Hardest Tenor Aria
solovoice
"Celeste Aida," because it is all over the scale and sits on the
"breaks" in the voice, the final b-flat sung dim. notwithstanding.
I would be interested in hearing what others have to say.
John
"They that can give up essential liberty
to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety"
-- Benjamin Franklin
Claud H. Shirley III
Big hardest: Huon's aria "Von jugend. . . something", any music of any
tenor role written by Mascagni, and the Everest of "tenor arias" - the
Forging Scene.
Hornymd590
killer. But I suppose that depends on the tenor singing it. I'm sure Rockwell
Blake would not have a hard time with it, for example (not that I would want to
hear him sing it).
I Alfredo Kraus commenting that the role of Hoffmann (not an aria I know) is
often underrated in terms of difficulty. He says that the majority of the
notes lie around the break in the voice (around F) which therefore requires
utmost concertration at all times. I suppose this applies to the aria in the
Prologue as well.
Dan
HenryFogel
Sheba is the most difficult, particularly because of its ending which requires
soft singing into and through the passaggio between middle and top registers.
Henry Fogel
Richard Wall
("FIDELIO") is a killer. Runnucio's aria from "Gianni Schicchi" is a stunning
little piece. I only know of Richard Tucker's recording, though I'm sure
others recorded it. It's a great showstopper, but so high and difficult no
one ever programs it or records it.
Richard
JDavis6627
>little piece. I only know of Richard Tucker's recording, though I'm sure
>others recorded it.
It's on Jose Cura's Erato disc of Puccini tenor arias.
Jon Davis
Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing.
Hemidemi
form.'Fuor del Mar"
I'm not sure of the spellingor title.
can...@webtv.net
Mike Richter
>
> Speaking strictly for myself, an amateur tenor, the hardest aria is
> "Celeste Aida," because it is all over the scale and sits on the
> "breaks" in the voice, the final b-flat sung dim. notwithstanding.
Sorry - but this one is just as stupid as the coloratura piece.
Any self-respecting dramatic tenor with a high F will find Arturo in
Puritani easy - assuming he also has the bel canto technique and mezza
voce for the rest of the opera. I'll even let him get away with the
variation that stops at a mere E-flat.
A modern dramatic tenor would find ''Il mio tesoro'' hopelessly
difficult. A modern lyric would find ''Winterstuerme'' impossible.
'Nobody' can sing the other Postillion aria (not the one you know -
that's easy if you have the top).
Or just listen to Gedda in Act II of Orfee and forget about any other
tenor even attempting it.
As with the other question: If the music is in your voice and your
technique is sound, it's easy. Otherwise, it's hard. Slezak sang
Belmonte and Tannhaeuser; Urlus sang Tamino and Siegfried. Neither of
them belted out high D's or (AFAIK) attmepted Werther.
Mike
mric...@mindspring.com
http://mrichter.simplenet.com
CD-R http://resource.simplenet.com
Opera Snob
clue!;-)
matt
Gae...@nycnet.com
on coloratura technic. It does have a few awkward figurations but is basically
a lot of fun. I used to use it as a Mozart audition piece until an agent asked
me if the high not of the cadenza was a 'c' at which point I gave it up as too
obscure a piece.(The top note os an A it would be quite a piece of composition
to wander on up to a c.) For me the great killer of arias is the great
cabaletta after Asile hereditaire--that climb up to the c-twice is just awful!
Cfehlandt
>It's on Jose Cura's Erato disc of Puccini tenor arias.
>
Listen to Di Stefano's 1955 (?) version. Marvelous tone, and no one had better
phrasing in my view. When he was in his prime and "involved," no one else
sounded to me as though he meant the words more that DiS did.
In this connection, I have to disagree with Ed Rosen about Tucker being the
best in Italian songs. He could not possibly have felt the words more than DiS
did, and I don't ever recall being that bowled over by his phrasing. But it's
been ages since I heard Tucker do them and don't have them available in any
form right now; and I realize that memory can play tricks!
CF
Mark D. Lew
> A modern dramatic tenor would find ''Il mio tesoro'' hopelessly
> difficult. A modern lyric would find ''Winterstuerme'' impossible.
First of all, thanks to Mike for making the point (which I would have
thought would be obvious), that what is the "hardest" tenor aria depends
entirely on one's voice. The ones that suit your voice will be relatively
easy, and the ones that don't will be hard.
That said, I want to quibble about "Winterstürme". I once heard
"Winterstürme" sung in recital as if it were lieder and it was absolutely
gorgeous. Obviously it's a very different sound from what we expect of
Wagner, and it wouldn't have worked with the full orchestra rather than
piano accompaniment, but as a song it was lovely. Furthermore, I thought it
captured the poetry of the text and the situation a lot better than the
helden sound one hears in a more typical Wagner performance.
(Note I'm only considering "Winterstürme" as a stand-alone aria here. The
singer in question, who was really more of a high baritone than a tenor,
wouldn't have a chance at the rest of the Siegmund role.)
mdl
Allison George
Mark D. Lew wrote in message ...
+AD4-mrichter+AEA-mindspring.com wrote, in part:
+AD4-
+AD4APg- A modern dramatic tenor would find ''Il mio tesoro'' hopelessly
+AD4APg- difficult. A modern lyric would find ''Winterstuerme'' impossible.
+AD4-
+AD4-First of all, thanks to Mike for making the point (which I would have
+AD4-thought would be obvious), that what is the +ACI-hardest+ACI- tenor aria depends
+AD4-entirely on one's voice. The ones that suit your voice will be relatively
+AD4-easy, and the ones that don't will be hard.
+AD4-
+AD4-That said, I want to quibble about +ACI-Winterst+APw-rme+ACI-. I once heard
+AD4AIg-Winterst+APw-rme+ACI- sung in recital as if it were lieder and it was absolutely
+AD4-gorgeous. Obviously it's a very different sound from what we expect of
+AD4-Wagner, and it wouldn't have worked with the full orchestra rather than
+AD4-piano accompaniment, but as a song it was lovely. Furthermore, I thought it
+AD4-captured the poetry of the text and the situation a lot better than the
+AD4-helden sound one hears in a more typical Wagner performance.
+AD4-
+AD4-(Note I'm only considering +ACI-Winterst+APw-rme+ACI- as a stand-alone aria here. The
+AD4-singer in question, who was really more of a high baritone than a tenor,
+AD4-wouldn't have a chance at the rest of the Siegmund role.)
+AD4-
+AD4-mdl
Richard Tauber was once dismissed from the conservatory because they were
interested in training Wagnerian voices. He didn't have one. His career
was a wonderful one in the lyric repertoire. He did record Wintersturme and
it sounds absolutely beautiful. The orchestration is not terribly
overbearing as it is in other parts of Die Walkure. In addition, one of the
most underrated Wagnerian tenors, Wolfgang Windgassen was a lyric tenor.
ciao,
Allison
Richard Kummins
percent of the repertoire is entirely unknown to that buffoon! For
difficulty I would suggest the following:
1. Falcon aria from FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
2. Apollo's aria from DAPHNE
3. Finn's aria from RUSLAN AND LUDMILA
4. Huon's aria from OBERON
Sorry, but I have to do this:
There once was a tenor named Luciano
So wide they thought him a piano
When they played a high C
He said "You no getta that from me
And-a please-a remove-a you mano"
drak...@aol.com
general, high notes are hard. Contrary to what has been said, a full voiced
high F is impossible for most tenors who sing Puccini and Verdi and for most
other tenors as well. High C's are hard for most big-voiced tenors. That is
why arias with these notes are so commonly transposed down. Fast florid
passages with big intervals are harder than slow, legato lines. Longer arias
tend to be harder than shorter arias because of the endurance required. That
is ONE reason Celeste Aida is quite hard. Another source of difficulty: long
lines requiring great breath support. Also, many tenors find it difficult to
alternate loud singing with soft singing without cracking notes or having the
pitch sag on the soft tones. For a number of these reasons, few singers can
carry off Je crois entendre from Pearl Fishers in the original key and with
the high C at the end.
Some other arias that are really difficult for the average professional
tenor: the big tenor aria in Oberon (Von Jugend), the second act tenor aria
in Forza, Il mio tesoro, the big tenor aria from Goldmark's Queen of Sheba,
and the high fourth act tenor music in Puritani. The list can go on and on.
Howard Hood
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
Michael Black
> Pour Mon Ame
Assuming you have reliable high C's, this is not a difficult aria.
The tessitura is not very demanding and doesn't spend a lot of time
in the passaggio.
--
http://www.michaelblack.com/
Jussi Bjoerling rules!!!
Dolora Zajick rules!!!
THOMAS ASTORINO
it will all work out.....just try to accept the fact that we all can't
sing like Luciano, Franco, Guiseppe, Richard, Jussi.....but if you can
settle for and adequate voice....try studying Domingo......now go on and
try to get a life.....
MD
What recording are YOU listening to?? I would think that getting through 'Vieni
fra le mie braccia' would certainly SEEM like there were 4 acts. . . .
Mike Richter
No, Vieni fra questa braccia only has the high D's - and one of them is
with the soprano. It's the Credeasi misera at the end - the one with the
high F - that I believe he was thinking of.
I suspect, though, that the fountain aria preceding the Vieni is tougher
still for most tenors though it doesn't go into the stratosphere. It's
all supposed to be mezza voce right across the passagio and up. Sure,
Gedda made it sound easy in the Philadelphia performance, but no one
else (not even Kraus) could make it sound possbile.
Mike
--
Mike Richter
>
> What's a break? I'm a tenor and my voice never "breaks" at all.....
>
> Not to say I don't have stuff I need to work out and all (I'm young)
Ah - youth will cure itself. <G>
The break is the shift between head and chest registers - the passagio.
That is not a crack - in any sense.
Mike
Mike Richter
> That said, I want to quibble about "Winterstürme". I once heard
> "Winterstürme" sung in recital as if it were lieder and it was absolutely
> gorgeous. Obviously it's a very different sound from what we expect of
> Wagner, and it wouldn't have worked with the full orchestra rather than
> piano accompaniment, but as a song it was lovely. Furthermore, I thought it
> captured the poetry of the text and the situation a lot better than the
> helden sound one hears in a more typical Wagner performance.
And McCormack recorded a bit of Tristan, too. It's a lovely recording in
its own right, but it isn't what Wagner wrote.
