Search - Giuseppe Mario Sammarco, Gaetano Donizetti, Giuseppe Verdi :: McCormack In Opera: Prima Voce

A Singer's Singer

L. E. Cantrell | Vancouver, BC Canada | 02/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John McCormack was a living textbook in the art of singing. His technique and vocal production are virtually flawless--and the absolute despair of anyone trying to emulate him. To hear a very simple piece, say Care Selve, sung as he sings it, is an on-going revelation.Had these recordings been made in the digital age, then six or even ten stars would hardly be accurate."

Good sampling of an early 20th century tenor

Steven A. Peterson | Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL) | 03/02/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John McCormack became a player among operatic tenors in 1910, when he first appeared with Dame Nellie Melba in Australia and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His final appearance on stage was in 1923. Thereafter, he did sing concerts and recorded as well.



This CD contains a wide range of works which he sings, from the "Prize Song" (Die Meistersinger) to Handel (arias from Semele and Atalanta) to Donizetti (Lucia di Lammermoor) to Boito (Mefistofele) to Delibes (Lakme) and others as well. Quite a generous repertoire!



To illustrate, let us take a look in modest detail at some of the pieces on this CD.



"De miei bollenti spiriti," from Verdi's "La Traviata" (recorded in 1910). He shows a rich tenor voice. He sings this with passion and avoids vocal affectations. To my untutored ears, an attractive vocal presentation.



"Che gelida manina" from Puccini's "La Boheme" (1910). This is one of the great tenor arias, in my view. At the outset. there is a touching quality to his singing, altogether appropriate for this piece. He sings well the second "qui son" (some shout this out, others "cry"). He hits his notes pretty well, from what I can tell. He may not have the sheer vocal power of a Corelli or a Tucker or a Caruso, but he does sing well. His singing of the phrase "la speranza" and its high note is quite interesting. All in all, a nice version.



"Questa o quella" from Verdi's "Rigoletto." An animated version. McCormack sings this with spirit, although not at the same pace as some other tenors. But it is a fine version. He exhibits nice breath control. An attractive voice that is deployed well here.



"Il mio tesoro," from Mozart's "Don Giovanni." This is a challenging aria, and it is well sung by McCormack. Again, he shows good technique and handles the demands of this work nicely. I really enjoyed his rendering of this work.



So, from my listening here, Jon McCormack exhibits an attractive tenor voice. I'm not sure he should be rated among the all-time greats, but he's pretty doggone good!

"

Great Opera History

H W Grotefeld | 04/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wonderful to be able to hear this great performer. Given the era of these recordings, the quality and clarity are remarkable and the results are truly atmospheric!"