Lauritz Melchior - Mein Lieber Schwan!

[saagua1953]

I almost prefer Kaufman singing this. He is softer, more lyrical, not so heroic. But able to raise the volume when necessary.

[tenorjamestaylor]

@saagua1953 I think I can understand why, but the difference in the house between the two is quite immense. Kaufmann has a beautiful voice, but not the cut/carry necessary. They placed him too far back on the stage at the MET, and honestly, his Siegmund was disappointing, unlike his Cavardossi, which is really pushing it for him. What's amazing is listening to Voght sing this stuff with the cut he has. No weight in the voice whatsoever, but he sounds huge in the back of the house

[Sewell534]

Magnificent.Such a gift.That which came from above and within was 95% of Melchior and was ,in my opinion,beyond compare.Perhaps some might wish to critizise the 5% that was pure Lauritz, but not I.Wagner without Melchior is like bread without jam and beer without froth.

[000Zeke]

is he still alive?

[jphilipps89]

@000Zeke No dear.

[rjelwood]

Melchior was probably the greatest heldentenor, but we have several young up and coming tenors today, who can benefit from these wonderful YouTube posts. I am thinking of Jonas Kaufman, Simon O'Neil and Johan Botha. All of these individuals have sung the lead in Lohengrin recently to great acclaim. (They have also sung exciting Siegmund performances as well.)

[vickiehill1]

I don't know how I got here...but I just love YouTube. It takes me to places I've never been before. Art, History, Music...amazing! This is pretty cool. I've never heard of him before but I have heard lots of Wagner. He has a great voice.

[federricoilgrande]

da brivido, ho tutti i peli dritti, giù il cappello di fronte al più grande tenore wagneriano della Storia, grazie!

[cantorga]

@federricoilgrande Condivido pienamente, da 70 anni! Insuperabile, anzi, inavvicinabile. E' l 'Eroe' in carne ed ossa...e sopratutto, in voce!

[Beevac]

This only goes to show how wonderfully dynamic (full voice to pianmissimo) Melchior could be.

[docmalthus]

The only real competition for Melchior in this role, as with other Wagnerian parts, came from Leo Slezak.

Giants walked the earth in those days!

[jmuslvr]

One of the greatest Wagnerian tenors.

[bodiloto]

Miguel Fleta !

[2920Thomas]

Es gibt eine Wandergeschichte:Einmal hat ein Bühnenmitarbejder den Schwan von der Bühne vorzeitig abgezogen. Peinlich!

Melchior hat dann - ganz laut - gefragt: "Wann fährt den nächsten Schwan ab?"

[muckermann1]

Das war nicht Lauritz Melchior sonder Leo Slezak

[Operaddict]

@muckermann1 No, this is the great Melchior. Melchior's voice is unique and unmistakable.

[Addiobelpassato]

@2920Thomas

Das war Slezak!

[KamillAristonChudoba]

@2920Thomas das war nicht melchior, das war slezak, der für solche scherze berühmt/berüchtigt war! er soll auch während einer rheingold-vorstellung kurze vor ihrem auftritt der sängerin der erda ins ohr geflüstert haben "willst du harte oder weiche eier?", worauf diese einen lachkrampf bekam, da ihr auftritt mit den worten "WEICHE wotan weiche!" beginnt! :D

[OperaBaritoneJoe]

forget Caruso.

[flumbtosse3]

power, stamina, colour, interpretation, range .....redhot velvet

[saagua1953]

His slightly explosive beginning is pure interpretive genius. Marvelous, simply marvelous.

[hennenrenner]

Eine Sternstunde des Wagnergesangs! Es läuft mir eiskalt den Rücken herunter. Welch eine göttliche Stimme!

[hgenet]

Wonderful interpretation, expressive and touching, what we hear today is crap, opera could disappear with today singers. Last one with Melchior's qualities was Franco Corelli, bel homme en plus.

hgenet

[markovican]

A really great, unforgetable Heldentenor. Since I've never heard many others, I cant really say whether or not there was some other who can match him or surpass him.

His voice is great, so thick&powerful as well with considerable expressive use, and his singing sounds so efortless like its the easiest thing to perform in the word. We definitely need such prolific Wagnerian tenor today. Well, that and someone to exterminate PR machinery that has defiled the opera world&classic music in general.

[manveruppd]

This guy's fantastic, but Windgassen is better imho. I also rate Siegfried Jerusalem quite high.

[Pollione88]

If you listen to Windgassen closely, you will hear that he took Melchior as a role model for his interpretations.

To me, Melchior is a wonder equally in vocal and artistic terms. The way he shapes the lyric parts in this aria is unbelievably beautiful.

[ddevicente]

the question is...who wouldn't take Melchior as a role model if they sang this repertoire? :)

[nemmerel]

Jerusalem is good, not on the same level as Melchior and Windgassen in my opinion though- just doesn't have the power to completely get over the orchestra, or the endurance to get through the long performances

[neronnenn]

W Wagner and his best tenor

[petrof4056]

the best wagnerian tenor!! n°1: Melchior n°2: Windgassen.

[meltzerboy]

How about Urlus and Volker?

[ArnhildHH]

<3 it's.. wow

[8032gesang]

The best Wagner-tenor ever. Wagner without

him is nothing.

[cga2000]

I would even go as far as saying the best tenor .. of even singer .. ever! But as to Wagner being nothing without him .. ???

[tann82]

Wagner without an orchestra is nothing too.

[Gille2416]

I also heard Wagner without his birth would have been nothing

[aptcore59]

lol