I learnt from Don Smith back in the mid 80's & was just going through this piece this afternoon. His voice was phenomenal & he sings this with such ease & power and in a dramatic tenor style. It was good to have known & worked with him ! My best wishes to his family too ... 🎶🎻🎶🎻
I look up to Donald Smith a lot, and I'm trying to work to sing in a more italianate fashion like he did - and to bring back actually powerful singing (not like modern opera). If you could impart some of his singing beleifs/philosophies on me I would be honoured. I hope to keep his Australian legacy alive.
Not fair to say. Juan Diego Flores is phenomenal. So, is Jose Cura...it is all about the resonance and what's pleasing to the ear. Not to say Donald wasn't great--I just heard of him and love it.
I've "studied" the tenor voice in all forms for 40 years....or so I thought (the 40 years part was right) and never heard of Donald Smith until today...How could that have occurred? Did he stay "down under"...or was the publishing machine biased to American voices or those who sang at the Met? I hear the "cheat" syllables of phonemes in the higher notes sung in English in this piece and others I've listened to by him today. They all did that...Pavarotti avoided the "e" vowel up top....but the range and brightness of this voice throughout the range surely denotes this voice is accomplished and finely "produced"....more so than Mario Lanza who would have been international "popular" competition. Much of the tenor "songbook" suffers sung in English...too many dipthongs (sp?) to negotiate with an open throat. Did Smith strive to sing mostly in English and thus have more of a challenge than many of his contemporaries? I just don't see the fault lines that would have kept him from one of the "great voices"....unless he chose not to be more than an Aussie.
Donald Smith was assuredly Australia's greatest tenor. He basically was a home boy unlike his contemporary - Australia's greatest lyric soprano, June Bronhill who spent 20 years in Europe before returning to Australia. I saw them both performing together in an unforgettable concert in Brisbane at Expo88 (1988). Two superstars together.
He did seasons at both Saddler's Wells and Covent Garden, London.I remember a memorable Turandot with Morag Beaton in Sydney.Opportunities to record were limited in London where only a few Australian singers recorded. Unlike Kenneth Neat he didn't have much of a European career and didn't record in Europe. He recorded late in life for ABC records.The industry in Australia was controlled by UK and US companies, who didn't bother to record classical music or didn't release anything much internationally.An amazing fact is how well trained all the Australian singers of that era were
H Clary, donald smith has a great voice, no doubt, among one of the finest, but his voice had no feeling, or emotion like the great mario lanza!, but not taking anything away from him, a truly great tenor. best regards, Louie Vaccaro tenor las vegas.
I learnt from Don Smith back in the mid 80's & was just going through this piece this afternoon. His voice was phenomenal & he sings this with such ease & power and in a dramatic tenor style. It was good to have known & worked with him ! My best wishes to his family too ... 🎶🎻🎶🎻
I look up to Donald Smith a lot, and I'm trying to work to sing in a more italianate fashion like he did - and to bring back actually powerful singing (not like modern opera). If you could impart some of his singing beleifs/philosophies on me I would be honoured. I hope to keep his Australian legacy alive.
Just lovely and pure Roy U.S.A
oh wow, my favorite singer now. JEEZ he is SO GOOD. every word is clear, clean, and the quality is so good. my goodness. Love his rolled r's too.
Extraordinaria interpretaciòn y còmo le da un final de grandiosidad!!!
Pleased the music still stirs the soul and fond memories of mother.
Wonderfull to have this Edward Arckless
Something very appealing about this voice
Great
GREAT VOICE AUSTRALIA GAVE SUTHERLAND TO THE WORLD....BUT KEPT DONALD FOR ITSELF.
Wow! Compare him to the sad little tenors of today.
Not fair to say. Juan Diego Flores is phenomenal. So, is Jose Cura...it is all about the resonance and what's pleasing to the ear. Not to say Donald wasn't great--I just heard of him and love it.
Ha dicho Usted una inmensa verdad. Su comentario me representa.
@@uscroger4690Florez is piccolo
I've "studied" the tenor voice in all forms for 40 years....or so I thought (the 40 years part was right) and never heard of Donald Smith until today...How could that have occurred? Did he stay "down under"...or was the publishing machine biased to American voices or those who sang at the Met? I hear the "cheat" syllables of phonemes in the higher notes sung in English in this piece and others I've listened to by him today. They all did that...Pavarotti avoided the "e" vowel up top....but the range and brightness of this voice throughout the range surely denotes this voice is accomplished and finely "produced"....more so than Mario Lanza who would have been international "popular" competition. Much of the tenor "songbook" suffers sung in English...too many dipthongs (sp?) to negotiate with an open throat. Did Smith strive to sing mostly in English and thus have more of a challenge than many of his contemporaries? I just don't see the fault lines that would have kept him from one of the "great voices"....unless he chose not to be more than an Aussie.
Donald Smith was assuredly Australia's greatest tenor. He basically was a home boy unlike his contemporary - Australia's greatest lyric soprano, June Bronhill who spent 20 years in Europe before returning to Australia. I saw them both performing together in an unforgettable concert in Brisbane at Expo88 (1988). Two superstars together.
Probably. Reason why some American tenors changed their name to a more Italian name.
He did seasons at both Saddler's Wells and Covent Garden, London.I remember a memorable Turandot with Morag Beaton in Sydney.Opportunities to record were limited in London where only a few Australian singers recorded. Unlike Kenneth Neat he didn't have much of a European career and didn't record in Europe. He recorded late in life for ABC records.The industry in Australia was controlled by UK and US companies, who didn't bother to record classical music or didn't release anything much internationally.An amazing fact is how well trained all the Australian singers of that era were
H Clary, donald smith has a great voice, no doubt, among one of the finest, but his voice had no feeling, or emotion like the great mario lanza!, but not taking anything away from him, a truly great tenor. best regards, Louie Vaccaro tenor las vegas.
I saw him at the ENO - Sadlers Wells in those days - years ago.