Carlo Bergonzi, 100
OperaThe Italian tenor, who would have turned 100 on Saturday, is to be celebrated at La La Scala on July 15, at a Turndot performance.
Bergonzi died, aged 90, in July 2014.
Born near Parma, for many he was the ultimate Verdian.
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Unfortunately the Calaf in that performance is not in the Bergonzi class …
Mr. Netrebko I assume? Neither in the same class as a performer (to put it very mildly) or as a human being.
Bergonzi’s special gifts were in Verdi roles. I also heard him at the Metropolitan Opera in his role debut as Pollione in NORMA. The others in that cast were Sutherland, Horne and Siepi.
Lucky you!
I love his recording “Canzone Napolitane” with the Madrid Chamber Orchestra – far away from opera…
I had the good fortune to hear Bergonzi dozens of times at the Met from 1970 through 1988, most memorably in “Un ballo in maschera”, “Aida”, “Luisa Miller”, and “L’elisir d’amore” (with Renata Scotto). Oh – and “La forza del Destino” with Leontyne Price (now THAT was an historic pairing).
His voice had the power and clarity of Corelli, but a mellower, beautiful tone.
He should be remembered as the Verdi tenor of the 20th Century. He actually recorded, for Philips, the tenor arias from every Verdi opera (31 arias in a 3-CD set).
Unfortunately he came to Otello too late in his career: the one-night-only affair at Carnegie Hall was a disaster which he was unable to complete.
He sang more than 300 performances at the Met from 1956 through 1988 and, in 1996 at age 71, returned for a gala and sang “Quando le sere al placido” from “Luisa Miller” and the tenor part in the Act III trio from “I Lombardi”. And he still sounded glorious.
I saw him in the 80s and 90s he was still an Exciting performer with a style from the past. And he did a master class at Yale I believe which his technique was about singing easily with support and lift in the voice