Birthday Interview with Samuel Ramey

Samuel Ramey as Attila (left)

He has been referred to as the original barihunk by some, for leading the way in sexy portrayals of the low voice repertory. His video of Boito's Mefistofele from the San Francisco Opera has become a cult classic with opera aficionados. He continued his sexy shirtless portrayals as Attila that were not only sexy, but set the vocal standard to this day.

His amazing vocal flexibility and range has allowed his to sing roles ranging from Argante in Handel’s Rinaldo to the title role in Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle. His repertoire includes the florid pasages of Handel, the bel canto roles of Bellini and Donizetti, the great baritone roles of Verdi and Puccini, great American operas and even many of the great Russian and French bass roles.

Rather than post our annual birthday tribute, we asked the legendary bass to answer a few questions for readers.

1. You were considered a "barihunk" before Francesca Zambello coined the phrase, singing both Attila and Mefistofele shirtless.  Did you ever imagine that baritones and basses would become the sex symbols of opera? 

Ramey: Generally speaking, most baritones and basses are "sexier" than most tenors.  So I can‘t say I‘m surprised.

2. You're now singing two comprimario roles at the Dallas Opera. What draws you to the stage when most singers are enjoying retirement? 

Ramey: I feel that I still have something to offer as a performer and I still love being on the stage.  I‘ve been trying to reinvent myself but it‘s not easy.  I appreciate the Dallas Opéra for giving me this opportunity.

3. Your Attila and Mefistofele are considered definitive interpretations by most opera aficionados. Were these your favorite roles. Which other roles did you love?

Ramey: Attila and Mefistofele were certainly two of my favorite roles, but I have quite a few favorites.  Others would be Mephistopheles in Faust and Damnation de Faust, Mozart‘s Figaro and Don Giovanni, Nick Shadow in Rake's Progress, Filippo II in Don Carlo, Bertram in Robert le Diable, Boris Godunov.

4. What role did you never get to sing that you would have loved to perform? 

Ramey: I‘ve always loved the early Verdi operas.  One I always hoped to sing was Silva in Ernani, but the opportunity never presented itself.

5. Karita Mattila just posted on our Twitter feed that Placido Domingo was her best stage kiss. Who was yours?

Ramey: I didn‘t have many stage kiss opportunities but I‘d have to say that my best stage kiss was Marie McLaughlin.

 

Christian Van Horn only ninth bass to get devilish at The Met

Christian van Horn as Mefistofele (courtesy of the Metroploitan Opera)

On November 8, 2018, Christian Van Horn will become just the ninth bass to sing the title role in Boito's Mefistofele at the Metropolitan Opera. He was preceded by some of the great singers of the last two centuries,  including Giovanni Mirabella who sang the role in 1883,  followed by Eduard de Reszke, Pol Plançcn, Fyodor Chaliapin, Adamo Didur, José Mardones, Dean Peterson and most famously Samuel Ramey.

Samuel Ramey sings "Ecco il monde" from Mefistofele:

The Robert Carsen production will feature an all-star cast that also includes tenor Michael Fabiano as Faust and soprano Angela Meade as Margherita. Mefistofele is the only completed opera by Arrigo Boito, who is best remembered for writing Verdi's librettos for Otello and Falstaff.  The composer was working on his opera Nerone when he died in 1918. The great conductor Arturo Toscanini led a three person team in completing the opera, which finally premiered posthumously in 1924.

Performances of Mefistofele will run through December 1st and tickets are available online.

This will be the opera's first performance at The Met since 2000. Of the 67 performances of Mefistofele, all but 13 came before 1927. Much of the recent interest in the opera is because of Samuel Ramey's devilishly sexy performances at the San Francisco Opera, which were captured on video.

Atilla and Mefistofele to get San Francisco airings; Some Sam Ramey history

Samuel Ramey and Ildar Abdrazakov

Lovers of low voices in the San Francisco Bay Are area in for a real treat this summer, as their local PBS station KQED has announced that both Verdi's Attila and Boito's Mefestofle will be aired.

