It is so amazing that the same aria sounds so different in Russian in the very positive way! Lemeshev is amazing! And I find Russian language sounds very nice in this aria. (I am not Russian Speaker and do not understand the language, so my sense only depends on the sound and expression of the artist.)
'younglemeshevist', To cheer myself, I had found Domingo's rendition of, "Questa o Quella." Quite by accident, I heard a 1940 version as sung by the Russian tenor, Lemenshev, and was utterly transfixed! It was absolutely glorious. Never had I recalled such a brilliant, and sparkly diminuendo and sustain until scarce a hush. Thank you for also providing the Russian text for the second stanza. Most kind of you, and fun to follow. I simply--now--must learn more about this amazing tenor! 'Zahc'
@gaemp Tradition is a good thing, but opera is an art. Great Italian singers did new and unusual things in their days too. Lemeshev was aware of italian traditions, because he listened to records of Caruso, Schipa, Gigli, but he simply didn't think that the Duke must be sung 'raditionally',with laughter. He sang it with his own bravado, very refinedly. Perhaps, if sang it in Italian, he would have emphasized other words , but this version with russain text is outstanding.
@gaemp Lemeshev specially sang it with superiority in his intonations and tempo. His Duke is so sure of himself that he doesn't need to laugh or to sing it with too much bravado. He genuinely pities "amanti'. His version perfectly matches the Russian text. Though the translation is precise enough, some words have slightly different meaning.
@gaemp He didn't work in Italy but one can't say that he was totally anaware of traditions. Every professional musician can be aware to some extend after they listented to records. Lemeshev was very attentive to words and to characters, he couldn't sing not understanding the character.Perhaps he would have changed something, if he sang in Italian, but he created his version of the Duke , which sounded brilliant in Russian, many foreigners liked it too. It's a matter of personal taste.
@gaemp The diminuendo is very much in the character, because at this moment (1:34) the Duke expresses his pity for all the "ardent lovers"; they are "miserable " in his opinion.
great voice, much more better than Domingo i just listened in the same aria.... (a little slow and the "diminuendo" at 1:34 is not in the tradition nor in the "charachter")
Can somebody please tell me what's sung by Lemeshev after the verse "bit' mozhet, zavtra to zhe skrazhu o drogoj!" ??? I found the libretto of Rigoletto in Cyrillic and it appears a different text since then in relation with what is sung! So, a little help from any Russian-speaker would be awesome here!
@younglemeshevist Surely Lemeshev didn't join any Italian Theatre or worked with Italian conductor, so it's very difficoult to say that he was "aware of Italian tradition because he listened to records of Caruso, Schipa, Gigli". Operas like Il Barbiere developed during years and executions, not just from the original score: it means "tradition". The laughter is not the most important thing in this aria, but the whotel charachter that has to come out from it...
@younglemeshevist If you take a closer look to The Duke created by Luciano Pavarotti you'll find many similar things to Lemeshev. They both live playing the role.
He sings: "Postoyanstva, druz'ya' izbegaite Uveren'yam ne verte - oni vsegda lozny, i pochashe o tom vspominaite - gde net svobody, tam net i lyubvy. Ya smeyus nad revnivtsem vlyublennym, i mne zhalok vzdyhatel plachevny. Da, yesly mne vdrug polyubilas krasotka, to sam Argus ne usmotrit za nei" There are slightly different texts, but it doesnt really matter.
@delosreyesgavikanes Sorry, I can't agree with you either. Laugh is good if a singer can perform it convincingly. Though it is a 'tradition', it doesn't mean that everyone has to laugh. Fermatas here make sence because he does it on the words 'mne zhalok ( I pity) vzdyhatel plachevny (woeful lover), he expressed the Duke's superiority and cynicism perfectly.
@delosreyesgavikanes What liberties? The traditional laugh, which Lemeshev omitted, is banal.The fast vibrato was typical for the old school. Lauri-Volpi did the same, and yet he is considewred a great singer.
@younglemeshevist I can't tell you anything about Russian tradition but as I'm Italian I know the Italian quite well... There are traditions in executing made during the time by GREAT singers. "Bravado" as you say is perfectly in the charachter, as in "La donna è mobile". Probably in Russia they don't know the real spirit of Italian Opera... Nothing to say about the voice.
@younglemeshevust. Sorry, I do not agree with you, The laugh is fine, is making fermantas where there is no sense, About typical of the old school, listen to Miguel Fleta, Gigli, Merli, Pertile. I think I should have a good idea about singing the role of il Duca di Mantova, as I performed this opera close to 300 times, I made my professional debut at 23 as the Duca and sang it all over north America, Europe and South Africa, and -including the MET-
@Mr.Skylark1, tu no sabes lo que dices. Sergei es un buen tenor, pero compararlo con Pavarotti, vamos, hombre¡ Y lo de la espontaneidad es de risa como argumento. Si Sergei es una vela, Luciano es un faro¡
1) Tempo is too slow: this is a song of a Casanova, but it desn't sound like... 2) "degli amanti le smanie derido" (I laugh about fiances' tremblings): this is the original text. In the Italian tradition Duke put a little laugh, not this diminuendo, also too long... I like how he did it, but it's out from the character.
For my opinion, it was and will be the most brilliant singing for all time...
Bravo, mr Lemeshev!!!
There is NO ONE on the operatic stage today who can sing like LEMESHEV
It is so amazing that the same aria sounds so different in Russian in the very positive way! Lemeshev is amazing! And I find Russian language sounds very nice in this aria. (I am not Russian Speaker and do not understand the language, so my sense only depends on the sound and expression of the artist.)
I keep listening again and again. Thanks for posting! I love the language, too
MA-GNI-FI-QUE !!!!!!!
