The Most Beautiful Tenor Voices

[Derek McGovern]

I find it fascinating how subjective the concept of a "beautiful
voice" is, and in this respect I was struck by two recent comments in
our Recondita Armonia thread.

Jan wrote:

"I agree there may be a couple of tenors who are Lanza's equal in
vocal beauty e.g. Wunderlich, but I don't think any are more
beautiful."

And from Maria Luísa:

"Of course I agree there were great tenors, not only Mario. Beautiful
voices like Corelli's, Del Monaco's, Di Stefano's, A. Kraus',
Bjorling's, P. Domingo's, Carreras', Pavarotti's and the list could go
on and on, will be forever registered as greats in the history of Bel
Canto."


Here's what I hear :)

Quite simply, I've never heard a more ravishingly beautiful voice than
Lanza's. I'm not speaking of interpretation, or power, or style, or
any other factor; it's simply the luscious timbre of the voice and its
consistency of beauty from top to bottom that I consider unique.

The second most beautiful tenor voice I've ever heard is that of the
young Carreras. Wunderlich would come next, then Di Stefano and
Bjoerling. (Bear in mind, of course, that while I don't care much for
Bjoerling as an interpreter, I can't deny that he had a great
timbre.)

As for the others, well, Del Monaco, Corelli and Kraus wouldn't get a
look in, I'm afraid! Nor would I even include Caruso in my top ten
most beautiful tenor voices. Sacrilege! I actually prefer the sound of
Domingo's middle register (though definitely not his top) to Caruso's;
in fact, as Armando's pointed out, there's even a passing similarity
to Lanza's middle on occasion.

Anyone else care to comment?

[Tonytenor]

What an interesting topic and also how very subjective. What is
"beautiful" to one may indeed appear ugly to another. For myself, I
would have to follow Derek's lead and say that, for me, no other tenor
voice is as beautiful as Lanza's, and Derek you make a very good and I
think important point about the seamlessness of his voice, Armando
mentioned it in a thread a while back concerning the passagio. Also
the color of the voice, throughout the entire range is ravishing. The
registers did not seem disjointed or detached from one another, quite
a rarety really when you stop and think about it, so the voice sounded
liek it belonged "together." I know that may seem like an odd
statement, but to my ear, so many voices - even "great" ones - often
sound like the top is a separate voice or part. I hope I'm making
sense.

In any event, as for other beautiful voices, I guess for me it would
be diStefano, Bjoerling, Franchi (a very underrated singer), Domingo,
the young Carreras then the rest seem to blur.

[Mike McAdam]

'Beautiful' tenor voices. H-m-m-m-m. If I happen to have a music fan
in my Audio/video hideout in the basement of my home...and...he/she is
interested in hearing beauty in a voice, I invariably put on a Lanza
selection first. The others after that would be Richard Verreau (some
of you may not have heard this marvellous and fairly unknown tenor),
Jussi Björling and José Carreras. Even though there a few others with
a lovely timbre (Wunderlich, Schock, Gedda), to me they are not up to
the level of the my first echelon.
Tony: just as an aside with respect to detached registers, I find this
quite noticeable in many of the recordings of the marvellous Maria
Callas, don't you?
Mike

> > Anyone else care to comment?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[leeann]

Oh, dear. "Beautiful" tenor voices. I'd join others about the
subjectivity and difficulty of defining "beautiful." But I do have a
question that also joins a much earlier thread on "favorite tenors".

http://groups.google.com/group/mariolanza/browse_thread/thread/b9a2186eddb49f2f/eac88f36005e2c16?lnk=gst&q=villazon#eac88f36005e2c16

As a vocal novice, I'm a little curious about one who doesn't appear
in the pantheon-- Carlo Bergonzi, the "tenor's tenor", the Verdian. It
isn't difficult to find reviews or commentary praising him, and there
are criticisms too, of course--I think perhaps for a perceived lack of
passion.

But on his retirement, opera commentator Walter Price wrote about his
voice, "It was above all a beautiful sound, and he used it with taste
and refinement, invariably on pitch." And I find that I do get caught
up in and engage, I think, with the timbre and expressive range of
his voice.

Thank you, Lee Ann

[Lover of Grand Voices]

I have to agree with Derek (as I often do). Lanza had a clarity,
power and vibrancy to his voice that was incomparable. I often
compare him to Callas in the level of passion devoted to a
performance. Certainly beauty is in the ear and eye of the beholder
but we seem to all agree that this young tenor had a special quality
that came from his vocal cords and his heart and soul. For me, it is
the latter as much as the former that distinguishes one performer from
another. If Lanza had lived and led a disciplined life, I think he
would have had the longevity of Pavorotti and would have achieved the
same fame if not more so.

[Shawn]

I agree in that I have never heard a *more* beautiful tenor voice than
Lanza's. I think there were a few that were near his equal in beauty
but just in different ways- but, they lacked some of the other
qualities as we already discussed; whether it be the high notes, the
beautiful round quality, or so on. Lanza had the most complete tenor
'package' imo.

If I had to make a top 5 or some such thing, (speaking only of natural
quality of timbre) certainly Wunderlich, young Carreras and Di Stefano
would probably be included.... Bjorlings voice I have simply never
fallen in love with and I've never understood how people could rave
about its beauty (just me) although he was undoubtedly a great tenor.

So who would number 5 be... very difficult. Prime Gigli had a lovely
voice, as did this comparatively little known fellow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90rj2eOWCxs

Some more recent ones such as Gosta Winbergh and Francisco Araiza and
Luigi Alva also had very 'pretty' voices.

[zsazsa]

Hi Derek,
in my oppinion the most beautiful Tenor voice today belonging to
Italian tenor, Gianluca Terranova, as this great performance of him
proves. The video was taken in the Opera di Roma, on the 6th October
2010 in the role of Roberto Devereux by Donizetti. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmVhZ3hN45c

Cheers
Susan

[Lou]

Hi Lee Ann: Bergonzi may not enjoy iconic status in this forum, but he
is generally revered as a paragon in the world of opera, a "model
tenor whose sublime voice, magnificent artistry and wonderful
collegiality have set him apart among opera's royal family" (to quote
Opera News critic Ira Siff). It has been said that Bergonzi has more
class in his little finger than most tenors have in their whole body,
and this despite a short stature and the general appearance of a
friendly neighborhood butcher. Definitely this consummate stylist is
one of my top favorites among tenors, and I see that you, too, are not
immune to his vocal charm.

Do I consider Bergonzi’s lirico-spinto sound one of the most beautiful
tenor voices? Come to think of it, I've never given much thought to
his voice as an entity apart from his justly celebrated artistry. For
me, the total package is what Bergonzi is all about. And what a
package! But the voice itself I have yet to enjoy in isolation, unlike
Lanza’s, the young Carreras’, the young Di Stefano’s, Bjorling’s, and
Wunderlich’s, all of which compelled my rapt contemplation and
invited hyperbolic praise from the get-go.

Cheers,
Lou

On Nov 11, 6:54 am, leeann <leeanngha...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Oh, dear. "Beautiful" tenor voices. I'd join others about the
> subjectivity and difficulty of defining "beautiful."  But I do have a
> question that also joins a much earlier thread on "favorite tenors".
>

> http://groups.google.com/group/mariolanza/browse_thread/thread/b9a218...

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lou: I'm glad you and Lee Ann brought up Bergonzi. He hasn't been
entirely shunned on this forum; in fact, I was praising his moving
1986 performance of Non Ti Scordar di Me here a while back. Here's the
link to that performance in case you missed it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-cyNktoTNM&NR=1

Yes, he was a great singer -- and a refined one, though I think that
aspect has been exaggerated. I was just listening to his live 1959
performance of E Lucevan le Stelle, and I was reminded yet again that
he certainly wasn't above inserting a few Gigli-like sobs into his
singing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKH6E38DjQ

It is a beautiful sound, especially in his diminuendos. But at the
same time it's an intriguingly old-fashioned sound (you'd never guess
he was born three years after Lanza), and I think it's that aspect --
coupled with a lack of ring in his upper register -- that helped
prevent him from achieving the fame of say a Corelli or a Del Monaco.
I much prefer him, though, to either of those singers, especially in
Italian song.

Lee Ann: I'd take issue with commentator Walter Price's assertion that
Bergonzi was invariably on pitch! He tended to go flat in his later
years; in fact, you can hear that in the Non Ti Scordar di Me. Still,
he was in good company with his pitch problem; after all, Lanza often
sang sharp.

Shawn: Yes, I'd include "prime Gigli" in my Top Ten most beautiful
voices. And probably Gedda.

