The Recordings of Richard Bonelli
by Alan Bilgora
After his period of assiduous
study in the U.S.A., and later with William Vilonat and also
Jean de
Reszke in Paris, Bonelli’s
early career was honed by considerable European experience as
a member of several outstanding casts of international repute.
In spite of those glowing words about his Tonio in Pagliacci quoted
at the beginning of the article, and having earlier made a great
impression at his début at the Metropolitan Opera, Richard
Bonelli, although generally appreciated, in the eyes and ears
of his fellow Americans never quite emerged from under the shadow
of Lawrence Tibbett and John Charles Thomas.
Certainly, the North American continent can be justifiably proud
of its baritone heritage. A number of these singers eventually
achieved and sustained international status. Some excelled in
opera, others as concert and recital performers and a few specialized
in comprimario roles. However, all enjoyed careers that,
although varied in length, were yet worthy of mention, with their
talents recorded for posterity. From the days of David Bispham,
through to Clarence Whitehill, Herbert Witherspoon, Reinald Werrenrath,
Emilio De Gogorza, Oscar Seagle and Arthur Endreze, the line
as we now know included Tibbett and Thomas and can be seen to
run through to Nelson Eddy, Francesco Valentino, Julius Huehn,
Osie Hawkins, Clifford Harvuot, Frank Guarrera, Walter Cassel,
Donald Dickson, Kenneth Schon, Robert Weede, Leonard Warren,
Robert Merrill, Glen Darwin, Richard Torigi, Theodor Uppman,
Jess Walters, Cornell McNeil, Thomas Tipton, Sherrill Milnes,
Thomas Stewart and Conrad Thibault. The final decades of the
20th century saw the emergence of Dwayne Croft, Thomas
Hampson, Dale Duesing, Richard Stilwell, Rodney Gilfry, Sanford
Sylvan and William Sharp. It must be noted however, that these
last mentioned, although displaying an extremely high degree
of musicianship and possessing voices of some quality, have not
been gifted with quite the same weight of opulence of tone so
apparent in many of their predecessors. Distinguished black baritones
must include Jules Bledsoe, Todd Duncan, William Warfield, Lawrence
Winters and Simon Estes. We must not dismiss or forget the singers
who made a career in films or on the ‘Musical’ stage,
but who possessed voices that might well, with different stimuli,
have led to classical careers. Certainly the vocal qualities
of Alfred Drake (his brother sang at the Met as bass-baritone
Arthur Kent), Bill Johnson, John Raitt, Edmund Hockridge, Robert
Shackleton, Howard Keel (who was much admired by Bonelli), and
Gordon Macrae would qualify here. Perhaps the enormous ethnic
mix in over three centuries, coupled with what Europeans call
the ‘American Drawl’, could be thought to impart
that forward, manly and easy resonant sound, so much the hall-mark
of the American baritone voice.
On Richard Bonelli’s few commercial recordings we can certainly
hear a timbre that, although lyrical and un-constricted in emission,
was also dark-tinged and virile, with a wonderfully-free upper
extension and fully relaxed, resonant lower notes. From contemporary
reviews he also looked well on stage and his histrionic ability
coupled with a well-schooled vocal technique, enabled him not
only to be a considerable actor with his voice but to delineate
each role physically with its required character.
In view of his reputation, why he was not asked to make more
commercial recordings for the Brunswick Company is a mystery.
Of those made, many were of ballads rather than of material that
underlined his operatic repertoire. Perhaps it was company policy
to confine Bonelli’s output to ‘lighter fare’ so
that his recordings in no way impinged on the sales of their
other star baritone the eminent Giuseppe Danise. The pressings,
in spite of a variable quality at times, owing no doubt to some
of their original sources, in Bonelli’s case do capture
the essential beauty of his vocal tone, as well as demonstrating
his sound technique. Perhaps an analysis of some of those records
will put his art into perspective, especially when compared with
live ‘off the air’ recordings and, late in his career,
those popular ballads that were issued on the MGM label.
