Jon Vickers "Dio mi potevi scagliar" Otello

[frankmaiorana66]

Mario Del Monaco WAS Otello. That being said, I have heard that Vickers had a performance of this at the Met that was utterly magical in the late 70's. This is NOT an easy opera. This is a blood and guts opera with tons of emotion. The second act sing is utterly brutal.

[paulostroff99]

Lovely singing.TY Onegin65 for posting.

[nanai16951]

sublime.Che intelligenza e raffinatezza,giustissime per questo tardi Verdi,che certo conosceva bene il Tristano.

[ininacsot]

vickers est toujours le meilleur otello depuis 40 ans et peut être encore pour lontemps(il est l'otello des (otello)

[lunaray1986]

In response to mongemark: Vickers's timbre in the theater was anything but dry and choked. It was huge, round and colored bronze/gold. Like many big voices, it was rarely recorded accurately. No television pickup could capture it.

[jacksvoice]

wow!

[Fegen]

Listening to this one can tell why Jon Vickers sang many roles at the Met Opera

House and was a favorite tenor there.

[adrianacristianes]

grandioso!!!

[paulostroff99]

Superb.Canada's greatest ever tenor in his best role. TY Onegin for posting this gem.

[55werther]

Una gran interpretacion; un Otello de verdadera jerarquia. Siempre vale la pena re-

cordar, a este gran cantante, y gran artista.

[ininacsot]

l'otello des( otello)

[ezev8logos]

this is the most beautifull thing ever written for a tenor

[BirdArvid]

I have to say the wig lets this fine performance down..

[Pywacket2]

Vickers always produces the WOW factor. He was a magnificent Otello.

[operajlb]

I saw Vickers in this production at the Met. Although I also enjoyed others in the role such as Del Monaco, McCracken, Uzinov and Domingo, I must say that Vickers interpretation was eloquent and overpowering. A great performance by a great singer. Thank you, from operajlb

[daniellockwood]

THIS IS AMAZING

[Rams4ever]

Wow...one of the finest readings of this famous scene ever offered. Vickers was amazing, acting AND singing. Thank you for allowing us this window Onegin65.

[ezev8logos]

The Best tenor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[federic017]

Grande interprete! Vocalmente un po' meno. Saluti

[Snowss]

The way he said all the words is really fascinating...listen: dio--mi--potevi--scagliar--

impresive!

[operageezer77]

Vickers was a good Otello, much preferred him to Domingo in the role: his sound and presence was much bigger and more forceful, plus he had a dramatic voice which the role requires. My favorites in the role tho were Vinay and McCracken as they were the most moving, profound Otello's I've ever experienced live. I found them both more impressive ultimately than Del Monaco who was exciting vocally but artistically was not a great interpreter or actor.

[gaemp]

we can discuss about del Monaco way of singing (someone says that he always screeems....) but not his interpretation of the role of Otello...! See his Japan live Otello in 1959...

[sugarbist]

@operageezer77 Del Monaco had at least 3 interpretations for the role of Otello.1for the Italian public1for the Americans &1 for the English audience,It's fine to like someone other than MDM,but to say he was not a good actor or interpreter is simply not accurate.Del Monaco along with Zenatello sang over 400 performances of the opera and it was definitely a signature role for him.He might have been accused of a lot of things, but not a good actor or interpreter was never one of them.

[gojirason]

Vinay made a fine recording of Otello, no doubt, but recordings simply don't tell the whole story. Baritone or no, he began to lose his top quickly in the 50's.

As for McCracken [again], you either got him or you didn't & it seems you didn't, but I & many others, did, & liked him more as Otello, Canio, Samson & maybe some others, but he did ALOT more onstage than just melodramatically pop his eyes! MANY people felt he was a much better & more direct, resourceful actor than Vickers. Be fair!

