Who is this Stefan Zucker?
John Lynch
certain Stefan Zucker
interviewed several retired singers--Anita Cerquetti,
Fedora Barbieri, Fiorenza
Cossotto, Leyla Gencer, among others. The man spoke in a
high pitched
falsetto throughout, but when he laughed he sounded like
an adult male.
He was surrounded by beautiful young women on his
production team, who didn't
seem to mind that he wore the same rumpled suit and
shirt for every interview.
It was the strangest video I have ever seen, and I
wonder what this guy does in
real life. The words "World's highest tenor" keeps
cropping up, but he gives
the impression that the only thing he could sing would
be "O, for the wings
of a dove," a la Ernest Lough.
--
John Lynch
Placido 21
Farinelli, the way I sang along with Maria Ivogun at age 8, and Howard
Stern..no figure that one out!!!!
Charlie, baritono somewhat supremo,gradually becoming an internet legend in my
own mind. Soviero and Zeani rule together (with Resnik)
Elsa Scammell
Lynch) wrote:
Some time ago I posted a query to this newsgroup about the current activities of
Stefan Zucker, I had quite a few answers !!
I found my copy of the LP "The World's Highest Tenor"; it is beside me as i write. On it he
sang, "Ah! mes amis," from Donizetti's "La Fille du Regiment" and "Son geloso" from
Bellini's "La Somnambula", together with some songs written by Bellini and Donizetti,
some Italian and Spanish material.
These were all recorded live in 1979 and 1980.
Zucker claimed he was singing in the style of Rubini and David for whom Bellini, in
particular,wrote. He quotes bits of the original scoring of these arias and their
cadenzas; the tessitura is appallingly high.
I had to hear recordings of the two principal arias in their "normal" form before I could
follow what he was doing. Transpositions were obviously necessary today, given the
earlier scoring.
The received impression of his singing was very strange, but, as I listened, it "grew"
(just a little) on me.
All the details are quoted in his extensive sleeve notes; and the reactions of the press;
good AND bad !!
He publishes "Opera Fanatic" sporadically; I get it by airmail, but he has never answered
my letters, and any other information I gathered from a third party, now dead. Zucker is,
of course, the Bel Canto Society !!
His aim was to sing the one-act "Adelson e Salvini" by Bellini; this contains the Ab above
the Pavarotti et al's High C; but, as far, as I know, it was never published.
The reference number of this recording is: AFBC-01
Elsa Scammell,
Church and operatic castrati
http://www.cix.co.uk~velluti
(Elsa Scammell, M.A.,
Church and operatic castrati)
http://www.cix.co.uk/~velluti
Jeff
(snipped)
>The received impression of his singing was very strange, but, as I listened, it "grew"
>(just a little) on me.
>All the details are quoted in his extensive sleeve notes; and the reactions of the press;
>good AND bad !!
(snipped)
Thanks for the info. Ms. Scammell. I've wondered myself who this man
really is. He seems to have some celebrity or notoriety in the
operatic world. Do you, or anybody else for that matter, know whether
Mr. Zucker was a successful singer or whether he ever performed with
opera companies? What do you think of his voice with regard to
today's "countertenors"? Is he a countertenor himself? Thanks.
Jeff
Sara Freeman
writes:
>On 26 Apr 1999 18:51:42 GMT, vel...@cix.co.uk (Elsa Scammell) wrote:
>
>(snipped)
>
>>The received impression of his singing was very strange, but, as I
listened, it "grew"
>>(just a little) on me.
>>All the details are quoted in his extensive sleeve notes; and the
reactions of the press;
>>good AND bad !!
>
>(snipped)
>
>Thanks for the info. Ms. Scammell. I've wondered myself who this man
>really is. He seems to have some celebrity or notoriety in the
>operatic world.
both
Do you, or anybody else for that matter, know whether
>Mr. Zucker was a successful singer
hardly
or whether he ever performed with
>opera companies? What do you think of his voice with regard to
>today's "countertenors"?
I don't like countertenors at all, but Zucker is even worse sounding.
Is he a countertenor himself?
He is in a class all by himself.
Thanks.
