That was just at the Met. if you add up everywhere else, it's way over 1,000 times surely, you know he sang in most of the major big opera houses, in this country and many of the real big ones in Europe and in Asia in the 1950's, in Singapore, China, Korea, Viet Nam, Japan and the rest, most of the major ones in Asia it was in 1957, a big tour for him.
This is my own personal tape, I had Edmund post for me as I don't know how or care about doing it, so he kindly did it for me, I taped in off WEFM Chicago radio, in 1970 ( radio WEFM, now gone was an old, the very first FM station in Chicago and one of the first nation wide, and it was classical music, mainly only, gone now, as others come and go.
You have performed a great service for the world of music history in the US. This is a one-copy only interview, which, by the way, is extremely interesting, of one of America's--and the world's--greatest singers. And now it is out in public where it is really safe for the future. Thank you so much, Steve!
Bravo, don Edmund he was so rigth!!!, Richard Tucker was not only a great talented tenor, but also a "thinking and inteligent" one. Cannot be more in accordance of his opinion...we all ust understand more what this relation between vocal talent and physical maduration is!!!. Bravo!!!
According to my Italian friends and I know a few folks who do speak the language, he is fine "as a non Italian " in his Italian diction, I do not speak the language, but Tucker did well with Toscanini in 1949 in Aida, for his diction and in Italy where most all his reviews where excellent, in fact Pavarotti wrote the forward in the James Drake "Tucker book" giving Tucker high marks for singing at La Scala in 1969 and in Verona back in 1947, where in his Italian debut he was asked to encore "Cielo e Mar" in several performances of Gioconda with a very young Maria Callas, also making her Italian debut, yes the reviews for the 33 year old Tucker where excellent even then and later in Milan, Parma, Rome and Florence also. They yelled in 1947 "Bis" which is Italian for "Encore" that for the American tenor in Gioconda after "Cielo Mar", back then he was unknown to them. He did comply and a sang "Cielo e mar" again, the facts are he later he got one of the highest cultural awards from the Italians, I read it was the "Commendatore medal." His 1971 Parma Travatore performance at age 57 is on you tube also and also a 1971 Pagliacci that year in Florence, but for me his Forza's in the 1950's and early 1960's, (also Chenier and Lescaut) was in his absolute Prime years-- and a late Canio run, just weeks before he died, that was at the Met. opera late in 1974. I saw him over 20 times in house in both opera and concert also and as a Cantor perform the liturgy.
Thankfully, Steve Galantiere (Shicoff1) had saved his tape of the interview and offered it to David Flory for posting on his “ Edmund St. Austell” site. The interview was conducted by WEFM program director Lee Logan when the Zenith-owned station (the call letters “WEFM” were drawn from the initials of Zenith CEO Eugene F. MacDonald) was an all-classical FM stereo station. Regrettably, Purdue professor David A. Flory, the man who created the site under the pseudonym Edmund St. Austell, died on April 6, 2020. He had the satisfaction of having his channel visited more than 33,000,000 times.
Oh yes, the great bulk is clearly intact. This audio track, after I put the main file together with the two fragments toward the end, came to over 18 minutes long. That's huge, for a radio interview. So you clearly have salvaged almost the entirety of it. And it is SO interesting. That anecdote about the La Scala debut at the beginning is hilarious!
Danke vielmals! Ich schätze Ihren Kommentar, und ich bin froh zu wissen, wie viel das Interview für Sie bedeutet. Es ist von großem historischen Interesse, vor allem für diejenigen, die die Arbeit von Richard Tucker bewundern
Ys!!! he was our greatest American Spinto tenor--- RIP. Richard Tucker , those who get on a post of a great singer and flame the person on their own post are Rude.