The Brunswick recordings.
15138 Forza del Destino (Verdi) Solenne
in quest’ora with Mario Chamlee. This is a well sung
version with Bonelli offering good support to his bright-voiced
tenor partner (whose vocal quality was thought by Caruso’s
widow to most resemble that of her late husband). An exemplary
attack by Bonelli on the high F on his entry Lo guiro is
followed by a warm and balanced tone in the duet passages. Interestingly
enough, when HMV first issued this duet with Caruso and Scotti
the opera had not been staged for a long time. Purchasers of
the recording were not sure which voice could be heard in the
opening exchanges, particularly as Scotti’s high F sounded
much like Caruso in that register. The actual text was printed
on the reverse of the singe-sided pressing to help listeners
identify the characters. It is worthy of comment that in particular
Bonelli’s Italian is always idiomatic, as he never overemphasizes
the A vowel. Too many non-Italians stress the final letter ‘e’ in
a word so that for instance una chiave is sounded chiavay and fidate becomes
fidatay. With Bonelli this vowel is always slightly flattened
toward ‘eh’, giving it a more natural and authentic
inflection.
Martha (Flotow) Solo profugo with Mario
Chamlee. Both voices blend well. Although not vocally testing
in any way Bonelli’s solo passages are suffused with a
warm tone and
his legato is immaculate.
15198 Visione Veneziana (Brogi). This
beautiful and evocative song requires smooth legato phrasing
coupled with the maintaining of an undulating rhythm that simulates
the movement of the gondola on the water. Again Bonelli’s
Italian is beautifully articulated and the tune is quite ravishing,
the higher phrases in particular are free and full-bodied. Likewise
his singing of the famous Luna d’estate by
Tosti has a winning charm that challenges many other famous versions
for its romantic overtones.
15138 Bird Songs at Eventide (Coates). This
lovely song makes demands on each type of voice that endeavors
to do it justice as the compass is considerable. Sung here in
a key that requires repeated full-bodied attacks on an E natural
on the words Call me, Call me to you, Bonelli makes light
of them, ending the final phrases in a persuasive mezza-voce and
culminating with a poised soft and sustained falsetto top G natural.
Really this is a very sensitive version. Love was
with me yesterday (Hanson) This typical, romantic
ballad of the early part of the 20th century shows
to advantage Bonelli’s top register, where he allows himself
to exploit a splendid top F sharp in the final verse.
13020 The Bohemian Girl (Balfe) With
heart bowed down. A famous war-horse from this mid 19th Century
opera that has now fallen out of favour is sung in a controlled mezza-voce. With
a melody redolent of the early Victorian era Bonelli’s
legato singing here is an object lesson in sustaining an unaffected
vocal line. For all Eternity (Mascheroni).
This typical sentimental romantic ballad allows Bonelli to indulge
in a full voiced ringing and thrilling top G natural in the final
cadences.
10264 The Fortune Teller (Victor Herbert)
Slumber On My Little Gypsy Sweetheart. With its opening recitative
that is quite operatic in mood, Bonelli launches into the well
known melody, producing a full-bodied tone that is at once both
heroic and romantic. It was one of the popular songs from this
1898 operetta by the King of American light music and Bonelli’s
singing is irresistible. Pinsuti’s Bedouin Love Song is
given the full romantic treatment, plenty of vibrant tone and
a real swagger to the melody.
10127 The Palms (Faure). Had it been
sung in the original language as ‘Les Rameaux’ Bonelli
would have had stiff opposition from many a native French baritone.
However, he sings here in an English translation and manages
the religious overtones with gravitas, his version sounding sincere
and well sung. The Holy City (Weatherley-Adams) is
one of the most often sung and frequently recorded religious
ballads of the day; Bonelli maintains the best traditions without
becoming over-sentimental or making it sound too hackneyed. In
fact it is sung with such fervour that the result is quite thrilling.
