1983 MET100 GALA: Otello. Dio! mi potevi scagliar / Verdi

[thiagomadrugamonteir]

The very best Otelo of all times is this guy! Great , simply great!

[TsarBovov]

My god, this is bad conducting.

[Maripudelmonaco]

Pues,,,,, si MARIO DEL MONACO fué el sucesor del GRAN VINAY, lo superó con creces y ha sido el MEJOR OTELLO DE  LA HISTORIA.

[Dymension]

Now this is Otello!

[GregJebailybaritone]

This is just amazing! Amazing performer and still a great voice for his age!

[olympicrange]

As a young student I had the pleasure of turning pages for a piano-conductor rehearsal of Otello at the Ravinia Festival-- then seeing the performance as well. McCracken was quite amazing. You know-- we need to reclaim this art form from the microphone voices. McCracken was a visceral, exciting Otello-- undoubtedly with personal "quicks" but he was a great singer.

[angusmcrandy]

Discussion of his choice of accesories have no place here. He WAS a great dramatic tenor, moreover, a HELDENtenor. I spoke to his wife after the Met rift, and she said that that was his main interest. She also told me of his (then) upcoming project of Schoengerg's Guerrelide, and how excited he was to do it. . I really don't understand why he didn' get hfired to do more German repertoire.

[RodTenor]

I don't know why, I like this video very much. McCracken returns to the MET triumphant. Bravo!

[Chiliarches]

Bravo.  This is quite good.

Regarding the neckwear...I would guess he wore the bolo because he was proud of being an American. Good for him. Bow ties are a pain to knot anyway.

[Fegen]

I saw this on tv the day James performed this and thought it was one of

the highlights of the gala.

[Doromir]

McCracken was so exciting and dramatic. He was really a great man of the theater! Always loved his singing and I won't forget him as long as I live

[VivaRenata]

It feels like a tragedy to love this repertoire, to have had a chance to go the Met in the late 1970's and earlier 1980's, and what you get is McCracken, Vickers and James Levine! What a travesty - this is pathetic and he wasn't any better when I heard him live, and as for Levine - no comment.

[primadivo]

LOVED IT

one of the best i have heard.

[omarihardy]

James Levine shows you why he the best conductor in the world...just listen to this orchestra!

[bonnisolli]

Who gives a flying f**k what the hell he's wearing......this is a powerful, exciting performance, and your worrying about a god damn neck tie...................jeeezz

[fabrizzzio48]

Gosh, the neck adornment does not help. Does not look good with the tux top. Maybe a denim jacket. Should have wore formal neck wear.

[stevevandien]

@fabrizzzio48 McCracken was probably the best dramatic tenor that America has produced. He was certainly one of the two-to-four finest Otellos from approximately 1963 until shortly before his death in 1988. So why are you concentrating on his clothing? His attire here was certainly respectable enough for the Metropolitan Opera --

[assindiastignani]

Not only the greatest Otello I ever heard live (I did hear the incomparable dal Monaco, but at the very end of his career, when his health wasn't good, so I don' wish to count that.)but the only one where you weren't constantly afraid he wouldn't get through the evening. Quite the contrary, at the end of the evening, you had the feeling he could have sung three encores.

[Otellomir]

Agreed. the dramatic quality of his huge "total" presence and the amazing depth, color and power of his voice on that occasion was truly cause for celebration and wonder that he could still perform like that at his age. America's greatest dramatic tenor and a celebrated singing-actor!

[jmstretch1]

Even late in his career he demonstrates why his legendary Otello was so justly celebrated. The sincere depth of feeling - the sheer humanity indeed - the honesty, directness & truthfulness combined with McCracken's uniquely deep, strong & dramatic sound and above all the special delivery mark him as one of operatic history's greatest, most intense & inspired "total performers" - an American treasure!!!

[PNMunich]

I found this the most moving aria from the 1983 gala. McCracken's shear humanity blew me away. I hate the fact that the camera is so far away at about 3:37.

[ggboydd]

Our country's greatest Otello and dramatic tenor. As Sir John Dexter said: "Only 2 other men in the world can command a stage as he does: Olivier and Scofield". The great Maestro Tullio Serafin: "James McCracken is the greatest Otello in the history of the opera and I have seen them all."

[WANK83]

Good interpretation. Great voice. Thank you for posting.

