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

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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:  

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

Best wishes,

Ed

Cuban-American soprano Eglise Gutierrez is heard in the entire first section of the Mad Scene from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

Her performance is both beautiful and breathtaking, and this young soprano is a truly wonderful singers. I am sure you will enjoy this.

This and all Podcasts are also available at http://www.premiereopera.com

Please check all of our Podcasts at this website.

 

Best wishes,

Ed

Here is almost two minutes of sheer beauty for a performance yesterday, May 3, of Gianni Schicchi. This is a short duet near the end of the opera, and tenor and soprano, husband and wife in real life, soar and hold on to a high C#. It was gorgeous, and thrilling.

 

This podcast features the great Franco Corelli singing the tenor aria Bianca al Par. Corelli was featured in a revival of this opera at La Scala in 1962. His singing here is absolutely prime Corelli and I'm sure you'll all enjoy this podcast.

Brilliant young American tenor Stephen Costello sings the entire last act scena from Donizetti's wonderful opera, Roberto Devereux, in this very recent performance. The voice is warm and burnished, especially for one so young, and he sings ardently and with much feeling and emotion. The voice is beautiful, and I feel sure you will enjoy this Podcast.

Link: premiereopera.libsyn.com

This and all Podcasts may also be accessed at our website, which is http://www.premiereopera.com

 

For me, here is the way the role of Edgardo should be sung. Tucker was about 60 here, but his voice knew no years.

Yes, I was spoiled by this, and no tenor since has come close, IMHO. Tucker simply rolls out the gold, as always, singing the most gorgeous of legatos in the Verrano a te section, and handling the high tessiture as if it was easy. He shades beautifully, and give a singing lesson for all those that care to listen.

Scotto is also wonderful, with her incisive voice and handling of the text as few sopranos ever did. They performaned together on Lucia on this occassion in Philadelphia, but also did five or six at the Met the previous season. All were wonderful. Those were the days, my friends!

We hear act one from the entrance of Edgardo until the end of the act.

This and all Podcasts can be enjoyed at http://www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

Here are soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and baritone Placido Domingo in the complete Leonora-di Luna duet from Trovatore, from a concert given on January 17, 2009.

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Enjoy!

Best wishes,

Ed

Richard Tucker and Ljuba Wesitsch in a lovely scene from Die Fledermaus, recorded in 1950.

I think Tucker's voice sounds particularly lush here, and Welitsch sounds lovely.

This is from the recently released remastered copy done by Mark Obert-Thorn for Pristine Audio. If you wish to purchase the entire operetta, please go to their website at www.pristineclassical.com

Enjoy this delightful duet!

Ed

In November of 1956, a great gala concert was announced in Chicago. Among the singers were to be Tebaldi, Simionato, Bjoerling, Bastianini. Bjoerling cancelled a week or two before the concert, and Tucker was asked to fill in, and did so.

London/Decca recorded this entire concert, but only released a single LP of Tebaldi, Simionato, and Bastianini. All were London/Decca recording artists. Tucker was exclusive to Columbia, and was not included.

About 40 years ago, Tucker gave me his selections, which he had somehow been given on a small reel to reel tape. These selections are on this rare Podcast. I have seen the program, and it says that Tucker also sang the entire "Invano Alvaro" duet from Forza with Bastianini, but this was not on Tucker's tape. I imagine it is in the London/Decca vaults.

The program is:

1. Tucker- Ma se ma forza perderti- Ballo (with stretta!)

2. Tucker- Addio alla madre- Cavalleria

3. Tucker- E lucevan le stelle- Tosca

4. Tebaldi/Tucker- Final duet (in key)- Andrea Chenier

These selections are in perfect sound, as you will hear. They are a treasure, and a reminder of the great singing that "spoiled" more than a generation of opera goers, myself included. The Chenier duet is simply astounding. Sung in the original key, Tebaldi and Tucker shake the rafters of the huge auditorium. Their top notes are a perfect match. Huge and huger! And what gorgeous singing.

Tebaldi makes an interesting musical error near the end of the duet. At the soft part, when she sings "e la morte" she sings it up a third, ending on a Gb above the treble staff. Tucker, thinking very quickly on his feet, sings his next line a third lower, up to a mid Db, and Tebaldi again sings her next line a third higher. Then all is fine. However, this mistake wouldn't be noticable if one never heard this music before, since it is all in the written key, and fits just fine.

I feel sure you will enjoy this truly great Podcast.

Best wishes,

Ed

These beautiful operetta songs, as recording by Richard Tucker in about 1966, show his flair for this kind of music. I have never heard such melting tone combined with soaring high notes as Tucker displays here.

We hear a medley of songs from The Count of Luxembourg.

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

 

Best wishes,

Ed

From a 1967 performance of Forza del Destino, Richard Tucker is his usual thrilling self as Don Alvaro. In some ways, I think this in-house tape gives a good idea of how his top voice just opened up in the theater. A broadcast cannot really show this.

The question here is who is his Leonora? I will be very impressed by anyone who guesses her. Here is Act 1, scene 1 from the entrance of Alvaro.

Here is Sondra Radvanovsky in the Act 1 finale of Lucrezia Borgia singing a really gargantuan high Eb to cap the act. The young tenor Grigolo sounds wonderful, and this is surely thrilling singing.

 

 

Here is a 1970 perfomance of Lucia, from the entrance of Edgardo until the act's end. The 58 year old Richard Tucker is rolling out the gold as the tenor, Edgardo.

Who is his Lucia here? She was an internationally known soprano and this performance is NOT from the Met.

 

Here, in a performance from Newark, NJ, in February of 1974, is the great tenor Richard Tucker singing the final Enzo in Gioconda of his career. This performance was given scant months before his passing, and yet the beauty of the voice and the special sheen was all there, still in tact. The top soared, and the legato was rolled out as sung liquid gold. This Cielo e mar is one for the ages, and I will cherish it always.

This same aria was sung by Tucker 30 seasons earlier at his Met debut on January 25, 1945, and brought him fame.

This performance is taken from an exceptional sounding in-house tape of this event, and the hysterical bravos into the mike at the end are courtesy of yours truly. I just couldn't help myself. I sat there with the full knowledge that the great Golden Age of singing was still alive and well with Richard Tucker.

Link: premiereopera.libsyn.com

In a few months, it was over, and nothing I have heard since has even come close to the greatness revealed here for all to hear and marvel at.

Best wishes,

Ed

This magnficent recent performance by Sondra Radvanovsky includes the "Flower Aria" that is rarely if ever heard. I believe it was performed at the world premiere, and then dropped.

Sondra's singing here is not only gorgeous, with those soaring high C's, but also inspired. It was one of the great things I have seen in opera in many, many years.

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

Direct Link: premiereopera.libsyn.com

I am sure you will all enjoy this really special Podcast!

Best wishes,

Ed

Today, August 28, we celebrate the birthday of the great tenor, Richard Tucker. Many call Tucker the greatest American tenor ever. I agree, but go on to state that for me, he was the greatest tenor ever, of any nationality, and many agree with this sentiment.

Here, in the final year of his life, Tucker is still in top, golden form as he gives his all in a recital filled with arias, Jewish and Hebrew songs, French Songs, Italian songs, and Handel, Mehul, and Peri, among others! There are 23 selections to this Podcast, and I will list the program now:

1.  Handel- Floridante- Alma mia

2.  Mehul- JOSEPH- Champs paternal

3.  Peri- EURIDICE- Invocazione di Orfeo

4.  Torelli- Tu lo sai

5.  Durante- Danza, danza fanciulla

6.  Donizetti- L'ELISIR D'AMORE- Una furtiva lagrima

7.  Mascagni- CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA- Addio alla madre

8.  Meyerbeer- L'AFRICANA- O Paradiso

9.  Leoncavallo- Mattinata

10. Shir Hocherut- (Son of Liberation-) arr. Secundo

11. Issachar Miron- Ura Dor- (Come along)

12. A Du, Du, Du- (Jewish folk song) arr. Secundo

13. A Din Torah mit Gott- (A Plea with God) arr. Low

14. Fourdrain- Carnaval

15. Robey- Tes Yeux

16. Bizet- THE PEARLFISHERS- Je crois entendre encore

17. Falvo- Dicitencello Vuie

18. Nutile- Mamma mia che vo sape

19. Puccini- TURANDOT- Nessun Dorma

20. Raisins and Almonds- Traditional Jewish Folk Song

21. Puccini- TOSCA- Recondita armonia

22. Cilea- L'ARLESIANA- Lamento di Federico

23. Verdi- LUISA MILLER- Quando le sera al placido

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To end, I wish to say how fortunate I was to live in an era when I could hear Richard Tucker sing and bestow his great gift on us all countless times.

Best wishes,

Ed

My favorite tenor, Richard Tucker, is heard here in two rare audio clips.

First we have the beautiful Pearlfishers Duet, as sung in English from a radio concert in 1946 with the wonderful baritone, Robert Weede.

This is followed by an Improviso from a Gala Concert with Leonard Bernstein conducting the Israeli Philharmonic in 1963. I would imagine this is the only time Bernstein conducted the music of Giordano, but I certainly could be wrong.

Enjoy this interesting Podcast.

Direct Link: premiereopera.libsyn.com

This and every Podcast can be found at http://www.premiereopera.com

Please listen and comment! Thanks.

Best wishes,

Ed

The young Renata Tebaldi, still in her 20's here, sings two arias associated with her career. The voice is all beauty and velvet, with the tone lush and gorgeous. These performances were taken from her American broadcast debut, during her run of operas in San Francisco in the Fall of 1950. These radio concerts, with Merola conducting, seem to exist in wonderful sound quality, as heard here. Brava Renata!!

1. Io son l'umille ancella- Adriana- 1950

2. Un bel di- Madama Butterfly- 1950

Direct link: premiereopera.libsyn.com

This and every Podcast are available at http://www.premiereopera.com

Enjoy this beautiful voice at its best!

Best wishes,

Ed

This is a two minute selection from Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera. It is Richard Tucker as Riccardo, in his entrance aria, "La rivedra in estasti."

If it has ever been sung better, I have not heard it. The elan, and the musicianship is remarkable, as is the expansive high Bb (alright, high A# for the purists out there) to cap this wonderful piece.

Often famous arias are recorded by famous artists in the "wrong" language, meaning a language other than the language the aria was originally written in. Here are two fine examples by young Mario del Monaco.

1. Carmen- Il fior che avevi a me to dato- recorded 12/20/51

2. Lohengrin- Da voi lontan- recorded 11/22/48- as a 78 rpm!

 

This and all Podcasts can be found at http://www.premiereopera.com

Direct link:  premiereopera.libsyn.com

 

Enjoy and please comment on this Podcast!