"The interview tape ends abruptly as Tucker states his interest in doing Mozart in the parks that summer." Richard Tucker did sing in some park concerts with the Metropolitan Opera in the summer of 1971, but not in Mozart. (The only Mozart opera in the Met repertory in 1970-1971 was "Don Giovanni.") He sang Turiddu in concert performances of "Cavalleria rusticana," with Kurt Adler conducting. (The audio of one of those concert performances is available here and there on CD; the others in the cast were Elinor Ross (Santuzza), Matteo Manuguerra (Alfio), Frederica von Stade (Lola), and Batyah Godfrey-ben David (Mamma Lucia).)
Dear Edmund, that annecdote is hilarious - and true! I had the chance of meeting many opera singers through a good friend of mine, regista in the S. Carlos Theater in Lisbon, the late Tomaz Ribas. The competition is ruthless, the back stabbing is constant and you can count on your fingers the exceptions, like Schipa and Domingo. Seems like they are in permanent fear of losing their position. And the tricks they play on each other are, sometimes, childish. I totally understand tucker's position!
Candor yes, but humility? Not sure Tucker had much of that. Telling his competitive tenors at La Scala that he was "...glad to come over to show you how to sing..." demonstrated he wasn't above blowing his own horn. But in all fairness, when you're better than anyone else in singing certain operatic roles, you have credible bragging rights.
@SHICOFF1 Having only listened to arias and duets on RUclips, there is no way of comparing the many featured tenor soloists to the experience of being seated at a live performance. However, what I've heard Tucker sing causes me to think that he wasn't merely an accomplished operatic Spinto tenor but certainly one of the very best. You don't have to convince me of his greatness. I look forward to listening to his Trovatore. Thanks for directing me to that RUclips presentation.
@@r.crompton2286 Your totally welcome, I try at age 80 to pass on some info from over 62 years of going to the opera in the opera house, for so many performances in so many different opera houses, in many cities and Europe longa ago.
His speaking voice sounds quite different than I expected...I did expect for his working class Brooklyn roots to show up, though his speaking voice is quite deep for a tenor singer.
Yes I knew him very well and had many conversations with him , in fact his speaking voice was probably lower then the dramatic Del Monaco, or spinto/dramatic Corelli, so you cannot go by speaking voices many times but when Tucker sang it was Pure tenor and a great one.
@@shicoff1398 I agree that you cannot go by speaking voices alone to normally judge on singing voices-another example of this is Jay Hunter Morris, the dramatic tenor-who, if you watch his interviews, has a pretty light speaking voice compared to his singing voice.
Later in his career used some heavy (at times) but his had a wonderful Legato line when he wanted it and I heard it in house many times, also in recording's as in his Bel Canto Columbia song recording or his complete 1960 Traviata with Moffo and 1962 Butterfly with Price, both RCA recordings, and in his own words to me, his favorite complete opera recording which was the 1964 Forza with Price and Merrill, also on the RCA label. His French live performances complete of Hoffmann, Faust (early) and later Juive are excellent, getting on a Tucker post Or any other singer too Badly flame that person is rude , mild critical remarks, fine, if factual. Anyhow Tucker was signed by both RCA, Columbia, Angel, and the Met. Record club label to Record 19 opera's, (from 1947 to 1974) one was Hilites, that was his last (1974) Juive, for RCA. Three complete opera's -- Boheme, Butterfly and Forza where recorded twice, early on Columbia in Mono --- and later Records in Stereo for the RCA label with different casts, in the 1960's . I suggest anyone listen on "You Tube" to Tucker's "Lords Prayer" recorded when he was in his 50's and beautifully smooth with great phrasing, not just good, but a Great recording in the 1960's by a great tenor, not just here but also in Europe , South America, Asia and when he sang in Israel and Canada.
I meant above sometimes in house, he used some strong accents, as "sugarbist has rightly said" but in house when you saw him it was not as noticed, as with Corelli's scoop in house, Gigli's extra sobs or Bjorling's strong vibrato up top, when he went for more volume, or when he sang slightly sharp for effect up top, (Lanza did that also, both did it at times for effect, it gives the impression of a larger voice.)
