Part II - Your Favorites: MIGUEL FLETA

THIS PART IS FOR YOUR FAVORITES! Please discuss this artist with your comments!

Miguel Fleta, Tenor (1897-1938)

José Maria Lacalle - Amapola (Composed in 1924)
(Recorded in 1925)

My personal opinion: One of spains most famous tenors ever, the popular successor of Julián Gayarre (1844-1890). In the "Tenor Library" we find the following lines: "The short, but brilliant career of the Spanish tenor Miguel Fleta lasted for only sixteen years, from his debut in Trieste 1919 until his retirement in 1935. He died three years later at the age of 41 only. With his death, his name escalated to the world of legends and those who cherished him spoke of the greatest tenor ever."
The greatest tenor ever - Many´s the time we´ve heard that said... Even Miguel Fleta wasn´t flawless, his singing not everyone´s cup of tea. "He had the typical vibrato of a spanish singer, at the end of his career it degenerated to a tremolo" (William J. Dennis). John Steane described him as "the spanish Richard Tauber". I agree with this describtion of his voice, and I would like to add "...and the behavior of Mario Lanza and Jan Kiepura!" Sometimes, after a performance, he sang popular songs with piano accompaniment. Mannerism of a highly gifted singer who often, far too often was tearfully sentimental - for the taste of modern times. Fleta was born near Huesca, Spain, in 1897. At the age of 11 he began to study singing. At the age of 20 he first appeared on stage in a singing competition in Zaragoza. He was not premiered, but he received recognition from the jury who admitted his voice qualities were superior to the other contestants. Later, Miguel Fleta had been overheard by the reputed vocal pedagogue and former singer Luisa Pierrick. She considered the potential of Fleta. During 1919 he completed his studies at the Conservatory, after "Pierrick improved Fleta´s cultural level" (Biographer Joern H. Anthonisen). The cultural level - and more: Luisa Pierrick left her husband for Fleta. By October they had acieved a contract with the opera house of Trieste, where Fleta made his professional operatic debut on the 14th of December in Zandonai´s "Francesco da Rimini" with 22. John Steane stated, that Fleta soon recognized, the audience ate out of his hand - and he recognized too, what the audience most loved: Namely his bad habits... He created "einen Stil der Stillosigkeit" ("A style of lack of style") wrote Kesting, full of sobbing, sweet mezza-voce, Smorzandi and Morendi. He held his hight notes endless without regard to the score and the conductor. The audience loved him, and very soon he made his first recordings (1922). On stage he was everybody´s darling in Tosca, Carmen, La Bohème, Aida, Cavalleria Rusticana - and he sang with great success in Latin and South America. In November 1923 he gave his debut at the Metropolitan Opera (Cavaradossi). Here he was in competition with Gigli, Martinelli and Lauri-Volpi; tenors with divo status and ditto salaries. Finally in 1924 he debuted at La Scala, where he had the honour of creating the role of Calaf in Puccini´s posthumously-premiered final opera "Turandot" at the insistence of the conductor Arturo Toscanini. Originally Puccini wished to have Gigli or Lauri-Volpi for the role of Calaf (Michael Sims in his Turandot-Essay). Influenced by his spanish agent, Fleta signed with the Teatro Apolo in Madrid and told the Met management he was due for Military Service in Spain. The Met disclosed the lie and initiated a lawsuit against the tenor. In his mid-30s, his vocal decline began - caused by too many performances and travels. He died in 1938. Miguel Fleta received in total 64 votings. I´m sure, he´s still unforgotten in his homeland Spain. Place Position 7 for a controversial singer whose legend lives on!

THE COMPLETE OVERVIEW: GO TO ALL SINGERS IN THIS LIST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBsScnQWVlU

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Miguel
• Fleta
• Spain
• Julian
• Gayarre
• Alfredo
• Kraus
• Antonio
• Cortis
• José
• Carreras
• Placido
• Domingo
• Giacomo
• Puccini
• Turandot
• Arturo
• Toscanini
• Maria
• Lacalle

[revivaljesus]

I remeber reading that Alfredo Kraus said Fleta has the greatest vocal technique he had heard.

Fleta belongs to the ranks of Caruso, Lauri-volpi, Björling, Gigli and the other greats. Without a doubt one of the greatest tenor voices recorded.

[GiordanMilanit]

BELLA BELLA VOCE. SUPERBO TENOR

[contrafagot]

Fantastico, che bella voce!

[tenorvoicefan]

Ja, er ist ein ganz Großer. Ohne Zweifel. Aber seine spanischen Lied Aufnahmen gefallen mir besser als seine Opern Einspielungen. Sein "Ay,Ay,Ay" ist unerreicht.

Er hat ein wunderbare Bel Canto Stimme mit einer sehr schönen Technik. Dazu ist er sehr viril und ausdrucksstark.

Trotzdem, seine hohe Einstufung überrascht, auch mich.

[meltzerboy]

Perhaps, as stated, Fleta abuses the use of morendi and smorzandi, sobs excessively, holds high notes too long, and can be overly emotional in his singing. Yet, I like the colors of his voice, while his sincere and heartfelt style are very appealing.

[saltburner2]

Fleta's early records are exquisite. He was well trained in Bel Canto, and his [over]use of fillature was exceptional.

His singing was not always in the best taste, however, and his tendency to force coarsened his voice asn shortened his career.

As for which other tenor might have made a good job creating Calaf, may I put in a plea for Francesco Merli, who was also a fine Otello.

[ShawDAMAN]

Good choice, I love his singing, and happen to like his voice as well.

[LordMgls]

That's what we use to say.

But if you think, The Maestro wouldn't compose an opera for an only tenor. More important than the première, there is the future of the opera in the mouth of every tenor.

Anyway, Toscanini wanted it to be Gigli in the première, against Puccini's will, which was Fleta. Yes, Puccini had chosen Jeritza, but it was Raisa.