0:07 Enrico Caruso Rec 1902 2:42 John McCormack Rec 1913 5:35 Dmitri Smirnov Rec 1920 9:15 Tito Schipa Rec 1926 12:28 Beniamino Gigli Rec 1931 15:55 Tino Rossi Rec 1938 19:04 Jussi Bjorling Rec 1938 22:47 Luciano Pavarotti Rec 1966?

@helenakeane2449

Жыл бұрын

How sweet John's voice was then, he equalled Jussi with his expressive interpretation of the aria. I'm trying to remember if I've heard Dmitri Smirnov before. There's a vague memory nagging at the back of my mind, it will probably come back to me just as I'm falling asleep! Another good selection although I think Pavarotti overdid it, a bit too heavy for me, and If it was from 1966 I've heard better from him recorded around that time.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@helenakeane2449 Thanks for listening Helena. Yes, John's voice was wonderful at that time, perfect for this aria. I think that this live recording is the only one of Pavarotti singing this aria. I like to include him sometimes because he is still very popular and his name might attract younger people to watch and perhaps then be introduced to the great singers of the past like McCormack, Caruso and Bjorling.

@johnfalstaff2270

Жыл бұрын

@@helenakeane2449, Pavarotti voice was not for a French repertoire. His specialty was in Bellini, Donizetti, Puccini, Cilea and some Verdi.

@gemmadestate3216

Жыл бұрын

@@johnfalstaff2270 Averne oggi di Pavarotti!

Grazie !... Grazie mille !!!👍🙏✨✨✨Это такое удовольствие услышать какую плеяду ВЕЛИКИХ певцов, что даже не хочется их классифицировать, а хочетья просто слушать и смотреть на них с большим вожделением.💗❗️

@michaelmcgrailengland

5 ай бұрын

It's my pleasure, thank you for listening I'm very pleased that you enjoyed the video.

Beautiful…thanks…if this were a contest, Bjoerling gets my vote!

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

It's my pleasure Don, thanks for listening. Jussi always takes some beating but I do like them all for one reason or another.

@sylviarienzo6955

Жыл бұрын

Here’s another vote for Jussi, my favorite tenor to listen ro. I wish all his recordings were as good sounding as this.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@sylviarienzo6955 Thanks for listening and for your comment Sylvia.

My favourite tenor is Jussi Bjorling, but I'll give this one to John McCormack, his timber is exquisite for this aria. Beniamino Gigli is fantastic too, I really like his musical approach to this aria.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening and for your comment Cris. I think John McCormack excels himself in this recording.

Magnificent! And Björling's recording is of fantastic quality!

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening, I'm glad that you enjoyed the video.

Dolcissima romanza per 8 voci bellissime....

Beautiful aria. So delicate and longing. The sad part is that Manon has already made plans to betray DeGrieux and leave him for a rich old man who she doesn't love, but does love his money. The performance by Alagna and Netrebko here on KZread captures that dynamic very well. I generally feel Bjorling has the most beautiful tenor voice. Some of the others' performances are also special. Be glad if any of these folks were in there primes and singing now.

@michaelmcgrailengland

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for listening and for your comment. The Alagna performance that you mention is very good but my main aim is to try to attract listeners to the great singers of the past by improving the audio quality of the old recordings and I only occasionally include more up-to-date stereo recordings in the hope that they will tempt younger people to listen.

They all great, but Jussi Bjorling gets my vote! That voice without any comparision, beautiful, touching brilliant!

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening and for your comment Ramona, I'm glad that you enjoyed the video..Jussi's recording is really wonderful.

Thank you, Michael, for putting together and sharing these beautiful recordings of an aria I‘ve always liked a lot... I must confess that I have a soft spot for anything musical with a dreamlike and romantic atmosphere... As for the singers - you’ve made wise as well as unforeseen choices; I found several of my favourite tenors and learned about others, listening with great interest while looking at the photos. Very well done! A real after-Christmas joy... ✨✨✨

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening Harriet, I'm glad that you like it. I hope that you had a nice Christmas and that you are feeling better.☘🍀

@hrbooksmusic7878

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelmcgrailengland Thank you, Michael; we enjoyed the Christmas days, but I‘m happy to return to my music without a bad conscience because my husband wants to just sit and have a nice and cosy „together-time“... And thanks again, I‘m feeling better already! 😊👍

Love this aria it is so tender and loving - thank you for the present-three guesses my favourite 😊 once again have wonderful Christmas and for us all a peaceful New Year -Marian

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening Marian, I've got 2 or 3 I was trying to squeeze in for Christmas, I'm glad that you like this one and, I don't know if you noticed but Jussi Bjorling's recording is exceptionally good!!! Have a great Christmas and New Year.