You mentioned Luigi Alva. There's another Luigi who also had a pretty
lyric tenor voice, and that's Luigi Infantino (1921-1991). His voice
hardened unpleasantly as he got older, but in his prime he had a nice
sound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBtJLSvGGCk

Cheers
Derek

[Shawn]

Gedda is a great favorite of mine as well, I *might* include him in my
top ten, but I always felt it was his singing that was beautiful more
so than the basic timbre of his voice, nice though it was.

[Lou]

Hi Derek: No, I didn't miss 62-year-old Bergonzi’s performance of Non
Ti Scordar di Me. In fact, I remember that you also praised it in
another, earlier thread, noting how Bergonzi caresses each word. But
by and large, he doesn’t get as much play in this forum as, say,
Carreras and Di Stefano. This is not a criticism, merely an
observation.

As for his being a refined singer, he is that, not only to my
untrained ears but to critics in general, many of whom are reportedly
so impressed by his “tasteful and impeccable style” that they turn a
deaf ear to his vocal flaws. But I’ve read that Bergonzi has a lesser
known face: when a lot of Italian or Italian-descent sympathizers are
in the house and he thinks there are no critics around, he sometimes
“leaves his stylish reputation in the dressing room” and proceeds to
prove that he can bawl and sob in the best provincial Italian
tradition. Perhaps his live 1959 performance of E Lucevan le Stelle
was from one such occasion.

I’m curious about your comment that the sound in the above performance
is beautiful but “intriguingly old-fashioned.” If by “old-fashioned”
you mean evoking memories of tenors from an earlier era, wouldn’t that
quality be an asset rather than a liability? I recall that when
Joseph Calleja’s debut CD came out, his “old-fashioned” sound created
quite a buzz among tenor aficionados.

Cheers,
Lou

[Vince Di Placido]

The most beautiful complete Tenor voice I have ever heard belongs
without doubt to Mario Lanza!
I put aside everything else, operatic experience, roles played on
stage, recorded legacy, all of this I can, without hesitation, put
aside & without any fear of overstating things say that Mario Lanza
had the most thrilling, electric, expressive, & beautiful Tenor voice
of them all! Not only this but he had the best phrasing & interpretive
gifts as well so he is top for me!
Next is Di Stefano, I just love his sound & those gorgeous "U" vowel
sounds he makes, just beautiful! I have a real soft spot for Pippo...
Gigli has always been a favourite of mine & when he gets it right he
is fantastic, his 1931 "Mi par d'udir ancora" is one of my favourite
recordings by anyone.
Yes! The young Carreras was fantastic!
I enjoy other tenors & they bring different things to the table
especially in different arias & songs but as regards "beauty" i think
these are my favourite 4 "beautiful" Tenor voices!

[Armando]

The most beautiful tenor voices:

1/Lanza
2/Carreras
3/Di Stefano
4/Wunderlich
5/Gigli

[Derek McGovern]

Lou wrote [re Bergonzi]"

> I’m curious about your comment that the sound in the above performance
> is beautiful but “intriguingly old-fashioned.” If  by “old-fashioned”
> you mean evoking memories of tenors from an earlier era, wouldn’t that
> quality be an asset rather than a liability?  I recall that when
> Joseph Calleja’s debut CD came out, his  “old-fashioned” sound created
> quite a buzz among tenor aficionados.

Hi Lou: Ah, we enter in very subjective territory here! What I meant
was that Bergonzi often sounds to my ears as though he could have been
one of Caruso's contemporaries (or even forerunners). He doesn't sound
"modern" to me in the way that Lanza does. ( A friend once remarked to
me that Lanza "will never date" -- and I agree with that.) Or Fritz
Wunderlich -- just to name another tenor of virtually the same
generation as Bergonzi. Is that an asset or a liability? I guess it
depends on what one listens for in a singer. Among those who are
always harping on about the supposed "lost art" of refined singing
that (again, supposedly) ended in the 19th century, Bergonzi is often
mentioned as a paragon of refinement. But I think the general public
prefers excitement over refinement, and for that reason Bergonzi never
achieved operatic superstar status.

Similarly, there isn't nearly as much "buzz" surrounding Calleja today
as there is his for his contemporaries Kaufmann, Grigolo and Villazon.
(But I wouldn't be surprised if Calleja ends up having the most
longevity as a performer.)

Cheers
Derek

[Lou]

Hi Derek: Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. You're right, we're
in subjective territory here so I won't pursue the subject any further
except to note that in my opinion, refinement and excitement are not
necessarily mutually exclusive. Also, I agree that Lanza "will never
date," but a particular genre with which he is identified (e.g.,
operatic-style singing) may become outdated and as a result he, too,
may become outdated by association. (I hope I'm making sense. :-) )

Cheers,
Lou

[Mike McAdam]

Some of you have mentioned a largely unsung tenor: Carlo Bergonzi. He
sang in the major houses with some of the great stars but, as you say,
we hear little about him.
Coincidentally, I've been working on a damaged LP of David's (Savage)
which I am attempting to transcribe to CD sans clicks and pops and
groove noise. I finally have it playing without skipping now and while
tackling the project with what I thought would be clinical detachment
I find myself sitting up, adjusting my headphones and really listening
to this guy. Wow!
The LP is entitled "Carlo Bergonzi sings Neaploitan Songs" and while
he covers much of the territory of Lanza's "Mario!" album he sings
some I have not heard commercially ('Chiove, 'Pecche') and one or two
gems I have never even heard of ("I Te Vurria Vasa", "Piscatore e
Pusilleco"). What a delightful singer Carlo is. More than just hitting
all the notes (many of them tastefully covered or sung in middle voice
at just the right times), his diction is akin to Lanza's;
understandable and easy to listen to. Every song on this collection
shows a beautiful line, impeccable phrasing and oh...the light and
shade. What an artist! The conductor must have been beaming during
this session.
I just put this transcription on hold, went to my online (Internet) PC
and watched/listened to a couple of the links you provided in this
thread, Derek (I'll upload a couple of these LP tracks in the next few
days).

In 'E Lucevan Le Stelle' he reminds me of both Lanza and Gigli at
times and his rendition of 'Che Gelida Manina' is the closest I've
heard to Mario's 1949 recording. Eerie. (In the arias, his 'hup!"
attack on many lines is very reminiscent of Lanza's well-known
'Marioism', if you know what I'm talking about?)
He had his day in the operatic sun, no doubt but, to me, Bergonzi's
refined singing should have seen him shine brighter than the likes of
Del Monaco or Corelli. He was dealt some different cards, I guess.
Pity.
Mike

On Nov 10, 6:54 pm, leeann <leeanngha...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Oh, dear. "Beautiful" tenor voices. I'd join others about the
> subjectivity and difficulty of defining "beautiful."  But I do have a
> question that also joins a much earlier thread on "favorite tenors".
>

> http://groups.google.com/group/mariolanza/browse_thread/thread/b9a218...

[leeann]

Thank you, Lou, Derek, and Mike for your comments on Bergonzi. His
voice is compelling to me, and I'm glad to see someone else is a bit
under his spell, Mike. It's set me out trying to understand what a
"Verdian" voice is and why I like him so much. It's counter-intuitive
for me--I tend toward the more overtly dramatic singers, and perhaps
would have gone for del Monaco or a Corelli-type if I'd been among the
record-buying public at the time, rather than Bergonzi.

But you mention his light and shade among other qualities, and somehow
in so many pieces the beauty of his technique seems to provide the
interpretive poetry which is more overt in other voices. -I'd have
trouble choosing a favorite--I know I'm fond of his Manrico, but that
would be only one example among so many, including many works I
haven't yet heard. I think, though, it's not so much his solos that
move me as much as his duets and pieces with others. There's a glory
in how he intertwines with other voices.

