What's wrong with Leo Nucci?
Klytemnest
opinions about Leo Nucci's singing. Many have expressed the opinion that he
was a disaster as a "Verdi baritone." Hm. I wonder what your opinion is.
I have never heard Nucci live, though I have heard him in commercial and live
recordings, as well as seen him in several videos. My first impression of his
voice is that it is not exactly the most voluptuously beautiful sound I have
ever heard. I prefer Cappuccilli and Bruson. However, I think his voice is
very impressive, nevertheless. I have heard his live recordings of Un ballo in
maschera (Chicago, 1986?), Il trovatore (Chicago, 1987?), Il viaggio a reims
(1984), Luisa Miller (1982, Met), Lucia (1981, London), Forza (Met video),
Falstaff (Ford), and a few others. I just dont' hear what everyone is
objecting to. He has an impressive range - those high notes in Maria de Rudenz
(high A), Viaggio (high A), Forza (high A) are thrilling and beautiful. He has
no problem with high tessitura, the extremely difficult Miller's aria seems to
sit perfectly in his voice. The high A-flat at the end of the cabaletta seems
even less of an effort than it was for Milnes in 1979. He does get a bit barky
in the middle register, but I think that's just an attempt at "temperamento."
His low register is a bit weak, but no one seems to care abut baritone's low
notes anyway. Bruson's low notes are almost non-existent, but his career
certainly has not suffered from it at all. Nucci is also instinctively
musical, and he is a committed actor. In my humble opinion:)
So, would someone explain to me what is the cause of all these negative
comments about Leo Nucci? In what operas have you heard or seen him? How did
he do? How did the audience seem to enjoy his performance? What is his
current vocal estate?
Aram Barsamian
GRNDPADAVE
>Date: Sat, May 15, 1999 05:19 EDT
>Message-id: <19990515051954...@ng-cs1.aol.com>
>
snip / snip
>
>So, would someone explain to me what is the cause of all these negative
>comments about Leo Nucci? In what operas have you heard or seen him? How
>did
>he do? How did the audience seem to enjoy his performance? What is his
>current vocal estate?
>
Every once in a while there appears a singer who despite exhibiting a high
degree of competence is subjected to a torrent of critical abuse, much of it, I
find, unwarranted.
-
Many of these singers turn out to be baritones: Aldo Protti, Mario Sereni,
Eberhard Wächter, Leo Nucci and Juan Pons come to mind.
-
I happen to enjoy Nucci without finding him outstanding. He sings, I think, a
creditable Renato (in the Karajan BALLO), a decent Posa (in Abbado's French
DON CARLOS), a rather bland Rigoletto (in the Chailly recording), a rather
appealing Ford (in the Giulini FALSTAFF) and Amonasro (in the Maazel AÏDA).
-
Although he is not my favorite in any of these roles, he sings on pitch and
with the necessary volume. Much the same could be said for Aldo Protti or
Mario Sereni.
-
The vehemence of the negative comments seem to me to arise from something more
sinister than critical candor. There is a kind "road rage" that erupts from
time to time when otherwise civil individuals seize an opportunity to vent
their splentic frustrations. (Just look at the torrent of abuse that the
mention of Richard Wagner occasions).
-
So if you enjoy Nucci for the reasons you've given ( you are certainly not
alone in this). Even if you were, it would not, imho, diminish the value of
your conclusions in the least.
-
All the best,
==G/P Dave
TColl65159
`live`. I just boght the Pav, sutherland, Nucci Ernani and he is very good
indeed-although perhaps there are more beautiful versions of his aria. I wouls
say he is in the same class as Giorgio Zancanarro-another baritone that`s had
his share of criticism. I would say bruson is (was?) just preferrable to both,
but I think they both outclass Cappuccilli, especially ih his later years. None
of them are a Bastinianni though!
Trev (UK)
Klytemnest
rage" that seems to errupt from time to time. I remember how June Anderson was
cruficied in 1996 on the Opera News standing room. All that venom has made me
stay away from such forums until now - three years! I am an opera singer
myself, and I'd hate to think that one day I might be the subject of such
hateful remarks.
Anyway, I think Nucci is more impressive in his live performances. In these,
there is a certain excitement about his singing. I enjoy Zancanaro too. He is
a solid singer, although I do not think he is the most imaginative artist or
actor. As for Cappuccilli, I think he has the most beautiful, the most "noble"
sound of all baritones. It is such a rich, natural, unaffected sound! Sure,
his fioritura does not exist, and he is often sloppy. But my opinion of his
artistry increased a lot when I heard his Macbeth (Salzburg, 1984) with Ghena
Dimitrova, Luis Lima, Nicolai Ghiaurov, and Riccardo Chailly. What he did with
the colors in his voice is truly amazing! Great singing, great artistry!
Anyway, back to Nucci. I am happy to hear that I am not alone thinking that he
is not "a disaster." Indeed I think he is quite a wonderful singer. Thanks
for your comments. Keep them coming.
Aram Barsamian
planet...@uswest.net
>
> Anyway, I think Nucci is more impressive in his live performances. >
>
of the music he sings, and the man's heart is obviously in the right
place. That the Barbiere I saw in San Francisco several years ago was
probably the most fun I've ever had at the opera was almost entirely
due to his zest, sense of absurdity and comic invention.
But, much as I'd like to enjoy his studio recordings or tapes of his
live performances, I just can't. I find him very rough with no legato
and no compensating artistry. Please enjoy what you do, but since you
asked, here's another vote that has to side with the opposition.
--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
---Share what you know. Learn what you don't.---
Enrique Eskenazi
(Klytemnest) wrote:
>Anyway, back to Nucci. I am happy to hear that I am not alone thinking
that he
>is not "a disaster." Indeed I think he is quite a wonderful singer.
