I am a tenor. Therefore I am either ideally suited to review this newest offering that seems to fall under the "alternative classical" umbrella or the worst person possible. After listening to this nice little slice of Euro-pop dreck I have concluded I'm a very bad choice. So let the fun begin.…
Article comments
26 - Anna
Hey Elisa,
just one little question: who decides what is art and what is not? As far as I know, art just means the ability to express yourself in an aesthetic way. What we feel to be aesthetic is a personal impression and therefore differs between you, me, and the man next door. There are certainly a lot of people who feel that The Ten Tenors' performance is truely art. So if this is not your opinion, which is obvious, then this is fine. But please do not generalise that whatever TTT do cannot be considered to be art, since this is - as I've said before - a personal impression.
I cannot deny that of course there is a certain commercial motivation behind their work, but so what? Every artist, even Pavarotti or Domingo, wants to earn money with what he/she does. In my opinion they cannot be reproached with this. They love music and there are many people who like their work as well. They don't pretend to be all classical, the problem is what you conclude from the word tenor. Classical music is what you consider to be art, but this is not neccessarily what all people think (see above). So where do TTT pretend to be something they are not? I reckon, they only say to be ten guys singing what they like, and this - from what I have seen of them - seems to be quite true.
What's the saying?! Live and let live... this also applies here.
27 - Josh
I am sorry to have missed the last couple months of comments. I am a student that would love to be able to call myself a tenor in the next 10 years. I am 18 years old and have always loved classical music and about 4 years ago devoted my life to it, after about 10 years of theatre. I live in Wilmington NC, where the arts are as lacking as the IQ's of the clerks of the country stores here. I am always looking for new oratorios and arias to work on technically and emotionally. In researching the craze of Il Divo, i came across Steve's comment on them. Within, i found a link to this heated discussion. I have listened to many tenors, some wonderful and inviting, some remenescent of cats in heat, and i must say that the 10 tenors fall near the latter description. Claiming to be operatic tenors, like many, i was expecting too much. The samples available on their website are horrific. Bohemian Rhapsody, i know, is a song where an ensemble (Queen)sings in harmony with undiscernable lyrics. The Ten-(ten)ors' attempt was a blatant overkill. Too many voices drown the synthesiser (which is fairly gauche for proclaimed classical singers), and the occasional voice with timbre, color, and focus is overshadowed by a flock of squeeky, pop style voices. I was not, to say the least, impressed. I think that they should have a sample of some actual legitimate repotoire available for the educated listener. For example, I recently sang Faure's Requiem for a church service. There is a beautiful song for tenors in it (Agnus Dei). This is a prime example of technique and heart. I am not saying that they should limit themselves to solely performing classical music, i am suggesting that they give some evidence to support their claim of being all trained singers in the Bel Canto style.
Furthermore, I understand that as i am only 18 years old i have a way to go to be considered a tenor, and also that my opinion is not as weighty as, say, a soloist at the MET; however, i have been driven and have performed many of the italian art songs, and arias from G.F.Handel, Mozart, Verdi, Denaudy and Faure.
In conclusion, i am not a flighty teenager. I have observed many great tenors, and participated in an opera program with soloists from the Sydney opera house and other worldwidely recognized instructors. I have heard opera singers and the 10 tenors are not that.
please prove me wrong.
ps. I know who Manuel Garcia is; as well as Russel Watson. and i repeat...
Russel Watson. Good god.
28 - KW
Well, I am not a singer of any note whatsoever, but I am a pianist, and I have accompanied many singers, and I have performed classical and popular music, so I figure I am entitled to an opinion. :-)
I don't want to rehash what's been said above. Clearly some people like these guys, and some do not, but to make my bias clear, I find the arguments against them to be largely elitist and without much value.
The Ten Tenors are certainly in the popular stream, and I think it's wonderful that they are bringing some class music and their quality voices to an audience that needs more exposure to material beyond top 40 radio or various crooners. Also, I'd say they are more of a male choir than ten soloists, and this negates much of the problem that arises from the lack of pure power in the voices of a number of them.
But, the aspect of their performance that I was really sold on was that they so obviously were enjoying the music. They seemed to me to be selling the music and the enjoyment of singing, rather than some image of themselves as pop and/or opera stars. To put this in context, my 4 year old daughter watched their 'Larger than Life' show, and enjoyed every minute. She sat through it transfixed, and was frequently singing along. Her experience would be far from unique, and is simply marvellous. There can be no overestimation of the value to the development of her musical appreciation and enjoyment of singing that such exposure brings. As far as I'm concerned, the COMMERCE and not ART comment above is simply offensive. Like it or not, this is music, and for the target audience in particular, music of considerable value.
29 - Brynn Evans
The critics original comments were fair enough. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, the critic then goes on to deride anyone who has a contrary opinion!
Sir, you are the stereotypical and snotty-nosed opera buff who looks down on others and places their views above those of us mere mortals. How DARE we deign to argue with such an illustrious and well informed personage such as you?
Incidentally, how are the friction burns on your palms?
30 - N.
(To the "voice teacher" claiming Josh Groban doesn't sing live:
HE DOES.
I went to one of his concerts last month and ALL of it was live, and his voice sounded even stronger than on CD.)
I am no voice teacher nor an "expert" and I have no clue who has the "best voice".
To most of us mere mortals it's the performance that wins us over, not techinque.
Having listened to TTT's "Larger than live" I have to say that most of it sounds quite pleasant, but it lacks the emotions that are so "visible" in Josh Groban's voice.
Still I wouldn't call "Larger than live" dreck (wich means "dirt" in German b.t.w) beacause most of it IS a nice listen, although it will never be my favourite...