I love the way he moves-each step is deliberate,each gesture thought through to make sense,at least to himself. If anyone has seen multiple performances of Vickers during a run of an opera,one can see the deliberateness exposed, or rather,expressed. Minor point perhaps,but it speaks to his attention to detail,that is often unseen in other artists,who may sing wonderfully,but express limited attention to stagecraft
The best Otello ever. By far. No one ever came close to that depth, insight, meaningfulness. And all this in spite of a voice that was never beautiful.
Heaven = a tenor with Vickers' genius and Corelli's voice and looks.
And that IS how you bring the house down! I am so inpired right now by this amazing artistry. My new goal in life is to sing this role! Mightbe impossible but I can see the complete realization in Jon when he embodies this timeless character. Bravo
AMAZING. Amazing. The best Otello I have seen. Love the way he sings/acts "Oh gloria..."
MDM and others, as much as I like them.. when they sing some of these lines they sing it the same way they sing 'si pel ciel.' But this is not the same Otello that sang si pel ciel, this is Otello crushed deflated and with his entire mental foundation yanked out from under him.... perfect!
the way he says "e tu come sei palida" and "Fredda come la casta tua vita..." is just breathtaking. The real Otello!!! no one could make this scene better than him
E meraviglioso ! This is a superb interpretation. And I agree with many of the preceding comments.For some reason,Vickers does not get the high praise and esteem that other tenors(like Domingo) receive. But he is truly in the upper echelon of tenors of the latter half of the 20th century,in my opinion.
Really? Vickers was/is absolutely worshipped by many. He has received all the praise imaginable, and is held in the highest esteem as a unique singing actor-a tenor with brains. I don't know what you base your statement on?
He did not have the popularity of Corelli, Pavarotti, Domingo etc. because he was not a tradtional Italian tenor, and his repertory was different Also his art was deeper, more complex and never sang just to make a beautiful sound.
Think I understand what tenor0max means by "underrated." Of course Vickers astounded audiences and critics at the time, but today,I notice, comparisons of great tenors by experts, YT users, and close friends name likes of Caruso, Gigli, Björling, Corelli, Pavarotti, Domingo...seldom Vickers. Domingo is regarded by some as the consummate Otello, and it's almost true, like a Cadillac. But with Vickers as Otello we move into Rolls Royce.
Astounding! Barrel-chested Vickers made me think of a Brahma bull in the rodeo stall just before gate opens, a seething, raging fury, but constrained, waiting for his chance to explode, crush, and kill. Vickers never seemed to release all that was there, and it gave Otello extra dimension not there in otherwise also-fabulous Domingo's Otello. BTW, agree with stevevandien, I saw "Three Tenors" as the I-Can-Scream-Louder-Than-You-Can Show. Why not do "Gli Tre Bassi"?
Jon Vickers is one of the most underrated tenors of his generation. He covered so many periods and styles of the operatic material all with a focused and controlled voice.
Gosh, I sure don't think Vickers is underrated. Most of the best critics who heard him in person, from Peter G. Davis and Andrew Porter to Conrad L. Osborne and Jon Alan Conrad (not to mention those in between), agree about his extraordinary artistry. But he shunned publicity and refused to do stuff like "The Three Tenors" concerts. For Vickers, art was damn serious, and he wouldn't lower his personal standards by doing pop concerts or talk shows --
I respect that about him, I don't like the idea of trying to bring opera down to a level that the general public can understand, because they can't! opera is like a finely crafted wine or tea, only a seasoned and cultured individual can appreciate them.
Oh, this is perfection! Thank you so much, Onegin, for posting it. Until now I've only listened to Vickers' recording but had no inkling of what he's like in a live performance.
By far the most exciting Otello. del Monaco, Domingo,etc...are all great in their own right, but Vickers keeps me on the edge of my seat. And my god, the voice...he's the Bastianini of tenors
When one watches and listens to this, IMHO, it all is said and DONE. . .there is NONE finer. . .the emotion, the vocal nuance and insight, the mature artistry. . .the character "lived" in Vickers and he "died" in Vickers. THIS moved me to tears. I was lucky enough to have been onstage with this amazing artist several times. His performances always left me stunned and speechless.
Great solution to the stabbing part, where he slows down the tempo to the pace he plays the character. managing a natural and flowing action.
Just a little bit too elaborate and thoughtful at the end, in term of emotion and intent. Too conscientious, that must be dropped just when necessary, but he clings to it. He was a most committed performer.
I'm glad I was not in the theatre to see this. I might have died. Vickers has such power as an actor and what a voice! Unafraid to let it scratch up with emotion, sound like a hurricane or as soft as a flute.
