LUISA TETRAZZINI, SOPRAN, 29. JUNI 1871

Coloratura soprano Luisa Tetrazzini was born on this day in 1871 in Florence. It is a lesser known fact, that she had two older sisters who were also sopranos, albeit they did not achieve her level of celebrity.

After initially studying with her sister Eva, who was nine year’s senior to Luisa, she proceeded to have lessons with Eva’s teacher, Professor Ceccherini at the Instituto Musicale of Florence.

As is the case in so many lives of famous singers, she received her big break making her operatic debut in1890, at the age of only 19 years, by standing in for the prima donna in Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine at the Teatro Paglione in Florence.

In her autobiography, My Life in Song, she recalled that, “The pavements from the theatre to my home were lined, even at that late hour, with large numbers of people, all of whom seemed to be shouting congratulations to me.”

It was just 2 months after that she was engaged to repeat the role in Rome for the King and Queen of Italy.

The tenor Giacomo Lauri Volpi described her as ‘having a scintillating voice with a brilliant timbre and a range and agility well beyond the norm…” Her voice has been described as possessing ‘warm, clarinet-like beauty’.

But it was claimed that her middle voice was rather thin and child like, (though reportedly it grew with maturity in warmth), this aspect of her voice did not please another tenor of renown John McCormack, who compared it to ‘wailing like a cross infant.’ Nevertheless, Tetrazzini herself had only words of praise for McCormack’s ‘God-given gift’, noting generously, ’I found that his rich voice went so well with mine that I took him back with me to America, and he sang with me both in New York and in the other big towns when the Hammerstein company went on tour.’

Later it was written ‘Tetrazzini possessed an extraordinary vocal technique that enabled her to surmount any vocal challenge with joyful ease. She had complete mastery of runs, trills, staccati and vocal ornaments of all kinds.’

She established herself in Latin America and Europe where in St Petersburg she sang her favourite role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor with Enrico Caruso. This marked the beginning of a firm friendship and later even a collaboration in a book on vocal technique between the two.

Though she was still relatively unknown to English opera audiences. But this was all about to change when the opportunity arose for her to stand in for Nellie Melba as Violetta in La Traviata at Covent Garden. She garnered twenty curtain calls and she was critically acclaimed by E.A. Baugham in the Daily News writing,“I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that Mme Tetrazzini has the voice of the century and stands out from even the great Italian singers we know…”

Her superstardom lay just around the corner when reviews compared her to her idol Adelina Patti. Patti being from the opera generation before, attended a performance and later invited her to lunch. The two sopranos became firm friends and Patti was often seen making a point of clapping loudly at Tetrazzini’s performances. Likewise Tetrazzini wrote about a letter she had received from Patti, “Praise from a mixed audience is very gratifying after one has given it of her best. But, praise, and such praise, from Patti is far more than the passing pleasure of a public ovation.”

Engagements in America ensued and recording contracts with Victor Recording Company captured her voice for posterity between 1904-1920.

One very famous event she is known for, is her defiance against Oscar Hammerstein who held her to her contract not to sing in San Francisco. Hammerstein, was her agent whom she admired for his entrepreneurship and business acumen. She exclaimed ‘I will sing in San Francisco if I have to sing there in the streets, for I know the streets of San Francisco are free.” With this declaration she won her legal case, and her new agent W.H. Leahy announced she would sing in the streets of San Francisco. So on a clear Christmas Eve in 1910,Tetrazzini climbed a stage platform in a sparkling white gown, surrounded by a throng of an estimated two to three hundred thousand San Franciscans, and serenaded the city she loved.

As well as this early taster of coming mega-star’s open air benefit performances, she has also been remembered in the culinary world. Whether it be called Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini, the dish has worked its way into the ubiquitous list of food favourites.

After the First World War she mainly devoted her work to concerts and recitals. Tetrazzini was married three times and was embroiled in legal battles with her third husband which diminished her enormous wealth. Nevertheless, she was well known for her generosity.

In her retirement she taught in both Rome and Milan and her vocal technique, was apparently stunning and remained so until her end in 1940.

