Tucker was both a great artist, tenor, and human being - as a young singer in the chorus I got to hear him live several times and each time was a memorable experience. Also, so kind and generous with his time and advice to young singers that wanted future careers on the opera stage. I wish I could turn back the clock and thank him again and for his advice that made it possible for me to go from the chorus to a career on the opera stages of Europe. Thank you, Mr. Tucker.
Wow! I knew him very well also, but not a singer myself, he was a kind and sincere person, generous with friends, and I'll never forget his large rich spinto voice, must have seen him over 20 times in both opera and concert in several cities
My mother's favorite tenor I was named after him. I grew up hearing his voice on LPs and am told he was one of the nicest stars to work with from colleagues. Generous and loving family man who placed God and his family before career
Lol. American star ideation at its weirdest. Many many great opera singers were and are awful people. It’s their voice not their soul. Tucker was a mensch from many accounts yet it is the theatre. They are not gods.
Richard Tucker was utterly amazing. a beautiful sound, strong bid sound, perfect diction, sang it without over embellishing. A big sound but sweet and focused.
I was in a restaurant in Philadelphia where the wait staff were mostly students from Curtis Institute of Music. My waitress began singing an Anna Moffo aria. I clapped and told her I once saw Anna Moffo sing Gilda, Rigoletto’s daughter. It was at the Old Met, with Tito Gobbi as the title role. The pretty young student looked at me like I had witnessed her idol. I could only say after all these years, “Yes., I was there.”
I too saw her in later years giving a Master class from the stage at Curtis. I was not a student, but only a privileged guest. Only now on RU-vid can I hear here sing. She is totally delightful in every way. Her voice is perfection.
I love these two and how they responded to each other to say nothing of their wonderful voices. How perfect: they just met and are transported by the wonders of love at first sight. Their voices carry us too.
sounds and looks better every time i watch it- what magnificent voices and personalities from an era of greatness! wish they could do a digitally remastered and colorized version
Wonderful singing by both. As an opera fanatic I had to smile when the poor Mimi has a hairdo which must have cost more than a few Francs. I love OPERA.
Oh I am so glad I found this. It’s just gorgeous isn’t it. Oh to have heard them live. We are so blessed to live in an age where recordings can preserve these beautiful performances forever. I was a little sad before I found this and now my heart is lifted. A singer has done the job properly when a listener is MOVED, not impressed, but MOVED. The tear in my eye says it all. Thank you for posting this. By the way, so lovely to hear a tenor who doesn’t scream every phrase.
Estas son maravillas que nunca se olvidaran no pasaran.Las continuaran disfrutando las nuevas.generaciones llenos de admiracion y orgullo.Pipo de Texas
Que lindas árias! Che gelida manina! Sí...mi chiamono Mimi! Oh soave fanciulla! Que estória linda! Que árias magníficas! Que grande tenor! Que grande soprano! EMOCIONANTE! Estou chorando! Neste vídeo não se discute a aparência física dos atores e sim suas capacidades vocais e suas musicalidades que são os principais contextos. Magnífico! Gratidão!
TUCHER...grande per il reperorio spinto drammatico, ma qui non è il suo ruolo anche se la classe non manca. MOFFO perfettamente in ruolo per voce, fraseggio e bellezza fisica al top. Beautiful
These two Super Stars are Magnificent! They all but Define this Act, in voice and acting. I should not be catty, but 12 hrs ago, 04.10.21, I heard the Met Sat afternoon radiocast of La Boheme from a performance of the last 5 yrs. Rodolfo had a resonant peak that seared at my ears in crescendos! Sadly, Mimi And Musetta Both had out of control vibrato! With all three main voices so badly flawed, it was hard to enjoy one of the greatest works in Opera Repertoire.
Moffo tenía una voz única para Mimi, casi todas suelen sonar ñoñas en el papel (hasta abueleadas), pero Anna tenia una voz carnosa, tierna, pero con un timbre sumamente sensual (por eso también es la Musetta de referencia), fantástica y super sexy.
Moffo has a very light voice for Mimi. Her Musetta was MARVELOUS! To sing Mimi, Moffo will need a matured voice who never come (she lost her voice very early). Sad...
In the first couple of phrases, Tucker sounds a little bit like Gigli. Del Monaco and Gigli were Tucker's favorite tenor's. Tucker is outstanding here.
