100 Singers - CESARE CURZI

Cesare Curzi, Tenor (1926-2023)
Johann Strauss II: EINE NACHT IN VENEDIG ("A Night In Venice")
"Sei mir gegrüsst, du holdes Venezia" - "Treu sein, das liegt mir nicht"
Conducted by Werner Schmidt-Boelcke / Recorded 1964
My personal opinion: Suddenly we remember a name after years and ask ourselves: What might have happened to this artist? The popularity of some singers lasted only a short time and then they disappeared again. This also applies to the American Cesare Curzi (*1926 in San Francisco), who - just like the well known prophet - did not gain much attention in his own country. After working in the choir, Curzi made his solo debut in MADAMA BUTTERFLY (1948), followed i.a. by Parpignol in LA BOHÈME, Edmondo in MANON LESCAUT (next to Jussi Björling as Des Grieux), Pong in TURANDOT, Normanno in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR or Nathanael in LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN. The mere mention of these roles already reveals Curzi's main-field of activity: Basically he was no more and no less than a comprimario. His voice was lightweight, almost crystalline - but not without a certain attractiveness (from this early period of his career, a tape recording of OTELLO from Philadelphia with Giovanni Martinelli and Curzi as Roderigo has survived).
Obviously Cesare Curzi felt under-challenged and went to Europe in 1955, where he was offered larger roles at the Kiel Opera House. Already in the following season he was contracted to Nuremburg - his artistic home until his stage farewell in 1992. Occasionally he gave guest performances at the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival, but the breakthrough came in 1957 when he sang in Frankfurt with great success Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA. Curzi established himself in a major role and this laid the basis for an at first promising career that received greater approval and brought him important contracts for recordings and appearances in German TV. On Sunday, December 1st 1963, Cesare Curzi was seen in a now lost film adaption of Verdi's RIGOLETTO (with Baritone Ernst Gutstein), a lip-sync performance to a recording made some months before. It was the first stereo RIGOLETTO in German language (and later reissued on LP and CD). It's not an important, but an acceptable rendition - and for Curzi the opportunity to demonstrate the bright glaze of his sometimes tearfully sentimental tenor voice. Although he sounds a bit glassy, he has appealing moments. But surely you must be a German to enjoy this RIGOLETTO. Curzi sings "Parmi veder le lagrime" without any stylistic finesse and ends "La donna è mobile" with an inelegant cadence - and yet there is something in his clear voice, a kind of "joie de vivre", that might please your ears. At times, with all the sobs and sighs, he comes along like an imitator of Sándor Kónya ...
The old Maestro Robert Stolz chose Curzi the following year to sing Alfred in his recording of DIE FLEDERMAUS; a very atmospheric and highly underrated performance. In contrast to
Rudolf Schock's somewhat cumbersome Eisenstein, Curzi's Alfred appears like a youngster and makes it understandable, why Rosalinde is not averse to an erotic adventure while her husband is in jail. In 1964, Cesare Curzi also took part in a Berlin recording of EINE NACHT IN VENEDIG, an operetta with special significance to him: He was the only one, who sang all three tenor roles on records: Under Werner Schmidt-Boelcke the Duke of Urbino ("Treu sein, das liegt mir nicht"), in 1967 the barber Caramello ("Komm' in die Gondel"), conducted by Franz Allers - and finally, in 1973, the macaroni cook Pappacoda in a TV movie directed by the imaginative Václav Kaslik. Since the mid 1960s, Cesare Curzi was a regular in German TV, often opposite Erika Köth - for example in scenes from Lehár's PAGANINI (available here on KZbin) or Puccini's LA BOHÈME.
Curzi never sang at the Met and was also ignored in Peter G. Davis' study of "The American Opera Singer". Though he was an American, he made a typical German career, supported by an audience that was delighted when a singer with a foreign accent apparently sounded exotic. It was no accident, Cesare Curzi chose Germany as his adopted home with an unwavering loyality to the Nuremberg Opera House. He did not cast an artistic shadow that extended beyond his active career. Already in the 1980s, his name was widely forgotten. All that remains is a voice we sometimes encounter on old records. In the lyric-dramatic repertory of Verdi and Puccini, Cesare Curzi could not stand up against competitors with more powerful material. And so he always returned to operetta and light character roles, his real domain. Sadly, it was not enough to secure him a place in the pantheon of unforgettable tenors. He died age 96 in 2023.

