The Jewish American tenor, Jan Peerce (real name, Jacob Pincus Perelmuth), grew up in the New York City streets, and attended De Witt Clinton High School and Columbia University. He took violin lessons, and gave public performances; sometimes he also sang and it was soon discovered he was an exceptional lyric tenor.
In 1932 he was hired as a tenor soloist with the Radio City Music Hall company. Thanks to its radio broadcasts and stage programs, Peerce soon had a nationwide following. This led to concert engagements, and then he made his operatic debut in May 1938 in Philadelphia as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, followed by his first solo recital in New York in November 1939.
The legendary maestro Arturo Toscanini heard him and found him to be the tenor he had sought to sing operatic and choral works with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The recordings made during, or following, the NBC broadcasts are among the outstanding musical legacies of our time. Toscanini was reportedly pleased with Peerce's professionalism, as well as his extraordinary musical talents; many have said that Peerce may have been Toscanini's "favorite tenor" during the Maestro's 17 years at NBC.
Peerce made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera Company on November 29, 1941, singing Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata. He sang also the parts of Cavaradossi in Tosca, Rodolfo in La Bohème, and in Gounod’s Faust. He was hailed by the critics as the "All-American successor to the 'greats' of opera's almost extinct 'Golden Age.'"
In 1943 he appeared in the OWI film, Hymn of the Nations, with Toscanini, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, and the Westminster Choir in a performance of Verdi's seldom-heard choral work. Filmed in NBC Studio 8-H, the performance has been issued on video cassette and DVD.
In 1956 Peerce made a sensation in Moscow as a musical "cultural exchange" ambassador, being the first American to sing with the famed Bolshoi Theatre opera. He remained on the staff of the Metropolitan until 1966, appearing again in 1966-1967. He also taught a master class. In 1971 he made his Broadway debut as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. He continued to make occasional appearances until his retirement in 1982, remaining in very fine voice. He was the brother-in-law of fellow Jewish American tenor Richard Tucker.
Peerce was also at home on the concert stage and in solo recital.
He died in New York City.
Peerce recorded almost exclusively for RCA Victor as a "Red Seal" artist. Among his first recordings was as a featured soloist in Nathaniel Shilkret's 1939 tribute album to Victor Herbert. That same year Peerce was the tenor soloist in Toscanini's broadcast concert of Beethoven's ninth symphony, but it would be years before the Maestro would approve one of his performances of that symphony for commercial release.
Peerce sang in Toscanini's 1944 broadcasts of Beethoven's Fidelio, followed by the complete performances of Verdi's La Traviata, Puccini's La Boheme, and Verdi's A Masked Ball, all eventually released on LP and CD. (Peerce did not sing in Toscanini's broadcasts of Verdi's Otello or Falstaff.) He also sang in the Madison Square Garden concert in 1944, which featured the final act of Rigoletto with Toscanini conducting the combined New York Philharmonic and NBC Symphony Orchestra; this performance was recorded and also released on LP and CD. In 1952, he participated in Toscanini's recording sessions of Beethoven's ninth symphony, which were finally released commercially on the RCA Victor label.
His best-selling recording, however, was a popular song, "Bluebird of Happiness."
He made several stereophonic recordings in the 1950s and 1960s for RCA, then gradually curtailed his recording projects. Most of his major recordings have been released on CD.
For Columbia Masterworks Records, Peerce sang the title role in a 1963 recording of selections from Sigmund Romberg's The Student Prince, opposite Roberta Peters, and also featuring Giorgio Tozzi. This has not yet been released on CD.
A Dream
Jan Peerce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life has been beautiful, we have been young
After you've gone, life will go on
Like an old song we have sung
When I grow too old to dream
I'll have you to remember
When I grow too old to dream
So, kiss me my sweet
And so let us part
And when I grow too old to dream
That kiss will live in my heart
And when I grow too old to dream
That kiss will live in my heart
So, kiss me my sweet
And so let us part
And when I grow too old to dream
That kiss will live in my heart
Jan Peerce’s song “A Dream” tells a story of young love that will last forever. The opening verse describes the couple’s youth and happiness. However, the song acknowledges that life will go on and that the couple will eventually grow old and part ways. The main melody of the song is in the chorus, where the singer reminisces that even when they are too old to dream and have forgotten everything else, they will always remember their sweet kiss. The lyrics carry a powerful message of the lasting power of love that will continue to live on in our hearts, even after we have left this earth.
The theme of love and its permanence is depicted throughout the song. The opening verse shows the couple as carefree and content in their youth. However, as the song progresses, it acknowledges that eventually, things will not remain the same, and life will go on. The chorus serves as a reminder that even though everything else may fade away, the love that they shared will remain forever in their hearts. The closing verse repeats the chorus and emphasizes the lasting impact of love.
Line by Line Meaning
We have been gay, going our way
We have been happy and living our lives together
Life has been beautiful, we have been young
Our lives have been filled with beauty while we were young and together
After you've gone, life will go on
Even after you leave me, life will continue
Like an old song we have sung
Our memories of the past will be with us, like an old song
When I grow too old to dream
When I am too old to have dreams for my future
I'll have you to remember
I will remember you and the love we shared
Your love will live in my heart
The love and memories we shared will stay in my heart forever
So, kiss me my sweet
Please give me a final kiss before we part
And so let us part
It is time for us to say goodbye and go our separate ways
That kiss will live in my heart
The memory of that final kiss will stay with me always
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein Ii, Sigmund Romberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
iblskeith
Where are the songs with melody today?