# Great male singers of the past



## schigolch

*Sergei Lemeshev (1902 - 1977)*


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## TxllxT

Actually today my wife and I were comparing the legendary voice of Sergei Lemeshev with Oleg Pogudin, when they both sing Russian romances. Lemeshev has been said to be by far the best performer of these songs, but indeed: he is being outclassed by Oleg Pogudin, who has a Russian tenor voice (always some typical inward nasality to be noticed like with Dmitri Hvorostovsky) with unbelievable versality. I hope Pogudin will turn one day to opera as well!


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## schigolch

*Miguel Fleta (1897 - 1938)*


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## MAuer

Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966)
Probably Germany's greatest tenor of the post-war period.


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## sospiro

Boris Christoff (May 18, 1914 - June 28, 1993) One of my favourite singers.


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## Almaviva

He certainly didn't look the part, but he could sing it:

(starts at 1'55")


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## schigolch

*Fernando de Lucia (1860 - 1925)*


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## schigolch

*Hans Hotter (1909 - 2003)*


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## schigolch

*Lauritz Melchior (1890 - 1973)*


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## GoneBaroque

Aksel Schiøtz (Tenor)
1906 - 1975









Although he was not primarily noted as an opera singer Aksel (Hauch) Schiøtz must certainly be consider one of the foremost male singers of the twentieth century as well as one of the most intelligent. Schiøtz, was born September 1, 1906 in Roskilde near Copenhagen. At the urging of his father who was an architect he enrolled at the University of Copenhagen in modern languages studies, receiving M.A. in 1929, and became a teacher He studied singing, first at the Danish Royal Opera School in Copenhagen and later in Stockholm with John Forsell, who was the teacher of Jussi Björling.

Aksel Schiøtz gave his first song recital in 1936. His operatic debut followed in 1939 as Ferrando in Così fan tutte at the Royal Danish Theater in Copenhagen, and he soon gained wide recognition as a Mozartean and as a Lieder artist. In 1938 he was discovered by the recording company His Master's Voice. In 1940 Denmark was seized by Hitler and Aksel's International activities had to be postponed. During the years of the war and the Nazi Occupation he sang in the Scandinavian countries and actively participated in the Danish Resistance.

After the conclusion of the war he was able to resume his career and in 1946 he made appearances in England. He was invited to record Die schöne Müllerin and Dichterliebe with Gerald Moore. He also appeared opposite Kathleen Ferrier in the first performances of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia at Glyndebourne. Because of his successful recordings, he became one of the best-loved classical singers. His recorded output encompasses eleven CDs.

In 1946 Schiøtz survived an operation for a tumour of the acoustic nerve which left the right hand side of his face partly paralysed. He succeeded by sheer will-power to sing in a comeback recital in 1948. His career was again halted when in 1950 he developed a brain tumor which led to an impairment of his speech. However, he regained his capacities as a singer and gave concerts as a baritone

In 1955 Aksel Schiøtz entered a new career as a teacher for voice in Minnesota, Toronto, Colorado and Copenhagen. He was highly regarded as an excellent one. During this time he also gave master classes in the USA. Aksel Schiøtz died in Copenhagen on April 19, 1975

Beginning with Il mio tesoro from Don Giovann






My favorite recording of every Valley from Messiah with English to shame many native singers.






seven songs from Dichterliebe by Robert Schumann






In a lighter vein; notice again the almost perfect English pronunciation.






and finally four Brahms Lieder from 1960 when Schiøtz was singing as a baritone






Sorry to be so long but I am passionate about this singer. By the way I have all 11 of the CDs in 10 volumes. His Die schöne Müllerin which he recorded twice, is perhaps the best ever, but one can't include everything.

Rob


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## Aksel

GoneBaroque said:


