{"id":17510,"date":"2022-07-08T18:34:25","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T16:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=2964"},"modified":"2022-07-08T21:21:12","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T19:21:12","slug":"the-20-greatest-tenors-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/the-20-greatest-tenors-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"The 20 Greatest Tenors of all Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Jeremy Pound\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 08 July 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Whether dramatically slaying dragons in Wagner<\/a>, lyrically serenading princesses in Puccini<\/a>, gracefully gliding in Schubert<\/a> or even crooning for the swooning on TV, tenors capture the imagination like no other singer. It\u2019s easy to see why.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They\u2019re the ones who usually get to play the agile, athletic hero while the poor old bass gets cast as the big, brooding baddy. Plus, there\u2019s the audience-wowing vocal bravado of those high Bs and Cs while, outside the opera house, tradition has long regarded suave and silky tenors as the voices of romance.<\/p>\n

But who are the finest exponents of the tenor art of all time? Which have displayed the greatest power, range, grace and flexibility? Back in 2008 we asked an expert panel to vote for the singers they believed to be the greatest tenors of all time. Do you agree with their choices?<\/p>\n

The best tenors ever<\/h2>\n
20. Sergey Lemeshev<\/a>\u00a0(1902-1977)<\/h3>\n
One of the Bolshoi\u2019s star tenors of the mid-20th century, Lemeshev combined an extraordinary youthful-sounding voice \u2013 even late in his career \u2013\u202fwith a level of characterisation unmatched by most of his contemporaries.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
Two remarkable Russian tenors came to dominate the Soviet stage in the 1930s and 1940s. Sergey Lemeshev and Ivan Kozlovsky, born only two years apart, divided their fans into rival groups of lemeshistki and kozlovityanki.<\/p>\n
Both possessed high lyric voices of great distinction, forward placement and impeccable diction, though it was Lemeshev who was blessed with the matinee idol looks and who cut the greater dash as the Duke in Rigoletto.<\/p>\n
He also just had the romantic edge over his rival in his signature role, the poet Lensky in Tchaikovsky<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s Eugene Onegin, a part he sang over 500 times; there is touching film footage of the two men sharing a specially reworded version of the Act I aria as a birthday tribute to Chekhov\u2019s widow, Olga Knipper, and both tenors can be compared on screen in Lensky\u2019s celebrated lament.<\/p>\n
Lemeshev\u2019s interpretation in the recording of the complete opera, made in 1956, shows the voice still remarkably youthful and fresh, and he sang it for the last time at the age of 70. Good taste and impeccable musicianship mark out two cameo roles in Rimsky-Korsakov operas, the Indian Guest in Sadko and Tsar Berendey in The Snow Maiden.<\/p>\n
David Nice<\/em><\/p>\n
In his own words:\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018I haven\u2019t sung Alfredo for years. But I want desperately to perform it again, if only once\u2026\u2019 (Lemeshev aged 63).<\/p>\n\n<ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/six-best-viola-players\/"\">Six of the best viola players<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/interview-conductor-long-yu\/"\">An interview with conductor Long Yu<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/wolfgang-windgassen\/"\">19. Wolfgang Windgassen<\/a>\u00a0(1914-1974)<\/h3>\nA Heldentenor in a new, lighter <\/em>mould<\/em>, Windgassen dominated the Wagnerian\u00a0stage in the post-war era. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nWolfgang Windgassen followed in his\u00a0father\u2019s footsteps, also a tenor and with\u00a0whom he studied, working at the Stuttgart opera, first as a singer and from 1972,\u00a0until his death two years later, as director. Although famed for his Wagnerian roles, Windgassen made his debut in 1941 as\u00a0Don Alvaro in\u00a0La\u00a0forza\u00a0del\u00a0destino<\/em>.<\/p>\nAt\u00a0Bayreuth\u00a0he sang major tenor roles and\u00a0was the Siegfried in Solti\u2019s 1960s recording\u00a0of the\u00a0Ring<\/em>\u00a0for Decca. Although his voice lacked the baritone resonance of other pre-War greats, his exquisite tone made him one of the most valued Wagnerian singers of his generation. His Siegfried in the famous Decca\u00a0Ring<\/em>\u00a0is unforgettable for its strength and fragility.<\/p>\nJan Smaczny<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018Gott, welch\u2019\u00a0dunkles\u00a0Bier\u2019 (\u2018What\u00a0dark beer\u2019) \u2013 Windgassen on making a rapid stage exit\u00a0from Beethoven\u2019s opera\u00a0Fidelio, with a\u00a0stomach upset.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Wolfgang\" windgassen=\"\" otello=\"\" dio=\"\" mi=\"\" potevi=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jpHFa6v9NVk?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/six-best-baritones\/"\">Six of the best baritones<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/quick-guide-prelude-lapres-midi-dun-faune"\">A quick guide to\u00a0Prelude \u00e0 l\u2019apres-midi d\u2019un faune<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\"\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/alfredo-kraus\/"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""noopener noopener noreferrer\" noreferrer=\"\">18. Alfredo Kraus<\/a>\u00a0(1927-1999)<\/h3>\nA byword for lyrical refinement, Kraus\u00a0was a perennial connoisseur\u2019s\u00a0<\/em>favourite<\/em>\u00a0in bel canto and French repertoire.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nEven pushing the age of 50, Alfredo\u00a0Kraus could thrill a Covent Garden\u00a0audience in Verdi\u2019s\u00a0La\u00a0traviata<\/em>. His secrets were a warm, effortless technique, immaculate diction, noble bearing and an intelligence informing every aspect of his art.<\/p>\nComing late to opera \u2013 after qualifying as an industrial engineer in his native Spain \u2013 he rose to stardom opposite Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland, making a Metropolitan debut in 1966 as the Duke in Verdi\u2019s\u00a0Rigoletto<\/em>.