[gojirason]

Interesting comments from many of you. The problem is that acting well demands that one relate to others onstage [a constant accusation of many of his colleagues & critics] & felt that JV was frequently "interpreting" on his own & was always the same in his roles, mythic or not. Horribly may be a bit of an overstatement about JV's top, but it's close. He was a big star, but the Met always sold most of his operas well back then. Vinay's greatness as Otello lasted about 5 or 6 years & faded badly.

[Labienus]

one has to make a choice in opera acting that allows you to sing while creating a character

most of these roles are historical figures or mythical -naturalism doesn't work by its nature it has a mannered and symbolic qualtiy it is an acting of gesture

Tristan, etc. are not the boys next door

Somehow the great ones combine vocal and dramatic gesture to enhance the drama Vickers did that with every role he touched why he has a gallery of historic creations most opera "stars" have 1 or 2

[Labienus]

Preferring is fine

Vinay may be the best recorded Otello

I'm not old enough to have seen him you are?

Vickers also raised the role to tragedyMcC moved in that direction but was still in the eye popping melodrama camp

There are plenty of unedited Vickers-and "horribly" is a bit of an overstatement it's a real shame that Vickers sang those Otellos in the 70s to empty houses

Vickers is LEGEND, history -sang the most difficult dramatic tenor role with unbearable intensity and depth

[crabbe88]

@Labienus What are you talking about? Vickers' performances were often sold a year or two in advance. The '70's were "his" decade.

[Labienus]

@crabbe88 on line when this came in-it was so long ago I didn't know what you were referring to.

I was being facetious.

It was part of some give and take with some irrational McCracken fans-and I admired his Otello-he was just no Jon Vickers

[Labienus]

There was a reason von Karajan did his movie Otello with Vickers why the Met selected him for this

Met version has recently been released to ecstatic reactions was hard to get for yrs. when the final scene of this was shown a few yrs ago on PBS it made the greatest impression of all

Everything Vickers did was a complete portrait a profound experience

From Fidelio Siegmund Parsifal Aeneas Otello Tristan and his inimitable Peter Grimes see that video for what opera should be about!!!!

[Otellomir]

By the way, the great Ramon Vinay, one of the finest Otello's, also did Iago with MDM, JMcC [not sure about JV] & others, & went on the record on more than one occasion saying that he felt McCracken was the greatest, most complete Otello in his opinion, citing voice, heart, intellect, technique, passion, power, drive & honesty as the combo of reasons. Still, he had great respect for Vickers in most things.

[Otellomir]

A great artist with a special, idiosyncratic voice & approach, but also extremely flawed. Saw JV well over a hundred times live & always respected him. But he simply failed in many of the big moments [mainly top notes] time after time. His approach [as FC pointed out] was largely based on cheating vocally whenever he could & his acting was stylized & without much spontaneity. For me Vinay & McCracken are the summit in this role, MDM a mighty sound but little else. PD not in this company.

[Labienus]

The great Jon Vickers! Sound, the voice is a means to communication no one did it better or understood that was what singing at the end is about

For me the recorded legacy- fortunatley we have video in some cases I would place Vinay, Vickers on top for raising it to tragedy for me Martinelli would come next

Domingo had some of that

king of the melodramatic approach and greatest pure voice in the role del Monaco

McCracken would get an honorable mention melodrama and sincerity

[segu82]

...ed è pure STONATO! Ma che schifezza!

[segu82]

Ma.....è AFONO!

[puccinislarondine]

Thank you for sharing this Onegin65... I LOVE Vickers in this role and I'd say this scene is even better than the von Karajan DVD I have. SUCH a great actor and SUCH a great singer!

mille grazie,

~ Susan

[paulostroff99]

@puccinislarondine Susan-nobody ever did this role as well.

[puccinislarondine]

@paulostroff99 I concur completely. While Monaco may have been more dashing, Vickers *was* Otello. He embodied the role in a way that no other singer ever has. He was Otello vocally and visually. When you watch someone and you are no longer even aware they are acting, it is a magic moment! :)

[paulostroff99]

@puccinislarondine -Very well said.It appears to be a role that was written just for him personally.IMO fine singer as he certainly was-nothing else that he did was of the calibre of his Othello.Have a great week-end.