> Aksel Schiøtz (Tenor)
> 1906 - 1975
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Although he was not primarily noted as an opera singer Aksel (Hauch) Schiøtz must certainly be consider one of the foremost male singers of the twentieth century as well as one of the most intelligent. Schiøtz, was born September 1, 1906 in Roskilde near Copenhagen. At the urging of his father who was an architect he enrolled at the University of Copenhagen in modern languages studies, receiving M.A. in 1929, and became a teacher He studied singing, first at the Danish Royal Opera School in Copenhagen and later in Stockholm with John Forsell, who was the teacher of Jussi Björling.
> 
> Aksel Schiøtz gave his first song recital in 1936. His operatic debut followed in 1939 as Ferrando in Così fan tutte at the Royal Danish Theater in Copenhagen, and he soon gained wide recognition as a Mozartean and as a Lieder artist. In 1938 he was discovered by the recording company His Master's Voice. In 1940 Denmark was seized by Hitler and Aksel's International activities had to be postponed. During the years of the war and the Nazi Occupation he sang in the Scandinavian countries and actively participated in the Danish Resistance.
> 
> After the conclusion of the war he was able to resume his career and in 1946 he made appearances in England. He was invited to record Die schöne Müllerin and Dichterliebe with Gerald Moore. He also appeared opposite Kathleen Ferrier in the first performances of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia at Glyndebourne. Because of his successful recordings, he became one of the best-loved classical singers. His recorded output encompasses eleven CDs.
> 
> In 1946 Schiøtz survived an operation for a tumour of the acoustic nerve which left the right hand side of his face partly paralysed. He succeeded by sheer will-power to sing in a comeback recital in 1948. His career was again halted when in 1950 he developed a brain tumor which led to an impairment of his speech. However, he regained his capacities as a singer and gave concerts as a baritone
> 
> In 1955 Aksel Schiøtz entered a new career as a teacher for voice in Minnesota, Toronto, Colorado and Copenhagen. He was highly regarded as an excellent one. During this time he also gave master classes in the USA. Aksel Schiøtz died in Copenhagen on April 19, 1975
> 
> Rob


Wow! What an amazing voice!


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## amfortas

Aksel said:


> Wow! What an amazing voice!


I agree. And my name isn't even "Aksel."


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## schigolch

*Alfredo Kraus (1927 - 1999)*


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## BalloinMaschera

*Nicolai Herlea* My favorite (non-Wagnerian) baritone by far. He would have been so much better known, had it not been for the Iron Curtain. He had such a great voice, perfect for the Italian canon. While he sang opposite Sutherland and Caballe, he never sang opposite Callas, as she unfortunately cancelled these performances (Tosca). He recorded extensively with Electrecord; most of which are available today. Live Met recordings exist of his Lucia with Sutherland and Don Carlo with Franco Corelli (what a pair!). He (deservedly) still has a very loyal following of fans.

Do check him out on youtube!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Herlea
http://www.cantabile-subito.de/Baritones/Herlea__Nicolae/herlea__nicolae.html
www.nicolaeherlea.com


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## schigolch

*Tancredi Pasero (1893 - 1983)*


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## schigolch

*Tito Schipa (1888 - 1965)*


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## schigolch

*Georges Thill (1897 - 1984)*


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## amfortas

*Wolfgang Windgassen (1914 - 1974)*








​Never the most attractive of voices, but an intelligent, dynamic performer. He was *the* heldentenor of his generation, featured on several classic Wagner recordings. By overlooking a snub and agreeing to step in at the last minute to replace the younger, stronger-voiced, but inept singer initially chosen over him, he single-handedly saved the Solti Ring cycle.


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## sabrina

Golden age:
Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 - 29 October 2003)
Tito Gobbi (24 October 1913 - 5 March 1984
Giuseppe Di Stefano (24 July 1921 - 3 March 2008)
Enrico Caruso (February 25, 1873 - August 2, 1921)
Giacomo Lauri-Volpi (December 11, 1892-March 17, 1979)
Aureliano Pertile (9 November 1885, Montagnana - 11 January 1952)
Beniamino Gigli (March 20, 1890 - November 30, 1957)
Johan Jonatan Björling (5 February 1911 - 9 September 1960)

One of my favorites:






Here are some other videos:


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## sabrina

Some more videos:
Amazing Caruso in 1904:






Frits:






Di Stefano


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## schigolch

Let's go one by one in each post...


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## sabrina

Nicolae Herlea (b. 28 August 1927, Bucharest), great baritone:


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## BalloinMaschera

sabrina said:


> Nicolae Herlea (b. 28 August 1927, Bucharest), great baritone:


I mentioned Herlea on page 1 of the thread, already... thanks for reminding everyone in your own posting- he's just *so *good!


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe de Luca (1876 - 1950)*


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## MAuer

sabrina said:


> Some more videos:
> Frits:


It's hard to imagine that there was ever a better Tamino than Wunderlich (even including the great Jonas K.).


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## schigolch

*Feodor Chaliapin (1873 - 1938)*


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## schigolch

I received a call from a friend, and did not check the information in this post. Sorry.


