great stuff

Let me add that if some of you don't feel like listening to the entire Crosby show but are just interested in Pinza, start at about 12:15 in that sound file; first, Pinza sings alone, and then comes a gorgeous medley they're doing together.

DH--who is an avid opera lover and musician--agrees with franco. I'm (admittedly) a bit tone death, but still think this it is terrific to see something like this on television. DD--also a big opera lover--made an interesting point--wonder if an audience in the U.S. would have had the same reaction.

IMO this was incredible just to see how moved the audience was--a shining example of "the aesthetic experiene"!

Well I don't think we can judge a self taught guy on the strength of a piece of an aria sung in a barn of a hall.

He did well on Nessun Dorma. I was more impressed with the audience and its reaction.

As for Jussi Bjoerling, I was fortunate enough as a young man to hear him perform in the Albert Hall. That was 50 years ago! But the great Swedish tenor lives on in my CD collection. Too bad he died of a heart attack (or whatever) before stereo came into wide use. I never thought vinyl records did him justice and often CD remastering made his voice sound far more brittle and edgy than it really was in live performance.

And yes, Jussi sang Nessum Dorma that evening.

I think we are being a bit peevish here. The guy was living his dream. He knew why he was there, and he seemed to know full well who he was. He makes no pretense at being the next Franco Farina or Fabio Armiliato.

Let me put it this way: I live in a university town where there is a good school of music. I have heard no student tenors since I have been here that could have knocked off even part of Nessun Dorma as well as Paul did.
I don't think our faculty tenor voice teacher could either!!

I think the guy needs to be supported, not castigated for having the talent to do what he did. Tell you what, you try it! And get ready to duck the cabbages.

There are other threads here on fodors about Paul and they seem to like the fact that he is, indeed, living his dream and that his arias are heartfelt which makes it appealing and heartwarming.

I would agree it is exactly his heartfelt emotion that grabs people, and he appears SUCH an underdog. Italians may not be known for backing underdogs, but Brits & Americans are. Also, it was nice to see opera get some mainstream positive attention. However, Paul has a super long way to go before he can be taken seriously as an opera singer of the quality of Bjorling! Or, my personal favorite as Calaf (the character who sings "Nessun dorma&quot, Franco Corelli. But it is endearing watching him try....

I fully agree Paul had a heartfelt emotion, and even if it's just for that...maybe someone gives him the chance to learn. There are lots of people with wonderful voices (I know some) that have not a bit of interest in singing and they seem to sing like a waiter says the menu of the restaurant. Emotion is important