We are pleased to present the second act of La Gioconda at the Richard Tucker 25th Anniversary Gala, given on April 11th, 1970.  This performance featured Renata Tebaldi as Gioconda, Richard Tucker as Enzo, Cornell MacNeil as Barnaba, and Rosalind Elias as Laura.  Of the three acts Tucker chose, this was the only act that featured an aria for the tenor, the famous "Cielo e Mar," which stopped the show.  As a side note, this was Renata Tebaldi's final performance as La Gioconda.  

Richard Tucker and Dame Joan Sutherland in a complete version of Act 1 Traviata performed on April 11th, 1970, as part of the Richard Tucker 25th Anniversary Gala.  This is the first of three complete acts from this gala.  The other acts are Act Two of La Gioconda with Tebaldi, Tucker, MacNeil, and Elias, and Act Three from Aida with Price, Tucker, and Merrill.  These will be uploaded in the next few days.

The great Fritz Wunderlich as Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata, in Italian, in a performance from Munich in 1965. Teresa Stratas is his Violetta.

Wunderlich sounds perfect in this music, and, fortunately, the complete performance is available on CD in excellent sound. 

Best wishes,

Ed

I am proud to present an extremely rare performance of Tosca, given in Naples in 1954. This is the complete Act 1 of this great performance of Tosca.

It stars Maria Caniglia, Mario Del Monaco, and Giangiacomo Guelfi, and the sound, while a bit wavery orchestrally, is fine for the voices, and singing such as this is simply not heard any longer.

I am sure you will enjoy this great Podcast.

Ed

Giovanni Consiglio was sometimes called the greatest tenor who never made it, but at his best, as he is here, the sound was gorgeous and very beautiful, and so Italian! 

This rare Podcast is quite wonderful for any of us who love tenor singing.

Ed

Two arias from a gala concert in memory of Richard Tucker less than a month after his passing: first is Cornell MacNeil singing the great baritone aria from Verdi's Ernani, followed by Leontyne Price in Adriana's Act 1 aria.

This is a rare recording in excellent sound, and the singing is sensational. 

Ed

Here are Renata Tebaldi and Richard Tucker in Act 1 of Verdi's La Forza del Destino from 1960. I heard them sing in this and many other operas, and I am proud to make this the first in a new series of Podcasts that I will be doing.

Ed

Another "name that voice." This soprano is heard in "L'altra notte" from Boito's Mefistofele. Can you name her?

Podcast link:  premiereopera.libsyn.com

Ed

Here is a beautiful rendition of Brahm's Lullaby, as sung by Zinka Milanov in this 1954 long out of print recording.

The big, Verdian voice of Milanov is reigned in, and this piece is sung in a soft, floating style. Milanov was supreme.

This and all past Podcasts are accessible at http://www.premiereopera.com

Link:premiereopera.libsyn.com

Best wishes,

Ed

In questa reggia as magnificently sung by Elinor Ross for the Philadelphia Grand Opera in 1968. This is surely one of the finest versions of this difficult aria I have ever heard. I was fortunate enough to be at this performance, and it was "white hot."

Her Calaf is a tenor by the name of Richard Tucker, who chimes in near the end with a powerful Bb (alright, A#) and then joins Ross for one of the mightiest high C's I have ever heard. The sound quality is not very good, but the voices come through loud and clear. There is a bit of a goof when almost none of the orchestra comes in near the end at one point, but this matters little. This is thrilling singing.

Link:  

premiereopera.libsyn.com

This and all podcasts are accessible at http://www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed