Uncastable Operas in the 2010s

[Conchis]

Recent comments on performances of Tannhauser and Norma have made me think about major operas that are now difficult/impossilbe to cast because the kind of singers who can do justice to them are thin on the ground/non-existent at the moment.

In the case of the Wagner Heldentenor roles, this situation has persisted for a long, long (long!) time. Many would argue (me among them, perhaps) that Lauritz Melchior was the sole example of a genuine Heldentenor (Jean de Reske was canny enough to order the recordings he made destroyed) and that since then, we've had to do make do with people who, though very good, were not quite what the composer wanted: Windgassen and Vickers, for example.

In Italian opera, it is now hard to find a satisfactory Trovatore cast and you will struggle to get up a good Don Carlos.

Any others?

[DracoM]

I'd suggest Kaufmann in heldentenor roles, but he's over-singing, I fear! Too much demand?

[BBMmk2]

What's going on then? Verdi or Puccini?

[Conchis]

I don't think Kauffman will tackle the Heldentenor repetory, as he seems keen to have a long career. He is non-one's idea of a Heldentenor, anyway.

Recent almost-Heldenteors (Ben Heppner, Johann Botha) are now either retired or deceased.

There is literally no-ona around who can sing the big Wagner roles in front of a big orchestra live.

I could be wrong but - isn't Puuccini much less demanding of singers than Verdi?

[DracoM]

Kaufmann is the best Parsifal I've heard in years.
Rivalled, on disc at least, only by Rene Kollo for Solti - partic Kollo's wonderful, bleak tone in Act 3.

[Stanfordian]

Recent comments on performacnes of Tannhauser and Norma have made me think about major operas that are now difficult/impossilbe to cast because the kind of singers who can do justice to them are thin on the ground/non-existent at the moment.

In the case of the Wagner Heldentenor roles, this situation has persisted for a long, long (long!) time. Many would argue (me among them, perhaps) that Lauritz Melchior was the sole example of a genuine Heldentenor (Jean de Reske was canny enough to order the recordings he made destroyed) and that since then, we've had to do make do with people who, though very good, were not quite what the composer wanted: Windgassen and Vickers, for example.

In Italian opera, it is now hard to find a satisfactory Trovatore cast and you will struggle to get up a good Don Carlos.

Any others?

Casting isn't easy! Arturo Toscanini once reportedly stated that to stage Il Trovatore one needs "Only the four best singers in the world."

[Conchis]

Kaufmann is the best Parsifal I've heard in years.
Rivalled, on disc at least, only by Rene Kollo for Solti - partic Kollo's wonderful, bleak tone in Act 3.

Parsifal is not a Heldentenor role.

Kollo's Tannhauser for Solti is extremely well acted and probably the best in a complete recording. But to hear the 'real deal' you have go back to your Melchior 78s.

[Petrushka]

I saw Andreas Schager sing Siegfried in the Barenboim Gotterdammerung at the 2013 Proms and it was a terrific performance. Not sure if he counts as a real heldentenor according to your criteria but it sounded the real deal to me and at the end one felt that he could have sung it all again there and then.

[Darkbloom]

I saw Andreas Schager sing Siegfried in the Barenboim Gotterdammerung at the 2013 Proms and it was a terrific performance. Not sure if he counts as a real heldentenor according to your criteria but it sounded the real deal to me and at the end one felt that he could have sung it all again there and then.

I enjoyed Schager as Siegfried, but anything would sound good compared to Lance Ryan the night before, one of the ugliest voices I have ever heard. He wasn't a typical heldentenor, though (although it's some years ago) and closer to Windgassen and Jerusalem, as one of those lightish voices that can cut through the orchestra. The whole Barenboim Ring featured light voices in general, including a baritonal Hagen. I'd put Ramon Vinay down as a heldentenor. I think you need a dark core to your voice to give it that heroic ring, and Vinay certainly had that.

I find performances of Peter Grimes a little unsatisfactory after hearing Vickers do it. It may not be uncastable, but he left such an indelible impression that I end up feeling short-changed by anyone else.

[Richard Tarleton]

Casting isn't easy! Arturo Toscanini once reportedly stated that to stage Il Trovatore one needs "Only the four best singers in the world."

Stan, Toscanini may have repeated that line, but the first to come up with it was Caruso - see first para here and multiple other sources

[Stanfordian]

Stan, Toscanini may have repeated that line, but the first to come up with it was Caruso - see first para here and multiple other sources

I'm sure many significant people have used that phrase, maybe even prior to Carusot. But it doesn't alter the point just how difficult it is to cast.

[Richard Tarleton]

I'm sure many significant people have used that phrase, maybe even prior to Caruso; you don't know he was the first. But it doesn't alter the point just how difficult it is to cast.

Possibly - tho I think Caruso said it first, and was talking about himself (and Rosa Ponselle, probably).......

I saw it twice by the ENO in the early 70s, with two different Manricos (Tom Swift, Jon Sydney) totally outgunned by their Leonora, Rita Hunter - rather a good production, as was the way at the Coliseum in those days.

[doversoul1]

Almost all heroes in Handel’s operas are uncastable as they were originally intended . Seriously, will there be any possibility for the audience in the 2010s to re-frame their perceptions or expectations as to how Wagner’s heroes should sound in the way the audience of Baroque operas did since the revival of Handel’s operas?

[jean]

Almost all heroes in Handel’s operas are uncastable as they were originally intended ...

I keep hoping.

[Richard Tarleton]

Ouch