There have been other great Otellos (Del Monaco, Domingo, Windgassen, etc), but to my ear, none have captured the sense of drama better than Vickers...he is just amazing. And I'm proud to say he's from my home province of Saskatchewan.
Cool you are from there, im from vancouver. is jon ever out doing masterclasses? or just farming on the prarie? i doubt he has the patience for people out there.
Awesome!! as well am I proud he is from Sask...also my home province. Sad thing is many so many people have no idea who he is...even in his home town of Prince Albert :(
My Lord, Vickers was great -- just devastating. I saw his Parsifal and Florestan in the theater, but never had the opportunity -- the PRIVILEGE -- to see his Otello in person --
This was a Met telecast from 1978. The expired Desdemona is Renata Scotto and the Lodovico you see is the young James Morris. This has not been commercially released yet, but there are pirates floating around...
Scotto's voice was past its prime, but her performance overall was devastating. The young Morris sang beautifully; his voice here is fresh and free --
Another home run Onegin65.I just finished singing in a production of Otello-the music is fresh in my head. I never saw Vickers sing this live-one of my big dissapointments-but this is terrific to have.He was the consummate artist, and his 1960 recording I think is the best.Thanks again
Wonderful! I consider this aria one of the two most moving arias written for males (the other being "Tu che in seno agli angeli" from Lucia!") and Vickers is so involved in the role, he really manages to give the words and the melody all the pathos and depth it needs... I don't need to comment about his voice, because it's always fantastic!
Vickers is great. However, "O tu che in seno agli angeli..." is from Forza, not Lucia. I think you might mean "Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali." Why the fixation for opera moments in which the tenor has just mortally stabbed himself? Are you a baritone who enjoys the demise of tenors, or are you a tenor with depression tendencies and suicidal tendencies?
No, I'm an Opera fan who loves tenors, sopranos and every other vocal fachs singing dramatic and heartbreaking arias! Who cares if the tenor is going to die after the aria? What matters is that he will receive a big ovation! ;-)
I love the way he moves-each step is deliberate,each gesture thought through to make sense,at least to himself. If anyone has seen multiple performances of Vickers during a run of an opera,one can see the deliberateness exposed, or rather,expressed. Minor point perhaps,but it speaks to his attention to detail,that is often unseen in other artists,who may sing wonderfully,but express limited attention to stagecraft
vickersman 2 days ago
perfección
ezev8logos 4 months ago
A magnificent performance by a great Canadian tenor! Thank you Onegin65 for this posting! Vickers embodies Otello! Bravo!
CanadaPisces 4 months ago
I'm sure, this is best.
seungjae35 5 months ago
Non male. Un po' ingenuo alle volte (nel dilatare i tempi etc.), ma è la più nobile lettura dell'Otello che abbia mai ascoltato.
DaveDanuve 7 months ago
This is the most beutiful opera scene i had ever wittnesed
paintballKid545 10 months ago
The best Otello ever. By far. No one ever came close to that depth, insight, meaningfulness. And all this in spite of a voice that was never beautiful.
Heaven = a tenor with Vickers' genius and Corelli's voice and looks.
beignet58 10 months ago
And that IS how you bring the house down! I am so inpired right now by this amazing artistry. My new goal in life is to sing this role! Mightbe impossible but I can see the complete realization in Jon when he embodies this timeless character. Bravo
jerrya1979 11 months ago
AMAZING. Amazing. The best Otello I have seen. Love the way he sings/acts "Oh gloria..."
MDM and others, as much as I like them.. when they sing some of these lines they sing it the same way they sing 'si pel ciel.' But this is not the same Otello that sang si pel ciel, this is Otello crushed deflated and with his entire mental foundation yanked out from under him.... perfect!
ShawDAMAN 11 months ago
stunning
paintballKid545 11 months ago
I can get enough of this!!!
the way he says "e tu come sei palida" and "Fredda come la casta tua vita..." is just breathtaking. The real Otello!!! no one could make this scene better than him
ezev8logos 1 year ago
Vickers was OTELLO in his time I was lucky enough to have seen him at the MET
Sebastian740 1 year ago
I'm not familiar with this opera, or this scene... but after watching this I'm absolutely captivated.
So far I've seen Madama Butterfly, The Magic flute, and Aida, but this performance is astonishing...
Romeowasbleeding1 1 year ago
@Romeowasbleeding1
What I would give to have seen it live.
