The McCray International Studio of Vocal Arts

31/01/2021

Those we love will never truly leave us.
There are things that death cannot touch.
Rest in peace!
James Joseph McCray (21.02. 1934 - 31.01. 2018.

08/10/2020

Learn piano with our friends at Skoove, sign up here: https://www.skoove.com/ =cmrrcommunity Get one month of free courses with the code: "cmrrcommunity...

10/09/2020

Jewish American baritone Robert Merril is one of the most beloved american baritones of all times. Despite a great operatic career he was no stranger to musical theater, movies and performing at various (sporting) events and Jewish services. in the early 1970-es he teamed up with Richard Tucker to present a concert at Carnegie Hall—a first for the two "vocal supermen" (as one critic dubbed them), and a first "for the demanding New York public and critics," Merrill recalled. The event marked a precedent that eventually led to the "Three Tenors" concerts many years later. His headstone features an opera curtain that has been drawn open. His epitaph states: Like a bursting celestial star, he showered his family and the world with love, joy, and beauty. Encore please.
Despite the wish to post as many live performances during this series here I chose the studio recording. With “only” his voice Merrill’s Michele is one of the most chilling and malicious ones I have ever heard or seen live proving that the drama is written in the music and can, if need be, expressed solemnly through the instrument. Enjoy!

Provided to YouTube by Entertainment One Distribution US Il Tabarro · Robert Merrill , Renata Tebaldi , Mario del Monaco , Renato Ercolani , Silvio Maionica ...

08/09/2020

Two operatic giants: Richard Tucker and Robert Merrill sing the duet from Verdi's: La Forza del Destino. No costumes, no acting, no " fancy stuff" just pure amazing singing. This recording is 38 years old but the emotion and intention produced in their instruments we get throughout our tiny little screens and mikes is as clear as it was through their live performance in Carnegie Hall in 1972 proving that "just" great singing is, more often than not, more than enough. Enjoy!

Don Carlos : Robert Merrill Don Alvaro : Richard Tucker Gala Bing 72 Better Quality

03/09/2020

Young generations tend to remember Montserrat Caballe as a queen of pianissimos which while very accurate could be very misleading. Queen of belcanto is much more like it. Here is an incredible rendition of Queen Elisabeth I in the final scene of Donizetti's Roberto Devereux.

November 9, 1968 Atto III. Quel sangue versato. Elisabetta MONTSERRAT CABALLÉ Roberto BERNABÉ MARTÍ Notthingham PIERO CAPPUCCILLI Sara BIANCA BERINI Orchestr...

01/09/2020

Sometimes we just need a reminder of truely amazing performances. This is one. Neil Shicoff in the title role of Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Subtitles in English

29/08/2020

Serbian bass Branislav Jatic might not enjoy world wide fame but his artistry certainly deserves it. With over 60 roles performed during a lifelong career equally impressive in his comical and dramatic interpretations. I am posting his performance as Mamma in Donizetti’s: Viva la mamma. I had the pleasure of watching this performance, always new and surprising, for many years in Serbian National Theater in Novi Sad (Serbia). FB allows me to publish a post with only one link but if you are intrigued, as I am sure you will be, I suggest you look up his performances of Alvize, Basilio or arias from Demon and La Favorita just to name a few. Enjoy!

27/08/2020

This Lady, her iconic interpretation of this role, and this historic performance need no introduction. Raina Kabaivanska as Madama Butterfly. Enjoy!

Arena di Verona, Luglio 1997 - Direttore d’orchestra Angelo Campori

25/08/2020

Today we present the Italian dramatic tenor Giuseppe Giacomini. Despite his enormous career and truly extraordinary voice, Giacomini never achieved widespread fame in the opera world. James used to say he was the most unappreciated tenor of his era. He was best known for his interpretations of Don Alvaro in Forza del Destino, Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut etc, but I will, yet again post a live (in performance) rendition of an aria that is (nowadays) sung by much more lyric voices. Listening to this particular interpretation I can not but wonder: why?

Giuseppe Giacomini sings "L'anima ho stanca" from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur.

22/08/2020

After a summer break, we continue our series of Great Singers of XX century. Today a lady who hopefully needs no introduction: amazing Bulgarian soprano Ghena Dimitrova. Her performances of Turandot, Lady Macbeth, and Abigaille are legendary. I had the extraordinary luck of hearing her live and stand witness that her voice was even bigger, more penetrating, and more beautiful in a theater than in any recording I have ever heard. Today I will not post any of the arias from the operas I mentioned above as anyone, whoever heard her, knows the immense power her voice was able to carry with ease. Instead a perfect example of how that same voice was able to carry a beautiful pianissimo proportional to the size of the voice and amazing musicality. Enjoy!

Ghena Dimitrova - Attila: Liberamente or piangi ... Oh! nel fuggente nuvolo (Atto I)

28/07/2020

We ended last week with Verdi's Don Carlo and we will start this one with it too. This time the Greek mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa and her amazing performance of "Oh don fatale"

Don Carlo - Guiseppe Verdi. Karajan, Baltsa, Carreras, Izzo, D'Amico, Cappuccilli, Salminen. FAMOUS PERFORMANCE!

26/07/2020

Another not so well known but absolutely amazing Romanian soprano: Eugenia Moldoveanu. Here as Elisabetta in Verdi's Don Carlo.

Eugenia Moldoveanu in Elisabetta"s aria Tu che le vanita from Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi