Grosse Sänger Unseres Jahrhunderts: Hans Hotter CD

 THE Greatest EVER Lieder Concert Recording!
This is by far the greatest live lieder concert available on record. This is also superior to any live concert I have ever heard. Hans Hotter allied one of the biggest voices in history and one of the best vocal techniques with the deepest emotional and musical investment and clarity. Given all this, no singer is above Hotter. He was the consummate singer. Vocally this recording is very exciting. The warmth and clarity of the recording and Hotter's vocal health come together creating a beautiful experience. The sound is as close to live as I have ever heard a 60's recording, and it is the best representation of Hotter’s timbre. In this recording Hotter was not suffering from the breathing ailment that so spots the majority of his later recordings with wooliness and diffusion. It is not the same infinite ring that the earliest recordings make so clear, but the voice is rarely puffy. It is almost always a warm, rolling sound. This is the best blend of beautiful singing and rounded declamation I have ever heard. The vocalism is outstanding, but the depth of interpretation and musicality of the music is divine. Hans Hotter performs with complete devotion to text and composer. This approach along with his vocal ability and stability make for nearly perfect presentation of the composer’s and poet’s intentions. His decisions within the pieces are tempered by his almost singular knowledge of performance history and textual meaning, and Hotter was blessed with considerable direct contact with Strauss and as such must be seen as an authority. This concert is demanding (on par with the famous live Bjorling Carnegie Hall recording for difficulty), but Hotter’s performance is so easily delivered that the listener is rarely aware of the difficulty. This is a key to any great performance. Hotter weaves the music and the word into an organic whole which does not jar the listener from his suspended disbelief. Vocal frailty, lack of musicality, and disconnection from the text are the main factors which break the listener away from the experience. Hans Hotter’s performance has no such weaknesses. Hans Hotter excels in every way. He keeps the listener with him at all times. His voice is full of intelligence and pathos. There is no live concert like this on record. BUY THIS CD NOW!
Submitted by operamanmib (Chicago, IL USA) 
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