# Round Two: La Donna 'e mobile: Corelli, Di Stefano, McCormack, Gigli



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)




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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

My hero Corelli doesn’t make it as a cad. He simply is too loud here, rarely varying his tone, except for the _diminuendi_ which are spectacular. His cadenza was quite good, with an interpolated high D (?) and a final note held too long. 

This should’ve been di Stefano’s _métier _but, he disagrees with the conductor at times and is also a bit too stentorian. He holds the final high note a bit longer for the audience. I wanted more elegance from him.

McCormack’s light, beautiful voice sounds wrong for this aria and he takes too many liberties with note values and _tempo _and distorts the shape of some phrases. I didn’t like it, though he does have the elegance.

I’m giving it to Gigli, who sings with the necessary _élan _and playfulness with the words, though he indulges in too many aspirates. The last note was not quite pretty but was held too long.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Corelli began by persuading me to forgive him his more annoying mannerisms, launching this in a vigorous, straightforward way, though more aggressively than elegantly. His diminuendo is famous, and of course he obliges here, as many tenors do. Alas, his cadenza is a garbled mess, gratuitous extra high note and all, putting him swiftly out of the running. I guess I've never heard Corelli sing scales before, and if that's what he's trying to do here he is certainly doing something else.

Di Stefano has more ducal charm, though at moments he's a bit more labored than I expected. His cadenza is no great shakes either, but at least we can tell what he intends. I suspect this isn't his best rendition.

McCormack bests both of the previous gents technically, but I don't care for the extreme slowing of the tempo, and what he does in place of the customary cadenza is rather disappointing. And why does the orchestra act as if there's going to be a third verse? I didn't hear anyone yell "Encore!"

I rather expected Gigli to outcharm the others, and he does. But - can it be? - he too makes a mess of the cadenza. What gives here? I'd have thought these oldsters more thoroughly trained.

With a determined effort not to hear in my head the elegant beauty of Schipa or the sheer completeness of Caruso, whose heroic voice explodes into pyrotechnic scales like the Fourth of July, I'll settle here for the charm of Gigli and hope for better luck in the next group of tenors. Who knew this little ditty was so hard to bring off?

P.S. I've just recalled a word coined by a singer friend of mine to describe poorly executed scales: "meliserable." That's good. You musicians should like it. The rest of you can look up "melisma."


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I'm beginning to think the less you mess around with this piece the better. When you think about its dramatic function it's best if the tenor sings it simply and doesn't try to be too "arty" with it. No doubt its very popularity is one of the reasons tenors try to make it more interesting with tempo and dynamic fluctuations, but, by and large it's better left alone.

All of these fall into the trap of over-interpreting or over-elaborating, but I thought Gigli, apart from a rather scrappy candenza came closest to capturing that essential simplicity. I thought I'd be going with Di Stefano, but he is a good deal better on ther Serafin complete recording (probably because of Serafin). He's not the most elegant of Dukes but, my word, you understand why Gilda (and all the other women) are so charmed by him. That doesn't come across quite so well here.

Corelli, and this is something I've often noted about his singing, just sounds angry and McCormack too effete.

Gigli by default.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Good glory. Would you believe none of them? Each had some kind of flaw. I was so close to DiStefano but he was singing ever so slightly off-key (a la Tebaldi) but I liked his quality of singing the best. 
If I could have liked the voice of McCormack, he would have had first place hands down with his very natural way with a musical line, as did Gigli. Of course they all liked showing off who could diminuendo the best and we know that Corelli's school is hard to beat there.
Putting all together, and though I have heard Gigli's voice richer than this, I am giving it to him because he knows about nuance and treating the line with an extra Caruso-like turn.
By default, it's Gigli for me even though I iked DiStefano;s voice better but was not thrilled with his lack of musical line and off-key singing.. Corelli has always sounded like he just woke up in the morning and decided to sing while stretching.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> Good glory. Would you believe none of them? Each had some kind of flaw. I was so close to DiStefano but he was singing ever so slightly off-key (a la Tebaldi) but I liked his quality of singing the best.
> If I could have liked the voice of McCormack, he would have had first place hands down with his very natural way with a musical line, as did Gigli. Of course they all liked showing off who could diminuendo the best and we know that Corelli's school is hard to beat there.
> Putting all together, and though I have heard Gigli's voice richer than this, I am giving it to him because he knows about nuance and treating the line with an extra Caruso-like turn.
> By default, it's Gigli for me even though I iked DiStefano;s voice better but was not thrilled with his lack of musical line and off-key singing.. Corelli has always sounded like he just woke up in the morning and decided to sing while stretching.


I just read the other comments and was astounded at how close they came to mine but also taken aback that, what stood out for me, they never even commented on -- Di Stefano's off-key (just ever so slight) singing which drove me up the wall. I always find myself pushing up with my hands trying to help them get there.
Anyway, Gigli by default. (for once I guess I left my comfy corner and went with the masses)


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

For me this ticks all the squares. Simple and to the point and voice? Gorgeous.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Has anyone else noted the odd displacement of verbal emphasis in the phrase "La donna e mobile"? In speech the article "la" would be a short upbeat to "DON-na," but as set to the music it's on a downbeat, the first downbeat at that. If Italian isn't our native language and we've known the aria for years we may not find this jarring, but I wonder how much Verdi hesitated before deciding to set it this way rather than modify either tune or text.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> I just read the other comments and was astounded at how close they came to mine but also taken aback that, what stood out for me, they never even commented on -- Di Stefano's off-key (just ever so slight) singing which drove me up the wall. I always find myself pushing up with my hands trying to help them get there.


