Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, known professionally as Nicolai Gedda, was one of the world’s most popular tenors from the mid- to late 20th century. Debuting in 1951, Gedda’s long and successful career in opera lasted over half a century through 2003, when he made his final operatic recording. The multilingual Gedda performed operas in French, Russian, German, Italian, English, Czech and Swedish, as well as one in Latin. With over made two hundred recordings in his discography, Gedda is one of the most widely recorded opera singers in history.
With this release, Alto brings together his finest recordings from the early LP era, newly remastered by Paul Arden-Taylor.
“Nikolai Gedda’s success in so many areas is a tribute to his professionalism. Harold Rosenthal reviewing Gedda’s ‘Carmen’ wrote, ‘He is not, of course, a dramatic tenor, nor is he French; but he is probably the best tenor singing in French opera today’.”
– Opera
“Gedda’s performance of Bizet’s Flower Song was described by John Steane as ‘dramatised afresh… a “lived” and re-created experience.’ The stylish Gedda excelled in Mozart and often performed Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni demonstrating a familiarity anything but routine… [the concluding] tracks are from the classic operetta recordings made under Walter Legge.” (James Murray)