Best wishes,

Ed

 

 

The magnificent Italian tenor, Mario del Monaco, is heard here in the very prime early years of his international career. His voice as heard here in magnificent monophonic sound conveys the steel, or, as I heard it live, the "buzz" in his sound that helped it to carry so well, and, if possible, sound ever bigger than it already was. Of interest is his soft singing in each selection. We hear del Monaco in both Mascagni and Leoncavallo operas, but not Cav & Pag! Here are the selections:

1. La Boheme- Leoncavallo- Testa adorata- recorded 9/51

2. L'Amico Fritz- Mascagni- Ed anche Beppe amo- recorded 12/20/51

3. Werther- Ah! Non mi ridestar- recorded 1/9/52

The conductor in all selections is Argeo Quadri, conducting the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano.

Direct link: premiereopera.libsyn.com

This and all Podcasts can also be accessed at http://www.premiereopera.com

This is surely thrilling tenor singing, when tenors were tenors!!

Best wishes,

Ed

It's Te Kanawa and Placido, and it's good!! This is among my favorite Puccini.

 

Ed

Early in his career, tenor sensation Franco Corelli recorded many arias from operas that were not in his repertoire. Here are three arias, only one of which, Trovatore, is from a role Corelli sang.

1.  I Lombardi- La mia letizia infondere- 1955

2.  Il Trovatore- Di quella pira- 1955

3.  Otello- Esultate!- 1954

Surely Corelli would have made a great Otello, and it is a shame that he never sang the role. His Pira has two of the most ringing high C's ever recorded by any tenor. Enjoy this podcast!

This and all Podcasts are also available at www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

Truly great Swedish tenor Jussi Bjoerling is at his incredible best in two arias taken from a live concert given in Hilversum, Holland on June 8, 1939. First we hear a gorgeous Flower Song from Carmen, sung in French, from an opera that Bjoerling never sang. Listen especially to what the Swedish tenor does on the high Bb.

This is followed by a magnificent Faust aria, sung in Swedish, from the same concert. The high C is a thing of wonder. Bjoerling attacks it a bit softly and swells to a tremendous, forte high C.

This and all Podcasts may be found at http://www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

The great American baritone, Leonard Warren, sings some lighter fare here.

His delivery of three beautiful Irish songs have long been favorites of mine, and I wanted to share this with all of the Podcast audience. The singing is ravishing, controlled, and both soft and ringing, when called for.

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1.  Danny Boy- recorded September 3, 1947

2.  Mother Machree- recorded September 26, 1950

3.  A Little Bit of Heaven- recorded September 26, 1950

 

I'm sure you will enjoy this Podcast!

Best wishes,

Ed

The great Yugoslavian soprano, Zinka Milanov, is heard here in four arias recorded in her very prime. The voice is gorgeous and the singing is beautiful. I hope you enjoy this podcast of rare Milanov recordings. Here is the listing or arias, with date recorded.

1. Suicidio- La Gioconda- February 14, 1946

2. Voi lo sapete- Cavalleria Rusticana- May 17, 1945

3. Pace mio Dio!- La Forza del Destino- May 17, 1945

4. Ritorna vincitor- Aida- February 14, 1946.

And interesting coincidence is that the Cavalleria and the Forza arias were recorded on her birthday. I believe she was celebrating her 41st birthday in 1945.

This and all podcasts can also be found at http://www.premiereopera.com

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this podcast.

Best wishes,

Ed

Many opera lovers know about the Mexico Aida, and the Lisbon Traviata. I call this the Tel Aviv Trovatore.

Performed in Tel Aviv on July 9, 1973, it features the following cast:

Manrico...............Richard Tucker

Leonora...............Gilda Cruz-Romo

Azucena...............Mignon Dunn

Di Luna................Sigmund Nimsgern

The conductor is Zubin Mehta. This was the next to last Manrico of Tucker's life, the final performance being in Hartford, CT, about 6 weeks before his passing, and also featuring the truly wonderful Gilda Cruz-Romo as Leonora. Tucker's voice knew no years, as can be heard here. The freshness of his singing, and his enthusiasm, and, of course, his golden voice, remained untarnished by time.

I am proud to present the complete Act 4, Scene 2 of Il Trovatore, dedicated, with love and admiration, for my friend, Richard Tucker.

This and all Podcasts can also be found at http://www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

The great tenor, Beniamino Gigli, is heard in all of Pinkerton's solo parts in this historical Podcast. The recording was made in Rome in July of 1939, and Gigli was in the 25th year of his career, with an amazing 16 years still to go! As always, his singing is golden and caressing to the ear.

The role of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly is sometimes thought of as not worth the effort of a truly first rank tenor, but it is, IMO. The role is long- since he sings for about an hour with little break in Act 1, and comes back in Act 3 for a beautiful trio and his big aria.

Surely the major recording companies have always cast the role of Pinkerton from strength. Tenors who have recorded the role complete have been, in addition to Gigli, such as Tagliavini, Tucker (twice,) Bergonzi (twice,) Pavarotti, Domingo (twice,) Carreras. These are certainly all first rank tenors. In the theater, the two best Pinkertons I ever heard live were Bergonzi, in 1962 with Tucci at the Met, and Carreras in 1975, with Teresa Kubiak, in London.

We have the entire opening scene, starting with "Dovunque al mondo" right up to the entrance of Butterfly, followed by the gorgeous trio in Act 3 and the famous tenor aria, "Addio, fiorito asil." The Sharpless is Mario Basiola, and Suzuki is sung by mezzo Vittoria Polomgini. The few lines we hear of Goro are sung by tenor Adelio Zagonara. The wonderful conductor is the legendary Oliviero de Fabritiis, who seemed to conduct forever. His career spanned at least 5 and  possibly 6 decades.

This and every Podcast can be found at http://www.premiereopera.com

Enjoy this great tenor singing!

Best wishes,

Ed

Tenor sensations Juan Diego Florez and Rolando Villazon teamed up for a rare, first ever joint concert in Paris about a month ago.

Here are three excerpts from this exciting event.

1.  Ah! leve toi- Romeo- Florez

2.  O Souverain- Le Cid- Villazon

3.  Otello duet- Rossini- Florez & Villazon

 

This and all podcasts may also be accessed at http://www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

On October 14, 1975, the great tenor Jose Carreras gave his very first solo American recital. The venue was beautiful Carmel, California, and I was privileged to accompany Jose both at the recital, and on the ride to and from San Francisco, where he was appearing as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'amore. The recital was a great success, and the voice is at it's youthful best. The four selections here are:

1.  Ideale- Tosti

2.  Malia- Tosti

3. L'albe separe dalla luce lombra- Tosti

4. Nessun dorma- Turandot- Puccini

 

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

I know you all will enjoy this beautiful Podcast.

Best wishes,

Ed

The great American baritone, Robert Merrill, sings Songs you Love, from a 78 rpm album recorded in 1950. Gorgeous is the adjective that comes immediately to mind. Here is the program:

1. I'm falling in love with someone- Herbert

2. Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life- Herbert

3. Yours is my heart alone- Lehar

4. Sylvia- Speaks

5. Trees- Rasbach

6. Always- Berlin

Here are seven diverse that represent among the best of tenor great Richard Tucker. Tucker was as versatile as he was great, and his singing through the years remained golden and gorgeous. Here is the program of this Podcast:

1.  Thine Alone- Eileen- Herbert- 1950

2.  Song of Songs- 1949

3.  For you Alone- 1949

4.  Core 'n grato- 1954

5.  La riverdra- Ballo- Verdi- 1974

6.  Lamento di Federico- L'Arlesiana- Cilea- 1966

7.  O tu che in seno- Forza- Verdi- 1969

Tenor Stephen Costello sings the beautiful Tomb Scene in a recent performance of Lucia di Lammermoor. Costello sings with great beauty and feeling, as well as the great emotion that this music calls for.

I am sure you will enjoy this wonderful performance by Costello.

We are back and up and running with our Podcasts again, and I wish to thank all of you who have written me about them.

All poscasts can also be enjoyed at http://www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

Richard Tucker sings Rondine al nido.

The great Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi gives us a benchmark performance of the famous aria from Puccini's La Boheme, "Che gelida manina." Bergonzi sings this aria in key, with a magnificent high C to cap it off, and the most gorgeous of legatos and phrasing and dynamics. Truly one of the greatest tenors ever.

This and all podcasts can also be found at www.premiereopera.com

 

Ed

Here are five selections from a recently discovered operatic concert that the great tenor, Richard Tucker, sang with the Winnipeg Symphony in March of 1972. Tucker greatness was ageless, and the voice is still in it's warm golden form. He was about 60 years old here, and sounds like a tenor about half that age. He sings arias here from Ballo, Tosca, Manon Lescaut, Pagliacci, and Leoncavallo's Mattinata. Also sung, but not on the recording, were arias from L'Africana, Cavalleria Rusticana, and L'Elisir. The singing is truly awesome!!

 

Enjoy!!

 

Best wishes,

Ed

A few wonderful excerpts from Stephen's great performance of Romeo last night!!! Enjoy!!

Tucker came late to Samson, performing it for the first time in Phila. in 1970, and then doing a run at the Met in 1971-2 with Bumbry. I found him thrilling in this role, and dramatically, it was one of his finest. Here the Jewish leader rallies his troops, in French, but as a great Cantor just the same!!

Here is an early (1949) recording of Richard Tucker, singing the gorgeous "Thine Alone" from the operetta "Eileen" by Victor Herbert. This is one of my 3 or 4 favorite Tucker recordings. He sings with such beauty and clarity, and makes the high tessitura sound easy, and, just for good measure, he transposes the second verse up a half tone, to make the high tessitura virtually impossible, but, again, Tucker makes it sound easy.

For me, this is as gorgeous as it gets!!

 

Ed

In my opinion these selections from Verdi's Ernani, as sung by the great Cornell MacNeil, defies description. Words cannot do it justice. Just listen and be amazed!! And no, we don't have any baritones who sing like this anymore. We only had big Mac!!

Here is every note that the great tenor, Giuseppe Di Stefano recorded in the studio of Boito's Mefistofele in the summer of 1959, along with Renata Tebaldi and Cesare Siepi, with Tullio Serafin conducting. Only the scene with Elena is not recorded, thereby preventing commercial release.

Amazing singing by both Petrella and Di Stefano. This is good, old "giving" Italian singing at its best. I just received this fine sounding copy, and wanted to share it with you, to further remember the great Pippo!!

Jose Carreras sang his first ever American recital in Carmel, California on October 14, 1975. I was there and he was wonderful. Here he sings a beautiful aria from Rossini's Pietra del Paragone, Tosti's Ideale, and Puccini's Nessun Dorma! Bravo, Jose!!

In one of his earliest performances, here is Giuseppe Di Stefano at the age of only 22, singing a beautiful Una furtiva lagrima from Elisir d'Amore. The sheer beauty is simply overwhelming.

