Who is the greatest tenor?

Some the very early Carusos were not free of mistakes, they seemed to take a pretty casual approach to the recording at times, before he signed with Victor. The first ten records he recorded, in 1902, were done in a single aftenoon.

This is one overlooked Caruso recording that I think shows off good qualities. The rich voice, the elegance and sweep of the phrasing, and that attack on the high note at the end.

Donna non vidi mai, simile a questa...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWRfo6QXVmo&feature=fvw

 

Thing about Bocelli, is that his studio recordings are highly manipulated. Lots of editing and technical messing around are employed to create what you hear in his CD's. Which as it is, isn't anything beyond pleasant sounding, but blah.

I know an elderly relative who actually heard Gigli in performance, has what I consider to be good taste in singers generally, seen many operas, and likes listening to Bocelli.

Another singer who could have been included in the poll is Georges Thill. Not that it would have mattered, he probably would have got 1 vote, or none.

 

Caruso!

 

Olivier once said that Domingo did a damn good job of acting in Othello of all things as ironic as that might seem. Domingo is overall more talented as a performer,musician etc so on BUT not his voice.Pavarotti has him beat on that particular note and in comparison LP is one dimensional when compared to Domingo really.

 

If Domingo has his signature role, surely Otello is it. He has just the right voice for it, too. I agree that Domingo's voice has limitations in range, and at times what he brings to the characterization of a role can be almost stuffy.

But he's a very learned, musicianly singer, and sometimes interesting to listen to, there's much, much of him on record that I haven't even gotten to to form a really rounded opinion. Though I don't often get too excited at the prospect of listening to Domingo, there's been times when I've seen his name on a recording and decided to pass on it, because I think he'll bore me.

His list of accomplishments inside singing and out is impressive, and he's sustained a very long career in music, now as a conductor, and supposedly also he's a passable pianist, and, of course, he reads music, something that Pavarotti never learned to do, and I think, hampered him at times, especially regarding the breadth of roles he tackled, which were nothing like Domingo took on.

Pavarotti only knew something like 30 roles? Is that right?

 

Oh, but when he is in that range of tone and volume of his, his voice is so incredibly beautiful.

 

Sure, I wouldn't argue with that.

Domingo in that way is kind of the exact opposite of another tenor in the poll, Del Monaco. Limited range but with a hard tone and an unrelenting style that's very unappealing to me. Sometime you have to take him, like when he's partnered with Callas, but I'd prefer to avoid anything he sings.

 

Here's Jussi Bjorling, pouring pure molten silver all over the Flower Song from Carmen.

And exposing one of his weaknesses, especially when he was older, which was to not have the steadiest intonation, still, it's pretty good...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_1AqPVqH80&playnext=1&list=PLCB58F0BFB02E5A65

 

Here's Beniamino Gigli (who was the premier Italian tenor following the death of Caruso, on into the war years) singing Handel's Ombra mai fu, fr. Xerxes.

Gigli doesn't really exhibit the technical polish needed for this piece (he ignores the trill) still, there's so little film of him, and this one is interesting, and has it's qualities. It's what he sounded like, pretty well. Some people have used the adjective 'honeyed' or 'like' honey to describe the sound of his voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPKBkjamc_s

 

Incidentally, the Gigli video was flimed at Kingsway Hall, London in 1933.

I have the HMV 78 rpm of this by Gigli, conducted by John Barbirolli and organ by Herbert Dawson, but, it's not the same take as the filmed one.
If it's even from there.

 

I was in junk store a few days after this thread started, and was able to pick up a Wunderlich LP (I had never heard of him before), and also Jan Peerce in Las Vegas! Very nice.

 

Here's a good film of Wunderlich, singing Mozart's Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon... fr. The Magic Flute.
Such vitality, such poise, shame he passed away so young...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8xWf4uAaWA

 

Wow, it's nice to see so many other people here like Wunderlich as well - I wouldn't have guessed that when the poll started!

Of the up and coming tenors, I've heard Juan Diego Florez in Daughter of the Regiment and he was superb! I may get a chance to hear Rolando Fillazon next season - hope that works out.

- Joe

 

Josef Locke

 

Another notable tenor missing from the poll is Tito Schipa. A fine example of a great Tenore di Grazia.

 

Another tenor that should have made the poll is James McCracken. He was also a notable Otello and he quit the Met after Domingo was chosen for the 1978 Live From The Met telecast.

 

Sad to see that I'm one of only two people thus far who voted for Gigli. He was an absolute master of the bel canto style, and had one of the most controlled vibratos I've ever heard in classical singing. So many of today's opera singers have such out of control vibratos, and they could learn a lot from listening to Gigli. He is my very favorite.

 

Peter Schreier belongs on this list.