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others have greatness thrust upon them

by | 11:32 am | Mar 9, 2008

As you may recall, last year the BBC Music Magazine published a list of “The 20 Greatest Sopranos of All Time,” and one or two of you didn’t quite see eye to eye with their selection.

Well, this year they’ve turned their attention to the top 20 among tenors, who are (in ascending order of greatliness): 

20. Sergey Lemeshev
19. Wolfgang Windgassen
18. Alfredo Kraus
17. Anthony Rolfe Johnson
16. John McCormack
15. Franco Corelli
14. Peter Schreier
13. Juan Diego Florez
12. Carlo Bergonzi
11. Tito Schipa
10. Peter Pears
9. Nicolai Gedda
8. Jon Vickers
7. Beniamino Gigli
6. Lauritz Melchior
5. Jussi Bjoerling
4. Fritz Wunderlich
3. Luciano Pavarotti
2. Enrico Caruso
1. Placido Domingo

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152 Comments

152 comments

1 2 3 4 5 … 16
  • Lindoro Almaviva says:

    I do not think that Villazon belongs on this list. He has no growth potential and he just went through a vocal crisis, and the guy is barely 38!

    Juan Diego Florez is showing a lot more versatility and is as well foreshadowing some of the things that made Kraus so special. I do believe that he is handicapped by his lack of experience in the Mozart rep.

    on March 9, 2008 at 1:23 PM
  • aristotle_incarnate says:

    Gedda and Kraus should both be top five, easily.

    on March 9, 2008 at 1:25 PM
  • Lindoro Almaviva says:

    well, if we are going by the millions, let’s not forget that when the earthquake happened in Mexico Domingo canceled all engagements for a year and went in a concert tour with all proceeds going to reconstruction.

    As to ego, I don’t think Domingo and Pavarotti were too far apart. I have heard from very reliable sources (people who knew them both) that they both had quite the ego. But the list was not “the biggest Tenor egos of the century” wasn’t it?

    And I will not talk to the technical aspects of their voices because that has already been talked about in my previous post.

    As to the learning ability, well, so long as he learned and was able to do it, who cares when he did? Pavarotti had a glorious voice, but he famously put several companies in a bind when he showed up without learning his role, and he even put Decca in trouble when they had to call on Bergonzi to save their Adriana Lecouvreur with Sutherland because the Pav had not bothered with his music.

    Once again, we might not like Domingo or his ranking in the list, but he more than deserves a place on it.

    on March 9, 2008 at 1:31 PM
  • Carl says:

    I think Caruso should be no. 1 and Domingo shouldn’t be anywhere near him. Gedda was more versatile than Domingo and he actually knew how to pronounce French and German, as well as Russian and English.

    I certainly wouldn’t include Villazon. Where are Martinelli, Lauri-Volpi (both greater than Corelli) and Tauber?

    on March 9, 2008 at 1:31 PM
  • Bill says:

    Several tenors who should have been considered:

    Anton Dermota – career lasted in Vienna from 1936 (Don Ottavio) til 1981 (Tamino) singing over 50 roles, Mozart of course, but Rodolfo, Hoffmann, des Griex, the Duke, and later Florestan, Dalibor, Palestrina, Bartered Bride plus lyric Strauss and Wagner (David), modern operas also – over 1700 performances at the Wiener Staatsoper alone plus many at Salzburg, etc. and respected lieder and Oratorio singer. Quite versatile throughout his career.

    Leopold Simoneau – a marvelous lyric tenor

    Maz Lorenz – after Melchior perhaps the greatest heldentenor

    Helge Roswaenge – huge repertoire

    Richard Tauber – certainly one of the greatest tenors of the 20th century, impossible to omit him.

    Giacomo Aragall – had one of the loveliest voices though more limited number of roles.

    Julius Patzak – intellectual performances

    Giuseppi di Stefano – without a doubt one of the most fabulous Italian tenors

    on March 9, 2008 at 1:34 PM
  • Trey Zbirry says:

    Confession here. I hadn’t heard of Lemeshev. Took a look on YouTube.

    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HW52SsL4hHo

    He has the kind of refined, sexless tenor sound that **would** appeal to British taste. The comprimario singing Zaretsky is fantastic, though!

    on March 9, 2008 at 1:34 PM
  • Lindoro Almaviva says:

    > Gedda was more versatile than Domingo

    I agree 100%. Gedda’s command of languages and styles remains unsurpassed in the XX th century and I think he should have been placed higher in the list.

    on March 9, 2008 at 1:41 PM
  • Aiberdonian says:

    Anent Peter Pears – a wholly charmless voice – I hope our gracious hostess will forgive me for offering the following YouTube link:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ8ZltDdbUI

    WARNING – the first 20 seconds or so may cause nausea.

    on March 9, 2008 at 2:17 PM
  • leontyneschiava says:

    Corelli # 15?!?!?!?!?!

    BASTA!

    on March 9, 2008 at 2:36 PM
  • Eddiepensier says:

    top 10… What do we think of this list?

    1. Caruso
    2. Corelli
    3. Bjoerling
    4. Gigli
    5. Pavarotti
    6. Di Stefano
    7. Bergonzi
    8. Gedda
    9. Wunderlich
    10. Aragall

    on March 9, 2008 at 3:07 PM
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