Nicolai Gedda certainly shows here that one doesn't have to be a native English speaker to sing well in English. Very clear diction and good enunciation. A great singer.
Gedda's enunciation is something remarkable ... I just performed this in a concert (accompanying myself on harp) and I am now feeling ashamed that I even posted it on youtube especially since, unlike Gadda, I'm mothertongue ENGLISH!!!! ohh the shame of it ..... will sing better next time :-)
Quite a few glottal onsets and odd places for breaths, but beautiful singing from M. Gedda nonetheless. Gerald Moore had the most wonderful tonal control imaginable and very close to Emil Gilels- he can make a tone sing and spin after striking in the way that singers can. Morgen (Strauss) with Janet Baker is the finest example. There are very few pianists who can create this and two (with Gilels) are Richter and Britten himself.
Such a beautiful, clever piece of writing. I don't usually prefer his re-arrangements, but I love this one. And am always bowled over by the Scandinavians, Gedda, The Real group, Von Otter, Laura Fribo,,on & on it goes. This sort of stuff will never fade.
My! What an artist! His polyglot side alone is enough to make me dead green with envy :-) And his voice suits this Irish song so well.
It's nice to see that the pianist is also running the show, unlike in many cases where you see an annoying host who does nothing but constant talking, interrupting and making foolishly irrelevant remarks.
This is beautiful...Like everyone has been saying, Gedda's english diction is out of this world. So good! And his singing is out-of-this-world gorgeous.
Two masters! Gedda's clear enunciation in the English language is most remarkable for an artist fluent in Russian, German, French etc,,,and a native of Sweden. A great performer,,,here with a most accomplished accompanist. Very many thanks for posting, you serve us well !
Nicolai gedda did some very fine performances in English, there is an Abduction from the Seraglio (Mozart) from the late 1950's and a complete recording of Elgar's Dream of Gerontius as well as much later the odd tenor parts in Bernstein's Candide. he couls speak abot 5 languages fluently and partnered Callas on two EMI recordings! Not bad really.
This man sang the song beautifuly. But I don't understand why the piano was played as if it were for a third grade performance. It could have been so much better. But kudos to the singer. Well done.
This is the Benjamin Britten arangement of the folksong...a classic composition...simplistic, and allowing the voice to portray the text to its fullest.
A third grade pianist would not be able to play this piece at the level of perfection displayed here!
glasgowm1 - not strictly speaking a 'folksong' as the words are W.B. Yeats' 'improvement' on 'Rambling Boys of Pleasure' which could probably be described a folksong alright.
I see no problem with the piano accompaniment but then I'm just a Dublin savage....
A great partnership and yet another fine example of Gedda's superb artistry in what is for him just another foreign language. Why mention other fine singers who are singing in their element? How would they sound in German, Russian or Swedish to natives of those Countries?
Lovely performance, even though I would have hoped the singing be a little smoother, more sensitive. But for someone outside the Isles not a bad performance at all, I think. Especially when it's not his own language, singing classics in English can be tricky
Gedda and Gerald Moore could only be very good, as the minimum from these two great great artists! But, IMHO Alfred Deller´s version is still the epythome.
Well sung by Nicolai Gedda, Never saw this before .Hard to say who sings this song best as I like almost all versions also when sung by our Folk Groups.I think the tempo here is just a little fast , but only MY opinion. Greets from Ireland and thanks for posting.
Once again Nicolai proves himself to be the most versatile operatic tenor of all time. Give him a piece of music and he will not only master the language but the style as well. Bravo!
Gedda is a favorite tenor of mine and probably the most versatile of any. But this clip proves that even he can be out of his element. This song demands a Celtic sensibility and Gedda simply does not have that. For the finest rendition of Sally Gardens, check out Kenneth McKellar's version; even the great McCormack (who also recorded it with Gerald Moore)cannot surpass it. But for an aria such as "Magische Tone", nobody can top Gedda. Thanks for posting this very educational clip. Slainte!
Gedda is kind of an "overlooked"tenor, in the shadow of Björling, and perhaps didn't get the whole recognition he so fully deserved.
sund58bybergaren 2 weeks ago
Ay! Que bello!
nhcrama 1 month ago
Nicolai Gedda certainly shows here that one doesn't have to be a native English speaker to sing well in English. Very clear diction and good enunciation. A great singer.
mikebaker2009 5 months ago
Gedda's enunciation is something remarkable ... I just performed this in a concert (accompanying myself on harp) and I am now feeling ashamed that I even posted it on youtube especially since, unlike Gadda, I'm mothertongue ENGLISH!!!! ohh the shame of it ..... will sing better next time :-)
KirstyGriffiths 8 months ago
He rules.... Love love love Gedda... Makes my world better
RamirRMA 9 months ago
i love this ...so beautiful and great to learn from this wonderful interpretation!
jenson7720 11 months ago
Quite a few glottal onsets and odd places for breaths, but beautiful singing from M. Gedda nonetheless. Gerald Moore had the most wonderful tonal control imaginable and very close to Emil Gilels- he can make a tone sing and spin after striking in the way that singers can. Morgen (Strauss) with Janet Baker is the finest example. There are very few pianists who can create this and two (with Gilels) are Richter and Britten himself.
vivienmerchant 1 year ago
God bless you
chrissoftail 1 year ago
Who were the two fools who voted against this? They were jealous tenors.
