James King sings Italian songs - LIVE!

[@jefolson6989]

Heard him about this same time with the same program in Kansas City where he was recieving and honorary doctorte. Glorious! Thank for the memory.

[@hwh1946]

What a fine singer. Gorgeous tone, legato, drama, truly a great voice. I saw him a couple of times at the "Old Met." Big voice, never strained excellent musicianship. Great singer.

[@jefolson6989]

This is how he opened the recital when I first saw him. That first piece shook the rafters and set the mood for a very fun evening. ( once we got past the lieder- well sung but not what anybody came for. He also did Rienzi's Prayer, Vesti le giubba, Wintersturme and 13 encores!

[@hamishblakely1375]

Absolutely wonderful. 🌟

[@frankfurter6561]

Magnificent. Real full-bodied singing. The real thing that is missing today.

[@jefolson6989]

He opened his recitals with these. I clearly remember being pinned to the back walk by the "Invocazione". He did 7 encores- Neapolitan Songs!

[@Taehan_Kim_1]

Bravissimo

[@operarocks]

thank you so much for these. Incredibly instructive.

[@PcCAvioN]

I suppose this explains why his career was in Germany and not Italy 😂

[@jefolson6989]

He was the leading Italian tenor in Zurich- singing in German. He was already late 30s when he made it big, but still had a huge career.

[@ulrikewermann1268]

ja, sehe ich auch so, aber so toll war seine Karriere im deutschen Fach auch nicht...er war an der Wr. Staatsoper nur Ensembletenor...

[@ransomcoates546]

@@ulrikewermann1268 Oh, and that’s why he had telegram greetings from the German Chancellor and from Wolfgang Wagner on his 75th birthday.

[@ulrikewermann1268]

@@ransomcoates546 haha! As if the Wr. Staatsoper had something to do with the German Chancellor or Wolfgang Wagner. Maybe you do not now: Vienna is in Austria, not in Germany and the Vienna Staatsoper was the leading opera house in the German speaking area. In Vienna stars where not made by the Chancellor or the family of a composer or even the director of the opera house. A star in these days where made by the Stehplatzpublikum. And he was NOT leading tenor in Wagner in his time.

[@ransomcoates546]

@@ulrikewermann1268Your geography lesson fails to make any point when the issue is the celebrity of James King in Europe, where it was much greater than in the US. Who, pray tell, was your leading Heldentenor? Melchior was dead, you may know.