Even Greater Notes from More of the Greatest Tenors

I have listened to your compliments, complaints, and suggestions, and come with a second video of high notes from many of the world's finest tenors. I am here to dispel some myths and enshrine those who deserve to be enshrined (in my opinion). :-)

All comments that I deem offensive will be deleted, and their users will be blocked.

1) Franco Corelli sings a beautiful pianissimo A4 in E lucevan le stelle from Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, at a live performance at Parma in 1967. Listen to how long he holds that breath, something like 23 seconds!

2) Plácido Domingo sings an A4 also from E lucevan le stelle, this time from the finale. Notice the extreme emotion he puts into the phrase "MAI tanto la vita!" Recorded live in Bucharest in 1994.

3) Luciano Pavarotti sustains a flawless A4 in pianissimo from a 1970's studio recording of O' sole mio. Totally dazzling!

4) Franco Corelli sings the other A4 in E lucevan le stelle, with absolutely the most ferocious ending to any aria perhaps EVER! Also from Parma in 1967.

5) Plácido Domingo sustains a massive 8-second-long Bb4 in Ô Paradis from L'africaine by Giacomo Meyerbeer. A truly impressive note, as Domingo was never known for super-long high notes!

6) José Carreras sings a totally gorgeous Bb4 in a studio recording of Pourquoi me réveiller? from Werther by Jules Massenet.

7) Franco Corelli sings a marvelously taut Bb4 in a studio recording of Recondita armonia from Puccini's Tosca.

8) Richard Tucker performs live in 1958 the Bb4 from Recondita armonia. Listen to the COMPLETE freedom and confidence in the Bb!

9) Alfredo Kraus sings a beautiful and perfectly placed Bb4 in a live performance of his signature aria, Pourquoi me réveiller?

10) Jaume Aragall hits a splendid B4 in a studio rendition Nessun Dorma fro Turandot by Puccini.

11) Plácido Domingo duets with American mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves a GLORIOUS high B4 in a live 1992 performance in Rio de Janeiro of one of my favourite arias, Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix, from Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns.

12) Franco Corelli duets with American soprano Dorothy Kristen one of my favorite B4's ever in a live 1960's performance of O soave fanciulla from Puccini's La bohème.

13) Roberto Alagna sings a very sharp B4 from a 2003 performance in Copenhagen of Che gelida manina.

14) José Carreras sings a beautiful B4 in the original Three Tenors concert in 1990 from the aria L'improvviso from Umberto Giordano's opera Andrea Chénier, one of Carreras's more popular roles.

15) Mario del Monaco sings of of his typical dark, taut, beautiful B4's in a studio recording of Nessun Dorma.

16) Luciano Pavarotti sings arguably the most perfect B4 ever in a legendary live 1988 rendition at the Met of Di quella pira from Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi.

17) Now Mario del Monaco sings an AMAZING C5 from the middle portion of a studio Di quella pira.

18) Franco Corelli sings the best dramatic tenor high C, in my opinion, of the finale of Di quella pira from a 1967 studio recording.

19) Plácido Domingo sings a great C5 in pianissimo in a live 1972 performance of Salut, démeure from Charles Gounod's Faust.

20) Giuseppe Di Stefano now completely smacks Domingo's previous note with his legendary C5 from a studio recording of Salut, démeure, transitioning from forte to beautiful pianissimo.

21) Luciano Pavarotti sings a perfect C5 from the same studio recording of O' sole mio from earlier.

22) Franco Corelli sings an EXPLOSIVE C5 from O' sole mio in a 1961 studio recording.

23) Mario del Monaco sings a great C5 in a studio recording of Che gelida manina.

24) Mario Lanza sings a completely amazing C5 from Che gelida manina. In my opinion, the best Rodolfo ever.

25) Luciano Pavarotti produces a GLORIOUS C#5 from a 1967 live rendition of A te, o cara from I puritani by Vicenzo Bellini.

26) Juan Diego Flórez sings another great C#5 from A te, o cara in a live 2004 performance from Laa Palmas.

27) Alfredo Kraus sings that same C#5 in A te, o cara from a 1960's studio recording.

28) Jaume Aragall sings a MARVELOUS C#5 from an upwards-transposed studio recording of Che gelida manina.

29) Alfredo Kraus sings a MINUTELY flat C#5 from a live performance of Pour me rapprocher de Marie from Gaetano Donizetti's La fille du régiment.

30) Kraus again sings the exact same C#5 at a live 1980's performance of Pour me rapprocher de Marie. It is shorter but much more exciting note than the last one.

31) Plácido Domingo sings an exceedingly rare but totally awesome C#5 at a 1973 live performance of Pondo e latal, martiro from Verdi's Giovanna d'arco.

32) Mario del Monaco sings his TOTALLY RIDICULOUS C#5 from a studio recording of the trio from Il Trovatore's trio from Act I.

33) Juan Diego Flórez sings an initially flat D5 from a live performance of Possente Amor from Verdi's Rigoletto.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Opera
• tenor
• high
• notes
• domingo
• alagna
• corelli
• pavarotti
• carreras
• lanza
• flórez
• kraus
• del
• monaco
• tucker
• aragall
• di
• stefano

[spunkyboyroy]

A friendly correction ... the note that Graves and Domingo hold out is a B-flat (that is a few cents sharp on Domingo's part). It's an octave jump-up from the initial B-flat they sing.

[OettingerCroat]

yes that's true, i knew that the correct note at that part is a Bb, and that is what Denyce Graves sang. But if you compare Domingo's note to the B before it and after it, I mean it REALLY sounds like a B.

[pavplus57]

I wish I could find my recording of a Met Chenier from around 1976-77 with Domingo. He sang two awesome B flats in the Improvviso that he held for several seconds each. The audience went crazy after the second one.

[OettingerCroat]

I would LOVE to hear that!!! When you find it please contact me :-)

[ShawDAMAN]

Oettinger, did I do something wrong?? :P Maybe I'm being silly but it looks like my comment was removed?

[OettingerCroat]

LOL no i just forgot to approve it!!! dont get so worried! :-P

[kgarmaker123]

I find the decrescendo by Correlli on the High A to be unbelievable.

[DonPaolissimo]

Corelli beats 'em ALL!

[bacassa]

OMG WOW THX!!!!!!!!!!

[EnzoBelcanto]

THAT'S IT!!!!!!

I looking for that recording from Che gelida manina from Monaco!!!!! It's great! Listen he goes up to C without any change in the tone of his voice! I heard three differnt recording with him, but that's best, but I couldn't get it anywhere.

[Nello7]

#18 is the reason why I became an opera singer. No other options on this list are as magnificent as this one, except for Pippo's #20. What he did there is extraordinary and incomparable. I would add two other options:

1) Corelli's diminuendo at the end of Celeste Aida; and

2)Pertile's startling crescendo of the same note in the full opera recording of the same. The note almost explodes through the microphone.

Thanks for posting this list!

[danimartins85]

Mamma mia che miracolo che si è sparato qui Corelli!!! Santo subito!!!

[josuecorelli]

nadie como corelli

[Baskerville22]

Did Mario del Monaco get a guernsey ?

[brytuck6565]

thank you so much for posting this! I enjoyed it very much