LIVE: Cornell MacNeil - Il balen del suo sorriso (Il trovatore) - 1963

BIG MAC in a rare live recording from fairly early in his career. IMMENSO!!!
Tutto é deserto... Il balen del suo sorriso
Teatro Colón
Buenos Aires
August 11, 1963
Cond. Fernando Previtali
.....................................
This channel is primarily about vocal emission-aural examples of basically correct singing, correct impostazione-chiaroscuro, vowel clarity, firm and centered pitch, correct vibrato action, absence of throatiness or thickness, sounds free from constriction and from the acoustic noise that accompanies it-with occasional video examples that demonstrate what the body, face, mouth, jaw, and tongue look like when used with correct impostazione-the vocal emission of the one and only Italian school.
Caveat: I'm biased in favor of baritones and baritone literature, but if you want to learn about and listen to all the greatest singers in the old-school tradition, explore this spreadsheet (voice parts are separated by tabs): bit.ly/2W4qmE3

[@pepeelsordo]

Fantastic!! Not a hint of slow vibratto, clear production, incredible high notes, good legato. One of the greatest baritones.

[@pepeelsordo]

@@sananton2821 By your comment you mean that he had slow vibrato? Well at this time his vibrato was not unpleasant, at least for me. Tendency to be slow. Seems like the audience liked it.

[@pepeelsordo]

@James Williams i don’t get your point well. Yes, I think I agree with you. But my point was that MacNeil developed slow vibrato early in his carrier, and later on he was inaudible for me. And yes, his voice was big and his high notes unbelievable. So, do you like how he sings in this particular video? I do!

[@pepeelsordo]

@James Williams James, voices like MacNeal’s are one in many millions. I agree with you, and was a singer that I listen to very frequently.

[@luomodelloggione6564]

@@sananton2821 You make a fair comment with regard to the vibrato. Regardless it was great singing. Just not perfect singing.

[@luomodelloggione6564]

@@pepeelsordo It was stupid to say that this recording showed not even a hint of slow vibrato. This is simply not true. What your ideals are or how much the audience liked it does not change the fact. I think it is fantastic singing, there are so many good things in this singing but perfect vibrato is not one of them so why do we need to say otherwise?

[@valeriomessersi1016]

Voce scolpita nella roccia ! Nitidissima ! Bravoooooo !!!!!!!

[@maxmustermann7903]

Bravo

[@armandonazarenocerutti9860]

TUVE LA FORTUNA DE ESTAR PRESENTE EN ESA REPRESENTACIÓN DE "IL TROVATORE" EN EL TEATRO COLÓN. EL ELENCO ESTABA COMPUESTO POR LUISA MARAGLIANO, ORALIA DOMINGUEZ, LUIGI OTTOLINI Y CORNELL MACNEIL , LA GRABACIÓN NO PUEDE GRAFICAR LA BELLEZA VOCAL , EL TIMBRE Y LA SONORIDAD DE LA VOZ DE MacNeil , MAGNÍFICO. Armando cerutti - Barítono

[@bodiloto]

1 MacNeil =30 Milnes . dal vivo era così . MacNeil - un leone della lirica . Fenomeno .

[@francescoponti4130]

e 120 Salsi

[@swissarmytenor]

Not at all... I have heard both live and they were BOTH great. Different voices, but to say that 1 MacNeil = 30 Milnes is laughable. Mac was at the Met from 1959, Milnes from 1965, and both sang well thru the mid-80's (burst capillaries in Milnes' vocal chords cut shortened his career). They were contemporaries, for the most part, and yet it was Milnes who was recognized as the leading baritone in the world by critics and opera companies alike.

[@bodiloto]

@@swissarmytenor 1 Warren = 40 Milnes 1 Tibbett = 50 Milnes .

[@sgnmath1234]

MacNeil= 1 MacNeil. Why do you automatically make a comparison to other singers?

[@sgnmath1234]

@@bodiloto Therefore 5 Vickers = 3Tebaldis - 3Cosine of 2 Gedda divded by e raised to the Arrgal squared.The anser = Cotangent of 6Muti's.

[@kartikayysola]

I am so happy that someone found a recording of MacNeil singing this! I've been wanting to hear it forever now!

[@user-py1jg6bb2r]

Love MacNeil's voice, great baritone, Grand!

[@chk1230]

He was freaking awesome!

[@Tkimba2]

Perfetto. Nel recitativo sembra quasi un basso... Ed aveva degli acuti da tenore drammatico

[@fabriziogarzi9892]

Ciao Kimba, io l'ho visto in teatro un paio di volte, voce bellissima e potente...ma oscillava parecchio e come interprete lasciava molto a desiderare...anche nelle incisioni.

[@musicayarteforever7991]

Gigante e immenso!!! Bravissimo! Wow the greatest baritone voice huge, round and always spinning from top to lowest notes with an amazing range.

[@cimbassovr]

Un Gigante della lirica!!!!👍❤

[@65attila]

Super singing by a great voice/artist.

