Google-Newsgroups

In Newsgroups hat jeder die Möglichkeit, sich mit Gleichgesinnten über unterschiedlichste Theman auszutauschen.
Hier habe ich eine kleine Auswahl an Postings über Gedda zusammengestellt, die in den Google-Newsgroups erschienen sind.

Von: Ursula Scherer (uscherer@uni2a.unige.ch)
Betrifft: To the greater glory of Nicolai Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1997/04/13	View this article only

Hi all,
 
on a recent visit to Berlin in March, I went to a recital by Nicolai Gedda
in the Deutsche Oper.
 
Gedda is now 72. He had no problems of getting thru a 2 hour recital of
French melodies and  German, Swedish and Russian Lieder. The first 3
French melodies were a bit problematical but then the voice got better and
better with only occasional problems of attack (if that is the right word,
my learned audience). His technique is unparalleled, his piano and mezza
(?) di voce  perfect. In fact some of the Strauss Lieder he sang were the
best and most gripping interpretations I ever heard.
 
The Deusche Oper was almost full (I guess it holds around 1 500) and there
were standing ovations at the end of the recital which he honored by
giving 5 Zugaben (encores in English?) one of which was a long and
difficult aria (I forgot which one it was).
 
 
Ursula Scherer

Von: Robert Deutsch (stregata@aol.com)
Betrifft: To the greater glory of Nicolai Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1997/04/20	View this article only

I had a look at the "Candide" laserdisc a few days ago, and noticed
that when Gedda sings the final B-flat (which *is* quite splendid),
Jerry Hadley and June Anderson are watching him, and their jaws
(especially Jerry's) just drop. 
 
Bob Deutsch

Von: Stregata (rdeutsch@yorku.ca)
Betrifft: Re: Björling No. 1
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1999/04/24	View this article only

Strange that no one has mentioned in this thread the name of Nicolai Gedda, to
me one of the greatest, if not THE greatest tenor. I know I am being pretty
exclusive here, but it's just my opinion.

A voice capable to combine style, linguist abilities, beauty of tone, superb
technique, and  a sincere and legitimate commitment in everything he sang.
True, his forte was not the Italian repertoire, but he excelled in everything
else.

I have always wondered who is the greatest of the two great Swedes of this
century, Bjorling or Gedda.  Of course, that is a very subjective issue, but
IMO, Nicolai Gedda is a master example of everything an opera singer should
strive for.  Long live Nicolai!

Stregata

Von: Jeffrey Meyer (rmerlot@icon.co.za)
Betrifft: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/25	View this article only

I notice there's little posted on rmo re Nicolai Gedda. I'd be interested
in knowing why, as I for one consider him a wonderful, stylistic, versatile
singer - at least in his heyday.
--
Jeffrey Meyer - Johannesburg, SA

Von: dtritter (dtritter@bway.net)
Betrifft: Re: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/25	View this article only

what can you say about a consummate singer, artist, stylist, linguist,
versatile, collegial  and satisfying in damned near everything he
touched over a 40+ year career? that's a hell of a long heyday!
 
there are few tenors in history who encompassed so many eras, styles and
languages with such brilliance. the worst you can say is that he was
occasionally a diffident stage figure, and that he didn't waste his
money on a press agent. sometimes one ought to recall that greatness
speaks for itself.
 
dft

Von: zerbinetta@my-dejanews.com (zerbinetta@my-dejanews.com)
Betrifft: Re: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/25	View this article only

Bravo on this posting about a class act from a class act.  Singers of today
(myself not excluded, of course) would do well to aspire to follow Gedda's
example.
 
Zerbinetta

Von: Ed Rosen (lyric1@ix.netcom.com)
Betrifft: Re: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/25	View this article only

>Speaking of Gedda, cna anyone please tell me if Gedda ever sang any
>Verdioperas or for that matter any italian roles other than mozart and
>rodolfo in la Boheme.
 
Sure- Gedda sang the Duke in Rigoletto, Alfredo in Traviata, Arrigo in
Vespri(perhaps a trifle heavy for him) Riccardo in Ballo among the
Verdi that come to mind.
 
His Italian roles other than Mozart and Boheme were in Lucia, Elisir,
Butterfly, Tosca(though not at the Met) and probably some others- oh
yes, Ernesto in Don Pasquale also comes to mind.  Also Arturo in
Puritani, Elvino in Sonnambula.
 
He was a great, great tenor, and his French singing was especially
rewarding.  He was certainly the finest I've ever heard as Faust, Des
Grieux, Hoffmann, and more.  His Don Jose was on the lyric side, but he
sang it beautifully.
 
I will never forget the Puritani he did with Sutherland at Carnegie
Hall in 1963 in concert form. 
 
We knew he had a good top- the C in Faust was always incredible- but no
one had any idea that C was far from his highest note.
 
In the "A te o cara" he unleashed a C# (Db) that had everyone staring
at each other in amazment.
 
Then in the final duet, done in key, his first solo high D naturl was
perhaps  the single greatest high note I ever heard in person from a
tenor.  It was beyond description.  Huge, full, and beautiful.  When he
repeated the note together with Sutherland a minute or two later, he
positively drowned her out!  Who would have thought that Gedda's D was
much bigger than Sutherland's.  Well, I was there.  It was.
 
He still sings recitals in Europe, but from what I understand, doesn't
take long flights, so the chances of him returning to this country are
remote at best.
 
I have many fond memories of Nicolai Gedda.  I remember a Faust in the
new Met in 1970 or '71.  The cast was Gedda, Lorengar, Merrill, Siepi.
I was in heaven.  Four great voices giving this music it's full due can
really make one realize just how exciting Faust can be.
 
 
Best,
Ed

Von: donpaolo (donpaolo@erols.com)
Betrifft: Re: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/25	View this article only

Hay Ed -
 
Let me add to the great high note bliss that Gedda provided, the C(?) at
the end of his caballetta in La Sonnambula.  I remember him placing his
foot on the prompter's box, extending his arm, hand in a fist & just
letting go seemingly forever.  He'd still be there holding onto it, had
they not demolished the joint!
 
No transposing or other cheating from this great tenor!
 
Best,
 
DonP.

Von: Frank Schneiders (frank_schneiders@magicvillage.de)
Betrifft: Re: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/27	View this article only

In addition I have to say that his most astonishing record is the aria
of "Das Leben für den Zaren" (don´t know it in English, may be: Life for
the Tsar) with numerous C and C sharp forte  in the outer sections and
Gedda´s incomparable voix mixte in the middle section. Both records I
know (very young in the complete Markevitch recording and in his
fabulous Russian recital 15 years later) are equally sensational. He is
a great interpreter of songs and operetta, also. His Strauss songs or
Rachmaninoff with Weissenberg, his "Zigeunerbaron", "Nacht in Venedig",
his Lehar have never been surpassed. He always sang within his limits
and he has lost today nearly nothing of his voice. I heard him last year
live at the European singers competition where he sang "Una furtiva
lagrima". A lesson of singing for everyone  who was there. A really
great singer (and today a sought after teacher), ranking with the best
of the century in his  "fach" and surely the most talented linguist of
all I know.
Frank

Von: Stregata (stregata@aol.com)
Betrifft: Re: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/26	View this article only

>One point, and this is not a criticsm, but if the voice was a little "juicier"
>and slightly bigger, he would have been a superstar-I imagine in houses
>smaller than the Met, would have been the ideal way to hear him.
 
IMO, Gedda IS a superstar, perhaps not in the context of The 3 Tenors
superstardom; he was too classy and loved his art too much to prostitute
himself that way.  But to accomplish what Gedda did in his more than 40 years of caree with, his formidable voice, elegance, flair for languages and classy singing, makes him in my eyes one of the greatest  operatic superstars of the 20th century.
 