Folge Nummer fünf der Voice Detective Show mit Kevin Schwager, Chiropraktiker

Kevin ist kein gewöhnlicher Chiropraktiker. Er verwendet viele therapeutische Methoden und Lebenskompetenzen, die er sich in seinen 37 Jahren Praxis angeeignet hat. Schon in jungen Jahren interessierte er sich für körperliche Fitness und Gesundheit. Er wuchs in der Nähe eines der Strände im Süden Sydneys auf und Surfen und Bodysurfen wurden zu seiner lebenslangen Leidenschaft, ebenso wie andere Wettkampfsportarten, bei denen er seine persönlichen Bestleistungen messen konnte.

Vor diesem Hintergrund ist es keine Überraschung, dass er in eine lange Familientradition als Chiropraktiker eintrat, ein Beruf, den auch seine Tochter heute weiterführt.

Kevin war in allem, was er sich vornahm, hervorragend. Er brachte sich selbst das Schnelllesen bei und wurde zu einem unersättlichen Leser. Er gibt zu, dass er besonders von den Lehren von Dr. John Demartini und der Fähigkeit des Geistes, die Wünsche des Herzens zu erfüllen, beeinflusst wurde.
  
Kevin glaubt an die Fähigkeit, Widrigkeiten mit unseren natürlichen, angeborenen Fähigkeiten und der Heilungsfähigkeit des Körpers zu überwinden. Von Anfang an betrachtet er seine Patienten immer als ganz und gesund und nutzt seine kinesiologischen Fähigkeiten, um die verborgenen Heilungspfade zu finden und die Fähigkeit des Patienten freizusetzen, selbst mit dieser Ganzheit in Kontakt zu treten. Er ist sich sehr bewusst, wie gewaltfreie Kommunikation mit anderen und mit uns selbst, kombiniert mit der Kraft eines positiven Gedankens, unser tägliches Leben prägen wird. Diese Einstellungen sind zum Fundament seiner spirituellen Praktiken geworden.

Auf seinem eigenen Heilungsweg hat Kevin Freundschaften mit Aborigine-Ältesten geschlossen und war ein bescheidener Schüler der alten Wege und Praktiken der Traumzeit. Er beteiligt sich aktiv an der Weitergabe des Wissens oder Lernens an jüngere Generationen in Form von Mentoring und Unterricht.

Die Betreuung der jüngeren Generationen liegt Kevin am Herzen, da er mit Straßenkindern und im australischen Outback gearbeitet hat, wo diese Hilfe am dringendsten benötigt wird und nur am Rande vorhanden ist.

Heute verbringt er seine Zeit mit seiner jungen Familie und leitet gemeinsam mit seiner Lebensgefährtin Maree Frawley, die selbst eine ausgebildete Yoga-Meisterin, Lehrerin, Autorin und inspirierende Trainerin ist, die florierende Praxis Nelson Bay Chiropractic and Yoga in NSW, Australien.

WAS IST BESSER ALS PISTAZIEN?

What’s better than Pistachios? Check out Gyaan’s discovery…

WAS IST DIE BESTE SCHOKOLADE DER WELT?

What’s the best Chocolate in the World? Check out The Voice Detective Gyaan Lyon’s discovery…

JOHN MCCORMACK, TENOR, 14. JUNI 1884

Could any singer have ever received so many accolades, titles and fame in their lifetime? Maybe Beniamino Gigli did…

John McCormack’s life seemed charmed being interwoven with fame and fortune from its very beginning. Born in Westmeath, County Athlone in Ireland, his musical leanings were nurtured by singing in the church choir and no doubt also, by his Scottish parents who incidentally possessed fine singing voices.

Later when the family moved to Dublin he joined the St. Mary’s Pro Cathedral Choir. There his talent was recognised by the choir master and composer Vincent O’Brien.

One year after training he won the coveted medal Feis Ceoil for his singing. The following year he encouraged his friend, also a tenor who would later be famous in his own right, the author James Joyce, to enter the singing competition. Joyce, received 3rd place. One wonders what career path Joyce may have chosen had he won!

Fund raisers enabled him to train with Vincenzo Sabatini in Milan. Sabatini did not find his voice at all wanting and concentrated on teaching him a breathing technique which was to become a hallmark of McCormack’s singing. Famous for his extraordinary breath control, he could sing sixty four notes on one breath in Mozart’s “Il mio tesoro” from Don Giovanni, and his singing of pieces by Händel was just as impressive in this remarkable ability.

He made his operatic debut under the name of Giovanni Foli in Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz in 1906. Engagements in America followed and at the height of his career he toured Australia as the star tenor for the Melba Grand Opera season of 1911. From 1908 to 1914 he performed regularly at Covent Garden with either NELLIE MELBA or LUISA TETRAZZINI.

