Joseph Schmidt - Nessun Dorma

[2CalaMo]

A great voice and a great tragedy. I am glad to know that some people still know who he is.

Wether it is TV or the stupid mob, there is a lot of horrific singing out there making millions of dollars. It is sad that the human ear has evolved so poorly.

[gmmix]

Sung with an elegance not generally associated with this aria. Thank you for this posting.

[Kenshin22able]

On of the best tenor i have ever heard without a second thought! Beautifull and Magnificent!

[zwischensopran]

Schmidt's is a very nice voice. I had not heard of him before, thanks for posting.

[letsphilosophize]

One can never get tired of such a heavenly voice. Words can't describe how beautifully he sings.

[tomfroekjaer]

I keep coming back to this incredibly performance of Nessum dorma. One of the best I've ever heard.

On YouTube Pavarotti seems to be the most popular performer of this aria. I like the various Pavarotti performances, but for me personally Joseph Schmidt makes a much greater and deeper emotional impact on me. Thank you very much for making this available for all of us to hear on YT.

[Coupal1]

What legato! Luxurious, filled with emotion. He really understands the music and does not "try" too hard and expressing it. I've heard some good voices before, but few really understand that "more" is not better. Hope you understand what I'm trying to say!

[tomfroekjaer]

@Coupal1: He was the "German or Jewish Caruso" - and just like Enrico Caruso he communicated empathy in his singing, A true genious.

[abracadabranque]

Belle version!

[alexpong0]

The BEST !!!!!!!!

[brmx1945]

Opfer einer gnadenlosen Zeit... gestorben infolge einer nicht behandelten Lungenentzündung,in einem Auffanglager für Flüchtlinge in Gyrenbad,Zürcher Oberland.

[x0xsamsarax0x]

Always make me cry it is so beautiful:)

Thank you for sharing

Namaste

Heather

[tomfroekjaer]

This is IMO one of the greatest ever performances of this great aria. If he was better or less than other tenors, is utterly irrelevant. This performance is absolutely devine !

Thanks, damals48!

[Sterndi1]

*Räusper* Paul Potts hier ins Spiel zu bringen ist doch unfair. ;-) Joseph Schmidt ist ROZ 100 (V-Power 100+Benzin), Potts ROZ 91 (Normalbenzin), aber auch nicht weniger. Andere verdienen genausviel wie Potts oder sogar mehr und können ÜBERHAUPT NICHT SINGEN! Das trifft mich aber wesentlich härter, Freunde. ;-D

[The99Gambo]

A beautifully soft voice; he would be a celebrity nowadays. There were so many wonderful singers years ago below the top tier - many of whom would be international stars today.

[brioma1]

ist es nicht wurscht woher er stammt und welcher religion angehörte ? was zählt er war ein mensch mit einer überaus kraftvollen wunderschönen ausdrucksvollen stimme.

[SuperNini2010]

Hermosa voz.... lean su historia

[SuperNini2010]

Bello timbre de voz!... LEAN SU HISTORIA

[silviaetz]

thanks for posting this video. He was my mothers idol, she made him his shirts when living in Chernivitz. A little man with a huge voice.

[BOHEMIANMEX]

One of the most beatiful voices that I heard, I am in tears, Rest in peace

[tena2]

bravo bravo bravo Cant find many tenors like him nowadays shame though

[RudySunseeker]

What a wonderful voice this man possessed and how effortlessly he used it to perfection!

I just hope he got ample praise in the short span of time he was allotted.

Rest in peace, Joseph Schmidt, we will love you forever!

[TheFrancesco1952]

J.Schmidt ha una voce straordinaria che entra nell'anima. Le parole in lingua italiana sono molto comprendibile.

Grazie per aver postato questo video.

Francesco (Italy)

[MultiSORDO]

Magnifico en realidad...

Que voz tan suave, tan melodiosa.