Romeowasbleeding1 1 year ago
@Romeowasbleeding1 watch IL pagliacci
paintballKid545 11 months ago
Comment removed
Romeowasbleeding1 1 year ago
simply unsurpassed , for my taste always.
chopinopus28 1 year ago
Tears!!! and more tears!!! that scene of the kiss is the best scene ever!!! Vickers is the best otello the best tenor and the best actor!!!
ezev8logos 1 year ago 2
E meraviglioso ! This is a superb interpretation. And I agree with many of the preceding comments.For some reason,Vickers does not get the high praise and esteem that other tenors(like Domingo) receive. But he is truly in the upper echelon of tenors of the latter half of the 20th century,in my opinion.
CraigFrancisSoto 1 year ago
@CraigFrancisSoto
Really? Vickers was/is absolutely worshipped by many. He has received all the praise imaginable, and is held in the highest esteem as a unique singing actor-a tenor with brains. I don't know what you base your statement on?
He did not have the popularity of Corelli, Pavarotti, Domingo etc. because he was not a tradtional Italian tenor, and his repertory was different Also his art was deeper, more complex and never sang just to make a beautiful sound.
Labienus 1 year ago
Perfeição!!!
leonapp 1 year ago
Astonishing vocal and dramatic artistry.
lewisrozenberg 2 years ago 3
Domingo is outrageously over-rated.
Doooku 2 years ago 9
Think I understand what tenor0max means by "underrated." Of course Vickers astounded audiences and critics at the time, but today,I notice, comparisons of great tenors by experts, YT users, and close friends name likes of Caruso, Gigli, Björling, Corelli, Pavarotti, Domingo...seldom Vickers. Domingo is regarded by some as the consummate Otello, and it's almost true, like a Cadillac. But with Vickers as Otello we move into Rolls Royce.
MTondeleo 2 years ago 5
This has been flagged as spam show
Astounding! Barrel-chested Vickers made me think of a Brahma bull in the rodeo stall just before gate opens, a seething, raging fury, but constrained, waiting for his chance to explode, crush, and kill. Vickers never seemed to release all that was there, and it gave Otello extra dimension not there in otherwise also-fabulous Domingo's Otello. BTW, agree with stevevandien, I saw "Three Tenors" as the I-Can-Scream-Louder-Than-You-Can Show. Why not do "Gli Tre Bassi"?
MTondeleo 2 years ago
I would give anything to have been there.
He is for sure the best otello has ever existed
ezev8logos 2 years ago 11
I dare anyone to try and get through this without a tear.
dielotosblume 2 years ago
I sure can't:) --
stevevandien 2 years ago
WOW!!!!!!!
bassje01 2 years ago
I will never forget the gesture of the hand falling with the last notes of the opera. The greatest singer of our time.
dunrob3 2 years ago 4
I saw this at the Met in the mid 70s and will never forget the gesture of the hand at the last notes. The greatest singer of his time.
dunrob3 2 years ago 3
Jon Vickers is one of the most underrated tenors of his generation. He covered so many periods and styles of the operatic material all with a focused and controlled voice.
tenor0max 2 years ago 5
Gosh, I sure don't think Vickers is underrated. Most of the best critics who heard him in person, from Peter G. Davis and Andrew Porter to Conrad L. Osborne and Jon Alan Conrad (not to mention those in between), agree about his extraordinary artistry. But he shunned publicity and refused to do stuff like "The Three Tenors" concerts. For Vickers, art was damn serious, and he wouldn't lower his personal standards by doing pop concerts or talk shows --
stevevandien 2 years ago 2
@stevevandien
I respect that about him, I don't like the idea of trying to bring opera down to a level that the general public can understand, because they can't! opera is like a finely crafted wine or tea, only a seasoned and cultured individual can appreciate them.
raigekimaru 1 year ago
@raigekimaru I agree!
stevevandien 1 year ago
This performance is "truth" itself on stage.
Vickers is clearly plumbing the depths of Verdi's concept of the great tragedy of Otello.
A real treat is a pirate version from a live broadcast from Orange in 1975 with Maazel conducting Vickers, Zilisgara et al. Best I ever heard live.
crabbe88 2 years ago 3
Oh, this is perfection! Thank you so much, Onegin, for posting it. Until now I've only listened to Vickers' recording but had no inkling of what he's like in a live performance.
390204 2 years ago 2
By far the most exciting Otello. del Monaco, Domingo,etc...are all great in their own right, but Vickers keeps me on the edge of my seat. And my god, the voice...he's the Bastianini of tenors
Operafiend22 3 years ago 20
why can't these people shut up before the last chord? argghhhh
rexeterna 3 years ago
Where was this recorded?
bigpappapep 3 years ago
At the Met in September 1978---
stevevandien 2 years ago
When one watches and listens to this, IMHO, it all is said and DONE. . .there is NONE finer. . .the emotion, the vocal nuance and insight, the mature artistry. . .the character "lived" in Vickers and he "died" in Vickers. THIS moved me to tears. I was lucky enough to have been onstage with this amazing artist several times. His performances always left me stunned and speechless.