Attila will feature a veritable feast of Verdi low voices, led by the legendary Ferruccio Furlanetto in the title role, Quinn Kelsey as Ezio and Samuel Ramey as Pope Leo I. The 1846 masterpiece about the legendary warrior who is tormented by internal doubts will air on Thursday, August 3 on KQED Channel 9.

Verdi’s 1846 masterpiece about a legendary warrior who is tormented by internal doubts, will air on Thursday, August 3 on KQED 9 - See more at: https://sfopera.com/about-us/press-room/press-releases/KQED-Attila-Mefi/#sthash.LC1AnggY.dpuf

Boito’s Mefistofele will feature barihunk Ildar Abdrazakov in the title role accompanied by Ramón Vargas and Patricia Racette. The retelling of the Faust legend will be telecast on Thursday, August 24th. Adventurous opera goes can also see Abdrazakov as Attilla, as he will be singing the role in April at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.

Barihunk afficionados will recall that Samuel Ramey attained barihunk status before the word was even coined, when he sang Mefistofele at the San Francisco Opera in 1989 in a cast that included Daniel Harper as Wagner, Gabriela Benacková as Margherita and Dennis O'Neill as Faust. He secured his barihunk status as Attila in 1991 with the company, in a cast that included Elizabeth Connell as Odabella, Vladimir Chernov as Ezio, Philip Skinner as Pope Leo I and Craig Estep as Uldino.

Happy 74th Birthday to the great Samuel Ramey

Samuel Ramey (Photo:Christian Steiner)

He has been referred to as the original barihunk by some, for leading the way in sexy portrayals of the low voice repertory. His video of Boito's Mefistofele from the San Francisco Opera has become a cult classic with opera aficionados. He continued his sexy shirtless portrayals as Attila that were not only sexy, but set the vocal standard to this day.

His amazing vocal flexibility and range has allowed his to sing roles ranging from Argante in Handel’s Rinaldo to the title role in Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle. His repertoire includes the florid passages of Handel, the bel canto roles of Bellini and Donizetti, the great baritone roles of Verdi and Puccini, great American operas and even many of the great Russian and French bass roles.

Samuel Ramey sings "Ecco il mondo" from Boito's Mefistofele:

He is still actively performing, although in less demanding roles. On May 6 and 8, he'll be singing the role of the Old Hebrew with Tulsa Opera in Saint Saens' Samson et Dalila with Frank Porretta and Dana Beth Miller in the title roles.  In recent years he's performed the title role of Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle at Opera Omaha, Basilio in The Barber of Seville at New Orleans Opera, Timur in Puccini's Turandot at the Met and Leone in Verdi's Attila at the San Francisco Opera.

If he sang nothing else, he would be famous for his interpretation of Boito’s Mefistofele,which has included  seventy performances in the Robert Carsen production of the opera specifically created for  him. In fact, devilish roles have dominated his stage performances, including Berlioz's devil in La damnation de Faust; the sinister Nick Shadow in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress; and the tour de force of all four villains in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. In 1992 Mr. Ramey sang all of Offenbach’s villains for the Metropolitan Opera’s opening night, prompting one critic to write, “[It was] the best interpretation of the four villains I can remember in the last 25 years. This is the stuff of which operatic legends are made.” In 1996, Ramey presented a sold-out concert at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall titled A Date with the Devil in which he sang fourteen arias representing the core of this repertoire, and he continues to tour this program throughout the world.

Samuel Ramey sings "Mentre gonfiarsi l'anima parea" from Attila:

Samuel Ramey holds the distinction of being the most recorded bass in history. His more than eighty recordings include complete operas, recordings of arias, symphonic works, solo recital programs, and popular crossover albums on every major label. His recordings have garnered nearly every major award including three Grammy Awards, Gran Prix du Disc Awards, and “Best of the Year” citations from journals including Stereo Review and Opera News. His exposure on television and video is no less impressive, with video recordings of the Metropolitan Opera’s Carmen, Bluebeard’s Castle, Semiramide, Nabucco, and the compilation “The Met Celebrates Verdi;” San Francisco Opera’s Mefistofele; The Rake’s Progress from the Glyndebourne Festival; Attila from La Scala; and the Salzburg Festival’s Don Giovanni. Ramey is seen frequently on television in appearances with “Live from the Met” and “Live from Lincoln Center” as well as other productions taped for PBS.