[jaren4141]

maravillosa voz,maravillosa version¡¡¡maravilloso equilibrio entre la emocion y la tecnica......belleza con mayusculas¡¡¡¡¡..muchas gracias gran tenor......por esa alma tan bella¡¡¡¡¡....si señor..que gran talento¡¡¡¡¡...gracias de por tanto amor¡¡¡¡..regalado al mundo¡¡¡¡

[guanacadecorazon12]

Que maravilla de voz. Se me rompe el corazón cuando pienso la forma en que murió a los 38 años, una pérdida incalculable. Me gusta tanto como Jussi Bjorling mi favorito.

[mariella293]

...traurig das schicksal von ihm und seiner fam....würde mir sehr wünschen er wäre noch unter uns.....eine ....jahrtausendstimme.....dank­e ***joseph***....leider bist du gestorben, da war ich noch nicht mal geboren, aber ich bin meinen grosseltern sehr dankbar, dass sie mir ein paar 'platten' und deine 'geschichte' vererbt haben !!!

[tebaldicallas]

Beautiful rendition. Great Voice

[saltburner2]

This is one of six titles he recorded in London [Abbey Road Studios] in June 1934 with Walter Goehr conducting.

[comment2011]

I had not run across Schmidt before, and I agree his voice is extraordinarily beautiful and sweet. I question "ranking" singers, saying Bjorling, who surely is wonderful, is better. Can't we just say they are different and each brings something distinctive to this aria?

[damals48]

Why on Earth do you question ranking singers? Of course all "singers" are different (beautiful and wonderful), some are more "different" than others. It is like not comparing the croaking of a frog to a nightingale's song.

[bollard00]

comment 2011,

As your knowledge of real singers is so shallow I would not consider your opinion of rating singers as having any worthwhile value whatsoever.

[Lovelytenor1]

I too am a fan of Jussi B, but this is truly lovely & should stand on its own merit. JS had one of prettiest voices ever.

[tomfroekjaer]

I believe Puccini originally wrote Nessun dorma and the role of Calaf with Enrico Caruso in mind. Sadly Caruso died before the opera was finished. Many have performed this most beautiful aria - Gigli, Björling and later tenors. J.S. performs this with so much heart and power. Thanks for uploading.

[andyb2707]

This is a refreshing take on this glorious aria. Usually, it is handled in such a grandiose, overpowering, stentorian manner but this is flowing and lyrical. My all-time favorite version is still Jussi Bjorling's but Josef Schmidt was a magnificent voice, tragically stilled too young.

[damals48]

hi andyb2707,

Yes, Jussi's is the greatest and best version of this aria. Joseph's is not far behind it though.

R

[tomfroekjaer]

... And Paul Potts more than 15 million - amazing what TV can do to manipulate people...

[damals48]

Nobody ever lost money by overestimating the bad taste of the public

[tomfroekjaer]

Well said - sadly so ...

[robertwbecker]

@tomfroekjaer Hi Tom, I coudn't agree with you more!!!!!!

[wetering777]

@tomfroekjaer It is not the television but the stupid mob.

[tomfroekjaer]

Pavarotti gets more than one millions hits on this aria. People obviously don't know anything about quality of voices....

[Oasenfritz]

No one can ever reach to him, he is "The Voice" of Tenors!!!!

[Hailstone47]

I've heard this aria so often and this is so easy, so lovely. It has just the correct amount of spirit invested in the sound. It makes my weeping heart soar.

[joelweisberg]

You're onto something here Hailstone. I think Puccini himself would have loved it.

I'll quote you! "So easy so lovely" He was a beautiful tenor, ah so many years ago.

[CanadaPisces]

A great lyric tenor! What a magnificent rendition of "Nessun Norma"!

[parlophonman]

Einmalig ! Danke Helmut !

[nicodagger]

beautiful!!! Does anyone know if Joseph Schmidt was ever a cantor, did he sing the sacred songs, or just "secular" music? thanks.