Many wonderful singers performing an aria perfect for a lyric tenor!!! Thanks, Mike for sharing!!

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening Mike, I'm glad that you like selection.

Caruso, the best of the all times!

@michaelmcgrailengland

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for listening and for your comment Pedro.

Thank You! I love it. Merry Christmas dear Michael. I wish you a New Year with success. Thank you for sharing your beautiful collection.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Hello Rosa, thanks for listening, I'm glad that you like this selection. I love sharing my collection, it gives me far more pleasure than just listening to them myself. Thanks for all your support over the last year or so, it's what helps to keep me going!!! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Warm regards, Michael.

@Rosangela161

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelmcgrailengland Dear friend, there are so many moments that are filled with the music that you so generously share. Go back to other times, and find our distant youth, very distant in my case due to my long age. Thank you very much. Warm regards and blessings.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@Rosangela161 Thank you Rosa, have a lovely day.

Thank you, dear Michael! I used to hear Gigli 's voice in this aria. Rather strange was to hear Tino Rossi, I did not think he had sung it. Wish you merry Christmas!🌲

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Hello Elena, I'm beginning to think that Gigli might be your favourite tenor. I thought that you might choose Smirnov, it is a lovely recording. By the way, that is how his name is spelt on the CD I took the recording from, I've noticed it also spelt Smirnoff. I love Tino Rossi's voice and, although he wasn't an opera singer I think he does an excellent job on this aria. I remember back in the 1970s reading in a very well respected classical music magazine that we have here called "The Gramophone" that Tino Rossi's recording of this aria was still, at that time regarded as the finest by many experts. Have a great Christmas.

@elenajha4357

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelmcgrailengland yes, I do like Beniamino Gigli, but I can hardly say he is my favourite tenor)))). But for most arias I still adore Caruso, he is unsurpassed, whatever imperfect his recordings are due to the time they were done. And you are absolutely right to suppose I would like Dmitry Smirnov. I really liked this record, his voice and manner impressed me a lot. As for the spelling, here in Russia it is always said Smirnov, but there was in his time tradition to spell SmirnoFF in France. Like "beef Stroganoff ", for instance. I like Tino Rossi, though he was not that lucky to have bigger voice to sing in opera scene. Still his voice is that tender and clear, very pleasant to listen to, though every time his falcetto sounds to me strange. Yes, perhaps you say Gigli also used head voice, but his head voice was strong enough to sound through the orchestra without any harm for his vocals. Look what Barone uploaded. I have this very record on CDs. What do you say? I am not impressed with the baritone, but Lemeshev is very good here. kzread.info/dash/bejne/fHaEsMxxf5rSl5M.html

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@elenajha4357 Thanks for the message Elena ' the Lemeshev upload looks excellent and the audio sounds very good for 1950, I'll listen to more of it later.

@johnfalstaff2270

Жыл бұрын

Tino Rossi was not an opera singer but possessing such a soft plush like voice allowed him to sing several songs from the opera stars repertoire. Tino Rossi's best years were 1940's to the late 1960's.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@johnfalstaff2270 Thank you for listening and for your comment.

Thank you so much for this beautiful compilation !❤ Curiosly many tenors sings in italian that french opera like Enrico Caruso but Björling make a superb version in french !

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

It's my pleasure Marc, thank you for listening and for your comment, I'm really pleased that you enjoyed the video.

@houghtonstephen1819

Жыл бұрын

I liked the Smirnoff rendering of the Manon area best . Perhaps it was because of the "whiteish " quality of his voice which added to the dream like feeling. steve houghton, Singapore

@houghtonstephen1819

Жыл бұрын

Z

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@houghtonstephen1819 Thanks for listening and for your comment Steve. Regards from Yorkshire, England.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@houghtonstephen1819 Thanks again for listening.

There are some fine renditions here but missing are examples from Leopold Simoneau & Nicolai Gedda. Both had beautiful instruments for this repertoire & they also sang the complete role in the original French language on stage. The same holds true for Giuseppi Di Stefano who should have sung pure lyric roles like this longer. Very early his career his voice was perfect for Des Grieux, although he could be lazy in terms of musicianship & lacked the stylistic expertise of Simoneau & Gedda.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for listening and for your comment.

