Richard Tucker American opera singer, spinto tenor Date of Birth: 28.08.1913 Country: USA

Richard Tucker: Biography of an American Tenor

Richard Tucker, born as Rivn (Rubin) Ticker in 1913, was an American operatic tenor. He was known for his spinto voice and is considered one of the best American tenors of all time. Tucker's journey to the prestigious Metropolitan Opera stage was not an easy one, but his debut was highly successful, marking the beginning of a brilliant career.

Tucker was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family of Romanian immigrants from Bessarabia. From an early age, he displayed musical talent and sang as a boy in the Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Manhattan's Lower East Side. His pure boyish voice always impressed the congregation, and he received guidance from his teacher, Samuel Weisser. Despite his musicality, Tucker also had a passion for sports, particularly track and field. However, he ultimately chose a career in music.

In 1936, Tucker married Sara Perelmuth, a relative of the renowned opera tenor Jan Peerce, who was performing at the Metropolitan Opera at the time. Peerce initially had doubts about Tucker's talent, but later he helped the young singer break into the opera world. Tucker's debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1945 as Enzo in Amilcare Ponchielli's "La Gioconda" was a resounding success.

During his three decades at the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker performed in numerous productions, including operas by Verdi such as "Aida," "Rigoletto," "Don Carlos," and "La traviata"; Puccini's "La bohème," "Tosca," and "Madama Butterfly"; Bizet's "Carmen"; Umberto Giordano's "Andrea Chénier"; Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin"; Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" and many others. Tucker was highly regarded as one of the best American tenors, loved by audiences and respected by critics. However, he occasionally received unfavorable reviews. Despite his confident stage presence, Tucker was known to be gentle, caring, and kind-hearted behind the scenes. He had a playful personality and was always ready for jokes and pranks. He even managed to make his colleague Robert Merrill laugh during a performance of Verdi's "La Forza del Destino" by hiding a risqué photograph in a box that Merrill opened on stage.

Notably, even at the height of his fame, Tucker remained connected to his synagogue and regularly led services on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana. His relationship with his wife, Sara, was deeply devoted, and she never missed a performance featuring Richard.

Richard Tucker passed away from a heart attack on January 8, 1975, just before going on stage in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His farewell ceremony took place on the Metropolitan Opera stage, making him the only person to have his funeral conducted there.

In 1975, after his death, the Richard Tucker Music Foundation was established by his wife and children. This foundation aims to support young talented musicians. The Richard Tucker Square, located opposite Lincoln Center in New York City, was named in his honor.