For many years he had a radio show late Saturday night on Columbia
University's radio station. (Shoot, I can't think of the call sign
right now.) It was called Opera Fanactic. I personally thought he was a
wonderful interviewer of his many guests, some famous, some not so
famous, and some infamous (like Charlie, his fellow Pirate). I actually
preferred the nights that he spent the most time talking to his guests
more than the ones when he played opera. (It takes a while to get used
to his voice. When I first tuned into him by chance in the mid 80's, I
thought I was listening to a Tiny Tim spoof of opera.) He would have
interesting technical discussions about such things as the Cedar
transfer system, and great interviews with people like Kraus, Bergonzi
and a full 3 and a half hour interview with Francisco Araiza with no
music, that was very, very interesting. Another 2 really great
interviews were with Schuyler Chapin.
Zucker was a real gossip which made many of his listerners gag, but it
was funny, although I believe he took it quite seriously. It seemed
that almost more often than not, when he would introduce a recording
with a male singer, not only did he give the career background of the
singer but threw in how many illegitimate children he sired.
>Jeff
>
>>Elsa Scammell,
>>Church and operatic castrati
>>http://www.cix.co.uk~velluti
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>(Elsa Scammell, M.A.,
>>Church and operatic castrati)
>>http://www.cix.co.uk/~velluti
>
--
Freeone, getting back to her lampshade business.
John Yohalem
Stefan is the world's leading heterosexual opera queen (as he himself
proudly claims).
The only opera company with which he was every associated is the one he
founded himself, with his mother, Rosina Wolf, as the prima donna.
He not infrequently sang some beautiful notes, but he never in his life sang
a beautiful phrase.
I like countertenors: Jeffrey Gall, Drew Minter, David Daniels, Bejin Mehta,
Brian Asawa...
But one must have standards. And limits.
Hans Lich
ench...@herodotus.com
MNockin
but most people who have heard him sing have other words to describe the sounds
he makes. I believe he owns Bel Canto Videos.
Elsa Scammell
wrote:
> On 26 Apr 1999 18:51:42 GMT, vel...@cix.co.uk (Elsa Scammell) wrote:
>
> (snipped)
>
> >The received impression of his singing was very strange, but, as I
> listened, it "grew"
> >(just a little) on me.
> >All the details are quoted in his extensive sleeve notes; and the
> reactions of the press;
> >good AND bad !!
>
> (snipped)
>
> Thanks for the info. Ms. Scammell. I've wondered myself who this man
> really is. He seems to have some celebrity or notoriety in the
> operatic world. Do you, or anybody else for that matter, know whether
> Mr. Zucker was a successful singer or whether he ever performed with
> opera companies? What do you think of his voice with regard to
> today's "countertenors"? Is he a countertenor himself? Thanks.
>
> Jeff
>
> >Elsa Scammell,
> >Church and operatic castrati
> >http://www.cix.co.uk~velluti
> >
> >
> > >> >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > Sorry: no good at snipping yet !!
>
To my scant knowledge, I have never heard that he did perform with an opera
company. He did not claim to be a counter-tenor, but a true tenor of the old school
of Rubini, whom we know, like my castrati, as a "hearsay" voice. Hwere that actually
puts Rubini I hesitate to say !! There were comparisons made with Zucker's voice to
that of de Lucia; also that of Escalais.
Regards,
Elsa Scammell
Elsa Scammell
Elsa Scammell
Freeman) wrote:
> In <3724ba1d...@news.mindspring.com> dd...@mindspring.com (Jeff)
> writes:
> >
> >On 26 Apr 1999 18:51:42 GMT, vel...@cix.co.uk (Elsa Scammell) wrote:
> >
> >(snipped)
> >
> >>The received impression of his singing was very strange, but, as I
> listened, it "grew"
> >>(just a little) on me.
> >>All the details are quoted in his extensive sleeve notes; and the
> reactions of the press;
> >>good AND bad !!
> >
> >(snipped)
> >
> >Thanks for the info. Ms. Scammell. I've wondered myself who this man
> >really is. He seems to have some celebrity or notoriety in the
> >operatic world.
