Ferruccio Tagliavini "Pourquoi me reveiller?" Werther

[SHICOFF1]

Of course I mean 1965 below---- not 1865!

[SHICOFF1]

@REPUBLICRAT74 The correct date of Cassidy's Birth was 1899-1996 so she was really about 96 or 97 when she died but after she retired in 1865 from writing she did the Radio reviews until about 1980.I have some! She liked the new 30 yr old Tenor Neil Shicoff in the 1979 Boheme with Ramey also making his Lyric opera debut and Leonie Mitchell as Mimi. The only Mediocre Jussi B. review she gave him was in Aida in 1958, he sang 3 shows and a 1954 Tucker in Carmen. She loved them both though.

[SHICOFF1]

@Republicrat74 The Critics name was Claudia Cassidy and she was the toughest / best critic we ever had. She wrote in the Chicago tribune and called her piece "On The Aisle" She actually kept going until the 1980's and even reviewed every Sunday on the Radio, WFMT . Her tough writing drove some people out of Chicago but she was fair. Wrote also back in the 1940's She loved Jussi best of all and of Tucker said "his voice was Steel wrapped in Velvet " I Believe she was about 90 when she died.

[grandeopera]

Truly this is one of the most magnificent renderings of this lovely piece.

[paulostroff99]

Sensational singing! TY Oneguin65 for posting.

[kasha1932]

Here is a tenor who is not screaming. His easy, sweet style is one I could listen to all day long. I wonder what changed somuch that our tenors feel they must actually scream.. I really enoy this man's voice!

[SHICOFF1]

I HEARD HIM IN RECITAL IN THE EARLY 60'S IN CHICAGO AND THE MIDDLE OF THE VOICE WAS SO GIGLI LIKE IN THE SWEET SOUND IT WAS AMAZING, BY THEN THE TOP WAS NOT AS IT ONCE WAS BUT HIS VOICE CARRIED FINE EVEN NOT BEING A BIG VOICE WITH A NICE POINT AND WAS HEARD EASILY. HE SANG VERY WELL. THAT WAS REALLY HIS FAREWELL RECITAL FOR CHICAGO.

[Republicrat74]

@SHICOFF1 I heard him in Chicago also, circa 1952, in concert at Orchestra Hall, and enjoyed his performance immensely. He was panned unmercifully by the Tribune Music Critic (can't recall her name) who noted "....although his countrymen in the balcony shouted applauded enthusiastically". He had to repeat one of his encores (Amuri, Amuri) three times! I believe you can find a recording of it here on You Tube.

[Republicrat74]

@SHICOFF1 I heard him in Chicago also, circa 1952, in concert at Orchestra Hall, and enjoyed his performance immensely. He was panned unmercifully by the Tribune Music Critic (can't recall her name) who noted "....although his countrymen in the balcony applauded enthusiastically". He had to repeat one of his encores (Amuri, Amuri) three times! I believe you can find a recording of it here on You Tube.

[ditogam]

Thank you Onegin65 for one of the most magnificent video and performance, which is delight to listen ... amazing. No words can describe it.

[Kievest]

Artistic immortality wrapped in one of the most haunting and unforgettable voices

of any Century!!! The concept of subtlety is totally lost on today's audiences blinded

as they are by the hype, glitz and glam of vapid celebrity cardboard cutouts! The

reason tenors screech and holler today is because they are trying to use "show-

manship" to distract from their self serving and obvious lack of talent, depth

and true artistry! Tagliavini is a god by comparison! Thank you for this pearl!

[ditogam]

@Kievest Thank YOU SO much, sending me real treasure.

[paulostroff99]

Astounding! TY for this awesome posting.

[atenorforjesus]

very much like Gigli, beautiful!

[ziccs18]

interesting how some teachers say KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN, SOME SAY SLIGHTLY RAISE IT. Here you can clearly see he does raise it, just like many other greats!

[betokkikke]

Cierto lo que señala "stefakamelpash", bravo!

Sin duda que el exagerado "cameleo" arruina la hermosura del sentimiento vocal y Tagliavini está por encima de tal furor sentimentaloide en este vid! :-D.

[Rijhard1]

simplemente: APOTEÓSICO!!! LO DULCE EN LO MAS DULCE , SU MODULACIÓN MEDIA EXQUISITA Y GRAN DESEMPEÑO EN POTENCIAY LINDO TIMBRE EN SU AGUDO!