@shicoff1398

Жыл бұрын

Agreed and in verismo roles he doesn't post some wonderful old time great Spinto voices, Tucker, Martinelli, Corelli, Del Monaco, along with lyric GDS, who I saw in 1959 singing at Scala with Tebaldi as Tosca (when I was 19) also saw the dramatic Del Monaco sing Otello that year also in Milan at Scala with my family on a holiday in Italy , some voices like both Mario Del Monaco and Richard Tucker did not record as well as more lyric voices as Jussi Bjoerling and of course Pavarotti, I saw both, Jussi in 1958 in Chicago, he sounded much the same, basically lyric with adequate volume in his roles, he was a great artist and recorded well, where as GDS had a great beautiful warm lyric voice, he sang it all, even bigger roles he should have not, and he was often too open in the middle, that did shorten his prime years, but in the 1940's and 50's was a very warm and the most beautiful Italian tenor voice no doubt since Gigli . Tucker had great spinto power in house when I saw him, and beauty both, his records don't show all he had, very powerful rich wide top in house, like a jet plane landing in your room, I saw him over 20 times from the very early 1960's on . MDM was the greatest dramatic tenor I've ever seen and in Otello was the great Otello voice in the 1950s, I enjoyed him at La Scala as Otello, I did see in house there in 1959 as a 19 year old-- and many more singing since singing the role, but his was amazing for me. . . For recordings Bergonzi also did record well, I saw him often, not a favorite but wonderful singer . MDM did not rec. as great as he sounded in house. Sadly singers like Martinelli sang lost past prime, so did Jan Peerce, who I knew well and was a guest in his house (and Tuckers when I worked in classical radio) and I saw Peerce first in the mid 1950's as a teen ager, and later , up to the mid 1970's and saw/heard the change in his voice over the long years, I knew him and others when I worked in radio in Calif, but grew up in Chicago a great opera town, good opera house and opera company there always . I wish this poster would post more and some different singers as he does very well with the old sound,. enjoy.

@shicoff1398

Жыл бұрын

saw Gedda in both concert and opera both, Chicago in 1970 with Caballe in Trav. and in concert in 1976, Royce hall, Los Angeles Calif. Passionate artist with a great top voice and a singer of many languages, a fine lyric tenor in so much varied music. RIP.

@carlosrapita7546

Жыл бұрын

Les invito a que escuchen la versión de Alfredo Kraus en Roma en vivo Año 1981. La última nota suspendida hasta el infinito. Más de 25 segundos. El Teatro se viene abajo. Inigualable.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@carlosrapita7546 Thanks for listening and for your comment Carlos. The recording that you mention by Alfredo Kraus is excellent but it's impossible to include everybody's favourite so i tend to just include my own and hope that others also like them. I uploaded two other compilations recently that include Alfredo Kraus and if you want to listen to them the links are kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZJeXvJhxe629o9o.html kzread.info/dash/bejne/qmqdlMuneZbdoag.html Thanks again for listening.

Check out also Malipiero’s version. Second best after caruso’s probably when it comes to mezza voce! And di Stefano…

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening and for your comment Luca.

I didn't know Tino had recorded this!! Some others: Lemeshev, Villabella, Fleta, D'Alessio, Wunderlich, de Lucia, Alcaide, de Muro Lomanto, de Trévi, d'Arkor, Campagnola, McKellar

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening and for your comment and, as you say, there were plenty to choose from. I included Tino because I like the recording very much and I remember seeing an article in a well respected music magazine in the 1970s saying that it was then still regarded by many as the finest recording of this aria.

@tobiolopainto

6 ай бұрын

All of you have left out E. Clement who gives a glorious account of this aria.

GIGLI DER KLAR BESTE

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening to this one also Alfred, Gigli's recording certainly is wonderful.

Grazie per la condivisione: tutte registrazioni storicamente belle e importanti ! Ma, a mio avviso, manca quella che le sovrasta tutte, cioè quella di Miguel Fleta ...

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

It's my pleasure Stefano, thank you for listening, I'm sorry that I missed Miguel Fleta, I intended to include his recording but somehow overlooked it.

Merry Christmas to you, Michelle!! And to your new computer 🖥 .

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Hello Chang, I also wish you a Merry Christmas and my new (refurbished) computer has asked me to thank you on it's behalf and to wish a very Merry Christmas to your ipad!!! I watched your latest snow video, it looks brilliant, the cars in the city seem to move around as normal.

@MountainwalkwithMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelmcgrailengland Thank you Sir. My baby is Samsung Galaxy phone, no iPad. Korean drivers are best . I was very happy during had been snowing.

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

There's a lot of snow in your latest video Chang, is it a district of Busan or did get the bus there? There's been no snow at all where we live.

@MountainwalkwithMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelmcgrailengland Busan has been no snow same where you live in. The place heavy snowed of my video is 4 hours distance by bus from Busan. I was very very happy!!! Good night Michael!

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@MountainwalkwithMusic Thanks for your reply, it's a good thing that you like buses, that's a long bus ride. Good night Chang..

Peccato non aver inserito Georges Thill...

