Various Artists / 3 Tenors Of The Golden Age (Peerce, Bjoerling, Lanza)
| Album: | 3 Tenors Of The Golden Age (Peerce, Bjoerling, Lanza) | Collection: | Classical | |
| Artist: | Various Artists | Added: | Jun 2016 | |
| Label: | Rca Victor | |||
A-File Activity
| Add Date: | 2016-07-04 | Pull Date: | 2016-09-04 | Charts: | Classical/Experimental |
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Album Review
Gary Lemco
Reviewed 2016-06-27
Reviewed 2016-06-27
3 Tenors of the Golden Age (Peerce, Bjoerling, Lanza)
Label: RCA Victor, 1996
Reviewed: 2016-6-7. Gary Lemco
The “3 Tenors” were familiar to American audiences through concerts, film, radio and early TV appearances. Mario Lanza (1921-1959) was a sensational radio and movie star. His clear diction in operatic music, Neapolitan songs, and popular hits impressed a new generation of young American talent. “Be My Love” was his signature song and he shines in “With a Song in My Heart” from the musical Spring is Here. “Funiculi, finiculà” is a popular Roman folk tune. Lehar’s “Yours in My Heart Alone” is a Viennese favorite. “Santa Lucia luntana” is a Neapolitan song, quite natural to Lanza’s powerful, lyrical style.
Jussi Bjoerling (1911-1960) remains Sweden’s greatest tenor, a Metropolitan Opera and The Voice of Firestone (TV) superstar. After Enrico Caruso, Bjoerling’s voice ranks as the most consistently powerful and musically confident. His “Nessun Dorma” (Turandot) is his signature aria. The art-song “Ideale” by Tosti illustrates both his strong range and his sweetness of line. His “Che gelida manina” (Puccini’s La Boheme) gives a taste of his sympathy for a role (Rodolfo) he created many times. The romantic aria, “M’appari, tutt’amor,” (Martha) was used in the movie Breaking Away. The aria “E lucevan le stele” captures the hero Cavaradossi’s tragic last song (Puccini’s Tosca), sung before his execution. “Recondita armonia” (Tosca) celebrates Cavaradossi’s first glimpse of Tosca’s portrait. The “Recitar! Vesti la giubba” is a tragic aria of recognition of infidelity and a cruel desire for vengeance.
Jan Peerce (1904-1984) was conductor Arturo Toscanini’s favorite tenor. Peerce had a reputation for his versatility in many languages: English, Russian, Italian and French. He excelled in Verdi opera, having played Alfredo in La traviata in over 300 performances at the Met. The “Bluebird of Happiness” serves as his signature. His ability in Neapolitan song shines in “Mattinata.” He adds “Granada” to his strong, “spinto” style in this genre. Rossini’s “La Danza” is a popular tarantella in the Neapolitan style. The Duke’s aria from Verdi’s Rigoletto (“La donna e mobile”) rakishly sings of the fickleness of women, ripe for his seduction. “I Love You Truly” establishes Peerce’s easy rapport with his audiences, typical of his endearing popularity, which lasted over 50 years.
1. L’africana: O Paradiso! (Peerce) (3:23)
2, Tosca: E lucevan le stele (Bjoerling) (3:33)
3, La danza (Peerce) (2:32)
4. Yours is My Heart Alone (Lanza) (3:01)
5. Tosca: Recondita armonia (Bjoerling) (3:00)
6. Rigolletto: La donna e mobile (Peerce) (2:00)
7. Cilea: L’arlesiana: E la solita storia (Lanza) (4:15)
8. Puccini: La Boheme: Che gelida manina (Bjoerling) (5:03)
9. Be My Love (Lanza) (3:29)
10. Flotow: Martha: M’appari tutt’amor (Bjoerling) (3:42)
11. Leoncavallo: Mattinata (Peerce) (3:16)
12. Because (Lanza) (2:08)
13. I Love You Truly (Peerce) (3:21)
14. Leoncavallo: Pagliacci: Recitar! Vesti la giubba” (Bjoerling) (3:54)
15. Santa Lucia luntana (Lanza) (3:01)
16. Granada (Peerce) (3:44)
17. Funiculi, Funiculà (Lanza) (2:31)
18. Ideale (Bjoerling) (3:09)
19. Bluebird of Happiness (Peerce) (4:56)
20. With a Song in My Heart (Lanza) (3:29)
21. O sole mio (Peerce) (2:51)
22. Puccini: Turandot: Nessun dorma (Bjoerling) (3:29)
Label: RCA Victor, 1996
Reviewed: 2016-6-7. Gary Lemco
The “3 Tenors” were familiar to American audiences through concerts, film, radio and early TV appearances. Mario Lanza (1921-1959) was a sensational radio and movie star. His clear diction in operatic music, Neapolitan songs, and popular hits impressed a new generation of young American talent. “Be My Love” was his signature song and he shines in “With a Song in My Heart” from the musical Spring is Here. “Funiculi, finiculà” is a popular Roman folk tune. Lehar’s “Yours in My Heart Alone” is a Viennese favorite. “Santa Lucia luntana” is a Neapolitan song, quite natural to Lanza’s powerful, lyrical style.