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## schigolch

*Cornell MacNeil (1922 - 2011)*


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## Operafocus

Robert Merrill (June 4, 1917 - October 23, 2004) and Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913 - January 8, 1975)






Also, I can't shake off my soft-spot for Mario Lanza (January 31, 1921 - October 7, 1959)


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## schigolch

*Helge Rosvaenge (1897 - 1972)*


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## GoneBaroque

Thank you for posting Rosvaegne's glorious voice. I especially appreciate the pianissimo at the end of Celeste Aida. I have three CD's by him and especially love his In Fernem Land and the aria from Le Postilion which may be even better than Gedda's. I also have a two LP set of his farewell concerts in Carnagie Hall at the age of 65. I believe it was the only time he sang in New York. Another fantastic artist from Denmark.


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## sabrina

BalloinMaschera said:


> I mentioned Herlea on page 1 of the thread, already... thanks for reminding everyone in your own posting- he's just *so *good!


I was happy to find Herlea as your mention on page 1. He had a great voice, what a pity he lived inside that stupid iron curtain.


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## schigolch

*Francesco Merli (1887 - 1976)*


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## schigolch

*Ernest Blanc (1923 - 2010)*


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## Operafocus

*Giacomo Lauri Volpi sings "Nessun dorma" from Turandot at the age of 80.*






This is just amazing - and the way he nearly falls over after doing the high note is adorable 

*And at 85 doing "La Donna e Mobile"*





...getting *really* excited, but does the bleedin' top note!


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## Operafocus

*Lauri Volpi in his younger days, for those not familiar*


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## schigolch

*Carlo Bergonzi (1924 - )*


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## schigolch

*Mattia Battistini (1856 - 1928)*


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## schigolch

*Nicolai Ghiaurov (1929 - 2004)*


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## GoneBaroque

Here is Nicolai Ghiaurov having some fun with a Russian song


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## GoneBaroque

IGOR GORIN 1904 - 1982​
One of my Favorite Baritones:


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## schigolch

*Mario del Monaco (1915 - 1982)*


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## schigolch

*Anton Dermota (1910 - 1989)*


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## MAuer

The great Sherrill Milnes. Unfortunately, I think he must be included in this list of great male singers of the past since -- as far as I know -- he is no longer actively performing.


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## schigolch

*Luciano Pavarotti (1935 - 2007)*


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## Operafocus




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## schigolch

*Giovanni Martinelli (1885 - 1969)*


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## schigolch

*Jaume Aragall (1939 - )*


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## schigolch

I was just listening to this wonderful CD:










and suddenly I wondered that the real pity is not that there is no singing like this any more, but rather that the art of the Verdi baritone is so forgotten, that part of the audience won't really appreciate this, if by some miracle we could watch it again on stage.

We don't even need italian, in order to listen a true Verdi baritone:

*Pavel Lisitsian (1911 - 2004)*


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## schigolch

*Vanni-Marcoux (1887 - 1962)*


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## schigolch

*Mario Filippeschi (1907 - 1979)*


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## SalieriIsInnocent

*Cesare Siepi (1923 - 2010)









*


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## schigolch

*Jon Vickers (1926 - )*


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## schigolch

*Marcel Wittrisch (1901 - 1955)*


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## Operafocus

re: Marcel Wittrisch; Very heroic voice on "In fernem land"! Another one who died young, I see


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## schigolch

*Ezio Pinza (1892 - 1957)*


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## schigolch

*Riccardo Stracciari (1876 - 1955)*


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## schigolch

*Leonard Warren (1911 - 1960)*


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## sospiro

schigolch said:


> *Leonard Warren (1911 - 1960)*


Thank you schigolch. What a tragedy that he should die so young.


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## schigolch

*José Mardones (1869 - 1932)*


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## schigolch

*Beno Blachut (1913 - 1985)*


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## Operafocus

sospiro said:


> Thank you schigolch. What a tragedy that he should die so young.


Was he the one who died on stage?


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## AnaMendoza

Operafocus said:


> Was he the one who died on stage?


On the stage of the Met, singing La Forza del Destino.


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## schigolch

*Alfred Deller (1912 - 1979)*


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## Operafocus

AnaMendoza said:


> On the stage of the Met, singing La Forza del Destino.


The irony of it...!


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## GoneBaroque

As I recall the final aria he sung immediately before he died contained the words which translated as 
'it is a glorious thing to die". Talk about irony


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## schigolch

*Charles Panzéra (1896 - 1976)*


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## HarpsichordConcerto

OK, it's a movie and the voice is synthesized. But you get the idea.