Following his phenomenal success in opera, concert, and recordings, Samuel Ramey’s sold-out Carnegie Hall recital in 1987 added a fourth dimension to his spectacular career. His returns to New York’s Carnegie Hall for solo recitals in February 1995 and November 1998 were the culmination of extensive, critically-acclaimed North American tours which had taken Mr. Ramey from Alaska to Alabama, with appearances on America's finest vocal series. His European recital career is equally notable, with sold-out appearances in all the music capitals.

A native of Colby, Kansas, Samuel Ramey was active in music throughout high school and college. In 1995 he was named “Kansan of the Year,” and in 1998 the French Ministry of Culture awarded him the rank of Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters.

Donovan Singletary's sexy and devilish Mefistofele

Donovan Singletary

Barihunk Donovan Singletary is opening up in Boito's Mefistofele tonight with the Knoxville Opera, which will mark the first professional performance of the opera in Tennessee. There will also be a matinee performance on October 11th. Tickets are available online.

The company is touting that the production will include over 200 on the stage, inlcuding a 50-member onstage orchestra and over 100 choristers. The already fit 32-year-old Singletary, clearly hit the gym to tone up, as the director has him showing off his magnificent torso in the show. The cast also includes Cody Austin as Fauts, Julia Lima as Margherita, Ryan Ford as Wagner and Allison Deady as Marta.


The opera, which is based on Johann von Goethe adaptation of the Faustian legend was written in 1868, but only found success in the repertory after the composer made revisions to the opera.

Make sure to check out this great profile on Donovan Singletary from the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

IF YOU LOVE BEAUTIFUL BARITONES, MAKE SURE TO ORDER YOUR 

2016 BARIHUNKS CALENDAR TODAY!!!! 

Upcoming broadcasts from the San Francisco Opera

Ildar Abdrazakov & Greer Grimsley

Mark your calendars, as the San Francisco Opera is broadcasting two performances featuring two of our favorite barihunks.

On Jan. 5, they will broadcast Boito's Mefistofele with Ildar Abdrazakov, Patricia Racette, and Ramón Vargas. On Feb. 2, you can hear Wagner's Flying Dutchman with Greer Grimsley, Lise Lindstrom, Ian Storey, Kristinn Sigmundsson and conducted by Patrick Summers. Tune in to KDFC.comhttp://www.kdfc.com, which is available online.

Later broadcast include Bellini's Norma on March 2 in a 1982 performance featuring Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne and Ezio Flagello.

Last season's performance of Verdi's Falstaff with Bryn Terfel on April 6th, followed by Lucas Meachem in Rossini's Barber of Seville on May 4th alongside the Rosina of Isabel Leonard.

On June 1st, they will feature the incredible Leonie Rysanek from a 1976 performance of Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten conducted by Karl Böhm.

It's exactly two weeks until Christmas, have you bought the best stocking stuffer ever? Order your 2014 Barihunks Charity Calendar today. You won't regret it!

Ildar Abdrazakov kicks of the San Francisco Opera's 2013-14 season

Ildar Abdrazakov and Ramón Vargas in San Francisco Opera's Mefistofele

Russian bass-barihunk Ildar Abdrazakov kicks of the San Francisco Opera's 2013-14 season in his staged role debut as the title character of Boito’s Mefistofele. Performances will run from September 6-October 2 with an all-star cast that includes Ramón Vargas as Faust and Patricia Racette as Margherita. Tickets are available online.

The company last presented the opera in 1989 and 1994 in historic performances with Samuel Ramey in the title role. Ramey's performance was captured on DVD and has become a collector's item amongst opera aficionados.

Following his run in San Francisco, Abdrazakov will help celebrate Verdi’s 200th birthday on October 10 in a performance of the Requiem under Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The performance will be transmitted around the world at www.cso.org/Verdi. From November 3-17 he will take part in a string of Berlioz concert performances with the London Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev in London and Paris, including La damnation de Faust and Roméo et Juliette.