Jussi Bjoerling (1911-1960) remains Sweden’s greatest tenor, a Metropolitan Opera and The Voice of Firestone (TV) superstar. After Enrico Caruso, Bjoerling’s voice ranks as the most consistently powerful and musically confident. His “Nessun Dorma” (Turandot) is his signature aria. The art-song “Ideale” by Tosti illustrates both his strong range and his sweetness of line. His “Che gelida manina” (Puccini’s La Boheme) gives a taste of his sympathy for a role (Rodolfo) he created many times. The romantic aria, “M’appari, tutt’amor,” (Martha) was used in the movie Breaking Away. The aria “E lucevan le stele” captures the hero Cavaradossi’s tragic last song (Puccini’s Tosca), sung before his execution. “Recondita armonia” (Tosca) celebrates Cavaradossi’s first glimpse of Tosca’s portrait. The “Recitar! Vesti la giubba” is a tragic aria of recognition of infidelity and a cruel desire for vengeance.
Jan Peerce (1904-1984) was conductor Arturo Toscanini’s favorite tenor. Peerce had a reputation for his versatility in many languages: English, Russian, Italian and French. He excelled in Verdi opera, having played Alfredo in La traviata in over 300 performances at the Met. The “Bluebird of Happiness” serves as his signature. His ability in Neapolitan song shines in “Mattinata.” He adds “Granada” to his strong, “spinto” style in this genre. Rossini’s “La Danza” is a popular tarantella in the Neapolitan style. The Duke’s aria from Verdi’s Rigoletto (“La donna e mobile”) rakishly sings of the fickleness of women, ripe for his seduction. “I Love You Truly” establishes Peerce’s easy rapport with his audiences, typical of his endearing popularity, which lasted over 50 years.
1. L’africana: O Paradiso! (Peerce) (3:23)
2, Tosca: E lucevan le stele (Bjoerling) (3:33)
3, La danza (Peerce) (2:32)
4. Yours is My Heart Alone (Lanza) (3:01)
5. Tosca: Recondita armonia (Bjoerling) (3:00)
6. Rigolletto: La donna e mobile (Peerce) (2:00)
7. Cilea: L’arlesiana: E la solita storia (Lanza) (4:15)
8. Puccini: La Boheme: Che gelida manina (Bjoerling) (5:03)
9. Be My Love (Lanza) (3:29)
10. Flotow: Martha: M’appari tutt’amor (Bjoerling) (3:42)
11. Leoncavallo: Mattinata (Peerce) (3:16)
12. Because (Lanza) (2:08)
13. I Love You Truly (Peerce) (3:21)
14. Leoncavallo: Pagliacci: Recitar! Vesti la giubba” (Bjoerling) (3:54)
15. Santa Lucia luntana (Lanza) (3:01)
16. Granada (Peerce) (3:44)
17. Funiculi, Funiculà (Lanza) (2:31)
18. Ideale (Bjoerling) (3:09)
19. Bluebird of Happiness (Peerce) (4:56)
20. With a Song in My Heart (Lanza) (3:29)
21. O sole mio (Peerce) (2:51)
22. Puccini: Turandot: Nessun dorma (Bjoerling) (3:29)
Track Listing