@@colinbellvintagehymnssongs5291 It was excellent and plenty is written about him in the Met Archives and by both Pavarotti and Corelli in print. also Tebaldi said "he had roses in his throat " he sang 30 different roles in 30 years and early went from Mozart and Puccini into spinto roles, even dramatic roles like Samson, and was in the 1950's the leading tenor at the Met. singing there nearly 800 times in 30 years and rarely cancelled, many times in other cities like Chicago, SF, Philly, Texas, and liked in Italy where he sang and in South America , the Italians in Verona and Parma especially liked him and at Scala (read their reviews in the archives) and as a Cantor he was very great. In 1962 he was the highest paid tenor in the world and according to Time magazine "the greatest Tenor in the world" He at the time was the number one primo American tenor and in the 1950's with Warren owned Forza. The book the tenors by Breslin goes into his technique (and others)which lasted well in his 30 years of opera singing and Toscanini used him in the Aida TV Brdcst. in 1949, it's on you tube in part. if you are British as I suspect hear him in 1973 at age 59 live in Juive at festival hall on you tube in the big aria, he had great cadenza's and trills as a powerful Spinto and was better in house live then on studio records. I saw him about 20 times from 1961 up till late 1974, he died in Jan 1975 at age 61. By the book on e bay "Richard Tucker " by James Drake, it is available and not expensive.
@@colinbellvintagehymnssongs5291 Check out Tucker's recording of "The Lords Prayer" that he recorded in the late 1960's, it's excellent and is on on you tube.
The contrast between his perfect Italian diction when singing and his working-class Brooklyn accent when speaking is funny. He talks like Ed Norton on "The Honeymooners", or like one of the Three Stooges.
His perfect Italian diction? Tucker's Italian diction and phrasing were far from perfect ,among American tenors he was one of the worst in this respect .American baritones or the period were as a rule better than tenors
His Italian diction was Excellent, as non Italians go at the time, leading Chicago lyric opera cond. Bruno Bartoletti told me his Italian diction was excellent (also his Italian professional reviews) as was Jussi Bjorling's ( but not early Bjorling ) later JB had also excellent Diction for a non Italian, he started very early and was a fast learner with a great ear, course no better then Tucker's Italian either, both great of course and today who do we have as great as those two in their voice class? the answer is really none better.
@@ColonelFredPuntridge You know Theodore I was a good friend of the Tucker's , both Richard and Sara and I worked in Classical radio in the 1960's, I also have been to the Tucker home long ago as a guest, on the wall going into the house is a picture signed to Tucker by the great Italian tenor "Lauri Volpi" who admired Tucker, when RT sang for Volpi at his home in Italy and he said to RT "You are a Caruso Voice" anyhow he signed the photo "to my friend tenor Richard Tucker" yes Lauri Volpi, so it was in the Tucker house and of course Pavarotti was a huge fan of his and wrote the forward to the James Drake /Tucker book . Facts are your not admired by so many Italians if not great and he was very great-- ---as Tebaldi said he was "Mr. terrific" with "roses in his throat" that he was "more Italian then Italians" that quote from 1965 Newsweek magazine, also Time magazine and the news week obit said "the greatest American tenor" and Newsweek said " greatest American and probably the greatest in the world" that in the Obits. Jan. 1975
1.38 sounds like a joke. it isnt. thats Tucker. I met him after a performance and complimented the usual ways to which he responded "well, I am at the pinnacle of my career"
(The tenors. Tucker--- by William Bender) It becomes necessary to place the singers egocentricity in it's proper perspective. Tucker does on a bit strong the first time one meets him, or encounters his boastful pronouncements. Yet there is something of the true "naif" about him. At the center of his world is the simple, enduring operative premise that God gave it to him to be the worlds greatest tenor . Everything else, the furtherance of the career, his opinion on what music is suitable for the voice, his confidence in himself revolves about that notion . Once on accepts it, one finds that Tucker is , as few other tenors, immensely humble in the face of his talent. He is also an incredibly Loyal and generous person.