>
> both
>
> Do you, or anybody else for that matter, know whether
> >Mr. Zucker was a successful singer
>
> hardly
>
> or whether he ever performed with
> >opera companies? What do you think of his voice with regard to
> >today's "countertenors"?
>
> I don't like countertenors at all, but Zucker is even worse sounding.
>
>
> Is he a countertenor himself?
>
> He is in a class all by himself.
>
> Thanks.
>
> For many years he had a radio show late Saturday night on Columbia
> University's radio station. (Shoot, I can't think of the call sign
> right now.) It was called Opera Fanactic. I personally thought he was a
> wonderful interviewer of his many guests, some famous, some not so
> famous, and some infamous (like Charlie, his fellow Pirate). I actually
> preferred the nights that he spent the most time talking to his guests
> more than the ones when he played opera. (It takes a while to get used
> to his voice. When I first tuned into him by chance in the mid 80's, I
> thought I was listening to a Tiny Tim spoof of opera.) He would have
> interesting technical discussions about such things as the Cedar
> transfer system, and great interviews with people like Kraus, Bergonzi
> and a full 3 and a half hour interview with Francisco Araiza with no
> music, that was very, very interesting. Another 2 really great
> interviews were with Schuyler Chapin.
>
> Zucker was a real gossip which made many of his listerners gag, but it
> was funny, although I believe he took it quite seriously. It seemed
> that almost more often than not, when he would introduce a recording
> with a male singer, not only did he give the career background of the
> singer but threw in how many illegitimate children he sired.
>
>
>
>
> >Jeff
> >
> >>Elsa Scammell,
> >>Church and operatic castrati
> >>http://www.cix.co.uk~velluti
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>(Elsa Scammell, M.A.,
> >>Church and operatic castrati)
> >>http://www.cix.co.uk/~velluti
> >
>
> --
> Freeone, getting back to her lampshade business.
Sorry: I am not good at the snipping business ! I'll learn !!
>
I am afraid that, you, in America, have the advantage over me, as I cannot receive his
broadcasts, although I gather he did some interviewing in Germany a year or so ago. I
couldn't receive that either, and my friend forgot to tape it for me !!
I think. if Zucker has any strength left, it may be in his interviewing and in his editing
and writing of "Opera Fanatic". That periodical is a mixture of the truly scholarly and the
really scandalous, extensively annotated; I have tried to obtain some of his other
published work, which is now possible for me with the numerous web sites and
search engines. I'll have a try.
I think Zucker, oddly enough, had wished to be a castrato, because his vocal range
would have been increased and the quality and timbre very different.
If someone in the States could tape some of his interviews for me, I'd be very grateful,
and would meet the expenses incurred; he has a section in my book together with
other "unusual" voices.
Liking countertenors, is, of course, a matter of taste; when I was younger, I met Alfred
Deller and went to the Stour Festival in Kent, where he performed, and lived. I heard
him, too, just after the war, when the taste for authentic performances was in its
infancy, and his voice made an indelible impression on me; I have met others since.
Regards,
Elsa Scammell
Matthew B. Tepper
Sebast...@internationalbank.co.za pondered what I'm pondering as
follows...
>
>Placido 21 wrote:
>
>> Stefan Zucker is a cross between Florence Foster jenkins, John
>> Charlie, baritono somewhat supremo,gradually becoming an internet
>> legend in my own mind. Soviero and Zeani rule together (with Resnik)
>>
>
>and force your voice past its limitations. You end up with no voice at
>all.
>
>S Bach
>Bass Coloratura
Good thing you-know-who has that law career to fall back on....
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://www.deltanet.com/~ducky/index.htm
My main music page --- http://www.deltanet.com/~ducky/berlioz.htm
And my science fiction club's home page --- http://www.lasfs.org/
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
S Bach
Rich Levao
can...@webtv.net
Sara Freeman
writes:
>The last great american eccentric.
>
Bill
appeared...I think the last claimed that a certain Diva [AM] was JFK's
illegitimate daughter....
Bill
planet...@uswest.net
sympton of which was claiming AM was JFK's illegit daughter. True or false re
the mother or whatever, not your standard operatic cover puff piece.
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