Tebaldi and del Monaco in Andrea Chenier (vaimusic.com)

[SHICOFF1]

CONT from below. Tucker sang Otello in the short version's they did of opera's on national radio in Chicago in the Mid 1940's. The WGN radio station did Brdcst opera weekly in English only on a national basis and I have some of the programs, Tucker in fact sang on the Chicago Theater Of The Air as early as 1944 the year before his Met. debut in Gioconda. He sang Boris, Aida,Carmen,Boheme,Tosca and many more including several operettas Naughty Marietta etc. Many more Americans sang on that show.

[SHICOFF1]

@sugarbist I was in Tucker's dressing room after he sang a recital in Los Angeles in 1968. (Jan 28th) at the Music Center and I remember an older woman fan came in telling him how much she liked the program he sang but then she said to him  "When are you going to sing Otello? His short answer was " Thank you but No I won't because it would hurt my voice" That's why I believe he never would but he sure had the volume for it from all I heard from him in house. Actually he did sing Otello CONT

[SHICOFF1]

@sugarbist Yes-- exactly right and that also was my impression of Corelli when I heard him in house, not really a dramatic tenor the way some of his fans insist. As far as Domingo imagine this, I heard him as Otello in Chicago in the 80's really just wasn't Otello, also too small for it. Again a case of recordings and in house being a different story. Luckily I Saw MDM sing it in 1959 when my parents took me to La Scala and that was really an Otello. I was only 19 but remember it well!

[SHICOFF1]

@gaytenor Wow I'm surprised Tebaldi would say anything and I would like to see that but who knows if she really did. Like you say he sang it with all others in Key. Tucker really liked her and visa versa but later it was as you say.

[SHICOFF1]

@SUGARBIST Tucker never sang Otello and never would, it was never really an Otello Voice and Domingo was only talking about one note when he mentioned long ago Tucker's top being bigger on high B. Corelli did not have as big a voice on the top as Tucker when I heard him but it was more dramatic, Tucker's was very Spinto and early lyric Spinto . Corelli never sounded as lyric as RT early , it was always very Spinto not really a dramatic IMO but many say he was a Dramatic Tenor, whatever!

[sugarbist]

@SHICOFF1 i'm surprized that you are saying that Tucker would never sing Otello. As a spinto tenor his voice would qualify for the role& his vocals were certainly good enough.I think it would have been pretty interesting to hear RTdo the role.I unfortuneately never heard Tucker live.Idid see Corelli live in Trovatore in early 1960s, I thought his performance was terrific,but I also thought the High C in the Pira was a little opaque.The D-flat in the Terzetto was very impressive & more out front.

[gaytenor]

@sugarbist In a hand written letter to me Tucker said that "Otello is for tenors who blast their voice" That remark says it all concerning his singing Otello on stage. He even refused to record the opera for Decca/London according to Terry McEwen who was the company's US representative. McEwen told Tucker that he could select the singers he wanted to sing the opera with! This statement being made on the Texaco Opera Quiz not all that long after Tucker's death.

[sugarbist]

@gaytenor Wow!That's fascinating. I guess the mystique for me is over with.I appreciate you responding and I thank you once again.

[sugarbist]

@SHICOFF1 Sorry it took me so long to respond,as for some reason,I'm not receiving some e mails.I thought Corelli sounded darker on records and a little more lyric live.Corelli's voice Live is not as noisy as it is on records.As far as Domingo is concerned,I really don't get the attraction. I think he is a fair tenor at best when comparing him to most of the great&good tenors in history.I think PD is a lyric spinto. I saw him in I Pagliacci circa 1995& he was hardly audible.Very dissapointing

[SHICOFF1]

Listen to RT and Tebaldi on ANY live Chenier he did with her ( Chgo, 1956, Met, 1960, Ed Sullivan TV show 1957 on you tube) and listen to his last note with Tebaldi compared to any other tenor as far as heft or a big wide sound in that final duet. Then listen to any other tenor with her live and draw your own conclusions. As far as Ed goes he has a good ear but I don't always agree with him about RT on every point he has made. He loves to troll me. That's his right of course even if It's BS.