Di Stefano is indeed flat in several places, painfully so in the final bars, which sound quite desperate. The noise he makes there reminds me of a review I read decades ago of his collection of Neapolitan songs, in which the reviewer made a cruel but amusing distinction between singers and tenors.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Di Stefano is indeed flat in several places, painfully so in the final bars, which sound quite desperate. The noise he makes there reminds me of a review I read decades ago of his collection of Neapolitan songs, in which the reviewer made a cruel but amusing distinction between singers and tenors.


In the live Mexico *Rigoletto *from 1952 with Callas (the only time she sang Gilda on stage) he finishes _La donna e mobile _almost half a tone flat, but gets a terrfic reception and is forced to encore it. He's still flat the second time through!


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Has anyone else noted the odd displacement of verbal emphasis in the phrase "La donna e mobile"? In speech the article "la" would be a short upbeat to "DON-na," but as set to the music it's on a downbeat, the first downbeat at that. If Italian isn't our native language and we've known the aria for years we may not find this jarring, but I wonder how much Verdi hesitated before deciding to set it this way rather than modify either tune or text.


That is a good point. I'd never thought of it before, but it does scan oddly.


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## ALT (Mar 1, 2021)

My very own personal problem, I know, but the showboating and ubiquitousness of the piece has turned me tone deaf to it. If I am not witnessing a live performance of the work, I usually skip it. Hell, I skip “Caro nome”, too, if I can. Can’t stomach either. I have fantasized of Verdi never having written either or having altogether withheld them from the work. I feel the same, by the way, about “Nessun dorma”. The Traviata Brindisi is another. Just my ¢.04.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Tsaraslondon said:


> In the live Mexico *Rigoletto *from 1952 with Callas (the only time she sang Gilda on stage) he finishes _La donna e mobile _almost half a tone flat, but gets a terrfic reception and is forced to encore it. He's still flat the second time through!


It's tough being a tenor. I was always more of a tenor wannabe than the real thing, happier inside the staff than above it. Empathy makes me more forgiving of bad high notes than bad musicianship.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

I'm scared to confess, but I'm not a tenor fan. In my theater they rarely sound well and I attend opera to listen to Rigolettos and Gildas, not Dukes. Despite all the great names here, my personal preferences didn't interfere with my choice unlike sopranos and mezzos contests. In addition, the most tenor characters are annoying. The Duke is a little less idiot than others, but... Maybe I envy the beauty and the attractiveness and, from recent times, the youth. 
Gigli seemes to me almost perfect.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I am such a tenor lover first and foremost that I actually dropped some big bucks for a Rigoletto which I actually disliked from a production that, except for a fine performance from Piotr Beczala, the Gilda (Rosa Feola) was so miscast that I needeed to clean my whistle and see that damned production again on December 8th, 2022, so that I could have the pleasure of hearing a superb tenor Benjamin Bernheim and a wonderful soprano Lisette Oropesa, both who were singing ther roles together for that 1 night only (all other nights were with Feola!)
I also adore a good Caro Nome when done right. I hope I am rewarded for my empty purse and my long drive to the Big Apple.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I love Corelli and for no reason other than that he just had a supremely glorious voice! However, his vulgar oversinging of this aria is too much even for Manua's narcissistic Duke.

I'm glad we get Di Stefano and his version is much better than Corelli's. He shows how to sing out with the "look at me" swagger that's needed for the role and goes as far as you can with the aria without inducing cringe. Simply superb!

McCormack's is odd. He sings nicely, if too plainly, but there are some odd turns of phrase and his over used rubati are bizarre. I might even prefer Corelli.

I've never got into Gigli and so I was interested in comparing him and it's very good.I don't particularly warm to his voice, but there's no doubt that he's superb musicality and technique are captivating. He is a close runner up to Di Stefano as although he is more stylish and tasteful, Di Stefano fits the part better. (I expect that Gigli will win though.)

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Di Stefano is indeed flat in several places, painfully so in the final bars, which sound quite desperate. The noise he makes there reminds me of a review I read decades ago of his collection of Neapolitan songs, in which the reviewer made a cruel but amusing distinction between singers and tenors.


I imagine that was a review of the songs he recorded for Decca in 1965 (his earlier recordings for EMI are among the best albums of Neapolitan song and he has the best Neapolitan of any singer not from that city). People criticise Corelli's French, but I guess far fewer people are familiar with Neapolitan dialect otherwise there would be far more comments about Pavarotti's miserable attempts at singing in it.

Caruso will always be the go to tenor for this rep (being from Naples being only part of the reason), but Di Stefano would be my choice for singers post 1950 in that rep.

N.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

The Conte said:


> I imagine that was a review of the songs he recorded for Decca in 1965
> N.


Yes, it would have been a review in High Fidelity or Stereo Review during my high school years.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ColdGenius said:


> I'm scared to confess, but I'm not a tenor fan. In my theater they rarely sound well and I attend opera to listen to Rigolettos and Gildas, not Dukes. Despite all the great names here, my personal preferences didn't interfere with my choice unlike sopranos and mezzos contests. In addition, the most tenor characters are annoying. The Duke is a little less idiot than others, but... Maybe I envy the beauty and the attractiveness and, from recent times, the youth.
> Gigli seemes to me almost perfect.


I know how you feel, in general. I've become fonder of the middle-range voices, mezzo-sopranos and baritones, than of sopranos and tenors. Undoubtedly I'm less suseptible than many people to the gooseflesh factor. But truly great tenor singing, combining vocal beauty and superior musicality, is a phenomenon made more precious by its rarity.


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