<\/p>\nThe elegance of his style made him ideal in Donizetti and Bellini, and later\u00a0on\u00a0he\u00a0specialised\u00a0in Massenet, particularly the role of Werther. But he was also superb as Ferrando in Karl B\u00f6hm\u2019s classic recording\u00a0of Mozart\u2019s\u00a0Cos\u00ec fan\u00a0tutte<\/em>, and in the delights of Spanish zarzuela. Rather neglected now \u2013 and suffering from deletions among his\u00a0catalogue\u00a0of recordings \u2013 he remains a supreme tenor aristocrat.<\/p>\nGeoffrey Smith<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018A singer is more\u00a0than a singer, he\u2019s an artist, and he\u2019s even\u00a0more than an artist, he\u2019s a maestro.\u2019<\/p> <ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/best-operatic-demises\/"\">Six of the best operatic demises<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-best-arvo-part-recordings"\">Six of the best Arvo P\u00e4rt recordings<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\"\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/anthony-rolfe-johnson\/"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""noopener noopener noreferrer\" noreferrer=\"\">17. Anthony Rolfe Johnson<\/a>\u00a0(1940-2010)<\/h3>\nThe English tenor Anthony Rolfe Johnson came late to singing, but his natural\u00a0talent allied to keen musical intelligence\u00a0led to a great career.<\/em><\/p>\nAnthony Rolfe Johnson was one of the most honest singers around \u2013 about his voice, for example: \u2018It\u2019s not large, but powerful and compact, full of energy, and that\u2019s a great weapon.\u2019 I\u2019d go further \u2013 his singing is virile, ardent, but there\u2019s also immaculate musicianship, a wonderful sense of timing, that seduces the listener.<\/p>\nAnd his total immersion in every character he\u2019s ever interpreted, from demanding operatic\u00a0roles to the simplest ballad in a Songmaker\u2019s Almanac recital, means that each performance is a new delight \u2013 to him and to us.<\/p>\nI\u2019ll\u00a0never forget his performance in Monteverdi\u2019s\u00a0Return of Ulysses\u00a0<\/em>at English National\u00a0Opera: intensely moving and an unobtrusive\u00a0masterclass\u00a0in Monteverdian style. Listen\u00a0to his CD\u00a0In Praise of Woman\u00a0<\/em>(on the Helios label: CDH 55159)\u00a0\u2013<\/em>\u00a0 every song lit up by\u00a0his unique blend of passion, tenderness\u00a0and sheer beauty of voice.<\/p>\nCatherine Bott<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018At five o\u2019clock I stop\u00a0work and become a father \u2013 I don\u2019t believe in being the star singer who just \u201cvisits\u201d home.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""We\" sing=\"\" to=\"\" him=\"\" z.=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/70NSHdRiQD8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/six-best-cellists\/"\">Six of the best cellists<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/best-pieces-music-inspired-love"\">The best pieces of music inspired by love<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/john-mccormack\/"\">16. John McCormack<\/a>\u00a0(1884-1945)<\/h3>\nIn a career spanning over 40 years, McCormack sang and recorded opera, oratorio, Lieder, popular songs and folk song from his\u00a0native Ireland.<\/em><\/p>\nAfter the death of Caruso in 1921, Count John McCormack was to become the next tenor superstar \u2013 his record sales even outstripping those of Caruso\u2019s.<\/p>\nPianist Gerald Moore commented that McCormack disliked over-rehearsing or doing retakes in the recording studio, preferring the honesty of live performance. McCormack\u2019s recorded legacy reveals an artist who combined an immaculate technique with spontaneity; charm with humility. It was his gift to communicate the very essence of a text \u2013 be it Italian opera or Irish ballad \u2013 that made his appeal so universal. In the words of US critic Max de Schauensee, \u2018He could tell a story. He could paint pictures.\u2019<\/p>\nKate Bolton-Porciatti<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018I like to go jumping about in my life, as the whim takes me. I don\u2019t believe in all this pedantic arranging of things in order.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""John\" mccormack=\"\" farewell=\"\" concert=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NTZ2IkJqQPI?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/six-best-unknown-carols\/"\">Six of the best unknown carols<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/5-composers-synesthesia"\">5 composers with synesthesia<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\"\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/franco-corelli\/"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""noopener noopener noreferrer\" noreferrer=\"\">15. Franco Corelli<\/a>\u00a0(1921-1976)<\/h3>\nFranco Corelli inherited the mantle of Caruso and Gigli to\u00a0become\u00a0possibly the greatest Italian tenor of the 1950s and \u201960s.<\/em><\/p>\nThe combination of being tall, dark and handsome and in possession of a superlative tenor voice is rare in the opera world, but Corelli had it all (his nickname, of \u2018golden\u00a0thighs\u2019\u00a0gives a measure of his sex appeal).<\/p>\nListening to his voice today, it can seem old-fashioned, a throwback to a former era, with a rapid vibrato and a tendency to show off. He would hold high notes far beyond their written worth (12 seconds in the great cry of \u2018Vittoria!\u2019 during a Covent Garden\u00a0Tosca<\/em>, for instance), and some critics made a point of disapproving of what they regarded as \u2018cheap effects\u2019.<\/p>\nHowever, his qualities as a singer shine through in the recordings and in contemporary accounts: a dark, lustrous voice with a rich palette of thickly spread\u00a0colours\u00a0that enabled him to explore the psychological depths in the great Verdi\u00a0and Puccini roles.<\/p>\nAshutosh Khandekar<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018Many who teach [larynx-lowering] cause their pupils to force their voices to the point of ruination\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Nessun\" dorma-=\"\" franco=\"\" corelli=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Eg-59NoES2o?