Well anyhow, how did he sound that night, when was it? You mentioned seeing him. I Recall Bjorling in a interview you may have seen , the host was trying to get the modest Swede to admit he was the greatest in the world, he told JB about some other greats and in every case they where past it etc. Finally JB said, well I guess your right, I'm the greatest (etc) so he admitted it, and so it was and he did deserve bragging rights, even though it was forced on him. You know I saw him in 1958 and a pal of mine, older then myself went backstage afterword, he wanted a picture of JB, he said JB was kind of curt with him, and said OK and something like "make it snappy" anyhow he got the photo, has long since died, but loved JB's singing, he was still glad he went backstage, I should have but at age 18 and not as interested then, I did not.
It was a concert at a synagogue in St Lewis, maybe 2 years before he died. Only time I heard him. Fantastic! Pretty much like his recordings. Big voice. I remember thinking the only negative was his bad hairpiece!
@@shicoff1398 thank you for that. Makes sense, as those pronouncements were comical in size. Like when a singer mentioned they were booked to sing together. "It will be a treat for you". False modesty is dishonest and tiring . Tucker was always honest!
He said exactly that in an interview with Martin Bookspan posted by "Cantorial art" on Nov. 3rd, 2019 anyhow you can see the post on you tube about him, Peerce and Merrill and hear it said in Tucker's own words his own words, (the Pinacle of his career) a great tenor and a great man, he will live on in name as one of the greats RIP.
@@sgnmath1234 I taped this interview in Oct. 1970, he was singing in Chicago for the run in Lucia with soprano Deutekom and he got very good reviews at age 57, the run was from Oct. to Nov 1, 1970, his birthday was August, 1913. Yes so 57.
57 years old, born August 28, 1913 in Brooklyn NY. BTW His Italian for a non Italian tenor was excellent , there is a poster named "Sugarbist" who is Italian and a fan of Tucker and MDM, he speaks the language but is American from what I know, he had other Italians have said many times for a American tenor then or now his Italian is very good, as Bruno Bartoletti, the late Italian born Cond. told me (and also my late friends the Cocozza's) both of them told me Tucker had fine Italian diction, they where Mario Lanza's parents, Mary and Tony Cocozza, both where born in Italy of Italian parents. Swedish tenor Bjoerling and Tucker did very well in Italian for non Italians and in fact some Italians do not have great diction, and also Sutherland sang in English, but not with great diction, in her own language, it doesn't matter, the voice was a sensation and with opera singers, voice is #1.
So humble and kind... precious interview, he left us early, imagine Master Tucker can easily hit 1,000 Met performance if just a few more years...
That was just at the Met. if you add up everywhere else, it's way over 1,000 times surely, you know he sang in most of the major big opera houses, in this country and many of the real big ones in Europe and in Asia in the 1950's, in Singapore, China, Korea, Viet Nam, Japan and the rest, most of the major ones in Asia it was in 1957, a big tour for him.
Yes he died suddenly at age 61, in Jan. 1975.
This is my own personal tape, I had Edmund post for me as I don't know how or care about doing it, so he kindly did it for me, I taped in off WEFM Chicago radio, in 1970 ( radio WEFM, now gone was an old, the very first FM station in Chicago and one of the first nation wide, and it was classical music, mainly only, gone now, as others come and go.
A great pleasure. This is a real treasure, incredibly rare, and a real insight into the great singer's life and views.
Thank you Steve again. I really love to hear Richard Tucker talk. His confidence faith and wisdom all came out in this interview.
Thank you dear maestro, una magnífica contribución para nuestro bagaje académico como artistas escénicos. Muchas gracias a usted de nuevo!!!
