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SATURDEE OPRY LINKS 28:
Heroic Tenor Edition
Vittorio Grigolo as Romeo (with Diana Damrau) in Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet."
Saturdee Opry Links Overture!
"Luisa Miller," by Verdi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urye4yn11uI&fbclid=IwAR1SLPb-_6uHuCo6oIqtpjkPhMmtbhPIBwfEa5edTSv9prUCwdV5_VTLKdI
1.
After leaving the Metropolitan Opera in a pay dispute in 1932 (he refused a
cut), Beniamino Gigli---"Caruso Secondo," as his nickname went---returned to
Europe, where he sang for the rest of his days. His voice grew heftier and
darker in later years, and he sang a great many recitals (one was an exhausting
world tour in 1955 that cut his life short.) Here he is in 1951, live on stage,
in, of all places, Rio de Janeiro. You'll note that some parts of the performance are raw,
unwieldy, but subtlety was not the point. This is the lovely "Quando le sere al
placido," from "Luisa Miller," by Verdi. "When in the evenings, in the calm. .
." Note: it opens with a lengthy declaration of anger, setting up the aria,
which begins at the 1:50 mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAWzRkftHf0
Setting: the gardens in the castle of Count Walter, the Tyrol, early 17th
century
Synopsis: Rodolfo has received a letter from Luisa saying that she never loved
him. He is crushed and reminisces about the happy times they had together.
Italian:
http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?individualAria=484
English translation:
http://operainenglish.blogspot.com/2014/03/quando-le-sere-al-placido-luisa-miller.html
2.
As I am fond of saying, if you need to know the plot of this opera, you perhaps
need an explanation of why fish swim. Here is Vittorio Grigolo with the ardent,
lovely, at times thrilling aria from Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet," "Ah, Leve toi
Soleil." ("Oh, rise, sun!") Talk about singing your heart out. . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG6lhOxIrlg
Setting: Juliet's balcony at the Capulet estate, Verona, Italy, 14th century
Synopsis: Romeo has escaped from his companions in search of Juliet's room. He
finally spies her on her balcony and sings of her beauty which is like the sun.
The words are almost exactly translated from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Translation:
http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?individualAria=560
3.
In Puccini's "La Fanciulla del West," or "Girl of the Golden West," the composer
set out to write something modern, befitting the new, often less sentimental
music of the early 20th Century. Good idea? Not when it does not allow you to
play to your strengths, but then, artists must do what interests them. The opera
is musically brilliant, nonetheless, though lacking in his hallmark soaring,
inspired melodies (never mind that Toscanini, who conducted the premiere, called
it a "great symphonic poem.") Caruso, however, noticed this "deficiency," and refused to
sing in the opera's debut unless Puccini wrote a great, characteristic aria for
tenor. He grudgingly obliged. Here it is: "Ch'ella mì creda libero," ("Let her
think I am free and far away.") Yes, yes, it's a horse opera, joke made. (Aria
starts at 00:35 in.) Here is Franco Corelli.
Role: Dick Johnson aka Ramerrez, a bandit on the run disguised as Dick Johnson
Setting: a forest at the foot of Cloudy Mountain, USA, 1849-50
Synopsis: Johnson is about to executed for his crimes committed as Ramerrez. He
explains his final wish passionately : that his beloved Minnie think that he was
freed and never know his actual fate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1imxubKBCc
Translation:
http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?individualAria=717
About the opera:
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12819446
4.
One of the things opera does uniquely is to give heroic voice to emotion, human
spirit---whether in peccadillo or cataclsym. We muddle through this thing of
murky origin, little idea who or what we are, with every day some kind of a
struggle. Whether on a grand scale or a puny one, just living without doing harm
is heroic. Each time one simply faces reality is heroic. Opera knows this. So did
wonderful Nicolai Gedda, here singing how he is resigned to sad fate in the
heroic French aria, "Pourquoi me réveiller, ô souffle du printemps?" ("Why do
you awaken me, breath of spring?") From "Werther," by Massenet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrTxwoYp7os
Role: Werther, a poet, about 23 years old
Setting: the Magistrate's house at Christmas, Frankfurt, Germany, 1780
Synopsis: Werther has come back to see Charlotte, his love who is married to
another man. She shows him some of the books that they used to read together.
One book in particular, a collection of Ossain's verses, sparks Werther to ask
spring to cease its gentle caresses upon him, for sadness and grief is now his
fate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrTxwoYp7os
Translation:
http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?individualAria=657
About Mr. Gedda:
His parents abandoned him at birth and planned to consign him to an orphanage.
But when he was six days old, his father’s sister, Olga Gädda, intervened,
determining to rear him as her own.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/10/arts/music/nicolai-gedda-celebrated-opera-tenor-dies-at-91.html
5.
