14 year old boy singing "Queen of the Night"

[Guest greatness]

He is singing in E flat instead of F so it is not as good as female opera singers who can go up to F but he is so good.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9ijwfRTv0o&feature=related

[EXPAT]

And here I thought you were talking about the Whitney Houston song.

[Guest greatness]

lol

 

Sorry...

 

And here I thought you were talking about the Whitney Houston song.

[whipped guy]

Very interesting. In fact I have heard much worse as interpreted by more than one female soprano over the years. Not having perfect pitch and not being able to check out the key in which it was performed, I will take your word that it was performed down a tone in E-flat as opposed to F. Actually this is something that is not totally uncommon and as I recall was the key in which it was performed by Joan Sutherland in 1962 under Otto Klemperer at Covent Garden... so the kid is in good company.

 

Sutherland's version:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=09PbyWS_2c4

[Guest greatness]

Yes

 

Joan Sutherland was an excellent singer even though she couldn't go higher than E flat. None the less she digested the song really well actually one of the best. What I meant was the boy needs more practicing compared to famous opera singers like Joan.

 

Very interesting. In fact I have heard much worse as interpreted by more than one female soprano over the years. Not having perfect pitch and not being able to check out the key in which it was performed, I will take your word that it was performed down a tone in E-flat as opposed to F. Actually this is something that is not totally uncommon and as I recall was the key in which it was performed by Joan Sutherland in 1962 under Otto Klemperer at Covent Garden... so the kid is in good company.

 

Sutherland's version:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=09PbyWS_2c4

[bostonman]

Just to clarify - the kid is indeed singing in the original key (F), and he's really hitting high F's. (There's a comment on the YouTube page about the pianist hitting a wrong note - an Eb instead of an E - maybe that comment got misinterpreted as to the key of the aria?) I do have perfect pitch, so I can verify that it's in the original key, lol.

 

He's pretty impressive, actually...he has some trouble with the coloratura triplets, and whatever he's trying to do with the long high note near the end is completely misguided, lol, but my god, he's 14, for god's sake! (Comparatively, I heard an older teen recently on NPR's "From The Top" absolutely crucify "Non Piu Andrai" from The Marriage Of Figaro - they should have had this kid on the show instead!)

[Guest greatness]

I guess your right?

 

What I meant was Eb instead of F(original) not E. I fixed it. If you have perfect(absolute) pitch then there is nothing to argue about. However, to me it seems Eb. Well I have a hard time understanding even simple English these days so I don't trust myself. lol Anyways, there is no doubt that kid is good but you agree he needs some polishing right? He will make a great singer when he grows up but I doubt he can sing that song when his voice changes.

 

Just to clarify - the kid is indeed singing in the original key (F), and he's really hitting high F's. (There's a comment on the YouTube page about the pianist hitting a wrong note - an Eb instead of an E - maybe that comment got misinterpreted as to the key of the aria?) I do have perfect pitch, so I can verify that it's in the original key, lol.

 

He's pretty impressive, actually...he has some trouble with the coloratura triplets, and whatever he's trying to do with the long high note near the end is completely misguided, lol, but my god, he's 14, for god's sake! (Comparatively, I heard an older teen recently on NPR's "From The Top" absolutely crucify "Non Piu Andrai" from The Marriage Of Figaro - they should have had this kid on the show instead!)

[bostonman]

My post was Eb instead of F(original) not E. I fixed it. If you have perfect(absolute) pitch then there is nothing to argue about. However, to me it seems Eb to me. Well I have hard time understanding even simple English these days so I don't trust myself. lol Anyways, there is no doubt that kid is good but you agree he needs some polishing right or am I being too critical?

 

Well, let's remember, he's only 14 - of course it needs polishing. Hell, the college student I heard sing the role in a webcast of Indiana University's recent production of The Magic Flute did incredibly well, but needed some polishing too, lol. And I'm sure we've all heard professional sopranos in need of some polishing too...;-)

 

And, of course, he's only singing the notes - there's nothing going on expression-wise - he's not connected to the meaning of the text, etc. But again, I say, he's only 14!!

 

As for the key - you can trust me - it's in F. (It was funny actually, I clicked on the link expecting to hear it in Eb, and was surprised when it wasn't, lol.)

[Guest greatness]

well

 

It's good know someone who likes opera here.. I am practicing a song for my friend's wedding. If it turns out to be good then I will post it here so everybody can listen to my singing. The problem is my cat runs away when I sing to him. I hope it's a good sign .

