Vittorio Grigolo

[Dave]

Thanks for that interesting link, Steve.

Let's all hope that he does indeed become the next Pavarotti because with such fame might come a renewed interest in his recording of West Side Story a few years ago, with our very own Hayley!

Dave

[Natasha]

I love the fact that he did crossover and then went down the legit opera route. That's really fantastic and a testament to the wonderful voice he possesses.

[stevemacdonald]

Oct 19, 2010 12:11:42 GMT Natasha said:

I love the fact that he did crossover and then went down the legit opera route. That's really fantastic and a testament to the wonderful voice he possesses.

Let's just hope his pre-opera success doesn't get marginalized, or treated as un-legit because it was centered in classical crossover. Hayley's fine work with him should stand the test of time and he should be unhesitant to regard that period in his life as fully worthwhile.

No doubt the opera purist snobs will look upon that early phase as an aberration. We know better that it wasn't. Maybe when he's had his fill of opera he'll come back down to earth and cross back over to the fun stuff.

[nicola]

Maybe when he's had his fill of opera he'll come back down to earth and cross back over to the fun stuff.

Is there something wrong with pursuing a career in opera?

[stevemacdonald]

Oct 19, 2010 20:45:14 GMT nicola said:

Is there something wrong with pursuing a career in opera?

Depends on how you pursue it. Don't lord it over other music forms in an elitist way like so many divas have done. It's just opera and it's not better than everything else. I know of no other genre which sets itself on so high a pedestal. The culture of opera breeds contempt for classical crossover types like Hayley and Groban. Dame Kiri's many condescending remarks about non-operatic singers are actually quite restrained compared to what other opera singers have said.

I just don't want those who pursue opera careers to let the elite aspect of this genre go to their heads. I don't think Vittorio is likely to let this happen, but ya never know.

[mihizawi]

Then again, as I mentioned in Nicola's thread, it is undoubtable that Classical Crossover has mostly its roots and predecessors in Opera singers occassionally crossing over to more poppy performances and achieving a big success between a broader audience (Caruso, Pavarotti alone and with his mates from the Three Tenors). So, yes, that's true that there are snobs and divas/divos in Opera that have a very big ego, and those are not few, but there are also many Opera fans and singers who are much more humble and musically diverse, and who even are keen to appear on stage with Classical Crossover singers (Bryn Terfel, José Carreras, Melvina Major, all three have performed with Hayley, there's a video of Faryl mentioning a performance with Placido Domingo, although never got to see the performance itself, and then Anna Netrebko has sung with Andrea Bocelli, just to mention few examples).

I have said, and Nicola has agreed with me, that I consider, in a general way, Opera as superior to any other singing style, but only in terms of technical difficultty... Artistically, there's no art who can clearly stand as superior to any other.

Michal

[milewalker]

Oct 19, 2010 20:45:14 GMT nicola said:

Maybe when he's had his fill of opera he'll come back down to earth and cross back over to the fun stuff.

Is there something wrong with pursuing a career in opera?

I suspect that many of us are drawn to singers like Hayley because they are not particularly operatic. There are exceptions, but I bet I could count the operatic sopranos I could stand to listen to for 5 minutes straight on one hand.

[milewalker]

Oct 19, 2010 12:11:42 GMT Natasha said:

I love the fact that he did crossover and then went down the legit opera route. That's really fantastic and a testament to the wonderful voice he possesses.

So are you saying by implication that other types of singing like classical crossover are not "legit"

[tracy]

Oct 20, 2010 3:08:59 GMT milewalker said:

Oct 19, 2010 12:11:42 GMT Natasha said:

I love the fact that he did crossover and then went down the legit opera route. That's really fantastic and a testament to the wonderful voice he possesses.

So are you saying by implication that other types of singing like classical crossover are not "legit"

I just HAVE to say; I don't like opera, there is NO WAY I could sit through a live stage show with out yawning. BUT wouldn't it be a drab old world if we all liked they same things? unless naturally we all liked Hayley.
THATS different.
much love Tracy.

[nicola]

Oct 20, 2010 3:08:59 GMT milewalker said:

Oct 19, 2010 12:11:42 GMT Natasha said:

I love the fact that he did crossover and then went down the legit opera route. That's really fantastic and a testament to the wonderful voice he possesses.

Not legitimately opera, I think she means. Some crossover singers dabble in it half heartedly, like Andrea Bocelli.

[martindn]

To me opera is a very specialist type of singing. I don't doubt that to become good at it takes a lot of training and dedication, and I am one who can enjoy opera provided I can make sense of it, but I have to say I draw the line at Wagner, who to me is incomprehensible.
I think that to say that someone who has achieved brilliance in this specilist area of singing is somehow superior to another singer with a wider range of abilities is very subjective. On the one hand, you enjoy a performance by a world class opera singer, but perhaps if they tried to sing in a different style you might not enjoy it so much.
And there are other specialist areas too, like Jazz, which probably require just as much dedication to do well.
Then there are generalists like Hayley, who do everything well. That too takes a special kind of talent. I don't think you can rate any of them above the others.
Personally, I am glad Hayley didn't go down the opera route, I love what she does and for me she has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.
And to get back on topic, Vittorio has decided to go down that route. He has shown he can do other things too, but if he wishes to specialise, that is his choice. I would not criticise him for it, or praise him, it is simply what he had chosen to do, and how he has chosen to use his undoubted talent. I wish him well.

Martin D

[milewalker]

Oct 19, 2010 22:46:50 GMT mihizawi said:

Then again, as I mentioned in Nicola's thread, it is undoubtable that Classical Crossover has mostly its roots and predecessors in Opera singers occassionally crossing over to more poppy performances and achieving a big success between a broader audience (Caruso, Pavarotti alone and with his mates from the Three Tenors). So, yes, that's true that there are snobs and divas/divos in Opera that have a very big ego, and those are not few, but there are also many Opera fans and singers who are much more humble and musically diverse, and who even are keen to appear on stage with Classical Crossover singers (Bryn Terfel, José Carreras, Melvina Major, all three have performed with Hayley, there's a video of Faryl mentioning a performance with Placido Domingo, although never got to see the performance itself, and then Anna Netrebko has sung with Andrea Bocelli, just to mention few examples).

I have said, and Nicola has agreed with me, that I consider, in a general way, Opera as superior to any other singing style, but only in terms of technical difficultty... Artistically, there's no art who can clearly stand as superior to any other.

Michal

Caruso is a different case because I dont think the genres were as split as they are now. To an extent opera was pop music.

That means I think I have to disagree with you. Deanna Durbin and Jeanette MacDonald did a very little amout of opera, but their primary role was as singers in film musicals. Mario Lanza came by way of a similar route - also far better known as a "pop" singer. All of the crossover rock goups were also before the time of the three Tenors, and there was also a phenomenon going the other ways, exemplified by an album called "Switched on Bach" Also dont forget Aaron Copeland

[comet]

I hear Vittorio being played almost every day on RTE Lyric FM in the last few months.
Many of the female presenters favouring him and Bryn Terfel on a regular basis over requested female artists..