 

Ed

Here is prime Di Stefano and de los Angeles in the famous and beautiful love duet from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Ardently and beautifully sung by both artists, this is a treat for the ear.

 

Ed

This magnificent scene from Mascagn's rarely performed "Iris" contains some of the greatest singing that Di Stefano ever committed to disc. The music is of the greatest difficulity for the tenor. Nothing is above an A natural, but so much of the music is between F and A natural as to make it a virtually unsingable tessitura. However, Di Stefano conquers, and had a great triumph on this opera when it was revived in Italy in 1956, the same year as this recording. His voice is ravishing here, as well as melting. Carteri is a wonderful duet partner.

 

Ed

 

As requested, here is Giuseppe Di Stefano in his gorgeous rendtiion of "Non piangere Liu" from Puccini's Turandot.

Every Italian or Italianate tenor worth his salt sang "Core 'ngrato" but nobody sang it like Di Stefano. The gorgeous tone (just listen to the first two words, "Cateri, Cateri" and you will melt) combined with the passion and love of singing is unsurpassed by any tenor ever.

There are so many recordings to remember Di Stefano by, but I think this one particular recording of a beautiful Italian song says it all. Adddio a Pippo, e grazie per sempre!!

 

Ed

Here is the great Sleale scene from Verdi's La Forza del Destino. Richard Tucker and Robert Merrill sang together often in Forza, and this is a thrilling rendition of this scene.

Two great American artists, soprano Eleanor Steber and tenor Richard Tucker, bring us a beautiful rendition of the gorgeous final duet from Verdi's Don Carlo. Steber and Tucker also had the same voice teacher, tenor Paul Althouse!

Two all time greats of the Italian opera stage, mezzo Ebe Stignani and tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano join forces to sing this beatiful music from Donizetti's La Favorita. Stignani had already been singing for almost 30, but sounds fresh and youg, and Di Stefano really was a fresh voiced, young singer in 1952!!

Squillo to burn!! Not a gorgeous voice, but one of great excitement and squillo!!

In a rare RAI concert from January 30, 1960, soprano Rosana Carteri and tenor Carlo Bergonzi joing magnificent forces in this thrilling version of the geat love duet from Puccini's love duet, capped by a joint high C that is held forver, and ever!! Grande!!!

Victoria de los Angeles sang very few performances as Micaela in her illustrious career, so we are indeed fortunate to have a sample of what she sounded like. From a performance in the mid 50's, she sings perhaps the definitive version of this beautiful aria.

The exciting "Sleale" scene from Verdi's La Forza del Destino, as performed by Mario del Monaco and Ettore Bastianini, makes for incredibly thrilling listening. This scene was often omitted from performanes 40 or 50 years ago, due it's very demanding music for the tenor. del Monaco is at his best, as is the Italian baritone, Ettore Bastianin. Together they sing this scene with great slancio!!

 

Ed

Richard Tucker, in his second recording of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, sings the opening arias of this beautiful music with a combination of great vocal beauty, legato, and soaring ease in the many top notes. Price sings as glorious an entrance as I have ever heard

The great Giuseppe Di Stefano lavishes his golden voice on the famous aria, Che gelida manina, from La Boheme. To listen is to revel in this incredible sound!!

Three more tenors sing for us. Jussi Bjoerling sings an astoundingly gorgeous Amor ti vieta, from a 1957 recital, followed by the beautiful voice of Fritz Wunderlich, singing Dies Bildnis from Zauberflote, and Jon Vickers sings an interesting, non-Italianate Celeste Aida!

The beauty of Jose Carreras' voice is heard in these wonderful Italian song. His Core 'ngrato is full of fire and passion, and his Santa Lucia Luntana is meltingly gorgeous, with lovely high soft tones. Golden singing by any standard!!

The young Mario del Monaco, in some of his earliest recordings, sings arias from L'amico Fritz, Werther, and Lohengrin. He sings everything in his native Italian, and his voice and "ring" seem like young miracles of sound!!

The young Domingo sings a warmly vocalised Boheme aria from 1967, and a very moving Flower Song from Carmen in 1968.

The great prison scene, or the death of Margherita, as it is called in the score, of Boito's Mefistofele, is one of my very favorite scenes in all of opera. As sung by three of the geatest voices of the 20th century, it is  irresistible

This excerpt starts after the L'altra notte aria, so to fit in the space allowed. Tebaldi, Di Stefano, and Siepi are unequaled in this music.

Enjoy!!

Ed

The great, great Beniamino Gigli sings what I consider to be the definitive recording of Una furtiva lagrima. This was recorded in 1927, when Gigli was at the very pinnicle of his great powers.

The great Franco Corelli doing one of the many things that he did best: singing Italian canzoni. Here are "I te vurria vasa" & "Cor 'ngrato" from a live concert given in 1968. Amazing!!

From a gala concert, the great Leontyne Price sings a ravishing Depuis le jour from Louise. It's one of the most gorgeous things I have ever heard!!

This is a great baritone, who never, as far as I know, sang the role of Figaro in Barbiere. He did, however, sing the big aria, in English, at a gala concert. Here he is. Please name the voice, and tell us what you think of this performance!!

The great Richard Tucker gives his all in this thrilling rendition of the famous tenor aria from Martha. He sings it here in English, in a 1961 revival. At the final performance of the run, he sang this in the Italian that Met audiences were used to from his great predecessors , Caruso and Gigli!! I know. I was there!!!

Name the opera, and name the singers, if you can!!

Carlo Bergonzi, well known for his great taste among Italian tenors, throws all caution to the wind, and delivers a Pazzo son that even outdoes Gigli and Tucker when it comes to sobbing, and emphasizing certain words for effect. It's great, and I love it!!!!

It doesn't get much better than this, ever in recorded history. The combination of Gigli/Rethberg/Pinza is certainly more than Golden Age. It is one of the greatest operatic recordings ever made. Listen to Gigli singing the two  high B naturals along with Rethberg, and both singers holding the notes to make it more exciting. The notes are written for the soprano, but not for the tenor. Caruso also sings these B's on his recording of this trio.

This one's for the ages!!

Ed

Here is the gorgeous trio from Verdi's I Lombardi, taken from a live broadcast of 1//31/43, with Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony, and soloists Vivian della Chiesa, Jan Peerce, and Nicola Moscona.

Name this tenor singing the cabaletta, O mio rimorso, from Verdi's La Traviata!

Here is the complete, uncut "Sleale" scene from Verdi's La Forza del Destino, as sung by those two paragons of Verdi style, tenor Carlo Bergonzi and baritone Piero Cappuccilli. The reason this duet was so often cut is mostly due is it's tremendously difficult tessitura, and dramatic outbursts by the tenor, Alvaro. He has at least 4 or 5 high Bb's, and two high B naturals near the end of the scene. And more A's and Ab's than I can count!! The conductor here is Lamberto Gardelli, who I usually like, but find quite slow in this scene.

From 1953, here is a rare recording of the final trio from Faust sung by a very young Roberta Peters, a very middle aged Jan Peerce, and a very old Ezio Pinza.

This RCA 10" LP release was taken from the soundtrack of the Sol Hurok film biography, "Tonight we sing."

Name the singer of this song. Hint: it's not Ethel Merman. She's a very famous opera singer.

Here is a wonderful rendition of the florid ending of La Sonnambula, complete with an incredible sustained high F. Who is this mystery soprano??

Here is THE great scene from Act 3 of Massenet's Werther, starting with the great tenor aria, Pourquoi me revellier. Both Villazon and Koch give their all in this exciting scene.

The best of Caballe. The lady doesn't believe in breathing it appears. This is being posted thanks to a request just received from the conductor!! A thrilling performance!!

Tenor Rolando Villazon sings an operatic concert in Paris on January 28 of this year. Presented here are four exertps.

1.  La dolcissima- Adriana

2.  L'anima stanca- Adriana

3.  Questa e quella- Rigoletto

4.  Quando le sera- Luisa Milller.

Villazon sounds wonderful in these selections. I am sure you'll enjoy this podcast!

Best wishes,

Ed

Two great duets from the Barcelona performance of Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani, from Barcelona in 1974, with Eve Queler conducting. First Domingo is joined by baritone Franco Bordoni in the exciting first tenor-baritone duet. This is followed by the soprano-tenor duet where Domingo is joined by Caballe.

Josef Schmidt sounds magnificent in this beautiful aria from Korngold's Die Tote Stadt. The recording dates from 1933.

From a recording of Carousel originally issued by RCA in 1955, the ever versatile Robert Merrill sings a glorious rendition of the great Soliloquy. Merrill was a great crossover artist long before there was such a word as crossover!! Great singing by any definition!!

It was my thrill to share the stage with the above named singers. In this scene, I, as Sciarrone, enters to give Scarpia the bad news, and Tucker laughs at me!! And then sings some Bb's that literally made my ears hurt!! What a thrill and how lucky I was to sing in a performance with my idol, Richard Tucker!!!

It was my thrill to share the stage with the above named singers. In this scene, I, as Sciarrone, enters to give Scarpia the bad news, and Tucker laughs at me!! And then sings some Bb's that literally made my ears hurt!! What a thrill and how lucky I was to sing in a performance with my idol, Richard Tucker!!! This performance was given at Hofstra College in Hempstead, NY on December 29, 1971.

The gorgeous voice of living legend Leontyne Price is heard at its pristine best is this rendition of the great aria from the last act of Verdi's Il Trovatore. This performance is from an operatic concert in 1971.

Cornell MacNeil sings the great baritone aria from Verdi's Ernani in a recital in 1975. MacNeil had been stopping the show with this aria since he first sang this opera in the late 50's in Italy, and stole the show from the likes of Price and Corelli at the Met in the 60's! Listen to the absolutely inbelievable ending!!

Cesare Siepi opened a 1975 recital with this piece, which is unfamiliar to me. I no longer have the program, and would appreciate it if somebody can identify this music for me. I believe it is from an early opera. Perhapa Monteverdi?? I really don't know. Please help me identify this selection. Siepi ends this on an incredible low D!!!

Thanks,

Ed

Name the Otello and Iago in this exciting performance of the Si! Pel Ciel duet from Act 2 of Verdi's Otello. Both had great fame in this opera!!

Name the four leading singers in this performance of the Sextet from Lucia. All were very well known, and three of the four had very long careers at the Met and other houses, and were super stars of their time. An unusual recording!!

Well, you asked for it, and here it is!! So what do you think???

Name the two singers in this performance of the Act 1 duet from Puccini's Tosca!

First we have the actual first notes sung in public by Villazon in many months, as he makes his first entrance in Werther on January 5,2008. The usually staid Viennese audience greets him with an ovation before he sings a note! Then we here him singing La Reve from Manon, on January 18, 2008.

Here is Richard Tucker officiating as Cantor for the Ya-aleh from the Kol Nidre service. I think this is incredible singing by any standard. The tremendous runs and leaps, musically, the trills, the tessitura, show why Tucker was such a great and celebrated Cantor.

