The Prologue to Pagliacci sung by Lawrence Tibbett

[diarci]

I bow to no one in my admiration for Tibbett, but as a matter of fact he fololowed Ponselle by 5 years.

[djdannyv1]

Phrasing is how fast or slow you apply the arrangement with your singing, show me someone who phrases like Lawrence.

Danny Long Island.

Listen to how fast Lawrence sings, no one I have ever heard sings it like Lawrence.

[djdannyv1]

All the great singers of the day where all special in their own way, Lawrence is the best of the best. Resonance and Phrasing is all I have to refer to and the voice tells the story. Range he could also hit the high register without straining his voice.

Thank you for posting this classic music.

[operalament]

@ThaiMike2010 another of the many elegantly phrased comments here on youtube. Thank you so much for enlightening me.

[lihothand]

Lawrence sings this song / aria slightly different from Warren Gobi or Merrill, All great but Lawrence sings to the dialect required. Baritones must have range and resonance this Baritone has it all. At his peak no one could compare. My Father was a skilled Baritone and this was his model. I trust my Fathers Judgement and my ear tells me that no one compares to Lawrence.

Danny Long Island

[lihothand]

So when I was a boy, my Father and I would sing together this wonderful song. Lawrence is the best at keeping your attention with his phrasing and timing. His voice is unmatched up to this point. 01/22/2011. No one could sing like Lawrence. If anyone has this type of talent please by all means take advantage of it and see someone who will promote it and change the landscape of music, Please.

Danny From Long Island.

[redgrapeskins]

I listened to the live Met Tibbett Prologue from 1941 and that is a good half tone higher than this [I just compared the "incominciate" and that live performance is sung very slowly--a remarkable feat indeed- Tibbett often took his time phonating vowels,so as to let that big sound pour out- Whether he was greater than Warren is open for debate - All voices have different textures and roundness of tone so some require more effort to produce-Tibbett was a master

[VinylToVideo]

With singers like this on record it's amazing the awful baritones around today even have careers. We'd be better off having actors lip sync on stage to opera recordings made between the 1920s and 1960s.

[operalament]

lovelytenor1, Tibbetts voice was HUGE and I would be very interested in hearing what baritones you believe had greater power. There was an article written in the thirties which my father saved an dwhich i read in late 70 shoing the decible levels of tibbett ringing top. he out did a fire siren and a cannon shot. thats pretty big sound

[Lovelytenor1]

The greatest baritone? That could be argued but it hardly matters. To listen to his warm tone, which seems not to exist today, is haunting. Friends who saw him said he was the greatest singing actor of his day. The voice lacked the power of some but, again, that hardly matters. He was a master of his art.

[jeanmolin55]

E' una buona interpretazione !

Non commettiamo l'errore di fare dei paragoni improponibili! Gobbi era di casa alla Scala. E prevale un giudizio di tecnica severa; e Govvi è PROMOSSO A PINI VOTI. Tibbett invece "abitava" al Metropolitan di N.Y. dove il giudizio sul cantante non è mai stato strettamente tecnico e di attinenza al libretto ma è formulato più sulla simpatia, coinvolgimento, umanità, voce piacevole!

Siamo in contesti troppo diversi.

Bravo Tibbett e grazie per il post

[bodiloto]

@jeanmolin55 ma che cosa scrive,nel Metropolitan di N.Y. cantavano i piu grandi cantanti nel Mondo ! Ma di quale simpatia,coinvolgimento,umanit­a e voce piacevole parla ? Tibbett é stato un mostro,prima di scrivere ascoltate per favore esistono opere intere con Tibbett ...incredibile...ma i piu grandi cantati Italiani cantavano à Metropolitan,é stato un onore di cantare in questo teatro !...

[Lovelytenor1]

LT had this natural trace of melancholy that few had. Perhaps Warren or Gobbi or others sang it better, to each his own. But this inate "human" quality is not often given us to savor.

[leondup]

I'm a big, big Gobbi fan, particularly when it comes to the Prologue. This stirring rendition by Tibbet, for me, comes closest to matching Gobbi (in the La Scala recording with Callas and Di Stefano). The two renditions are very similar in style, too. Quite terrific!

[operalament]

you know, i have listened to this recording many many time over the years, and it remains almost unbelievable. no one today would attempt that phrase in a single breath. however, the performance at the end of the film metropolitan was more thrilling i think, he was a much more mature artist at that time. you know, 30 years ago tibbet was nearly a forgotten man, i am so glad to see that thrugh u tube is becoming rediscovered. he remains the greatest baritone the world has ever known

[rovingdesertfox]

@operalament which phrase are you talking about? I don't hear anything out of the ordinary.

[phatphace]

@rovingdesertfox 2:07. Also, I can assure you that the entire recording is out of the ordinary.

[MusicMan1519]

@rovingdesertfox I think he was referring to "un nido di memorie... etc... cantava un giorno" starting around 2:05. Am I right?

[rovingdesertfox]

@MusicMan1519 Yep.

[riigoletto]

my all time fav, what a man.....long live his voice

[mrm4xim4m]

: -  )

[stephenTGV]

One of the most noble and great singers of all times. Unsurpassed performance.

[lpvcrcd]

I heard him sing tonio [from a live met broadcast of pagliacci] on sirius radio from I believe 1941 commentators said he was drinking heavy at the time but the voice was large rich and full First time I heard tibbett essentially live and I knew he was good [from records] but I was utterly impressed!! They don't have baritones like that ANY more Warren, merrill, thomas and tibbett Take your pick!!

[jacquesurlus]

Quelle classe, quelle noblesse dans cette interprétation du manifeste du vérisme si souvent chanté de façon vulgaire,INDISPENSABLE,

à plaçer avec le grand Carlo Tagliabue

[bellatrix58]

What a Richness in a Voice!!

To my point of view he is a Wagnerian Heldenbariton, that of course, due to his beautiful timbre is able to sing almost anything and in a marvelous way.

[hobo197]

why do u feel the need to label,great singers should be able to sing most things!

[bellatrix58]

Well! it is not a ¨need¨. It is just an opinion. The word Held in german means hero,

and that is what I hear when I listen to his

beautiful instrument with metalic and brilliant colours. Old school!!

I agree with you, he can sing most things using an almost perfect technic.

[stevevandien]

Tibbett, arguably the greatest American baritone (with Warren, who may or not be in second place, depending on the individual; I certainly recognize those who put Warren first) -- sings so extraordinarily well --

[j72050]

...Tibbet died in 1960, and never could have dreamed millions could see and hear him on youtube....his father, a policeman, was killed about 1900 in the line of duty..when Lawrence was a mere baby......and his own alcoholism made a horrible end to a great artist

[paulostroff99]

It doesn't get any better!

[moorfan1]

My favorite bass-baritone voice. So dark and sinister of a tone...perfect for Iago.

[ceccopisa]

Magnifico!

[Fitz65]

Incredible voice. He's got more heft than many of today's top basses, and yet he could sing top Ab's.....amazing.

[lpvcrcd]

I think Tibbett is the one great American baritone who seems to receive more appreciation and admiration as the years pass then just about any other ! Warren,Merrill J.C. Thomas are all highly praised and acknowledged, but Tibbett seems to gain growing enormous respect from those who really knew little of his voice!