Cornell MacNeil

Cornell MacNeil (* September 24, 1922 in Minneapolis, † July 15, 2011 in Charlottesville, Virginia) was an American opera singer (baritone ).

Life

MacNeil was born in the State of Minnesota; his father was a dentist, his mother was a singer and had studied with the famous concert singer and voice teacher Ernestine Schumann - Heink. MacNeil had in his youth the desire to be, an opera singer at an early stage. Because of his asthma, he was released during World War II from military service. He first worked as a turner and machinist. Finally, on the advice of his mother, he trained his voice professionally. He completed a short vocal studies at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford; there was the famous baritone Friedrich Schorr Wagner to his teachers.

MacNeil initially joined on Broadway in musicals. His debut as an opera singer, he gave in March 1950 at the Shubert Theatre in Philadelphia in the role of freedom fighter John Sorel in the premiere of the opera The Consul. The composer Gian Carlo Menotti selected MacNeil specifically for this role. MacNeil took in the aftermath continues singing lessons. In the night shift he worked at that time in the Bulova watch factory in Queens.

From 1953 to 1955 he sang at the New York City Centre Opera; his first role there was Germont in La Traviata -Père. In 1955 he sang at the San Francisco Opera. There he appeared as Escamillo in Carmen, as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and as Herald in Lohengrin. In the season 1958/1959 he sang at La Scala; his debut there was in March 1959 with the role of Don Carlo in Ernani.

In 1959 he was engaged at the Metropolitan Opera; his first role was the title role in Rigoletto in March 1959. MacNeil was flown directly after his commitment Scala from Milan to New York City and had the game taken without a single sample. In this role, he has performed over 100 times at the Met. MacNeil sang a total of nearly thirty years at the Metropolitan Opera. He went there in 26 games into 642 ideas.

MacNeil sang at the Met include the following parts: the title role in Nabucco, Count di Luna in Il trovatore, Germont -Père in La traviata, Renato in Un ballo in maschera ( first time in 1962 ), Amonasro in Aida, Iago in Otello, Barnaba in La Gioconda, Alfio in Cavalleria rusticana, Tonio in I Pagliacci and Michele in Suor Angelica. Occasionally he took over, in the original language, and roles of the German opera compartment, in particular given the title role in The Flying Dutchman. However, MacNeil was primarily a singer of Italian operas, especially Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini. His special shine roles of the police chief Scarpia in Tosca belonged. He sang this role over 90 times at the Met; first time in November 1959. With this role he took in December 1987 and officially bid farewell to the operatic stage.

MacNeil sang at Covent Garden Opera (1964, title role in Macbeth), at the Grand Opéra Paris, Teatro Colón, at the Opera House in Rio de Janeiro, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and at the Opera of Rome. 1971, 1972 and 1982, he sang at the Vienna State Opera. There he appeared as Germont père -, Rigoletto, Iago, Tonio, Renato, Posa in Don Carlo and in the title role of Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman. In 1987 he sang again, shortly before the end of his career on stage, at the Opera House of New Orleans Iago in Verdi's opera Otello.

He made ​​guest appearances at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, at the Festival at the Arena di Verona ( 1971, 1973 ) and in the open-air performances in the Baths of Caracalla.

In 1969, MacNeil president of the American Guild of Musical Artists.

Voice and sound files

MacNeil's voice was a powerful, pure baritone; in particular, he was appreciated for his good height and for his safety at high tones. The All Music Guide raises MacNeil forth round and voluminous voice; some noticeable solubilizing discontinuity of singing was at MacNeil disarmed and relieved by his radiant voice. MacNeil was famous at the beginning of his career primarily as Verdi Performer; later he also took some selected parts of the Italian verismo to his repertoire. Critics always MacNeil's vocal skills were highlighted; but was often criticized his lack of acting talent and his often wooden, statuary game.

The voice of Cornell MacNeil is handed on numerous sound recordings. His best roles are largely kept on records. His records erscheinlich mainly with the record labels Decca and RCA. There are, among others, the complete recordings of the operas Tosca ( Decca 1958, with Renata Tebaldi and Mario del Monaco as partners ), Aida ( Decca 1958 Conductor: Herbert von Karajan, with Renata Tebaldi and Carlo Bergonzi as partners ), Un ballo in maschera ( Decca 1961 conductor: Georg Solti, with Birgit Nilsson ) and Luisa Miller (RCA 1965, when Miller). Twice he took in the studio the title role in Rigoletto: 1961 in Decca ( ​​with Joan Sutherland as Gilda ), and again in 1967 for EMI. In addition, there are numerous live recordings, especially of performances from the Metropolitan Opera.

Several performances from the Metropolitan Opera were recorded for television, so that also exist on MacNeil numerous film documents. The recordings were later partially released on video and DVD. Documented on film include MacNeil's Rigoletto (MET 1977, with Ileana Cotrubas and Plácido Domingo ), Jago (MET 1978, with Renata Scotto and Jon Vickers ) and twice his Scarpia in Tosca: 1978 Shirley Verrett and Luciano Pavarotti as partners, and again in 1985 with Hildegard Behrens and Plácido Domingo.

In the opera La Traviata movie (1982 ) played and sang MacNeil, on the side of Teresa Stratas and Plácido Domingo, directed by Franco Zeffirelli Germont père -. Praise was unusual good game partially MacNeil in this movie. His vocal performance was criticized by a majority.

Private

MacNeil was married twice. His first marriage was later divorced. From his marriage with his first wife Margaret Gavan come five children, two sons and three daughters. His son, the tenor Walter MacNeil ( b. 1957 ), was also an opera singer. His second wife MacNeil was married to the violinist Tania Rudensky. MacNeil died at the age of 88 years in Charlottesville, Virginia; there he had last lived in a facility for assisted living.