Here is my tape of that great night in 1968, with Elinor Ross singing a great In questa reggia. She is absolutely thrilling. Tucker joins in at the end, and sings a totally blazing high C. Has to be heard to be believed!!!

Richard Tucker and Antonietta Stella sing excerpts from Meyerbeer's rarely performed opera, L'Africana in this 1972 performance. Tucker starts with a gorgeous "O Paradiso" followed by the rousing cabaletta, "Deh ch'io ritorni," with an incredible interpolated high B natural near the end. He brings down the house twice within 10 minutes. The long duet with Stella finds both singers in thrilling form. The tenor music is particularly high and for the most part, lyrical, with high B naturals and high Bb's aplenty. In the part that begins "O mia Selika," Tucker does some of the most gorgeous lyric singing I have ever heard him do. He was about 60 at the time, but the voic still had it's usual golden sound. He handles the very high tessitura with ease, and his soaring high B near the end is so easily produced, that it's hard to believe it is a B natural! This is lovely music, and makes one wish for a revival of this opera. The role Vasco DaGama would seem like a natural for Marcello Giordani!!

 

Here are two selections from the return recital of tenor Rolando Villazon. He first sings Massenet's "Ouvre tes yeux," followed by Tosti's "Ideale." Rolando's voice sounds as beautiful as ever!

Richard Tucker sang a recital at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in November of 1967 which still stands as the greatest evening of singing I have ever heard from any singer ever. The program is staggering in it's length and difficulty, and I knew I was in the presence of true greatness that night. He began the evening with a long and difficult Mozart concert aria, and ended the evening with Richard Rodgers "You'll never walk alone!"  In between he sang countless difficult arias (how many tenors have ever included the Forza aria in a piano recital!!!) and many Italian songs. Also a few selections from the Yiddish and Hebrew literature, including a long cantorial piece. Neopolitan songs, English songs, and on and on. Every note was perfect, and I want to post the entire concert for you to listen to and marvel at. The selections:

1. Misero, o sogno

2. Invocation of Orfeo- Peri

3. Dilli, non t'amo piu

4. Nina

5. Che fiero costumi

6. Lamento di Federico

7. O tu che in seno

8. Addio alla Madre

9. The Shepard

10. Ura dor

11. Dudele

12. Hebrew Song

13. Cantorial selection

14. The Abbott of Derry

15. The Abbott of Derry (encore)

16. Hanging Hill

17. Do you remember

18. Dicentacella vuie

19. Mamma mia che vo sape

20. Mattinata

21. De miei bollenti spiriti

22. You'll never walk alone

From Buenos Aires in the summer of 1968, here are Cornell MacNeil and Renata Scotto driving the audience to an absolute frenzy with their incredible singing to end Act 3, as I was brought up to learn, of Rigoletto. Their "Si, vendetta" duet is what legends are indeed made of!

The beautiful Cherry Duet from Mascagni's lovely "L'Amico Frirz is performed by a young tenor and soprano. Can you name the voices?

The gorgeous Cherry Duet from Mascagni's lovely "L'Amico Frirz is performed Ailyn Perez and Stephen Costello in a concert given early this year. It is beautifully sung by the young soprano and tenor

Listen to the young Renata Scotto and Luciano Pavarotti sing this beautiful duet from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. In 1967, Scotto was a much bigger name than Pavarotti. Their singing is wonderful in this excerpt from an RAI broadcast of October 10, 1967. Francesco Molinari-Pradelli is the conductor.

Zinka Milanov sings two great arias from Verdi's La Forza del Destino. Recorded in her very peak years, the Croatian soprano is simply magnificent in two arias from one of her greatest roles, that of Leonora in Forza.

1. Madre pietosa Vergine

2. Pace mio Dio

The beautiful voice of Zinka Milanov is heard to wonderful effect in a song by Hageman, "Do not go my love." Simply gorgeous!

Young tenor Stephen Costello sings Salut! demeure from Faust, from his very recent recital in London.

From the film "Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick," the gorgeous voice of Robert Merrill is heard singing Still Water. This song is unfamiliar to me, but is very beautiful.

Name the voice of this soprano heard in My Lord and Master, from The King and I, and the entire "bench" scene from Carousel, where she is joined by a mystery baritone!!

A very strange sounding duet, with Vivian della Chiesa and Robert Merrill!! To me, it sounds as if two men are singing!!

Listen to Richard Tucker as Manrico in 1969, at the Blossom May Festival, under the young James Levine. In particular, listen to what Tucker does at the end of the "Ah si, ben mio." Usually this scene is taxing enough, but this ending is spectacular. Tucker is in magnificent voice, in his 57th year. I'm sure you will enjoy this.

Best wishes,

Ed

Dramatic Verdi singing at its finest is featured in this pairing of Maria Callas and baritone Giuseppe Taddei. This is the famous Mexico performance from 1951.

From RAI in 1960, a young Alfredo Kraus is joined by the great Italian baritone, Giuseppe Taddei in an Italian language verson of the beautiful Pearlfishers duet, with the "Italian ending," as recorded by such as Gigli'De Luca. This is lyrical singing at its best!!

Here are the great singers, Renata Tebaldi and Giuseppe Taddei in the Garden Duet from Verdi's La Traviata. The performance is from San Carlo di Napoli and was given on January 17, 1952. Both great Italian singers were young and in their prime. This performance is quite rare and difficult to find. It is a treasure.

Name the voice! The beautiful "Arrigo, a parla ancor" sung in the original French in a remarkable performance!!

Here is the magnificent love duet from Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera.Cruz-Romo and Tucker deliver a thrilling and beautifully sung performance of this famous and difficult, capped with a great high C. Tucker, amazingly, was 60 years old at the time of this performance! Simply amazing!!

Here is the magnificent love duet from Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera. Nilsson and Tucker deliver a thrilling and beautifully sung performance of this famous and difficult duet, capped with a great high C.

Here is the young Sherrill Milnes in 1968 singing Miller's aria and cabaletta from Verdi's Luisa Miller. After this, we hear the final two minutes of Act 1, with Tozzi, Tucker, Caballe, Milnes. Please leave your comments!

 

Best wishes,

Ed

This great performance was given in Caracas in June of 1972. Tucker was 60, and Olivero was two or three years older than that!! They sing with the greatest passion imaginable, as they sound like the young lovers they are in the opera. This is the only time these two greats sang together.

This great performance was given in Caracas in June of 1972. Tucker was 60, and Olivero was two or three years older than that!! They sing with the greatest passion imaginable, as they sound like the young lovers they are in the opera. This is the only time these two greats sang together.

This historic performance was never broadcast. It is a wonderful, stereo house tape that Richard Tucker gave to me the day after he returned from Caracas.

 

The great Verdi/Puccini tenor, Richard Tucker, sings florid Handel as remarkably well as he sings anything else. The incredible Tucker ring is here for all to hear on this magnificent live concert from The Hollywood Bowl in 1951. He then sings two arias: O Paradiso and Addio allla Madre. Awesome!!!

The great baritone voice of John Charles Thomas is heard here in his very prime, in songs recorded between 1931 & 1941. Thomas surely had one of the most magnificent voices ever. His opening song, My Hero, is one of the great baritone recordings I have ever heard. Enjoy this podcast. Here is the program:

1.  My Hero

2.  The Open Road

3.  The Lord's Prayer

4.  I Love Life

5. Ol' Man River

6. Home on the Range

 

If any singer had a more beautiful and natural voice than Robert Merrill, I have yet to here him or her. Merrill's way with these songs is simply magnificent, from the operatic type songs, such as The Lord's Prayer, and the more lyrical songs such as C'est magnifique. Merrill was and is the greatest.

 

This performance was given at the Robin Hood Dell in Philadelphia during the summer of 1973. Tucker was 60, and still singing this difficult role with thrilling ease. We present his part complete, with Elinor Ross as Santuzza, and Matteo Manuguerra as Alfio, and a surprise appearance by Frederica von Stade-Lola. The conductor is Lamberto Gardelli. This is thrilling singing!!

From Act 4 of Puccini's Manon Lescaut, Renata Tebaldi and Richard Tucker show us what great singing is all about. I have never heard two singers "give" as much as Tebaldi and Tucker do here, with the most thrilling high C imaginable in their great scene.

This thrilling performance is from Buenos Aires in the summer of 1966. The cast gives its all, and the performance is "white-hot!" Tucker and MacNeil especially get huge audience approval, with their big voiced, gorgeous singing. These highlights are stunning!

Cast:

Gioconda-  Elena Suliotis

Enzo- Richard Tucker

Barnaba- Cornell MacNeil

Laura- Rosalind Elias

Alvise- Paolo Washington

Bruno Bartoletti, con.

This and all podcasts can be found at www.premiereopera.com

 

 

 

In this Buenos Aires performance from 1961, Richard Tucker is heard in the complete role of Don Alvaro in Verdi's La Forza del Destino. It was one of Tucker's very greatest roles, and he is magnificent in this performance. He is joined by Giuseppe Taddei, Floriana Cavalli, and Plinio Clabassi.

The "Sleale" scene was missing from this performance, so for this scene only, the role of Don Carlo is sung by Mario Sereni.

The great American tenor, Richard Tucker, brings his golden voice to the music of Donizetti in this live performance of Lucia di Lammermoor. Except for the Sextet, the entire role of Edgardo is presented here as performed. Tucker's Lucia is none other then Joan Sutherland!

Act 4 complete from Andrea Chenier, with Fabio Armiliato and Daniela Dessi. This is exciting, thrilling singing. And the duet is sung in key! The first cast of this run in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago was Cura and Voight. In my opinion, this pairing of Armiliato and Dessi wins hands down, and I have heard both performances!!

Here is a real Italianate Chenier, sung less than two weeks ago. Why don't we get this at the Met??

The solemn and haunting Kol Nidre service as offered by Cantor Richard Tucker.

Scenes from a live performance of Puccini's La Boheme from 1957, featuring Richard Tucker, Dorothy Kirsten, and Ettore Bastianini. GOLDEN AGE!!!!

This early, complete Pavarotti recital finds the 38 year old tenor is truly magnificent form. He was on the verge of super stardom this year, 1973, with the recent triumph of the Met Fille in the very recent past. He generously gives us 22 selections, including encores. Viva Luciano, per sempre!!

 

Ed

This amazing radio concert, given in Mexico in 1950, stands as one of the supreme examples of tenor singing, any time, anywhere. Not just the best of Di Stefano, which it most certainly is, but the best of perhaps any tenor ever singing this music. The six songs have to be heard to be believed!!!