I don't think that Nucci is "a disaster" but I find him quite variable.
Sometimes he is fine (his Germont in a 1986 Traviata with Gruberova and
Kraus at Barcelona's Liceu was quite good) and sometimes he is not (just get
the Traviata video from Covent Garden, by instance...). Now, Cappuccilli is
in another class (quite superior, IMO).
Regards
---
Enrique
eske...@mail.sendanet.es
Io chi sono? Eh, non lo so.
-Nol sapete?
Quasi no.
Etwas33
discography has sometimes suffered as a result. I don't know whether it's
repertoire, fatigue, allergy season, or what, but he has his ups and downs. I
did enjoy his Malatesta for Muti, but was less happy with his BALLO for
Karajan, especially in his first aria, where he slides irritatingly up into
notes. He is probably by nature more suited to lighter roles, but keeps getting
hired for Verdi. Not always without success. But the strain shows.
donpaolo
Etwas33 <etw...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19990515223632...@ng-fv1.aol.com>...
I know that I am of a minority opinion, but I always really liked Nucci. I
think his Ballo performance with Pav & Millo of a few years ago, displays
some of the finest singing of the baritone music ever heard, particularly
the very moving "Eri tu".
He might be getting somewhat long in the tooth for Verdi, especially the
more demanding roles. However, as far as "allergies" are concerned, Nucci
always had a far more appealing voice for my ears than the chronically
sinus-infected sounding Renato Bruson.
A fabulous sounding Nucci CD is the Bel Canto Arias, on London 421 129-2.
Regards,
DonP.
Alfredo
planet...@uswest.net wrote:
> >
> > Anyway, I think Nucci is more impressive in his live performances. >
I don't think we should judge a singer based on his recordings because some
voice just won't record well, which is probably the case for mario del
monaco.
planet...@uswest.net
judge a singer. If you are talking about sheer sound, I agree--
recordings are not the way to go. But often, the visuals of the
theater can be distracting too. I didn't say I thought Nucci's VOICE
was more impressive in the theater. I was having too much fun watching
his barber cavort to draw forth more than minimal criteria of audial
judgement. I thought he was a little rough stylistically, but didn't
pay much attention to that at the time. But away from the visuals, he
sounds very rough to me regarding attack, phrasing, lack of focus, lack
of legato, nor do I think he has the command over his voice to convey
most of the emotion he seems to feel when discussing the music he sings.
My way of judging Nucci or anyone is probably not your way. The voice
itself can mean a lot less to me than how that voice is used. I listen
to Lili Lehmann with great pleasure for what she does and know people
who think her recorded sound too funny and definitely no pleasure. On
the other hand, if it will make you feel any more solid in liking
Nucci, two timbres I find perhaps the most beautiful of all are more
than generally considered unbeautiful voices, Callas and Schipa. I
couldn't attempt to give you a cogent reason why, other than a vague "I
love their leanness." Probably clarity of diction has something to do
with it and the shape of Schipa's vowels a lot to do with it, but
that's not all it either because there are many lean voices that don't
speak to me, and I think I would love the sound of these two even if
they were less expressive or less skilled.
Takes all kinds, doesn't it?
Charles Lipson, M.D.
Lars Henriksson
Domingo, Riccarielli and Ghiaurov. I still think this is by far his best
recording, maybe because his voice was quite fresh here, in 1980. I guess
for about three days he was my favourite, until I heard Cappuccilli's
Rigoletto, which isn't his best part. Like you, I like Cap. and Bruson
more.
I don't say this to implicate that Nucci is a poor or even mediocre singer.
As late as last month I greatly enjoyed listening to his rendering of
Renato in BALLO (Met, with Pavarotti, Millo). His high notes are fine, and
not without power.
A problem with his singing is that he most often, too often, sing at forte
level, and when he does soften, as in "Quel vecchio maledivami" in
Rigoletto, he develops a strange, nasal timbre. I also think he quite often
tries to stretch his voice beyond it's capacities, which is rather strange
considering how many years of schooling he's gone through. The voice isn't
small, so I don't think he needs to push is for volume. He should know his
voice better, which is a good but not great instrument.
That said, I'm looking forward to hearing his Posa in the French Don Carlos
with Domingo, Riccarielli, Raimondi and Ghiaurov, although I doubt he can
match Cappuccilli, Merrill, Fischer-Dieskau or even Hampson in this rôle.
It will be interesting to hear him singing in French. This part is also
possible, if not desirable, to sing with an almost unrelentless forte, at
least if that's what youre good at. I like Mario del Monaco, for example. I
don't think I've ever heard Nucci sing piano without sounding nasal, except
perhaps as Amonasro in the Abbado Aida. As far as Don Carlos is concerned,
I'm biased though, since it's probably my favourite opera. Almost any Posa
gains my attention since the music is beyond praise. Possibly the bass aria
"Elle ne m'aime pas" (Ella giammai m'amo) is the finest piece of music that
has ever been written, IMHO.
Oh, I forgot, we talked about a baritone, not a bass here. My apologies...
The words that he's a disaster as a Verdi baritone is sheer nonsense, of
course. His ringing high notes ALONE prove that he's not poor in the Verdi
rôles I've heard him sing (Amonasro, Rigoletto, Renato, Macbeth). His
Figaro in Barbiere was good too, although not up to Hermann Prey standard
(what about HIS A's, by the way?)
Lars, Heldenbasso
Klytemnest <klyte...@aol.com> skrev i inlägg
<19990515051954...@ng-cs1.aol.com>...
> So, would someone explain to me what is the cause of all these negative
> comments about Leo Nucci? In what operas have you heard or seen him?
How did
> he do? How did the audience seem to enjoy his performance? What is his
> current vocal estate?
>
> Aram Barsamian
>