Samuel Ramey

Samuel Ramey stands apart from the usual pattern in which basses rarely become leading figures on the operatic stage. Although his timbre lacks the resonant depth associated with Nicolai Ghiaurov or Boris Christoff, the voice stands out for its supple agility across extended passages, decorative figures, and wide intervals, combined with a striking tonal brilliance. Onstage, particularly when embodying diabolical characters, his presence commands attention through vivid movement, supported by a striking physical appearance and movements marked by balletic poise. Directors have often highlighted these qualities, prompting the observation that “Ramey’s Mefistofele has everything one could desire, except possibly a shirt.”

While enrolled at Kansas State University, Ramey first encountered serious interest in opera after a friend encouraged him to try out for a summer program at Colorado’s Central City Opera. Acceptance followed, and he performed in the chorus of two productions. Intensive study ensued, first at Wichita State University and subsequently in New York under Armen Boyajian. His first professional engagement came in 1973, when he sang Zuniga in Bizet’s Carmen at the New York City Opera. Two years later he appeared at Glyndebourne as Figaro in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.

An Aix-en-Provence staging of Rossini’s Semiramide in 1980, shared with Montserrat Caballé and Marilyn Horne, brought sudden acclaim. Reviewers and listeners alike welcomed the arrival of a bass possessing both the requisite power and the necessary agility. The following season he made his La Scala debut again as Mozart’s Figaro, and in 1982 he repeated the role for his Covent Garden first appearance. His Metropolitan Opera debut took place in 1984 as Argante in Rinaldo. He has returned regularly to the Pesaro Rossini Festival, where he has sought to restore the original vocal writing to bass parts long treated as spoken character roles for reasons of comedy and technical demand. A natural sense of humor free of exaggeration has served him equally well in these parts and in his satanic portrayals, many of which incorporate pointed wit; selections from the latter appear in his “Date with the Devil” recitals.

As his instrument grew darker and more substantial, Ramey gradually relinquished the florid demands of Rossini and Handel in favor of weightier Verdi assignments, including King Philip in Don Carlo and Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra, and he also took on Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. Twentieth-century works have likewise figured prominently in his schedule, most notably the Reverend Olin Blitch in Floyd’s Susannah and Nick Shadow in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress.

No other bass has amassed as extensive a discography; the list encompasses nearly every role he has performed, numerous aria and song recitals, and several entries from the musical-theater repertory. Television appearances include episodes of Live from Lincoln Center together with filmed and video versions of many of his stage characterizations.