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-best-multi-talented-composers"\">Six of the best multi-talented composers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/introduction-debussys-pelleas-et-melisande\/"\">An introduction to Debussy\u2019s\u00a0P\u00e9lleas et M\u00e9lisande<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/peter-schreier\/"\">14. Peter Schreier<\/a>\u00a0(b1935)<\/h3>\nPerhaps the most refined of the post-war lighter tenors, Peter Schreier is valued for the conviction of his operatic roles, his sincerity in religious music and intelligence in Lieder.<\/em><\/p>\nAs a chorister in the Dresden Keruzchor, his initial aspirations were toward sacred music, in\u00a0particular\u00a0the great Evangelist roles in the Bach Passions and Christmas Oratorio; indeed, his last appearance as a professional singer was as the Evangelist in the Christmas Oratorio, which he was also conducting, in Prague in 2005, at the age of 70.<\/p>\nHis operatic career began with the role of\u00a0first\u00a0prisoner in\u00a0Fidelio<\/em>\u00a0in\u00a01959,\u00a0but rapidly blossomed with work at the then East-Berlin Staatsoper, Vienna State Opera, Salzburg and Bayreuth Festivals. While valued chiefly for Mozartean roles, such as Belmonte and Tamino, he maintained his love of the Bach. Schreier was also one of the finest Lieder singers of his generation; his 1991 recording of Schubert\u2019s\u00a0Die sch\u00f6ne M\u00fcllerin<\/em>\u00a0is remarkable for its unforced insight.<\/p>\nJan Smaczny<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018It must be like a ride over the Bodensee, you must do it without showing any fear.\u2019 (Schreier speaking about the coloratura Alleluia from JS Bach\u2019s Cantata 51)<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Schubert\" st=\"\" peter=\"\" schreier=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oaq-6U7ZJt8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-best-musical-settings-shakespeares-romeo-and-juliet"\">Six of the best musical settings of Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo and Juliet<\/i><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/what-happens-stravinskys-firebird"\">What happens in Stravinsky\u2019s The Firebird?<\/i><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\"\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/juan-diego-fl%C3%B3rez"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""noopener noopener noreferrer\" noreferrer=\"\">13.\u00a0Juan Diego Fl\u00f3rez<\/a>\u00a0(b1973)<\/h3>\nThe new Pavarotti? Juan Diego Fl\u00f3rez radiates effortless charm, while his\u00a0astonishing vocal prowess has won critical praise and popular adulation.<\/em><\/p>\nHe stole the show at the Last Night of the 2016 BBC Proms, inspiring the same\u00a0rapture\u00a0there as he has at opera houses worldwide. Marvellous purity of tone and breathtaking virtuosity make his singing irresistible, coupled with good looks and delight in performance.<\/p>\nHis ability to stimulate even the most jaded opera palettes was demonstrated last year when, overturning an iron-clad tradition, the famously strict\u00a0La Scala audience demanded an encore of\u00a0\u2018Oh, mes amis\u2019 from Donizetti\u2019s\u00a0La fille du r\u00e9giment<\/em>, with its heroic sequence of nine\u00a0top Cs. Since the piece was a speciality of Fl\u00f3rez\u2019s hero, the late Luciano Pavarotti,\u00a0the ovation gave an inevitable sense of\u00a0the torch being passed.<\/p>\nGeoffrey Smith<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:\u00a0<\/strong>When you\u2019re feeling relaxed and comfortable, you\u2019re feeling what you\u2019re singing. And then you just communicate. And that\u2019s the most beautiful\u00a0moment,\u00a0because the audience\u00a0can feel what you\u2019re\u00a0really feeling.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Juan\" diego=\"\" fl=\"\" mes=\"\" amis=\"\" la=\"\" fille=\"\" du=\"\" r=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nPR9bwikHg4?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-of-the-best-great-works-with-chorales"\">Six of the best great works with chorales in them<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/best-classical-music-spring"\">The best classical music for spring<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/carlo-bergonzi\/"\">12. Carlo Bergonzi<\/a>\u00a0(1924-2014)<\/h3>\nVirile yet elegant, ardent yet intelligent, above all human; Bergonzi was considered by many to be the greatest Verdi tenor of the mid-20th century.<\/em><\/p>\nAfter debuting as a baritone in 1948, Bergonzi\u2019s international career as tenor took off in the 1950s, when he began long-term associations with the Metropolitan, La Scala, and Covent Garden. His 1976 three-disc survey for Philips of Verdi\u2019s tenor roles is something of a landmark, as are complete recordings of Radames, Alfredo, and the Duke of Mantua, among others.<\/p>\nOn stage, he was stiff and plain: \u2018I know I don\u2019t look like Rudolph Valentino, but I have tried to learn to act through the voice.\u2019 His mastery of breath and the\u00a0colour\u00a0of the words allowed him to portray\u00a0hot-bloods\u00a0Canio and Cavaradossi without the usual gulps and groans. Now in his eighties, Bergonzi teaches and runs a hotel in Verdi\u2019s birthplace, Busseto.<\/p>\nHoward Goldstein<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018Technique enables\u00a0an artist to arrive at a level of excellence where it is impossible to guess\u00a0which qualities are acquired\u00a0and which are innate.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Carlo\" bergonzi=\"\" live=\"\" in=\"\" concert=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ewg1XZd-bdw?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/interview-choreographer-matthew-bourne\/"\">An interview with choreographer Matthew Bourne<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/20-greatest-sopranos-all-time"\">The 20 Greatest Sopranos of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/tito-schipa\/"\">11. Tito Schipa<\/a>\u00a0(1888-1965)<\/h3>\nHailed as a true \u2018tenore di\u00a0<\/em>grazia<\/em>\u2019, Schipa bewitched audiences with vocal clarity, musical subtlety and interpretative elegance rather than technical fireworks.