And then there are great stories about him and he's given wonderful
interviews over the years about his approach to music and the voice.
But despite his stories, it does appear that he simply didn't have the
charisma of a DelMonaco or Corelli How great it would be to just sit
in his son's restaurant in Busetto and just listen to him talk. Best,
Lee Ann

[Vince Di Placido]

Hi, Mike! I have that Carlo Bergonzi Neapolitan cd...
I just uploaded it to 4shared

http://www.4shared.com/audio/i6exvZ0U/01_Core_ngrato.html
http://www.4shared.com/audio/HkOqfiZ6/02_Ite_Vurria_Vasa.html
http://www.4shared.com/audio/sVLXABlW/03_Dicitencello_vuie.html
http://www.4shared.com/audio/MphMVJy1/04_Voce_e_Notte.html
http://www.4shared.com/audio/iZiseGJ6/05_Passione.html
http://www.4shared.com/audio/0qqM2Lix/06_Pecch_.html
http://www.4shared.com/audio/7cErnvZm/07_Na_Sera_e_maggio.html
http://www.4shared.com/audio/-DgritJR/08_Chiove.html
http://www.4shared.com/audio/KrZGsohE/09_Piscatore_e_Pusilleco.html
http://www.4shared.com/audio/L0qpL1Ys/10_Torna_a_Surriento.html

But knowing how good you are, you will most probably improve in your
remastering exercise, but the files are there if you need them...
I had never given this album a proper listen (I have many many cds I
haven't listened to properly...) but just scanning through the cd
there I was struck by how much I think Mario would have done with
"Piscatore 'e Pusilleco", I always loved this song... Made for Mario!
I am going to go & listen to this cd properly now... :-)

[leeann]

Dear Vince and Mike, As always, we are SO fortunate on this list.
I've had my eye on that album for awhile, and that's where the eye
would have to stay. The CD is currently almost $60 (used) and $199
(new) on Amazon and difficult to find elsewhere. Bergonzi did record
an album later in his career, I believe, that is readily available
and includes pieces such as L'alba separa, Ideale, Vaghissima
sembianza--and other correlations with Lanza's Caruso Favorites.
LeeAnn

[norma]

I also have recently `discovered` Carlo Bergonzi and love his
rendition of Donna non vidi mai and can imagine Mario singing it.It is
on youtube.

[Armando]

Generally speaking, Bergonzi is not as well known as some of his
contemporaries, but there is no question that as a singer he is highly
regarded. He did not have the most beautiful voice in terms of
colouring, nor was his top particularly brilliant (he started of as a
baritone), but in terms of technique and style he was a master. He
didn’t have the looks of a Corelli, Del Monaco, or Domingo, or the
enormous publicity machine that brainwashed the general public into
believing that Pavarotti was the greatest tenor that ever lived, but
he was a far better singer than the first two, certainly not inferior
to Domingo and, overall, a more interesting interpreter than
Pavarotti.

If you are looking for sheer visceral excitement Bergonzi is not the
man for you, but if you want to hear some stylish singing it’s
difficult to ignore him.

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Vince: So far I've only had time to listen to three of your
Bergonzi tracks -- and Voce 'e Notte wouldn't play for some reason --
but I was rather taken with his singing here. He's quite the stylish
story teller, and he runs rings around Pavarotti on these songs!! I
especially liked his Passione (only negatives: the tempo's too slow
for my liking and some of his gaps between phrases bothered me) and
Piscatore e Pusilleco. Yes, I can hear Mario doing a great job of the
latter too, along with I Te Vurria Vasa'.

Will listen to the remaining tracks over the next few days -- thanks
again, Vince.



On Nov 27, 7:17 pm, Vince Di Placido <vincent.diplac...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi, Mike! I have that Carlo Bergonzi Neapolitan cd...
> I just uploaded it to 4shared
>

> http://www.4shared.com/audio/i6exvZ0U/01_Core_ngrato.htmlhttp://www.4shared.com/audio/HkOqfiZ6/02_Ite_Vurria_Vasa.htmlhttp://www.4shared.com/audio/sVLXABlW/03_Dicitencello_vuie.htmlhttp://www.4shared.com/audio/MphMVJy1/04_Voce_e_Notte.htmlhttp://www.4shared.com/audio/iZiseGJ6/05_Passione.htmlhttp://www.4shared.com/audio/0qqM2Lix/06_Pecch_.htmlhttp://www.4shared.com/audio/7cErnvZm/07_Na_Sera_e_maggio.htmlhttp://www.4shared.com/audio/-DgritJR/08_Chiove.htmlhttp://www.4shared.com/audio/KrZGsohE/09_Piscatore_e_Pusilleco.htmlhttp://www.4shared.com/audio/L0qpL1Ys/10_Torna_a_Surriento.html

[Derek McGovern]

Speaking of Passione, I feel that Domingo sings an impressive version
for a 65-year-old here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAsQuqdVbjs

The ending's a bit disappointing, but then Domingo was never known for
his top. Elsewhere in the recording, you can certainly tell that he's
been listening to the Philadelphian boy he credits with inspiring him
to sing :)

[Vince Di Placido]

I'm liking these Bergonzi recordings, after Mario & Di Stefano I think
Carlo Bergonzi succeeds better than the other 50's/60's tenors, Del
Monaco & Corelli never really gave me the impression they understood
the genre at all...
That Voce 'e Notte link plays fine for me so hopefully it will work
again for you...

[Mike McAdam]

Thanks for the uploads Vince.
I'm part way through removing groove gremlins ;-) and doing the cover
art on the side (want to get this off to our missing member David
before Christmas).
If any of my transcribed tracks still sound noisy I'll definitely use
your 4shared one in its place.
Cheers, Mike

[Lou]

Hi Mike: You wrote [re Bergonzi]:

> What a delightful singer Carlo is. More than just hitting
> all the notes (many of them tastefully covered or sung in middle voice
> at just the right times), his diction is akin to Lanza's;
> understandable and easy to listen to. Every song on this collection
> shows a beautiful line, impeccable phrasing and oh...the light and shade. What an artist!
>The conductor must have been beaming during this session.

I couldn’t agree with you more, Mike! Bergonzi is a class act, his
singing at once refined and impassioned. While I wouldn’t put this
collection above Mario!, it’s light years ahead of Corelli’s
Neapolitan album (too weepy and sobby for my taste), against which it
is often pitted. For me, ‘Chiove’ is a goose bump raiser – I get a
shivery feeling at the way Bergonzi sings “muore” and gradually scales
down his voice from fortissimo to pianissimo in “Tu si'l'Ammore, ca
pure quanno more, canta canzone nove..”.

> … his rendition of  'Che Gelida Manina' is the closest I've

> heard to Mario's 1949 recording.

I presume you’re referring to the 1959 studio recording and not to the
slightly less refined, less beautifully sung live performance of the
year before. The studio version is an absolute gem in my opinion.
Although Bergonzi admits that he never had a voice that was
comfortable with high notes, he hits a glorious high C here. For me,
one of the magical moments in this rendition takes place at the
phrase  “Chi son, e che faccio”, when  Bergonzi diminuendoes on “son”
and continues to the end of the passage without taking an additional
breath. Another is at the end of the aria, when he  sings the last
note mezza voce and draws it out elegantly, seductively, for what
seems like forever. Lanza does nothing of that sort in his 1949
recording, but it remains my gold standard for the aria.  That’s
because in my book, beautiful voice trumps impeccable style – not that
Lanza’s sense of style is anything to sneeze at.

Cheers,
Lou

[Michael McAdam]

I found this recording I had been looking for and transcribed it from LP to P.C. post haste. The Berceuse from Godard's 'Jocelyn' was my introduction to a largely unsung Canadian tenor, Richard Verreau, back in the early sixties. After hearing him sing this I was mesmerised (as were many classical radio DJ's) and did my best to get every disc of his I could find. A few here on the Forum know of him (and have heard some of my recordings) but many more have never had the opprtunity to enjoy this wonderful lyric voice.

So, give a listen to this splendid tenor (trained by Gigli) in an except from Berceuse de Jocelyn:

 

http://www.4shared.com/audio/TcFV_ijj/BerceuseDeJocelyn_excerpt_-RVe.html

 

See if you don't agree that this is (was) one of the most beautiful tenor voices on record. Ironically, even though he eventually sung at the Met, his name is largely unknown in Opera circles.

 

Mike

[Derek McGovern]

Mike: I'd actually been meaning to add Verreau to my list of Most Beautiful Tenor Voices for this thread. He wouldn't be in my Top Five, but he'd certainly make it to my Top Ten :-) It's a positive crime he's not better known. That bit of mezza voce he does on "toi" (at the 50-second mark) on the recording you just linked to is sublime.

Cheers

Derek

[Vicki]

In the interest of objectivity (which is never going to be entirely
possible in the arts-there will always be that inexplicable WOW
factor....), a useful addition to this discussion of beautiful tenor
voice might be an organizing framework, e.g. Richard Miller's
categorizations of tenor voices (1).  Miller divides tenor voices into
the following categories: a) Tenorino, b) Tenore Leggiero, c)
Spieltenor, d)Tenore Buffo, e) Operetta Tenor, f) Tenore Lirico, g)
Tenore Lirico Spinto, h) Tenore Robusto, Tenore Drammatico, i)
Heldentenor. Tenor voices are assigned to one of these categories
based on such characteristics as: size, range, location of
registration events, quality, flexibility, i.e. ability to sing
coloratura/fioratura. Operatic tenors with the voices considered the
most beautiful tend to fall into category: b, f, g, h or i. While a
certain amount of crossover singing occurs and taste changes over time
in terms of what size voice is preferable for which roles, these
categories are certainly useful in developing a rubric for evaluating
a voice based on what it could be expected to do well. They also give
us a chance, as we discuss particular artists, to be transparent about
bias each of us might have in terms of fach preferences. For some
people, size matters (hee hee, sorry...couldn't resist) and some may
have preferences for certain roles that happen to fall into a
particular fach.

