Richard Tucker and Plácido Domingo - Ô Paradis

I thought I might as well jump into the tenor versus tenor videos too! I picked one of my favourite arias - "Ô Paradis" from L'africaine by Giacomo Meyerbeer - and two of my favourite, and two of the most famous, heavy-voiced tenori spinti-drammatici, Richard Tucker and Plácido Domingo. And both performances are live, because I know how compulsive some of you are. :-D

Here we have a young and amazing Richard Tucker singing the Italian version of the aria (aptly translated O Paradiso) in concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1951. He is only 38 or so here, so the voice is fresh and the vibrato is quick. Those Bb's are HUMONGOUS and very exciting!

Then we have Placidísimo singing the original French version at a 1981 gala concert at Covent Garden. Plácido is 40 here. You can see the limitations of his technique, especially when compared to Tucker's virtually flawless technique, but... I like it Domingo's performance just as much! Thankfully for Domingo, the high notes are only Bb's in this aria, and at this point in his career, in all seriousness, he could handle them quite well. Plus, I just think this aria sounds 10 times better in French. And there's something about the baritonal colour of Domingo's voice that suits this role virtually perfectly, better than Tucker's more silvery tone does, at least in my opinion.

And let's not be completely harsh... the Bb at the end is pretty awesome. Certainly not as good as Tucker, but nothing to whine about either.

So what do you think? Questions and comments, as long as they are constructive and civilized, are encouraged!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Richard
• Tucker
• Plácido
• Domingo
• Paradis
• Paradiso
• L'africaine
• L'africana
• Giacomo
• Meyerbeer
• opera
• aria
• air

[OettingerCroat]

perhaps someone could answer this question for me:

it is known that Tucker was not fluent in Italian (although he sung very well in Italian). But did he speak French?

I ask because back in the day, especially in the big metropolis like NYC people spoke many languages, so it is possible he spoke it.

Also, if he did, why did he not sing this aria in French? It is ten times better in French...

[halavey]

I agree with Oettinger Croat, Domingo must have sky high IQ and is a fantastic artist but as a tenor voice combines with emotion and power and well used musically tucker is #1 here. cer1n has some problem with Tucker but thats his problem not most opera lovers problem.

[OettingerCroat]

yep, agreed!

this is what a said a couple months back earlier in the comments of this video.

[halavey]

hell Domingo was a baritone why would he have trouble WITH LOW NOTES HE WAS A FINE ARTIST NO DOUBT BUT TENOR MEANS HIGH AND THATS WHERE DOMINGO FELL SHORT OFTEN. TUCKER HAD FINE LOW NOTES, BETTER THEN GIGLI OR PAV OR CORELLI OR JUSSI AND MANY OTHER TENORS, PD ONLY HAS LOW NOTES NOW AND SOON HE WILL SING BASS BARITONE ROLE. TUCKER WAS NUMBER #1

[OettingerCroat]

halavey, are you by any chance pearlmuth3?

[GermanOperaSinger]

Domingo may have had a darker voice but that does not necessarily make his low notes better. Tucker's low register was superb...listen to some of his holiday recordings to hear it. Size and vocal color does NOT go hand in hand, as is stupidly assumed by some people. Take Lauri Volpi for example. One of the brightest and most 'tenorish' voices ever. His top could drown Corelli, Tucker, del Monaco, what have you singing at the same time. Or Peerce, very dark velvet voice. But not by any means big.

[OettingerCroat]

although I must add, I heard Domingo sing some like seriously EXTREMELY low notes... it sounded freakishly low for a tenor. I listened to it once without watching the video, and I was shocked; I didn't known who on Earth was singing. Like no shit, it had that booming quality of a true baritone; you could just see in your mind the image of his vocal chords vibrating so slowly due to the profound depth of the note... LOL

but Domingo was older there (65), and Tucker didn't live past 61 I think.

[gaytenor]

@bigus Sir you are totally tone deaf!!! Everyone else was wrong about Tucker. Tucker's career, unlike Pavarotti's was not the result of Herbert Breslin.

[pearlmuth3]

I have heard Domingo many times in concert and opera and that goes back to his NYC opera days IMO his best role was Canio and his recording of the aria in the studio is very good. I remember when it came out, early 70's.

[halavey]

so may kids who never heard RTor Domingo and are seated on the speakers not in the opera house, thats another way of hearing and more accurate.

[halavey]

PAV and Jussi both lyrics with voices half sized next to Tucker , NO UGLY TENOR LASTS 30 YEARS AT THE MET OVER 700 SHOWS ALSO SF OPERA AND CHICAGO LET ALONE ITALY, YOUR SO WRONG BUT THEN WHO CARES.

[VMDICKS]

I heard live performances of Tucker and Domingo. Richard had the physical ability to sing with great clarity throughout his range. While this performance is about the best I have heard by Placido, he, in my humble opinion, always seemed to be reaching for notes that were not completely there for him.

[bigus]

tuckers problem is simply having an ugly voice throughout. domingo its pinched high notes. pavarotti and bjorling = perfection.

[halavey]

Tucker recorded it in French on his (OP) French aria record, an LP by Columbia in the mid 60's in prime voice, here he was not yet at his prime but very fine.

[halavey]

Domingo started as a Baritone many say. Tucker had all the low notes he needed and then some and on top Domingo was not as open, not even close. Domingo also has said in interview that the biggest high B on stage he ever heard was Tucker's. Tucker has gone down as the voice closest to Caruso and the greatest American tenor. Domingo has been sited for the biggest rep. and his great artistry.

[halavey]

cer1n Just hates Tucker and has his reasons which I don't agree with nor 98% of the critics. Name me one aria where he has trouble with low notes? I doubt you can name a single one, talk is easy but back it up with fact, show us post it so all can hear i can flame anyone, we all can. I can say Jussi was so cold you can freeze dry a steak on his singing, lots of Vibrato. I can say Lanza was a Hammy singer. I can say Corelli was a lispy tenor or Peerce nasal or Domingo a tight top etc.

[halavey]

Tucker sang it in french 1966 on a french aria recording, many arias in french only. Juive, Carmen, Werther, pearl fishers,manon, herodiade, champs paternels, manon , le cid , l' africane recorded in Vien. On Columbia but OP, wish he had done it sooner when he was more lyric he sounded especially great in the Juive with the cabaletta and the Le Cid and was in fine Voice for Africane and of course Carmen. Flower song.

[halavey]

Well he did sing it in french on his french aria record and it was way better then the younger tucker at the bowl all though that was very good. He even sang the Cabaletta after the aria in his live complete version of the role but that was years later in 1972 live with Stella in NY. The french aria's LP was on Columbia in the 60's around 1965 and is OP, many arias all in French but he spoke zero French he sang a fine faust in 53 in new orleans and Hoffman at the met in 55.