Born to Sing Verdi

Between kings, fathers, warriors, and buffoons, Giuseppe Verdi created quite the gallery of star vehicles for baritones who could meet his requirements. Which are? In 2019, an interviewer at the Chicago radio station WFMT put the question to Sherrill Milnes, the last of America’s great 20th-century Verdi baritones, and to Quinn Kelsey, widely hailed as his long-overdue heir presumptive for our time. Kelsey, who went first, spoke of vocal qualities such as nobility, broad color, and weight. Milnes zeroed in on high notes and stamina. Let’s add to these, if we may, refinement in phrasing, vivid projection of the text, an instinct for character and drama. Kelsey has the whole kit.

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