[SHICOFF1]

Yes on top Rt had the bigger voice t as far as top B. I don't go by what Ed says, he trolls me on line and I 'm a big fan of Tucker also yet he says I hurt RT by Standing up repeatedly for him but I'm not alone. I don't care what Hines or Zucker or anyone else says, even Domingo (who I agree with) I know what I heard in the house back in the Balcony where I could hear him not on stage next to Tucker and it was as Domingo says on Top. I go by what I heard not anyone else I know what I heard

[SHICOFF1]

@sugarbist Yes I agree and I heard Domingo sing Otello in Chicago, he had a rather dark sound, more so then Heppner who I heard do it there but neither one had the Otello voice like MDM when I heard him in the La Scala in 1959 as Otello. He was a great Otello. Domingo lacked the Heft on top IMO Heppener had that but was too lyric otherwise, he gave a good performance as far as the singing, basically a lyric spinto with a powerful top in house. Corelli probably could have done it had he tried!

[SHICOFF1]

@adolfoa1961 Yes correct, he sings it down at age 46 here at the end to the B flat, but still great. He was better then most singing the B natural anyhow and few would notice it in house Live. Earlier he did sing it with the B . he was the dramatic tenor in his time, a great voice and a great otello! RIP

[gaytenor]

@SHICOFF1 The transposition might have been for Tebaldi's comfort since even in her prime the b and c were approximate in intonation. When she sang the high c-flat (b-flat) it ALWAYS sounded like a scream and she may have preferred the safety of a downward transposition. From what I've heard the Met performances were down a semitone and she blamed Tucker who sang it in key with Arroyo many years after his Met performances with Tebaldi. Del Monaco still had his upper register years after this.

[SHICOFF1]

Nobody alive has heard caruso these days so we can only believe what others say who heard him like my grandfather, he heard him 3 times and he was his favorite, Tucker was his second favorite. I heard both Tucker and Corelli at the met. in the same seat and same day at the met. both in cav with corelli and the canio was tucker who had the bigger voice, wider and on top it was bigger that day anyhow. I never left my seat between shows either. So you see who cares what I say or anyone else.

[SHICOFF1]

@ sugarbist Zucker is a huge Corelli and a pal of mine who worked for RCA was on his show years ago and said Zucker's many pals voted Corelli a bigger star then JB by 5 votes!. Domingo has said RT had the biggest high B he ever heard. Hines can say what he wants and in the middle voice MDM may have had a bigger voice along with Corelli but Never ever on top. I heard all 3 in house and don't care really care I know what I heard. Shicoff, Domingo and Pav. all told me Tucker on top was bigger.

[sugarbist]

@SHICOFF1 Unfortunately, I never heard Tucker( Live) as I did Corelli& MDM, but I will respect your opinion.However, lets not forget that while Ed Rosen was Co-hosting the 4 Tenor contest on the radio with Zucker,Rosen constantly campaigned for Tucker & many of Rosen's pals did phone in for RT, including many of Tucker's family members.Again I respect your opinion, I don't know about the other 2, but I really don't value Domingo's opinion because it cud have been in retaliation for MDM'S continu

[sugarbist]

@SHICOFF1 Continued;It could have been in retaliaton of Del Monaco's remark that Domingo's voice is not Suited for Otello,which I concur. I must say that even though I am not a big Tucker fan, I have enjoyed some of his recordings here on YT &I find him very personable in the TV clips here on YT.as I do remark positively on those videos. Enjoy

[vivadomingo1]

Great singing, too bad it is transposed a half step down....I thought DOMINGO was the only one that transposed!!

[adolfoa1961]

@vivadomingo1 : Del Monaco always transposed it half a tone down on "live" . But in his '57 studio version with Gavazzeni he sings the final duet in the original key

[vivadomingo1]

@adolfoa1961 So does Domingo in the studio...

