quite good as Andrea Chenier at La Scala, albeit a bit (ri)sotto voce. Or were the hearing aids set incorrectly?
Alas, we all age.
I was at the dress on the weekend, so not fair to judge him on that, but he didn’t sound well… often dry and struggling for volume at some of the big orchestral moments (and Werther has plenty of those) and there was a lot of crooning. Saying that, even when not at his best, I’d rather hear him than many others….
So you say it is not fair to judge him on the dress rehearsal but then proceed to do exactly that.
My point remains, as others have commented, that he seemed unwell (lots of coughing and clearing his throat) and was not on form…and clearly was not much improved by the first night upon which he has been (fairly) judged.
Maybe you should take the time and trouble to go to an actual performance if you are so anxious to judge him. Or you can just rely on what “others have commented” if that is too much effort for you.
There has obviously been a problem for a long time judging by the number of appearances he cancels. In his prime he was impressive but age does have its effects
Such a sad and frustrating state of affairs for this wonderful tenor. It helps me understand his preparatory moves into lighter music, operetta and management, all the while adapting his brand.
Best of luck to him.
I treasure the performances I saw in Munich and Salzburg when in his prime.
may be Werther doesn t suit his voice anymore ?
yes, he was magnificent singing it in 2010, mind blowing in fact, but now his voice sounds different
Wasn’t Eberhard Wächter also once the Intendant of the Wiener Staatsoper?
Why isn’t Freddy Di Tomasto singing this rep?
Jonas is a real wagnerian now.
I was there. I think he might have had some issue as he evidently “cleared throat (cough)” on stage twice. Obviously not in good shape. He still managed to squeeze through most of the time, except the end of his part in Act 3.
Saying that, who could do good Whether nowadays? Last time Juan D Florez did it in ROH, he had the high notes but not the volume (swallowed by orchestra several times). Benjamin Bernheim? He only did it in small houses so far, probably knew it‘s a challenging role.
Gregory Kunde could probably do a great Werther! He is singing much better than Jonas these days!
Ah, but you should have heard the other half.
Oh dear I’m going to hear him next Wednesday if he doesn’t pull out! I have been listening to him at the Garden and Vienna for 20 years and in his prime was the finest singing actor of his generation but yes age does take its toll I’ll report back in the Edinburgh Music Review next week!
Please don’t. Or if you really must, no extraneous maunderings on Brexit, the state of the lavatories, etc etc
I have tickects for July 1st and I fear he will cancel ( it has happened to me twice already) I do hope he sings this time , unlike in Cavalleria last summer. He may be losing his voice and not be the great tenor he was, but I paid to hear that exactly, to compare with the wonderful Werther I loved on DVD, so please, do not cancel again.
At his best, the man sounds like Kermit the Frog. It’s over.
I don’t think Kaufmann has been having vocal problems; he’s been doing what a lot of star singers have decided to do in recent decades (most notably Renee Fleming) – in essence half singing/covering most of their live performances in order to preserve their voice for longer. It’s a very disappointing trend amongst big singers. A good analogy might be to pitchers in baseball. It used to be, in the old days, pitchers regularly pitched complete games. Now there is a strictly monitored “pitch count” and they’re removed after 6 innings and the relief staff comes in. This is essentially what I’ve observed Kaufmann has been doing the last decade or so – carefully choosing roles, singing them in select houses, and singing very cautiously to keep the voice intact for as long as possible. Fleming had been near inaudible at the MET since the early 2000s but managed to keep her lovely sound (and her record career, where the size of voice matters not at all, going). I’d wager Kaufmann is doing the same.
I think a Werther was one of the last performances I have heard him sing at the Met – years ago. After that only cancellations and then unwillingness to fly over, at least for the Met. Saw his first Otello in CG and it was good. Not overwhelming but I don’t regret going.
Maestro’s voice quality was declining for some time. I wouldn’t call it maturing. It is fact, just compare it with his recorded performances some years ago. FYI I am Maestro Kaufmann’s fan
He’s still more cute than the law allows!!
Saw the performance on the 23rd and there was a pre-curtain up mumbled announcement to the effect that JK had a cold. Cue much booing/groans because 90% percent of the audience misheard and thought he had cancelled. It took me at least 2 minutes to realise the JK lookalike stand-in was in fact the man himself.
Given he was sick, can anyone blame him for saving himself for the later acts? That takes balls and I respect that. He delivered all the big moments and it was very moving.
On a side note, it made me reminisce about Vittorio Grigolo’s triumphant run as Werther at ROH a few years ago. #forgivevittorio