DIOS TE TENGA EN SU GLORIA ITALIANAZO!!!

[monpitt500]

Vive Nicolai Gedda!!! En Français

[hernando46]

Qué lírico ligero más extraordinario, solo comparable con Schipa y Valletti.

[saltburner2]

Lovely!

Tagliavini was second only to Tito Schipa in this role.

[carlogic1953]

egymagyar1111111 Sorry, but what the hell are you trying to say? it's not understandable...

[LYRIQUE13]

vraiment extraordinaire

[danto6]

omg!!....! he... sings.. beautiful!!! O_O

[enosv]

straordinario

[egymagyar1111111]

The Tagliavini he is really not Villazon but he is not only lost but he has been broken and pray for help the greatness in opera performances are everyone has his right, not better just as he can do it justly

[LE3C]

@egymagyar1111111 carlogic is right, it is difficult to understand you, but I think you are comparing this wonderful, sensitive singer to VILLAZON?? Yes, Tagliavini is not Villazon. Tagliavini sings in tune, phrases beautifully and does not force.

Yes, he is really NOT Villazon who may be "passionate" but his violence resulted in the need for surgery on his vocal cords because of abuse.

[Republicrat74]

@LE3C My experience also! I saw him in concert at Orchestra Hall in Chicago in 1952. My favorite was an encore which he sang twice....Amuri, Amuri. So soft and sweetly sung....so beautiful.

[lesbonnesoreilles]

Quelle voix extraordianire, autant dans les douceurs que dans les notes plus fortes. Quelle puissance aussi.

[Alfifa]

Just beautiful!

Karlott

[gundhari]

Sentire Tagliavini è come si apre il "cielo" del vero e genuino arte. Lui onora il compositore, soddisfa l'orrecchio dell'ascoltatore con una perfetta technica, con tutto la dolcezza del belcanto. Più perfetto non si può cantare. Come si si suol dire: "Ti porta agli angeli"!

[PihaSandDunes]

His upper register was angelic.

[halavey]

I heard him live to answer about his live singing, and I was at his farewell recital in the early 60's in Chicago, his voice may have not been as strong on top forte notes by then but the Gigli like piano notes and sweetness combined with fine artistic ability was still in the man, he was short in height but tall in talent.

[qklq42]

Ferruccio is the best Frits (Mascagni) ever.

I like his stile, taste and voice.

Hans NL

[arsenijak]

why Tagliavini never sung live?

[cyeh2]

"Never"!!!!

What made you think that?

He performed in many major opera houses around the world with many big names of his time (for example, Callas etc) during the 1940s and 1950s (and he kept singing on stage in the 1960s).

[arsenijak]

i mean why there aren't his "live recordings" on youtube?...

[vocede]

Klug gesungen. Dieser feine Gigli-Gesangsstil erhält die Feinmotorik der Randstimmfunktion bis ins hohe Alter. Bravo!!!!!

[otilia46]

Fascinant!...

[stefakamelpash]

Bravo! Gigli and Tagliavini actually understood lyric tenor singing.! This is what has always made tenor singing a joy to listen to. When tenors started screaming, something very beautiful and very traditionally accurate was lost. It simply is not necessary (and it certainly isn't beautiful) to blast away at the top of one's lungs! I heard Tagliavini in a hall that would seat 3,000 people, and I could hear every word, perfectly well. The audience loved it. Why don't people get it?

[paulostroff99]

@stefakamelpash -Bravo!!! Well said.This is stunning.

[paulostroff99]

@stefakamelpash -Agreed.They were indeed two of the very best tenors ever.

[tenorgoodfella]

@stefakamelpash I agree with you 100000%  Bravo... Tagliavini is fantastic..!

[DarKool81]

Great singer, but werther was in his 20s not his 50s

[eutuve]

so, are you planning to drink cyanide on your 50th birthday ?

[DarKool81]

I was referring Tagliavini who looks a little old to be playing Werther despite the quality of his singing. Werther didn't take Cyanide, he shot himself, and who knows, maybe I will shoot myself again I'm 50 - too far in the future to say definitively though

[eutuve]

I was referring to the fact that we rarely see roles played by a singer who looks fitted for the character ?

