Sergei Lemeshev "Kuda, kuda vy udalilis" Eugen Onegin

[sikoraptashka]

A lot of people who used to live in the USSR think that he was the best Lensky ever, the very embodiment of Lensky.

He lived in the time that he talent was appreciated, he was loved and even worshipped but only in our country. He was- he is great, unique tenor.

[quequitoAR]

Wish we had half Lemeshev nowadays... What an exquisite tenor...

[paulostroff99]

Superb TY for sharing.

[alexanderpuritano]

uno dei tenori più immensi che siano mai esistiti!!!! paragonabile benissimo con i nostri più grandi tenori italiani!!! direi che non ha nulla da invidiare a nessuno questo splendore del bel bel canto!!! sei grande , immenso lemeshev ed immortale!!!!

[sikoraptashka]

@alexanderpuritano

Gracias! Immortale!

[nenecker]

perfetto.

[deWolkonski]

The soft tone of Lemeshev's voice has an unparalleled beauty. His singing is typical of Russian lyric tenors. Unfortunately there was only one Lemeshev. Fortunately we can enjoy his great art in these clips. Many thanks to nickname Onegin65 for uploading here this gem - simply marvelous singing of a masterpiece of music!

[MiCasaLoca]

Lemeshev owns this aria. Unsurpassed!

[Tyulpin]

когда же он дышит.... поёт как из органа дует.

[alx127]

simple - and this is the best we can ever get..

[Philippepiano35]

Voilà un vrai ténor à la voix merveilleuse

[kolyan333]

Вот где настоящее исполнение, каждое слово великолепно прослушиваеся. А какой голос!

[tenorgoodfella]

What style and such a unique sound..! I truly love this singer. 

[rhill41]

A reminder that this aria is best done by a true lyric tenor such as Lemeshev or, in my day, Fritz Wunderlich. Much as I love Bjoerling and Gedda, they come at this too "dramatically," meaning, as dramatic tenors. As when Don Jose's Flower Song is nailed with climactic full-voice B-flat instead of the lighter head tone it ought to summon.

[dg6da]

...a great Tenor, what a voice!

[mayatatyana1]

Exquisite voice with perfect diction. Lemeshev is "the Tenor".Thank you. Maya

[younglemeshevist]

@big4050 It's unlikely that you know anything about 'emotional interpretation'. Villazon is sluggish and exaggerated in comparison to Lemeshev's profound performance. Besides, you simply don't understand what you've written . You call his performance 'exaggerated' on one hand , and 'pedeatrian' on another. That sounds shizophrenic.

[bljoy126]

Wowwwww. Possibly the best interpretation of this aria I have ever heard. Wonderful spin in his voice!!!!!

[Lelya50]

Богом обласканный талантище!

[Lelya50]

Певец,которого хочется слушать и слушать.. Богом обласканный талант..

[borisleblanco]

i think i prefer the voice of gedda but this is a brilliant interpretation

[Lelya50]

Ахренеть.мнение не написать.. Обидно..Попытка намбер три .Чудесный певец, прекрасный голос,из души льются слова...Обаятельный...И это всё Лемешев!!

[marmaid2000]

I love his voice so much. thank you for the post.

[MrSkylark1]

UNSURPASSABLE, THE BRILLIANT SINGING OF RUSSIA'S GREATEST TENOR.

[kocharova]

Самый лучший Ленский! Потрясающий певец! Мурашки бегут по коже, когда слушаю его голос. Любовь с детства на всю жизнь.

[serenjka]

Что это за 3 клоуна нажавшие не ту кнопку? Они считают, что исполнили бы лучше?

[ekszentrikful]

@serenjka Они просто до этого Гагу слушали!

[Mitch7799]

Just amazing! For me the best interpretation of this aria!

[leoniemikele]

He's incredible.

[TheAlekhin]

В этой арии слились три гения: Пушкин, Чайковский и Лемешев.

Однажды в одной телепередаче о Лемешеве я услышал фразу, в которой, как мне кажется, сказано все: "Лемешева и его голос не забудут, пока будет жив русский народ".

[fandelouisalexander]

Quelle voix, quelle voix... elle est remplie de douceur, elle m'enchante énormément.

[TheInimitableKaka]

Why is this up a half step?

[Honken]

@TheInimitableKaka Most leggieros find it easier to sing in a higher key due to their tessitura.

[pkohalloran]

SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOD

[dilnazar]

tenorast... like Baskov...

[djkostya76]

@dilnazar

Baskov will never be such as Lemeshev.

