Lauritz Melchior & Victor Borge

[SHICOFF1]

THE COMMENT here that his vocal power is not heard in his recordings is surely because you cannot really tell how big a voice is from recordings, nor how much Squillo one has because it does not always come through. He had a big voice by all accounts. Members of my family heard him and others now gone had heard him said it was a big voice. I would have to believe that.

[tenorschofield]

@SHICOFF1 This was the same opinion of my greatgrand mother who was german and heard him sing at Bayreuth and at the MET. She said he was brilliant as a trumpet and at the same time with the warmth of a romantic hero.She died when I was 14 years like 36 years ago, but sure I keep myself as a fan!!! He was one of the best for me!!!

[UNITEDSPACEFLAG]

still super !!

[ZEMTRASH]

super

[kiwibobe]

Borge's facial expressions in the first 30 seconds are just wonderful. Worthy of the best mime artist. Extravagantly humorous.

Superb !

[ElPiconeroalCognac]

This is so great. Thanks, primo. Thanks much.

[2920Thomas]

Well it is more or less a standard Borge (Børge Rosenbaum) joke! Challenge a really great singer to perform without cracking up - Melchior very nearly did - as was generally the rule. Don't underestimate Borge as a pianist: He had about the softest touch I've ever heard.

[svjatazarov]

ШИКАРНО!

[flumbtosse3]

best wagnerian heldentenor ever

[Bjoerrelli]

This is proof what great vocal technique does I know of none Wagner tenor who are in there sixties singing with this freshness and stable voice not a sign of wobble remarkeble

[charliep3]

wonderful singer

[steinwaygrande1]

There is a lot written about Lauritz Melchior on Google. I didnt know much about him apaert frmo seeing him perform with Victor Borge. They made a good team on this video clip. Melchior was born in 1890 and died in America in 1973. His body was buried back in Copenhagen

[grig035]

There's a useful YouTube backgrounder on Melchior at /watch?v=WiGCOm8Bkco. His was probably the most phenomenally natural tenor voice for the grueling Wagner tenor parts that the past century ever had. A tiny handful of others may sometimes show keener artistry or finer musicianship. But for vocal ease and vocal power, both contemporary accounts and the recordings we have, both "live" and in the studio, bear out the degree to which Melchior's sheer lack of fatigue in Wagner's music is unique!

[VivaRenata]

@grig035 That's all very well, but it doesn't change the fact that the man was such an idiot that he couldn't even remember the name of his title role at times. It is really comical when, in the April 41 recording of the Met Tristan broadcast, he's supposed to sing "Das bietet ihr Tristan ... " in the second act. What he sings is "Das bietet ihr hm, hm, " and then a chorister steps in to save him. None of the recordings I've heard display this vocal power that you and others praise.

[grig035]

@VivaRenata Check out the '31 78 of the "rehearsal scene" in Act III Meistersinger with Schorr, the '35 Walkuere Act I under Walter, the '42 78 of Rienzi's prayer, the last act of the '36 Goetterdaemmerung under Bodanzky, and the two '37 Tristan b'casts, one from January at the Met under Bodanzky and the other from mid-year at Covent Garden under Beecham. I'd say these give one the most vivid aural "picture" of the real voice.

[65attila]

@grig035

100 % correct

[Englishtenor2]

Is that a baby grand? Melchior is huge next to it! Almost 7 foot high!!!

[tomfroekjaer]

Being a Dane myself I can really appreciate this. Thanks.

[Olole]

Funny because i can't

[dalanuch]

Gracias

[vstasov]

My favorite singer! Thank you - my heart is now singing!

[LMJ314142]

I wish accompaniments were always that easy.

[2800Hertz]

He's horsing 'round here but, wow, what a voice!

[Brumbazzen]

They are both from Denmark they speak good english much better than me :o)

[harrynking777]

@Brumbazzen Correction: 'much better than I'.

[Brumbazzen]

@harrynking777 ....Thank you it was a pleasure to hear.

[ellandelachapelle]

Haha. Do you notice that Borge plays the same chord every time? (the comedy is that Melchior doesn't seem to notice. Opera singers mostly only hear themselves...)

[kaburto1966]

How fun!

[jkircher314]

Melchior was an immortal. And he and Gigli were both born on March 20, 1890.

[procrustesuk]

Two great Danes having a laugh! I didn't realise that the man who did all that Wagner did comedy too, thanks for posting this.

[nanbil]

Melchior was a great practical joker; one of the main reasons that he didn't get along with Kirsten Flagstad.

[prchristman]

Melchior's comedic talents were also displayed on Spike Jones's TV show, where he joined Jones in "Cocktails for Two." Complete chaos going on around him, and he performed admirably. This was one of the skits on the Jones tape "Wreck We Um."

[LLPorduction]

@procrustesuk They are not... :( how dare u say they are dogs!

[ancestralyuba]

Priceless!

[EmilyGreene1984]

Its always fun and so refreshing to see serious opera and classical performers just acting silly. :D

[Lanzafan1]

Saved to my favourites. This is really funny. Ah, they don't make em like this any more. How many times do we claim to LOL (laugh out loud) when really, we didn't? This time I really did! :)

Can anyone tell me please, what is 'Squillo'?

[Tenor65]

Squillo is italian word mean loud ring ... good tenor should has it in voice ;)

[Gharmos]

Thanks Tomek - I see. You have a good squillo in that case :) What do you think of this clip? That man is so funny.

[Tenor65]

mom of mike? ;) yes he is very funny

[Lanzafan1]

Oops, accidentally left message when Mike's account was on! Check out the vid of him drumming - last but one on his vid list, not bad :)

[contessabrilliante]

But so is Victor Borge.

[merrihew]

Thanks for this great clip.

[luganskymichelangeli]

and that is waht i do when ppl want me to accompany, when i'm not in the mood ofcourse. nice to be able to relate to this.

[8032gesang]

Great, thank you very much. He was the best, he has the

tone quality, the style and technique to sing this too. Even if his italian wasn't so good....

[sagalat]

Hilarious. Wonder where you found this? Great, thanks