From 1912 his interest turned more and more in the direction of concert performances which brought his voice to the masses – and the masses adored him.

He became the Victor Talking Machine Company’s most popular ‘Red Seal’ recording artist after Enrico Caruso. Apropos Caruso, after hearing Caruso’s performance in the front row as Rodolfo in La Boheme at Covent Garden, McCormack said: “It was the best lesson, up to that moment, I had ever received and a stimulus which cannot be described. The sound of Caruso’s voice that night lingered in my ears for months.”

Or from another account, “as to this schooling he was prompted by hearing a Caruso at Covent Garden in 1904. McCormack was twenty then, and just beginning a career as a professional singer. ‘I will never rest’ he said to a friend after that performance.I will work and train and pray and someday there will be two men singing like that. Caruso and me.”

Two years later he was singing in London himself, becoming the Covent Garden’s youngest leading tenor in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.

He continued to receive praise as his unstoppable star ascended. The famous violinist, Jan Kubelik, remarked in paying him one of the greatest compliments after hearing him in Prague: “That man must have a Stradivarius in his throat”.

Possibly because he didn’t quite enjoy the acting side of performing opera, or that he realised he could reach more people and make more money from his voice whilst performing with the likes of Fritz Kreisler, he decided to pursue concert performing and the popular music recording artist path. During the catastrophe of the First World War, in 1917, he also decided to become an American citizen. McCormack’s biographer, Gordon Ledbetter, believes the tenor was the last singer to successfully bring together such divergent styles.

Another biographer attempting to convey McCormack’s widespread fan base to contemporary audiences said he was like Pavarotti, Madonna and Johnny Carson all rolled into one!

Certainly his wartime hits appealed greatly to the Irish population in America as they could show pride in both Ireland and the United States. McCormack became a radio megastar and donated to the U.S war effort and catholic charities generously.

Some of his hits at the time were ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ ‘Mother MacCree’ and for the Hollywood film ‘Song o’My Heart’ where he was paid half a million dollars to sing eleven songs for the soundtrack.

He became a very wealthy man and by all accounts enjoyed his wealth to the fullest, giving back to the public in the form of many benefit concerts and donations.

Not many opera singers are created Papal Counts – not so for John Count McCormack as seen engraved on his headstone where he is buried in his birth country of Ireland. Earlier in his life he had also received three Papal Knighthoods in addition to being a Knight of Malta. He died at the age of 61 of bronchial pneumonia seven years after giving his farewell performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Despite the farewell performance in 1938, during the Second World War, he came out of retirement in support of the Red Cross. Quite a life!

ROBERTO ALAGNA, TENOR, 7. JUNI 1963

„Ich habe nie besonders an Astrologie geglaubt, aber die Experten haben immer behauptet, dass ich alle Eigenschaften des Zwillings habe: sehr gesellig, aber auch sehr anpassungsfähig. Es war also von Geburt an vorherbestimmt, dass ich zu allen Wendungen und Rollen fähig sein würde!“

“Je n’ai jamais particulièrement cru à l’astrology, mais les spécialistes ont toujours affirmé que j’ai toutes les caractéristiques des Gémeaux : très sociable, aussi très adaptable. Il était donc écrit dès ma naissance, que je serais capable de tous les rebondissements, de tous les rôles !

Das Singen liegt dem französisch-sizilianischen Tenor Roberto Alagna im Blut. Sein berühmter Urgroßvater mütterlicherseits, Jimmy, sang für den großen Enrico Caruso, als der Maestro eines Tages zufällig in seinem Brieftaschenladen in New York City, USA, vorbeischaute, und Enrico war so beeindruckt, dass er Jimmy vorschlug, für den Chor der Metropolitan Opera vorzusingen! Was für ein Kompliment! (obwohl Jimmy den Vorschlag des Maestros – oder des „Commendatore“, „des Kommandanten“, wie Jimmy ihn liebevoll nannte – ablehnte, da er sich lieber auf sein Geschäft konzentrieren wollte.) (2).