Regards from France

[ojamiguel]

You are welcome, it is good to see how many enjoy my MET83 videos

[Labienus]

I'm beginning to think it's either some relatives or the same person here but these silly exagerations DO NOT help his memory

He was not a great spinto and Corelli's Calaf and McC were not even in the same UNIVERSE or were the rest and he should have been a great Florestan but wasn't

I like the guy and you can read my comments below and elsewhere just looking for the truth

My best recommendation is to hear the recordings yourself-if you can find them-and draw your own conclusion

[Labienus]

I thought this is a place to discuss and appraise performances

What started me off where these silly exaggerations I saw

But there is no willingness to yield on any pt. but just more overwrought generalizations

I tried to provide another perspective an irony being that in other settings I'm defending him and trying to keep his accomplishments alive

If this what you guys think and he means so much to you- who am to intefere with your pleasure?

[coryisawake]

It's amazing how little his voice ever showed its age or even darkened over the years.

[Otellomir]

Even he didn't know how to categorize his voice & many have struggled to do so because of it's uniqueness. For me & many others, he was 1 of a handful of true tenore di forza that has ever existed. He strove throughout his career to attain greater lyricism & his legato was frequently praised, but he was dramatic, a schweren heldentenor, who succeeded in italian & french literature because of the ease, security & facility of his high extension, which remains unique in my experience for his kind.

[Labienus]

That was his problem he didn't know what his voice was maybe until the end when he did Tann If he was the huge dramatic tenor you say-he really wasn't-where were the helden roles he should have sung?

Vinay (also a baritone) beyond Otello sang the Ring Lohengrin TRistan!!! MaC could have sung Siegmund/Parsifal etc. even his Fidelio was rarley sung and little acclaimed

McC w a very good Otellobut not a distinquished spinto who listens to his Calaf or Manrico too bad he found his way so late

[Otellomir]

His sound was the very definition of dramatic tenor. Size, weight, texture, depth, richness, color, heft, breadth, impact, range, quality, etc. It's impact in every theatre I ever saw him in was vast, immense

[Labienus]

he's gone, soon we'll be, so stop talking about him live-all these people only know recordings again IMO (having heard him live in about 20 operas) for those reading this was not my live experience OK

such over statements

People will ask either this guy exaggerates-is he a relative? but why is McC reputation incommensurate with these descriptions?

Much like MDM who"everyone" acknowledges had a huge sound live the live experience is not how we judge him IMO volume isn't everything

[Otellomir]

Recordings have a horrifying effect on the standards of the artform. Always have. They offer something wonderful, but NOT the truth. To assign greatness to who made the most records, or who sounded the best on them is dangerous revisionist history. I will take with me instead the memory and in many cases, the live perf. tapes of many of these great singers instead as a standard of achievement. In that regard & with rare exception, JMcC stands at the forefront of my live opera going experience.

[Labienus]

until fairly recently and doctoring are they " horrifying" ? and live recordings are still honest

Of course, that's all we have now an experienced ear can extrapolate much from them even to some degree size of voice

Would it be better not to have say Caruso on record ?we know why he was great even without knowing the precise volume

We know from them why McC was admirable but not so great

He may be the acme of singing for you the forefront etc. but then there's little to talk about

[VivaRenata]

@Otellomir And I just regret that I was not a couple of decades older and this is what I heard at the Met - so sad.

[Otellomir]

Life isn't fair. JM would never show up in a list of top 20 [nor would Vinay], his voices nature was too controversial, dramatic & unique, plus it didn't record well AND he had a famous lawsuit with Decca that he won when they didn't honor their contract which adversely has affected his legacy. Despite this, most of his recordings were very excellent & successful. His legacy ONSTAGE is what sets him apart & his reputation in the business onstage & off were/are immense. I enjoyed no tenor more.

[Labienus]

Yes life is not fair! remember when Vickers got the then rare TV Otello McC left the Met in ahuff But with all due respect for his (and that's all he had-Vickers had half a dozen other roles he was supreme in) wouldn't you have picked this supreme artist over just a very good Otello?

I didn't gloat over it I thought it sad fo McC but Vickers was and remains greatness and not just the volume of his voice which was huge but from so many interpretive aspects

Yes life is unfair but art rules

[Otellomir]

Not responding to your ignorance again. I heard all those mentioned at least 75-100times apiece in locations all over the world from the mid 40's on. JMcC's sound was at least half again bigger than Tucker's or Domingo's in heft, weight & size. Probably similiar in ultimate decibals with the others, but had much more tonal mass at it's core. This is NOT an original opinion, but has been expressed countless times by many colleagues & critics the WORLD over for decades. Records? Bah! U r silly!

