Bruce Brewer - Donizetti: Torquato Tasso - Quel tuo sorriso (with score) [MgUVL94o0yH]
I'll be posting several score videos from another opera - Donizetti’s Torquato Tasso! Most of the clips will be from the opening night of the opera’s 20th-century premiere, featuring Janet Price, Bruce Brewer, and Christian du Plessis. This recording comes from a private tape I own, and it captures a truly remarkable performance. One particularly fascinating aspect is Janet Price’s involvement - she was a last-minute replacement for Margreta Elkins, who fell ill. With just four hours' notice, Price learned the role directly from the score (manuscript but I may be wrong), delivering an incredible performance under extraordinary circumstances. In this video, I highlight the tenor aria as sung by Bruce Brewer, a particularly intriguing figure in the bel canto revival. His technique deviates from that of a typical modern post-Caruso tenor, as he aimed to recreate the lost vocal approach of early 19th-century bel canto singers. Some believe his sound may resemble that of Giovanni Battista Rubini, though, of course, we'll never know for certain. However, there is a compelling link. Brewer was also a musicologist and wrote extensively about Rubini, including a fascinating paper for the Donizetti Society Journal, which I highly recommend. His vocal style may not be for everyone - it certainly takes some getting used to - but it is both historically informed and uniquely his own. Roberto Geraldini - Bruce Brewer Conducted by Kenneth Montgomery London, Camden Festival, 27th February 1974