Jerry Hadley - Golden Days - Tenor hits from the Golden Age of Operetta

Rudolf Friml (Composer), Victor Herbert (Composer), Sigmund Romberg (Composer), Paul Gemignani (Conductor), American Theatre Orchestra (Orchestra), Harvard Glee Club [members of] (Orchestra), William David Brohn (Orchestra), Jerry Hadley (Performer), Mario Lanza (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Jerry Hadley, Mario Lanza
• Orchestra: American Theatre Orchestra, Harvard Glee Club [members of], William David Brohn
• Conductor: Paul Gemignani
• Composer: Rudolf Friml, Victor Herbert, Sigmund Romberg
• Audio CD (August 16, 1994)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000003FQQ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #138,774 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #26 in	Music > Classical > Featured Performers, A-Z > ( H ) > Hadley, Jerry
  #28 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( R ) > Romberg, Sigmund
  #49 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( H ) > Herbert, Victor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Golden Voice - Golden Memories, August 20, 2007

By	Hung Tong Ning Tony (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jerry Hadley (who died tragically in July 2007 by his own hand) was one of America's finest tenors. What's more, he was one of the very few great opera singers who could sing light music convincingly, and he had the gift of making you feel that he was singing to you personally, and that he meant every word and every note. This CD is a treasurable memento of Hadley's art in operettas and musicals. Among the highlights are songs from The Student Prince, where he rivals Mario Lanza (who was thought to 'own' this operetta) in vocal beauty and surpasses him in sensitivity; there's even a 'duet' (Golden Days) where Hadley's voice blends seamlessly with Lanza's recording. But my favourite in this collection is undoubtedly 'When I grow too old to dream'. I don't believe anyone has ever sung this song more movingly and beautifully, a fitting memorial to a great singer whose life was tragically cut short but who left us enough to be grateful that he once lived.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An overlooked treasure, August 27, 2007

By	tenor fanatic (Florida) - See all my reviews

The first time I listened to this recording, I was primarily interested in "Donkey Serenade," and I do not care for the arrangement here. So, I overlooked the rest of the disc.
With Hadley's untimely death, I decided to check it out again, and found what a treasure I had overlooked. The beauty of his voice is evidenced throughout the recording. His clear ringing high notes, especially in "Desert Song" and "Serenade," and his fabulous head voice ("Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," and "Indian Summer") match anything in recorded operetta material, and remind us of his wonderful operatic career.
Except for the aforementioned "Donkey Serenade" and the vaudeville "I Like to Go Swimmin' with Wimmin," this is a solid five star rating.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh...Jerry....Jerry.........why couldn't......, October 2, 2007

By	JUST A REVIEWER2 - See all my reviews

......you have allowed yourself the opportunity to "Grow Too Old to Dream" (as you so eloquently sing it in this production)?

Here, in this 1994 release, we have Jerry--at the height of his vocal powers--in these beautifully done popular and semi-classical numbers. To think that new issues from this voice are now lost to us forever is almost unbearable. As someone else has so touchingly observed: the Angels are now the beneficiaries of Jerry's beautiful gift.

PS--Just want to throw in recommendations for those of you who might be unfamiliar with some of Jerry's light operatic (operetta) works. Three of Lehar's compositions on the Telarc label are notable: "The Czarevitch" / "The Land of Smiles" / "Paganini." Oh, and on an even lighter note, give a try to a very well done Broadway vehicle, "Kismet" (on Sony).

****