Lauritz Melchior: "Morgenlich leuchtend im rosigen Schein"

The heldentenor of the century sings Walther's Prize Song from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner.

Recorded 1939.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Preislied
• Prize
• Song
• Walther
• von
• Stolzing
• Meistersinger
• Nurnberg
• Heldentenor
• aria
• tenor
• wagner
• morgenlicht

[petrof4056]

The meistersinger, It's him! the wagner singer. It's our master

[HuninMunin]

@ElisabettaVS

It's quite to the contrary I'm afraid.

A Heldentenor must have

a) extraordinary technique leading to great stamina

b) the ability to pierce through a 120 piece orchestra

c) preferably a strong bottom range just for matters of Tessitura ( Lohengrin is the only role that stays in the upper range almost completely and one could argue that both Lohengrin and Walther are written for a normal dramatic tenor)

The things that Heldentenors are usualy not are lightness and flexibility.

[jhb134]

@karifrid - Disagree. Lauritz could handle the high notes, with an inimitable vibrancy and THRUST. If he hurries ahead, occasionally, then it's OK. The strength of the heart ... and the resulting results ... are still virtually unsurpassable ... and VERY-unique.

[hiyadroogs]

@karifrid Ha ha.. greatest heldentenor of all time, overrated.. Funny.

[HuninMunin]

@bimhimbim

Yes good example!

Or Suthaus for Tristan and Siegfried.

What he does singing either role for Furtwängler - even way past his prime as he was - is drop dead unbelievable.

[bimhimbim]

@HuninMunin You mean more like August Seider.

[herminestover]

and still a hottie at 75! may years later....beautiful diction, every word endowed with emotion, beautiful tone, and lungs of a bull. Yes, I would have given him the prize!

[HuninMunin]

@bimhimbim

That's cause the tradition sometimes doesn't know what it's talking about.

Wagner himself always wished for a dramatic but highly lyrical style.

A "german bel canto" quite literally. Meaning a true sense of line and legato mixed with great vocal acting and textual clarity that is only possible in realms of vocal safety. It's one of the reasons why he designed the Festspielhaus the way it is.

The orchestra has all the heft and verve but it carries the singers instead of killing them

[bimhimbim]

@HuninMunin But it leads to shouting. According to the tradition a Heldentenor is supposed to sing Winterstürme like a tank, in ironic contrast to the text and the context. Even "Wonne" and "lieblich.

[karifrid]

@petrof4056 He is cutting the high notes. Makes them short...Bariton with lack of high notes....Hurries and is not with the conductor in some recordings...Overrated.....

[jhb134]

@HuninMunin - lightness and flexibility ARE uncommon ... which makes Melchior all the more remarkable, since he had no, noticeable flaws, up-and-down the scale ... nor in dynamics, etc.