Virgilijus Noreika (b.1935)
For quite some time now I've been looking for a recording of Cilea's "Lamento di Federico' that could match Mario Lanza's peerless version of 1955 (made for the Warner Bros. film "Serenade"). Well, here it is, courtesy of Lithuanian tenor Virgilijus Noreika. This is a very rare record, and for its discovery I owe a debt of gratitude to my good Youtube friend CraigFrancisSoto, who was gracious enough to provide me with a copy.
Noreika, a graduate of the Lithuanian State Conservatory (1958) and longtime member of the Lithuanian Opera Theater, sings with a voice that is warm, plaintive, and beautifully modulated; his manner is earnest and genuinely heartbreaking. The opening phrases of 'E la solita storia' are laden with pianissimos that are delicate without being wispy, but Noreika certainly does not stint on the climaxes (just listen to him fully unleash the voice on "vorrei poter tutto scordar" and "Mi fai tanto male! Ahime!"). Noreika studied in Milan in the mid 1960's, and it shows- his Italian diction is very good, better than most of his Soviet peers.
Those who have seen my Lanza video of the "Serenade" performance might conclude that I dislike crooning a la Tagliavini or Simoneau in this aria, and prefer the weight of a lirico-spinto or dramatic tenor. I still do favor Lanza by a very slight margin due to the latter's richer timbre (to this day I have never heard a tenor who could quite match his inimitable coloration and proliferation of overtones) and superior breath support, but the cumulative impact of Noreika's incandescent reading is shattering, right up there with him. And I prefer this to Lanza's other recordings from the Hollywood Bowl and Toronto. Noreika gives me goosebumps, and that is plenty for me! I will always treasure both versions and hope that other opera enthusiasts on Youtube enjoy this memento of a wonderful tenor. The recording dates from 1968.