You have performed a great service for the world of music history in the US. This is a one-copy only interview, which, by the way, is extremely interesting, of one of America's--and the world's--greatest singers. And now it is out in public where it is really safe for the future. Thank you so much, Steve!
Such a treat! Thank you!
It is a pleasure, my friend!
Bravo, don Edmund he was so rigth!!!, Richard Tucker was not only a great talented tenor, but also a "thinking and inteligent" one. Cannot be more in accordance of his opinion...we all ust understand more what this relation between vocal talent and physical maduration is!!!. Bravo!!!
Thanks for posting!
Today nothing in his fach, even close to him!
Thank you very much for that information. I can readily understand how that would be. Tough world!
According to my Italian friends and I know a few folks who do speak the language, he is fine "as a non Italian " in his Italian diction, I do not speak the language, but Tucker did well with Toscanini in 1949 in Aida, for his diction and in Italy where most all his reviews where excellent, in fact Pavarotti wrote the forward in the James Drake "Tucker book" giving Tucker high marks for singing at La Scala in 1969 and in Verona back in 1947, where in his Italian debut he was asked to encore "Cielo e Mar" in several performances of Gioconda with a very young Maria Callas, also making her Italian debut, yes the reviews for the 33 year old Tucker where excellent even then and later in Milan, Parma, Rome and Florence also. They yelled in 1947 "Bis" which is Italian for "Encore" that for the American tenor in Gioconda after "Cielo Mar", back then he was unknown to them. He did comply and a sang "Cielo e mar" again, the facts are he later he got one of the highest cultural awards from the Italians, I read it was the "Commendatore medal." His 1971 Parma Travatore performance at age 57 is on you tube also and also a 1971 Pagliacci that year in Florence, but for me his Forza's in the 1950's and early 1960's, (also Chenier and Lescaut) was in his absolute Prime years-- and a late Canio run, just weeks before he died, that was at the Met. opera late in 1974. I saw him over 20 times in house in both opera and concert also and as a Cantor perform the liturgy.
Thank you very much!
Thankfully, Steve Galantiere (Shicoff1) had saved his tape of the interview and offered it to David Flory for posting on his “ Edmund St. Austell” site. The interview was conducted by WEFM program director Lee Logan when the Zenith-owned station (the call letters “WEFM” were drawn from the initials of Zenith CEO Eugene F. MacDonald) was an all-classical FM stereo station. Regrettably, Purdue professor David A. Flory, the man who created the site under the pseudonym Edmund St. Austell, died on April 6, 2020. He had the satisfaction of having his channel visited more than 33,000,000 times.
Oh yes, the great bulk is clearly intact. This audio track, after I put the main file together with the two fragments toward the end, came to over 18 minutes long. That's huge, for a radio interview. So you clearly have salvaged almost the entirety of it. And it is SO interesting. That anecdote about the La Scala debut at the beginning is hilarious!
Thank you very much.
It is a pleasure! Thank you!
Danke vielmals! Ich schätze Ihren Kommentar, und ich bin froh zu wissen, wie viel das Interview für Sie bedeutet. Es ist von großem historischen Interesse, vor allem für diejenigen, die die Arbeit von Richard Tucker bewundern
Thank you for this wonderful birthday gift! The 11th of Sept was my bday!
BRAVO TUCKER!
Ys!!! he was our greatest American Spinto tenor--- RIP. Richard Tucker , those who get on a post of a great singer and flame the person on their own post are Rude.
Happy Birthday!
"The interview tape ends abruptly as Tucker states his interest in doing Mozart in the parks that summer."
Richard Tucker did sing in some park concerts with the Metropolitan Opera in the summer of 1971, but not in Mozart. (The only Mozart opera in the Met repertory in 1970-1971 was "Don Giovanni.") He sang Turiddu in concert performances of "Cavalleria rusticana," with Kurt Adler conducting. (The audio of one of those concert performances is available here and there on CD; the others in the cast were Elinor Ross (Santuzza), Matteo Manuguerra (Alfio), Frederica von Stade (Lola), and Batyah Godfrey-ben David (Mamma Lucia).)