This is not to say that there aren't generalities that apply in
evaluating tenors across categories. Artistry, intelligence in
singing, resonance balancing, diction, beauty across the registers,
how the tenor negotiates phrases and sustained notes in the upper
range (within vocally appropriate literature)...But, imposing a
framework like Miller's on a discussion of this sort might reduce the
likelihood of unfair comparisons. I think Florez, of category b is a
fabulous artist and it's hard to beat the ease with which he sings Ah,
mes amis. But, my bias is to prefer category f and g. Within the
parameters of my bias, Lanza is by far and away my favorite spinto
voice. At the same time, I love Jerry Hadley's (on the light end of
category f, some could argue he was heavier category b) performances,
particularly during the first decade of his career. He was very
musical, his singing was intelligent, his diction was impeccable, the
voice was beautiful, his acting intelligent and he negotiated roles
like Tamino that hang in the passaggio extremely well.




(1) (Miller, R. (1993). Training Tenor Voices. Belmont, CA: Schirmer
Books, pp.9-14).

[Vicki]

But, I meant to add, that it would be unfair to compare Hadley with
Lanza because Hadley's instrument, even when functioning at its best,
was not intended to do what Lanza's could. Hadley, unfortunately,
proved that when he tried singing heavier roles in the years just
before his death.

> > On Nov 27, 6:17 am, Vince Di Placido <vincent.diplac...@gmail.com>

> > wrote:
>
> > > Hi, Mike! I have that Carlo Bergonzi Neapolitan cd...
> > > I just uploaded it to 4shared
>

> > >http://www.4shared.com/audio/i6exvZ0U/01_Core_ngrato.htmlhttp://www.4...
>
> > > But knowing how good you are, you willmostprobably improve in your

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Vicki: I agree that Jerry Hadley was a lyric tenor (and yes, he did have a beautiful voice; I love his Standing Room only CD, along with his complete recordings of Show Boat, Candide, and Kismet). Lanza was a true lirico spinto -- Licia Albanese was adamant on that score! -- able to produce a lyric sound where required as well as a darker, more spinto sound. A good example of the latter is his 1950 Force of Destiny aria. He gets just the right darker, weightier sound. The same year, on something like M'Appari', he uses a lighter, more lyric sound.

On many (but not all) of his final recordings, Mario definitely sounds closer to a pure spinto, or h), according to the classification above.

Cheers
Derek 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Vicki: I'd just add to the above that I found those classifications of the tenor voice that you posted interesting (though newcomers to operatic singing might find them daunting). Not sure about "Operetta tenor," though, as a separate category. "Broadway tenor," perhaps (I immediately think of something like Les Mis), as it requires a less operatic approach. And category 'h' is confusing (tenore robusto and tenore drammatico). To my ears, there's a definite difference between a spinto tenor (eg, Corelli) and a dramatic tenor (eg, Del Monaco). A dramatic sound is darker and weightier still than a spinto (just as a spinto is darker in turn than a lirico spinto). A spinto tenor is ideally suited to something like Pagliacci, while a dramatic tenor is ideal for the role of Otello.

The interesting thing about Lanza, though I have to admit he's not unique in this respect -- Domingo immediately comes to mind! -- is that he can sound convincing singing the music of Rodolfo (a lyric role), Andrea Chénier (borderline lirico spinto/spinto) and Otello (dramatic). His amazing versatility was certainly on show in his last movie, For the First Time, in which he goes from singing a snippet of the pure lyric music of Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte to an aria from Otello -- and sounds great in both.

By the way, I don't necessarily agree that leggiero voices (category 'b') are among the most beautiful of tenor sounds. Juan Diego Flórez's probably the best example of a contemporary leggiero. He has amazing agility and high notes (as you'd expect from a leggiero), but the basic colour of his voice doesn't do a lot for me. Very subjective -- I know -- but I tend to think of leggiero voices as wiry rather than beautiful. I would argue that the most beautiful tenor voices are usually either the lyric voices (Gigli, Di Stefano, Carreras, Wunderlich, Bjoerling et al) and the lirico spintos (Lanza at the top of the tree). But others love the sound of pure spintos (i.e., a voice without lyric qualities) like Corelli.

Actually, even within the pure lyric category there are differences. Carreras has pointed out that he, like a lot of Spanish lyric tenors, has a darker texture to his voice than, say, an Italian lyric tenor. I think that's true enough if we compare, say, Pavarotti's sound with that of Carreras. Where a lyric tenor like Carreras (and Hadley...and Di Stefano) comes unstuck, though, is when he tries to sing parts that are heavier (and require a bigger sound) than nature intended him to perform.

Cheers
Derek 

[Vicki]

I agree that that Richard Miller's categories can be daunting. However, his books are widely accepted in the field of vocal pedagogy and I do think the categories (at least the basic ones) are useful as an organizing framework when comparing singers. They certainly afford us the opportunity to consider whether our love of the Lanza voice has to do with a preference for the lirico spinto voice over lighter instruments, with his artistry or the versatility of the instrument that allowed him to so effectively use it to interpret roles across fach (which, as you point out, few can achieve).

Anent the confusing categories: 1) I would argue that operetta tenor and Broadway tenor are different. Operetta tenor is a voice not sizable enough for an operatic career, but suited to G & S, etc.   Broadway tenors don't necessarily have small voices; it's the vocal production that is different. 2) tenore robusto and tenore drammatico): Miller means those terms to be synonymous, but not to be confused with liroco spinto or spinto.

The subcategories you propose  (via Carreras) are very interesting.

[leeann]

Dear Mike,

Thank you for introducing Verreau! Your passion for him launched a splendid YouTube journey through his work--often with biographical videography.  . Verreau's voice is beautiful, graceful, powerful, gentle.

Given the season, it was splendid to listen to his Christmas selections, his Schubert Ave Maria (gorgeous imho!), and to read comments comparing his version of Minuit Chretiens (O Holy Night) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYlWsKKJoa8&feature=related) with that of another Quebcois, Raoul Jobin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS0bewERMPY). It would seem that preferring one over for most listeners of this song anyway, mostly comes down to that elusive something that impacts us each individually.  (Although in annoyingly one-eyed fashion, NOBODY's "fall on your knees" has me falling as much as Lanza's after the choral voices. I wish we had version from him comparable to Verreau, Jobin, and other operatic tenors.)

It becomes increasingly impossible to create a most beautiful tenor list, I must say, beyond the Lanza, Di Stefano, early Carreras triumvirate, and  I'm looking forward to listening to more Verreau.Thanks! Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

The following message is from Dan Marine, a great guy and a passionate music lover. Nice to see you posting, Dan! 

First id like to congratulate derek on a new forum..this guy has been a major plus in discussing and promoting lanza for years..his forums i felt have always remained paramount over any forum in topic without politics and nonsense. educated folks who understand singing plus other regular plan folks who dont dove into blind hero worship..the topic beautiful voices struck something in me that i thought id reply..i thank gary maiden for this link...lanza indeed had the most beautiful voice ever and the sexiest one also..from the sweetness of i know i know i know and golden days to the full throat let it all hang out in granada o sole mio etc etc the lanza voice exploded with a tone of beauty never heared before or since..other really beautiful voices are truly rare at least to me in the tenor area.

distefano to me had the most beautiful lyric tenor voice ever to grace the opera stage. a master of italian classics and interpetation that knows no equal outside of the later lanza. the sweetness and velevety sound to the voice given in a royal presentation in his prime is truly beyund compare in the opera stage. to this listener even gigli in beauty takes a back seat..then theres fritz who somehow made the harsh german language sound romantic..thats how beautiful the voice was..thats it folks as far as im concerned on tenor beauty..now a young jose c certainly approaches the highest level of beauty in the second tier. he remains by himself there...gigli a pretty voice no doubt. not beautiful in the terms these ears hear....bergonzi kraus certainly magnificent and tagliavini also.a certain aspect of beauty indeed but a total aspect in everything ..nope sorry..mario pippo and fritz only...

jussi a great voice and beautifull clear as a bell to hear...sexy beautiful in content. nope sorry...corellis high c thrills me as only one or 2 others do but the beauty of the voice sorry...domingo please..delmonico power yes exciting yes beauty nope. not unless you like blasting..pav yes on high c only the rest. come on.caruso..his upper register in the bs is exceptional. great magnificent..the rest as far as beauty sorry please..not a pretty voice...for a beautiful voice throughout without the phoney melodrama its lanza pippo and fritz..a young jose c is close but not in their league..the rest..great all time tenor voices. beautiful not in the sense of the 3 i mentioned..theyre in a class by themselves.

i apologize for my typing. i cant type so commas etc caps in the proper places will take me forever...the best to derek a truly wonderful guy and good luck to the forum.