[mashadubrovsky]

@dilnazar The only 'tenorast' here is you

[serenjka]

Lemeshev - the best !

[dilnazar]

My god... music of Tchaikovski... it making mad.

[micky9321]

incroyable

[msk691]

знаете пушкин тем и гениален что в образе романтичного ленского запечатлел себя что в прочем относится и к онегину где он написал о второй своей натуре искушенной страстями и тд

[Robertgrade]

I think that he and Kozlovsky are in a tie.

[Turiyayuro]

@Robertgrade I think he and Blachut are in a tie, just because Blachut is a master of accomplishing more with less whereas Lemeshev just goes all out. :) Shame Khaikin's recording doesn't have Lemeshev in nearly as good of voice as in this clip.

[MrSkylark1]

Outstanding singing

[phatphace]

Sergei certainly is most revered for this aria although to me it pales slightly in comparison with Gedda's interpretation... this is not based on mere subjectivity, i feel gedda's approach is more legato with a lovely covered tone in the higher register, almost caressing each phrase. Lemeshev, although technically and emotionally superb, is a little too brittle in tone for some parts and perhaps not quite as melancholic. Nevertheless, a remarkable rendition.

[ainhoator]

@phatphace I think that slight brittleness is well suited to the character of Lensky: a wealthy young man who calls himself a poet, psychologically almost a teenager who is very plausibly on the verge of tears because he's just realized he's going to throw away a promising life and a loving girlfriend and he knows he has to chose between his life and honour. Remember that in Oneguine, Evgeni is the smart one whereas Lenski is as innocent as a puppy. Pushkin was kind of mean :-).

[yolka64]

@ainhoator a very good assessment! Lemeshev is showing it really well. To me, his Lensky is the best of all times.

[Lovelytenor1]

A lovelier voice never touched this aria.

[R4UL92]

A treasure in video, Sergei Lemeshev is Lensky.

[ValentinLundin]

Amazingly beautiful and touching, can't stop listening!

Does anyone know where i can find the whole record?

[yolka64]

@ValentinLundin There are CD recordings of Onegin with Lemeshev, but not a video of the entire opera, unfortunately.

[operacrasher]

Great singing in a style (of vocal production) reminiscent of tenors like...Schipa,Tagliavini,Luigi Alva etc.I totally agree with petrina 1022...it does(unfortunately) appear to be a "dying art,"among tenors of today.

[moo7chi7ld]

I think they just spurn it, for grander, more majestic vocalism. I like it the best and I thought the others lacked the technical skill of good taste to adopt it , but I was wrong. They dont. It's like the difference in male physique development, some people want to carry things to the logical exrteme-- but the core of the voice is what allows it to carry thru the house, not the volume.

[Dominicussen]

Where have you gone, O golden days of my spring? What does the coming day have in store for me? It escapes my eyes, it is hidden! No matter; fate's law is just Shall I fall to the deadly arrow, or will it pass by? All for better, there is a pre-determined time For life and for sleep Blessed is a day of simple tasks And blessed is the day of troubles.

[Dominicussen]

Will the day beam shine in the morning And the bright day shall reign And I, well, will I, perhaps, will descent Into mysterious darkness of my fatal tomb? And the memory of a strange poet will fall into Abyss The world shall forget me, but you, you, Olga! Tell me, will you, the maiden of beauty, come to shed a tear over the early urn And think "he loved me, he devoted to me The gloomy dawn of a troubled life!"

[AnryK2690]

Beautiful

[glcolon]

Wow.

[cleanears]

So there was life pre Shicoff??

[SENAFOREVER]

Merci!

[lanickon]

Пушкин, Чайковский и Лемешев - счастливое соединение трех гениев.

[007strauss]

I would like to know your opinion.

[karifrid]

Wery good singing,one thing is strange. I listened to him and another russian tenor and get a feeling like a woman is singing.Softer attack than tenors from other conuntries.Some falsetto feeling or blended with falsetta. Does anyone know what I mean? Is this a "russian tenor sound"? Kári Friðriksson,tenor.

[ghettowizard]

It is indeed. It suits the Russian opera to a T.

[petrina1022]

It is not falsetto it is head voice and leggiero tenors like Lemeshev knew how to use it to great effect. It is a lost art, I'm afraid, as most tenors nowadays push their "chest" voice into the upper registers, creating a "voce mista" sound. The reason we know it is NOT falsetto is the core of the sound is retained and can be used for the messa di voce (cresc. to dim. and back again.) Hope this answers your question.