That' s Opera and it was stupid from me since, as an Opera lover you knew that

After I wrote the comment I saw Vittorio Grigolo singing in la Boheme His vitality and looks were stunning

Shooting yourself somewhere around the end of this century ?

Today Rita Da Montalcini our Italian Nobel Prize looked as a rose accepting the world wishes on her 100 birthday.

Ciao from Italy

[DarKool81]

True, look at Pavarotti! And he played Rodolfo better than anyone. But then again, Pavarotti was in a league of his own. For the average opera singer, it's more realistic to get younger performers to play the younger roles. Werther was 23 or something in the Goethe novel. Didn't know Rita was still alive. Must be the food you Italians eat.

Dia duit from Ireland

[eutuve]

Rita is 100 + one day

Yes, spaghetti makes Italians the second longest population , after the Japanese.

Actually, while watching , mostly, you have to imagining the character and forget the singer's looks

thanks for teaching me my first Gaelic word,

Dia duit to you,

Arrivederci da Amelia, Umbria

Amelia is a town founded 400 years before Rome

[DarKool81]

Indeed. Wow, Amelia must be about 3000 years old. Dublin is very young, only founded about 900 AD by the Vikings.

Slan go foill from Dublin

[seektheforce]

@DarKool81 I disagree with you about Pavarotti, Jussi Bjoerling was the best in the Rodolfo role...

[Merryjest]

One of the best Werthers of the late 20th century was Alfredo Kraus, and he could sing the role at 70 better than most could at 20 and 30. Who cares if they look too old? This is opera, not broadway nor hollywood.

[amantdopera]

Mi pare che Ferrucio Tagliavini sia il milgior tenor lirico e che questo brano di musica lo verifichi

[rafaeldeaguiar]

He looks like Scarpia! Hahaha..haha.hah.....Sorry, lose friend but not the joke.

[bobtemming]

mooie lyrische stem,lijkt erop dat hij sterk geinspireerd is geweest door GIGLI & SCHIPA.

[RudySunseeker]

I guess that voice would mesmerize an audience today, unfortunately there is nobody to take his place. What a voice, what control! Bravo, bravo, bravo!

[grandeopera]

Beautiful interpretation. Yes, very different from Kraus and Gedda who also excelled in this role.

Schipa and Gigli versions are also memorable.

[Y4RED]

Great Rendition!!! Few tenors can match this (I refer to the italian version of this aria). I would say Schipa and Gigli are top of my list. In my opinion the french version is best mastered by Kraus and Guedda.

[paulostroff99]

Magnificent! Beyond words to describe the beauty of this version!  Bravo! TY.

[guy1938]

Merveilleux tenor

[kaenzoo]

the last "tenore di grazia" wonderful!

[Lwaxana]

Wat een ontroerende stem, geweldig mooi!

[motardbear15]

He was in the following of Schipa....I have a old recording of Werther (highlights only) with him...Nobody can approach him(and Schipa of course)

[rovingeye5]

so different than Kraus & Gedda, but so beautiful! amazing!

[schwarzkavalier]

Semplicemente incantevole!Insuperabile interprete per determinati ruoli!Grande Tagliavini!

[olderngod]

My heart at thy sweet voice . . . Truly sublime!

[bluecygnu]

He was GREAT!

[operaappassionate]

Why we can't here this kind of voices and this kind of interpretations today...

[egymagyar1111111]

Tagliavini is not so old, the Schipa and Gigli are history of great singing and in youtube just on another page people is criticising Paul Groves to try to reproduce these heavenly and with success, listen to his je crois of the perlefisher, Pavarotti himself recorded it just one time

[rafaeldeaguiar]

Looks more like Scarpia than Werther... ;-)

[Tenderness6]

Tagliavini was just heaven sent. His voice is so define in my opinion.

[iduefoscari]

I loved Tagliavini, I am just wondering if he is miming here to one of his great originals.I dont care its really great and if its original its numero uno for somebody of his age,or any age.

[Checco1983]

Il più grande tenore di grazia dopo Schipa

[maxhansendk]

This must be the crownprice of Gigli!

Same soft sweet sound - Rarely heard today.

[davit1982]

Absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!

[Sanrus]

SUBLIME!!

[160rpm]

How old was he here?