[Derek McGovern]

Thanks for this stimulating post, Dan. I've just revived our old Fritz Wunderlich thread to show skeptics just how romantic he could make the German language sound. And like Lanza, he had that rare ability to draw in people who wouldn't normally be interested in operatic singing.

About the only thing I disagree with you here is that the young Jose' Carreras "approaches the highest level of beauty in the second tier." I honestly feel that for sheer luscious beauty of timbre (in his heyday in the 1970s) from top to bottom, he surpassed Di Stefano. But if you're asking who the greater "singer" of the two was, then, yes, I'd rate Pippo over Jose'. Di Stefano's ability to tell the story -- to do those magical little things that would never occur to a Pavarotti or or a Corelli -- put him right up there with the greatest of them all. I think personality has a lot to do with it. As Armando can vouch, Di Stefano was marvellous company -- a born raconteur and a great character. Remind you of a certain Philadelphian tenor? :) 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Susan: To be honest, I found Terranova's tone a bit wearying by the time I'd gotten to the end of that extract from Roberto Devereux. It's a strong voice, and he's very musical, but there's a metallic edge to his tone that bothers me. But I really enjoyed his performance of our old friend Buzzi-Peccia's Mal d'Amore:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnoCyZKC41s

Actually, Terranova -- in both looks and voice (& even stage manner) -- reminds me of Domingo here.

Lanza should have recorded this song instead of doing all those different versions of Buzzi-Peccia's Lolita!  

Cheers

Derek

    

On Saturday, November 13, 2010 8:58:30 PM UTC+9, zsazsa wrote:

Hi Derek,
in my opinion the most beautiful Tenor voice today belonging to
Italian tenor, Gianluca Terranova, as this great performance of him
proves. The video was taken in the Opera di Roma, on the 6th October
2010 in the role of Roberto Devereux by Donizetti. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmVhZ3hN45c

Cheers
Susan

[zsazsa]

Hi Derek,
thank you very much for your answer and yes, I know that wonderful
performance of Gianluca of Buzzi-Peccia, it is a great song and
Gianluca`s performance a really fabulous! I love in his performances
that he is never overdoing what he is singing, there are real feelings
and that is what makes me emotional. I don`t like when a performer is
overdoing (today very many is overdoing on the stage, because they
think that it is very emotional) but for me, it is much more
emotional, when someone shows real feeling, real deep feeling. It is
interesting that you say, his voice has a metallic edge to his tone
that you don`t like. For me, there is something in his voice that
touch my soul, someone wrote about his great performances recently in
LA Opera, as the Duke of Rigoletto, that:`His singin was in my ears
electrifying, the kind of makes the inner ear vibrate with sound as he
belts out the famous arias. His sound fills the theater with utter
confidence and presence. I hope to see and hear more of him.`Yes, that
is what I feel also, his voice makes the inner ear vibrate, and that
is what I`ve never have by others, only by Mario.
But anyway, I enjoyed very much to read your oppinions about Gianluca,
yes he is very musical and his repertoire is really fantastic. He has
written a lot of musicals, as he is a very good pianist as well. But
we are very happy that he decided to stay now by the opera
performances and we (Helmut and me) will attend again two of his opera
performances in 2011 agin in Torino, Italy.
Thanks a lot dear Derek once again and cheers for now
from Susan

On 29 Dez., 12:46, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Susan: To be honest, I found Terranova's tone a bit wearying by the time

> I'd gotten to the end of that extract from *Roberto Devereux*. It's a strong

> voice, and he's very musical, but there's a metallic edge to his tone that

> bothers me. But I *really* enjoyed his performance of our old friend
> Buzzi-Peccia's *Mal d'Amore*:

>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnoCyZKC41s
>
> Actually, Terranova -- in both looks and voice (& even stage manner) --
> reminds me of Domingo here.
>

> Lanza should have recorded *this* song instead of doing all those different

> versions of Buzzi-Peccia's Lolita!  
>
> Cheers
> Derek
>

> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnoCyZKC41s>    

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Susan: Yes, if I could single out the thing that impressed me most about Terranova's Mal d'Amore, it was the sincerity of his singing. As you say, his feelings seemed real, not contrived. He was truly living the words.

Incidentally, I'm very much looking forward to Armando's comments on Joseph Calleja. He and his wonderful wife Carmel will be attending a performance of Rigoletto at the Met next month. Calleja's playing the Duke, of course. 

Cheers

Derek

[zsazsa]

Hi Derek,
yes, I agree with you 100 %, he is truly living the words. If you want
to see and hear a trailer of Gianluca`s LA performance, here is the
link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCmEqp0k_n0&feature=youtu.be&a

I do love it very much, as the other singers are also very good and
the whole play of the colours of the stage and costums and the whole
organisation of this great opera with the wonderful conductor, James
Conlon. The critic is praising the LA Rigoletto performance and they
are praising Gianluca as you can read, like this: `The Duke, Gianluca
Terranova was the most believable I`ve seen in the role yet. Dashing,
good looking, with a voice that validates the hype he`s been getting
lately, Terranova is a singer to keep your eye out for. He sang
everything as passionately as he did `La Donna Mobile` and didn`t go
over the top on what may be the best known aria ever written.`
Thanks a lot for your post, Derek and I think, that you`ll like the
trailer beyond.

Cheers from Susan

On 30 Dez., 01:32, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Susan: Yes, if I could single out the thing that impressed me most about
> Terranova's Mal d'Amore, it was the sincerity of his singing. As you say,

> his feelings seemed *real*, not contrived. He was truly living the words.

>
> Incidentally, I'm very much looking forward to Armando's comments on Joseph
> Calleja. He and his wonderful wife Carmel will be attending a performance of

> *Rigoletto* at the Met next month. Calleja's playing the Duke, of course.
>
> Cheers
> Derek

[oscar.bearherrera]

Hi all

Please, listen to this tenor.

His name is Daniele Barioni, his operatic  debut was in 1954 as  Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Teatro Nuovo, Milan.

1956 he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, in Tosca with Delia Rigal and George London. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKs89DBhHUk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-r7O7jzxkE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YE86sDvXeg&feature=related 

[Michael McAdam]

Oscar: Barioni has a pleasant lyric voice but he sounds a little challenged, to me, in some of these pieces.

 

Cielo e Mar is okay but no 'grab' for me in the good notes like a Lanza, Carreras or Björling would offer.

His L'Alba Separa.... nice but then the gorgeous orchestral tapestry the tenor weaves through can cause one to overlook the occasional vocal slip-ups.

You can hear him straining to hold the high E at the end of Dimmi Che Vuoi Segu. Nice rendition for the most part though (never heard this tenor aria before...so used to getting Doretta's signature piece)

 

He reminds me of the tenor I just saw in La Fanciulla del West, Marcello Giordani; a good workaday voice but nothing memorable, IMHO. 

[Michael McAdam]

My Lord! What a beautiful lyric voice. What style timbre and attack in the high notes. Every YouTube video I watched of this chap Aragall showed a consistency of style. I could listen top this guy all night. Only happened to go listen as he was mentioned in a "Tosca" post this morning.

 

I could tell right away that he wasn't Italian by his strange pronunciation of some familiar aria words (hey, Armando...I'm catching on ;-) I guessed he was Spanish; sounds a lot like the young Carreras, uncannily like Bjoerling (without the vibrato) and reminiscent of Québec's Richard Verreau in the line and beauty of voice.

Why is he called Jaume? Jaime? Joaquin? when his name is Giacamo? Nicknames?

Anyway, give a listen to the lovely job he does here (to me, there are echoes of Lanza in some of his covering and the high C). For those of you who haven't had the pleasure to hear this, here's Giacamo Aragall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wspBHtsjNbQ&NR=1

 

Mike

[Savage]

Mike,

    I believe that Giacomo is just the Italian version of his name which was used by most opera houses outside Spain.  The original name is Jaime.  I was lucky enough to hear him twice and it was a thrill.  (in Boheme and Rigoletto ).  The soaring tenor voice and brilliant phrasing were unforgettable.  In retrospect I can honestly say that the Boheme performance was my favorite live opera experience ever.  He was also a talented gymnast, able to move about the stage with greater ease than rivals like Pavarotti.

Aragall was a convincing young Rodolfo with an exceptionally beautiful voice.  His phrasing reminded me a lot of young Di Stefano.