Roberto ’s vocal mentor Rafael Ruiz, was a direct student of the legendary Italian tenor Aureliano Pertile (1885-1952). It was that fact that caught the attention of Luciano Pavarotti when Roberto met him at an LP signing event at the Printemps department store in Paris. A year later, without knowing it, Roberto was invited to audition in the first round of the the Pavarotti International Voice Competition in Pesaro, Italy, the birthplace of legendary nineteenth century composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868). He sang his good luck song ‘La Danza’ from Rossini for Luciano and thought that he’d been disqualified as Luciano didn’t permit him to sing a second piece for him as did all the other participants. Au contraire, Luciano loved his voice and he was qualified to the next round. Indeed years later, Saimir Pirgu, an Albanian tenor, who studied with Luciano told Roberto something he didn’t know about Luciano: “every time we took lessons with Luciano, he spoke of only one tenor, Roberto, and he would say ‘here take this LP and sing like this”.

After winning the Pavarotti International Voice Competition in Philadelphia—the hometown of Mario Lanza—in 1988, Roberto’s career really skyrocketed.

He made his debut with the Glyndebourne Touring Company in the role of Alfred Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata. From 1990 onwards, he has performed a series of major roles, respectively at the leading opera houses; La Scala, Covent Garden and the New York Metropolitan.

In 1995 he won an Olivier Award for his performance of Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette which was singled out for its diction and fine nuances, and was a turning point in his career giving him his place with the the greats of the French repertoire. Alagna also has sought out long neglected repertory to perform, and has from his lyric tenor beginnings has as his voice matured, ventured into the heavier spinto roles such as Samson in Samson et Dalia, Canio in I Pagliacci, Mauricio in Adriana Lecouvreur and Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut.

Roberto is known for his charismatic stage presence and has obtained widespread popularity through his recording a variety of diverse music genres, not to mention, his appearances in films and music videos. His album ‘Sicilian’ released in 2008 was a huge success and reached the popular audience with sales over 350,000.

Roberto Alagna wurde 2008 zum Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur ernannt (6).

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Roberto! Wir wünschen dir Glück, Gesundheit und Erfolg! Vielen Dank für deine Bereitschaft und Entschlossenheit, deinem Publikum auf der ganzen Welt weiterhin Freude zu bereiten!

Joyeux anniversaire Roberto! Nous vous souhaitons bonheur, santé et succès! Merci de votre volonté et enthousiasme de continuer à apporter de la joie à votre public du monde entier!

GEORGE LONDON, BASSBARITON, 30. MAI 1920

George London wurde in Montreal als Sohn russischer Emigranten geboren und wuchs in Los Angeles auf. Er besaß eine dunkle und resonante Bassbariton-Stimme mit einem leicht durchdringenden oberen Register, das er meisterhaft von den feinsten Pianissimi bis zu den lautesten Fortes einsetzte. Er war auch für seine imposante Bühnenpräsenz und die hervorragende Darstellung seiner Rollen bekannt.

Ein interessanter Aspekt seiner Karriere ist, dass er, bevor er internationale Anerkennung erlangte, in den Jahren 1947-48 als Mitglied des Bel Canto Trios mit Mario Lanza und Francis Yeend auftrat (1).

It was not long after his trio days that his international career took off, starting after his debut in Vienna in 1949 (2). A Bayreuth Festival debut followed in 1951 as Amfortas in Parsifal resulting in return seasons for him in the role and the title role of the Flying Dutchman.

At the Metropolitan Opera in New York, he sang over 270 performances and became one of the most famous exponents of the five signature bass baritone roles of Don Giovanni, Amfortas, Wotan, Scarpia and Boris Godunov. It was no small feat and testimony to his singing that he was given the honour of being the first non Russian singer to sing the title role of Boris Godunov at the Bolschoi Theatre at the height of the Cold War years in 1960 (3). Quite simply, he was able to encompass all styles of singing from Mozart, through French romantic and modern, to Verdi, Wagner, Mahler and Richard Strauß, as well as many performances of Broadway tunes and American songs and Lieder.

Sowohl die Beatles als auch Maria Callas verdankten ihre Bekanntheit einem größeren Publikum durch ihre Auftritte in der Ed Sullivan Show. Am 25. November 1956 gab Maria Callas ihr nationales Fernsehdebüt als Floria Tosca in einem gekürzten 2. Akt von Puccinis Tosca. Weniger Menschen erinnern sich daran, dass es George Londons Baron Scarpia war, der sich mit seinem stimmlichen Können und seiner Bühnenpräsenz als perfekter Gegenpart zu Callas erwies (4).