2ManyHighCs 3 years ago 28
@2ManyHighCs well not entirely speechless... lol !
vickersman 4 weeks ago
@2ManyHighCs
vickersman 2 days ago
Of all the Otello's I have heard,none compares to Vickers.The same can be said of his Fidello.
caddlac 3 years ago 7
Ditto, absolutely:)---
stevevandien 2 years ago
Vickers brings to Othello great vulnerability.
Great solution to the stabbing part, where he slows down the tempo to the pace he plays the character. managing a natural and flowing action.
Just a little bit too elaborate and thoughtful at the end, in term of emotion and intent. Too conscientious, that must be dropped just when necessary, but he clings to it. He was a most committed performer.
Thank you Oneging65 for this post.
fabrizzzio48 3 years ago
I'm glad I was not in the theatre to see this. I might have died. Vickers has such power as an actor and what a voice! Unafraid to let it scratch up with emotion, sound like a hurricane or as soft as a flute.
hedgechair 3 years ago 3
Vickers is the best Otello I have ever heard and, amazingly, his Italian is almost perfect. Just listen to the Dio mi potevi scagliar. Unbelievable.
MrLemon1966 4 years ago
Vickers was the best Otello yes...but his Italian was NOT very good. his diction was always an issue.
golfr10under 4 years ago
@golfr10under It's not perfect, but it was good enough for Tullio Serafin who said his Otello was better than Tamagno's!
CzarDodon 1 year ago
There have been other great Otellos (Del Monaco, Domingo, Windgassen, etc), but to my ear, none have captured the sense of drama better than Vickers...he is just amazing. And I'm proud to say he's from my home province of Saskatchewan.
Operafiend22 4 years ago 6
Cool you are from there, im from vancouver. is jon ever out doing masterclasses? or just farming on the prarie? i doubt he has the patience for people out there.
cjondoran 4 years ago
Jon lives, I believe, in Bermuda these days, at least as of a few years ago....
hightenor123 4 years ago
As far as I know, he's still there, enjoying his retirement and grandchildren:) --
stevevandien 2 years ago
Awesome!! as well am I proud he is from Sask...also my home province. Sad thing is many so many people have no idea who he is...even in his home town of Prince Albert :(
mcknighty11 3 years ago
Oh my GOD! I'm crying just watching this video. What an artist.
nanbil 4 years ago 3
tu che dio speigasti ali from lucia:))) and also he is really great
lavendicata 4 years ago
Vickers is not just singing, he IS Otello!
siegmund80 4 years ago 3
domingo who?
cleanears 4 years ago
My Lord, Vickers was great -- just devastating. I saw his Parsifal and Florestan in the theater, but never had the opportunity -- the PRIVILEGE -- to see his Otello in person --
stevevandien 4 years ago 3
On my word as a singer! That is commitment...
theropodia 4 years ago
fantastic.where was it recorded? is a DVD available?
jmarqueslr 4 years ago
This was a Met telecast from 1978. The expired Desdemona is Renata Scotto and the Lodovico you see is the young James Morris. This has not been commercially released yet, but there are pirates floating around...
Klytemnest 4 years ago
Scotto's voice was past its prime, but her performance overall was devastating. The young Morris sang beautifully; his voice here is fresh and free --
stevevandien 2 years ago
Saw him twice in this and each time devastating -no one dared breathe at the end of this and yes OperaBR the
audience gave Vickers acknowledgement beyond ovation ..
orjus 4 years ago
Another home run Onegin65.I just finished singing in a production of Otello-the music is fresh in my head. I never saw Vickers sing this live-one of my big dissapointments-but this is terrific to have.He was the consummate artist, and his 1960 recording I think is the best.Thanks again
vickersman 4 years ago
Wonderful! I consider this aria one of the two most moving arias written for males (the other being "Tu che in seno agli angeli" from Lucia!") and Vickers is so involved in the role, he really manages to give the words and the melody all the pathos and depth it needs... I don't need to comment about his voice, because it's always fantastic!
OperaBR 4 years ago
Vickers is great. However, "O tu che in seno agli angeli..." is from Forza, not Lucia. I think you might mean "Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali." Why the fixation for opera moments in which the tenor has just mortally stabbed himself? Are you a baritone who enjoys the demise of tenors, or are you a tenor with depression tendencies and suicidal tendencies?
juadan 4 years ago
No, I'm an Opera fan who loves tenors, sopranos and every other vocal fachs singing dramatic and heartbreaking arias! Who cares if the tenor is going to die after the aria? What matters is that he will receive a big ovation! ;-)
OperaBR 4 years ago