Grazie per il post !!!
Francesca
This is amazing! Do not remember hearing any better performance of this! Bravo!
'younglemeshevist',
To cheer myself, I had found Domingo's rendition of, "Questa o Quella." Quite by accident, I heard a 1940 version as sung by the Russian tenor, Lemenshev, and was utterly transfixed! It was absolutely glorious. Never had I recalled such a brilliant, and sparkly diminuendo and sustain until scarce a hush.
Thank you for also providing the Russian text for the second stanza. Most kind of you, and fun to follow. I simply--now--must learn more about this amazing tenor! 'Zahc'
@gaemp Tradition is a good thing, but opera is an art. Great Italian singers did new and unusual things in their days too. Lemeshev was aware of italian traditions, because he listened to records of Caruso, Schipa, Gigli, but he simply didn't think that the Duke must be sung 'raditionally',with laughter. He sang it with his own bravado, very refinedly. Perhaps, if sang it in Italian, he would have emphasized other words , but this version with russain text is outstanding.
@gaemp Lemeshev specially sang it with superiority in his intonations and tempo. His Duke is so sure of himself that he doesn't need to laugh or to sing it with too much bravado. He genuinely pities "amanti'. His version perfectly matches the Russian text. Though the translation is precise enough, some words have slightly different meaning.
@gaemp He didn't work in Italy but one can't say that he was totally anaware of traditions. Every professional musician can be aware to some extend after they listented to records.
Lemeshev was very attentive to words and to characters, he couldn't sing not understanding the character.Perhaps he would have changed something, if he sang in Italian, but he created his version of the Duke , which sounded brilliant in Russian, many foreigners liked it too. It's a matter of personal taste.
Thank you very much. I know, it is usual to happen this when it's not the original version: different texts are sung according to the translator.
@gaemp The diminuendo is very much in the character, because at this moment (1:34) the Duke expresses his pity for all the "ardent lovers"; they are "miserable " in his opinion.
great voice, much more better than Domingo i just listened in the same aria.... (a little slow and the "diminuendo" at 1:34 is not in the tradition nor in the "charachter")
Oooh, the best is here!
Can somebody please tell me what's sung by Lemeshev after the verse "bit' mozhet, zavtra to zhe skrazhu o drogoj!" ??? I found the libretto of Rigoletto in Cyrillic and it appears a different text since then in relation with what is sung! So, a little help from any Russian-speaker would be awesome here!
@younglemeshevist Surely Lemeshev didn't join any Italian Theatre or worked with Italian conductor, so it's very difficoult to say that he was "aware of Italian tradition because he listened to records of Caruso, Schipa, Gigli". Operas like Il Barbiere developed during years and executions, not just from the original score: it means "tradition". The laughter is not the most important thing in this aria, but the whotel charachter that has to come out from it...
@younglemeshevist If you take a closer look to The Duke created by Luciano Pavarotti you'll find many similar things to Lemeshev. They both live playing the role.
He sings: "Postoyanstva, druz'ya' izbegaite
Uveren'yam ne verte - oni vsegda lozny,
i pochashe o tom vspominaite - gde net svobody, tam net i lyubvy.
Ya smeyus nad revnivtsem vlyublennym,
i mne zhalok vzdyhatel plachevny.
Da, yesly mne vdrug polyubilas krasotka,
to sam Argus ne usmotrit za nei"
There are slightly different texts, but it doesnt really matter.
@l1310g
Absolutely. Lemeshev was superior to ALL TENORS today who are as far removed from the
ART of BEL CANTO as the North is from the South Pole.
Yes, of course
@djkostya76
Pavarotti could not hold a candle to Lemeshev who was far superior because he sang spontaneously, the mark of great singers
@delosreyesgavikanes Sorry, I can't agree with you either. Laugh is good if a singer can perform it convincingly. Though it is a 'tradition', it doesn't mean that everyone has to laugh.
Fermatas here make sence because he does it on the words 'mne zhalok ( I pity) vzdyhatel plachevny (woeful lover), he expressed the Duke's superiority and cynicism perfectly.
@delosreyesgavikanes What liberties? The traditional laugh, which Lemeshev omitted, is banal.The fast vibrato was typical for the old school. Lauri-Volpi did the same, and yet he is considewred a great singer.
@younglemeshevist I can't tell you anything about Russian tradition but as I'm Italian I know the Italian quite well... There are traditions in executing made during the time by GREAT singers. "Bravado" as you say is perfectly in the charachter, as in "La donna è mobile". Probably in Russia they don't know the real spirit of Italian Opera... Nothing to say about the voice.
@younglemeshevust.
Sorry, I do not agree with you, The laugh is fine, is making fermantas where there is no sense, About typical of the old school, listen to Miguel Fleta, Gigli, Merli, Pertile. I think I should have a good idea about singing the role of il Duca di Mantova, as I performed this opera close to 300 times, I made my professional debut at 23 as the Duca and sang it all over north America, Europe and South Africa, and -including the MET-
@Mr.Skylark1, tu no sabes lo que dices. Sergei es un buen tenor, pero compararlo con Pavarotti, vamos, hombre¡ Y lo de la espontaneidad es de risa como argumento. Si Sergei es una vela, Luciano es un faro¡
Do a mezza voce in this aria is a matter of taste, but he took too many liberties, plus the fast vibrato.
1) Tempo is too slow: this is a song of a Casanova, but it desn't sound like... 2) "degli amanti le smanie derido" (I laugh about fiances' tremblings): this is the original text. In the Italian tradition Duke put a little laugh, not this diminuendo, also too long... I like how he did it, but it's out from the character.