                                                                                                            David

                                                                                               

[Armando]

Hi Mike: I am not at all surprised by your reaction to Aragall. He is a vastly underrated tenor. Also, a mostly forgotten one by many, including myself, when listing beautiful voices. He caused a sensation in the mid sixties with his debut at the Arena di Verona as the Duke in Rigoletto. He sang in all the major theatres but, eventually, his career stalled as he suffered enormously from nerves and consequently his performances became very erratic.

Still, a beautiful lyric tenor with an exciting top, far superior to both Pavarotti and Domingo as a sound, and to some of the current overrated voices such as Giordani.   

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Mike: Aragall has actually popped up a few times in discussion on our forum here and here. He's one of Gary's favourite tenors, I recall.

While I found his voice just a little dry on the 1984 Tosca I linked to earlier, I can certainly hear in the "Che Gelida Manina" you posted above why David found him so memorable in performance. I wonder when the Boheme aria was recorded?

In his 1983 autobiography, Domingo praises Aragall, and laments the fact that the man had never received the recognition he deserved. I don't think it was just nerves, though. Read what Aragall himself has to say in this interesting 2006 article from Opera News:

http://www.operanews.com/operanews/templates/content.aspx?id=5548

Cheers
Derek

[Derek McGovern]

My second "here" link in my post above didn't work, so here it is again:

https://groups.google.com/d/topic/mariolanza/uaIYbt20ny8/discussion

And here's a link to an Aragall rendition of "Donna Non Vidi Mai" that should put a smile on Mike's face :) Don't miss the accompanying photos of Aragall with Carreras, Pavarotti, Kraus & other top singers.

[Derek McGovern]

P.S. Mike: Just to clarify the Jaime/Jaume confusion re Aragall's name (and David was right about 'Giacomo' -- or 'James' -- being the Italian equivalent):

Aragall's true name is Jaume, the Catalan version of Jaime. While Franco was in power, Catalans were not allowed to use the Catalan versions of their names in public life (and were even forbidden from speaking their language on school premises) - hence the Spanish version Jaime for most of his career. Similarly, José Carreras's true first name is Josep. But when Aragall sang in Italy, he often went by the name of Giacomo. Sort of like Luis Alva, who became Luigi Alva.

From one of several threads on Aragall that you may enjoy at grandi-tenori.com:

http://www.grandi-tenori.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=765&start=0

[Michael McAdam]

Derek, Armando: definitely a voice which one would be unlikely to tire of, wot?

What a ringing top he had (has? Just watched him performing at sixty in a recital). No scooping/sliding in for this tenor! Very clear attack on the notes and, like Lanza, a solid beauty to his sound in the highest ones (just listen to his "Salut, Demeure..." on YouTube. Amazing)

 

The "Donna Non Vidi Mai" was a gem, Derek (I had heard another version by him...not quite as memorable as this one). The photos which accompanied that video were well done,as you said; the ones of him and young countryman Carreras and a very young Kiri Kiwi:-) in particular. Kudos to 'ashbyjay'.

 

That "Che Gelida Manina" was from 1968 I believe and, thanks for that explanation of the different names he has gone by; and why.

 

Now, off I go to listen to some Simon Boccanegra ditties he does (an opera I am completely unfamiliar with). Nice to have another PC to do some paying work on while listening to Jaume on the other ( ;-o )

 

Mike

[gary from NS]

Hello Aragall fans.. I must say first off, I just sat down to do a quick read of the latest posts and came across these posts regarding Aragall. I haven't (foolishly) listened to Jaume Aragall for months,and of course I had to do just that after the reading here. He is a wonderful tenor,and his voice is always thrilling to me.I am now an hour behind some errands I need to do today,but couldn't drag myself away from here. Lo and behold I came across an Aragall site on facebook,and I found there some youtube spots showing him giving Masterclasses in the Barcelona Opera Studio during 2011.
Of course I gravitated to Part V where he is giving his student pointers on one of my favourite aria.
I was enthralled by this video,and so pleased to see Aragall giving of his talents.
Here is the url;and I hope you enjoy.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6B_7EHyFgU&feature=related

cheers
Gary

[Savage]

Hi Derek!

    He definitely appeared as Giacomo in Vienna as well.  Another shred of information: An 86-year old woman was also at the Boheme performance. She had been to the opera every night since the second world war, standing room of course and had heard many of the finest singers.  She said that she went home that night in a state of ecstasy. Aragall had charisma, vocal beauty, acting ability, and great stage presence.  It's sad that he suffered from stage fright.My guess is that the aria recording was no later than 1970.  He still sounds young here.

                                                                                                          David

[Derek McGovern]

Hi David: That's a sweet story about the 86-year-old. Obviously, Aragall touched a lot of people (yourself included) in performance. I found Richard Bonynge's comments interesting in that Opera News article I linked to earlier, not just about the affecting "silvery" quality of Aragall's voice and his "real" performances, but about the fact that, unlike some tenors (think Pavarotti especially!), Aragall never took advantage of the PR machine:

"I loved him. He was the most real of all the tenors," said Richard Bonynge. "There was nothing phony about his performances. Something always happened when he was onstage. You could believe in him utterly, apart from the fact that the voice itself was very, very beautiful. It had a quality that touched the heart, and you were never conscious of technique or anything. It was a very big lyric voice. But really lyric - very sort of silvery, but round, and affecting. It got to you." As for why the tenor didn't have the enormous career his voice merited, says Bonynge, "Well, probably, he didn't pay the P.R. people enough. That's what it's all about today, isn't it? Look at the major careers today. They're all P.R. careers.

While I still wouldn't include Aragall in my top five most beautiful voices -- too much competition! -- I'd definitely make room for him in my top ten list :)

Cheers
Derek

[Savage]

Derek,

      Put him at least in the top seven!  In haste I neglected to explain that the 86-year old Austrian lady was a very well respected critic among the opera fanatics in Vienna (not an official critic, but someone who held court during each intermission, always surrounded by fascinated listeners.)  We loved her stories and never ceased to be amazed that she was willing to stand through every performance with the rest of us. She certainly was enchanted with Aragall.  I think his agility on the stage was a contributing factor to the magic.  I'll never forget that moment in the final act where Mimi beckons to Rodolfo and he turns and rushes to her side.  The young tenor/gymnast moved unlike any other tenor I have ever seen in this role. His entire performance was pure poetry.

                                                                                            David

[Michael McAdam]

Hi Gary: I'd forgotten that you had previously raved about Aragall when this thread was first opened. I can see why.

That link above to Jaume's masterclass didn't work for me, btw). I'll look for it when I surf his other videos on YouTube. I did run across a very entertaining Pav Masterclass clip though. Pavarotti did have one great sense of humour. I was in tears laughing at some of his stories.

 

There is some astounding singing by Aragall here in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcwdTXK7pXA&feature=related

It's a 1981 San Francisco excerpt from Adriana Lecouvreur. Ignore the silly periwig, the deplorable video quality and the shaky sound and listen to his glorious and riveting rendition, beginning at 3:11, of "That Animal--how Stinky" :-)) (Sorry, couldn't resist).

 

Mike

[gary from NS]

Hi Mike,Derek and David..

Rivetting and glorious indeed is Aragall. I had never seen this clip before and was duly impressed.
He has been in my top list for some time, and I just kick myself at times for letting months pass without giving him a listen.

Re. his master class what 'enthralled' me was the way he was helping and assisting the young student in performing this aria. He looks to myself to completely enjoy his "teaching" and I would be thrilled as a student of operatic singing to have Aragall as my instructor.

Armando so correctly mentioned Aragall as "vastly underrated,and often forgotten" by many.
I must make a point of putting together an Aragall 'homemade cd'.

Cheers
Gary

[Derek McGovern]

I thought I'd revive this old thread in case anyone would like to add any new singers to the discussion (or comment on those already discussed).

[Barnabas Nemeth]

In my view, Ana Maria Martinez has had the most beautiful timbre these days. What do you think? Cheers, Barnabas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvEiFGL3RjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNwmoxfBH7g

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Barnabas: Martinez certainly has a beautiful voice---a lovely dusky sound, as it's been accurately described. You actually posted the links to the above recordings two years ago on this thread.

I should point out, though, that this particular discussion is devoted to the most beautiful tenor voices :) I'll therefore move your post to our current off-topic thread. Hope you don't mind!

Cheers,

Derek

[norma]

Hi Derek,When I first listened to the three tenors concert in Rome,I thought Carreras was much the weaker of the three and seemed to be straining on the high notes.Since then I have heard his early recordings and agree that his voice was very beautiful and rich in tone.What a pity it did not last long.
Norma

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: Carreras was certainly the weakest of the three (vocally) on the night of that first Three Tenors concert in Rome in 1990. It was just his bad luck (or nerves?), really, as he still had better vocal days ahead of him than that evening suggested---even though his voice was well in decline by then. He sang beautifully in a 1993 televised performance of Verdi's Stiffelio---a role that admittedly didn't tax his upper register---and I found him in fine voice when I attended a concert of his in NZ in 1994. On the latter occasion, which didn't involve any television cameras, he seemed to relax more---and his approach to his problematic high notes was more secure than usual. He was exciting. His singing was also smoother than we hear on the first Three Tenors concert (or the second one in 1994, for that matter), where his legato is often "choppy."

