100 Singers – THOMAS QUASTHOFF

Thomas Quasthoff, Bass-Baritone (*1959) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart DON GIOVANNI Leporello's aria: "Madamina, il catalogo è questo" African-American Spiritual, written by Wallis Willis "Swing low, sweet chariot" My personal opinion: Thomas Quasthoff in his own words: "On stage, I can´t wear a natty tailcoat. I don´t look impressive. My body is short and plain, and I can´t make impressive gestures without limbs. All that shines in the spotlight is my sweaty skull, and my big mouth, wherefrom the sounds come out. But important is, HOW these sounds come out! If someone looks like the hunback of Notre-Dame, he might survive only one season as a curiosity. But in the long run, the audience accepts only an artist, when he has something to tell…" The german Bass-Baritone Thomas Quasthoff touched me deeply, when I heard his voice for the first time around the turn of the millennium. A friend played some excerpts from Quasthoffs recording of WINTERREISE and I was moved by the heartfelt emotion and strange melancholy beauty of this voice. I had no idea who the unknown singer was, and then my friend showed me the cover of the CD: A young man with a friendly face pictured in close up. Then my friend told me more about him: The singer, the man, the serious birth defect. The difficulties of his career as a thalidomide victim are easy to imagine. He was not allowed to study music because every student had to play the piano. Thomas Quasthoff decided to study in private lessons. In 1988 at <b>…</b>