Tag Archives: Mario Del Monaco
Mario Del Monaco in Recital
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 22nd April 2025Mario Del Monaco (1915-1985) was the great Italian dramatic tenor of the last century. The dramatic tenor is a rare specimen. He is distinguished from the spinto tenor by the baritonal timbre of his sound combined with powerful high notes reaching to C5. It is the voice Verdi had in mind when he wrote Otello….
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Il Tabarro
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 23rd March 2014Here is a complete performance recorded more than a half century ago of Puccini’s realistic one act opera Il Tabarro. Robert Merrill heads a cast that could not be matched today. This opera and its two partners will soon be 100 years old. Originally dismissed as a Grand Guignol thriller with little substance. It has gotten…
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Or Son Sei Mesi
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 19th September 2010Puccini’s cowboy opera, La Fanciulla del West, is returning to the Met this season after an absence of 17 years. 2010 is the 100th anniversary of the opera’s world premiere at the Met. Emmy Destinn and Enrico Caruso sang the leads under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. Puccini supervised the production which was directed by…
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La vita è inferno all’infelice…O tu che seno agli angeli
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 8th May 2010Verdi’s apotheosis to misery and self pity is one of opera’s greatest arias. The recitative which starts the scena is better than most composers’ best arias. The aria itself is sublime. It requires an extraordinary tenor to bring it off. For no reason other than I like it so much here are three performances of…
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Merry Christmas
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 25th December 2009[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnSaG8gGzbw&feature=related] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FKblLRobD0] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33nTnawq6jk&feature=related]
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