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In Opera & Song Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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Probably the most under-rated baritone...ever
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| It is something of a mystery that the Ukrainian-born baritone Igor Gorin (1908-1982) appeared so rarely in opera. In a sleeve-note Bob Rose suggests that he may have been a stiff actor, but goes on to say that "a probable reason for his non-engagement at the Met and other principal opera-houses, despite his obvious vocal talent, was that he was a throwback to an earlier bel canto style of singing". (His RCA acetates tend to support this view; e.g. "Dagl immortali venici" from 'Attila' is a fine example of Verdi baritone singing, showing that any query about his acting ability does not extend to his subtle use of words). Rose goes on, "His beautiful lyric baritone was most suited to the works of Bellini, early Verdi and Rossini, the repertoire that he was simply not given." Indeed, Gorin, who studied at the Vienna Conservatory and made his debut in 1930 at the Vienna Volksoper, appeared only once at the Metropolitan, on 10 February 1964 as Germont (with Mary Costa and John Alexander), and his career at the New York City Opera consisted of just five performances in the autumn of 1963: two as Rigoletto and three as Germont. (He sang these two roles on television with the NBC Opera Theatre, to great acclaim). Opera companies with which he performed included those of Chicago, Cincinnati and New Orleans, and he appeared frequently in recital, on radio and on TV. The four shows on this video illustrate the high status in which the population placed him. He sings with a superb technique solid enough to be taken for granted, thus able to spend time on words and vocal shading. Here in his 40s the voice remains beautiful in sound - recordings made when he was 70+ show he retained much of the quality and technique. Whilst some material could be seen as banal, it is all performed with conviction. The operatic arias are sung as well as anyone, with ringing top notes worthy of a lyrico-dramatic tenor. For me, Gorin continues the timbre and style starting with Amato and Schwarz through to de Luca and Schlusnus; listen to the operatic arias and note long-breathed lines, dynamic changes with gorgeous mezza-voce, and well-projected words. Then e.g. play "The blind ploughman" for a performance comparable to Dawson's, and move on to "Through the years" ... very moving. |
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