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Anselmi (1876 - 1929)*


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## schigolch

*Ferruccio Tagliavini (1913 - 1995)*


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## schigolch

*Titta Ruffo (1877 - 1953)*


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## schigolch

*Richard Tauber (1891 - 1948)*


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## Operafocus

*Mario Lanza: 1923 to 1959*

God, I love Mario Lanza! Some snobs will still insist on not calling him "a proper opera singer", but personally... I could argue this case forever, so I'll stop there 

*La donna e mobile*





*Che gelida manina*





*Ave Maria*


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## GoneBaroque

Despite his having received a very small amount of musical training Lanza had arguably the finest natural tenor voice of all time.


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## schigolch

*Piero Cappuccilli (1926 - 2005)*


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## schigolch

*Léopold Simoneau (1916 - 2006)*


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## schigolch

*Ivan Kozlovsky (1900 - 1993)*


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## schigolch

*Georgy Nelepp (1904 - 1957)*


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## sospiro

*Francesco Tamagno 1850 - 1905*

Sang Gabriele Adorno in the première of the 1881 version of Simon Boccanegra.

In the Boccanegra opera guide, it says Tito Ricordi complained that because of Tamagno's power, beauty & clarity of tone the firm did badly on the sale of libretti on Tamagno nights as nobody bothered to buy one.


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## schigolch

*Antonio Cortis (1891 - 1952)*


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Taddei (1916 - 2010)*


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## schigolch

*Fernand Ansseau (1890 - 1972)*


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## mamascarlatti

sospiro said:


> *Francesco Tamagno 1850 - 1905*
> 
> Sang Gabriele Adorno in the première of the 1881 version of Simon Boccanegra.
> 
> In the Boccanegra opera guide, it says Tito Ricordi complained that because of Tamagno's power, beauty & clarity of tone the firm did badly on the sale of libretti on Tamagno nights as nobody bothered to buy one.


Isn't that wonderful? I'm listening to Louise at the moment and for once I understand every word and don't need the libretto either. Makes a change!


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## sospiro

mamascarlatti said:


> Isn't that wonderful? I'm listening to Louise at the moment and for once I understand every word and don't need the libretto either. Makes a change!


Is that the one with Domingo as Julien?


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## mamascarlatti

sospiro said:


> Is that the one with Domingo as Julien?


That's the one.


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## schigolch

*Hipólito Lázaro (1887 - 1974)*


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## schigolch

*Mark Reizen (1895 - 1992)*


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## schigolch

*Salvatore Baccaloni (1900 - 1969)*


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## schigolch

*James King (1925 - 2005)*


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## GoneBaroque

Interesting to hear the prompters voice so plainly in the Lohengrin. two well done performances by a tenor who seems almost forgotten as far as I can see.


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## schigolch

*Nicolai Gedda (1925 -)*


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## sospiro

schigolch said:


> *Nicolai Gedda (1925 -)*


I really like him. Coincidentally have just ordered this from Market Place.


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## GoneBaroque

That was the first complete opera recording I purchased when it initially came out on LP. Still have it, still love it. The ohly other Faust by Gounod I have is a CD of a performance by the Metropolitan Opera with Richard Crooks, Helen Jepson, Ezio Pinza and Leonard Warren. The conductor is Wilfred Pelletier and it is from the Boston Opera House in 1940.

So, with that here is the great American Tenor Richard Crooks

Richard Crooks (1900-1972)


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## schigolch

*Josef Greindl (1912 - 1993)*


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## schigolch

*George London (1920 - 1985)*


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## sospiro

Thank you schigolch. Have just listened to the Prince Igor - fabulous.


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## Operafocus

schigolch said:


> [/CENTER]


I loooove this! Gedda is ace! Actually watching him on Youtube giving lessons is quite fun.


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## GoneBaroque

sospiro said:


> Thank you schigolch. Have just listened to the Prince Igor - fabulous.


George London was fabulous, it is too bad his career was shortened by illness. A story about London; when Columbia Records decided to record him as Boris it is said that they took a recording by Mark Riesen and dubbed London's voice over Riesen's. Talk about cost cutting.


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## GoneBaroque

Operafocus said:


> I loooove this! Gedda is ace! Actually watching him on Youtube giving lessons is quite fun.


Did you see the posting I made on the Happy Birthday thread in July for his birthday of Gedda singing at the age of 80?


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## Operafocus

GoneBaroque said:


> Did you see the posting I made on the Happy Birthday thread in July for his birthday of Gedda singing at the age of 80?


I DID! Gotta love it!


