James McCracken
James McCracken ( born December 16, 1926 in Gary, Indiana, † 29 April 1988) was an American singer with the voice tenor.
First musical experiences collected McCracken in the church choir and the music ensemble of the local high school. During World War II he had to go to the U.S. Army. When he was released at age 19, he first enrolled at Columbia University and was soon in musical performances on Broadway on stage. In 1952 he made his official operatic debut at the Central City Opera in Central City, Colorado.
By 1957, McCracken was then engaged at the Met in New York and then went to Europe to improve his technique and came to Bonn and Zurich. Here he made his breakthrough with his signature role, Verdi's Othello, which he sang during his career numerous times. From 1963, he sang mainly at the Met ( Florestan, Radames, Don José, Canio, Samson ).
His debut in Salzburg was McCracken 1963 as Manrico in the Trovatore, soon after, he also sang in Vienna. His voice was unusually heavy and always will " remain a matter of taste ," was how to read at the record production of Verdi's Othello. Here the reviews of went " exceptionally ugly " to " upsetting " across the professional world. The timbre is very exceptional and immediately identifiable.
McCracken was married to mezzo-soprano Sandra Warfield.