[TheInimitableKaka]

@petrina1022 Lemeshev is a lyric tenor.

[Petruzzio]

Yes, you might say this. Not all russian tenors sing that way, but it is not uncommon. Some roles like the Indian guest from Sadko encourage such singing.

[Turiyayuro]

@karifrid It may also just be the aria. (Soft singing is better for expressing melancholia than a bright heldentenor shout.) But I've noticed a sort of softness in the approach of many Slavic singers, including the women (Vishnevskaya (female), Blachut (male), Koci (male)) which I think of as a way of tempering the metallic timbre of their voices. An example of singer who didn't bother to temper the metal in her voice would be Birgit Nilsson. :)

[Cordylcoh]

My goodness - absolutely stunning.

[H04b]

лучшего исполнения я не слышала.... лемешев конечно был талант... дивный тенор...

[jorjikia]

surely the best lensky in the world

[maxhansendk]

Yes, Sergei Lemeshev belongs amongst the very best tenors of all times! Beautiful singing with incredible debth and a "touch of god" = genious.

[ilkertenor]

did someone recognize that the recording is almost halftone higher according to others...maybe its because of old recording but imaybe its transposed on purpose?!....

[paulostroff99]

IMHO-no one does or did this aria better.The voice,the style,and even the passion are all there in abundance.

[felixdeaflores]

Лемешев прекрасен!!!

А Зарецкий то как хорош!

[lKarabasikl]

Великий РУССКИЙ ТЕНОР!!!

Какой роскошный голос!!!

... не то что все эти псевдо фабрики псевдо звёзд...

[gomongio]

The best Lenski I've heard... definitely. Lemeshev is a magnificent tenor, I love his passion in this aria.

[emwriter1]

@gomongio

I agree - and I've heard a lot of Lenskis...

[gomongio]

@emwriter1 Probably I haven't heard as many as you, but at least I've heard a couple... excepting for this aria 'coz I've heard much more thank to YT

[Webarton]

What fantastic singing!! FANTASTIC technique!!

[ninjaalexp]

As always, I can't thank you enough for putting this up Onegin.

[Faritych]

This aria is visiting card of Sergei Lemeshev

[petrof4056]

yes, it's 1955! Lemeshev was the n°1 for this aria, nobody can do this!

[Ankhsnammon]

He says with kina a simplcity,,,heavenly simplicity...it is his heart whom is singing...GOD!

I would like to listen to this before to die...

Lemeshev=UNIQUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ankhsnammon

[cpdasso]

I know this is 1955, because I'm pretty sure it's being conducted by Boris Khaikin, who is my grandfather :)

Best interpretation of Lensky in my opinion.

[GermanOperaSinger]

Best rendition I've heard from a Russian tenor. Greatest Russian tenor by far. This music is true genius...Tchaikovsky should be remembered for his wonderful operas rather than that overrated Nutcracker ballet.

[paulostroff99]

GermanOpera Singer-The ballets wer pretty and very commercially appealing. This aria tears at the heart and the soul. Lemeshev is the greatest Russian tenor of at least the second half of the twentieth century and somewhat earlier.

[JorPove]

Dos excelentes tenores rusos de la epoca de los 30-50: Lemeshew y Kozlovsky se disputaron el favor de sus publicos. Ambos exhibieron  como caracteristica una forma de pronunciacion que parodiando a Unamuno es como definir el portugues respecto al castellano o español: "carece de huesos"... Igual el ruso es suave,dulce, y ademas se presta maravillosamente para las arias cargadas de pasion y emocion ,dandoles un "aire" misterioso que las hace mas agradables aun.

[MarquisDePosa53]

Agreed, the Opera D'Oro CD claims to be recorded in 1955, I've listened to this aria 100 times on that CD and it sounds identical. Lemeshev owned this aria. It was as if it was written for him

[younglemeshevist]

Thanks a lot for the video. It was filmed no earlier than in 1955

[stefakamelpash]

это прекрасно, спасибо! Один из лучших теноров всех времен!

[Operafiend22]

The Russian is so clear here. I've heard other Russian tenors sing it and their diction is much less articulated (probably because their sound wasn't as open). Beautiful anyway...

[classic1306]

im singing this piece for examination.. damn, i feel the grief longing despair and emptiness of lensky with lemeshevs interpretation.. bravo..

[Ankhsnammon]

Magnificent Lemeshev..a true prince...a true priest of beauty!

ankhsnammon

[clymnestre]

excellent!!!

[coquito44]

Truly dramatic, excellent voice, really touching, thanks for posting.