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nFew tenors have made so much out of relatively little as Tito Schipa. Rather limited in\u00a0range and dynamic breadth, even lacking\u00a0a particularly attractive vocal timbre, he\u00a0still possessed the greatest gift of all \u2013 the ability to make a singing line and project it\u00a0to every corner of an enraptured hall. In the lyric bel canto\u00a0repertoire\u00a0he reigned supreme, with an exquisite sense of shading, nuance\u00a0and rubato, and miraculous diction which seemed to make every vowel speak.<\/p>\nA global superstar, he became a fully-fledged matinee idol in America, which even forgave his fascist sympathies during World War II. His classic version of Donizetti\u2019s \u2018Una\u00a0furtiva\u00a0lagrima\u2019 remains a lesson to any singer and an expressive tour de force, crowned by the perfectly judged, swoon-inducing diminuendo which was a Schipa trademark.<\/p>\nGeoffrey Smith\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018I never forced my voice. I never sang\u00a0what I could not sing. That is\u00a0my only secret.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Tito\" schipa=\"\" sings=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d83ODZFFP04?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-best-last-nights-proms"\">Six of the best Last Nights of the Proms<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/bbc-music-best-recordings-allegri-miserere"\">The best recordings of Allegri\u2019s\u00a0Miserere<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/peter-pears\/"\">10. Peter Pears<\/a>\u00a0(1910-1986)<\/h3>\nSir Peter Pears will always be remembered for his lifelong partnership with Benjamin Britten, some of whose finest music he inspired.<\/em><\/p>\nMy parents liked Britten\u2019s music, and I was brought up learning and loving every detail of the refinement and wit Peter Pears brought to the Folk Songs, the heroism of his St Nicholas, above all the tortured otherworldliness of\u00a0Peter Grimes<\/em>. Pears and Britten were together for 40 years \u2013 they began the English Opera Group and the Aldeburgh\u00a0Festival,\u00a0and developed an unsurpassable recital partnership.<\/p>\nPears\u2019s sound doesn\u2019t please everyone, but his artistry is indisputable: Britten loved his conveying \u2018every nuance, subtle and never overdone\u2019. It was his voice that inspired Britten to compose\u00a0opera,\u00a0and his spirituality and erudition that contributed so much to works like the Holy Sonnets of John Donne.<\/p>\nHe would have had a career without Britten \u2013 he was a compelling and successful operatic performer long before Peter Grimes \u2013 but without\u00a0Pears\u00a0we wouldn\u2019t have some of the finest works ever written for\u00a0tenor. His art wasn\u2019t just about Britten, of course \u2013 Klemperer\u2019s St Matthew Passion recording, so unfashionable these days, is dominated\u00a0(but never overwhelmed) by Pears\u2019s Evangelist. And he loved to sing Dowland, whose songs, he said, were \u2018coloured with a gentle silvery sadness\u2019 \u2013 a telling image, that.<\/p>\nCatherine Bott<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018Peter Grimes is not\u00a0the most heroic title-role in all opera. He is no Don Giovanni or Otello, and the more\u00a0glamour\u00a0is applied to his presentation the further\u00a0you get from what the composer wanted.\u2019<\/p>\n<a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/benjamin-britten-and-peter-pears\/"\">\u2022 Read more: Pears and Britten<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Peter\" pears=\"\" benjamin=\"\" britten=\"\" perform=\"\" henry=\"\" purcell=\"\" rare=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/piNH18JhDU4?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/six-best-classical-guitarists\/"\">Six of the best classical guitarists<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/musicians-who-memorise-music"\">Musicians who memorise the music<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\"\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/nicolai-gedda\/"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""noopener noopener noreferrer\" noreferrer=\"\">9. Nicolai Gedda<\/a>\u00a0(1925-2017)<\/h3>\nGedda\u2019s intellect,\u00a0style\u00a0and linguistic ability made him the most versatile and recorded of his era.<\/em><\/p>\nIn 1952, Walter Legge auditioned a young Swedish tenor, and\u00a0cabled\u00a0his contacts, \u2018Just heard the greatest Mozart singer\u00a0in my life: his name is Nicolai Gedda\u2019.<\/p>\nThe former bank teller was swiftly engaged for Dobrowen\u2019s classic\u00a0Boris Godunov<\/em>\u00a0recording, and by 1953 it was snapped up by houses across Europe. But Legge could hardly have foreseen his discovery would become the most versatile and enduring tenor of the\u00a0post-war\u00a0years, triumphing in repertoire from the terrifying high notes of Bellini\u2019s\u00a0I Puritani\u00a0<\/em>to the heroics of Berlioz\u2019s\u00a0Benvenuto Cellini\u00a0<\/em>and Wagner\u2019s\u00a0Lohengrin<\/em>, and making some\u00a0200 recordings \u2013 the last only in 2003.<\/p>\nNicolai Harry Gustav Gedda Ustinov possessed an elegantly lyrical sound, enhanced by polished diction. In the 1970s, when I saw him, his formerly\u00a0clarion\u00a0upper register was showing strain, but he compensated admirably with style and\u00a0ardour. A wide-ranging intellectual, Gedda brought serious thought\u00a0to his roles.<\/p>\nMichael Scott Rohan<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018Those to whom God\u00a0has given a fine voice are also burdened with\u00a0the duty of training it and caring for it.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Nicolai\" gedda=\"\" sings=\"\" und=\"\" tr=\"\" by=\"\" schubert=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/O9n9SDT_oQM?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-bestchild-prodigies"\">Six of the best child prodigies<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/interview-anna-lapwood\/"\">An interview with organist Anna Lapwood<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/jon-vickers\/"\">8. Jon Vickers<\/a>\u00a0(1926-2015)<\/h3>\nA heroic tenor of unique authority and complexity, Vickers stamped his individual approach on a series of portrayals that aspired to a spiritual level.