[Labienus]

Putting remarks like ignorance aside, maybe you weren't listening carefully? At this pt who cares about our contradictory perceptions of his voice size? this is the same with MDM soon only the recordings will remain size isn't what a recorded legacy is about Other than his Otello what else does "WORLD" opinion speak of?

You can read my favorable comments below but without the live experience the negatives in his voice stand out throaty, tightness lyricism? and what of interpretation?

[Labienus]

Even the Otello which I LIKED I still wouldn't put it in front of Vickers Vinay we must include MDM I like Martinelli, some Domingo maybe then McC

And all the spinto roles I mentioned would anyone take him before a list of other names?

I said he should have gone truly dramatic earlier in his career but like MDM could he have been a real helden?

I just saw a poll of 20 top recorded tenors no one mentioned our friend why?

[Otellomir]

Along with the sheer size, weight & color his voice uniquely possessed, was the huge ardor, strength, energy & heart he ALWAYS sang & acted with - and he never canceled at the drop of a hat or hid behind perfectionism as an excuse to cheat a single moment. Among many others throughout the world and despite his controversiality, FC himself found JMcC to have had "the darkest, most big tenor sound" that he'd heard. The unique character of the sound was massive, rich, deep & extremely dramatic.

[Otellomir]

Nonsense. Silly comments below. Totally uninformed. Heard all those mentioned below at least a hundred times apiece all over the world, plus Melchior, Vinay & King, & JMcC EASILY had the biggest sound & most massive tonality I've EVER heard in a tenor voice. PERIOD. It wasn't always a pingy sound, but even in the 80's when he had perf's where the size was smaller than before, the textural undertone was enormous. In his prime his upper register could be almost hallucinogenic it was so enormous.

[Labienus]

have you BEEN LISTENING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HALLUCINOGENS

I have already stated my admiration for him, and find myself defending him but these ridiculous exaggerations don't help his reputation-he was underappreciated but was hardly the second coming and basically sang spinto roles You heard Melchior? how about Tamagno McC voice wasn't bigger than MDM Vickers or Tucker for that matter-and had more leather than squillo

As I said now there are only recordings and he falls short on many

[pieritlyon]

"VivaRenata" El más grande "Otello" en la historia operática es el GRAN RAMÓN VINAY, EN VOZ, INTERPRETACIÓN, FRASEO Y OTROS MERITOS MÁS. Del Monaco se sentía muy orgulloso de que el Gran Vinay le dijera que podia ser su sucesor en "Otello", lo dice en entrevistas.

[berlinman46]

James MacCracken a wonderful man and a great Artist-Very underated-God bless Him R.I.P peace and love

[robertocasitenore]

Bellissimo per presenza voce impeto..tutto. Grazie. Roberto

[Toscavsky]

Bravo!!!!!

[pieritlyon]

Gran interpretación. Está a la altura del mejor interprete de "Otello", en la historia de la opera mundial, el gran tenor chileno Ramón Vinay. Depués vino M. Del Monaco, Jon Vikcers,James McCracken,hay otros que estan bién. Domingo ha sido pretencióso al interpretar "Otello"pero no le dá su registro ni la voz para hacerlo como se requiere. BRAVO JAMES MCCACKEN .

[VivaRenata]

Non capisco il spagnuolo molto bene, ma posso capire che anche Lei critica Domingo per la sua superbia. Un tenore abile in altri contesti, ma l'interpretazione d'Otello apertenga ad una categoria di voce che non è la sua. Non siamo totalmente d'accordo, se leggo il suo commento accuratamente - secondo me il più grande interprete d'Otello di tutti i tempi fu il Del Monaco.

[ado3000]

Del monaco is dramatic,cecchele is dramatic,Giacomini is dramatic but not him...

[ado3000]

del monaco is dramatic,cecchele is dramatic but not him....

[Otellomir]

Hitting the stage cold in a gala is very different than doing a complete role, yet, with all the pressure of his returning to the Met on this occasion, he instantly is 'there', he becomes Otello. I was there, & the quality of his voice in the theatre, the impact of his presence, his 'truthfulness & honesty', if you will, was overwhelming. His sound was not only huge & dramatic but heartbreaking, & the top-notes were staggering coming out of that unique depth of sound! Our greatest heroic tenor!

