Voice of Vitas

August 26, 2007 1:54 PM

Voice of a castrato or voice of a dolphin? You decide. (previously: 1, 2)
posted by of strange foe (25 comments total)

Just for fun, here's a link to a recording of an actual castrato, Alessandro Moreschi. Recorded in 1904.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:03 PM on August 26, 2007 [1 favorite]

Also -- previous Castrati thread.

And, while we're on the topic: Ann Rice's Cry to Heaven and Handel and the Castrati.
posted by ericb at 2:19 PM on August 26, 2007

Oops, sorry 'of strange foe.' I missed your 'previously 1' link. Time for another glass of wine!
posted by ericb at 2:28 PM on August 26, 2007

Why not both?
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:35 PM on August 26, 2007

I had never heard of Vitas until now. Interesting performances.
posted by ericb at 2:37 PM on August 26, 2007

That guy creeps me right the hell out.
posted by puke & cry at 2:51 PM on August 26, 2007

I'm not exactly sure what I just saw. Or heard.
posted by toma at 3:30 PM on August 26, 2007

I'd say he's got cojones for carrying on like that ... if that weren't a complete oxymoron.
posted by rob511 at 4:08 PM on August 26, 2007

He gives off an incredibly self-consciously asexual vibe to me. In fact it's vary rare for such a powerful and passionate vocal performance to leave me completely unmoved.
posted by hermitosis at 4:16 PM on August 26, 2007

He's amazing. His earlier stuff is a bit more tacky though, it's nice to see him performing more operatic stuff.

That self-consciously asexual vibe makes me think of the diva from 5th Element, though. He's got that too. :P
posted by taursir at 4:28 PM on August 26, 2007

... Also, I suspect this kind of vocal range is something that a lot of men could do if they had the ba   guts to try.
posted by taursir at 4:37 PM on August 26, 2007

That self-consciously asexual vibe makes me think of the diva from 5th Element, though. He's got that too. :P

That's what I was thinking.

That and of Cirque de Soleil. I've seen the show in Disney a couple times and they have this singer whose sex we still can't agree on. (S)he never got as high as that, though.

Dang.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 4:39 PM on August 26, 2007

He made me think of the 5th Element diva too.
posted by arcticwoman at 4:43 PM on August 26, 2007

Speak of the devil.

Apparently we're not the first people to make that 5th Element connection.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 4:45 PM on August 26, 2007

Yep, 5th Element diva.
posted by emmaglitch at 4:50 PM on August 26, 2007

I vote for castrato dolphin. DO NOT WANT.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 5:01 PM on August 26, 2007

And perhaps a touch of Victor/Victoria?
posted by emmaglitch at 5:02 PM on August 26, 2007

Not even close to being a castrat. Vitas lacks that crystal clarity and overtones that is heard in a trebel. Listening to Joseph McManners is an epiphany and you can hear what Vitas lacks
posted by Rancid Badger at 5:47 PM on August 26, 2007

Things like this make me wish I had the commitment to vocal music it would take to get that kind of range. So jealous. As it stands I go from about G2 to A4 (with a good warm-up).

So jealous.
posted by Arturus at 6:02 PM on August 26, 2007

Sorry rancid but I'm going to have to politely disagree. Joseph McManners has a beautiful voice, but it just smacks too much of "little kid with a high pitched voice."

Considering that the only recording of a castrati sounds like someone murdering a cat at times, I'm not sure it's even something Vitas or McManners should aim for.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 6:02 PM on August 26, 2007

McManners does sound very young. Aled Jones (can't find much of his, sorry) was a stunningly pure treble.
posted by booksandlibretti at 7:25 PM on August 26, 2007

Yes he is a little kid Citrus, but spot on key. Vitas seems in contrast, to be soulless. The swoops with the castrati recordings are really strange and the recording, even cleaned up, are a distraction. Radu Marian the sopranist is interesting vocalist in this genre as well.
posted by Rancid Badger at 8:00 PM on August 26, 2007

Herh. Stupid castrati dolphins.
posted by porpoise at 8:23 PM on August 26, 2007

Thanks for the Aled Jones link.
posted by Rancid Badger at 8:25 PM on August 26, 2007

The Aled Jones link was very interesting. A duet with yourself, years apart. Very cool concept. Can't listen to the Radu Marian link at work (some weird driver issue apparently) but I'll check it out at home.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 10:51 AM on August 27, 2007