All about that bass...

[Pawelot]

[oddjobman]

Mother Russia produces the best bass of this planet. It has something to do with their language.
Leonid Kharitonov is a great singer and the chorus is every bit as good as the soloist.

[Opera Vivrà]

That's excellent!

[Pantenor]

That Leonid guy is excellent indeed. Thanks for that, oddjobman.

[Jim]

Yes there is something about the Russian language that seems to favour the the low voices. I enjoyed both of these. The Octavist capability is biological and their seeming availability in Russia may have more to do with the Russian appreciation of the bass sound. Outside of Russia there seems to be little or nothing written for them. The basso profundo is not quite the same thing.
As a thought, Ludwig Fischer, Mozart's first Osmin was certainly a basso profundo and may well have had octavist capability.
While we are on the subject, where have all the basses gone? We are up to our elbows in bass-baritones with not a proper bass in sight!
Jim