Thank you very much, John, for your comment.
One of mine too! Thank you for the comment!
Dear Edmund, that annecdote is hilarious - and true! I had the chance of meeting many opera singers through a good friend of mine, regista in the S. Carlos Theater in Lisbon, the late Tomaz Ribas. The competition is ruthless, the back stabbing is constant and you can count on your fingers the exceptions, like Schipa and Domingo. Seems like they are in permanent fear of losing their position. And the tricks they play on each other are, sometimes, childish. I totally understand tucker's position!
Doesn't anyone pay attention to Tucker's wonderful candor and humility? After all, he was a bonafide superstar by the time this interview took place!
Candor yes, but humility? Not sure Tucker had much of that. Telling his competitive tenors at La Scala that he was "...glad to come over to show you how to sing..." demonstrated he wasn't above blowing his own horn. But in all fairness, when you're better than anyone else in singing certain operatic roles, you have credible bragging rights.
@SHICOFF1 Having only listened to arias and duets on RUclips, there is no way of comparing the
many featured tenor soloists to the experience of being seated at a live performance. However, what I've heard Tucker sing causes me to think that he wasn't merely an accomplished operatic Spinto tenor but certainly one of the very best. You don't have to convince me of his greatness. I look forward to listening to his Trovatore. Thanks for directing me to that RUclips presentation.
@@r.crompton2286 Your totally welcome, I try at age 80 to pass on some info from over 62 years of going to the opera in the opera house, for so many performances in so many different opera houses, in many cities and Europe longa ago.
Humility? Tucker? Never!
@@jefolson6989 My comment relates ONLY to this interview.
A pleasure!
Good comment! Thank you very much!
His speaking voice sounds quite different than I expected...I did expect for his working class Brooklyn roots to show up, though his speaking voice is quite deep for a tenor singer.
Yes I knew him very well and had many conversations with him , in fact his speaking voice was probably lower then the dramatic Del Monaco, or spinto/dramatic Corelli, so you cannot go by speaking voices many times but when Tucker sang it was Pure tenor and a great one.
@@shicoff1398 I agree that you cannot go by speaking voices alone to normally judge on singing voices-another example of this is Jay Hunter Morris, the dramatic tenor-who, if you watch his interviews, has a pretty light speaking voice compared to his singing voice.
@@flanplan5903 I'll listen to it, yes Corelli had a higher voice then I expected and so did Mario del Monaco, both surprised me.
@@shicoff1398 Jon Vickers has a very high speaking voice. A complete powerful contrast when he sings.
“Cantorial+mixture of dramatic with the lyric” - modern singers should see this every morning when they wake up!
Later in his career used some heavy (at times) but his had a wonderful Legato line when he wanted it and I heard it in house many times, also in recording's as in his Bel Canto Columbia song recording or his complete 1960 Traviata with Moffo and 1962 Butterfly with Price, both RCA recordings, and in his own words to me, his favorite complete opera recording which was the 1964 Forza with Price and Merrill, also on the RCA label. His French live performances complete of Hoffmann, Faust (early) and later Juive are excellent, getting on a Tucker post Or any other singer too Badly flame that person is rude , mild critical remarks, fine, if factual. Anyhow Tucker was signed by both RCA, Columbia, Angel, and the Met. Record club label to Record 19 opera's, (from 1947 to 1974) one was Hilites, that was his last (1974) Juive, for RCA. Three complete opera's -- Boheme, Butterfly and Forza where recorded twice, early on Columbia in Mono --- and later Records in Stereo for the RCA label with different casts, in the 1960's . I suggest anyone listen on "You Tube" to Tucker's "Lords Prayer" recorded when he was in his 50's and beautifully smooth with great phrasing, not just good, but a Great recording in the 1960's by a great tenor, not just here but also in Europe , South America, Asia and when he sang in Israel and Canada.