<\/em><\/p>\nIt was his audition for Covent Garden in 1957 that pushed the Canadian Jon Vickers onto the scene. His early parts included Gustavo in Verdi\u2019s\u00a0Un\u00a0ballo\u00a0in\u00a0maschera<\/em>, Don Jos\u00e9 in Bizet\u2019s\u00a0Carmen<\/em>\u00a0and the title role in the historic Visconti\/Giulini production of Verdi\u2019s\u00a0Don Carlos<\/em>; but the potential of his voice to take on the most demanding roles in the repertoire led him towards Berlioz\u2019s\u00a0Aeneas<\/em>, Beethoven\u2019s\u00a0Florestan<\/em>\u00a0and Wagner\u2019s\u00a0Siegmund<\/em>,\u00a0Parsifal\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Tristan<\/em>, plus Britten\u2019s\u00a0Peter Grimes<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 a role he effectively redefined.<\/p>\nWith his dramatic presence allied to a burnished bronze tone that could ride over any orchestra, Vickers became the tenor of choice in such roles at Bayreuth, Vienna, the Met and other leading houses.<\/p>\nAn actor of volcanic power \u2013 he was arguably the only tenor partner in whom Maria Callas found an equal match when he sang Jason to her Medea in Cherubini\u2019s opera \u2013 Vickers\u2019s art was founded on philosophical and religious beliefs; he withdrew from a production of Wagner\u2019s\u00a0Tannh\u00e4user<\/em>, citing the work\u2019s blasphemy. His Canio and Otello were terrifying, his Grimes a harrowing study in rejection, his Tristan unbearably moving.<\/p>\nGeorge Hall<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words: \u2018<\/strong>Whenever an artist\u00a0takes his eyes off the ultimate\u2026 from what\u00a0I would call \u201cthe Eternal\u201d, then he diminishes himself, and the quality of his art is thereby diminished.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""La\" fleur=\"\" que=\"\" tu=\"\" m=\"\" jet=\"\" jon=\"\" vickers=\"\" carmen=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/itB1UlPFln4?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/five-bestwelsh-composers\/"\">Five of the best Welsh composers<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/best-classical-works-saxophone"\">The best classical works for saxophone<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/beniamino-gigli\/"\">7. Beniamino Gigli<\/a>\u00a0(1890-1957)<\/h3>\nGigli was the leading Italian tenor of the\u00a0inter-war years, blessed with a honeyed tone and easy manner that made him\u00a0\u2018the people\u2019s singer\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\nBorn in the small Italian town of Recanati in 1890, Gigli began singing as a chorister before vocal training in Rome. After a successful 1914 debut in\u00a0La Gioconda<\/em>, he was in demand throughout Italy and by 1920 had made it to the Met, where he inherited many of Caruso\u2019s roles following the latter\u2019s death the next year. He stayed in New York until 1932, when he refused a pay cut due to the Depression and returned to Italy. There he became Mussolini\u2019s\u00a0favourite\u00a0tenor, though after the war this association was forgiven.<\/p>\nHe made 20 films and 900 records which show an impeccable lyric tenor voice of remarkable sweetness, used with taste and imagination, though from the mid-1930s his voice deteriorated. He nevertheless continued to perform until shortly before his death in 1957. The\u00a0verismo<\/em>\u00a0operas \u2013 including such heavy assignments as Puccini\u2019s\u00a0Manon Lescaut<\/em>\u00a0and Giordano\u2019s\u00a0Andrea Ch\u00e9nier\u00a0<\/em>\u2013 suited him, while in lyric operas such as\u00a0Traviata<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0Boh\u00e8me<\/em>\u00a0he was hard to match.<\/p>\nGeorge Hall<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018To sing the same aria\u00a0the same way twice, that is of the schools and\u00a0of the professors. Gigli is not of the schools.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Beniamino\" gigli=\"\" mamma=\"\" version=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z9AjW7pC-BY?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/best-film-soundtracks-our-top-picks"\">The best film soundtracks: our top picks<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/5-top-tips-attending-bbc-proms\/"\">5 top tips for attending the BBC Proms<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/lauritz-melchior\/"\">6.\u00a0Lauritz Melchior<\/a>\u00a0(1890-1973)<\/h3>\nLauritz Melchior was born a baritone and reinvented himself as the finest Heldentenor of the 20th century, setting standards for singing Wagner that\u00a0<\/em>have<\/em>\u00a0never been surpassed.<\/em><\/p>\nMelchior was born in Copenhagen in 1890 on the same day as Gigli. He made his debut in 1913 singing Silvio in\u00a0Pagliacci<\/em>, but on hearing the young baritone sing a high C in\u00a0Il\u00a0trovatore\u00a0<\/em>an American colleague declared him a tenor \u2018with the lid on.\u2019 And it\u2019s the caramel\u00a0colours\u00a0in Melchior\u2019s lower register that make his voice so distinctive, together with the stamina to sing Wagner\u2019s major tenor roles without tiring.<\/p>\nIn 1924 Melchior sang at the first post-war Bayreuth Festival and that same year triumphed in London as Siegmund in\u00a0Die Walk\u00fcre<\/em>. It would be another five years before New York took him to its heart, but after singing Tristan at the Met he became the company\u2019s Heldentenor of choice for almost every season until he chose \u2018Lohengrin\u2019s Farewell\u2019 for his\u00a0swansong\u00a0in February 1950.<\/p>\nIf power and stamina are the hallmarks of Melchior\u2019s art, there is also\u00a0delicacy\u00a0in his phrasing and absolute sureness of tone which is never less than beautiful and always appropriately expressive.<\/p>\nHas any Siegfried conveyed such wonder at an awakening Br\u00fcnnhilde? Has any brother wooed his sister so ardently and with such desperation?\u00a0On\u00a0record\u00a0Melchior is at his greatest as Siegmund to Lotte Lehmann\u2019s\u00a0heart touching\u00a0Sieglinde in Act I of\u00a0Die Walk\u00fcre<\/em>\u00a0recorded in Vienna in 1935.<\/p>\nChristopher Cook<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/b>\u00a0\u2018Regard your voice as capital in the bank. Sing on your interest and your voice will last.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Lauritz\" melchior=\"\" prize=\"\" song=\"\" from=\"\" wagner=\"\" die=\"\" meistersinger=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-cqnATSWX6I?