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening Luigi and I'm sorry that the video does not include Georges Thill. The compilation videos take a long time to prepare and, as it's impossible to include everybody's favourite, I tend to basically just include my own favourites and hope that listeners will enjoy them.

@luigigiovanelli8929

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelmcgrailengland grazie a te per questa meravigliosa raccolta, per i miei gusti trovo Luciano (che ascoltai dal vivo alla Scala ma in francese, con Mirella) troppo italianeggiante, Schipa grandissimo stile ma un po’ di maniera, Caruso fuori ruolo, eccezionale Björling, favoloso Gigli, e due perle meravigliose: Mc Cormack e soprattutto Smirnov. Tino ? Tino è una delle mie grandi passioni, rischio di non essere obiettivo ❤️ ancora grazie per il tuo lavoro !

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

@@luigigiovanelli8929 It's my pleasure Luigi, thank you for your reply, I'm very pleased that you enjoyed the video.

Schipa’s version is in A-flat major. Half a tone too high. Pretty sure it’s the speed of the record player. It’s a pity that people sometimes don’t check these things.

@reerr7289

28 күн бұрын

Sorry, I checked the score again: it’s sounds in D sharp major and should be in D.

@michaelmcgrailengland

27 күн бұрын

Thanks for listening and for your comment. I don't want to spend too much time on it because whether or not singers use the original key does not concern me providing that the result sounds good. However, I will say this which I hope might put your mind at rest. Schipa made this recording in 1926 and by then 78rpm was the standard speed at which records were produced. I don't have the original recording, I used a CD track so your suggestion that I have used the wrong speed on a record player is completely unfounded. The pitch on this video is exactly the same as that of the CD track and it is the same pitch on other CDs on which it appears. I am very careful about this sort of thing and, as the tones of Schipa's voice sound natural and correct my conclusion was that it is in the key in which he chose to sing it and I see no reason to change my opinion. Composers often wrote music in keys that suited performers available at the time and I doubt that they thought that the original should be rigidly adhered to. I will just add that I spent several weeks restoring the music, colourizing photos and doing many other tasks in the preparation of this video and I find it quite sad that an unfounded criticism is your only comment. I run my KZread channel so that I can share my restorations with others in the hope that they will enjoy them and also that it will help to preserve the names of the great singers of the past. I'm glad to say that the the vast majority of listeners appreciate this and I get very few negative messages from people like yourself who specifically look for faults so that they can air their knowledge.

Il sogno più virile é quello di Caruso,il più sensuale é di Pavarotti;quello più dolce di Bjorling;é di Schipa quello più vellutato...

@michaelmcgrailengland

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening to this one as well Gemma, I like them all for one reason or another

@gemmadestate3216

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelmcgrailengland Sure!Me too...Vale!

@luigigiovanelli8929

Жыл бұрын

Sensuale Pavarotti ?

@gemmadestate3216

Жыл бұрын

@@luigigiovanelli8929 Lascia giudicare una donna che ascolta la sua interpretazione...

@luigigiovanelli8929

Жыл бұрын

@@gemmadestate3216 sensuale come un cotechino con lambrusco 😂

no one beats Björling imo

@michaelmcgrailengland

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for listening and for your comment, Jussi will always be hard to beat.

Sorry but hands down the best isn’t here. DiStefano’s pianissimo should move you to tears.

@michaelmcgrailengland

7 ай бұрын

Thank you for listening. I'm sorry that your personal favourite wasn't included but I hope that you enjoyed this selection.

Que le seul Français soit Tino c’est une blague !

@michaelmcgrailengland

3 ай бұрын

Well it certainly wasn't a joke to me. I spent several weeks restoring the recordings, colourizing photos etc to produce the video for listeners to enjoy. Hopefully you'll see, when you are older, that music is a wonderful thing that is shared across the world and helps to bring different nations together. This music is from France but was never meant to be performed or enjoyed only by French people. There may be other French singers who have made excellent recordings of this aria but these are my personal favourites and I like the fact that they are from various different countries. Thank you for listening.

@9e557

3 ай бұрын

@@michaelmcgrailenglandVous faites un excellent travail et on vous en remercie. Mais ça fait bizarre de voir Tino Rossi préféré à Thill, Vezzani ou Vanzo.

@michaelmcgrailengland

3 ай бұрын

@@9e557 Thanks for your explanation and for your kind words. The other French singers that you mention are, of course, better respected than Tino Rossi but I've always liked this recording. I don't know if it is still published but we used to have a classical music magazine called The Gramophone over here in England and I remember reading an article in it way back in the 1970s saying that Tino Rossi's recording of this aria was still (at that time) regarded by many as the finest. Thanks again for listening.