!.  Santa Lucia

2.  Ay, ay, ay

3.  Core 'ngrato- UNBELIEVABLE!!

4.  Mamma mia, che vo sape

5.  Estrallita

6.  Tu che non chiagne

The wonderful Sondra Radvanovsky pulls out all the vocal fireworks in the demanding finale of Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia. To cap it off, she ends on an incredible high Eb!!!

The great Ukrainian baritone, Igor Gorin, is heard in his prime on this rare radio concert from December 10, 1945. The voice is gorgeous, and the tecnique is perfection.

Gorin was born in the Ukraine in 1904, and I believe he became an American citizen in the 1940's, if not ealier.

He made his one and only very belated appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in 1964, at 60 years of age, as Germont in Traviata. I was there, and the voice was still gorgeous and perfectly focused. It was not a huge voice, but carried extremely well.

I'm sure you will enjoy this 1945 radio concert. Please feel free to leave your comments.

All podcasts are also found at www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

Here is the very young Richard Tucker in some of his first coast to coast radio appearances. These selections are taken from 1945-6, so this is how the great Tucker sounded when he first stepped foot on the stage of the old Met on January 25, 1945. His duet partners include Ribla, Lipton, and Weede. All selections are performaned in English, as was the custom of most of the opera concerts on radio in the mid 1940's.  The program follows:

1.  Aida- Nile duet- w. Gertrude Ribla- 1946

2.  Aida- Judgment duet- w. Martha Lipton- 1946

3.  Cavalleria Rusticana- Farewell to Mother- 1945

4.  Rigoletto- Though a lady- 1945

5.  L'Africana- O Paradise!- 1945

6.  Pearlfishers- I seem to hear her singing- 1946

7.  Pearlfishers duet- Within the temple there- w. Robert Weede- 1946

8.  Faust duet- Garden Scene- w. Gertrude Ribla- 1945

9.  Boris duet- From near and far- w. Martha Lipton- 1946

 

My own personal favorites are the gorgeous Pearlfishers duet, where Tucker and Weede blend their beautiful voices magnificently, and the Boris scene with Martha Lipton, where Tucker sounds as golden toned as is possible!

These and all podcasts are also available at www.premiereopera.com

 

Best wishes,

Ed

Eleanor Steber and Jussi Bjoerling join forces for a wonderful 30 minute radio concert from early 1946. Both were in their absolute prime, and they sing two duets, in addition to solo pieces. Truly great, and historical.

All podcasts can also be found at www.premiereopera.com

 

 

One of the very greatest voices America has ever produced was the great baritone, Robert Merrill. What better way to help celebrate the 4th of July than to here Robert Merrill sing the songs of America. Recorded in the 1970's, this was one of Merrill's last recordings, and one of his greatest!!  The selections are:

1.  Battle hymn of the republic

2.  America the beautiful

3.  Hoe down!

4.  Beautiful dreamer

5.  Oklahoma

6.  Mademoiselle from Armentieres

7.  Camptown races

8.  Carry me back to the lone prairie

9.  Blow the man down

10. The Whiffenpoof song

 

Thanks, and a  happy 4th to all!!

Ed

 

Beverly Sills as Suor Angelica, from "Senza Mamma" to end of the opera. With deepest sorrow, and in loving memory.

Ed Rosen July 3, 2007

The great Cornell MacNeil is heard here at his formidable best. His gorgeous singing of the great baritone aria from Act 3 of Verdi's Ernani is the stuff legends are made of. The audience at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires give him a tremendous ovation, as you will hear.

 

Best,

Ed

Aldo Protti was a fine Italian baritone with a warm, expressive voice. He made many complete recordings for London/Decca in the 1950's, and had at least a 40 year career.

Here he sings the magnificent Pagliacci Prologue. I wish we had him today@@

The great Italian baritone, Piero Cappuccilli, sings the beautiful music Giuseppe Verdi wrote for the baritone's death scene in Don Carlo. This inlcudes two arias: the "Per me giunto" and "Io morro." Cappuccilli sings them with a wonderfully melting legato, and an unbelievable breath control. His Carlo is Jose Carreras, in this 1977 performance from La Scala, with Claudio Abbado conducting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The great Carlo Bergonzi is heard in the music of Giacomo Puccini. First is one of the most gorgeous recordings ever of Rodolfo's Che gelida manina, followed by excerpts from Madama Butterfly, also with Renata Tebaldi, Fiorenza Cossotto, and Enzo Sordello

Jeanette MacDonald and Robert Merrill team up in early 1945 for selections from Romberg's "Up in Central Park." Merrill was quite unknown at the time, and was asked to do the recording after MacDonald heard him on the radio! This Podcast has been filled with other various rare Merrill "cross-overs." The first 6 selections are from "Up in Central Park" by Sigmund Romberg, with the composer himself conducting!

1. Big Back Yard- Up in Central Park- Merrill- 1945

2. Small Carousel in the Park- MacDonald- 1945

3. Close as Pages in a Book- MacDonald/Merrill- 1945

4. It Doesn't Cost you anything to Dream- MacDonald- 1945

5. When you walk in a Room- Merrill- 1945

6.  The Fireman's Bride- MacDonald/Merrill- 1945

7.  If I loved You- Stevens/Merrill- 1951

8.  You're Just in Love- Stevens/Merrill- 1951

9.  So in Love- Peters/Merrill- 1953

10. Indian Love Call- Peters/Merrill- 1953

11. Io canto- "Pop" song- Merrill- 1957

12. Love Train- "Pop" song- Merrill- 1957

13. Gentle Annie- Merrill- 1947

 

Here is the relatively rare complete prison scene from Boito's Mefistofele as recorded in 1959 by Renata Tebaldi, Giuseppe Di Stefano, and Cesare Siepi. This recording was never completed, and was redone the following summer with Mario del Monaco as Faust.

This is one of the truly great Tebaldi scenes, and especially her singing of the "Spunto, l'aurora" is ravishing, and deeply moving.

Please feel free to leave comments!

This and all podcasts can be found at www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

Jan Peerce, presented here before his Met debut, in live radio appearances. Here the Peerce voice is truly lovely, with fine soft singing, and a soaring top voice, as is demonstrated especially in the opening piece, the beautiful Irish song, "Macushla."

The program is all from 1935, which was a full six years before Peerce's Met debut.

1. Macushla

2. La donna e mobile

3. Vesti la giubba

4. O sole mio

5. The Bluebird of Happiness

 

Here is the best of the best, IMO. Richard Tucker shone as Andrea Chenier, and his four big arias, all contained here, show exactly why. His golden voice, along with that deep emtional attachment, and that thrilling delivery are something I never seem to hear among tenors any longer. He is joined in the two big duets by the supremely great Renata Tebaldi. Together they will thrill you!

A note of interest: these excerpts are taken from various venues, and perhaps one of the most interesting is the Improviso, which is the very first selection. This is conducted by Leonard Bernstein, during a concert given in Tel Aviv with the Israeli Philharmonic. It's is most probably the only time Bernstein ever conducted this music in public.

 

Best wishes,

Ed Rosen

Here is opera on radio as it used to be. From 1944, we hear Licia Albanese in her very prime, and a young, unknown barititone, Robert Merrill, singing his audition on the air. Milton Cross is the announcer. This is followed by a 1949 show of Music American Loves Best, which starred Robert Merrill. This show includes, among other musical numbers, the much discussed "Ghost Riders in the Sky." This show is announced by Merrill, who introduces all the selections. This was performed at Symphony Hall in Boston in 1949.

These two shows last for a total of just about one hour.

Enjoy these wonderful echos of Opera on Radio as it used to be!!

Best wishes,

Ed

The Italian tenor, Giuseppe Filianoti, sings a gorgeous "Lamento di Federico" in February of this year, and an encore is demanded. Those that were there will never forget this moment of great tenor singing!

Listen to operetta at it's best in this long out of print 1960 RCA stereo recording. Tozzi is magnificent, and Andrews sparkles!!

Here again is the 28 year old Robert Merrill, in a radio show broadcast on Armed Forces Radio on May 17, 1946. There is nothing to add to what I wrote yesterday for the first of his shows that I posted. The voice is so beautiful that it literally defies description.

Here he sings his theme song, "Ma Belle" and four songs, plus an incredible Pagliacci Prologo!!

Enjoy this rare example of live, young Merrill, and please leave your comments.

Best,

Ed

Here is old time radio at it's finest. The young Robert Merrill, still in his 20's, stars in The Robert Merrill Show a mere 2 months after his Met debut. The voice is one in a million, and his singing is as natural as it is gorgeous. Enjoy!

The great Renata Tebaldi sings the act 4 scena of Desdemona from Verdi's Otello. If this has ever been more beautifully sung, it is beyond my imagination.

Please feel free to comment on this podcast.

All podcasts can also be found at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks and best wishes,

Ed

To celebrate today, January 25, we present a big chunk of Tosca, Act 1 with Renata Tebaldi and Richard Tucker. January 25, 1945 was Richard Tucker's Met debut, as Enzo in La Gioconda. For 30 consecutive seasons he starred at the Met in over 30 operas and over 700 appearances.

He was without doubt the greatest tenor I ever heard live. I will remember him always, as a tenor, and as a dear friend.

Renata Tebaldi's birthday is about to be celebrated, and she was one of Tucker's very favorite partners to sing with.

Listen to them both, and the Golden Age of Singing will come back to life right before your very ears!!

Best,

Ed

All podcasts may also be accessed at www.premiereopera.com

With the St. Lukes Orchestra at Caramoor in July of 2006, two selections from West Side Story- Maria, and Tonight, featuring tenor Andrew Drost.

Listen to high D natural as audience reacts.

Richard Tucker, Robert Merrill, and Jan Peerce were all of the Jewish faith. They all recorded some of the beautiful music for Christmas, which I am proud to present in this podcast. These recordings were all made between the mid 1960's and mid 1970's. All are in fine stereo sound. Merrill actually recorded an entire Christmas album in London in about 1972. Here is the program:

1.  Tucker- O Little Town of Bethlehem

2.  Tucker- The Lord's Prayer

3.  Merrill- White Christmas

4.  Merrill- I'll Be Home for Christmas

5.  Merrill- O Holy Night

6.  Peerce- Adeste Fidelis

This and all of our podcasts may be found at www.premiereopera.com

Please feel free to leave your comments.

Thanks, and Happy Holidays!!

Ed

Renata Tebaldi sings the title role in La Gioconda. This performance was given in Naples in 1968, and marked her triumphant return to this city which saw so many of her early career triumphs.

We hear excerpts from Acts 2, 3, and 4. This was late in Tebaldi's career, but she does things here that she couldn't really have done earlier in her career. She sings with such fearless and even wreckless abandon, that you will be shocked and thrilled. Did any soprano ever have such a huge chest voice? I have never heard one. And her top is in fine shape here, with the B's and Bb's sounding wonderful. Such immersion in a role is rare, but listen to Tebaldi here.

Please leave your comments.