[@barakderfarber]

Divino Cornell!

[@salvoferraro6976]

Meraviglioso.

[@andreaprandi4711]

Tutti gli aspetti come baritono sono al massimo.grandissimo

[@NikkySmirnoff]

Один из лучших во все времена!

[@scottkealey7749]

Alright maybe I was a little hasty. I'd just finished listening to the "Cortigianni" from the London Rigoletto and the sound was definitely brighter there. But on a second listen this Balen is definitely filled with the stuff that made us all fall in love with Macneil. You go Cornell!!

[@hilarioecke515]

Un argentino me entenderá mejor que nadie: este era el Gardel de los barítonos.

[@facundoferro4400]

Absolutamente!!!

[@stevevandien310]

MacNeil isn't at his best here, but this is nevertheless a true Verdi baritone. If there are any around today, I haven't heard them.

[@definitelynosebreather]

Absolutely incredible voice control

[@benozzo71]

Thx fo sharing this wonderful rendition

[@josegallardo1097]

Bello!!!

[@xTwistedFleshX]

Finally a recording of this has come to light! I at least one had to exist and even better that it's in his big prime.

[@PBXVIILY]

Magnificent MacNeil

[@lucianobresciani1034]

It is interesting to compare this great baritone to another great one: Apollo Granforte. The Art is: two:different voices, two different "sounds", two interpretative ways, two different "Legato", The same Verdi... great...great...great! In the History of Opera "MAESTRI"

[@timothycrombie3730]

I'm a fan of both of them, too. I heard MacNeil several times at the Met in the 1960's, when he was at his peak. As is usual with singers of his caliber, recordings don't do justice to the grandeur of his voice. Granforte was way before my time but I have several of his recordings. I think that he and Lawrence Tibbett were the two great baritones of the inter-war years.

[@alessandrocorsi7518]

Grandioso!!!

[@hugoperini8097]

Teatro Colón: O tempora, o mores!

[@stevendaniel8126]

Never heard MacNeil any better.... But, still no Warren.

[@baritone-ffa4568]

E pensare che il Maestro C. McNeil è nato, parallelamente, insieme al Maestro Ettore Bastianini....stesso giorno, stesso anno....e aggiungo io....stessa Classe.

[@fabriziogarzi9892]

Solo che la voce di Bastianini era piu' bella, forse la voce di baritono piu' bella in assoluto.

[@baritone-ffa4568]

@@fabriziogarzi9892 posso essere più che d'accordo....anche se poi diventa più una questione di gusti....

[@fabriziogarzi9892]

@@baritone-ffa4568 , si certo, di baritono me ne piacciono tanti ( non troppi) pero' il colore della voce di Bastianini era un condensato di tinte scurissime e molto rare. Era un po un unicum e la comunicativa che pochi hanno e che lo faceva piu' grande.

[@user-ry9zf5fp4v]

@@fabriziogarzi9892 спасибо за слова про Этторе..он был чудо и явление..это Чудо должно было когда то появиться в Опере..Так приятно что Корнел и Этторе явились миру,эти два суровых голоса,прекрасные Мастера.Но по Этторе все ещё плачут,он помимо красоты голоса имел секретный компонент,мы слышим секунды его голос..и он плавит сердце,там мощная божья сила..секретная Мощь духа-Его никогда не забудут

[@dl4041]

Tutto è deserto, né per l'aura ancora Suona l'usato carme... In tempo io giungo! FERRANDO Ardita opra, o Signore, Imprendi. CONTE Ardita, e qual furente amore Ed irritato orgoglio Chiesero a me. Spento il rival, caduto Ogni ostacol sembrava a' miei desiri; Novello e più possente ella ne appresta... L'altare! Ah no, non fia D'altri Leonora!... Leonora è mia!

[@hectorbravo6862]

Al final perdió la línea de canto (falta de aire?). De todos modos una interpretación muy interesante.

[@georgecarlson5836]

He is a lot better than Milnes, isn't he, with his evenly produced voice, & no trouble getting through the passagio, so characteristic of Milnes' gear changes. Hard to believe that MacNeil was turned down, when first auditioning for the Met, or was it twice?

[@doozinka8293]

Way to go Babb one!!!!"

R!

[@ransomcoates546]

He sounds like he might have had a cold. Note that he ducks the high interpolation in the recitative. This is definitely not his best in the early 60’s. Listen to those incredible ‘Ernani’ clips with the final A flat. (And ‘é’ should be ‘è’, the grave accent.)

[@user-ry9zf5fp4v]

Красивейший баритон..Ди Луна как он есть,какая большая драматическая работа!

[@scottkealey7749]

I was excited to see this too but I think y'all are being a little kind. Sounds kind of thick to me. Its prime Big Mac so I'm not saying its bad but he's definitely sung better.

[@ollybowes7542]

@vdarte Can't really blame Warren for dying, to be fair...

[@Tkimba2]

@@ollybowes7542 can't you?