[paulostroff99]

@puccinislarondine -Very well said.

[andyroma72]

il timbro di del monaco non ce l'ha nessuno

nessun tenore drammatico ha avuto quel timbro

[VivaRenata]

D'accordo! Del Monaco rimane il più grande interprete di questo ruolo. Volevo solo dire che il tenore svedese Set Svanholm ha un timbro molto simile. Tutt'e due sono "bari-tenori". Svanholm era tenore Wagneriano, ma con un timbro molto simile a quello di Del Monaco. Cerco di mettere alcuni delle sue incisioni sul Youtube fra poco (con l'aiuto technico di mia figlia).

[operastud82]

Quanto grande Del Monaco come Otello, ma il piu grande interprete è sempre Ramon Vinay. Ha fatto Otello anche con Toscanini, e rimane l'unica persona aver fatto tutti e due Otello e Iago-bravissimo come baritono e basso...ha fatto 3 carriere vocale in una vita!

[j72050]

....Vickers is nowhere near any of the great Otello tenors...nowhere near close..Vickers gives you a hard, strained shouting voice that sounds weak and unidiomatic Italian in what lines that are supposed to be piano.....Vickers just talks them....either he is shouting with his large unmusical sound, or talking, if there is one thing he has, it is a loud, hard unmusical voice that is like vinegar...but yes, he can shout those notes like nobody.....for those that will tolerate...

[VivaRenata]

Thankyou! Have heard both Vickers and McCracken live in my youth but only in later years begun to understand operatic performance - and appreciate the great tenor roles. And thus discovered Del Monaco. I feel far less alone after reading your comment with all its thumbs down. Thumbs up for you!

[Etnalleb]

I agree with you Renata and j72050. Both McCracken and MDM had bigger ,better vitality in their voices than Vickers. They also had beautiful open tones especially MDM who was The Otello. i gave j72050 a Thumbs up also.

[dunrob3]

Incredible performance! I was fortunate enough to see a few Otellos with Vickers; nothing compares.

The recording with Rizanek is THE recording.

[maxhansendk]

He (Vickers) gulps for air more then any other tenor I know of.

And his trademark screaming again puts me off.

[mongemark]

Vickers fraseggia signorilmente e certo Del Monaco non è altrettanto sottile, colto e diciamo 'raffinato'...ma resta il fatto che Otello è un guerriero che soccombe alle meschinità dell'umana invidia ma che resta guerriero fino alla fine (un po' cazzone, bigogna dirlo); mentre Vickers - con tutto il rispetto - sembra un vecchio lagnoso tradito dalla moglie

e poi il timbro è quello che è: secco e chioccio, mentre Del Monaco in alto ha un timbro di lucentezza smagliante...

[mongemark]

@mongemark

grazie del complimento, se vuoi fa pure...ma la parola 'cazzone' rivolta a Otello potrebbe fare incavolare gli inglesi, comunque fai tu...

ciao

[Maripudelmonaco]

@mongemark - Estoy completamente de acuerdo contigo en la forma de interpretar OTELLO, tanto por parte de VICKERS como por parte DEL GRAN MARIO.

[olmaleo]

@mongemark Commento molto schietto, acuto, divertente e apprezzabile.

Però parte dal presupposto che Vickers sia "questo" e Del Monaco sia "quello"; ho varie incisioni dell'uno e varie dell'altro, è dall'insieme di tutto che ci si costruisce un'idea... lo so che è una guerra fra vickeristi e delmonachisti, io sono svizzero e perciò neutrale :) ma da Tamagno a oggi ogni generazione ha avuto il suo Otello; e Vickers, successivo a Del Monaco, ha incarnato al meglio il suo tempo.