Best wishes,

Ed

Listen to the chemistry give off sparks beween Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon in this magnificent scene from Massenet's Manon.

"Ah, fuyez" begins the scene, and we hear the rest of the act.

All podcasts can also be accessed at www.premiereopera.com

 

This is great singing for all to enjoy!!

 

Best wishes,

Ed

Here is a rare live broadcast featuring the great tenor Richard Tucker in an operatic concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1951. Tucker is is his early prime, and sings with gleaming tone, and incredible "ring" and squillo. His first selection is the demanding Handel aria, "Sound an Alarm". It is quite amazing to hear a tenor with the size voice of Tucker to sing this music, with all it's leaps, runs, coloratura. Surely his cantorial training helped make this possible. All selections are announced.

This is an amazing document of great tenor singing, and I am sure you will enjoy it.

All previous podcasts are available at www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

"Richard Tucker- The Essence of Verismo" is probably my own personal favorite of all the recordings I have released since 1967. It shows the thrill and "risk taking" of Tucker, and this made him truly great, in addition to that gorgeous voice and melting legato, and ringing top tones.

Here is the program, as I am happy to give you the entire CD on today, August 28, the birthday of Richard Tucker. He was the best tenor I ever saw.

1.  Tosca- Recondita armonia- 1958

2.  Tosca- E lucevan le stelle- 1959

3.  Turandot- Nessun dorma- 1974

4.  Manon Lescaut- Donna non vidi mai- 1949

5.  Manon Lescaut- Guardate! Pazzo son- 1966

6.  Fanciulla- Three short excerpts from Act one 1962

7.  Fanciulla- Or son sei mesi- 1962

8.  Fanciulla- Ch'ella mi creda- 1965

9.  Gioconda- Cielo e mar- 1960

10. Andrea Chenier- Improviso- 1963 (Bernstein conducting!)

11. Andrea Chenier- Credi al destino- 1965

12. Andrea Chenier- Si, fui soldato- 1965

13. Andrea Chenier- Come un bel di- 1965

14. Cavalleria- Siciliana- 1964

15. Cavalleria- Brindisi- 1964

16. Cavalleria- Compar Alfio- 1974

17. Cavalleria- Addio alla madre- 1974

18. Pagliacci- Vesti la giubba- 1972

19. Pagliacci- No, Pagliaccio non son- 1972

20. Boheme- Che gelida manina- 1957

21. Boheme- Marcello, finalmente- 1968

22. Chenier- Final duet w. Inge Borkh- 1954

I am particularly thrilled to be able to share this rare Tebaldi material with you. These are all in pristine sound quality, and from the very prime of Tebaldi's career- 1955-1957. They were all from concerts broadcast in the USA. The singing is of a kind that I have not heard since Renata Tebaldi.  Here are the contents:

Gianni Schicchi- O mio babbino caro- Early 1955

La Wally- Ebben, ne andro lontana- December 12, 1955

Adriana- Poveri fiori- December 12, 1955

Traviata- Act 1 scena-- December 12, 1955

Forza- Pace mio Dio- January 23, 1956

Manon Lescaut- In quelle trine morbide- January 23, 1956

Spanish song- Cantares- November 19, 1956

Stabat Mater- (Rossini)- Inflammatus- November 19, 1956

Adriana- Io son l'umile ancella- March 18, 1957

L'amico Fritz- Son pochi fiori- March 18, 1957

This is an exciting find. Magnificent singing in superlative sound. Please leave your comments, and enjoy this most beautiful of podcasts. All podcasts are also available at www.premiereopera.com

Best wishes,

Ed

Renata Tebaldi gives one of her greatest performances ever in this Act 2 of Madama Butterfly from late December of 1960. The sound quality is very listenable, though there is some audio hum, and the prompter is very audible, since he probably taped this rare gem!!

Just listen and bask in the glory of this gorgeous sound and abounding passion and be thrilled! The final few minutes of the Act, the Humming Chorus, is not here, and was probably not recorded, so you cannot hear the prolonged and frenzy ovation that Tebaldi received. Think of the greatest ovation you have ever seen, and multiply it by 10, and you might be close!!

This is truly the performance of a lifetime!!

Ed

Listen to Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon enchant the audience in

St. Petersburg, Russia in this January, 2006 performance. This audio podcast begins just before Mimi's entrance, and continues to the end of the act. You will hear wonderful singing, and the chemistry that exists onstage between these two great young singers.

Please leave your comments. Sound is a bit low in volume and a bit distant, but it does improve as they launch into their arias.

All podcasts can also be found at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks,

Ed

Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon conquered Russia with this joint operatic concert in Moscow in January of this year. Here is part of their wonderful program. We will hear:

1. Romeo- Ah! leve toi- Villazon

2. Lucia- Regnava nel silenzio- Netrebko

3. Lucia- Act 1 scene-complete- Netrebko & Villazon

4. Manon- St. Sulpice Scene

 

Both soprano and tenor are in wonderful form, and I'm sure you will enjoy this podcast. Please leave comments. All podcasts may also be found at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks,

Ed

These beautifully sung excerpts from Bernstein's monumental West Side Story are truly an American treasure. When sung as they are sung here, this music is as moving and beautful as any Italian opera! Here is the program:

1.  Balcony Scene (Tonight, tonight)   Vroman, Drost

2.  Maria- Drost

3.  One Hand, One Heart- Vroman, Drost

4.  "Tonight" Quintet- Drost, Vroman, Kaye, Martin, Nistico

 

These two voices, Vroman and Drost, are among the very finest of today's crop of young singers. I am sure you will enjoy this podcast.

This and all podcasts are also available at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks, and best wishes,

Ed

Giorgio Tozzi had a long and wonderful career as a leading bass-baritone at the Met and opera houses around the world. Here we present Tozzi in 6 Verdi arias, plus 2 encores. The program is:

1.  Banquo's aria- Macbeth

2.  Ella giammai- Don Carlo

3.  Il lacerato spirito- Simone Boccanegra

4.  Infelice!- Ernani

5.  Tu sul labbro- Nabucco

6.  Oh tu Palermo- I Vespri Siciliani

7.  Gremin's aria- Eugene Onegin

8.  Rosemarie- from Rosemarie by R. Friml

The Tozzi voice was brilliant and resonant, and rang like a bell throughout the theaters in which he sang. It was beautiful in quality, and capable of the most gorgeous piano singing I have ever heard from a bass. He specialized in the Italian repertoire, but also sang French and German roles at the Met and elsewhere.

Bravo Giorgio Tozzi!!

Licia Albanese WAS Madama Butterfly to a couple of generations of opera goers. From her Met debut in 1940, until the Old Met closed it's doors forever in 1966, Albanese sang more performances of Butterfly than any other soprano in the history of the Met.

Jan Peerce was a fine American tenor, with a very long and wonderful career. He was called Toscanini's favorite tenor, and sang with the Maestro often from 1939 until 1954, when Toscanini stopped conducting.

These two often  shared the stage at the Met and other opera houses, and we hear them now in the complete love duet from Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

Please check out our website for this and other CDs, and DVDs at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks, and enjoy!

Ed

Richard Tucker sang often in Buenos Aries. He was there almost every summer in the 60's through the early 70's, and the opera public adored him, as can be heard in these historic performances. Richard Tucker once told me that the public in Buenos Aires loves high notes, so he would hold them "just a little longer" when he sang there. The proof of this is in the listening to this magnificent podcast.

We will hear excerpts with Tucker from the following operas:

La Forza del Destino- 1961

Rigoletto- 1968

Manon Lescaut- 1966

Lucia di Lammermoor- 1972

La Gioconda- 1965

Please feel free to leave your comments, and please check out our website at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks, and enjoy!

Ed

 

Gino Bechi may not have had the longest career, but he was a baritone that "roared." His huge sound thrilled audiences, and made Bechi a national hero in his native Italy. He was so popular that he was featured in some movies.

Here he sings the following selections:

1.  Rigoletto- Cortigiani, vil razza danata- 1941

2.  Rigoletto- Si! Vendetta- w. Gina Bernelli- 1943

3.  Il Trovatore- Il balen del suo sorriso- 1941

4.  La Forza del Destino- Invano Alvaro- w. Lauri-Volpi- 1943

5.  Pagliacci- Prologo- 1946

6.  La Wally- T'amo ben io- 1941

This great performance of the last act of Puccini's Manon Lescaut was given in Caracas in June of 1972. It was the only performance that Olivero and Tucker ever sang together! They were both 60-plus, but you would never know it from listing to this sizzling performance.

Enjoy this wonderful act, and please leave your comments!

Also, please visit our website at www.premiereopera.com

Here, you can access all of our podcasts and view our catalog of thousands of opera performances on DVD and CD.

Thanks!

Ed

Richard Tucker and Martina Arroyo gave two operatic concerts in three nights in the San Francisco area in June of 1970. A young James Levine conducted both concerts. The programs were long and challenging, and you will hear Tucker & Arroyo rise to every challange. We are presenting extended excerpts from the concerts, since the two concerts were more too long to fit on a single podcast. Of interest is the Boheme excerpts from Act 1, with both arias and the love duet, since, as far as I know, Arroyo never sang Mimi. She sounds wonderful in this music. Tucker is his usual self, which means the finest tenor singing to be heard for a period of over 30 years! Here is the program. Please enjoy and leave your comments. (The sound is clear but just a bit distant)

1.  Boheme- Che gelida manina- Tucker- 6/17/70

2.  Boheme- Mi chiamano Mimi- Arroyo- 6/17/70

3.  Boheme- O soave fanciulla- Arroyo & Tucker- 6/17/70

4.  Cavalleria- Addio alla madre- Tucker- 6/17/70

5.  Chenier- Vicino a te- Arroyo & Tucker- 6/17/70

6.  Tosca- Vissi d'arte- Arroyo- 6/19/70

7.  Manon Lescaut- Guardate! Pazzo son- Tucker- 6/19/70

8.  Ballo-Ecco l'orrido campo - Arroyo- 6/19/70                                  9.  Ballo- Love duet- Arroyo & Tucker- 6/19/70

10. Ballo- Ma se ma forza perderti- Tucker- 6/19/70

Please leave your comments on this podcast, and visit our website at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks

Ed

GIGLI LIVE is the title of our latest podcast, and it contains the most remarkable singing, and some of the earliest and rarest live performanes known to exist. To me, the Gigli voice was the soul and the sunshine of Italy. The most gorgeous tenor sound I have ever heard on records. The man could do anything with his voice, as you will hear here. He earliest selections were done when he was 44 years old, and the latest when he was 60! And all are magnificent. I could go on and on about Gigli, but better you listen to him. Here is the program.