I meant above sometimes in house, he used some strong accents, as "sugarbist has rightly said" but in house when you saw him it was not as noticed, as with Corelli's scoop in house, Gigli's extra sobs or Bjorling's strong vibrato up top, when he went for more volume, or when he sang slightly sharp for effect up top, (Lanza did that also, both did it at times for effect, it gives the impression of a larger voice.)
Do you know anything at all about his technique? He is my favourite tenor, but sadly i cannot find out much about him, especially his technique.
@@colinbellvintagehymnssongs5291 It was excellent and plenty is written about him in the Met Archives and by both Pavarotti and Corelli in print. also Tebaldi said "he had roses in his throat " he sang 30 different roles in 30 years and early went from Mozart and Puccini into spinto roles, even dramatic roles like Samson, and was in the 1950's the leading tenor at the Met. singing there nearly 800 times in 30 years and rarely cancelled, many times in other cities like Chicago, SF, Philly, Texas, and liked in Italy where he sang and in South America , the Italians in Verona and Parma especially liked him and at Scala (read their reviews in the archives) and as a Cantor he was very great. In 1962 he was the highest paid tenor in the world and according to Time magazine "the greatest Tenor in the world" He at the time was the number one primo American tenor and in the 1950's with Warren owned Forza. The book the tenors by Breslin goes into his technique (and others)which lasted well in his 30 years of opera singing and Toscanini used him in the Aida TV Brdcst. in 1949, it's on you tube in part. if you are British as I suspect hear him in 1973 at age 59 live in Juive at festival hall on you tube in the big aria, he had great cadenza's and trills as a powerful Spinto and was better in house live then on studio records. I saw him about 20 times from 1961 up till late 1974, he died in Jan 1975 at age 61. By the book on e bay "Richard Tucker " by James Drake, it is available and not expensive.
@@colinbellvintagehymnssongs5291 Check out Tucker's recording of "The Lords Prayer" that he recorded in the late 1960's, it's excellent and is on on you tube.
Yes, the decline of classical FM radio over the last 20 years is very sad. Not a good sign at all for American musical culture.
Interesting but , so many misconceptions about Repertoire and the relationship between Singers and ''' critics''' .
The contrast between his perfect Italian diction when singing and his working-class Brooklyn accent when speaking is funny. He talks like Ed Norton on "The Honeymooners", or like one of the Three Stooges.
His perfect Italian diction? Tucker's Italian diction and phrasing were far from perfect ,among American tenors he was one of the worst in this respect .American baritones or the period were as a rule better than tenors
@@shicoff1398 Yeah, I think "music fan" must be confusing him (Tucker) with someone else.
His Italian diction was Excellent, as non Italians go at the time, leading Chicago lyric opera cond. Bruno Bartoletti told me his Italian diction was excellent (also his Italian professional reviews) as was Jussi Bjorling's ( but not early Bjorling ) later JB had also excellent Diction for a non Italian, he started very early and was a fast learner with a great ear, course no better then Tucker's Italian either, both great of course and today who do we have as great as those two in their voice class? the answer is really none better.
@@ColonelFredPuntridge You know Theodore I was a good friend of the Tucker's , both Richard and Sara and I worked in Classical radio in the 1960's, I also have been to the Tucker home long ago as a guest, on the wall going into the house is a picture signed to Tucker by the great Italian tenor "Lauri Volpi" who admired Tucker, when RT sang for Volpi at his home in Italy and he said to RT "You are a Caruso Voice" anyhow he signed the photo "to my friend tenor Richard Tucker" yes Lauri Volpi, so it was in the Tucker house and of course Pavarotti was a huge fan of his and wrote the forward to the James Drake /Tucker book . Facts are your not admired by so many Italians if not great and he was very great-- ---as Tebaldi said he was "Mr. terrific" with "roses in his throat" that he was "more Italian then Italians" that quote from 1965 Newsweek magazine, also Time magazine and the news week obit said "the greatest American tenor" and Newsweek said " greatest American and probably the greatest in the world" that in the Obits. Jan. 1975
@@shicoff1398 Wow! That would have been something, to know him. I love the fact that his last name was originally "Ticker".