[koudriach]

Pendant quasiment la moitié de l'air il n'y a qu'une seule note à chanter sur des bribes de mots... Il faut être sacrément intelligent comme Vickers pour ne pas rajouter de sanglots, de cris, mais au contraire de chanter et d'assumer jusqu'au bout la moindre note de musique... avec cette science de la coloration, il dépasse tous les autres Otello !

[bellinianodoc]

Perfettamente d'accordo.

Un Del Monaco con tutti i suoi occhiacci cattivi e le gradassate un tanto al chilo, esce semplicemente massacrato dal confronto con un vero, profondo artista del canto come Vickers.

[bAdAbAdA13]

Del Monaco's was a wild Otello, McCracken's a caged one and Vickers' a tortured one.

[Marinausbcn]

Increible interpretación!!!!!superior!!!­!!

otro cantante me viene a la memoria donde realiza otra interpretación sublime como la del maestro Jon Vickers, Neil Shicoff en La Juive.

[dermotafan]

Talentless, boring, oh dear, you really make me laugh.

[jst2k09]

Talentless. Boring. He talks more than sing. Powerless. dull. useless

[Englishtenor2]

Do you know what you're listening to?

[jst2k09]

This is James McCracken's role. I know what i'm listening to.

[crwv]

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

Otello is james mccrackens role?

hes a very good tenor and all.......but come on......

[jamesjmertins]

This could be any of Vickers roles, he was the same in everyone he sang, Otello could be Tristan or Grimes it's all the same. Just watch every video and you'll see the same acting and vocal mannerisims. Yes it was a huge voice but he had trouble with that top and the crooning said to be his mezzvoce, was just crooning. having seen Vickers in everything he sang since 1962 I have seen spme great performances but mostly good or even horrible one outway the great one

[jrynz]

He doesn't seem to have much trouble with his top in this aria (2.59 Bf).

[johngotwalt]

the one conducted by von Kerajan with Freni = the last act is haunted ; he is the Callas of tenors: go to 2:18.

His Don Jose with Bumbry is unsurpassed.

This IS opera.

[baritoneZIGS]

His great technique becomes slightly transparent just before 3 minute mark

[420433270]

il miglior Otello. Verdi aveva certamente in mente Lui. Grazie ed onore ad entrambi. siete il mio ristoro mentale e fisico.

[waltercharles]

I've always thought that Jon Vickers is the closest thing to "method singing" I've ever heard. This video confirms it for me. A beautiful, haunting performance. Thank you.

Jake

[davidleedutton]

I saw (some would say "heard") both Jon Vickers and James McCracken as Otello in this production in the early 70's, and both were very good, but Vickers was the better actor of the two.

[Operator66]

Un vero padron della tecnica!

[chiedu72]

It amazes (and saddens) me that there are still those who only exist in opposition. Callas v. Tebaldi, del Monaco v. Vickers, etc. Such a reductive experience and a bloody waste of time. Both Vickers and del Monaco are extraordinary artists and each illuminates compelling aspects of this most complex Verdi creation.

[CzarDodon]

Though I guess you include me among the reductive bloody time wasters, my point was not really intended as a question of one singer v. another, it was a matter of Verdi's creation: my point was that there are compelling, or essential elements missing in an interpretation that many fans (but very few critics mind you) aggressively sustain as definitive (whatever definitive is!!!).

[wolfmaxtrp5]

please listen to andrej lantsov singing this same aria. Otello 1999.

[searnold56]

stop spreading that filth. you write it on every otello video. he doesnt come close to any of the greats. not even close

[kmillard]

You forgot about Tom Jones vs. Elvis Presley.

[BellovVideo]

I wonder if it would be a good or a bad thing to add to this dialogue by saying that Maria Callas, who sang frequently with BOTH JV and MDM considered Vickers one of the world's most gifted and musical tenors, and spared the world her opinion of Del Monaco, although the same can't be said for him re: her.