1.  ROMEO- Complete balcony scene w. Favero- Scala 1934

2.  FORZA- Solenne in quest ora- w. Caleffi- Scala 1942

3.  MANON- Il sogno- w. Favero- Scala 1937

4.  TOSCA- Rome 1938 E lucevan le stelle- (first line missing)

5.  CHENIER- Act 1 scene w. Improviso-listed as Scala 1937

6.  FORZA- Act 4 duet with unknown baritone- Buenos Aires 1948

7.  TROVATORE- Unknown venue- 1950 (spectacular!)

8.  ADRIANA- La dolcissimo- w. Olivero- Scala 1940

Please check out our website at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks very much,

Ed

This podcast features great tenors in varied selections. Here is the program:

1.  Bergonzi- M. Lescaut- Pazzo son!- 1961- (Bergonzi is wild here)

2.  Bjorling- Tosca- Recondita armonia- 1959- 10 months before he passed away!

3.  Carreras- Elisir- Una furtiva- 1975- Gorgeous young Jose!

4.  Corelli-Forza-O tu che in seno- 1965- absolutely thrilling!

5.   Del Monaco- Tabarro- Hai ben raggione-1974 Wonderful!

6.   Di Stefano- Faust-Salut demeure-1950- The one & only!!

7.  Domingo- Romeo-Ah! Leve toi- 1974- rare & beautiful!

8.  Gedda-Vespri-Giorno di pianto 1974-For high note freaks!!

9.  Pavarotti-Mefistofele-Giunto sul passo estremo- Magnificent!!

10 Tucker-La Juive-Rachel, quan du Seigneur-Dec. 1974- This incredible performance was sung less than two weeks before Tucker's death on Jan. 8, 1975. It is in a class by itelf, in my opinion, and garnered a 20 minute ovation!!

Please check out our website at www.premiereopera.com 

Thanks, and please leave your comments.

Ed

I am proud to present this magnificent joint concert from 1968, with Montserrat Caballe and Franco Corelli. I was there, and it was truly an evening to remember and cherish. I will list the program below.

1.  Com'e bello!- Lucrezia Borgia- Caballe

2.   Ah la paterno mano- Macbeth- Corelli

3.   Tanti affetti- La Donna del Lago- Caballe

4.   O souverain- Le Cid- Corelli

5.   O Paradiso- L'Africana- Corelli

6.   A Vucchella- Tosti song- Corelli

7.   Ah! degli scanni eterel- Aroldo- Caballe

8.   In quelle trine morbide- Manon Lescaut- Caballe

9.   Vicino a te- Final duet- Andrea Chenier- Caballe & Corelli

 

Please enjoy this magnificent singing, and kindly check out our website at www.premiereopera.com    This CD is listed as CD #635-1

Ed

 

The program below speaks for itself:

LAWRENCE TIBBETT

1.   I got plenty of nuttin'

2.   Oh Bess, Oh Where's my Bess

3.   Ol' Man River

4.   Without a Song

JOHN CHARLES THOMAS

1.   I Love Life

2.   Home on the Range

3.   Open Road

4.   My Hero

LEONARD WARREN

1.   Haul-A-Way, Joe

2.   On the Road to Mandalay

3.   A Little Bit of Heaven

4.   The Lord's Prayer

ROBERT MERRILL

1.   It Ain't Necessarily So

2.   Juanita

3.   If I Loved You

4.   Soliloquy

5.   Io Canto

6.   Love Train

===================================================

It was more than a pleasure putting this podcast together. Four of the greatest voices ever, and all American baritones. Italy may have the top spot with tenors, but America has been #1 for great operatic baritones. In this podcast they shed their opera costumes, and sing, and in some cases, croon! No wonder Merrill was called "Bing Crosby with high notes!!!"

Please leave your comments about this podcast.

And- please check out our website at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks,

Ed

Due to many requests, we are presenting Ballo highlights recorded in 1955. This historical LP was never issued on CD for reasons that I cannot fathom. The cast is the same as the prima of a big revival in January of 1955, except Peerce replacing Tucker because of contractual constraints. Tucker had an exclusive Columbia contract, and they weren't "lending" him out quite yet. It was unfortunate, since Riccardo in Ballo was one of Tucker's great roles, and he never got to record it. Peerce is featured on the complete Ballo conducted by Toscanini from the previous year, 1954, also released by RCA.

The most historical aspect of this big revival was the appearance of the great Marion Anderson as Ulrica, thus becoming to opera what Jackie Robinson was to baseball; breaking the color barrier. Miss Anderson was the first African American to appear at the Met, and her big scena is a major part of this highlight LP.

With Milanov, Peerce, Warren, Anderson, Peters, conducted by the great Mitropoulos, this is a podcast to keep!

Please check our website at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks, and enjoy the Ballo.

Best wishes,

Ed

Richard Tucker and Grace Bumbry were a great team, and sang in many operas together. Included on this podcast are scenes from Samson, Trovatore, Carmen, and Gioconda. Bumbry sings the mezzo roles in all except the Gioconda. This Gioconda was performed in Newark in February of 1974, less than a year before Tucker passed away in January of 1975. His voice is firm, fresh, gorgeous, and ringing. The Bb's to conclude the "Cielo e mar" literally blew the roof off the  house, as you will hear, and drove the audience into a great and prolonged ovation.

Tucker was around 60 for these podcasts performances, and in his 60's for the Gioconda. I have put his aria last on this podcast, because I consider to be the real crowning glory of all the music presented here. I am sure Grace Bumbry would agree.

The two of them make sparks together, and it is a pleasure to present two singers that never recorded commercially together in these live performance excerpts for you enjoyment.

Please leave your comments, and check out our website at www.premiereopera.com    This particular CD is #176 in our CD listings.

Thanks, and best wishes and happy listening to all,

Ed

If there is an opera lover who doesn't like La Boheme, I have yet to meet him/her. My introduction to La Boheme was this very LP, recorded in 1951, and long out of print, and never on CD. It is a hilight album, and features the all star cast of Albanese, Di Stefano, Warren, Munsel. The singing is gorgeous and glorious. Licia Albanese and Giuseppe Di Stefano sang often together at the Met and other theaters in the 1940's and 1950's. Among the operas they appeared in together were Gianni Schicchi, Falstaff, La Traviata, La Boheme, Manon, Madama Butterfly. They never recorded together, save this single LP.

Leonard Warren never sang the role of Marcello, as far as I know. What a luxury bit of casting this is! And Warren sings the high Bb along with Albanese, Di Stefano, and Munsel near the end of the Act 3 quartet!

The last act finale is complete, from the "Sono andate," and features George Cehanovsky as Schaunard and Nicola Moscona as Colline.

Please check out our website at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks, and enjoy, and feel free to leave your comments.

Ed

This magnificent performance of the Covent Scene from Forza is from Vienna in 1974, and is among the very best I have ever heard.

Gilda Cruz-Romo was a perfect Leonora. Beautiful voice, lovely piani, and real involvement in the role. I was fortunate enough to see this great soprano in Forza at the Met, as well as such operas as Ballo, Trovatore, Suor Angelica, Traviata, Tosca, Manon Lescaut, Aida, and more. She was always a complete singer, and one of the very finest sopranos in the world during her wonderful career.

Cesare Siepi sings like a god! This uniquely gorgeous voice was perfect as Guardiano, and here, about 35 years into his truly great career, his singing is still of the highest level possible.

The Melitone is Sesto Bruscantini, and the performance is conducted by Riccardo Muti.

I feel sure you will enjoy this wonderful performance. Please leave your comments, and visit our website at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks

Ed

Here is our longest podcast yet. 55 minutes of great music from La Forza del Destino, recorded by an all star cast in 1955. This LP has been out of print for over 40 years, and was my very first exposure to Forza as a young teenager, in the late 50's. Milanov actually came to the NY studio and only recorded two numbers. First was the act 1 aria, followed by the final trio. Her other selections on this LP release were taken from her great album, "Milanov Sings," recorded two years earlier in 1953. This hilite recording captures her in greater shape than her complete recording of Forza, made in 1958. Her singing is of the grand, grand style and the voice is absolutely gorgeous. Peerce did not sing Alvaro live until about 1962, and did very few performances of the opera, but he is a fine Alvaro as recorded in 1955. Leonard Warren was a towering Carlo, and his singing is magnificent. This is the opera in which he tragically died on stage at the Met in March of 1960. He sets a benchmark for this role. Met bass Nicola Moscona joins Milanov and Peerce for a beautiful final trio.

Please leave your comments on this podcast, and visit our website at www.premiereopera.com

Thanks

Ed

Since I goofed yesterday night, and left out the last 6 minutes or so of the Santuzza-Turiddu duet, I have posted it in this special edition podcast. Now you can enjoy the complete scene, curse and all!!

To complete the podcast, I decided to stay with the team of Tucker/Ross and give you some highlights from a great performance of Turandot given at the old opera house in Philadelphia, by the now extinct Philadelphia Grand Opera Co. This was a white-hot performance, and I was lucky enough to have been there. The sound is fair, but the performance is unsurpassed.

As always, please leave your comments, and thanks for listening.

Check out our website at www.premiereopera.com

Ed

On Easter Sunday I am happy to present a rare performance of Cavalleria Rusticana. It was given at the outdoor Robin Hood Dell in Philadelphia in early July of 1973. Richard Tucker is Turridu, always one of his greatest roles, but one which he sang infrequently after 1970, when he first undertook Canio in Pagliacci. He is simply magnificent here. Elinor Ross is his equal as Santuzza. She was under-rated, and gives a real verismo, gutsy Santuzza, sung with a warm, rich, beautiful tone. Matteo Manuguerra is the Alfio, and a better one I have never heard. The conductor is the late Alfredo Silipigni, and he was always a Maestro who seemed at his best in verismo.

We present the opera abridged for this podcast, with most all of the major vocal portions present.

This particular performance is available at www.premiereopera. com under CD number 126-1.

Please enjoy this wonderful performance, and kindly leave your comments. Thank you, and a Happy Easter, and Passover, to all.

Ed

This is truly one of the great live Butterfly performances that exist on recording. Scotto is in her very prime, in this, perhaps her most famous and greatest role. The 26 year old Jose Carreras produces vocal gold the likes of which are rarely heard. They blend beautifully in the great love duet, and both cap the duet with a soaring high C.
This one is a keeper!

It can be found on our website as CD #150.

Website: www.premiereopera.com

Thanks, and enjoy, and leave comments, please

The great Marilyn Horne is featured on this podcast. Miss Horne has earned a worldwide following by virtue of her glorious voice, incredible technique, and technical ability, her warm, good natured manner, and for being one of the very greatest mezzo sopranos of all time. It is an honor to present her in these selections.

First we present two selections from a concert given on Feb. 6, 1975. This concert featured many of the biggest names in opera, and was presented as a tribute to Richard Tucker, who had passed away less than a month earlier. Horne sings the beautiful "Mura felice" from La Donna del Lago, and a sensuous, gorgeous "Mon coeur" from Samson. This is followed by the big mezzo scena from L'assedio di Corinto, from La Scala on April 14, 1969. She simply stopped the show, and stole the show!

