Cornell Macneil "Si puo, si puo?" Buenos Aires 1968

Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires. June 21, 1968

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Opera
• Leoncavallo
• Pagliacci
• Tonio
• Cornell
• Macneil

[robertwbecker]

It's an A flat, I'm tired of people being critical of Mac when they could not walk in his shoes or turn pages for him, recognize what he did at the height of his career and cut him some slack, this is one of the greatest baritones of the century and if you don't get that you need a hearing examination!

[ernanisonio]

Forget about wobble/schmobble. Just listen to that audience explosion at the end. This is not polite applause. This is a genune response of pent up emotion to a wonderful performance by a wonderful artist. The first time I ever heard MacNeil, it was Pagliacci. I was on the rail standing room, left side orchestra at the old Met. As I heard this deep booming voice I thought, my god he'll never get up there! But get up there he did and mine and the audience response was just like heard here.

[Labienus]

@Chiliarches Thanks for making me aware of him-big, exciting voice-however he's been around for quite a while and you wonder why he isn't "bigger" Listened to the Prologue-line choppy-softer singing too precious-imitative interpretation don't know wht it's likelive-take Hvorostovsky-great stylist wonderful line but truth be told not aterribly big sound if it were he'd be super star

Like to hear Ko is some well know settings

[Chiliarches]

@Labienus

You're right about everything you say...EXCEPT that there is no one at his level anymore. I just discovered someone who IS. Look up Seng Hyoun Ko - Pagliacci.

[ChrisStockslager]

@Labienus Like his 1977 Met Rigoletto on DVD, which I will pick over Merrill or Milnes in their primes in that role any day!

[claudiocp35]

I saw this performance. MacNeils' s voice soaring in that enormous hall will never be forgotten.

[Heldenbariton1]

R.I.P. Cornell MacNeil

[Labienus]

Without doubt one of the great voices of the last century, and probably one of the greatest Verdi baritones ever. I heard him many times in his glory years, and his Rigoletto was second to none. I notice elsewhere there is some mean spirited carping about some performances later in his career-and perhaps he did hang on too long-but MacNeil in decline was better than any baritone singing today-and even in those years on a given night you might have a blazing performance.

[ChristophePhilippe]

How does singing get better?

[Heldenbariton1]

MacNeils Voice ist unbelievable! For me, he´s the gratest Baritone of all time! Every time, when I hear his voice, i am  overwhelmed with emotion. Great Artist!

[Greatfan2011]

This is THE GLRY OF SINGING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL !! For goodness sake, I was 16 and will never forget this beautiful sound. He has a God gift that almost no other baritone had. And THAT BEAUTY OF TONE. His voice was wide, voluminous, brilliant but above all, VERY, VERY BEAUTIFUL !!! The beauty almost made us forget the volume. It is impossible to sing better than this, or even reach this level !!!