WeSingalso
Not to say I don't have stuff I need to work out and all (I'm young)
Nicholas
WeSin...@Aol.com
ox
'Ecco Ridente' from Barber or 'Ah fuyez Douce Image' Manon, Massenet
RKBB
WeSingalso
>What in thunder would Pavarotti know about singing? Ninety-eight and 2/3
>percent of the repertoire is entirely unknown to that buffoon! For
>difficulty I would suggest the following:
> 1. Falcon aria from FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
> 2. Apollo's aria from DAPHNE
> 3. Finn's aria from RUSLAN AND LUDMILA
> 4. Huon's aria from OBERON
>
>
never heard of you.....ever. Hmmm....but I HAVE heard of Pavarotti. Hmmm.
E strano.
Nicholas
WeSingalso
PANPERSON
To call Pavarotti a buffoon is, at best, ridiculous. You may or may not like
him but he has made a career of singing and is considdered one of the finest
singers to have ever perfromed.
You have indeed made a fool of yourself.
When I see your name on a post here or anywhere else I will be sure to ignore
it.
David: My coffee cup says "hold me I am a fermata" And leave a chocolate
chip cookie as well.
Ed Rosen
Before venturing an opinion, I can tell you of arias that I heard
tenors come to grief on in person.
1. Ah, fuyez!- on the Met '54 broadcast of Manon, Valletti's voice
shatters on the Bb's in a way I have never heard since.
Also, Domingo, in this aria, just turned his back and didn't sing the
top notes.
2. Parmi veder- Barry Morrell sang this entire aria off pitch on a
number of occassions. And I've heard the likes of George Shirley and
Nicolai have big problems here.
3. Celeste Aida- Many tenors die here. Michael Sylvester makes the
first Bb just fine, and then usually doesn't make the other two.
4. A te a cara- Anyone brave enough to try Puritani starts with this
most difficult of arias- C# and all. Pavarotti sang it well in
Philadelphia in 1972 with Sills, but tried to have the opera changed to
Traviata 2 hours before the performance.
5. Any aria!!! My favorite, Richard Tucker, had just sung a
magnificent concert in a Synagogue in New Jersey. He had sung over 25
numbers, including many arias. After 6 encores, the audience was still
clamoring for more. Someone yelled out, "sing an easy aria." Tucker
yelled back, "there's no such thing as an easy aria."
My own choice for hardest tenor aria would probably be the "O tu che in
seno" from Forza. It lies so very high, and all those Bb's after all
those Ab's are just murder.
Best,
Ed
drak...@aol.com
the upper register of your voice. Up to the break you can sing in an
untrained fashion and still produce decent tones. For most tenors, the break
is around F or Fsharp.
In article <19981116222042...@ng136.aol.com>,
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
drak...@aol.com
vieta? That aria from Fedora is still much easier than virtually all famous
tenor arias.
In article <72qtu3$n...@sjx-ixn4.ix.netcom.com>,
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
Frank Schneiders
> 3. Celeste Aida- Many tenors die here. Michael Sylvester makes the
> first Bb just fine, and then usually doesn't make the other two.
Very good statement. I would nominate "Celeste Aida", also. It is not
too high, but it is the start of a long evening and the Bbs are very
open, no orchestra noise to help much and the preceding phrases very
hard passaggio work.
I remember that years ago when I studied at Cologne a television of
Pavarottis (first?) Aida with Margaret Price. Next morning many students
mentioned that he sounded strenuous. I justly hear my teacher Josef
Metternich reply that he has sung many, many Amonasros and never saw a
tenor who didn't become red at the end of this aria.
One of the hardest tenor moment, though it is of course no aria, must be
the final phrases of Siegfried with the awakening Bruennhilde and a poor
tired hero at the end of an not too easy work for the evening.
Frank
Stregata
>Sheba is the most difficult, particularly because of its ending which
>requires
>soft singing into and through the passaggio between middle and top registers.
>
>Henry Fogel
Other than the supreme interpretation of this aria by Nicolai Gedda, who else
makes the grade?
Stregata
Claud H. Shirley III
Mark D. Lew
> And McCormack recorded a bit of Tristan, too. It's a lovely recording in
> its own right, but it isn't what Wagner wrote.
Well, strictly speaking, yes -- but I think there's no exact boundary
between "what the composer wrote" and "not what the composer wrote". If
one is to be ultra-picky, then any time a singer sings mf where the
composer wrote mp, then it's not what the composer wrote. Ditto for
altering the tempo, interpolating a high note, etc.
I think most listeners would not say a Wagner aria is no longer Wagner on
account of one or two minor quirks in interpretation. On the other hand,
if one sang a scat version with a jazz combo, I think pretty much everyone
would agree that it's no longer Wagner. A lyric tenor singing
"Winterstürme" in a lieder style falls somewhere in between. Whether it
crosses the line is a matter of judgment. In my view it doesn't.
By the way, if we extend our notion of the composer's intent to his stage
directions as well, I think it's been several decades since anyone anywhere
has staged the Ring as Wagner wrote it.
mdl
DANKS
>
> 'Ecco Ridente' from Barber or 'Ah fuyez Douce Image' Manon, Massenet
> RKBB
I was going to name the exact same two arias! But then again, I was a
baritone turned tenor, so my voice was pretty heavy for these two arias.
I had the coloratura OK for Ecco, but at that tessitura it was pretty
tight for me.
Art Danks
Gae...@nycnet.com
because of the interpolated B at the end.
Apollo's aria is long but not really all that hard. Standard issue Strauss.