[Etnalleb]

Agreed , I heard McCracken in S.F in concert and he had the biggest Tenor voice i've ever heard. It was bigger than MDM and Vickers and Domingo by far. McCracken never really got the just credit he deserved as he was our greatest Heroic Tenor.

[Labienus]

That is just untrue-I heard McCraken live many times-prob 6 Otellos alone-It was not bigger than Vickers who in the middle was simply huge-not bigger than Corelli-please-Ok with Domingo-and I'm sure those who heard MDM who take issue with your statement

I think he was a great Otello-is undervalued-but it was a strange voice in some ways-why he had trouble finding other good roles-toward the end I thought the Tannhauser was good-maybe he should have sung more Wagner

[Labienus]

Who is the opera going public?-silly remark most of the "opera going public "would agree with me. I like McCracken, and think he is not given enough acclaim-however your affection for him may color your view.

Most his role were spinto roles anyway-and Corelli's voice was simply bigger-not to mention his high notes-I also heard Vickers many times except for the very top his voice dwarfed McCraken

Come on he had a high C-I heardhisPira e.g. at the Bing Gala but to call it stupendous

[Labienus]

Instead of calling names why don't you offer some facts? Why don't you channel Bing about who had the better c?

I never said Corelli was a dramatic tenor I said his voice was bigger than Mc

There is some doubt than Mc really was- he should have been he would have had a better career

Outside of Otello and Samson(which spintos do)-at Met he sang Carmen, Canio, Trovatore,Aida, Calaf, tried Alvaro all Corelli/spinto roles (awful Calaf by the way)

did Fidelio (also done by lighter voices)

[Labienus]

Why not rely on your own ears and making your own case? The Corelli thing was all in your mind I heard it from Corelli's own lips when asked if was a dramatico- he said I am a lirico-spinto

You make these absolute statements-doesn't work with this subject who had the most this or that Both Tucker/Corelli had very big voices never heard one thought of as bigger but MDM was apparently huge our friend McC alas is not in that league

But today it's the recorded legacy we judge them by

[Labienus]

McC used main force sheer effort with honesty and sincerity because he had no squillo ping natural resonance didn't bloom on top why his voice sounded SMALLER than it actually was also why real spintos could sing many of McC roles so successfully

Domingo of course sang everything-many spintos sang Samson, Canio etc. Tucker, Coreli etc.

[Labienus]

As to Fidelio. Do you think it was sung by huge Wagnerian heldentenors in 1805? In fact many "lighter" tenors have sung it, Right now at most a spinto, Jonas Kaufmann I heard it at Glimmerglass certainly a non-Vickers type of voice doing it this production and the weight of sound is much more what Beethoven expected, . McC should have been a great Fidelio (at least according to you) but strangely he wasn't

Others-Ridder,Villars,Botha,Se­iffert(when younger) Peerce, etc. even Gedda recorded it

[gojirason]

Easily the greatest American dramatic tenor EVER, and quite arguably the finest Otello as well, with over 560 live performances total - he was uniquely suited for it in every way. Awesome 'total' performer, with huge heart & soul. ! of the real singing-actor titans of history!

[kolb94]

I always thought James was underrated, he really was pretty good

[ddevicente]

His eye-talian is a bit "white boy" in pronunciation, but what a voice!!!

[leprincebeaumont]

Insopportabile: morchioso, legnoso, durissimo, pessimamamente pronunciato! E non si può nemmeno invocare l'età, visto che nel 1983 aveva 56 anni, non 66 o 76!

[ShawDAMAN]

Really good singing especially for his age, nice finale

[jamesjmertins]

His was a voice difficult to listen too over a whole opera, it made you tired listening because of the strain he put on it. He never was easy on stage but compared to some other he was a great Otello. He does look like Ken Dodd.

[jst2k09]

Strain??

[figaro0606]

I would agree. His top seems...how do I put it, pressed and closed. The top notes don't ring. I have an Fidelio recording with him singing Florestan and it's the same issue even though its like from 20 years earlier.

[BeauTenor]

maybe, but VERY few heldentenors have squillo like James King....and I wouldn't expect McCracken to have ring like Del Monaco or Corelli...totally different type of voice. I've never seen a heldentenor yet that had an easy, ringing top...not live anyway.

