Richard Tucker 1964 - Nessun Dorma, The Sweetest Sounds, You'll Never Walk Alone

[SHICOFF1]

He also sang a fine Calaf complete in Brooklyn, Marine Park 6 mos before he died , high C and all!

[photo161]

Whatever else Richard Tucker brings to his art (and there is so much else,) his is sheer perfection technically..

[Richiesutherland]

Tucker sounds like a million bucks, both stentorian and mellifluous! It's a shame he didn't sing Calaf more, although I am happy that I did get to see him do it when I was a kid. I didn't know at the time what a rarity that performance would be.

[IDOLODORO2]

they do not make them like this anymore

[Baritanist]

AWESOME

[Operafiend22]

God, what other tenor could sing full performances of Turandot, Ballo and Chenier all in one week and still have a voice left? Only Tucker!!!

[TsarBovov]

@Operafiend22 This is kindof normal for a real opera singer.

[Operafiend22]

@TsarBovov actually it's not...at least not anymore.

[BroadwayG]

Tucker was always good, even on a bad night. Great technique. Ever attend one of his Master Classes? Let's not diminish this wonderful talent.

[SitDownAndShutup1]

this is too nasal for me. he does an extraordianry la donna e mobile (the best ever imo), but i can't get over how nasal he is in this range. but his power and pronunciation are still stunningly sharp

[SHICOFF1]

Bravo!

[premiereopera1]

Maybe they were deafened by the Tucker voice at such close range!!

[ShawDAMAN]

@premiereopera1 Haha quite so :) is it just me or does Tucker seem a bit subdued or uncomfortable here? The singing is glorious but I've seen/heard other recitals where he was a lot more lively, seemed to be having more fun. Maybe he wasn't too thrilled with the audience either hehe.

[ShawDAMAN]

must have been awesome to hear that voice at such close range. the applause of those kids seemed a bit tepid considering- sheesh. They must have been Beatles fans. ;-)

[Baritanist]

A great video of one of America's greatest singers. I teach his technique, if you want to learn it, contact me.

[SHICOFF1]

Peerce recorded a studio LP (RCA) called Jan Peerce in opera and it had  IL Mio Tesoro and other arias and I believe L' Arlesiana was on that LP in 1955 I believe it was.

[premiereopera1]

I think the Peerce commercial L'Arlesiana was about 12 or 13 years before the TV show. I think it was recorded in 1950 or so, but I could be wrong.

[TreblesBasses]

One of America's Greatest Tenors!!!

[premiereopera1]

Yes, I checked and realized it must be 1963. During the show, he talks about singing Trovatore the next season. As for Peerce, he sang the B when he had the B- which is when he was quite a bit younger. On his commercial recording of this aria, he sings the B, but I believe such B's were long since past him by 1963-64. He might be able to reach the note, but it would be a sort of on pitch shout. And, btw, I loved Peerce, too, but Tucker had the vastly superior voice.

[VinylToVideo]

@premiereopera1 His commercial recording does have the B but it was only a few years before this. Peerce had his full scale until he was no longer able to sing; he just rarely used it in performances even in his younger days. It's called being smart and is one of the reasons he was able to sing fine into his 80s.

[Loejyrrab]

@premiereopera1 In fact, in this performance Tucker equaled any and all of the other great tenors. This was astounding. Just beautiful. Just to mention, Pav, Dom, Car spoke in stellar terms when speaking of Tucker.

[Mooorhe]

He was definitely a tenor who could give the role what Puccini wanted.

[SHICOFF1]

Thanks for the info. Yes he was casual and relaxed but when he gets up to sing he is The Primo tenor.

[premiereopera1]

I have the great DVD that this was taken from. There are two shows form about a year apart. The first has Peerce, singing a rather "tight" Lamento di Federico, with no high note at the end. The second is this great show with Tucker. He just seems so casual, talking, laughing, and getting up and singing as only he could. And he usually didn't like to talk before he sang. Each show is about a half hour in length, and both are on the same DVD

Ed

[VinylToVideo]

@premiereopera1 Tucker says he sang "Turandot" on a Saturday. The only Saturday he sang this was on February 2, 1963 so the video must be from 1963, not 1964. He never even sang the opera in 1964. Of course Peerce would of sang that aria with no high B. He was the kind of artist who sang arias as they were written without adding random and unnecessary high notes.

[tenorman1971]

@VinylToVideo

Of course Puccini wrote the high B - it's not a random and unnecessary high note. The only thing is that it was written as an upbeat - a mere semi-quaver - without a fermata. Since every tenor seems to have performed it since holding the top B, it would be interesting to know what Toscanini approved during the first performance. Puccini himself never heard a performance since he died before completing the opera, so we don't know if he would have added a fermata during rehearsal

[VinylToVideo]

@tenorman1971 I was talking about Lamento di Federico.

[SHICOFF1]

I bought the LP when it came out as " The Fabulous Voice of Richard Tucker" but later Columbia retitled it the "Exodus song" Probably his best popular song recording and sometimes I see one for sale on line, very few left.

[SHICOFF1]

In 1970 he also sang on the Dick Cavett show. The Johnny Carson show once featured him reading fan letters that where unusual and funny. Ed Sullivan in 1969/70 introduced him as the American Caruso when he sang from Pagliacci, both arias. That one is on you tube.

[SHICOFF1]

Well I remember vaguely that Earl Wrightson had a good popular type Baritone voice and the show I saw with RT on the Carson Tonight show was when he sang Dicitencello Vuie and I taped it at that time, around 1964 . Then he sang about a year later on maybe the same show and did the Vesti and the canio aria, Non pag Also. Ed may know. On the Carson show when he was done singing 'I'm following in love with someone" Carson said "How would you like to follow that act on a Bill sometime.

[SHICOFF1]

@VinylToVideo what DVD is it from? Yes, one of his best ones of the aria live. I don't know the hosts name or what show it is?

[VinylToVideo]

@SHICOFF1 Earl Wrightson is the host. The only show I can find with Tucker and Henderson together is a November 9, 1964 episode of The Tonight Show but it didn't have Wrightson. I really have no idea what show this was.

[VinylToVideo]

@VinylToVideo Tucker, Wrightson, and Henderson were all on The Tonight Show around this time. Is it possible Carson was away for a night and Wrightson was hosting? This doesn't really seem like the format of that show though; I don't ever recall an artist singing 3 items to a full orchestra. Again, no idea.

[VinylToVideo]

One of his better performances of this aria and the other songs were fantastic as well. Looks like Skitch Henderson is conducting. He conducted on Tucker's fantastic pop album mentioned here "The Fabulous Voice of Richard Tucker." Very happy to see this with excellent picture and sound quality and I'll be interested in obtaining the DVD it's from. I believe it also includes Peerce performing on the same show.

[StuartLou]

I'll never forget Tucker, Warren & Milanov in Forza (in the 50's). Heard almost all performances. We were so spoiled. There was always a "Tucker" singing at the Met. but dem days is over.

[SHICOFF1]

He sounded great and looked terrific here in 1964. His Review in Turandot as Calaf in 1961 when he first sang it at the Met was excellent. Primo Tenor! Bravo and thanks.

[TheOperadaddy2]

This is the type of television show that I was accustomed to seeing when I was growing up. It was not unusual to have great opera singers like Richard Tucker performing on the various networks. Tuckers greatest asset was voice, voice, and more voice.