Opera has lost one of its most robust voices. Jon Vickers, the Canadian tenor who has been heralded as on the greatest and most intense voices of the 20th century, died on Friday in Ontario. He was 88 years old.
The Royal Opera House in London posted a statement from the Vickers family, citing that the cause of death was Alzheimer's disease.
Vickers' operatic tenor was always noted for its unparalleled intensity. He was a shoe in for massive heroic roles--which yielded some of his legendary roles including portrayals of Wagner's Tristan, Verdi's Otello, Beethoven's Florestan and Britten's Peter Grimes.
Throughout his career, the singer would prove himself to have an uncanny ability to belt his roles. Vickers' voice was a force of nature and even inspired John Steane to write in Singers of the Century:
"If there had not been, working from within, a genuine spiritual refinement, the sheer size of his voice, breadth as well as power, would surely have bludgeoned the listener into insensibility."
However, it was only his voice that led to his triumphs as a singer and actor on the stage. Vickers was also noted for his ferocity and earnestness in roles--his crowning achievement most likely for interpreting the title character in Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes.
As NPR notes, Vickers' intensity was so apparent it brought a controversial edge to the role in a 1978 recording. As Grimes, he was savage and unpredictable, but he could also suddenly switch to a delicate almost-croon.
But, this worked to his benefit, with companies mounting productions specifically to fit the tenor, including the Metropolitan Opera in 1967.
Victor was born October 29, 1926 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to a devoutly religious household that also had an emphasis on music. He made his stage debut as the Duke in Verdi's Rigoletto in 1954 and in 1957, he began singing at London's Royal Opera at Covent Garden.
Noted for having extreme religious convictions, he was also cited to be a challenging colleague, with his stage presence bleeding into his own personal life.
Our condolences to Vickers' family and loved ones.
Remember him fondly with his performance in Carmen below.