Just putting this out there for what it's worth - if anything

[CzarDodon]

I think it's interesting, I know that Nilsson considered Vickers her idea Tristan, I don't know if she expressed any opinion on MDM.

[nobisotti]

For him, in this moment, in this performance it had to be this way!!!! That's opera, that's great!!!!

[vickersman]

It usually had to be the way maestro Vickers wanted it!!!He was demanding as an artist as to interpretation.He and the late Sir George Solti battled and it ended their relationship,working and otherwise.Fortunately,he managed to get his points across with enough conductors to produce a wondrous career.His intensity is felt with every note.A remarkable gift to opera.

[Marcorotti]

To: all Vickers fans...

Do you know if Jon Vickers sang Nessun dorma? Do you have a clip (video or audio)? Please I wish liste it, of course if he did it.

Thank you...

[VivaRenata]

Sorry, This is so pathetic that I can not listen to it without being embarassed for the sake of the tenor. To my great sorrow I was too young to have discovered Verdi or having heard any performances in the era of Del Monaco - from an "old lady".

[CzarDodon]

Please do not hide behind the "old lady" story, 54 is too young for that :-) A singer cannot always do exactly what the composer writes, sometimes it is beyond limits; an interpreter does not need to cancel his/her own personality in order to serve the composer either. But when a singer with the natural gift of a del Monaco wilfully distorts the composers intentions and creates a verismo madman in place of Verdi's tragic hero please do not present that as "definitive". Vickers is much closer.

[VivaRenata]

"Verismo madman" - I like that and I think I'll stick with him. I am what some people on youtube call a "Diehard MDM fan".

[CzarDodon]

For MDM diehard fans I suppose there's no difference between del Monaco singing Otello, a Neopolitan song or Ba Ba Black Sheep: it's always Del Monaco and he'll give you a good high note at the end! My problem is that my first interest is Verdi

[CzarDodon]

And since this is Jon Vickers and not Mr. Nobody, you could be so kind as to be more specific as to what you find so pathetic, so embarrasing? if you are interested in constructive dialogue, in finding the truth in musical interpretation, you shouldn't engage in critical 'hit and run' it's intellectually dishonest.

[VivaRenata]

OK - I'll be more specific. I listened to the whole scene again and will say that what I personally dislike is the pinched or "strangled" sound that some tenors have, including Vickers. To my ears, his voice just doesn't open up and his lower range is insufficient in this role. I've heard him quite a lot on stage and I never liked him, but that's simply my opinion.

[CzarDodon]

MDM's high notes were exceptional sounds, I agree that Vickers didn't have such a free ringing sound. I do remember Vickers as one of the largest voices I ever heard, the colour is not classically beautiful, there is a certain effort in his high notes but I wouldn't go so far as to call it strangled (the lower range is fine, Verdi asks for pp where MDM sings ff).

[wolfmaxtrp5]

MDM lacks darkness. In the lower range his voice loses volume. He can sing very high notes but that is not important here. Also the pianisimos are not dramatic for the same reasons explained before. He is not qualyfied to sing Verdi´s Otello. Verdi´s concept here is different from his other operas.

[wolfmaxtrp5]

MDM sings ff where Verdi asks for pp because his pp lack drama and darkness. So for this reason he sings ff to be heard trying to express something.

[wolfmaxtrp5]

also MDM´s pp lacks the necessary volume.

[MARKLYN56]

Carissimo ormai si è capito che Del Monaco è il tuo chiodo fisso... ma te lo sogni anche di notte? Per me sei malato....

[wolfmaxtrp5]

Please answer in english or spanish. I don´t understand Italian.

[CzarDodon]

Ti referivi a me? no, dormo benissimo grazie

[MARKLYN56]

Mi fa piacere che dormi benissimo di notte ma non era riferito a te.