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## myaskovsky2002

*other Russian singers*

Leonid Sobinov






Ivan Kozlovsky (il barbiere di Seviglia in Russian)


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## GoneBaroque

Sergej Larin (1956 - 2008)








The splendid Latvian Tenor whose voice was silenced at the too early age of 51.


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## Operafocus

What exactly did he die of...? Anyone know?


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## GoneBaroque

Operafocus said:


> What exactly did he die of...? Anyone know?


I am not certain of the cause of death but I understand he had been fighting a blood infection.


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Borgatti (1871 - 1950)*


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## schigolch

*Mario Basiola (1892 - 1965)*


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## ooopera

*Carlo Cossutta (1932 - 2000)*


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## schigolch

*Martti Talvela (1935 - 1989)*


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## schigolch

*Dino Borgioli (1892 - 1965)*


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## schigolch

*Heinrich Schlusnus (1888 - 1952)*


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## schigolch

*José Luccioni (1903 - 1978)*


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## GoneBaroque

[Owen Brannigan (1908 - 1973)







A native of the Newcastle area English Bass Owen Brannigan was noted for his appearances in comic roles at Sadler's Wells Opera, Glyndebourne and Covent Garden particularly in Mozart and Britten operas, as well as enjoying an extensive recital and oratorio career. He recorded many of his roles in Benjamin Brittens operas with the composer and appeared in several Gilbert and Sullivan operetta recordings His voice was praised for its forthright nobility


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## schigolch

*Antonio Paoli (1871 - 1946)*


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## schigolch

*Anthony Rolfe Johnson (1940 - 2010)*


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## schigolch

*Carlo Galeffi (1882 - 1961)*


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## schigolch

*Pedro Lavirgen (1930 - )*


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## Operafocus

I think this is particularly good as well!


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## schigolch

*Pasquale Amato (1878 - 1942)*


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## schigolch

*Peter Anders (1908 - 1954)*


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## schigolch

*Georgy Baklanov (1880 - 1938)*


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## schigolch

*Nazzareno de Angelis (1881 - 1962)*


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## schigolch

*Peter Pears (1910 - 1986)*


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## schigolch

*Miguel Villabella (1892 - 1954)*


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## schigolch

*Alessandro Bonci (1870 - 1940)*


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## schigolch

*Gottlob Frick (1906 - 1994)*


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## schigolch

*Rockwell Blake (1951 -)*


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## BalloinMaschera

*MARCEL CORDES (1920- 1992)*

He must rank as one (if not the) of Germany's best post WWII Verdi Baritones.

apologies, the wikipedia article is in german:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Cordes

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=330431

http://vocal-classics.com/advanced_...bbbc9adbb9ffae6ac685bd&keywords=marcel+cordes


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## schigolch

*Alain Vanzo (1928 - 2002)*


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## schigolch

*Max Lorenz (1901 - 1975)*


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## schigolch

*Gino Bechi (1913 - 1993)*


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## schigolch

*René Kollo (1937 -)*


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## schigolch

*John McCormack (1884 - 1945)*


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## BalloinMaschera

John McCormack ... the master of breath control!


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## schigolch

*José Carreras (1946 -)*


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## BalloinMaschera

Carreras, especially the young to mid-career Carreras was superb. What a voice.


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## GoneBaroque

Thomas Stewart (1928 - 2006)​











and singing with his wife Evelyn Lear in Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala, 10/22/83


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## schigolch

*Philip Langridge (1939 - 2010)*


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## schigolch

*Karl Erb (1877 - 1958)*


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## Operafocus

GoneBaroque said:


>


That's some lovely Wagner singing. Coming from me (a Wagnerphobe), that's quite...!


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## GoneBaroque

Stewart took a more lyrical approach to Wagner. He also performed a good bit of lieder (often with his wife) as did another great Wagner Baritone Hans Hotter.


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## schigolch

*Joseph Schmidt (1904 - 1942)*


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## schigolch

*Franz Völker (1899 - 1965)*


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## BalloinMaschera

Joseph Schmidt of course died far too young and entirely tragically, a victim of the Third Reich.

http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/places/camps/josef-schmidt/


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## BalloinMaschera

Karl Erb- once married to the exceptional Maria Ivogün (stellar as Queen of the Nigh and Strauss's favorite Zerbinetta, and mentor to Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Rita Streich, Renate Holm), was perhaps the best Bach St Matthews Evangelist of all times.


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## schigolch

*Leo Slezak (1873 - 1946)*


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## GoneBaroque

Aage Haugland (1944 -2000)








Anne Howells (Octavian) and Aage Haugland (Baron Ochs) perform in Strauss Der Rosenkavalier






and joining fellow Dane, Tonny Landy in the First Act Duet from Don Pasquale


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## schigolch

*Ramón Vinay (1911 - 1996)*


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## schigolch

*Ezio Flagello (1931 - 2009)*


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## GoneBaroque

David Ward (1922 - 1983)








From a live performance of Rheingold at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1965. With Josephine Veasey as Fricka.






Scottish Bass David Ward as Veit Pogner from Wagner's Meistersinger. Conducted by Georg Solti, Covent Garden, 1969






Evelyn Lear and David Ward sing an excerpt from Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle


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## schigolch

*Ettore Bastianini (1922 - 1967)*


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## BalloinMaschera

Ward was often underestimated; fortunately, Leinsdorf chose him as his Hunding for his Walkuere recording, opposite Vickers, Brouwensteijn, Gorr and Nilsson.


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## GoneBaroque

Not only underestimated, but unfortunately under recorded. I recall reading the story of a man walking down a London street. He turned a corner and came face to face with David Ward. He remarked "I thought I had confronted the face of God". and indeed there was a godlike nobility in his voice. He died in New Zealand where he moved after his retirement.


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## GoneBaroque

Alberto Remedios (1935 - ) ​
The English born Tenor performed in many of the world's leading operatic venues, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Seattle, Frankfurt, San Francisco and Buenos Aires. A remarkable occasion in his career was when Remedios, despite a slight chest infection, and due to the illness of another singer, played the roles of both Siegmund in Die Walküre, the title role in Siegfried, and also Siegfried in Götterdämmerung, within a complete cycle of the Ring during one week. He has lived in retirement in Australia since 1999.










as Siegfried at Seattle Opera​


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## schigolch

*Sesto Bruscantini (1919 - 2003)*


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## schigolch

*Vicente Sardinero (1937 - 2002)*


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## ooopera

*Ingvar Wixell*
(May 7, 1931 - October 8, 2011)

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/the-baritone-ingvar-wixell-has-died


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## schigolch

*Enzo de Muro Lomanto (1902 - 1952)*


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## schigolch

*Walter Berry (1929 - 2000)*


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## BalloinMaschera

*de Muro Lomanto*- what a voice!...so much control... is there really any one around today, who can sing remotely like that? ... shame he never got as much attention as his wife...


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## schigolch

*Alejandro Granda (1898 - 1962)*


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## schigolch

*Alexander Sved (1906 - 1979)*


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## BalloinMaschera

*Sved *had a BIG voice; I have admired his Wotan Farewell for years now, even if his German a tad unidiomatic, the voice itself is so rich.


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## schigolch

*Cesare Valletti (1922 - 2000)*


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Borgatti (1871 - 1950)*


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Danise (1883 - 1963)*


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## schigolch

*Ludwig Weber (1899 - 1979)*


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## schigolch

*Rolando Panerai (1924 -)*


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## schigolch

*Nikolai Figner (1857 - 1918)*


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## BalloinMaschera

NF- he was truly something else. Incidentally, his wife, Medea Mei-Figner, created the role of Tchaikovsky's Lisa in _The Queen of Spades_ and also Iolanta.


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## schigolch

*Gianni Raimondi (1923 - 2008)*


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## schigolch

*Francisco Araiza (1950 -)*


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## BalloinMaschera

*FA *was particularly popular in Germany and still has a very loyal (and increasingly nostalgic) following, there.


----------



## schigolch

*Italo Tajo (1915 - 1993)*


----------



## schigolch

*Zurab Andjaparidze (1928 - 1997)*


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## schigolch

*Lev Klementiev (1868-1910)*


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## BalloinMaschera

LK- a real spinto tenor, who sometimes applied "creative" phrasing


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## schigolch

*Hermann Prey (1929 - 1998)*


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## schigolch

*Marcel Journet (1867 - 1933)*


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## schigolch

*André D'Arkor (1901 - 1971)*


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## GoneBaroque

Rolf Bjorling (1928 1993)








Rolf Bjorling was the eldest son of Jussi Bjorling, born sans wedlock when Jussi was 17. Started late in his career he did not sing his first role until the age of 34. He performed in Europe, Canada and the United States before spending 21 years as a member of the Kungliga Opera in Stockholm. Among his roles were Tosca, La Boheme, Aida, Turandot, Pagliacci and Rigoletto. He also sang in the official memorial concert for his father in 1985. He retired in 1985 and died of a heart attack in 1993.