We complete our Marilyn Horne podcast with selections from "Americana" songs. One very simple, and the other two quite bravura. But they are all sung as if written for the one and only, truly great, Marilyn Horne. Enjoy this, and please leave your comments. Thanks.

Please check our website at: www.premiereopera.com

Ed

 

Due to unprecedented demand (my mother) I am publishing this podcast for your interest and amusement. (Hopefully not too much of the latter!!) These were all impromtu and totally unrehearsed, as you can probably tell.

The frist two selections are from 1975. Katia and Jose would come by with a few others, and would just want to sing, like two kids. (They were both still in their 20's!) Jose had never seen the music before for either the Trovatore excerpt (final trio, where he sings a full voiced high Db at the end) nor the Forza duet from the final act, but his voice is simply magnificent.

The last two selections are from an opera night at Le Belle Epoque restaurant in 2001. Charlie and I, in the (in)famous "duetti di pirati" of "Suoni la tromba" from Puritani, followed by the Nile Scene duet from Aida, where my absoltuely golden voiced daughter is none other than the great Aprile Millo, who was in the audience and got up and sang because she is so nice and so special. Again, nothing was rehearsed!

I am now waiting for the wisecracks, but all in all, these were fun times for me, and I do hope you enjoy them. They were fun, and have much great singing from the famous names.

My motto for this is, "It's my podcast, and I'll play what I want to!!" Seriously, enter into the fun of the occassions, and you'll find things to enjoy, and also laugh about, in a good natured way.

Ed

In this podcast, Richard Tucker lends his magnificent voice to the famous, "schmaltzy" Viennese songs that have been loved for over a century. You will recognize the melodies, in their updated English translation.

Following this, Tucker sings Neapolitan songs, as only he can. I have never heard these songs sung more beautifully and convincingly by an non-Italian tenor, and most Italian tenors!! The final selection, "Rondine al nido," was a personal favorite of Tucker's. He once told me that if he had to be remembered by only one song,  or aria, this would be the one!!

Please check out our website at www.premiereopera.com for thousands of great performances, and thanks to all of you for your wonderful e-mails and posted comments.

Ed

It is difficult to believe that it has been about 20 years since Aprile Millo made her Met debut as a very young soprano. When I first heard her, in 1985, I realized there here was a soprano that sang in the style of the "old school" of Ponselle, Muzio, and Tebaldi.

Today she is the only remaining exponent of that glorious style. Her gorgeous voice imbues the music with such emotion and passion as to take one's breath away. Millo's very recent triumph in such operas as Adriana, Gioconda, Fanciulla, Zaza have shown a new side and a growth in artistic level. Her recent Ballo at the Met showed us that she is still, today, the reigning Verdian soprano.

I am proud to live in the era where I can see Aprile Millo sing, just as I saw her great predecesors, Zinka Milanov and Renata Tebaldi. Both of these great ladies were admirers of Aprile Millo, as are countless thousands of others today.

Brava, Millo!!!

Ed

Cesare Siepi was simply the greatest bass voice I ever heard live. His rich sound has not been matched since he stopped singing, and probably never will.

In this podcast, taken from a very rare TV recital from 1962, Siepi himself announces his program before each selection. Only the audio portion is known to exist from this telecast.

The entire CD is available from Premiere, though it hasn't been assigned a number yet.

Please go to www.premiereopera.com and view our thousands of CDs and DVDs. 

Thanks,

Ed

1.  Faust- Avant de quitter ces lieux- 1949 recording

2.  Hamlet- O vin dissipe la tristesse- 1946

3.  Herodiade- Vision fugitive- 1946

4.  Hoffmann- Scintille diamant- 1949

5.  Thais- Te souvient- w. Kirsten- 1947

These beautiful, early recordings of the great Robert Merrill show the rich baritone sound that was at his command while still in his 20's!! I cannot imagine anyone singing these selections more beautifully than Merrill does, and, except for Faust, these are all from operas in which he never appeared. Listen and savor the magnificent voice of Robert Merrill.

Visit our website at www.premiereopera.com for our listings of CDs and DVDs. Thanks.

Ed

Our podcast today features Caballe & Tucker in the following program:

1. Manon Lescaut- Act 2 duet- Tu, tu, amore, tu- Buenos Aires 1966

2. Manon Lescaut- Guardate! Pazzo son- Tucker- B. Aires 1966

3. Ballo- Love duet- Philadelphia concert 1971- taped in house

These performances catch the soprano and tenor in the white heat of live performance, and they both deliver the goods as only they could. In Manon Lescaut, Tucker was singing his favorite role of Des Grieux, and really tearing his and our hearts out in his especially passionate and thrilling "Pazzo son." Both he and Caballe are moving and involved in the Act 2 duet from this opera, and the Ballo duet is equally thrilling and passionate, capped with a great top C from both Caballe and Tucker.

Please visit our website at www.premiereopera.com for performances just like this on CD & DVD. Thanks, and enjoy. Please leave your comments.

Ed

The singing of the young Di Stefano on these selections is magical. Faust, Boheme, Favorita, with encore, and Cor 'ngrato will stay with you forever. The Faust contains the famous diminuendo on the high C. It is one of the most talked about moments in live opera ever. Listen and hear the finest lyric tenor singing imaginable! The Great Pippo!!

Here is the great Franco Corelli in duet with the equally great Giulietta Simionato, and the equally great Robert Merrill. The Ugonotti scena is legendary, and defies description. It is some of the greatest live singing ever. Listen, and be thrilled! As a filler, I have included the famous tenor-baritone duet from Gioconda with Robert Merrill, who certainly matches Corelli decibel for decibel. Two great voices making magnificent music together. Both duets were from 1962. It was a very good year!! Please vist our website at www.premiereopera.com and check out our performances on DVD and CD. Thanks. Ed

Some of the greatest tenor singing I have ever hear is that of Richard Tucker as Johnson in Fanciulla del West. The thrust and beauty of the voice is really awesome, and the "Italianita" is palpable. Especially wonderful is Tucker's moving interpertation of the "Or son sei mesi" from Act 2. The easy transitions around the difficult passaggio area are astounding, and the entire line of high B's, "La mia vergogna, ahime!" is one of the most thrilling sounds from any singer any time. The entire line of high Bb's are as trumpet from heaven, drowning out an entire Puccini orhestra thundering full blast. Listen to these excerpts and enjoy thrilling tenor singing at it's finest. Thanks. Ed

No baritone that I heard sang Verdi better than Cornell MacNeil at his best. The voice was dark and bright at the same time. The legato was magnificent, and the soft singing was amazing for a voice of this size. As for his top notes, they had to be heard to be believed, and you will get a good idea here in these live performances. First is Luisa Miller from Palermo, 1963, with the aria and cabaletta capped by a huge high Ab. Next is an Eri tu from Ballo given in Buenos Aires in 1965, where the soft high F's are very special, and finally, MacNeil's greatest "hit" aria- the Act 3 solo from Ernani. This would always drive audiences into a frenzy, wheter in Italy, or at the Met, or anywhere else. This Rome performance from 1961 drives the Italians into delirium. Listen and enjoy. This was a very special and very great singer.

The great baritone Leonard Warren died tragically onstage at the Met during a performance of La Forza del Destino in March of 1960. On this podcast, we hear Warren in his absolute prime singing arias from Pagliacci, Rigoletto, and Forza. The dark hued voice was capped by an incredible top, as can be heard in all these selections. I had the good fortune to see Warren live about 20 times in his last few seasons. I saw him in Pagliacci, Forza, Rigoletto, Traviata, Tosca, Boccanegra, and other works. I'm sure all of you will enjoy this edition of the Premiere Opera Podcast. To check out catalog, please go to www.premiereopera.com

Tenor Jan Peerce had a long and wonderful career. Our first selection is from a somewhat noisy transcription of Peerce on the radio in 1935. The singing of the beautiful Irish song, "Macushla," is magnificent, and worth putting up with the scratchy surfaces on the original. After this we have two pristine copies of songs recorded in 1950. First of these is another Irish song, in a sort of belated St. Patrick's Day celebration. The song is "When you and I were young, Maggie." This is followed by the old chestnut "Bless this house." These songs and many others were heard by many opera singers when I was growing up. Sadly, today we rarely if ever hear them. I hope you enjoy and please leave your comments. Thanks. Ed

The great Renata Tebaldi is heard at her greatest in three arias by Puccini. Recorded live in her very prime, 1954, I don't think any soprano ever has sung these arias as beautifully as Renata Tebaldi does here. This is for you to enjoy, and download on your ipod if you have one.BTW, you do not need an ipod to listen to this podcast. Just click and make sure your computer speakers are turned on. You will never hear singing like this again. Listen and revel in the incredible singing of the truly great Renata Tebaldi. She will never be forgotten. Ed

Franco Corelli drove audiences into frenzies, as one can hear by these excerpts. First we have the great tenor aria from Forza del Destino, and the audience really goes wild at the end of the most exciting singing imaginable by Corelli. Following the Forza aria is almost the entire Act 1, scene 1 from Don Carlo. Corelli holds high notes til the cows come home, but it is so thrilling that he has the audience eating out of his hands. Joined by baritone Mario Sereni, the scene ends with the famous tenor-baritone duet, which Corelli ends with a glorious high C. Again, the audience is in a frenzy, and you wll be, too, after you have listened to this. Franco Corelli was most definitely one of a kind, and his like shall not come our way again. How lucky we were to have had him on our opera stages, and how lucky I was to have heard him live countless times. Enjoy! Ed

The song "Thine Alone" from Victor Herbert's "Eileen" was one of Tucker's favorite recordings. His voice is utterly magnificent in this incredibly taxing piece, and the second verse is trasposed UP a half tone! This is a rare recording, as it was only available as a 78rpm. "Yours is my heart Alone" was part of an album if operetta numbers recorded in stereo in 1967, and here, 17 years after the first selection the voice is identically beautiful. Enjoy this example of the great voice and great artistry of Richard Tucker.

Magnificent Zinka Milanov in two of her greatest roles: Gioconda ("Suicidio!) and Aida ("O patria mia"). The recordings were made in 1953. Enjoy!! Ed

The Epilogue from Boito's Mefistofele with Carlo Bergonzi and Nicolai Ghiaurov, from NYC in 1968. Both singers are at their absolute best!!

Villazon previews his Lenski for us in the beautiful aria from Onegin in live concert, followed by La Danza! Then we have the great Gigli is astonishing scenes from both Manon and Manon Lescaut. Listen and be thrilled!!

Renata Tebaldi and Richard Tucker in a scene from Puccini's "Manon Lescaut."

Arias from "Don Carlo" and "Pagliacci."

Ed Rosen presents the Premiere Opera Podcast.