Huon's arias are great fun--a bit harder than the others but nowhere near
as awful as Fuor del mar which a dramatic tenor ought to be able to sing.
I don't know the Glinka.
Richard Kummins wrote:
> What in thunder would Pavarotti know about singing? Ninety-eight and 2/3
> percent of the repertoire is entirely unknown to that buffoon! For
> difficulty I would suggest the following:
> 1. Falcon aria from FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
> 2. Apollo's aria from DAPHNE
> 3. Finn's aria from RUSLAN AND LUDMILA
> 4. Huon's aria from OBERON
>
Ed Rosen
There once was a tenor named Placi
When he sang, everybody yelled taci
In his name there's no "do"
'Cause a "do" is no go
Poor Placi is really a bassi!
donpaolo
Stregata <stre...@aol.com> wrote in article
> Other than the supreme interpretation of this aria by Nicolai Gedda, who
else
> makes the grade?
>
> Stregata
>
NO ONE can approach within the same universe!
DonP.
VERNOKENN
valiant effort by one of the great French tenors, George Thill. Can't imagine
anyone else doing it as well. This aria is set high and goes on and on at
forte.
Umbramafe
1. " Au Mont Ida trois deesses," from Offenbach's La Belle Helene.
2. And the coachman's song from "Le Postillon de Longjumeau" by Adam.
Beth Garfinkel
"Possente spirto" from Monteverdi's Orfeo?
Beth
--
"Under the green wood tree/Who loves to lie with me/And tune his merry
note/Unto the sweet bird's throat/Come hither, come hither, come hither/
Here he shall see/No enemy/But winter and rough weather."
--William Shakespeare
Ianaos
This may not be the voice of reason i mentioned in my e-mail to you but i
certainly enjoyed it. Very spunky.
Ian Graham
experience is Celeste Aida. There are very few tenors who seem able to
even attempt the various hurdles which Verdi sets them so just end up
bawling the thing out. This not only ignores Verdi's careful musical
directions but also ruins the dramatic effect of the aria.
IG
--
Ian Graham mailto:i...@robinsg.demon.co.uk
Steven and Amy Leifer
Regiment, with the gazillion high cs.
Ernani415
>
>> Pour Mon Ame
>
This is SUCH a bogus aria. There is NOTHING difficult about this at all if you
have a C in your voice and a decent technique. There is no fancy coloratura, no
constant sitting in the passagio...
What's hard for me, isn't hard for the next guy. I can sing Eflats quite easily
but find "dalla sua pace" difficult (i know, i know...it's not supposed to be
hard!!!)
e.
John Harnedy
immediately springs to mind, but I've yet to hear a tenor live who can
convincingly sing the lowest (sic) notes in this aria, especially since the
rapid downward phrases leave little time for adjustment or trickery.
donpaolo
John Harnedy <Har...@btinternet.com> wrote in article
<01be173a$a1d53880$762d63c3@default>...
, but I've yet to hear a tenor live who can
> convincingly sing the lowest (sic) notes in this aria, especially since
the
> rapid downward phrases leave little time for adjustment or trickery.
>
John -
Believe it or not, I heard Franco Bonisolli do it superbly - I just could
not believe my ears & honestly thought that a chorister sang that low note
for him...but, he hit it all by himself.
Regards,
donP.
donpaolo
donpaolo <donp...@erols.com> wrote in article
<01be173e$f737e800$e277accf@default>...
Rodelinda
Regiment, with its infamous nine high C's. Not being a tenor, I can't comment
on this. Is it not considered that hard, despite these notes?
Guy Dumazert
drak...@aol.com
out that the whole scene is difficult. The high C's come after quite a bit
of vigorous singing in a high tessitura. The way the high C's are approached
makes them especially risky. I think all but one appear as octave jumps,
i.e., the prior note is a middle C and sliding isn't possible.
In article <19981125233531...@ng-fa1.aol.com>,
rode...@aol.com (Rodelinda) wrote:
> I'm surprised that no one has mentioned "Pour mon ame" from La Fille du
> Regiment, with its infamous nine high C's. Not being a tenor, I can't comment
> on this. Is it not considered that hard, despite these notes?
>
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
drak...@aol.com
This doesn't tell us much. Let us put it this way: very few LEADING tenors
of today or of the past have been able to sing this aria well, in the
original key on stage in a full production. I guess that most of the singers
for whom this aria would be easy are small voiced light lyric tenors whose
high C's don't amount to much. There are exceptions, such as Kraus and
Gedda, but don't expect tenors such as Del Monaco, Corelli, Bergonzi,
Tucker, Vickers, Caruso, Gigli, Schipa, Martinelli, Tauber, et al. to be
able to sing this aria, let alone easily. And Pavarotti, who decades ago
sang the aria brilliantly, can't even sing it down one half-tone today.
In article <365D1B83...@club-internet.fr>,
Guy Dumazert <rp...@club-internet.fr> wrote:
> IT IS NOT DIFFICULT FOR A TENOR HAVINg HIGH C's.
>
Ernani415
>This doesn't tell us much. Let us put it this way: very few LEADING tenors
>of today or of the past have been able to sing this aria well, in the
>original key on stage in a full production. I guess that most of the singers
>for whom this aria would be easy are small voiced light lyric tenors whose
>high C's don't amount to much.
This is a really dumb statement. OK, so delMonaco would have found this aria
impossible to sing... so would smaller voiced lyrics have found Otello
impossible to sing.
The assumption that you are making here is that bigger is always better
(something i take exception to) and that all voices are equal. I might like a
smaller lyric sound in L'Elisir or Fille but like a big bad sound in
Otello...to somehow equate the two by implying that somehow if an aria is
difficult for a big voice it is horrendously difficult is crazy.
For what it's worth, if you have an easy high c this aria is not difficult.
Note the words IF you have an easy high C. not all tenors have this. Thus this
entire discussion is really quite dumb because some arias are difficult for
some singers and the same aria can be trivial for someone else...
e
drak...@aol.com
grasp the point: Pour mon ame is a very difficult aria, mainly because of the
nine high C's. Beyond that point, most of what you say is irrelevant and not
addressed to what I wrote.
In article <19981126152020...@ng-fb2.aol.com>,
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
Elsa Scammell
> One high C is hard, nine of them are almost impossible. Pavarotti has
> pointed
> out that the whole scene is difficult. The high C's come after quite a
> bit
> of vigorous singing in a high tessitura. The way the high C's are
> approached
> makes them especially risky. I think all but one appear as octave
> jumps,
> i.e., the prior note is a middle C and sliding isn't possible.
>
> In article <19981125233531...@ng-fa1.aol.com>,
> rode...@aol.com (Rodelinda) wrote:
> > I'm surprised that no one has mentioned "Pour mon ame" from La Fille
> > du
> > Regiment, with its infamous nine high C's. Not being a tenor, I can't
> > comment
> > on this. Is it not considered that hard, despite these notes?
> >
>
> -----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
> http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
>
>
I know I've come into the middle of this; but has anybody mentioned "Le Postillion de
Longjumeau" ( I haven't a reference ready to hand, so please excuse my possible error); and
how about "Corriam" from Rossini's "William Tell" ?
Elsa Scammell
Elsa Scammell
Shahrdad
sing it in the very beginning before he's warmed up, and to do the final
note as Verdi asked require flawless technique. Singers who fully succeed
in pulling this off on stage are very rare.
S.
Shahrdad
GRNDPADAVE wrote in message <19981128192052...@ng05.aol.com>...
>I think that the final note in "Celeste Aida" constitutes a rare error on
>Verdi's part. The line itself "vicino al sol" soars to a B flat and really
>should be heard forte. The "morendo" doesn't make sense (to me) as
Radames is
>projecting a moment of triumph.
>When singers do try to take a decrescendo on the final note of "Celeste
Aida",
>it always sounds to me like a stunt rather than a fitting conclusion to the
>aria.
I am very fond of Corelli's version. He has this beautiful, Italianate
sound, and the way he takes the final note is ravishing. I think to start
it softly may not be very dramatic, but to decrescendo to a pianissimo can
be very beautiful, as Corelli does it. It is, after all, an ode to the
beauty of Aida, and I think of the last note as a vocal caress, as if
Radames were lovely touching Aida's cheek. It is a moment of triumph, but
ultimately, it is overcome by her gentleness.
S.
Mike Richter
> I know I've come into the middle of this; but has anybody mentioned "Le Postillion de
> Longjumeau"
Yes, there's a difficult aria in Postillion - but it's not the one
you're thinking of. The one you virtually never hear is far more taxing
than the one you do; try ''Von fruehster Morgenroete'' (sorry, don't
recall the French) - St. Phar's showpiece.
( I haven't a reference ready to hand, so please excuse my possible
error); and
> how about "Corriam" from Rossini's "William Tell" ?
From other evidence, a piece of cake if you happened to be Giovanni
Martinelli; for most dramatic tenors, impossible. For most who can hit
the notes, dramatically absurd.
Mike
mric...@mindspring.com
http://mrichter.simplenet.com
CD-R http://resource.simplenet.com
GRNDPADAVE
>Date: Sat, Nov 28, 1998 18:36 EST
>Message-id: <zR%72.226$fu2.3...@typhoon.stlnet.com>
I think that the final note in "Celeste Aida" constitutes a rare error on
Verdi's part. The line itself "vicino al sol" soars to a B flat and really
should be heard forte. The "morendo" doesn't make sense (to me) as Radames is
projecting a moment of triumph.
The best I have heard as this aria goes is by Jussi Bjoerling. I think the
opening dialogue with Ramfis above the cello accompaniment is wonderful. The
fanfares punctuating the recitative, "Se quel guerrier" always cutting away
so that the voice does not have to combat them may constitute a sufficient
warm-up. Anyway, it is the old convention of the "aria d'entrata". We find it
in ERNANI, RIGOLETTO and BALLO IN MASCHERA.
-
When singers do try to take a decrescendo on the final note of "Celeste Aida",
it always sounds to me like a stunt rather than a fitting conclusion to the
aria.
There is a similar problem with respect to the Flower Song in CARMEN. But I
think Bizet got it right. The line "Carmen, je t'aime" needs to be sung
seductively.
-
==G/P Dave
ARodolfo
tessitura to pull off especially if one is keeping in the Mozart style without
resorting to voce finta. Same thing with 'Je crois' from Pearl Fishers. Eeeeek!
Mark D. Lew
(GRNDPADAVE) wrote:
> I think that the final note in "Celeste Aida" constitutes a rare error on
> Verdi's part. The line itself "vicino al sol" soars to a B flat and really
> should be heard forte. The "morendo" doesn't make sense (to me) as
Radames is
> projecting a moment of triumph.