From the 1985 Memorial concert





Dein ist mein ganzes Herz' from Lehar's 'Land of Smiles





and as Canio


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## schigolch

*Carlo Tagliabue (1898 - 1978)*


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## BalloinMaschera

C Tagliabue- I know I did not give him the best of reviews for his Germont in the Traviata thread, but he was a great singer. His Renato (Ballo) and Rigoletto in particular were wonderfully nuanced and detailed, while retaining beautiful phrasing, and stylish delivery.. and of course he is di Vargas in Marinuzzi's wonderful (and to me probably the best) Forza recording.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Verdi-Forza...2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1319791361&sr=1-2-fkmr1

or

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?site_id=CTRV&album_id=53262


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## schigolch

*Raoul Jobin (1906 - 1974)*


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## schigolch

*Matteo Manuguerra (1924 - 1998)*


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## schigolch

*Paul Schöffler (1897 - 1977)*


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## schigolch

*Aldo Protti (1920 - 1995)*


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## BalloinMaschera

*Protti* sometimes had an ungainly voice, but I think he still vastly under-rated. Unfortunately, most of his studio recordings do not capture him at his best. He was a terrific singer, for sure.


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## schigolch

*Lucien Muratore (1876 - 1954)*


----------



## schigolch

*Friedrich Schorr (1888 - 1953)*


----------



## schigolch

*Joseph Rogatchewsky (1891 - 1985)*


----------



## schigolch

*Adamo Didur (1873 - 1946)*


----------



## schigolch

*Emanuel List (1888 - 1967)*


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## Lucifer

For me Enrico Caruso is as good as any here.


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## schigolch

*Ugo Savarese (1912 - 1997)*


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## GoneBaroque

Sándor Kónya (1923- 2002)


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## schigolch

*Franco Bonisolli (1938 - 2003)*


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## GoneBaroque

​Gösta Winbergh (1943 - 2002)








A great tenor who specialized in Mozart and later in heavier dramatic and Wagnerian roles and was taken from us much too soon.


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## schigolch

*Lawrence Tibbett (1896 - 1960)*


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## schigolch

*Paul Cabanel (1891 - 1958)*


----------



## schigolch

*Ivan Petrov (1920 - 2003)*


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Giacomini (1940 -)*


----------



## schigolch

*Manuel Ausensi (1919 - 2005)*


----------



## schigolch

*Nicola Ghiuselev (1936 -)*


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## schigolch

*Tomás Alcaide (1901 - 1967)*


----------



## schigolch

*Aureliano Pertile (1885 - 1952)*


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## schigolch

*Julius Patzak (1898 - 1974)*


----------



## schigolch

*Luigi Alva (1927 -)*


----------



## schigolch

*Galliano Masini (1896 - 1986)*


----------



## schigolch

*Dano Raffanti (1948 -)*


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## GoneBaroque

Alexandr Bogdanovich (1874 - 1950)​
Romance of Sinodal from "Demon" by A. Rubinstein.


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## GoneBaroque

KURT BAUM (1900-1989)









Raoul's famous Act I aria from Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots






Celeste Aida from Aida by Giuseppe Verdi






A Studio recording followed by a live recording of Di rigori armato il seno from Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss


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## schigolch

Let's discuss some of the legendary Italian baritones active from late 19th century to the 1930s. A real Golden Age for the fach.










*Giuseppe Kaschmann* (1850-1925) started his singing career in 1876, as King Alphonse XI, in Donizetti's _La Favorita_. He was a big star in Italy and Spain, but he also sang in the MET, and even in Bayreuth, before going into retirement in 1922.

Kaschmann, dressed to sing Hamlet in the picture above, was widely recognized as a 'singer-actor', due to his modern approach to acting on stage, as opposed to more traditional singers of the period, like Mattia Battistini.

Let's hear Kaschmann as a Verdi baritone. There is great phrasing in "l'incanto ora disparve", while he is able to manage the final "e vincitor de' secoli" singing with forza but legato, as per Verdi's markings in the score. Kaschmann also changes the "o" for an "e" as the high note on "il nome mio" ("il neme mio", in his rendition). On the other hand, his vibrato would not be pleasant to some 21st century listeners, as well as his rather nasal touch.