I like Tucker here in 1963 more so then the "VAI" post of him in color singing it also with her in 1961 in color posted by VAI, anyhow thanks to Mr. Placido for the post,
What a surprise to find this - and such a pleasure! I was familiar with Richard Tucker's singing from 'way back but I have only recently 'discovered' Anna Moffo. What a treat! I hate to say this but her face reminded me of the lady star of the British TV series, The Rag Trade.
Vor 60 Jahren!! Wer ist Pavarotti, wer ist Mirella Freni usw. Anna Moffo hat einen sehr weichen Sopran, angenehm für die Ohren und für die Seele. Grandios.
Primacy effect. Tebaldi got a big voice, but she was laborsome compared to many singers that came after her, she breathed in between many phrases (sometimes even on every word) to enlarge the vocal. A big no no now. Opera got much better after Tebaldi and Callas in the late 60s to early 90s because a lot of singers picked up the techniques from that generation and improved upon them. For example, Moffo’s legato here is much smoother than Tebaldi’s because she does not break up those phrases. This compromises your volume but is considered superior singing technique.
@@luceafarul579 Thank you. I love the Bjorling/Tebaldi version; however, what you say is very enlightening: I shall listen again. .... But, I shall still shiver when I hear it and my eyes will moisten. This version is excellent as well.
les gardner: Oh grow up!! In the end he’s a man and she’s a woman and he wants to leave and she’s dawdling by standing around and singing. That’s why he’s on the staircase: HE WAITING FOR HER. Something’s never change!!
Анна Моффо - звезда на все времена! Артистичная, певучая королева сцены 70-х. Но мне больше нравится дуэт с Т.Стратас и Х.Кареросом. Моффо слишком шикарна для бедняжки Мими и Такер чересчур помпезный для роли замерзающего и голодного художника.
@@sugarbist Correct and she usually wore some heels and high hair, Tebaldi might be even taller at five nine or ten, but Tucker refused taller shoes that MDM did use, so with Tucker and Tebaldi she looked taller on the TV show with Ed Sullivan and as she walked off you saw her high heels making her about 5'11" Tucker did not care and told her wear what ever you want, MDM did care and had her wear flats as he was the same height as Tucker, five seven, Tucker knew he was secure and didn't care, his voice was six feet tall and MDM's was a big dramatic, so why he cared I don't know, I saw them both on stage, MDM I saw sing Otello in 59' Tucker I saw many times in concert and in opera in many different places.
costars: Yes, for your ear. Bust most people have two ears so there’s plenty of other great recordings to “ear”. Tebaldi/Bergonzi, Freni with Gedda/Pavarotti, Moffo/Tucker and Caballe/Domingo.
wookinooki: Well, no one is trying to convince anyone that a pool table is the root of all evil but these two could most certainly convince you to take singing lessons for the choir they’re starting.
Moffo really had a beautiful voice, however, her lyric-coloratura soprano voice at the time she sang Mimi wasn't mature enough for the role. In fact, Mimi is a spinto soprano role, it starts there. Obviously that doesn't stop a lyric-coloratura soprano from singing Mimi, but that will demand a maturity in the voice that Moffo didn't have yet, he was still very youthful. Her voice was perfect for Musetta. Unfortunately Moffo's career was rather short-lived, she lost her voice very early on. But also! Singing Gilda, Lucia, Musetta, Mimi, Norina, Cio-Cio San, Nannetta, Liù, Manon, Melissande, the FOUR heroines of "Les Contes d'Hoffmann", Susanna, etc, voice and challenged roles that were too demanding with roles that were right for her. Maybe if she had had a longer career, I think she would have played a great Mimi.
Moffo was always a weird Mimi. In fact her Butterfly is the same. Her voice is just not large enough. Tucker has rather short phrasing and cheated vocal legati that is incredibly choppy. He also is rather bottle necked with the tone. It was always somewhat trapped and the upper top was just sort of peeled off. He was better where he could let the tone go and sing freer. I found this phoned in and just weird. Many of the television opera appearances were amazing this one felt strange. Sort of like watching Pagliacci stumble into the Merry Widow. It did not feel like Boheme.
Staging and costumes? They do not look "impoverished" bohemians.....Always loved Moffo even before rhinoplasty. Other tenor voices I've liked much more, but have heard there was no finer human being in opera than Tucker.
LMAO during the tenor's aria, Moffo looks like Tosca listening to Scarpia. LMAO and she sings her aria scooping and meowing, a tic that just got worse over the years. Too bad, she had the greatest vocal instrument.
