The Original Crazy Tenor

More recently we've had Franco Bonisolli, but once there was Michele Molese. Bonisolli sang so well that the opera world put up with his antics. Alas, Molese - a fabulous talent - was silenced in his prime.

He developed the habit of advancing to the footlights in performances and making little speeches. Soon no one would hire him.

Here he sings in the Venice scene from Hoffmann. It breaks your heart to realize that he would soon never sing in public again.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Michele
• Molese
• Tales
• of
• Hoffmann
• Offenbach

[StuartLou]

I have posted Molese with Sills (Manon) -"live" NYC Opera (private film).

[Agorante]

@StuartLou

I'd like to hear it but I can't finf it.

[Agorante]

Maybe the way to look at the phenomenon of misbehaving tenors is not to compare them to serious or even depressive opera stars like Gedda, Bjorling or Carreras but to the pop music stars or movie actors like Brittany Spears, John Beluschi, or Robert Downey Jr. In terms of self destructive craziness only Mario Lanza approached the behavior of Elvis Presley, and maybe that too was the Hollywood influence not the opera influence. By entertainment industry standards opera tenors are sane and sober.

[Agorante]

Other tenors with behavior problems include David Poleri, William Olvis, Mario Lanza, Fiorencio Constantino, Miguel Fleta, and Giuseppe Di Stefano.

On a less elevated plain, I sang with a guy named Jim Morse who auditioned for Kurt Herbert Adler of SF Opera. Adler turned him down and Morse punched him out.

[Iareto]

No kidding. He sounds fantastic!

[sopranosd]

What a wonderful tenor - easy sound, great color, great energy. I agree that the opera world should have put up with a little eccentricity in order to give him more opportunities to perform. How sad that the opera world, like other artistic spheres, favors conformity over unique genius.

[rockgor]

In Dec. of 1967 LIFE Magazine had an article on the greatest tenors. Molese was

one of them.  Others: F. Corelli, J. McCracken, C. Bergonzi, R. Tucker,

M. Del Monaco, A. Lance, G. Di Stefano.

Molese is the Don Jose on the Marilyn Horne Carmen recording of excerpts.

He can also be heard on some live performance CDs, Gala label.

Tnx 4 posting.

be heard on some live performance CDs on the Gala label.

[gmmix]

Energetic performance! Very nice.

[gmmix]

@Agorante - Constantino and Fleta has "behavior problems"? I wasn't aware. Tell us more.....

[Agorante]

@laddnyc

House of Opera. Google that to get the web ID.

[laddnyc]

@Mooorhe

Where can I find that recording? Brings back fond memories!

[Mooorhe]

@laddnyc

I'm sure you'll be glad to know a recording exists of that memorable moment.

[zamyrabyrd]

"Tis been said "Tenor is not so much a voice as a disease". Singing everything (or more than what should have been) in pieno petto (full chest voice) has shortened the life of many a tenor, e.g., Corelli and Di Stefano.

Other voices should also steer clear of such habits but the temptation is seemingly greater for tenors to indulge. Better to keep to Ponselle's dictum "Sing on your interest, not principal"..