Added: Oct 6, 2008
From: GermanOperaSinger
Duration: 3:34
Nicolai Gedda, the Czar of High D's, sings the duet 'Vieni fra queste braccia' (from Puritani) with Sutherland in a April 1963 concert. Conducted by Richard Bonynge. Rumors are that when Gedda started singing he could barely muster anything above a G (above middle C)...and that two years later he was sliding easily to D's above high C. Not sure whether these rumors are true, but it cannot be denied that Gedda's top register was the most glorious sound that ever came from a man's throat. If you love dazzling stratospheric high notes and Russians, then Gedda is probably your favorite tenor. Here you will hear him sing two D's and a high C. Name me one tenor who sings better D's than Gedda. Trivia: Some of you probably know that Gedda's real name was Nicolai Ustinov. In fact, he was a distant relative of actor Peter Ustinov.
Channel: Music
Tags: arturo bellini braccia duet elvira fra gedda high joan live nicolai opera puritani queste soprano sutherland tenor vieni
Rating: 5.00 (8 ratings) Views: 695' favoriteCount='7 Comments: 25
sospello Says:
Oct 6, 2008 - Thanks for the sidebar; I had never heard that Gedda's voice was not naturally rather high. Of course, consistently making full resonance very high notes would probably take training and work for almost any tenor no matter how high the untrained voice register might be.
macciboma Says:
Oct 6, 2008 - GRANDE VOCE BEL VIDEO. GRAZIE.
Herur22 Says:
Oct 6, 2008 - Of course, that's why he studied altogether for 18 years - 6 years with Oehmann and than with Novikova.
Herur22 Says:
Oct 6, 2008 - Then, not than, of courseT
mjmacmtenor Says:
Oct 6, 2008 - Gedda is an idol of mine. I first heard him on the Faust recording with De Los Angeles and Boris Christoff (a recording never surpassed). When I first heard his recording of the Queen of Sheba, it was the greatest floated hi note I ever heard. I first heard his Puritani in the recording he made with Sills (I still have the LP).
francescaemc2 Says:
Oct 6, 2008 - Stupendo!!!! Accidenti! Che sostenuto! Danke. Grazie. Thanks so very much.
pearlmuth3 Says:
Oct 6, 2008 - Better top then Pavoratti in the same roles if not as Italian a sound, his voice can go to the sky on top and not sound tight or strained. I heard him twice and he carried very well besides.
ShawDAMAN Says:
Oct 6, 2008 - Amazing..
AmorediPazzia Says:
Oct 7, 2008 - Is it from Carnegie Hall in April 16, 1963?
Herur22 Says:
Oct 7, 2008 - I believe it's from Philadelphia, April 18, 1963.
Mooorhe Says:
Oct 7, 2008 - I have an April 16th 1963 in NY performance, did they do both?
Herur22 Says:
Oct 7, 2008 - Yes, they did both. I have both performances and I think this one is from the second one.
Mooorhe Says:
Oct 7, 2008 - Ah, I see, thank you.
AmorediPazzia Says:
Oct 7, 2008 - Joan and Nicolai performed puritani in New York Carngie Hall and Philadelphia.
AmorediPazzia Says:
Oct 7, 2008 - hmm...I also have both of their performance recording, but I cannot distinguish difference. Does it exists distinguishable diffrence? for example, sound quality...?
Herur22 Says:
Oct 7, 2008 - Well, I can't be sure of course, but to me it seems that the sound quality of the second performance was better.
Herur22 Says:
Oct 11, 2008 - GermanOperaSinger, Gedda's real name was NOT Ustinov, because he was never legally adopted by Mihail Ustinov. Though during the childhood he used the name Nicolai Ustinov for a time. His real name was Gädda, after his father Nikolaj Gädda. He later omitted the umlaut for simplicity sake.
GermanOperaSinger Says:
Oct 12, 2008 - I see, thanks for telling me. SO he was not a real blood relative of the Ustinov family?
Herur22 Says:
Oct 13, 2008 - No, only his "step father" was.
Operaphile Says:
Nov 12, 2008 - Phenomenal :) Why oh why did they not record more together?!?!?!
Mooorhe Says:
Nov 16, 2008 - Because Pavarotti was Sutherland's preferred tenor.
Operaphile Says:
Nov 16, 2008 - Yes I know that. Sorry, I meant pre-Pavarotti, i.e. before 1965 when she made a number of recordings with lacklustre tenors!
Mooorhe Says:
Nov 16, 2008 - Oh I see! I know what you mean, there's a recording of her first Elvira somewhere I think... from what I remember, the tenor was the WORST Arturo I've heard. Ever.
GermanOperaSinger Says:
Nov 16, 2008 - His name was something like Nicol Filacurdi I can't remember...yes it was awful.
Herur22 Says:
Oct 6, 2008 - Well, I'll bet that it's not true. BTW, the clip is already on YT. :-)