1.38 sounds like a joke. it isnt. thats Tucker. I met him after a performance
and complimented the usual ways to which he responded "well, I am at the pinnacle of my career"
(The tenors. Tucker--- by William Bender) It becomes necessary to place the singers egocentricity in it's proper perspective. Tucker does on a bit strong the first time one meets him, or encounters his boastful pronouncements. Yet there is something of the true "naif" about him. At the center of his world is the simple, enduring operative premise that God gave it to him to be the worlds greatest tenor . Everything else, the furtherance of the career, his opinion on what music is suitable for the voice, his confidence in himself revolves about that notion . Once on accepts it, one finds that Tucker is , as few other tenors, immensely humble in the face of his talent. He is also an incredibly Loyal and generous person.
Well anyhow, how did he sound that night, when was it? You mentioned seeing him. I Recall Bjorling in a interview you may have seen , the host was trying to get the modest Swede to admit he was the greatest in the world, he told JB about some other greats and in every case they where past it etc. Finally JB said, well I guess your right, I'm the greatest (etc) so he admitted it, and so it was and he did deserve bragging rights, even though it was forced on him. You know I saw him in 1958 and a pal of mine, older then myself went backstage afterword, he wanted a picture of JB, he said JB was kind of curt with him, and said OK and something like "make it snappy" anyhow he got the photo, has long since died, but loved JB's singing, he was still glad he went backstage, I should have but at age 18 and not as interested then, I did not.
It was a concert at a synagogue in St Lewis, maybe 2 years before he died. Only time I heard him. Fantastic! Pretty much like his recordings. Big voice. I remember thinking the only negative was his bad hairpiece!
@@shicoff1398 thank you for that. Makes sense, as those pronouncements were comical in size. Like when a singer mentioned they were booked to sing together. "It will be a treat for you". False modesty is dishonest and tiring . Tucker was always honest!
He said exactly that in an interview with Martin Bookspan posted by "Cantorial art" on Nov. 3rd, 2019 anyhow you can see the post on you tube about him, Peerce and Merrill and hear it said in Tucker's own words his own words, (the Pinacle of his career) a great tenor and a great man, he will live on in name as one of the greats RIP.
How old was he when this was recorded?
+Christopher Doran
56 or 57. He was born in '13 and the interview was in '70
He was 57.
@@sgnmath1234 I taped this interview in Oct. 1970, he was singing in Chicago for the run in Lucia with soprano Deutekom and he got very good reviews at age 57, the run was from Oct. to Nov 1, 1970, his birthday was August, 1913. Yes so 57.
57 years old, born August 28, 1913 in Brooklyn NY. BTW His Italian for a non Italian tenor was excellent , there is a poster named "Sugarbist" who is Italian and a fan of Tucker and MDM, he speaks the language but is American from what I know, he had other Italians have said many times for a American tenor then or now his Italian is very good, as Bruno Bartoletti, the late Italian born Cond. told me (and also my late friends the Cocozza's) both of them told me Tucker had fine Italian diction, they where Mario Lanza's parents, Mary and Tony Cocozza, both where born in Italy of Italian parents. Swedish tenor Bjoerling and Tucker did very well in Italian for non Italians and in fact some Italians do not have great diction, and also Sutherland sang in English, but not with great diction, in her own language, it doesn't matter, the voice was a sensation and with opera singers, voice is #1.
Thanks for posting!!!
Tucker was liked and highly respected in Italy , a great compliment for him singing in their own language, those are the facts.