Lauritz Melchior - Is this Danish?

[rojo]

+ YouTube Video

Is this song really sung in Danish? Just wondering..

And more Melchior-

+ YouTube Video

I`m a sucker for this aria. Especially for the part starting at :42. Gets me every time.

[rojo]

''Rrrriiiidiii, Pagliaaaaccioooo...''

Of course from Leoncavallo`s I Pagliacci. Fantastic singing here. What a voice. Apparently he was from Copenhagen, Denmark.

The first video is of the song Yie Elska Die, by Grieg. I gather that means 'I love you'.

(Btw, I know part of the first video is sung in english )

[Simon Jansfort]

Yep, the first one is sung partly in danish. Quite beautiful singing. Nice videos. I haven't heard of the man myself, but the name has some familiarity to it.

[rojo]

Thanks for the confirmation, Simon. Must be somewhat/relatively rare to have a classical song sung in Danish in an American film. Lovely song and so well sung.

Melchior was a Wagnerian tenor, some say the quintessential example of such.

[CMB]

On May 14, 1924 Lauritz Melchior made his debut, as Siegmund, at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden in London. The result was a smashing success. Some weeks later Melchior made his debut on the stage of the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth in the roles of Siegmund and Parsifal. On February 17, 1926 his first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City took place. He sang Tannhäuser opposite Maria Jeritza, Friedrich Schorr, Karin Branzell and Michael Bohnen with Artur Bodanzky conducting. Although he was not adversely criticized, there was not much enthusiasm elicited by this debut. In his first season at the Metropolitan opera, Melchior sang only eight times. His second season brought only one appearance. To build up his repertory and gain more stage experience, he accepted an engagement at the Hamburg State Opera, where he appeared as Lohengrin, Otello, Rhadamès in Aida and Jean van Leyden in Le prophète. He also sung regularly at other major German music theaters, like the State Operas of Berlin and Munich.

Although Melchior sang at most of the theatres and concert halls of the Western world during his long career, he is perhaps best remembered as a member of the Metropolitan Opera company where he sang 519 performances of Wagnerian roles between 1926 and 1950. Melchior's breakthrough at the Metropolitan opera finally came when he performed in Tristan und Isolde on March 20, 1929. From this point on his career flourished. It was Lohengrin's Farewell which served as Melchior's "swan song" in his last stage performance, on 2 February 1950.

Melchior appeared at Covent Garden from 1924 to 1939, also as Otello and Florestan, besides the Wagnerian repertory. Also at Covent Garden in 1932, he sang opposite popular soprano Florence Easton in Siegfried, the only time they appeared together. Other important stations of his career were in the Buenos Aires (Teatro Colón) (1931-1943), San Francisco Opera (1934-1945) and Chicago Opera (1934-1945).