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-most-inspiring-women-music"\">Six of the most inspiring women in music<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-bestkings-singers-recordings"\">Six of the best King\u2019s Singers recordings<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/jussi-bj%C3%B6rling"\">5. Jussi Bj\u00f6rling<\/a>\u00a0(1911-1960)<\/h3>\nBj\u00f6rling\u2019s beautiful tone and effortless technique contributed to his reputation as a paragon of the art of singing during an illustrious international career. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nFinding encomia for Bj\u00f6rling\u2019s vocal artistry is about as difficult as finding grains of sand on a beach, but it seems extraordinary that so much of this praise comes from his colleagues and leading musicians. For his Swedish compatriot Elisabeth S\u00f6derstr\u00f6m, \u2018listening to Bj\u00f6rling has always been my ultimate pleasure. He never made an ugly sound, and yet his voice was the most human, emotional instrument.\u2019<\/p>\nIrene Dalis thought \u2018he was the premier tenor in the world. Even yet, there has never been another voice equal to his.\u2019 Arturo Toscanini \u2013 not notorious for admiring singers \u2013 exclaimed: \u2018What a beautiful voice and what fine singing, all on the breath, a perfect technique.\u00a0 It is all tied together and his diction is very good too. Bravo!\u2019<\/p>\nRegina Resnik claimed that a concert-opening performance of the \u2018Ingemisco\u2019 from Verdi\u2019s Requiem at the Albert Hall \u2018was probably one of the most beautifully sung five minutes that I have ever, ever heard in my life. So much so that I sat there crying like a child.\u2019<\/p>\nBj\u00f6rling\u2019s voice was not large, but was perfectly placed, possessed silvery brilliance, and permitted dynamic and coloristic shading at every point in its register \u2013 according to American critic Conrad L Osborne, Bj\u00f6rling\u2019s \u2018mastery of line, his command of the classical (vocal) effects\u2026 is of a sort that makes even very fine singers seem faintly amateurish.\u2019<\/p>\nAlthough his acting in staged opera sometimes struck observers as phlegmatic or perfunctory, the technical adroitness and expressive subtlety of his singing swept all before it. Best known for romantic tenor roles like Rodolfo (La boh\u00e8me<\/em>), Cavaradossi (Tosca<\/em>), the Duke (Rigoletto<\/em>), Manrico (Il\u00a0trovatore<\/em>), Faust, and Rom\u00e9o (the latter two from Gounod\u2019s operas), Bj\u00f6rling occasionally performed or recorded heavier parts, and in concert his repertory also included operetta arias, Scandinavian\u00a0songs\u00a0and German Lieder.\u00a0 His many recordings document a remarkable consistency of vocal quality and high artistic standards.<\/p>\nDavid Breckbill<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018I have one\u00a0favourite\u00a0role. It is Otello. What a part for a tenor! What an opera! What music!\u00a0 But you know something? I will never sing it (onstage).\u00a0It would damage my voice. I would\u00a0not like that to happen.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Video\" of=\"\" jussi=\"\" bj=\"\" singing=\"\" aida=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1cheBJTQxYU?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-best-lesser-known-pieces-soviet-composers"\">Six of the best lesser-known works by Soviet composers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/12-best-imaginary-composers"\">12 of the best fictional composers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/fritz-wunderlich\/"\">4. Fritz Wunderlich<\/a>\u00a0(1930-1966)<\/h3>\nThe outstanding German lyric tenor of his generation, his life was tragically cut short as his international career was getting underway, but thanks to his many recordings his unique voice has remained unforgettable.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nWhen Fritz Wunderlich died in a fall on a hunting vacation, just nine days before his 36th birthday in September 1966, he was at the zenith of his career as a Mozart singer. The role of Tamino, which he had recorded the year before in Berlin under the baton of Karl B\u00f6hm, framed his all-too brief career in major roles. It was in 1956, as a young member of the Stuttgart Opera, that he replaced an indisposed colleague, Josef Traxel, and gave notice of a peerless Mozartian, with an easy, limpid, virile timbre, an innate feeling for style and immaculate diction in his native language.<\/p>\nTamino was the last role he sang on stage, ten years later, again with the Stuttgart ensemble, at the Edinburgh Festival barely a month before his fatal accident. In a career that lasted barely more than a decade, he gave exemplary performances of the lyric Mozart tenor roles: Belmonte in\u00a0Die Entf\u00fchrung\u00a0aus\u00a0dem Serail<\/em>, Ferrando in\u00a0Cos\u00ec fan\u00a0tutte<\/em>\u00a0and Don Ottavio in\u00a0Don Giovanni<\/em>.<\/p>\nHe was a workaholic and his operatic repertoire\u00a0ranged\u00a0from the baroque and early classical operas of Monteverdi,\u00a0Handel\u00a0and Gluck, to 20th-century classics such as Pfitzner\u2019s\u00a0Palestrina<\/em>\u00a0and Jan\u00e1\u03a9ek\u2019s\u00a0The Excursions of\u00a0Mr\u00a0Brou\u03a9ek<\/em>\u00a0and contemporary works (he created parts in operas by Carl Orff and Werner Egk).<\/p>\nHis concert and Lieder repertoire were no less extensive and he left unsurpassed recordings of the tenor solos in Haydn\u2019s\u00a0Creation<\/em>\u00a0and Beethoven\u2019s\u00a0Missa Solemnis<\/em>\u00a0under Karajan and, above all, the tenor songs in Klemperer\u2019s recording of Mahler\u2019s\u00a0Das Lied von der Erde<\/em>, in which Wunderlich\u2019s sappy, youthful timbre are allied to eloquent diction and freedom at the top of the voice.<\/p>\nIn the recording\u00a0studio\u00a0he was a populist, recording his\u00a0favourite\u00a0operetta arias and songs such as \u2018Granada\u2019 which endeared him to those that never set foot in an opera house.<\/p>\nHugh Canning<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018To earn my living, I played jazz music on the side. At night I blew the trumpet, played the accordion, sang popular songs; in the morning, after a few hours of sleep, I studied Monteverdi and Lully at college.