MBW4449 1 year ago 2
@MBW4449 theyre young and foolish lol
cool79606 10 months ago
Such a beautiful, clever piece of writing. I don't usually prefer his re-arrangements, but I love this one. And am always bowled over by the Scandinavians, Gedda, The Real group, Von Otter, Laura Fribo,,on & on it goes. This sort of stuff will never fade.
pianomags 1 year ago
My! What an artist! His polyglot side alone is enough to make me dead green with envy :-) And his voice suits this Irish song so well.
It's nice to see that the pianist is also running the show, unlike in many cases where you see an annoying host who does nothing but constant talking, interrupting and making foolishly irrelevant remarks.
RoyKa2010 1 year ago
As yesterday, Nicky chante et enchante! Where is another artist like him today? Long live to the great Nico!!!
fabianpersic 1 year ago
This is beautiful...Like everyone has been saying, Gedda's english diction is out of this world. So good! And his singing is out-of-this-world gorgeous.
rubatocasualopera 1 year ago 3
Indeed, absolutely perfect diction, aided by the slowly lyricism of his interpretation. Bravo to both artists, so legitimately loved by all.
mckavitt 1 year ago
Great style.
ishkaprielian 2 years ago
need tis vocal score... help please!
aguacun 2 years ago
Two masters! Gedda's clear enunciation in the English language is most remarkable for an artist fluent in Russian, German, French etc,,,and a native of Sweden. A great performer,,,here with a most accomplished accompanist. Very many thanks for posting, you serve us well !
Ivanhoe2 2 years ago 15
Excellent point about him sounding like a native English speaker. Not too many Europeans/Russians make the language seem indigenous.
sgnmath1234 2 years ago
Nicolai gedda did some very fine performances in English, there is an Abduction from the Seraglio (Mozart) from the late 1950's and a complete recording of Elgar's Dream of Gerontius as well as much later the odd tenor parts in Bernstein's Candide. he couls speak abot 5 languages fluently and partnered Callas on two EMI recordings! Not bad really.
rajjy100 2 years ago
fabulous! a diction genious
davidSBG 2 years ago 4
This man sang the song beautifuly. But I don't understand why the piano was played as if it were for a third grade performance. It could have been so much better. But kudos to the singer. Well done.
Rikki0 2 years ago
This is the Benjamin Britten arangement of the folksong...a classic composition...simplistic, and allowing the voice to portray the text to its fullest.
A third grade pianist would not be able to play this piece at the level of perfection displayed here!
As for Gedda....awesome
glasgowm1 2 years ago 2
glasgowm1 - not strictly speaking a 'folksong' as the words are W.B. Yeats' 'improvement' on 'Rambling Boys of Pleasure' which could probably be described a folksong alright.
I see no problem with the piano accompaniment but then I'm just a Dublin savage....
sealt160n 2 years ago
I wonder if he ever sang "the last rose of summer-" he would have done beautifully with it
ShawDAMAN 2 years ago
Gorgeous. He sounds like a native english speaker. What a pro.
ShawDAMAN 2 years ago 3
Absolutely charming! I love this song. :) Does anybody know which year this was recorded?
daydreamer1991white 2 years ago 8
In 1961.
Herur22 2 years ago
A great partnership and yet another fine example of Gedda's superb artistry in what is for him just another foreign language. Why mention other fine singers who are singing in their element? How would they sound in German, Russian or Swedish to natives of those Countries?
Ivanhoe2 2 years ago
Lovely performance, even though I would have hoped the singing be a little smoother, more sensitive. But for someone outside the Isles not a bad performance at all, I think. Especially when it's not his own language, singing classics in English can be tricky
finnhere2 3 years ago
Beautiful voice, but I dislike Britten's arrangement.
asisecanta 3 years ago
Gedda and Gerald Moore could only be very good, as the minimum from these two great great artists! But, IMHO Alfred Deller´s version is still the epythome.
lamsalgado 3 years ago
Well sung by Nicolai Gedda, Never saw this before .Hard to say who sings this song best as I like almost all versions also when sung by our Folk Groups.I think the tempo here is just a little fast , but only MY opinion. Greets from Ireland and thanks for posting.
bilstew 3 years ago
Once again Nicolai proves himself to be the most versatile operatic tenor of all time. Give him a piece of music and he will not only master the language but the style as well. Bravo!
spgtenor 3 years ago 3
im performing this song in like 2 hours lolzzz
grecs 3 years ago
How did it go?
Herur22 3 years ago
Wonderful performance. Bravo!
wolkowy1 3 years ago
Gedda is a favorite tenor of mine and probably the most versatile of any. But this clip proves that even he can be out of his element. This song demands a Celtic sensibility and Gedda simply does not have that. For the finest rendition of Sally Gardens, check out Kenneth McKellar's version; even the great McCormack (who also recorded it with Gerald Moore)cannot surpass it. But for an aria such as "Magische Tone", nobody can top Gedda. Thanks for posting this very educational clip. Slainte!
theirisher 3 years ago
thank you so much for posting gedda videos!!!
he is a real legend
ilkertenor 3 years ago
Je préfère de très loin l'interprétation d'Andreas Scholl, qui est de loin beaucoup plus musicale !
neobenny 3 years ago
Perfectly stylish. Perfect diction. Perfectly sung. A gem. TY. Possibly 1961?
Glenmed 3 years ago 5