[@gerardchurch7959]

Il Piu Grande Maestro !

[@Herur22]

Quite a pleasant voice.

[@demontra29]

This is exquisite singing at it’s best. Bravo Sir Cesare 👏 👏 👏

[@tenorvoicefan]

Hallo Mike, ich wünsche erstmal nachträglich frohes Fest und vorausschauend einen guten Rutsch und ein frohes und erfolgreiches 21. Vor allem jedoch wünsche ich Gesundheit, und ein Covid19 freies nächstes Jahr! Dann bedanke ich mich sehr für das Video. In meiner Jungend, als ich begann mit Klassik, hörte ich Operette. Curzi habe ich damals oft und gerne gehört. Dann begann ich, bessere Stimmen zu hören, und merkte schnell, das Curzi ein guter Tenor war. Mehr aber eben auch nicht. Aber... er singt eben gerade Operetten schön, und ist da durchaus nicht zu verachten. Aber eben nicht vergleichbar mit Gedda, oder auch Anders. Oder den anderen sehr guten Tenören! Aber ich danke nochmals für die Erinnerungen, die Curzi hervorruft!

[@100Singers]

Hallo Hans-Peter, vielen Dank für die lieben Wünsche, die ich sehr gerne auch für Sie ausspreche. Ihr Mike

[@omairagamboa7821]

Estimado Mike, gracias por presentarnos a este tenor, Cesare Curzi, qué belleza de voz! Uno queda deseoso de saber más, nuevas voces por descubrir! Y tus escritos, siempre tan interesantes y enriquecedores. Por otra parte, estuve revisando tu sitio y no encontré al bajo Hans Sotin, su interpretación de Gurnemanz (1983)me ha cautivado profundamente. Aprovecho para desearte una muy Feliz Navidad en compañía de tus seres queridos!🌟🌠🎄 Dear Mike, thanks for introducing us to this tenor, Cesare Curzi, I will look forward to know more about him, new voices to be discovered! And always very grateful for your interesting and enriching essays. In another hand, I was searching on your site for the name of Hans Sotin, the bass, and didn't find him... His 1981 interpretation of Gurnemanz has profoundly moved me. Have yourself a very Merry Christmas with your beloved ones!🎄🎇🎁 Warm regards from Caracas, Omaira

[@100Singers]

Dear Omaira, in fact I have not yet included Hans Sotin in my series. But what is not, can still become. I am always grateful for suggestions. Kind regards Mike Feliz Navidad 🎄🎇🎄🎇🎄🎇

[@omairagamboa7821]

@@100Singers So glad to make a little contribution🎁

[@DarrenSeacliffe90]

@@100Singers Merry Christmas Mike, thank you so much for your videos. Even if I may not be free to comment because of the nature of my job, I very much appreciate the sincere effort and meticulous thought you invested in making each of the videos and writing the appended comments. May I ask if all the operetta singers whose artistry and singing you value most highly, your favorite ones, are on your KZbin channel? I saw your comments on the Gerda Scheyrer video. Please don't feel disheartened about the seemingly little response or the feedback the videos have generated. It was your Willy Hofmann video which introduced me to good operetta and you were the one who referred me to the first operetta recordings I had, which have made me a lover of the genre. The genre has sustained me during my time at work when I've little company but good music to keep me going. Please accept my heartfelt wishes for the continued success of your channel. With deepest gratitude - Darren

[@100Singers]

@@DarrenSeacliffe90 Dear Darren, thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, I have decided to continue the series - albeit at greater intervals between each video. I know there is still a circle of enthusiasts who enjoy these posts. And to them I dedicate my work with all my heart. I wish you a happy and healthy new year. Kind regards from Mike