[damals48]

Yes, he was a cantor and did sing sacred music

[Manxypop]

Do a search on YouTube "Joseph Schmidt Ano Avdo - you will love it

[tototamuz]

sure he was a cantor.

[796824]

Joseph Schmidt was the Jewish Caruso, a splendid singer who demonstrated the true Art of Singing. None of the tenors today can match.

[noogard65]

Niemand wird je verstehen, was die Nazis und ihre Schergen vernichtet haben. So viel Leid und Unrecht.

Joseph Schmidt - diese Stimme muss für immer erhalten bleiben. Ich habe Nessun Dorma noch nie in so einer leichtigkeit gehört. Einfach Brilliant.

[OaverevaO]

Why does this video have 10,016 views (currently) while that paul guy has 40mil? When will people start rediscovering what has been lost?

[DevaRupa]

Paul was a one trick pony, with no voice training but there are still marvellous tenors alive and performing now. I Listened to Paul singing Nessun Dorma once and then to one other recording which confirmed my suspicions that his performance in that competition was cushioned by a very sympathetic orchestra.

[DevaRupa]

Also Nessun Dorma is a good choice for to sing for an unsophisticated audience as it is so well known everyone has a version of it probably Pavorotti playing in their head that helps with the "cushioning effect"

Do not despair there will always be people with more and less developed sensitivity to good music than our own. Fortunately with technology what it is we can preserve some of these delightful gems even if only for a few listeners.

[OaverevaO]

Well also the old records didn't start to get released onto c.d. till around the start of the 21st century.

[damals48]

Nobody has ever lost money overestimating the bad taste of the public

[LadyTwenties]

What a FANTASTIC quote! That is going into storage for me! :)

[roemerudi]

Because genuinity dosn't sells

It's so easy to hear what 'uptodatemedia'

is playing.

[OaverevaO]

It will again some day.

[jacobsimon]

Paul was like what Samuel Johnson said about the dancing dog. It's not that he does it well, but that he does it all. He's a rather sad person, so part of his appeal is pity. Just like Bocelli, the ultimate Mr. Pitiful

[OaverevaO]

Hm, so what the people really want is a freak show. Haha, I had that view of American Idol since it's conception.

[LadyTwenties]

Haha, this is a belated comment, but I was JUST about to post this exact comment, right before I read through the ones already posted, and here you posted my exact thoughts! I don't know the answer unfortunately, aside from humanity is hopelessly lost and ignorant.

[eyedotkoma]

can only imagine if he lived in these days and with all the modern technology, a voice that would melt almost anyones heart.

[viverito]

you would not be able to hear this at all in a theatre

[elmerxxl]

Der Größte aller Zeiten

[OaverevaO]

When singers still new how to sing.

[OaverevaO]

Knew*

[huschpel]

Ich wollte da mal richtig kritisch drangehen. Ich hatte einen Favoriten! Aber während des Liedes wurde mir klar, wie konkurenzlos gefühlvoll diese Version ist, wie brilliant!

[dandyjesus]

Stimme dir voll und ganz zu. Das erstaunliche ist, dass er gerade auch in den hohen Passagen das Gefühl mit einer Lässigkeit behält, die ihresgleichen sucht.

[volkerwrieble]

Ich habe immer einen angemessenen Ausdruck für seine hohen Töne gesucht, ich danke Dir, Lässigkeit ist der richtige Ausdruck. Welch eine Stimme, welch ein Leben.

[neronnenn]

Finally somebody that says Nessun dorma comme il faut...

[stmkgraz]

Gänsehaut pur, wenn man bedenkt, was für Aufnahmetechnik es damals gegen heute gibt, würde er die meisten heutigen Stars gegen die Wand singen!!

[mayflash67]

Ich denke auch, welche Stimme muss man(n) gehabt haben, um mit damaliger Aufnahmetechnik so zu klingen!!!! Wie schade um ihn! Ich verstehe nicht von Musik, kann nur zuhören und staunen!

[Toxicsippo]

wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mazintas]

Super!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!