Maybe you shouldn't think so literally about "morendo". Think "sublime"
rather than "dying". To me, the descrescendo makes perfect sense.
> The best I have heard as this aria goes is by Jussi Bjoerling....
Ick. To each his own, of course, but I think Bjoerling's bombastic
interpretation of the aria is obnoxious. (But then I feel that way about
most of Bjoerling....) On the other hand, I love the Corelli, as you
probably would guess.
mdl
Mike Richter
>
> >> how about "Corriam" from Rossini's "William Tell" ?
> >
> >From other evidence, a piece of cake if you happened to be Giovanni
> >Martinelli;
>
> you just referring to reviwes of his Met performances in 1922 (right year?)?
As I said, ''From other evidence'' - in this case the duet and trio
which he *did* record gloriously. I prefer to judge by what I hear, not
others' reports of what they heard.
Cfehlandt
>
>From other evidence, a piece of cake if you happened to be Giovanni
>Martinelli;
Did Martinelli ever record this stretta? I've never seen it anywhere. Or are
you just referring to reviwes of his Met performances in 1922 (right year?)?
Carl F.
AValeo1752
would have to be Celeste Aida
Mike Richter
>
> Most difficult aria to sing opening an opera
> would have to be Celeste Aida
Or Come ruggiada al cespite, or ...
Mike
--
Mike Richter
>
> Most difficult aria to sing opening an opera
> would have to be Celeste Aida
Meco all'altar di Venere, or ...
GAUS
>
> AValeo1752 wrote:
> >
> > Most difficult aria to sing opening an opera
> > would have to be Celeste Aida
>
>
> Mike
> --
> mric...@mindspring.com
> http://mrichter.simplenet.com
> CD-R http://resource.simplenet.com
Not an aria as such.......... but what about:
ESULTATE!!!! L'ogoglio musulmano e sepolto e in mar,
Nostra e del ciel e gloria ..............
donpaolo
GAUS <GA...@prodigy.net> wrote in article <36647B...@prodigy.net>...
> > CD-R http://resource.simplenet.com
>
>> Not an aria as such.......... but what about:
>
> ESULTATE!!!! L'ogoglio musulmano e sepolto e in mar,
> Nostra e del ciel e gloria ..............
You betcha - and, may we add, best delivered by....(hint: initials are
MDM).
Regards,
DonPaolo
solovoice
<mric...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>Meco all'altar di Venere, or ...
>
Piece of cake compared with Celeste Aida.
John
"They that can give up essential liberty
to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety"
-- Benjamin Franklin
Mark D. Lew
> Not an aria as such.......... but what about:
>
> ESULTATE!!!! L'ogoglio musulmano e sepolto e in mar,
> Nostra e del ciel e gloria ..............
I found this was less difficult than I expected. I'm in preparation for an
Otello production in January, and for most of the act one rehearsals Otello
wasn't called, since he's not much involved in the staging. Iago and I
(Cassio) have taken turns at singing this bit, just for fun.
mdl
Allison George
GAUS wrote in message <36647B...@prodigy.net>...
>Mike Richter wrote:
>>
>> AValeo1752 wrote:
>> >
>> > Most difficult aria to sing opening an opera
>> > would have to be Celeste Aida
>>
>> Or Come ruggiada al cespite, or ...
>>
>> Mike
>> --
>> mric...@mindspring.com
>> http://mrichter.simplenet.com
>> CD-R http://resource.simplenet.com
>
>
>
>
>ESULTATE!!!! L'ogoglio musulmano e sepolto e in mar,
>Nostra e del ciel e gloria ..............
Not as hard as Comfort Ye/Every Valley from the Messiah. Everything is
exposed because of the instrumentation and the coloratura runs are tough.
Jon Vickers did, however, do a nice job with Beecham.
ciao,
Allison
solovoice
>
>Not as hard as Comfort Ye/Every Valley from the Messiah. Everything is
>exposed because of the instrumentation and the coloratura runs are tough.
>Jon Vickers did, however, do a nice job with Beecham.
>
>ciao,
>
>Allison
>
I still can't figure out what Wunderlich does in Il Mio Tesoro--nobody
does it like he does. The only thing I hate about Every Valley is the
"ee" sound on the f at letter D in the Schrimer -- right on my break
-- and opening it up sounds weird. Otherwise it's a snooze.
Vince Quaresima
> >
> > ESULTATE!!!! L'ogoglio musulmano e sepolto e in mar,
> > Nostra e del ciel e gloria ..............
>
> Otello production in January, and for most of the act one rehearsals Otello
> wasn't called, since he's not much involved in the staging. Iago and I
> (Cassio) have taken turns at singing this bit, just for fun.
>
> mdl
I am really surprised that nobody has yet suggested
"Ingemisco" from Verdi's Requiem.
In all the years of listening to recordings and performances
of the Requiem, I have yet to hear anyone even remotely
approach Jussi Bjoerling's Ingemisco.
Gae...@nycnet.com
GAUS wrote:
> Mike Richter wrote:
> >
> > AValeo1752 wrote:
> > >
> > > Most difficult aria to sing opening an opera
> > > would have to be Celeste Aida
> >
> > Or Come ruggiada al cespite, or ...