[ShawDAMAN]

His top sounds a bit tight to me too but I actually like his sound particularly the middle and lows, very nice smooth tone. Good interpreter too I think

[stevevandien]

You wouldn't think so if you'd heard him in person, as I did in 1983 in Milwaukee. Recordings don't always tell the full story, particularly about exceptionally large voices. With a few exceptions, these are always difficult to record accurately --

[stevevandien]

Well, I find him much easier to listen to over a full opera than Del Monaco:). Granted, McCracken's voice production was rather strenuous. But I don't hear a lot of strain. There's a difference between the two --

[otello130367]

La edad es lo de menos que voz tan enorme propia para un aria como esta BRAVO MR. MCCRACKEN

[MisterSoprano]

Now, THIS is amazing! At his age! Superb! He, James King, G. Giacomini - best Otello's. Then come del Monaco and the rest.

[OperaBaritoneJoe]

This voice is great why is there not more of him on youtube!

[Englishtenor2]

Yes, the backdrop is ludicrous! Lol

[apbiddle]

I heard James McCracken sing the "Lord's Prayer at a small Church in Indiana. Wow! He voice filled the room.

[suburbanboa]

It is horrible this man died at such an early age. I loved his voice, as it had a quality unlike any other dramatic tenor. He was a singing actor. a brilliant artise. He was the best Otello ever

[johngotwalt]

I got his autograph right after this: he was drenched and on the verge of cardiac arrest.

Io son l'ulime ancella.

[stevevandien]

I sure wish we had more of McCracken's Otello on film or video --

[OperaBaritoneJoe]

The aria does not Really go with the backdrop lol.

[metropolitan1966]

The Otello of our time. I love the sound and energy of his singing. Bravo!!

[stevevandien]

McCracken might very well have been our (speaking as an American) best dramatic tenor:) --

[RVP57]

I agree with you 100%. A great artist. And he knocked the walls down with this!

[cjondoran]

look into clifton forbis. a great singer at the met. saw him do samson. just unreal

[foothillsbear]

McCracken was one of the best but James King was also one to be reckoned with. Check out his Fidelio excerpt on Youtube

[stevevandien]

Oh, absolutely. King was a terrific and quite versatile tenor. Somewhere on the Net (I forget exactly where, damn me), you can also find him singing "Nessun dorma" live from the Met:). King also sang Otello circa 1973 (I think in San Francisco), but as I recall, it wasn't a success, because he was ill at the time -- sure wish he would have sung it again --

[foothillsbear]

On Amazon you can get a CD of King, Wagner and Strauss, but also including two lenghty excerpts from Otello--an opera he never recorded in its entirety. It is terrific.

[berlinman46]

Jimmy was a wonderful singer and is very much missed, God bless Him..

[tenorismo]

Levine , in most of his verdi recordings espc Otell and his recording of the overture to la Forza Del Destino are almost Ver-noteum with Toscanini's recordings.

[operafan85]

He was 61 when he died. Here he was 56.

[Gerardeus]

56??????????

se ve mucho mas viejo, yo le calculaba unos 75 :S

[fabrizzzio48]

(Read below first) Here is an example of just the opposite, a wise conductor and a young tenor. The tempo suposedly too slow, but in fact it controls Bjoerling'd fire for a real impact at the finale. Bjoerling alone would have cut it quicker and more intense throughout, but would have missed the almost almost surprising emergence at the end, the conductor's, not the singer's merit.

[fabrizzzio48]

(Read below first)... to help the singer keep pace and economize. At the end Levine, who has a 60 +- orchestra to his command and pretty young and energetic can easily arise a roar as he did, but he left MacCracken drwon somewhat. The kind smiling and applause on his part towards the elder tenor, is a facade. There is no real consideration here. Otherwise, I emphasize, would slow down tempo and intensity, take some of the fire from the beguinning and middle keep enough for the energetic peak.

[fabrizzzio48]

Very mature interpretation. It seems to me that that Levine

shadowed McCracken's finale. He is 61, perhaps ill, but putting 110% effort and energy. This particular aria it's very deceiving for it changes anf fluctuates in mood. Each mood takes it own energy, when the moment comes for the finale if the energy it's not carefully guarded, it wont be there. McCcraken's finale, although strongwas a bit tired. And while not Levine's fault, still, a wise conductor can slow down intensity...

[stevevandien]

McCracken was born in December a1926, so he is actually 56 here.

[operafan85]

He was 61 year old.

[stevevandien]

No. He was born in December 1926, so he is 56 here. McCracken was 61 when he died in 1988.

[operafan85]

I don't know his recordings well,but he is a sympathic artist for me. He died in 1988 quite young, if I know well.

[aiacob]

What a voice...artist...unico...GRAND­E JAMES MCCRACKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for the clip!!!