[CzarDodon]

Where Vickers is vastly superior to del Monaco is in the interpretation. Apart from ignoring almost all Verdi's expressive indications, Del Monaco's concept of interpretation was a superimposed layer of verismo histrionics, nothing is derived from the music Verdi wrote. Moreover, as a musician he is sloppy, rhythm and pitch are an opinion for him. Vickers takes on the music to create the character, Verdi's dynamic indications are a challange to singer and he rises to it.

[mujerado]

What are you people talking about? None of that is in this clip. I don't know why the rest of you are here, unless maybe to indulge your jealousies and snobberies. I'm here to see a clip of Vickers as Otello--a souvenir of one of the great stage creations of the last century, and this clip does not disappoint.

[huawy]

la gente no sabe nada ,tal vez se puede criticar ese acento anglo, puede ser q no tenga de las voces mas lindas ,pero sabe cantar

[lg364]

cero drama. cero pastosidad. cero centro. aprendan de Ramon Vinay, el mejor.

[Orbazzano]

Il mio Otello preferito. Che fraseggio, che colori! Grandissimo!

[carlo331]

Domanda: perché quasi tutti gli stranieri che commentano le voci e le interpretazioni non capiscono un cazzo?

[ezayi]

perche crediamo di sapere molto e la verita e che quasi tutti diciamo michiate. Sono straniero e a volte non sopporto questa gente scrivendo qua tanta stupidaggine. Ma ci sono anche molti che sanno di che stanno parlando. Non e che dibbiamo tutti essere italiani per sapere d´opera.

[carlo331]

Vickers non ha una oce di prim'ordinem, ma canta con fraseggio vario interpreta veramente. Del Monaco sbraita e gigioneggia. Non c'è paragone. Vickers è un vero artista

[cameratamaestro]

I knew both MDM's Otello and Vickers and they were so very different as to be incomparable. For my taste, and it is just my opinion, one cannot sing Otello without high notes, and Vickers was incapable of singing the notes. While MDM uses an interpretation limited to the Italian stage of the 1920's and 30's, Vickers indulgence in his own emotions fails to give us a true character. MDM had the voice but needed a broader perspective about theatre.

[CzarDodon]

Cameratamaestro, do you really find that Vickers' high notes are so bad? Ok he doesn't have the squillo of other tenors, they may not be 100% orthodox, but he doesn't actually have high notes?

I'd be curious if you could explain better what you mean by 'indulging in his own emotions' because I find that the emotions he creates fit the character like a glove, his is definitely not a young Otello, it's pondered and middle-aged, the emotions are rather distilled, filtered but not faked

[Nello7]

I agree with Czar. Vickers' performance defines the emotional volatility of the suffering Moor. His vocal nuances are so rare in a true dramatic tenor. If you could mix his interpretation with MDM's voice, it may be the prototypical Otello. Caruso and Ruffo gave us a glimpse of greatness-throw in Ponselle and that would have been the epitome of the perfect cast for this opera. Vickers' vocal and dramatic capacity have never been matched in my opinion(read: not the greatest voice)

[ezayi]

He doesn´t know what he´s talking about. Or did you think that someone that talks like that about a tenor that were famous because of his extraordinary voice, got famous because of doing strip tease on stage instead of singing opera. Of course he had high notes and were fabulous. Maybe this wasn´t his best evening. But he HAD HIGH NOTES!

[CzarDodon]

I had hoped for some enlightenment from cameratamaestro. I agree, of course Vickers had high notes. I would differ with Cameratamaestro's definition of del Monaco's interpretation: limited to the Italian stage of the 20s and 30s. Del Monaco's style of interpretation was his own invention, I know no precedent. Singers such as Pertile and Merli didn't engage in endless extramusical histrionics, their line was fundamentally clean with a good range of dynamics and colours.

[CzarDodon]

It's such a shame that this great Otello is passing almost unnoticed while we continue to read unconditioned priase of del Monaco's 'definitive' interpretation. Here we have Vickers who uses all Verdi's indications to create the Moor as the composer intended. Moreover, he has the right vocal resources, and the intensity the part requires.

