Hey, Tony! Have I got a Shepherd Boy for YOU!

Just listen to this 13 year old boy sing a fabulous Queen of the Night aria!



What fabulous Fs! What energy and intensity! What anger in the voice (if not the face), which so many Queens lack! Only very minor intonation problems! What a beautiful swell on the final "Hör"!

He could give some Queens who have sung in major houses a run for their money!

His name is Robin Schlotz and as of last July when this was recorded, he was a member of the Tölzer Knabenchor. He is now 14 and has probably left. I suspect he'll probably grow into a splendid baritone or bass rather than a tenor or countertenor. What a shame it would be to lose all those high Fs! Maybe if we're lucky he'll wind up like "male soprano" Michael Maniaci*.

To explain the title of this post - one of the members of the Yahoo! Gheorghiu and Alagna club, not seeing the credit on this video from You Tube, thought that he was James Savage-Hanford, who played the Shepherd Boy in the Pappano/Gheorghiu/Alagna Tosca (and was also seen being conducted by Tony in the studio scenes in the film, showing off lots of braces) . What a coup Covent Garden would have if they could cast Robin, and have luxury casting even in this role! The aforementioned, and excellent, Master Savage-Hanford is now definitely too old.

Unfortunately, I'm sure the role of the Shepherd Boy in the Covent Garden Tosca in June has already been cast - the management is very good at announcing smaller parts as soon as the season is announced, unlike the Met who waits until the last minute. And it is unknown as to whether Robin can sing in Italian. Also, especially at this delicate stage in his vocal development, one doesn't want to force him to do too much too fast. Although after that aria, the Shepherd Boy's solo would be a walk in the park!

* Who, by the way, is making his Met debut next April as Nireno in Giulio Cesare.