Customer Reviews

John McCormack: In Opera

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

John McCormack was a living textbook in the art of singing. His technique and vocal production are virtually flawless--and the absolute despair of anyone trying to emulate him. To hear a very simple piece, say Care Selve, sung as he sings it, is an on-going revelation.

Had these recordings been made in the digital age, then six or even ten stars would hardly be accurate.

John McCormack became a player among operatic tenors in 1910, when he first appeared with Dame Nellie Melba in Australia and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His final appearance on stage was in 1923. Thereafter, he did sing concerts and recorded as well.

This CD contains a wide range of works which he sings, from the "Prize Song" (Die Meistersinger) to Handel (arias from Semele and Atalanta) to Donizetti (Lucia di Lammermoor) to Boito (Mefistofele) to Delibes (Lakme) and others as well. Quite a generous repertoire!

To illustrate, let us take a look in modest detail at some of the pieces on this CD.

"De miei bollenti spiriti," from Verdi's "La Traviata" (recorded in 1910). He shows a rich tenor voice. He sings this with passion and avoids vocal affectations. To my untutored ears, an attractive vocal presentation.

"Che gelida manina" from Puccini's "La Boheme" (1910). This is one of the great tenor arias, in my view. At the outset. there is a touching quality to his singing, altogether appropriate for this piece. He sings well the second "qui son" (some shout this out, others "cry"). He hits his notes pretty well, from what I can tell. He may not have the sheer vocal power of a Corelli or a Tucker or a Caruso, but he does sing well. His singing of the phrase "la speranza" and its high note is quite interesting. All in all, a nice version.

"Questa o quella" from Verdi's "Rigoletto." An animated version. McCormack sings this with spirit, although not at the same pace as some other tenors. But it is a fine version. He exhibits nice breath control. An attractive voice that is deployed well here.

"Il mio tesoro," from Mozart's "Don Giovanni." This is a challenging aria, and it is well sung by McCormack. Again, he shows good technique and handles the demands of this work nicely. I really enjoyed his rendering of this work.

So, from my listening here, Jon McCormack exhibits an attractive tenor voice. I'm not sure he should be rated among the all-time greats, but he's pretty doggone good!

After hearing this recording, I simply cannot understand the perception, shared even by Gerald Moore, that McCormack was less than comfortable in Grand Opera. Was he then merely a brilliant purveyor of popular Irish songs and ballads? On the evidence here, a profound 'NO'. In any medium, McCormack's voice and artistry strike at the heart with such a keenly spiritual richness. An Irish Gigli? Yes. He is to voice what Kreisler is to violin. It is an unforgettable experience to hear him here, and most especially in the deep night when all is still and the heart knows no boundaries of either time or space but only its own special yearning. I am so glad I bought this.

I have a mcCormack record with the words of all the songs in it...when I read along with the songs, one is stunned at the beauty and feeling he imbues every word with...is it just the patina of a bygone era??? NO, I think....As much of his most amazing work has been jacked, probably for some new pretender, we can only hope for a reasonable facsimile of this master...

I have listened to and owned many of John McCormack's wonderful recordings of traditional Irish songs for many years. My father told me that he was his mother's favorite so I'm pretty sure that I was influenced by that since she died of a brain tumor the year before I was born. Now, I would love to be able to tell her how many hours of joy that her favorite Irish tenor has brought into our lives. My wife cannot hear his " The Kerry Dances" enough times.

As I recently developed an interest in opera it wasn't long before I searched out John McCormack's own performances of classic arias. I have other tenors' performances of many of the arias on this CD, most recorded in that wonderful modern stereo sound, but it is clear to me that John McCormack's voice rivaled and outshone many others over the almost 100 years since some of these were recorded. Fred Plotkin, in his wonderful Opera 101 makes sure to refer the reader to John McCormack as the model interpreter of some of these pieces.

This is terrific stuff to me. I never tire of his voice, his diction is wonderful and his passion for these pieces come across despite the primitive efforts to give a reasonable picture of the power and beauty of his voice.

I treasure this collection of his work.

Wonderful to be able to hear this great performer. Given the era of these recordings, the quality and clarity are remarkable and the results are truly atmospheric!