> >
> > Mike
> > --
> > mric...@mindspring.com
> > http://mrichter.simplenet.com
> > CD-R http://resource.simplenet.com
>
LuciaMim
discs. I've been searching, with no results. I'll just have to keep going
back to John McCormack. And I do own a couple of copies of the opera.
Sometimes, I just want to hear that aria (and some others), but there doesn't
seem to be anybody recording it. The problem is the same old one of lack of
lyric tenors with great legato technique, breath & diaphragm control.
Best,
Mimi
Mike Richter
>
> Sorry Mike, the ernani aria is one of the easiest in the Verdi canon.
This variant on the thread dealt with tough ways for a tenor to *start*
his role. In that context, I'd disagree with you.
Mike
donpaolo
I'm certain that Bjoerling did it in a Carnegie Hall recital that used to
be on an old RCA LP - perhaps it's been re-released.
Also, Gedda included the aria on a Mozart LP on Angel.
Regards,
DonP.
LuciaMim <luci...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19981203061248...@ng154.aol.com>...
> Has got to be "Il mio tesoro" If not, why is it so hard to find in
"Recital"
> discs. I've been searching, with no results. I'll just have to keep
going
> back to John McCormack. And I do own a couple of copies of the opera.
>
> Best,
>
> Mimi
>
LuciaMim
>Mimi -
>
>I'm certain that Bjoerling did it in a Carnegie Hall recital that used to
>be on an old RCA LP - perhaps it's been re-released.
>
>Also, Gedda included the aria on a Mozart LP on Angel.
>
>Regards,
>
>DonP.
>
Thanks Don!
I'll have to look for these. I recently picked up a Don Giovanni highlights
and it wasn't even included in that! So I still maintainIl mio tesoro has got
to be the hardest tenor aria. Although I do remember hearing Jan Peerce sing
it in the broadcasts from the Met. Do you know if he recorded it.?
Best wishes,
Mimi
Peter Young
(LuciaMim) wrote:
> Has got to be "Il mio tesoro" If not, why is it so hard to find in
> "Recital" discs. I've been searching, with no results. I'll just
> have to keep going back to John McCormack.
Admirable as McCormack is I prefer Tauber and Wunderlich .....
I also have recordings by Jan Peerce, Jussi Bjoerling, Nicolai Gedda,
Alfredo Kraus, Alva Liga and Richard Crooks.....
And yes it a beautiful aria but for me the standard is set by Richard Tauber
--
Peter Young
Luciano Pavarotti : The greatest tenor in the world
Acorn Risc PC : Best personal computer in the world
LuciaMim
>> Has got to be "Il mio tesoro" If not, why is it so hard to find in
>> "Recital" discs. I've been searching, with no results. I'll just
>> have to keep going back to John McCormack.
>
>Admirable as McCormack is I prefer Tauber and Wunderlich .....
>
>I also have recordings by Jan Peerce, Jussi Bjoerling, Nicolai Gedda,
>Alfredo Kraus, Alva Liga and Richard Crooks.....
>
>And yes it a beautiful aria but for me the standard is set by Richard Tauber
>
>
>--
>Peter Young
>
Peter:
I guess I'm prejudiced because I grew up with the McCormack's recording. I
have not heard Crooks since the days of 78 r.p.m. Nor have I been able to find
Kraus singing this aria. Can you tell me where I can find it? Also, remember
hearing Peerce singing it "Live from the Met" Saturday afternoons. Haven't
heard Tauber's, though. Just started listening to a 2 cd disc of 40 Greatest
Tenors, by EMI France. It contains Tauber's "Dein ist mein Ganzes Herz"
Haven't gotten to that second disc, yet. I am so entranced with the variety of
singers, past and present as well as the choice of repertoire. Starts with
French, followed by Italian, then German, some Mozart and lighter German, i.e.
Lehar, J.Strauss.
Is the Krauss and Gedda available on cd? How about the others?
Best wishes,
Mimi
Peter Young
(LuciaMim) wrote:
> Peter Young wrote:
> >Admirable as McCormack is I prefer Tauber and Wunderlich .....
>
> >I also have recordings by Jan Peerce, Jussi Bjoerling, Nicolai Gedda,
> >Alfredo Kraus, Alva Liga and Richard Crooks.....
> >And yes it a beautiful aria but for me the standard is set by Richard
> >Tauber
> I guess I'm prejudiced because I grew up with the McCormack's recording.
> I have not heard Crooks since the days of 78 r.p.m. Nor have I been
> able to find Kraus singing this aria.
> Can you tell me where I can find it?
That I can't :-(... but try something online like CDConnection. But here are
a list of the recordings I have of Il tesoro to whet you appetite.....