This is not the best audio reproduction of this recording, but here's the very first Carreras record I ever heard---and the one that convinced me that his was the most beautiful tenor voice of his time:     

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfKtYE041yA ["La mia letizia infondere," from Verdi's I Lombardi, recorded in 1976, when Carreras was 29]

And I still love his "Maria" from West Side Story, recorded with Bernstein in 1984. People make fun of his heavily accented English, but they miss the fact that this is wonderfully ardent singing (capped with a thrilling high B-flat): 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyvmwajolis

I can't think of a tenor active in 1984 who could have sung this any better.

Cheers,

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Speaking of Carreras, his endearing 1982 performance of the Nemorino-Dulcamara duet "Ecco, il magico liquore" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore makes me wish more than ever that we had a recording of Lanza and George London singing the same piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXNZsiIcc7c

Music critics often singled out Lanza's and London's performance of this duet as a comic highlight and "showstopper" during the Bel Canto Trio tour.  

[Derek McGovern]

Last month Lee Ann alerted us to some wonderful comments about Lanza by music critic Greg Sandow:

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/mariolanza/pF4G6jgbglQ/jaa7o-MknTkJ

In the same blog, Sandow also writes enthusiastically about Javier Caramena, a 38-year-old Mexican tenor who has been making quite a name for himself. Caramena is a purely lyric tenor with a brilliant upper register and a solid vocal technique. It's not a voice that will be to all tastes---and certainly it doesn't rival the young Carreras' timbre for sheer beauty---but there's something very appealing (and unaffected) about how Caramena uses it. This performance of "Una furtiva lagrima" (which Sandow discusses at length in his blog) is a good example of his talent: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psAb3iN1dlg

Cheers,

Derek

[Michele]

Hi Derek,'

You said it absolutely all - everything I have always thought of Mario's voice.  It it quite the most unique tenor voice I have ever heard, just wish I'd heard him in person.  I agree he had a most beautiful sound like no other before or since.  

Yes you have your great Opera singers as you said but none have the timbre that Lanza had.  Funny thing is that you didn't hear the voice we know, until he was about 22 - 23 when his voice had started to develop that amazing sound.  What I don't understand is how the myth of the recording engineers made his voice sound so beautiful which is a load of old rubbish and too many people believe this to be true.  I also agree that Carreras had a lovely voice until he developed leukaemia.  But Mario had such an amazing warmth that I've never heard in any other tenor.

Regards, Michele 

[Barnabas Nemeth]

Derek, as far as I can recall, Grigolo was one of your contemporary favourites. I have just incidentally listened to his "Questa quella" and consider it very weak, a kind of disaster for me. Either his voice, timbre or his rendition as well. What a difference between the two performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgjNrUcpctY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQRRopSru8E

Mario's Questa is incomparable to anyone, in reading, in voice as well. In my view.

Cheers, Barnabas

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Barnabas: Grigolo is not one of my favourite contemporary tenors, as I make pretty clear here. I find him pleasant enough in songs, but when it comes to current light lyric tenors in opera, I much prefer the 38-year-old Mexican tenor Javier Caramena, whom I mentioned a few posts back on this thread. I also much prefer Calleja to Grigolo.

One thing about Lanza's RCA recording of "Questa o quella": while it's a memorable piece of singing---and I wouldn't hesitate to include it on an operatic compilation---it's a long way from being an ideal rendition. On his 1950 RCA recordings of this aria and two others from Rigoletto (La donna e' mobile & Parmi veder le lagrime), Lanza sings the role of the Duke as if it were a spinto or even a dramatic part, but it's not; it's a lyric role. Verdi wanted "Questa o quella" sung with far more delicacy; the Duke is supposed to be a suave seducer, after all---he's not Manrico! 

So, yes, while the 1950 recording is spectacular, irresistible singing, it certainly couldn't be regarded as an ideal interpretation. (It's also too fast, but that's not Mario's fault!) Actually, the Coke version of "Questa o quella" is probably closer to what Verdi wanted (apart from the ghastly orchestral ending), even if it's much less satisfying vocally than the 1950 recording. 

Cheers,

Derek     

[Barnabas Nemeth]

Hi Derek: Thanks for the correction regarding Grigolo. As far as the "Questa..." is concerned this is the very rare case when we do nor agree with each other. I cannot find any similar or better rendition of this number than that of Mario's. Might be it is bit faster (though I don't feel it) but the lush reading I have appreciated for more than half a century in my life. It's absolutely special and irresistable. Do you know better version? Thanks, Barnabas

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Barnabas: If I had to select anyone's version of "Questa o quella" to take to a desert island, then, yes, it would be Lanza's 1950 recording. But there's a difference between what is thrilling vocally and what approach is actually right for a particular aria (in terms of what the composer wanted). I love Lanza's version as a miniature vocal tour de force, but I'd have to acknowledge that, interpretively speaking, there are better renditions (the young Carreras, for example). 

Cheers,

Derek

[Barnabas Nemeth]

Do you mean this one? Well, hm...!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQQaoYRn8aY

I do not know whether Verdi wanted "Questa o quella" sung with far more delicacy. Most probably you are right. Agree, it's not a dramatic role. At the same time, for me it's a Casanova role with laughing, etc. Yes, the Duke is supposed to be a suave seducer. For me, Carreras's singing here is not this, a bit too calm, a little bit lukewarm or so.  Otherwise, no one else can laugh naturally but Lanza. Lanza's version is a kind of bravado on behalf of a seducer moxie. Sorry, I may be wrong. Cheers, Barnabas

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[Vincent Di Placido]

I LOVE Mario's RCA "Questa O Quella", I find it a wee thriller & that laugh before "derido" is a great touch, it's unique & shows great personality. My lifelong Lanza bias aside, It's my favourite recording of this aria.
I always found Caruso's recording a bit embarrassing, the ending is off & I know it was a primitive recording era but it should have had a retake.

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Barnabas: No, that wasn't the Carreras performance I was thinking of, but I'm sure it's a closer interpretation to what Verdi wanted :) 

Steve Bell, an opera lover who heard Lanza sing in Manchester in 1958, had some interesting things to say about "Questa o quella" in an operatic forum some years back: 

"Verdi clearly wanted the impression of a light, airy, casual style to give the instant impression of an immoral, carefree philander. Again Caruso is perfect [Vince won't agree here!!] . (He would sing this while pulling on his gloves…a great touch.) Schipa misses it by a mile by sounding insignificant (lacking in danger). Del Monaco at the other end of the spectrum just mauls it. Lanza (as usual) misses the poetry but manages to sound ferociously lustful and dangerously `in your face'. The whole thing is over like a slap in the face and you know there is big trouble ahead. Yes it's wrong..but it has its own glory."

Aside from the gratuitous generalization about Mario habitually missing the poetry when he sings opera, I feel that Bell sums up the 1950 RCA recording quite accurately. Yes, like the 1955 Lamento di Federico---another Lanza rendition that departs from the composer's intentions---the 1950 "Questa o quella" does have its own glory.

Cheers,

Derek   

 

[Barnabas Nemeth]

Very interesting what both Derek and Vince remarked. All in all, I couldn't find similar renditions of Questa that Mario produced. The reading, the flexibility, the natural laughing, the impetus all are fantastic and imcomparable. Caruso or others are out of the corner, in my view even after fifty some years. Even composers can be at fault. I'm just kidding. Barnabas

[Derek McGovern]

I just remembered this 1951 review by Oliver King in Gramophone of the 1950 "Questa o quella." While King has a point about the tempo---and yes, there is a bit of an echo chamber on the recording---his putdown of Lanza is grossly unfair. (Watch your blood pressure, Vince! :))

"[Questa o Quella] sounds as if it were recorded in the family vault or the bathroom, and it is sung at such a speed, and with such vulgarity, as to make one wonder how on earth Lanza ever reached a recording studio, let alone the Celebrity status of one of the major recording firms."