13009 Calling me home to you (Dorel).
A pleasant enough song of thoughts about returning to a lost
love, that is rescued from an excess of sentimentality by Bonelli’s
forthright singing and his interpolating of a fairly dramatic
high G at the end. Tommy, Lad! (Margetson) is an
emotional ballad (almost a classical ‘Sonny Boy’)
that is well characterized by Bonelli as he addresses his little
son about the future.
In order that the listener can get a better idea of how Bonelli’s
operatic performances should be judged, it is necessary to resort
to radio broadcast transcriptions covering the years 1938-1955
that were issued by Ed. Smith on an LP EJS 4454-b. Here he can
be heard singing arias covering some of the roles he undertook
with success, either as a young man on tour with the San Carlo
Opera of the USA, or at the Chicago or Metropolitan Opera. The
radio acoustic demonstrates a harder and more metallic overtone
than that of the recording studio, but, nevertheless, it is easy
to hear his wide ranging, well controlled, full-bodied and highly-charged
timbre throughout.
Faust (Gounod) Avant de quitter ces lieux. In
this demanding aria, specially added to the original score by
Gounod for Sir Charles Santley, the baritone voice is tested
to its limits even when sung in a lower transposition. Here we
have it sung in the original key with superb legato phrasing,
rising cadences that contain sustained high G naturals all handled
with consummate ease by Bonelli, who vocalizes in very acceptable
French.
Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Largo al factotum. Figaro’s
famous entrance aria has had many fine interpreters and Bonelli’s
version ranks as one of the most mercurial. He eschews the first
two top G’s in the opening verse, making the listener think
that perhaps he is afraid of them, but then interpolates them
with gusto in the next stanzas. Throughout he amusingly characterizes
the various moods and voices of his tonsorial clients as he outlines
the other services offered. He articulates the text clearly,
sustains the high tessitura in the decorated passages
easily and altogether produces a vocal tour de force.
Il Trovatore (Verdi) Il balen. In spite
of its easy-to-absorb melody this aria is considered by most
baritones to be one of the most difficult Verdi wrote, because
of the demanding tessitura at the end. Bonelli sings the
opening verses in an immaculate legato, manages an exciting,
optional high A flat on the word tempesta and sings the
final testing phrases with ease and conviction. This is really
a very fine version of a very popular, but, by the less informed
opera going public, technically underestimated aria.
Tannhäuser (Wagner) O du mein holder Abendstern. This
is sung with a noble, warm and sympathetic tone. Bonelli has
all the gravitas required for this well known aria.
Fedora (Giordano) La donna russa. The composer
uses a well-known Russian folk melody ‘Kalinka’ to
highlight the action and mood of this piece. Bonelli sings it
at a very lively pace, and tops the aria off with a ringing high
G natural that could be misconstrued as showing off, but here
is both musical and effective.
Le Roi de Lahore (Massenet) Promesse de mon
avenir. Massenet was surely one of the greatest melodists,
and following his declaiming the semi-dramatic recitative Bonelli
knows how to caress the beautiful vocal line in a refined style
and excellent sustaining of vocal tone. All the climaxes are
well taken and not overplayed in any way, so that this version
is musically and artistically very satisfying.
Xerxes (Handel) Ombra mai fu. The pastoral
mood of this music is well sustained by Bonelli , who does not
overplay the vocal line, as the hero addresses the tree which
gave him much needed shade. It is therefore well in keeping with
the accepted style of singing what has become known as Handel’s
Largo.