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Fritz\" wunderlich=\"\" recital:=\"\" mozart-zauberfloete=\"\" tamino=\"\" aria=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0TnruLf_haY?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/interview-conductor-long-yu\/"\">An interview with conductor Long Yu<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/luciano-pavarotti\/"\">3. Luciano Pavarotti<\/a>\u00a0(1935-2007)<\/h3>\nIf some hardcore opera buffs had doubts, the general public felt Pavarotti deserved the mantle of Gigli, Caruso,\u00a0<\/em>Tauber<\/em>\u00a0and Lanza as the greatest, most popular tenor.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nPavarotti\u2019s life could almost have been the plot of a Lanza film. His father, a baker, was a fine tenor and gave plenty of encouragement to Luciano, who was torn between music and football. The boy sang in the local choir, which won first prize on a visit to the Llangollen Festival. He made his stage debut as Rodolfo in\u00a0La boh\u00e8me<\/em>\u00a0in 1961 then, in 1963, returned to Britain to\u00a0deputise\u00a0for Giuseppe di Stefano in the same role at Covent Garden.<\/p>\nConsequently, he was booked for Sunday Night at the London Palladium, the gem of ITV\u2019s weekend schedule. Soon, his partnership with Joan Sutherland led to his appearance in\u00a0La fille du r\u00e9giment<\/em>, where his famed facility for singing high Cs was established. Over the years his growing bulk and the developing imperfections in his voice hampered his opera appearances, and in 1992 he was booed at La Scala when, as Don Carlos, he cracked a note.<\/p>\nFor many aficionados, he lacked the depth of Domingo, but his common touch, his large-scale open-air concerts, including the legendary 1991 occasion before the Prince and Princess of Wales when he persuaded most of the crowd to furl their umbrellas despite rain, his adept mixture of great operatic arias with much-loved Neapolitan ballads and his relatively restrained acting earned him the love and admiration of large numbers of the public.<\/p>\nHe always set great store by legato, his approach to which gave his performances a natural quality, but it was perhaps his exceptionally sweet and steady upper register that really marked him out. On the down side were his frequently embarrassing engagements with pop, a tendency to lose control of his vibrato in later years, and his\u00a0increasingly\u00a0difficulty in sustaining long performances. However, when he soars towards those final phrases of \u2018Nessun Dorma\u2019, all is forgiven\u2026<\/p>\nBarry Witherden<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018I think a life in music is a life beautifully spent, and this is what I have devoted my life to.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Pavarotti\" nessun=\"\" dorma=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VATmgtmR5o4?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/best-contemporary-female-composers"\">Nine of the best contemporary female composers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/how-do-you-get-tickets-bbc-proms\/"\">How do you get tickets for the BBC Proms?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/enrico-caruso\/"\">2. Enrico Caruso<\/a>\u00a0(1873-1921)<\/h3>\nOne of the definitive voices of the 20th century, Enrico Caruso was that rarest\u00a0of creatures: a truly great artist with a\u00a0mass popular following.<\/em><\/p>\nCaruso was a singing superstar, with a voice that was born to make recordings that would ravish the senses of an adoring public. His career among the very first to be built on that unholy, and thoroughly modern, alliance of tremendous natural talent, prowess in the recording studio, and brilliant management and PR.<\/p>\nOpera was, of course, his main focus, but throughout his more than 250 recordings, mostly released as 78s by the Victor Talking Machine Co., he encompassed most musical genres from Verdi, Bizet and Puccini (his contemporary) to Neapolitan song and pop music, one of his best sellers was \u2018Over There\u2019, a jaunty song for the US army in World War I.<\/p>\nHe was undeniably a crowd-pleaser and his showmanship was legendary, delighting his audiences in America where his career especially thrived under the guidance of Edward Bernays, an expert in \u2018crowd psychology\u2019 and one of the pioneers of<br\/>\nmodern public relations.<\/p>\nCaruso\u2019s voice had its flaws: he was never entirely comfortable at the very top of his range. A ringing top C tended to elude him, and he often had to transpose. But the recordings preserve a voice that has an effortless, easy-going flow even in the cramped confines of an early studio, with a rich and powerful low to middle register and highly charged top notes that seem completely attuned to the new, dramatic\u00a0verismo<\/em>\u00a0style that had emerged at the end of the 19th century.<\/p>\nThough his life\u00a0was inexorably draw\u00a0to the US, Caruso\u2019s charm and his cheek remained distinctly Italian. He\u00a0scandalised\u00a0New York after he was arrested for indecent assault at the New York Zoo, outside the monkey house. He was found guilty of pinching a lady\u2019s\u00a0bottom,\u00a0but claimed that a monkey had done it.<\/p>\nCaruso is one of the earliest great singers whose voice remains alive to us today through his recordings. His influence continues to be felt even now: listen to any great operatic\u00a0 tenor \u2013 Domingo, Pavarotti \u2013 and there are certain mannerisms and turns of phrase which make you think, \u2018Ah yes, that\u2019s straight from the mouth of Caruso!\u2019<\/p>\nAshutosh Khandekar<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018I never step on the\u00a0stage without asking myself whether I will succeed in finishing the opera.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Enrico\" caruso=\"\" o=\"\" sole=\"\" mio=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u1QJwHWvgP8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/nine-best-classical-works-inspired-sun\/"\">Nine of the best classical works inspired by the sun<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-choral-works-passiontide\/"\">The best choral works for Passiontide<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3><a href=\"\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/placido-domingo\/"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""noopener noopener noreferrer\" noreferrer=\"\">1.\u00a0Pl\u00e1cido\u00a0Domingo<\/a>\u00a0(b1941)<\/h3>\nDomingo is that rarest of vocal phenomena, a tenor who used his voice\u00a0in the service of re-creating great art, and not as a thrilling end in itself.<\/em><\/p>\nAnd the best tenor in\u00a0 the world \u2013 drum roll please \u2013 is \u00a0Pl\u00e1cido Domingo. Pl\u00e1cido Domingo was born in Spain, officially in 1941, but many people claim that the date should be a year or more earlier than that. Even if the date he prefers is correct, he has preserved his voice in an extraordinarily energetic career for almost 50 years, having made his debut in 1959 in Mexico, where his family moved when he was eight.<\/p>\nHe is still singing, including such demanding roles as Siegmund in Wagner\u2019s\u00a0Die Walk\u00fcre<\/em>, as well as in carefully selected Italian operas. During the course of this enormous\u00a0career\u00a0he has always looked for new roles to challenge\u00a0him,\u00a0and has recorded over a hundred, performing an impressive proportion of those on stage.<\/p>\nHe began with the usual Italian operas, primarily Verdi and Puccini, but moved back in time, the earliest of his roles being in Rameau\u2019s\u00a0Hippolyte et Aricie<\/em>. He has also sung a few contemporary operas, but only ones written in a fairly traditional idiom.<\/p>\nWhat is most surprising is\u00a0that,\u00a0almost alone among tenors who made their name in Italian opera, since he was about 50 he has been equally involved with German opera, primarily Wagner, some of whose greatest roles he has not risked singing in the theatre, but has recorded in part or whole.<\/p>\nHe has even sung at the Bayreuth Festival, the ultimate accolade. Nor has he neglected either French opera, including Berlioz and Massenet, or Russian. And now he is moving into the baritone repertoire, with Gluck\u2019s\u00a0Oreste<\/em>\u00a0already at the Met.<\/p>\nA self-confessed workaholic, he also conducts\u00a0opera,\u00a0and is in charge of the Washington National Opera and the Los Angeles Opera, jobs which involve an immense amount of\u00a0fund-raising. Quite apart from that, he\u00a0was of course\u00a0one of the Three\u00a0Tenors,\u00a0and has recorded Christmas albums and discs of popular Italian and Spanish songs.<\/p>\nWith such a vast range of repertoire, it isn\u2019t surprising that we don\u2019t associate Domingo with particular roles, with the possible exception of Verdi\u2019s Otello, of which he has been the leading performer since Jon Vickers, Domingo\u2019s antithesis in many ways, retired. But even then, when one thinks of that role and the kind of voice and presence it requires, Domingo\u2019s isn\u2019t necessarily the first name to come to mind.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s inevitable that he has been\u00a0criticised\u00a0for giving a\u00a0standardised\u00a0account of many\u00a0roles\u00a0\u2013 but then it\u2019s hard to see how individual you could be in many of Verdi\u2019s less famous works. The fact remains that when you listen to Domingo, you are guaranteed a flood of gorgeous sound, sensitive musicianship, the security of a voice so well looked after that nothing will go wrong and, if you are seeing him, a decent standard of acting. Warmth, taste, commitment, understanding: these aren\u2019t the first things that spring to mind when you think of a tenor, but they are when you think of Domingo.<\/p>\nThe operatic scene since the\u00a0mid 1960s\u00a0is inconceivable without him, and the gigantic treasury of opera recordings will bear witness to future generations of his greatness. In an\u00a0age when \u2018celebrity\u2019 has rightly become a\u00a0word of contempt, Pl\u00e1cido Domingo\u2019s fame\u00a0is an example of how once a huge name was\u00a0built on solid foundations.<\/p>\nMichael Tanner<\/em><\/p>\nIn his own words:\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018My motto is \u201cWhen I rest, I rust\u201d.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Nessun\" dorma=\"\" placido=\"\" domingo=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2RdJmqLrsbo?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/5-facts-about-bernd-alois-zimmermann"\">5 facts about composer Bernd Alois Zimmermann<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/six-best-20th-century-british-choral-works"\">Six of the best 20th-century British choral works<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>This article was first published in April 2008.<\/em><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Jeremy Pound Published: Friday, 08 July 2022 at 12:00 am Whether dramatically slaying dragons in Wagner, lyrically serenading princesses in Puccini, gracefully gliding in Schubert or even crooning for the swooning on TV, tenors capture the imagination like no other singer. It\u2019s easy to see why. They\u2019re the ones who usually get to play […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":17511,"template":"","categories":[1,17],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"25"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/07\/the-20-greatest-tenors-of-all-time.jpg",625,350,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/07\/the-20-greatest-tenors-of-all-time-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/07\/the-20-greatest-tenors-of-all-time-300x168.jpg",300,168,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/07\/the-20-greatest-tenors-of-all-time.jpg",625,350,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/07\/the-20-greatest-tenors-of-all-time.jpg",625,350,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/07\/the-20-greatest-tenors-of-all-time.jpg",625,350,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/07\/the-20-greatest-tenors-of-all-time.jpg",625,350,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Jeremy Pound Published: Friday, 08 July 2022 at 12:00 am Whether dramatically slaying dragons in Wagner, lyrically serenading princesses in Puccini, gracefully gliding in Schubert or even crooning for the swooning on TV, tenors capture the imagination like no other singer. It\u2019s easy to see why. They\u2019re the ones who usually get to play…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/17510"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}