In a moment of madness I announced to Opera-L that I am conducting a poll of the favourite opera singers singing today, and, furthermore, I would promulgate this on blog and Twitter.
What I actually wrote was:
As an experiment/illustration, I will ask list members to nominate their
favourite five singers currently singing. Post in the comments, or just send to me privately at blogcomments@btinternet.com*. You have
until 31 October - Samhain in the Northern Hemisphere. I will publish
the top twenty by votes and provide a link to a list of more detailed
breakdown of all votes cast (anonymised, of course). Hopefully, I will
be able to process the results within a week or so after.
To kick things off, my current five favourites currently performing are
Plácido Domingo, Iestyn Davies, Gerald Finley, Jonas Kaufmann, and
Carolyn Sampson.
This list excludes people who are currently 'off sick'
or I haven't heard for at least a couple of years, and it excludes
singers who I like almost as much. I reserve the right to change my mind
next week next month or next year! And I accept that I might end up not
liking the final result!
The more people vote, the more 'valid' the results. Although, of course, the results will only illustrate who is the most popular from a self-selected electorate. Oh, and any entries that include 'Kathryn Jenkins', or 'Paul Potts' or anyone else who cannot claim to be a professional opera singer will be wholly disqualified.
* the sharp-eyed will notice a slight difference from the contact details on Opera-L
Zeljko Lucic
Rene Pape
Sondra Radvanovsky
Jonas Kaufmann
Stephanie Blythe
Posted by: Nancy | Wednesday, 21 October 2009 at 17:31
Juan Diego Florez
Marcelo Alvarez
Piotr Beczala
Simon Keenlyside
Gregory Kunde
Posted by: arabella | Wednesday, 21 October 2009 at 19:50
Simon Keenlyside
Marcelo Alvarez
Anna Netrebko
Elina Garanca
I could not choose only one the five :)
Posted by: Irina | Wednesday, 21 October 2009 at 21:19
My Five
Ruggero Raimondi
Juan Diego Florez
Sarah Connolly
Danielle de Niese
Jose Cura
Posted by: Greta Lark | Wednesday, 21 October 2009 at 21:30
Alice Coote
Diana Damrau
Zeljko Lucic
Rene Pape
Ramon Vargas
What a difficult task, only five! If I could I would also include: Juan Diego Florez, Adrianne Pieczonka, Joyce Didonato, Krassimira Stoyanova, Jonas Kaufmann, Susan Graham, Veronique Gens, Karita Mattila, Gerald Finley, Peter Mattei, Nina Stemme, Christine Brewer, Andreas Scholl, Ana Maria Martinez, Luca Pisaroni, Sondra Radvanovsky, Andrea Silvestrelli, Feruccio Furlanetto, and on and on...
Posted by: mj | Thursday, 22 October 2009 at 03:15
My list . . . alphabetically
Peter Auty
Clive Bayley
Alessandro Corbelli
Ruggero Raimondi
Sir John Tomlinson
Posted by: Andy | Thursday, 22 October 2009 at 11:57
I have quite a few favorites, men and women. Here are the top 5:
Ruggero Raimondi
Leo Nucci
Placido Domingo
Marcelo Alvarez
Daniella Dessi
Posted by: Ivona Hecht | Thursday, 22 October 2009 at 20:07
my list:
Ruggero Raimondi
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo
Mariella Devia
Cecilia Bartoli
Bryn Terfel
Posted by: contessa | Thursday, 22 October 2009 at 20:09
But there is a lot more of singers...
Leo Nucci
Lawrence Brownlee
Elina Garanca
Topi Lehtipu (spelling??)
Krassimira Stoyanova
And many others...
Posted by: contessa | Thursday, 22 October 2009 at 20:15
Marcelo Alvarez
Renee Fleming
Elina Garanca
Luciana D'Intino
Ruggero Raimondi
Posted by: Kay | Thursday, 22 October 2009 at 22:37
Alice Coote
Jonas Kaufmann
JDF
Matthias Goerne
Rene Pape
Posted by: inter mezzo | Saturday, 24 October 2009 at 10:44
Rolando Villazon
Jonas Kaufmann
Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Roberto Alagna
Angela Gheorghiu
Posted by: Emiliano | Saturday, 24 October 2009 at 11:13
Marcelo Alvarez
Ruggero Raimondi
Thomas Hampson
Bryn Terfel
Leo Nucci
Posted by: vivatopera | Saturday, 24 October 2009 at 12:41
Jonas Kaufmann
Joyce diDonato
Simon Keenlyside
Anja Harteros
Placido Domingo
Ufff it is soo difficult.. i wanted to have a bass in the list, but then again i couldn't leave a certain someone out :-) Too many CDs, videos and DVDs at home so not have him there :-)
Posted by: Hariclea | Saturday, 24 October 2009 at 19:41
Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Jonas Kaufmann
Dolora Zajick
Sondra Radvanovsky
Marcello Giordani
Near misses: Susan Graham, Renee Fleming, Natalie Dessay, Lawrence Brownlee. I love Domingo but am boycotting this year's Boccanegra because the role was supposed to have gone to Hvorostovsky. (It is in 2011).
Posted by: JD | Wednesday, 28 October 2009 at 01:13
Jonas Kaufmann, Jonas Kaufmann, Jonas Kaufmann
Dimitri Hvorostovsky
Anja Harteros
Renee Fleming
Placido Domingo
Posted by: Alexandra W | Wednesday, 28 October 2009 at 23:01
Boris Christoff
Ghena Dimitrova
Nikolay Ghiaurov
Luciano Pavarotti
Todor Mazarov
Feruccio Furlanetto
Orlin Anastassov
Cezare Siepi
Leo Nucci
Ilgebrando d'Arcangelo
Posted by: geo chobanov | Sunday, 01 November 2009 at 08:13
Just five choices..if these are the rules (aleatory alphabetical list):
Joyce DiDonato
Angela Gheorghiu
Ruggero Raimondi
Jonas Kaufmann
Bryn Terfel
Posted by: ema | Sunday, 08 November 2009 at 19:05