Die Tote Stadt (Korngold) Mein Sehnen, mein
Wähnen. The Pierrotlied, although not sung by
the principal male character in this opera, has become a much
admired baritone solo. With its highly-evocative melody and atmospheric
scoring Bonelli makes much of the vocal line, which is quite
demanding, and sings with a beautifully warm tone that is winning
from beginning to end. In particular it is worth pointing out
the gentle final cadences sung in a balanced mezza-voce that
culminate in a beautifully-sustained morendo effect on
the repeated word zurück. It compares favorably with
famous versions by Karl Hammes, Igor Gorin, Carlo Drago-Hržic
and Hermann Prey for the way he creates a highly romantic mood
that borders on the exotic. Dubbed as ‘too schmaltzy’ by
some purists, who possibly cannot forgive Korngold for being
in his ‘teens’ when he composed the opera, and only
23 when it was first produced, this tune must rank as one of
the most appealing ever.
Zazà (Leoncavallo) Zazà piccolo
zingara. Surely one of the verismo composer’s most
winning melodies, it is sung here with piano accompaniment only,
but the full-throated outpouring of tone over a wide range covering
high F sharps at the top of the stave is indeed evocative of
baritones of the so-called ‘Golden Age’. The character
Cascart pleads with Zazà to return to him the affection
she once felt. Bonelli manages to invest the music with both
passion and longing.
Hérodiade (Massenet) Vision fugitive.
This is without doubt one of the best versions of this aria,
This might seem an outrageous claim in view of the number of
distinguished baritones of all nationalities who have left recorded
legacies of this piece. Bonelli sings the dramatic recitative
with careful control of dynamics, pointing to the accepted correct
style in delivering Massenet’s music, which above all must
include elegance. The opening phrases of the aria are sung in
one breath, and, indeed, throughout the piece he demonstrates
exceptional breath control with the linking of verses and the
reprise of the melody. The repeated climaxes on top F sharps
are sung with ease and fabulous tone and altogether this is a
masterful display of his vocal talent.
Hamlet (Thomas) O vin, dissipe la tristesse. Once
again Bonelli demonstrates his complete understanding of the
style required in delivering French music of this period. The
essence of inducing his friends to make merry is a feature of
Hamlet’s famous drinking song and here the pace and joie
de vivre of the occasion is captured to perfection. Full
blooded tone, colourful decorated passages containing top G naturals,
excellent phrasing and exhilarating pacing of the opening verse
are contrasted with the more sombre, brooding middle section.
As with the Hérodiade excerpt Bonelli’s French
accent is good, which adds to the feeling of good taste so necessary
for this musical genre.
M-G-M recordings
M-G-M 30327 a-b The Prayer Perfect (Speaks-Riley)
and Star-Eyes (Speaks-De Leeuw); M-G-M 30329
a-b The Lane to Ballybree (Speaks-Edelman)
and The Road to Mandalay (Speaks-Kipling). Four
fine ballads by one of the most renowned song writers of his
era, they are accompanied by the MGM Orchestra on 78 rpm discs
and date probably from the late 40’s or early 50’s.
Although studio based they have the usual brash and somewhat
boxy acoustic associated with many a film track 78 transcription
issued by this company. However, Bonelli is still in fine voice,
the tone rounded and firm and though the music cannot be thought
to make too many demands on his range or technique, he nevertheless
sings the ballads with his customary dedication to words and
mood.
It should be obvious that his voice was perfectly placed and
of a compass and colour to make him an outstanding Verdi baritone.
His early training enabled him to encompass successfully the
French repertoire vocally and stylistically, and his intelligence
and musicality enabled him to sing a simple ballad with sincerity.
His basic timbre seems smoother and warmer (and on disc certainly
more mellifluous) than that of Leonard Warren and his operatic
career was longer than Weede’s or Dickson’s. His
repertoire was greater than Robert Merrill’s, who, it must
be admitted, possessed a similar honeyed quality, and the evidence
of Bonelli’s recordings, whether commercial or otherwise,
indicate emotional intensity and strong communicative powers.
His vocal technique was of a remarkably high standard, and this
must surely have been of considerable benefit to all his pupils
during his long years as a teacher that followed his retirement
from the theatre.
Why he is not more admired by collectors is something that devotees
of recorded vocal art may well ponder over for years to come.
