Listen to this man sing Nessun Dorma in this live recording! Holy crap! Goosebumps! Those high notes are supported from such a depth - yet sound so effortless - I have to think his testicles were holding them up! Astonishing! (H/T Buster)
Thanks so much for posting this wonderful soundbite. Franco Corelli is one of the most talented tenors to ever grace the stage. And this aria is one of the finest ever written. I love to imagine what it sounded like live! As beautiful as this recording is, the equipment available at the time - as well as my laptop speakers - are unable to capture the full amazingness of the performance.
…A little like sacraments and heaven: we get a taste of the glory of God’s presence through His Church, but nothing compared to the full glory of His presence in heaven. It might be a stretch, but oh well!
The great Pav *was* great lyric tenor, but played (sang!) in a different league from Franco Corelli (not worse or lesser, just different). Corelli was obviously a gorgeous man, a six-footer: broad of shoulder, and slim of waist and hip, long-legged. He taught himself how to sing — like that. His voice was incredibly large, a true spinto tenore. RIP. He resposed a few short years ago.
That exerpted recording of Turandot is arguable the best ever made of the opera. Birgit Nilsson’s “In questa reggia” raises the hair on the back of the neck. GLORIOUS. He was the only tenor she couldn’t out-sing.
Interesting aside — the pop singer Andrea Bocelli ‘disappeared’ for a time a few years ago. After he ‘reappeared’, I happened to hear a new recording. I sat there wondering what sounded so…familiar. I couldn’t put my finger on it until he did a particular vocal something-or-other, perhaps a portamento or some such…and that’s when it hit me: he reminded me of Corelli! Wouldn’t you know it, I learned a short time later he *had* taken voice lessons from the great Corelli.
“Nessun Dorma” brings up my favorite opera moment.
My father-in-law, John Alexander, was a tenor with the Metropolitan Opera for more than 25 years. As such, one of his signature tunes was “Nessun Dorma”.
Late in his career, after a heart condition had greatly weakened him, he agreed to give a concert in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi. His finale, before a packed and adoring house, was (you guessed it) “Nessun Dorma”.
He sang it beautifully, regaining much of the power that illness and weakness had stolen away. The crowd roared out its approval. He bowed, and went offstage to greet his adoring wife.
He asked for a chair, saying he felt just a little tired.
He bowed his head and died, the cheers still ringing in the air.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Wow.
Really, really sounds like Pavarotti!
July 24th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Holy crap is precisely correct!
July 24th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
WOW! This made my evening.
July 24th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Thanks so much for posting this wonderful soundbite. Franco Corelli is one of the most talented tenors to ever grace the stage. And this aria is one of the finest ever written. I love to imagine what it sounded like live! As beautiful as this recording is, the equipment available at the time - as well as my laptop speakers
- are unable to capture the full amazingness of the performance.
…A little like sacraments and heaven: we get a taste of the glory of God’s presence through His Church, but nothing compared to the full glory of His presence in heaven. It might be a stretch, but oh well!
July 24th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
The great Pav *was* great lyric tenor, but played (sang!) in a different league from Franco Corelli (not worse or lesser, just different). Corelli was obviously a gorgeous man, a six-footer: broad of shoulder, and slim of waist and hip, long-legged. He taught himself how to sing — like that. His voice was incredibly large, a true spinto tenore. RIP. He resposed a few short years ago.
That exerpted recording of Turandot is arguable the best ever made of the opera. Birgit Nilsson’s “In questa reggia” raises the hair on the back of the neck. GLORIOUS. He was the only tenor she couldn’t out-sing.
Interesting aside — the pop singer Andrea Bocelli ‘disappeared’ for a time a few years ago. After he ‘reappeared’, I happened to hear a new recording. I sat there wondering what sounded so…familiar. I couldn’t put my finger on it until he did a particular vocal something-or-other, perhaps a portamento or some such…and that’s when it hit me: he reminded me of Corelli! Wouldn’t you know it, I learned a short time later he *had* taken voice lessons from the great Corelli.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Dear Anchoress,
“Nessun Dorma” brings up my favorite opera moment.
My father-in-law, John Alexander, was a tenor with the Metropolitan Opera for more than 25 years. As such, one of his signature tunes was “Nessun Dorma”.
Late in his career, after a heart condition had greatly weakened him, he agreed to give a concert in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi. His finale, before a packed and adoring house, was (you guessed it) “Nessun Dorma”.
He sang it beautifully, regaining much of the power that illness and weakness had stolen away. The crowd roared out its approval. He bowed, and went offstage to greet his adoring wife.
He asked for a chair, saying he felt just a little tired.
He bowed his head and died, the cheers still ringing in the air.
Now THAT is how a tenor passes!