 

Well, let's remember, he's only 14 - of course it needs polishing. Hell, the college student I heard sing the role in a webcast of Indiana University's recent production of The Magic Flute did incredibly well, but needed some polishing too, lol. And I'm sure we've all heard professional sopranos in need of some polishing too...;-)

 

And, of course, he's only singing the notes - there's nothing going on expression-wise - he's not connected to the meaning of the text, etc. But again, I say, he's only 14!!

 

As for the key - you can trust me - it's in F. (It was funny actually, I clicked on the link expecting to hear it in Eb, and was surprised when it wasn't, lol.)

[Guest greatness]

well

 

It's good to know someone who likes opera here.. I am practicing a song for my friend's wedding. If it turns out to be good then I will post it here so everybody can listen to my singing. The problem is my cat runs away when I sing to him. I hope it's a good sign . As for the key I will ask my instructor about it. If he gets wrong he is fired.. lol...

 

 

 

Well, let's remember, he's only 14 - of course it needs polishing. Hell, the college student I heard sing the role in a webcast of Indiana University's recent production of The Magic Flute did incredibly well, but needed some polishing too, lol. And I'm sure we've all heard professional sopranos in need of some polishing too...;-)

 

And, of course, he's only singing the notes - there's nothing going on expression-wise - he's not connected to the meaning of the text, etc. But again, I say, he's only 14!!

 

As for the key - you can trust me - it's in F. (It was funny actually, I clicked on the link expecting to hear it in Eb, and was surprised when it wasn't, lol.)

[+ Italiano]

Bostonman is absolutely right, the boy sings the aria in the original key (F) and hits all those famous Fs.

Joan Sutherland had a very big voice, quite unusual for a soprano who sings this aria, and the only time she sang this role early in her career she indeed had to lower the key, as the F was an absolute top limit and quite a risky and unsecure note for her.

 

Anyway, this boy does an amazing rendition, as you can see that youtube posting is almost 4 years old, I remember it was a big hit when it appeared (more than 1,000,000 views!) and it is bizarre to think that now he must be a young man, most probably with a deep bass-baritone voice, as it usually happens with those voices!

[whipped guy]

Bostonman is absolutely right, the boy sings the aria in the original key (F) and hits all those famous Fs.

Joan Sutherland had a very big voice, quite unusual for a soprano who sings this aria, and the only time she sang this role early in her career she indeed had to lower the key, as the F was an absolute top limit and quite a risky and unsecure note for her.

X… Thanks for confirming that the aria was sung in F as Bostonman noted above. As I mentioned I don’t have perfect pitch… but I do have a feeling for the sound and coloration of various key and when initially listening and indeed on repeated hearing the performance definitely had an F-major feel to it. At any rate, mention of the transposition did bring to mind the Sutherland performance from the early 1960’s. Interestingly, Sutherland also transposed the Queen’s first act aria down in that Covent Garden performance, but only by a half-step… even though her commercial recording of that aria is at score pitch.

 

Sutherland indeed had a huge voice and felt uncomfortable above the E-flat in alt. While she sang certain pieces early in her career that brought he up to a high E, increasingly she avoided that note in public. For example, her early recording of ”Bel raggio lusinghier” from Rossini’s Semiramide and her performances at La Scala in 1962 are sung in A-major allowing her to interpolate a high E natural. All subsequent performances including the commercial recording are transposed into A-flat with the resulting penultimate note being an E-flat. A similar situation affects her Bell Song from Lakme. At any rate, to my ears the note always seemed to be the upper limit for her and indeed a recording of her NYC debut in Bellini’s Beatrice di Tenda while she tackles the note at the end of her first aria she avoids interpolating it at the conclusion of the first act… The final incident I know of her singing the note is for the second commercial recording of Lucia di Lammermoror where she performs the second act duet at score pitch. The note sounds absolutely thrilling… and possibly so because it seems to be the absolute cut-off point for her voice at that point in time.

 

to think that now he must be a young man, most probably with a deep bass-baritone voice, as it usually happens with those voices!

 

My thoughts exactly!!!

[Guest greatness]

Thanks!

 

Thanks for confirming it!

 

Bostonman is absolutely right, the boy sings the aria in the original key (F) and hits all those famous Fs.

Joan Sutherland had a very big voice, quite unusual for a soprano who sings this aria, and the only time she sang this role early in her career she indeed had to lower the key, as the F was an absolute top limit and quite a risky and unsecure note for her.

 

Anyway, this boy does an amazing rendition, as you can see that youtube posting is almost 4 years old, I remember it was a big hit when it appeared (more than 1,000,000 views!) and it is bizarre to think that now he must be a young man, most probably with a deep bass-baritone voice, as it usually happens with those voices!

