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Nicolai Gedda

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Biography

Ubiquitous on record from the 1950s to the 21st century, Stockholm-born Nicolai Gedda was praised for the eloquence and purity of his bel canto voice in a career that lasted well into his seventies. Known for his technical mastery and fluid lightness, he appeared 367 times at the New York Metropolitan Opera and sang in some of the world's great opera houses including London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and La Scala in Milan. Raised in Germany after his unwed mother, Clary, married Russian-born singer Michail Ustinoff, who became choirmaster at a church in Leipzig, Gedda took singing lessons at a very young age. When the family returned to Sweden in the mid-1930s following the rise of Hitler, he met tenor Carl Martin Ohman and studied with him. After more study at what became Stockholm's Royal College of Music, he debuted with the Royal Swedish Opera as the coachman in Adolphe Adam's 'Le Pistillon de Lonjumeau'. His La Scala debut came as Don Ottavio in Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' in 1953 and following appearances at the Paris Opera House and Covent Garden he made his debut with the New York Met in 'Faust' in 1957. In scores of appearances over subsequent decades, his repertoire included Gluck's 'Alceste', Mozart's 'The Magic Flute', Mussorgsky's 'Boris Godunov' and Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly', and the list of his recordings cover those and many more. Throughout his career, Gedda was lauded for the beautiful tone of his voice. He died in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, at the age of 91 following a heart attack.
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Albums


Top Tracks

  1.   Track
    Popularity
  2.   Don Giovanni K527, Atto Primo, Scena quarta: Aria: Batti, batti, o bel Masetto (Zerlina) featuring Walter Berry
  3.   Don Giovanni K527, Atto Secondo, Scena seconda: Recitativo & Aria featuring Otto Klemperer
  4.   Lucia di Lammermoor: Ah, talor del tuo pensiero....Verrano a te sull'aure (Act I) featuring Nicolai Gedda
  5.   Die Fledermaus, Act I: Nein, mit solchen Advokaten featuring Herbert von Karajan
  6.   Das Land des Lächelns: Ich trete ins Zimmer… Immer nur lächeln by Nicolai Gedda
  7.   Das Land des Lächelns: Dein ist mein ganzes Herz by Nicolai Gedda
  8.   Offenbach: Les contes d'Hoffmann, Act 1: "Vive Dieu, mes amis, la belle créature!" (Nathanaël, Chorus, Hermann, Lindorf, Luther, H by André Mallabrera
  9.   Carmen: Flower Song
  10.   Orphée et Euridice: J'ai perdu, mon Euridice by Louis de Froment
  11.   I Puritani: Cavalier! - Se t'è duopo il consiglio featuring Nicolai Gedda
  12.   I Puritani: Ferma! Invan, invan rapir pretendi featuring Nicolai Gedda
  13.   Carmen : Près des remparts de Sévill featuring Nicolai Gedda
  14.   Carmen : Mon officier, c'était une querelle featuring Nicolai Gedda
  15.   Carmen : Voici l'ordre; partez featuring Nicolai Gedda
  16.   Faust - opera in five acts, Act II: Vin ou bière (Choeur/Wagner) featuring Nicolai Gedda
  17.   Cosi fan tutte: Un'aura amorosa by Nicolai Gedda
  18.   Carmen : Quand je vous aimerai... L'amour est un oiseau rebelle featuring Nicolai Gedda
  19.   Carmen : La cloche a sonné... Dans l'air, nous suivons des yeux de fumée featuring Nicolai Gedda
  20.   Der Zigeunerbaron: Als flotter Geist by Nicolai Gedda
  21.   Carmen : Carmen, sur tes pas, nous nous pressons tous! featuring Nicolai Gedda
  22.   Don Giovanni: Il mio tesoro
  23.   Carmen : Parle-moi de ma mère! featuring Nicolai Gedda
  24.   Eine Nacht in Venedig: Sei mir gegrusst du Holdes Venezia by Nicolai Gedda
  25.   Carmen : Quels regards! Quelle effronterie! featuring Nicolai Gedda
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