Tenor Franco Corelli Dies
Published October 30, 2003
I am not sure if I know less about opera or earthworm sociology, but this Italian dude died:
- Franco Corelli, a dashing Italian tenor who once starred alongside Maria Callas, has died at the age of 82, the mayor of his home town said Thursday.
Corelli, who rose to operatic stardom in the 1950s and remained there well into the 1970s, had been in hospital since August and died there late Wednesday, media reports said.
"He was the most viscerally thrilling and handsome tenor of the post Second World War generation," the late Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan once said of Corelli.
The mayor of Ancona, on Italy's east coast, confirmed reports of his death. "He was a figure of the highest human and artistic sensibility who will always remain in the memory and hearts of his fellow citizens," Mayor Fabio Sturani said in a message to Corelli's family. [Reuters]
- Tenor Franco Corelli Dies
- Published: October 30, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: News, Music: Opera
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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i had the privilege of studying with Mr. Corelli, and his understanding of the voice was truly outstanding. His artistic greatness did not interfere with sharing to his students the needed technique to succeed professionally. His method of voice training was precise abd focused. His keen ear could easily depict a flaw in the voice. Never did he request that his voice be imitated.Instead, he demanded only the best from the individual, and I can recall how many of the great tenors from the Met came to him to seek vocal advise. Perhaps the most effective lessons took place inside his car as we traveled to points in Brooklyn and New Jersey. I shall never forget his kindness and magnificent talent.He retired prematurely in 1974 and many many lost out on hearing the real "King of the Tenors".
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Franco was a self-taught opera singer whose Errol Flynn good looks and unusually rich voice got him a lot of attention in the 1950s and 60s. He had a lot of vitality and sexual appeal. He was a hot babe.
In Italy he had a rep not only as an opera star but as a pop singer, recording many folk and traditional songs set to modern orchestral backgrounds. Later, he retired and taught others to sing including Andrea Bocelli, probably the best-known of his students. The best Corelli recordings to get a sense of what he could really do are probably the old Angel recordings on vinyl from eBay. His voice doesn't sound that great on CD but if you can't get vinyl go for "The Unknown Recordings" or "Songs & Arias", sit back and listen.