It's amazing how much was packed into a single hour, and it certainly clarified a lot me me as a non-musician about complexities of the art, of the different kinds of tenor voices--and oh yes, the High C--as well as demonstrating various musical points Armando has written about. When I first heard Villazon quote Toscanini about Lanza and then say, I think a program like that--given the constraints of time and the numbers of themes that can be expounded has to choose its icons quite carefully--there's only room for a few among many possibilities.
Lanza's inclusion says a great deal about his place in that long history of the tenor voice from castrati to The Three Tenors and beyond. When he's placed in context, arguments about whether he is or isn't an opera singer seem a bit off-point given the impact of his legacy both on individual singers and on the direction of classical music.
And then there's Villazon's parting comments about the importance of charisma for the tenor. Well, that's certainly never been a Lanza issue! Thank you very much for your post dear Lee Ann, it is a pleasure to read it. Best as always. Cheers from Susan. Jan Hodges. I too was really impressed with the program. It was well put together and featured some very interesting aspects especially about the change from singing falsetto to full voice in the early 's. There was a nice little segment on Mario even if the choice of items was not necessarily the best to showcase his voice.
Still I suppose we must be grateful he got a mention. I thought Rolando Villazon did an excellent job. Hello Derek, I am so glad you posted this thread. I viewed the 7 part tenor series last night on youtube.. It was a great program,and who better then Rolando to 'emcee' the show. He has such a great personality,and his love of all things musical, simply shines through his warm and inviting personality.
To be a great tenor.. Corelli didn't 'look' great but "ahh" that voice. Placido,my god, roles in about appearances,and he still continues in his ever expanding musicianship. Definitely one of the great tenors,and a true pro. Could Lanza have made it in the operatic world??
Depending on those who could guide him, and keep him on track.. But how easy it was for him to get off path with his extreme ups and downs. But that tenor voice of his.. In my opinion "The Best" I shall ever hear. Some of the clips shown did not show the best of some of the tenors in the documentary; but Mario paid such a high compliments, from these greats,at the end.
Interesting comment re. I enjoyed seeing and hearing a young Alagna as Romeo.. And of course Pav. Wasn't it wonderful how Mario touched so many of these great tenor singers as well as countless others , not to mention his adoring public. Cheers to all. Great posts, everyone. If his voice should ever fail him permanently, then he could easily have a second career as an on-screen opera educator! He's a great musical ambassador, and I'm sure that anyone watching that programme who previously knew nothing about opera would at least be tempted to attend a live performance.
Clearly this goes far beyond being just a job for these guys. Leafing back through my notes, I can't believe how much material they crammed into an hour. He put theory into practice with his own performance of Donizetti's "Una furtiva lagrima".
He swept back through operatic history to hold forth about castrati and counter-tenors, and to reflect on how the tenor used to be the bad guy rather than the romantic hero into which he was subsequently transformed. Great tenors from the past were held up for inspection. Conductor Mark Elder paid generous tribute to the "power and athleticism" of Franco Corelli's singing, and was eloquent in his praise of the great Mozartian, Fritz Wunderlich.
Not least, the film made a successful stab at putting the supposedly modern-day urge for tenors to cross over into pop into perspective. And that movie, in turn, would be cited as a source of inspiration by each of the Three Tenors. Buy Find Rolando Villazon on Amazon. Thanks, Arts Desk, for keeping your finger on the pulse of this season. Adam Sweeting makes me want to watch this immediately - sounds as 'zinging' as he puts it as Pappano's masterclasses in Italian opera.
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