Outstanding performances, what happened to the world ? Art should be praised as it was in those old days, people don't know what the word music means anymore.
The only spinto tenor who could control his huge voice with a flawless technique free of poor habits, and sound just as passionate and beautiful in lyric roles. He could sing a grocery list and it would sound divine.
Prime singing from Tucker here. To me the definitive rendition of this is Di Stefano's famous one.... but perhaps, this is the definitive *spinto* rendition. Beautiful.
I'd never even heard of Mary Costa until I accidently ran across a video of her and Bill Shirley singing in Sleeping Beauty... now I can't get enough of her voice and there's not much to choose from on RU-vid of her singing opera, dammit!
Richard Tucker has turned into one of my favorite tenors!!!, he is so solid vocaly and has this divine talent to sing so charmly yet so energetic all his performances. Bravo, Viva Richard Tucker!!!!
Mary Costa was the second sopranoLeonard Berstein chose asCunegonde in Candide.Barbara Cook played the role on Broadway and Mary Costa in London in 1959.Barbara went to Broadway and Mary to the opera
Tucker sang the role complete in his earlier more Lyric days, but here at age 50 he still manages vocal beauty, legato line and easy going up, without scooping, also here at age he is 50 still rock solid and a very powerful spinto voice in the opera house, where I saw him many times, first when he was still in his 40's and often later also, as with Mario Del Monaco (I saw MDM in the 1950's) Tucker was best heard in house.
Actually in the mid1950's till 1960's he was the Met. opera leading tenor in the Italian wing, singing 30 roles in 30 years there and hundreds more in other major opera houses , he opened 7 of the opening nights out of his 30 years at the met. and sang over 750 times in that house, plus hundreds more in other leading opera houses . RIP.
"Que lindo cantaba Richard Tucker", this where the words of my already passed away grandpa (he was english, but we spoked in spanish)...sometimes I tend to close my eyes and just led myself travell through music, to that world where color, languages, religion, etc, unite all together. Will it come the day where we will live along each side with complete armony?...I hope we can all see this days soon!!!.Bravo Tucker!!!
Oh, I recognize the song Mary Costa is singing now. It was in the beginning of the movie 'The Age of the Innocence.' _"Mrs. Julius Beaufort appeared just before the Jewel Song and, again as usual, rose at the end of the third act and disappeared. New York then knew that, a half-hour later, her annual opera ball would begin."_
I have had the honor of sing "The Traviata" with Mary Costa In the "Teatro Municipal de Santiago" in Chile in 1975. Still now I remember how I was shivering after sing with her. Was the most fantastic moment of my life in Opera. I hope to know something from her now...Somebody knows something about her...?
***** Is a fantastic news to know that Mary still is in the field of arts. Do you know her personally Alexandra. I wish to sender a big kiss... I really appreciate that you take your time to answer my questions...and have a beautiful Christmas. Juan Torres
Unfortunately, no. I have met her once, though, and she was an absolute joy. I believe she is a board member for the Knoxville Opera, though! Happy holidays to you!
The recordings he uploaded are long expired copyright wise so he could fight it but it's harder to do once the account is suspended I think. Some of my videos were taken down but I put claims in and they were instantly put back up. What a shame; he was a good poster and guy. I even bought some CDs off of him a year or two back.
Mary Costa was born in 1930 and she is better known because she was the Princess Aurora s voice in Sleepinb beauty.She also replaced Barbara Cook in the touring Candide company with the original Broadway cast(Robert Rounseville, etc) and later she was Cunegude in the original London 1959 performance
Mary is one of the greatest opera singers of all time, and I'm glad that we have these vintage film clips which preserve her artistry for posterity. Well done, Mary Costa!!
pearlmuth3 :Tucker i agree is sensational here and he should be ranked right up there with the Greats,but it was not a High B as you mention here, it was the coveted High C that many tenors wished that they had.Not many could sing that High C as good and as solid as Tucker displays here.
Il y a une importante coupure de texte au début de l'air des bijoux. Mary Costa a une bonne diction et une puissance de grand lyrique. L'illustre Richard Tucker malgré une diction légèrement moins bonne que Costa nous délivre un Faust à l'aigu étincelant!
Re: Tucker, I appreciate all the knowledgeable comments, but as to the high note at the end, I could care less if it's a B or a C. It's a touching performance without grandstanding or artifice. Everything seems in character & in proportion musically. Gounod would have liked this.
Agree, he was a magnificent tenor in any language, with clear fine diction, and for an American tenor wonderful he was wonderful here in the aria at age 51. His reviews singing this role complete at the Met. in the 1940's and also in New Orleans in 1953 where excellent from the professional Critics, those writing for major newspapers, and in the opera Carmen "he sang Don Jose over 50 times!" He received Excellent reviews singing Don Jose in Carmen and he sang the opening in the 1955 Met. opera season singing another French role " Tales of Hoffmann", as far as French roles, he sang others also, he sang "La Juive" with great success at the end of his career, just a few years before he died, and in fact just weeks before he died, he sang Juive in Barcelona Spain and also sang both Samson and Africana, All French roles, in addition to Italian roles as the leading Italian tenor at the Met from the 1950s on.. RIP. Richard Tucker, 1913-1975..
Oh, how i wish that 1955 Met Tales of H. had been recorded! They didnt even use him for the 1950s Met recording of highlights with Martial Singher...why?? Although, come to think of it, that highlights disc was done in English. @@rst-3192