Auf einer weiteren klassischen Londoner Aufnahme singt er den Baron Scarpia in Puccinis Tosca, zusammen mit der anderen führenden Primadonna der Zeit, Renate Tebaldi, und Mario del Monaco, um das mit Stars gespickte Team zu komplettieren.

Aus gesundheitlichen Gründen gelang es ihm nie, die Rolle des Hans Sachs in den „Meistersingern von Nürnberg“ zu übernehmen. Dennoch existieren Aufnahmen von Sachs‘ Monologen bei Konzertauftritten und eine private Aufnahme seiner Darstellung des Wotan im „Rheingold“ als Teil des gesamten Kölner Ring-Zyklus, den er aufführte (5).

Leider musste sich George London auf dem Höhepunkt seiner Karriere von der Bühne zurückziehen, da seine Stimme aufgrund einer Stimmbandlähmung nachließ. Die Behandlungen erwiesen sich als unzureichend, um seiner Stimme ihre frühere Kraft zurückzugeben, und so lehnte er als vollendeter Künstler weitere Engagements ab.

Später wurde er künstlerischer Leiter des Kennedy Center in Washington und Generaldirektor der Opera Society of Washington.

He and his wife created the George and Nora London Foundation for Singers in which an annual singing competition for young Canadian and American singers is held where of the 15 finalists, 5 receive $12,000 and the remaining 10 $2,000 in encouragement awards.

Folge Nummer vier der Voice Detective Show mit Salvatore Emanuele Samperi, lyrischer Tenor und Vincenzo Bellini und Bel Canto-Spezialist

Die dreißigjährige künstlerische Tätigkeit des Tenors Salvatore Emanuele Samperi beginnt in seiner Geburtsstadt Catania. Er begann sein Gesangsstudium bei Claudia Parada, dann bei dem Lehrer Tito Capobianco (Juliard School in New York), Maestro Meinard Kraak, und schließlich verfeinerte er die Kunst des
„Belcanto“ mit dem Tenor William Matteuzzi.

Er war Finalist beim ersten internationalen Giuseppe di Stefano-Wettbewerb für junge Opernsänger in Trapani auf Sizilien. Dort wurde er von Giuseppe Di Stefano selbst für seine stimmliche Schönheit und seinen Interpretationsstil gelobt.

Salvatore Samperi trat als Solist in mehreren Opernproduktionen in Italien und im Ausland auf und sang neben international bekannten Künstlern wie Angela Gheorghiu und Rolando Panerai.

Er hat für die Toscanini Foundation in Parma, das Galuppi-Festival in Venedig, das Luglio Trapanese Annual Festival, die Royal Albert Hall in London, das Marin County Civic Centre in San Francisco und die Barry Memorial Hall in Wales gesungen.

Er hat zwei CDs für Niccolò Music mit unveröffentlichten Opernstücken von Vincenzo Bellini veröffentlicht. Seine stimmliche Vielseitigkeit reicht von Bellini bis Bernstein, wo er am Teatro del'Opera Giocosa
Er sang viele Staffeln lang die Rolle des Tony in „Westside Story“. Neben seiner erfolgreichen Karriere als Opernsänger wirkte er als Sänger und Schauspieler im Fernsehdrama „Die Jahrhundertwende“ des italienischen Senders RAI mit.

Salvatore Emanuele Samperi ist auch ein preisgekrönter Autor nationaler Schreibwettbewerbe. Seine jüngste Veröffentlichung im Januar 2022 ist eine Biografie mit dem Titel „History of a Catanese: Vincenzo Bellini“. Als führender Bellini-Forscher leitet er das Bellini Cultural Project und ist künstlerischer Leiter von „Bellini for the Young“.

DAME NELLIE MELBA, SOPRAN, 19. MAI 1861

Die berühmte Nellie Melba, geboren 1861, war eine Frau mit einer Mission. Nach einem bescheidenen Start ihrer Karriere als lyrische Koloratursopranistin in ihrer Heimatstadt Melbourne in Australien verließ sie 1886 das Land, um ihre Karriere in London fortzusetzen.

GIULIETTA SIMIONATO, MEZZOSOPRAN, 12. MAI 1910

Giulietta Simionato wurde in Forlì geboren, der Stadt, die einst von der sogenannten Tigerin von Forlì, Caterina Sforza, regiert wurde. Ihr Gesangstalent wurde erkannt …