[CzarDodon]

he delves into the depths of the character with perfect musical insight, reveals the pain, the pride, the anger and violence. But somehow so many people prefer the one-sided, screaming, ff, and fff, hysterical rape of Verdi's score carried out by the supremely narcissistic mario del Monaco. Why?

[fabrizzzio48]

The situation Czar I see, is that although Vickers does offer a sensitive emotional palette, at about 3:00, after the high note,

he would rather not sing, but has to, loses that ever essential thread of musical feeling, that you just CAN'T let go. At the end of the aria the explosion of joy is just not there. It seems, and this happens, he overindulged in his emotional accomplishment. A subtle but real happening. Monaco is there from beguinning to end, and what end.

[CzarDodon]

The explosion of Joy? because he says "O gioia"? his world has been destroyed! Joy is not supposed to be there. So he doesn't have del Monaco's trumpet, so what? do you go to the opera just to hear high notes? Del Monaco apart from wilfully ignoring all Verdi's dynamic indications, get rhythms wrong, sings with poor intonation, horrible nasal emmissions especially on the vowel 'i', ignores the phrasing, this is drama and music.

[CzarDodon]

But you can't simply ignore the music and make your own Otello over Verdi's music. Del Monaco is an extreme verismo interpretation applied to Verdi, so its wrong from the outset. But its also flawed simply because he was not interested in anything other than his own image, watch the documentary you'll not hear one word about the music or interpretation, only about Mario.

[fabrizzzio48]

My point and I reaffirm if that in this particular rendition of Vickers he loses his emotional hold in the music. It happens, emotions are very delicate and succeptible. Vickers lost it at exactly 2:48, afterwards all feeling is acted, not felt. He also relaxed so much, he could not bring about an energetically "O giogia". His joy might be of a macabre nature, but it's an important emotional peak in the opera.

[fabrizzzio48]

But those 2:48 prior are of a beautiful quality. It's sad to viciously attack a person such as Mr. del Monaco and to call his voice a trumpet. Monaco gave so much in the stage. You keep hinting at the documentary, it's pure Fellini. I don't see why so much hate poured here towards Mario. I doubt you would have had the guts to tell it to him to his face had he been alive.

[fabrizzzio48]

Your insensibility is attrocious, you have the mind of an annotator, not the heart of an artist. I would not point to anybody's being " narcissisic" and "interested in anything other that his own image" and carry the name CZARdodon.

[CzarDodon]

Fellini in 'e la nave va', showed what he thought of narcissism in opera singers

'Trumpet' is often used for del Monaco's high notes, beacuse they were clear and ringing, they were very impressive. Del Monaco had a splendid voice, there is no question about that. But it's his rape of verdi's music I object to, and at this stage in his career his voice was severly compromised by years of abuse

[CzarDodon]

There is an Improvvsio from Andrea Chenier posted here on You tube that shows the young del Monaco and you can see the talent that could have been, had he served the music and not his own ego. A certain megalomania is common to many singers, but del Monaco's is too severe, maybe he would an inetersting psychiatric case study..... I guess you think I would be one too :-))))

[CzarDodon]

By the way, Czar Dodon is a comic character in Rimsky-Korsakov's Zolotoy Petushok (The Golden Cockerel), he was not Ivan the Terrible of Boris Godunov, quite to the contrary

[ezayi]

A few days ago I watched here an interview with him and how he prepared himself before a performance. It was so ridiculously egocentric I don´t understand how could people stand him. I thought; a real psichiatric case. But that he had a great voice, that´s a truth nobody can take from him. I think you are right about him abusing his instrument. But what the heck, he gave the best years for history to remember.

[DimeCrisBag]

you answered yourself. his voice was what made him `standable` i`d guess!

common...isnt it

[DimeCrisBag]

did you saw it here on youtube... cant find it!

[ezayi]

I was talking about del Monaco and his egocentrism. Yes, I saw it here in youtube. It was about how he (del Monaco)prepared before a performance and so on. Watching that I though; That guy belongs to a mental institution or he was just acting in front of the cameras. But likely the first impression. Unberable.