[adolfoa1961]

@vivadomingo1 I don't want to make a mistake but I beleive until around middle '50s Del Monaco sang it in the original key on "live" but few times. He currently transposed it half a tone down.

Try the '57 Gavazzeni studio version that it is the best and it is sung in the correct key

[profgv]

It doesn't matter who was tall or short their voices were unmatchable in size....Tebaldi was a stunning woman Del Monaco a handsome man....They ruled in this music for a decade...Tebaldi continued singing this role at the Met.

[topmeat69]

This is one of the most powerful and beautiful duets in all of music

[Baritanist]

She was tall and he was short. She killed every tenor with her monster voice except for TUCKER whose voice became bigger than Tebaldi's after his training with STANLEY.

[sugarbist]

@Baritanist That is not an accurate comment. Its wonderful that you like Tucker but you should not attempt to demean other singers by stating inaccuracies.Tebaldi did not kill DelMonaco OR CORELLI with her monster voice and Tucker did not have a larger voice over all than Del Monaco. But you are entitled to beleive what you may.Thats not to say that Tucker did not have a substantial voice. Enjoy

[Baritanist]

@sugarbist I talked to people who heard all of them live and they usually say that Tucker had the loudest top of all of them!

[sugarbist]

@Baritanist I listened to stefan zuckers interview with Corelli &Jerome Hines during the 4 Tenor Contest some years ago in1990.(It can be found on youtube) Hines had commented that when he had 1st heard Del Monaco at rehearsal in AIDA,( IT WAS THE MOST GIGANTIC BRILLIANT SOUND HE HAD EVER HEARD,ANYTIME, ANY PLACE. Corelli agreed.Im more inclined to believe Hines&Corelli than someone commenting on youtube. The contest includedMDM,Destefano,Corelli&­Tucker.Corelli did win. continued

[sugarbist]

@Baritanist Im not a big fan of Tuckers,But i must admit he has done some beautiful singing. Cielo E Mar , La Gioconda. Early Madame Butterfly duet is my favorite. His Chenier is good & Forza.There seems to be a group of the same RT fans that LAUNCH him to an incredible plateau and then catagorize him as being the greatest AMERICAN TENOR then saying that he had a BIGGER top than anyone else. Or the largest Spinto voice in history. Larger than Carusos, as if that would make a difference. Enjoy

[gaytenor]

@Baritanist You are an ASSHOLE! You delusional putz the only singing teacher that Tucker ever had was Paul Althouse putz. Your braying examples of the Stanley method are enough for anyone to know what a real charlatan he was and your no better. Why don't you learn to sing you putz since your monster voice sounds like a horny tomcat on the make.None of the comments for you are positive are the so-called examples of how to sing high notes like Tucker. Get some mental health help.

[Baritanist]

@gaytenor Hello again, JERK. LOL you are a complete wacko. Stop stalking me, dickweed. We have all heard YOUR singing. Ignacio Gomez can do a better job. I have reported you and your libel, and hopefully you will soon be EXPUNGED from Youtube. You are just a little stupid SKUNK who keeps LYING about the great Stanley. Listening to your tape I understand why. Cause you are JEALOUS. LOL, pathetic clown. Learn how to sing one clean vowel, then we can talk about Stanley. It's never going to happen.

[Baritanist]

@gaytenor Shut up MOMZER!

[ophunka]

Renata Tebaldi és Mario del Monaco feledhetetlen!

[cantanteporsiempre]

Oh my gooooooooooood, she is really tall or he is very short! lol

[philipc67]

They are both excellent, even if the 1955 Del Monaco/Callas duet live from la Scala has more excitement. Recordings-wise, the Domingo/Scotto version is superb. There are several famous love duets (TRISTAN, BUTTERFLY, LUCIA, SAMSON ET DALILA, PURITANI, WALKURE) but there are really only two great "death duets": AIDA and ANDREA CHENIER, where the protagonists both die (in one by suffocation, in the other by the guillotine) and love conquers the darkest of destinies. Listen, people, and marvel.