Wunderlich (4/65) - Munchen 1965/1966 - Gala GL 100.525
Crooks (1937) - 19 Operatic Arias (1926-1939) - Claremont GSE 78-50-69
Kraus (9/69) - A Vocal Portrait 1959-1974 - Arkadia GI 809.1
(7/68)- Le Grandi Voci series - Frequenz 046-007
Tauber (6/39) - 1923-1939 - CDS RPCD 301
(5/39) - Legendary Tenors - Nimbus NI 7856
(5/39) - More Legendary Voices - Nimbus NI
(1939) - Opera, Operetta Arias and Songs - Claremont GSE 78-50-64
(6/39) - Operatic Arias - Pearl GEMM CD 9145
(6/39) - Opera Arias and duets - EMI CDH 764029 2
Bjoerling (9/55) - O Paradiso - BMG 09026 68429 2
Gedda (9/59)- The First Ten years 1952-1962 - Bluebell ABCD 056
McCormack (5/16) - The Three tenors of the Century - ASV AJA 5137
(1916)- 20 Great Tenors sing 20 Great Arias - Pearl GEMM CD 9040
(5/16) - McCormack in Opera - Nimbus NI 7820
Alva (1961) - Great Tenor Arias - EMI WHS 5 69247 2
Peerce (1942-1944) - A Portrait in His Golden Years - Minerva MN-A19
Really 10 recordings, despite the differing dates the Tauber's were all
recorded in June 1939.
> Also, remember hearing Peerce singing it "Live from the Met" Saturday
> afternoons.
I don't think the recording I have is live...
> Haven't heard Tauber's, though. Just started listening to a 2 cd disc
> of 40 Greatest Tenors, by EMI France. It contains Tauber's "Dein ist
> mein Ganzes Herz"
Sounds interesting... What else is in the compilation?
> Haven't gotten to that second disc, yet. I am so entranced with the
> variety of singers, past and present as well as the choice of
> repertoire. Starts with French, followed by Italian, then German,
> some Mozart and lighter German, i.e. Lehar, J.Strauss.
Well for me its just the tenors ;-)) And yes I know what you mean....
> Is the Krauss and Gedda available on cd? How about the others?
Yes as above... Which are available in the States I can't say..
I hope the above will satisfy your craving for Il tesoro :-)) If not Mike
Richter put three recordings on his page back in February 97(?) with
McCormack, Luigi Alva and John Brecknock... I suspect Mike will have a
Joseph Schmidt recording tucked away somewhere ;-))
Claud H. Shirley III
LuciaMim
>Well for me its just the tenors ;-)) And yes I know what you mean....
> Peter Young
Peter:
If you like tenors, this is quite a set. I picked it up at Tower just after I
decided I had more than enough "recital discs" It's called Les 40 Tenors
putout by EMI Classics, France
Disc 1"
Alagna - Asile hereditaire (quite a revelation)
Kraus - Ah! leve-toi, soleil
Vanzo - Je crois entendre encore (Pearl Fishers)
Raoul Jobin - Il etait une fois a la cour d"Eisensach
Heppner - Ne pouvant reprimer les elans de la toi (Herodiade) Excellent IMHO
Leech - Salut! Demeure chaste e pure
Gedda - Ah! Fuyez douce image
Vickers - Flower Song (sung piano, pianissimo - quite a revelation - my
favorite I think)
Shicoff - Lorsque l'enfant revient (Werther)
Senechal - Ce que c'est pourtant la vie (La vie parisienne)
John Aler - Mes amis, ecoutez l'histoire (Le Postillion)
George Thill - Nature immense, impenetrable et fiere (Damnation de Faust)
Rockwell Blake - Ah! mes amis (La Fille)
Italian section on disc 1 begins with:
Tito Schipa - Una furtiva lagrima
Gigli - Cielo e mar
Caruso - Vesti la giubba (very peculiar sound sung with a horribly placed
piano that "pings" at the wrong places)
Bjoerling - Che gelida manina
di Stefano - La donna e mobile
del Monaco - Esultate!
Alva - Ecco ridente in cielo (my 2nd favorite)
And that's disc #1 - disc #2 finishes with Italian music and goes into German.
I think I've run out of space here. If you want to know more, you're welcome
to email me. BTW, the big 3 start disc 2, then Bergonzi, Corelli, Bonisolli &
Merritt. German tenors include Jess Thomas,
S. Jerusalem, Rene Kollo, Melchior, Simoneau (singing Mozart) Wunderlich,
Dermota (singing Dalla sua pace), Gary Lakes, Richard Tauber, Peter Schreier,
Rudolf Schock, Josef Schmidt and Peter Seiffert. Now can you see why I
couldn't pass this up? The length and breeadth of tenors and arias not on
run-of-the-mill cd recitals. I got it at Tower in August, I think, before
having surgery, etc. So have just been listening this past week and keep
replaying sections of Disc 1. Determined to go through one at a time, though I
had been tempted to go to Corelli, Melchior, Tauber & Schmidt. This was listed
as a "Limited Special Import" which is another reason I snatched it up.
I think I've run out of space.
Best wishes,
Mimi
LuciaMim
>James Melton sang a beautiful "Il mio tesoro", as did Schipa.
Thanks for reminding me. I did love listening to Melton. Haven't seen
anything recently, in my wanderings by him. Do you know what, if any of his
beautiful singing has been transferred to cd's?
Thanks,
Best,
Mimi
Mark D. Lew
<eske...@mail.sendanet.es> wrote:
> And if you like the 'piano' singing at the end of the Flower Song, just
> try Richard Tauber (his 1923 version). Jussi Bjorling is also wonderful
> in 1938.
I don't know this Bjoerling recording, but I find it difficult to imagine
Jussi singing Bb at anything less than forte.
mdl
mattse...@gmail.com
DLU
> Terra Amica by Rossini. Why has no one else mentioned this?
>
it every other day for a coupe of weeks.
"O muto asil del pianto" has to be one of the most difficult. There are
also a couple of arias in I Puritani that are very difficult for mos tenors.
--
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