[CzarDodon]

There's no question that he had one hell of a voice. But singing always forte or louder, pointing everything towards powerful high notes, and 'interpreting' only by means of histrionic additions to the music and not also through the music, makes for uniformly monotonous and at times caricatured performances.

[ezayi]

Complete agree with you. I like very much his voice. What I didn´t like at all was his "show off" holding notes and musically not respecting what was written by the composer. It seems to be more about him than the character itself. But then again, that was something singers used to do in those times. He wasn´t the only one.

[CzarDodon]

That is true, but he did it much more than others. Look at the Act one aria from Andrea Chenier saved in my favourites, (not the horrific Tokyo performance) it is the only YT post I have found where he is in character and sings to his soprano and the others rather than to his admirers in the gallery. It is simply superb, there are only two perfectly placed histronic outbursts, he even sings soft and clean, respecting the musical contour. Makes His usual behaviour all the more infuriating.

[ezayi]

Didn´t find it in your saved videos. Will look here. Thanks :)

[ezayi]

Found it. He is singing to the soprano because it is recording. It seems to be made for tv. hehehe!

[CzarDodon]

you mean because there was no audience present he couldn't sing to them? could be.

a propos his contempories behaving the same, compare vesti la giubba (another Tokyo horror much aclaimed by MDMworshipers) to di Stefano's incredible intimate, profoundly sad rendition. Who is making a character?

[ezayi]

Saw it... oh please!!!

[DimeCrisBag]

well, on the other hand, i've found three others here, one with him in his younger days, one older and one already retired, that he couldnt sound any more down to earth, at all. i even thought twice if i was in the right video, with the right guy. well, they have fases, anyway, as we all do, right? or... we are talking just about a matter of preception for that matter. [he sounds egocentric live sometimes, anyway, lol!]- For the parachutters, like me previously, we are talking about Del Monaco.

[ezayi]

Yes, we could be egocentric but it was a like a character brought to life from a movie. Im talking about an interview when he was still singing, doing som "exercise" and singing loud around the pool, where he had some kind of special glasses to watch tv and so on. There´s a part where he´s listening to his own recording of Otello... that was the one that gave me the impression of him been nuts. A great singer though.

[DimeCrisBag]

huahua! Found it!

[ezayi]

What about the part where he´s singing with his own recording?... what a typho.

[DimeCrisBag]

yeah...huahua!

I think this was probably a habit in those days. But awful to see this kind of acting in our time, and his acting in general, live, way over the top, isnt it? huahua But I find it funny to see it. A register of a whole other era. Doesnt bother me, its amusing to see how things change.

[ezayi]

There´s still people so egocentric, it seems they belong to another world. I know a few of them. ME... ME... ME!!!... and the worst is they don´t realise it. Anyway... everybody has their own thing. We aren´t perfect. :)

[DimeCrisBag]

man... the very beggining of the video, with him bossing around with the frames, and the pool scene, i cant believe ist not a joke made for the movie. If its an old habit of portrail some artist at that time too, come on! It GOTTA be a character! Its so unbelievable it almost burned my eyes out watching those scenes!

[ezayi]

I thought it was so ridiculous I couldn´t believe he actually allowed himself to do that.

[JBPDOMME]

Marvellous, I saw him twice in Paris in 1978/1979, his Otello is totally different from other singers, merci Vickers

[daddy2foots]

BLACKULA!

[spaniarddamnit]

blackula is right!

[TitoBelize]

Haha, I laughed out loud when I read that.

[saviour9816]

Jon Vickers' Otello is second to none

[vickersman]

wish i'd had the chance to sing in Otello with him.One can learn a lot about the art of acting as well a singing from him

[sebastianoyong]

ottimo!!!!! non c'e' bisogno di parlar,,

[stevevandien]

A great artist. 'Nuff said:)!