If you think this sounds a bit like "Ch'ella me creda" from Puccini's "Girl of
the Golden West," you have a very good ear. Yet "Ch'ella me creda" was from
1910, and this aria from 1893. Did Puccini sort of cannibalize it? Or is my ear
flawed? Here is the stirring "Donna non vidi mai," from "Manon Lescaut," with
Placido Domingo, live at the Met in 1980. ("I have never seen a woman like
this.")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNSGecDzv4A
Role: Il Cavaliere Renato des Grieux, a student and young nobleman
Setting: a square near the Paris gate, Amiens, France, 18th century
Synopsis: Des Grieux has just met Manon and fallen in love with her. Manon
leaves when called by her brother, but promises to return. Alone, Des Grieux
sings about his feelings for Manon.
Translation:
http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?individualAria=531
6.
Okay, just for fun, here is a tenor I dislike. No reservations. Dislike. Yet he
is immensely popular today, in demand, even, the world over. Why, I don't know.
Michael Fabiano certainly worked hard and had sufficient ability to merit
success, but every time I listen to him, I get the sense of someone pushing hard
to do something that did not come naturally; all seems budgeted and studied.
What do I know? Not much, really. And most people disagree with me. But I did
hear him sing a "Boheme" a couple years ago in which he actually could not
adequately sing "Che Gelida Manina." It was atrocious, an embarrassment. Perhaps
a bad day. . .Of course, my disdain could be partly due to an interview I read,
where he came off as peculiar, adamantly pointing out that he
never, never reads fiction---only fact-based writing! Odd for an actor and opera
singer, wouldn't you say? He also has an unfortunate habit of licking his lips
while singing, lizard-like. And that's a rug. Other than that, he's okay! (Well,
to be fair, he has set up what appears to be a fine program to aid young people
with education, https://artsmart.org/ .) This
is "De' miei bollenti spiriti" from "La Traviata," by Verdi. "My passionate
spirit." I admit he is pretty good here, though the audience is definitely
underwhelmed. (Aria starts at 1:50, though I recommend listening from the
start.)
Setting: Violetta's country house
Synopsis: Alfredo and Violetta have moved in together. Alfredo sings of his
happiness from living with her and of how much she loves him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaAsZV4q9cY
Translation:
https://www.opera-arias.com/verdi/la-traviata/de-miei-bollenti-spiriti/
7.
Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffman," for an essentially comic opera, has some great
arias that sound as if they could have come from verismo (late 19th century
opera that focused on the poor, the working class.) Here is a great one, "O Dieu,
de quelle ivresse," ("God, with what intoxication!"), sung by Placido Domingo.
Never mind that it involves a character named "Schlemil," hardy har har.
Setting: Giulietta's palace, Venice, 19th century
Synopsis: After Giulietta warns Hoffmann that he should go to avoid a
confrontation with Schlemil (another of her lovers), Hoffmann confesses the full
extents of his love for her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWeJWDBJNOI
Translation:
http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?individualAria=367
8.
This stately, noble little item from the comic opera, "Gianni Schicchi," by
Puccini, is not generally thought of as being in the first tier of great Puccini
tenor arias, but it has its stalwart charm. Here is Juan Diego Florez, live on
stage, with "Firenze è come un albero fiorito" ("Florence is like a blosssoming
tree.")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrnCItYsF3Y
Role: Rinuccio, Zita's (the old woman) nephew, in love with Lauretta
Setting: The bedroom of Buoso Donati, Florence, Italy, 1299
Synopsis: After telling his family that he has called for Gianni Schicchi to
help them regain their inheritance, he proceeds to sing them a noble song which
extolls the virtues of Florence and that Gianni Schicchi embodies all of them.
Translation:
https://iansidden.com/2010/05/avete-torto-from-gianni-schicchi/
9.
Such a tremendous aria. It has everything you would want from Verdi, beginning
with soaring, affecting melody---but peppered with wild, dramatic interjections,
culminating with poignant lyricism. And Pavarotti probably brings about
everything there is to be brought to it: "Parmi Veder Le Lagrima," from "Rigoletto."
The Duke might be a scoundrel to whom tenderness and regret should not be
assigned, but I think things are a bit more complicated, don't you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O50YveN3TL0
Role: The Duke of Mantua
Setting: A room in the Duke's palace
Synopsis: Discovering that someone has abducted Gilda after he seduced her, the
Duke sings of his unhappiness that someone has taken his "beloved" away.
Translation:
http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?individualAria=264
FINAL BOW:
Jonas Kaufmann with one of the most noble arias ever written, that's all: "Allmacht'ger
Vater" from "Rienzi," by Wagner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stu4kFCvwfw
Role: Cola Rienzi, Roman tribune, brother of Irene
Setting: a hall in the Capitol of Rome, Italy, middle of the 14th century
Synopsis: Rienzi has been excommunicated for leading a force of Roman citizens
against the treacherous Roman nobles, prompting everyone to abandon their
support of him. On the brink of disaster, Rienzi prays to God that he might be
given strength to weather the crisis. He feels that he is doing God's work by
empowering the common citizen.
Translation:
http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?individualAria=1269
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