Given these and other unwarranted comments in the same review, one might equally wonder how King "ever reached" the "status" of critic of one of the major music publications :) 

[Vincent Di Placido]

Well said, Derek! What an insulting review, they just didn't get the point in some of those reviews back then, not a word about the actual voice. Granted the tempo & echo are issues but the voice, attack & sheer charisma are outstanding how could you not mention that? Poor Mario had to put up with some idiots "reviewing" his work didn't he!?
My blood pressure did rise slightly but it's coming back down now... :-)

[Barnabas Nemeth]

In my view the role of the Duke can be vulgar, or cyncical and lyric as well. Lanza's rendition has charisma, most of the other's version are lukewarm. Tell me any other singer who has had natural laughing. I can't find. .. Cheers, Barnabas

[Lou]

Hi Derek: Steve Bell isn't the only opera lover guilty of "gratuitous generalization about Lanza habitually missing the poetry when he sings opera." In his January 1990 review of  the recording, "Mario Lanza: The Great Caruso and Other Caruso Favorites," the "distinguished music critic" Henry Fogel wrote about Lanza's tendency to "blast through operatic arias that cry out for something more tender and human," noting that Lanza's "natural inclinations were somewhat on the bullish side." Prof. Fogel was clearly enamored of the voice itself, though. Despite his reservations about Lanza's singing in the operatic repertoire, he recommends the recording because "the voice [it] preserve[s] was of the kind that passes our way far too infrequently." I know we all hear things differently. To my ears, as an opera singer Lanza had it all: power, passion, and poetry.

Cheers,

Lou     

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lou: I'd have to acknowledge that the eight 1950 recordings of arias that Prof. Fogel was reviewing on that occasion were a mixed bag, stylistically speaking. The "Vesti la giubba," for example, although exciting, is a long way from being Lanza's best version of the aria, and "Una furtiva lagrima" is hardly a model of poetry. 

Fogel was especially critical of Lanza's handling of the three Rigoletto arias, which he wrote were sung with "the stentorian force of an Otello" rather than with "the charm of a successful rake." He certainly had a point there. Oddly enough, though, in 2011 he played six of the eight 1950 operatic recordings he'd previously reviewed on the first of his two radio programs on Lanza---including all three Rigoletto arias!  (So perhaps he later modified his opinion.) In fact, the irony was that he omitted on that occasion what is arguably the most poetic of Lanza's operatic renderings on that 1950 operatic set: "E lucevan le stelle."

Cheers,

Derek

[Lou]

Hi Derek: So you think it's possible Prof. Fogel "later modified his opinion" -  implying that he has become less sensitive to performance distinctions? Either that or "one of the world's savviest vocal recordings collectors" has become sloppy in his programming. Why else would he pass off, in effect, bad singing as good singing in his two radio programs on Lanza? And if Lee Ann’s intern theory is correct, there is no excuse for Fogel’s assumed failure to give the musical selections a pre-airing once-over, knowing that given his clout and position of influence, his substandard choices could do Lanza’s legacy more harm than good. 

Cheers,

Lou

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lou: I still don't know what to think regarding Prof. Fogel's poor choices on his most recent Lanza program. He's entitled to modify his opinions, of course, but as I've written elsewhere, I'm baffled that he would choose the downright awful Albert Hall "Marechiare" for both his 2011 and 2014 programs, especially when his stated goal was to demonstrate that Lanza was still in great form at the end of his life. If he really wanted to showcase top-notch late Lanza, why didn't he choose one of the many highlights from the Mario! album or For the First Time soundtrack instead?!

Even more baffling was his selection of the ghastly Coke version of "Che gelida manina": 

  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7h754DJWAQ 

I had to turn Fogel's program off after 20 seconds of the above---I honestly couldn't bear to listen to it---and I'm a Lanza devotee! So how would general music lovers with reasonable hearing have reacted, I wonder? (I'm willing to bet that the feedback for this program was not nearly as positive as it was for the first show in 2011, when the overall quality of his selections was much higher.)

It's been suggested that perhaps Prof. Fogel wasn't aware when selecting recordings such as the Albert Hall "Marechiare," Coke "Che gelida manina," "Amor ti vieta," and "Celeste Aida," etc, that there were much superior Lanza versions of all of these pieces available to him. That may well have been the case (though he should have known about the superior RCA version of "Celeste Aida," given that he once reviewed a CD featuring it). But it still doesn't explain why he would choose examples of bad singing to (supposedly) showcase Lanza. If he really thought that the ghastly Coke version of, say, "Che gelida" was Lanza's best attempt at the aria, then he should have avoided it altogether and chosen something that was well sung. After all, it's not as if he didn't have many splendid alternative song and aria choices available to him on the CDs that he used for this show.

Oh well. I just have to remind myself that it was only one program....

Cheers,

Derek 

[Barnabas Nemeth]

Huh! This is really a relatively weak version, especially compared to the glorious 1949 RCA rendition. Rushing, sometimes open-throat singing, and poetry is really missing. It's a shame and mis....everything to publish this one instead of the other one. Cheers, Barnabas

[Derek McGovern]

"Relatively weak"? That's being extremely generous! I find the Coke Che Gelida a disaster from start to finish. 

In any event, the decision to speed up the tempo to a gallop (the recording is well over a minute shorter than the 1949 version) meant that the project was doomed from the very beginning. It would have been impossible for any artist to do justice to the poetry of the aria at such a ridiculous tempo.  

Cheers,

Derek

[Barnabas Nemeth]

You're right. Indeed, it's rather a disaster. Perhaps one of the worst renditions by Mario. Even among the Coke recordings. Well, it should have been secreted rather than published at all. Cheers, Barnabas

[Tony Partington]

Hi Folks!  I'm posting this under this thread but I am sure that Derek will reclassify if necessary.  I was going through some old Opera News magazines I have and I came across this one.  The cover says it all and I will just say; note especially what the iconic Placido Domingo - and to a lesser extent, Richard Leach, has to say about Mario Lanza.  Fantastic I think!

 

 

 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Tony,

I read those wonderful comments when that issue first came out, but it's very nice to be reacquainted with them. Great stuff!

I was just looking through some old correspondence, and came across these moving comments by the Latvian tenor Sergej Larin (1956-2008). He may not be a household name, but he enjoyed a decent career in Europe (working with some top conductors), and he was a huge Lanza admirer.

Here's an extract from an interview that photographer-writer Martha Hart conducted with him a few years before he died. Larin was discussing the enormous impact that Lanza had on him from the moment he saw For the First Time:  

"In the central scene when he, when Tony Costa is suffering...and he is singing his famous, one of the best of his singing, "Ridi Pagliaccio,"  from Pagliacci of Leoncavallo... and I cannot explain why, I began crying so, I couldn't stop my tears. And I was so ashamed! because what the other people will think about, what a strange boy! But I think that at that moment...you know, I believe in the unique character of destiny of everyone who lives on earth, and I think that since I was born, I was destined to become later a singer, especially opera singer. So at this moment, this grain of the future singer, the future performer, practically exploded. This small grain.
"And you know, from that moment, I can count that music slowly - very slowly - came to my life. So, if before I always switched off my TV set when was serious music or maybe concerts from Bolshoi on... I remember that when I heard Puccini, it was strange names, everything was strange. But Mario Lanza entered in my life. And I remember that I was searching for his recordings in our shops. I found maybe two, not the big LPs but of medium size. And I listened. I listened because I understood that I like this way of singing, especially the color of the voice.
"And also all the singing was in Italian, mostly Italian. English for songs, and some not-so-good French. [laughs]  Yeah! You know, the beauty, this creamy tone, this something very special moved me every time I listened to it. And later, when I heard for the first time opera in my life, I heard Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, Rusalka by Dargomohsky, Barbiere di Siviglia, so...but Mario Lanza was always with me. He was always in my soul."

[Tony Partington]

Hi Derek, 

What a lovely and heartfelt testament to Mario and the impact he made on this young artist.  I have some of Sergej Larin recordings and like his voice quite a bit.  I did not know he died so very young.  Do you happen to know the cause?  Sad indeed when anyone dies so young - we all of us on this forum certainly know about the tragedy of that.  Thanks for posting that tribute to Mario from yet another classical singer.  I enjoy seeing these as I feel it validates Lanza over and over.

Sergej Larin Angela Gheorghiu - "Gia nella notte densa" (Act I OTELLO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJHpYmME3Bo

Ciao, Tony

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Tony: I actually much prefer Larin on this duet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDD-l4iN2AE

(And Bryn Terfel sounds particularly good.) 

Marin succumbed to renal failure at the age of 51. The poor fellow had contracted hepatitis C through tainted blood about ten years ago in Houston; this then led to liver problems, and ultimately an unsuccessful liver transplant.

Very sad!

Cheers,

Derek

[Tony Partington]

Hi Derek,

Sad indeed.  I can see why you prefer this duet to the OTELLO.  DON CARLOS suits him so much better vocally. Can you imagine Lanza singing that with say, Leonard Warren?  Wouldn't that be something.
Cheers!

Tony Partington