[topmeat69]

We are so fortunate that DelMonacos singing was after the developement of High Fedelity which started with mono in 1947 thanks to the Americans stealing the machine from the Nazi's and then improving it.

[Melomondo]

@topmeat69 They did not improve anything. In 1944, German radio already recorded in stereo on magnetic tapes. The Americans needed over 10 years to come back to that level.

Americans are great at stealing, there you are right.

[voce29]

What inspiring singing!!

[zarmona790]

No sé si Del Monaco actúa o no, el caso es que cantar lo que se dice cantar más bien poco. Esa voz antiflexible, parace que esté pisando huevos, ni un arco expresivo, ni una frase a media voz. No sé, no sé, muchas facultades pero hay quq matizar, apianar, en fin todo eso de los que el tenor florentino carecía.

[lemagnificat]

check out the Callas -MDM vesrion of this is better, just unfortunate that you can't watch his bad acting, but I 'm sure Maria compensated for it. I think it is better, the conductor moves it, and gives it more direction.

[jamesjmertins1]

God and we all said the Bergonzi could not act, MDM may sing this well but his acting is terrible.

[topmeat69]

@jamesjmertins1 And today we have 100s of great actors but not one dramatic tenor to compare to DelMonaco

[bodiloto]

+ 10 !!!!!!! IMMORTALI  !!!!!!!

[CandyHaleLinton]

This is very special..a look back in time I never thought to have the privilege of.

Tebaldi all gorgeous voice and delivery..del Monaco..well..my word..that man knew how to take the stage, such extraordinary presence over coming any disadvantage or flaw.

Utter complete magic..thank you so much

[RenataAnna]

A VERY VERY touching and emotional

performance. And perfect interpretation, of course... and applause before ending.... because nobody couldn't to outlast certainly..

[wlswardf]

Tebaldi is radiant here as always. del Monaco is not at his best to my ear. He left examples of both more passionate and more musically exact performances (audio only).

[katiafeodorovna]

JAJAJA, del Monaco was a little dwarf, he uses special shoes, jajajaja, and the whole duetto is almost a tune down. Del Monaco had a cold in this performance, what a pitty, the only film document of their Chenier together!

[kmillard]

I've been listening to this compared to other recordings and it's NOT a "Tune down" as you state, it's in the written key.

[birgitnilsson]

What a stupid comment Katia!!!!!

[sugarbist]

@katiafeodorovna There was nothing small about his voice, and opera is still about vocals first. The performance is in pitch.YOU SEEMED TO BE MISINFORMED HERE

[pearlmuth3]

Thanks for info I had met Callas one time and heard Tebaldi in the house but never met her back stage.

[pearlmuth3]

THEN SHE WAS AN INCH TALLER THEN CALLAS

[pedoni5]

Yes Maria was 1,73 m and Renata was 1,76m.Both were very tall

[cek1111]

Maria was 165

[pearlmuth3]

She was five eight and del monaco a couple of inches shorter but who cares with a great voice, Bravo to both of them.

[pedoni5]

Tebaldi was 5' 9'' (1,76m).

Here she puts Del Monaco in her pocket, he cannot be heard when their both very big voices joins together

[nickditoro]

He held his own.

[pietrone1985]

The Best OPERA ever !

[girardje]

j,aime ce duo Del monaco et Tbaldi sont magnifiques bravo

[VivaTebaldi]

They are both great - i will prefer Corelli as he was tall and she was very tall - Born to sing this opera.

[ss4vegitoss4]

grrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeea­aaaaaaaaaaat!!!!!!!!!!!!

bravoooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Isidore98]

He;s relatively subdued/careful here - excellent

[saverioorlando]

i' like passion,dislike transposition

[Dymension]

I love her a lot in this!

[michaud1]

Born to sing that opera - both great. There is something about italian singers, they give a lot of passion to the music.