As Mr. Tritter rightly pointed out, he did not have a press agent, and may I add, he did not have a public relations manager alla 3 Tenors. He was too busy fulfilling the demands of his art, of his discipline, to bother with those earthly frills.
 
Long live Nicolai Gedda, Master of Masters.  A unique and dedicated artist who regarded his craft very highly and put it above any other materialistic
consideration.
 
Stregata

Von: Claud H. Shirley III (chsiii@negia.net)
Betrifft: Re: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/26	View this article only

I had the pleasure of hearing Gedda on tour once sing Don Jose on
Thursday night and then Don Ottavio on Saturday, both with great popular
success, a testament to his amazing versatility.  I also had the good
fortune to hear him do a concert Pecheurs with Mattawilda Dobbs that set
the standard for Nadir, not since matched, for me.  I admire Gedda in a
way similar to my feeling about Alfredo Kraus, but IMO, AK edges out NG
slightly, in making the most of special moments (Werther, Romeo, the
Duke), but Gedda excels in the heroic aspects (Cellini, Arnoldo,
Arturo).

Von: GRNDPADAVE (grndpadave@aol.com)
Betrifft: Re: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/26	View this article only

I admire Kraus in those roles where a combination of slancio and elegance are required: Alfredo, the Duke of Mantua, Ernesto, Don Ottavio, Ferrando.
Gedda it seems to me is virtually unrivalled in singing idiomatic French while not being French born.
I can think of no singer who manages "Pourquoi me reveiller" better  than Gedda. 
The pronunciation of the difficult line "o souffle du printemps" has not been surpassed even by French-born singers.

Von: Eric D. Peterson (ericdpeterson@hotmail.com)
Betrifft: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 1998/09/27	View this article only

Gedda has been my favorite tenor since my college days where my studio
teacher held him up as the example of how one ought to sing.
 
I will agree with some of the earlier posters who found him lacking in
Italian roles.  I also found him just a bit too temperamentally cool for
Don Jose and the voice just not warm enough in color.  But in French
roles he is the model.
 
Last night I listened to his recording of Le Prophete (recorded for
Italian radio broadcast in 1970).  All I can say WOW!
 
I finally was able to replace Benvenuto Cellini on CD (I've been holding
on to my records for years even though I no longer own a turntable in
fear that it would not come out on CD).  It is wonderful.  I wish that
EMI would get around to re-releasing some of his aria recitals  rather
than their incomplete complications that just make me yearn for some of
the missing items.  Specifically, the French aria album, the Mozart aria
album, and the Italian aria album.
 
Eric Peterson

Von: Opaffic (opaffic@aol.com)
Betrifft: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 2001/12/14	View this article only

Yes yes yes!
Gedda was an amazing artist. Such an ear for linguistic nuance he exhibited in his singing.
His recording of Rachmaninoff songs is one of my very favorites. Have you heard it?
He even manages a rather limpid vocalise, a piece that is undoubtedly easier for a floaty, lyric soprano.
It was not an Italianate sound, but it was unlike anyone else's....so distinctive. And that TOP!!!
He was supposed to be such a sweet man and colleague too.
One of the greatest.

Von: shortspark (martyi@webtv.net)
Betrifft: Gedda
Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
Datum: 2000/09/24	View this article only

A great, great singer!  At home in many roles, and many languages.  A
terrific top and could sing sweetly as well.  He and Kraus are the best
French opera tenors of the last half century.  Always in the shadows,
first of diStefano then Corelli and finally the young Pavarotti although
Gedda could compete on equal footing in many of their roles.  Recorded
more than anyone except perhaps Domingo.  He was equally at home in
opera and operetta.  He loved to sing and it shows.  He came accross as
an accomplished musician and a friendly sort of guy as well.  If he were
on the stage today Gedda would be far and away the number one tenor in
the world.
 
MARTY
shortspark