Bryn Terfel, baritone

I was exposed to Bryn Terfel for the first time during my undergraduate voice study at Louisiana Tech University. There is a short list of singers that I will listen to for fun and Bryn Terfel is one of those singers on my short list. His warm and rich bellow-some sound leaves you wanting more. Whether he’s singing German lieder or American folk songs, Bryn Terfel is just that good.

Here’s a short repertoire compilation that will woo you and convince you in a short amount of time of Bryn’s seemingly effortless control of his voice. These are in no particular no order:

• “Madamina, il catalogo è questo“ (The Catalogue Aria)  from Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
• “Litanei Auf Das Fest Allerseelen, D 343“ by Franz Schubert is a great art song example of Bryn’s abilities.
• “Seventy-Six Trombones“ from Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man. His dramatic style of singing is just as enjoyable.
• “Thus Saith the Lord“ from Handel’s Messiah.
• “Send in the Clowns“, a Jonathan Punick arrangement of Stephen Sondheim’s song from A Little Night Music. This is another song that is more familiar to the average person. So, even if you are not a connoisseur of art songs and opera arias, you can get a feel for his abilities with this famous song.

I hope that you will download some of Bryn Terfel’s songs. These are just some songs to expose you to his singing style and voice. There are many more than this to enjoy. His albums, Simple Gifts and Bryn Terfel Sings Favorites are good if you like him singing English and American folk songs. His Handel Arias album and his Opera Arias are good if you want to hear him sing some of the great arias of western classical music.

Just in case you need more convincing. Here’s a YouTube video of Bryn singing, Danny Boy: