NICOLAI GEDDA: THE COSMOPOLITAN TENOR – BIZET, MOZART, LEHAR, STRAUSS (DIGITAL DOWNLOAD) ALTO

Nicolai Gedda: “The Cosmopolitan Tenor”

Nicolai Gedda

“Gedda’s success in so many areas is a tribute to his professionalism. Harold Rosenthal reviewing Gedda’s Carmen’ wrote ‘He is not, of course, a dramatic tenor, nor is he French; but he is probably the best tenor singing in French opera today’ (Opera) … Gedda’s performance of Bizet’s Flower Song was described by John Steane as ‘dramatised afresh…a ‘lived’ and re-created experience’. The stylish Gedda excelled in Mozart and often performed Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni demonstrating a familiarity anything but routine …remaining tracks are from the classic operetta recordings made under Walter Legge” (James Murray)

1. Mes amis, écoutez l’histoire (Le Postillon de Lonjumeau:Adam) 3.49
2. Aubade: Puisqu’on ne peut fléchir…Vainement …(Le Roi d’Ys:Lalo) 3.19
3. Elle ne croyait pas (Mignon:Thomas) 3.32
(3 above with French National Radio Orchestra / Georges Pretre, 1962
4. Quel trouble inconnu…Salut! Demeure chaste et pure (Faust:Gounod) 5.40
Orchestra of Paris Opera /André Cluytens, 1953
5. Je crois entendre encore (Les Pecheurs de Perles:Bizet) 3.30
6. Pourquoi me révillier? (Werther:Massenet) 2.49
(2 above with Philharmonia Orchestra / Alceo Galliera, 1953
7. Flower Song: La fleur qui tu m’avais jetée (Carmen:Bizet) – 4.47
with Paris Radio Symphony Orchestra / Sir Thomas Beecham, 1958
8. J’ai perdu, mon Euridice (Orphée et Euridice:Gluck) – 4.05
with Paris Conservatoire Orchestra / Louis de Froment, 1957
9. Una furtiva lagrima (L’Elisir d’Amore:Donizetti) – 3.55
10. Lensky’s Aria (Eugene Onegin:Tchaikovsky) – 6.13
(2 above with Philharmonia Orchestra / Alceo Galliera, 1953
11. Brother, in the Darkness (A Life For The Tsar:Glinka) – 6.17
with the Lamoureux Orchestra / Igor Markevitch, 1957
12. Un’aura amorosa (Cosi fan tutte:Mozart) – 4.25
with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra / André Cluytens, 1958
13. Il mio Tesoro (Don Giovanni:Mozart) – 4.15
with the Lamoureux Orchestra / Hans Rosbaud, 1956
14. Ach so fromm (Martha:Flotow) – 3.19
with Philharmonia Orchestra / Alceo Galliera, 1953
15. Als flotter Geist (Der Zigeunerbaron:J.Strauss II) Rec 1958 – 2.32
16. Sei mir gegrusst du Holdes Venezia (Eine Nacht in Venedig:J.Strauss II) 2.23
17. Ich trete ins Zimmer…Immer nur lächeln (Land des Lächelns:Lehár) 4.24
18. Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (Das Land des Lächelns:Lehár) (1953) 3.30
(4 above) with Philharmonia Orchestra / Otto Ackermann T.16: 1954; 17-18: 1953