[Zapped]

Well, the kid's voice changed and he dropped out of sight. A YouTube sensation based on that one video. The note on the clip says he learned it on his own--that sounds like the sort of thing an ambitious 14-year-old might do. The paragraph below says it's a tradition in his choir. Who knows?

 

Here's the information on him from http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?VID=2009 :

 

Robin Schlotz was a first soloist (soprano) of the Tölzer Knabenchor around 2004.

 

Robin performs the Queen of the Night aria from Mozart's "The Magic Flute" in one of the Tolzer Knabenchor concerts of parents. This aria is among the most difficult there is for any seasoned singer, and young Robin Schlotz nails those high F's like a pro. It is a long standing tradition for seasoned soloist sopranos in Tölzer Knabenchor to sing this aria for parent/friend concerts. It is not performed in public concerts. But ... that video is on Youtube...

Robin Schlotz no longer sings treble, as his voice dropped around November, 2005

[whipped guy]

Brain-freeze detected

 

X… Thanks for confirming that the aria was sung in F as Bostonman noted above.

Well a correction to my own posting... due to an early morning brain-freeze... the piece obviously begins and ends in D minor but the passage ascending to that high F is indeed in F major... Somehow when I think of only one flat F-major automatically comes to mind... but for Mozart D-minor was special... Think Don Giovanni and the Piano Concerto K. 466.

[+ nycman]

No doubt the kid is impressive.

 

but....nothing beats the real thing....

 

[gp0560]

Opera Lovers

 

Some opera lovers are purists and object to or dislike any performances that do not hew to the original scores. Other opera lovers love the original scoring but can occasionally enjoy other approaches.

 

Those of you in the second group might be interested in the Amici Forever CDs. Amici Forever has an article in Wikipedia, and you can go to Amazon to hear snippets from their two CDs, The Opera Band and Defined. Worth at least a try, in my personal, not so humble, opinion.

 

Be sure to read the reviews, though. People apparently either love or hate these CDs, with not much middle ground. Caveat emptor.

[+ honcho]

Other youngun's of *note* ...

 

Anybody else here listen to "From the top", a radio program that features budding young musicians? A couple of weeks ago they had a Baritone from southern California that practically made me cream in my pants!

[Guest greatness]

It's good to know

 

that a lot of people are interested in opera...

[bostonman]

Anybody else here listen to "From the top", a radio program that features budding young musicians? A couple of weeks ago they had a Baritone from southern California that practically made me cream in my pants!

 

Was he the kid who tried to sing "Non Piu Andrai?" I'm sure he was a nice kid with good intentions (and yes, a very nice voice) but it didn't sound like he understood the music at all, phrasing-wise, etc (plus his Italian was absolutely ghastly)...;-)

 

That said, I don't listen to "from The Top" all the time, but when I do, I'm always thrilled by a lot of the kids I hear. (I guess I just wanted that baritone to be better, lol.)

[bostonman]

Well a correction to my own posting... due to an early morning brain-freeze... the piece obviously begins and ends in D minor but the passage ascending to that high F is indeed in F major... Somehow when I think of only one flat F-major automatically comes to mind... but for Mozart D-minor was special... Think Don Giovanni and the Piano Concerto K. 466.

 

I'll plead guilty as well, lol - of course the aria is really in d minor, not F major...despite the fact that the key signature is the same for both, and that we were concentrating on the F major section with the high F's, I wonder how I missed that as well, lol.

[whipped guy]

I'll plead guilty as well, lol

Bostonman… While that makes me feel somewhat better, I still feel like an idiot and an idiot that needs to be punished. So hopefully the hot dude that I will be hooking up with in the next 24 hours will read this thread and take the appropriate measures. In fact I’ll even take your punishment as well…

 

All kidding aside, I always admire Mozart for choosing the perfect key to express the exact emotion he is attempting to depict… I doubt that much is left to chance and as I alluded to above D minor seems to be reserved for the most agitated and uneasy situations…so add the Requiem to the Don Giovanni and Concerto K. 466 examples that I referenced previously.

[Rick Munroe]

This made me very anxious and after a minute, I realized why. That song is my cell phone ring tone.

[Lookin]

My last three ring tones have been from the Cingular Castrati Collection. http://th123.photobucket.com/albums/o301/Darado/smiley%20emotions/th_scared.gif http://th123.photobucket.com/albums/o301/Darado/smiley%20emotions/th_scared.gif http://th123.photobucket.com/albums/o301/Darado/smiley%20emotions/th_scared.gif

[+ Italiano]

This made me very anxious and after a minute, I realized why. That song is my cell phone ring tone.

 

And you will be punished as well, together with all (me included) who wrote that this aria is in F.