Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Rene Pape

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I have just finished watching the youtube videos of Dmitri Hvorostovsky singing "Ombra Mai Fu," and Rene Pape singing "O Isis und Osiris" for the thousandth time! These two men are quite possibly the greatest singers for their respective fachs. The richness and warmth that Hvorostovsky's voice has, and the darkness and power that Pape possesses are amazing. To me, Dmitiri Hvorostovsky is the leading Baritone of our time, and quite possibly of all time (for those Terfel fans, he is my second most fave Bari, and it is only my opinion here, not fact). Rene Pape is to me a Bass that none can currently outshine (again, for those fans of the late Ivan Rebroff, or other Basses, it is only my opinion, and Rebroff ties with Pape here). If you want to experience the eargasm that these men can bring you, simply look them up on youtube, or purchase their music.

I first heard Rene Pape sing as one of eight soloists in Gustav Mahler's Eighth Symphony
("The Symphony of One Thousand") Eight hundred voices including a children's choir, two hundred
piece orchestra including an offstage ensemble, and a gigungic pipe organ.

He sang with London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus directed by Sir George Solti.

I also have a recording of him singing in Beethoven's Choral Fantasy (Opus 80) also on the
same CD is the Triple Concerto for violin, cello, and piano with Itzhak Perlman -violin,Yo-Yo Ma -cello,
and Daniel Barenboim -piano and conductor with the Berlin Philharmonic.

The Choral Fantasy was a sort of prototype for Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.