And also in his signature role of Hamlet:


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## JCarmel

I've got Franco singing the Prince in a good performance of Turandot somewhere on video tape...a production from the Met. 
I was put-off by his wobble...more pronounced it seemed, in his latter years. But then, observation has taught me that most folks' wobbles are worse in their latter years?!!
Thanks for posting the clips...I need to return to hear them when Bruckner's 2nd has rumbled into the distance....


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## JCarmel

No, I wasn't so keen on Guiseppe's vibrato but he seems to cut a cute figure in tights...though definition is too-lacking in those historic old photographs to make definitive statement on the matter.....


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## JCarmel

Am sitting listening, with my friend, Mags... to Lawrence Tibbett ...me, with enthusiasm, she...less-so!..) and note that Lawrence was born a day before her birthday & died the day before mine....November 16th/ July 15th! 
Although I have heard him singing before, I'm not so keen on his singing in those two arias....he is too intense, too much of the time...a characteristic of the Scorpio type?!


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Pacini* (1860 - 1910) was born in Florence and his career was mainly in several second rate Italian theaters until he could sing at La Scala in 1895, where he would eventually premiere the roles of Douglas in _Guglielmo Ratcliff_ and Renzo, in _Silvano_, both operas written by Pietro Mascagni. His repertory was tipically Italian: Rigoletto, Amonasro, Carlo di Vargas, Barnaba, Riccardo (I Puritani), Enrico Ashton...

A clever singer, refined and with a good technique, but also able to transmit passion, the perfect mix for many verismo roles. His voice was of great quality, and he was able to reach with ease an A3.

Let's hear Pacini singing "Il balen del suo sorriso":


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## Revenant

Riccardo Stracciari, one of the greatest Verdian baritones of the 20th century and probably the greatest Rigoletto ever.


----------



## babsC

It is many years since I fell in Love with Boris Christoff. I would have loved to see him perform. His was one of my very first LP's.

I am no expert but he was wonderful I thought.


----------



## deggial

schigolch said:


> On the other hand, his vibrato would not be pleasant to some 21st century listeners, as well as his rather nasal touch.[/FONT]


I never completely understood people's complaints about too much vibrato until I heard this. Nice tone, though.


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## schigolch

*Antonio Magini-Coletti* (1855-1912) was the owner of a very beautiful voice, and also a flexible one, capable of singing buffo roles (Figaro, Belcore,..), Verdi's baritones (Amonasro, Conte di Luna,..) and dramatic characters (Pizarro, Wotan...). He debuted in 1880 and was the first Frank in Puccini's _Edgar_.

He died while still in active, at only 57 years old, but was able to record several of his more succesful roles.

This "Di Provenza", singing Verdi the Verdian way... Magini-Coletti discussed those roles with Verdi himself!:






Here, with Giannina Russ, in a duet Gilda-Rigoletto, recorded in 1905. Not the best quality of sound, clearly, but just a small window into 19th-century baritonal singing:


----------



## moody

deggial said:


> I never completely understood people's complaints about too much vibrato until I heard this. Nice tone, though.


This is perfect but I'm suspicious regarding the transfer speed.


----------



## moody

JCarmel said:


> Am sitting listening, with my friend, Mags... to Lawrence Tibbett ...me, with enthusiasm, she...less-so!..) and note that Lawrence was born a day before her birthday & died the day before mine....November 16th/ July 15th!
> Although I have heard him singing before, I'm not so keen on his singing in those two arias....he is too intense, too much of the time...a characteristic of the Scorpio type?!


I am sure that you are aware of the circumstances within these operas at the point of the extracts chosen.
I cannot understand how the singer could be too intense therefore, unless of course it makes him break his line or interferes with his actual singing.This then would end up with the sort of bluster so often produced by DFD for instance.
In the case of Tibbett this is not likely to happen and what you have here is an example of the baritone that Francis Robinson described as :"One of the greatest singing actors that America has produced". I think that we may safely extend that description beyond America.Incidentally "Eri Tu" was one of the audition pieces that got him a contract at the Met. I have hundreds of examples of this aria and you can't get much better.


----------



## JCarmel

I think that there must be some kind of a technical issue there...or else too great a recourse to the vino between 'waxings?!'


----------



## Revenant

babsC said:


> It is many years since I fell in Love with Boris Christoff. I would have loved to see him perform. His was one of my very first LP's.
> 
> I am no expert but he was wonderful I thought.


A fine actor too. One of my first recorded operas was the original mono (1955?) Cluytens recording of Faust. Some deprecated his French pronounciation and what they perceived as his over the top characterization. But those people 1. were just trying to show that they know French and that they're precious and, 2. didn't take into consideration that playing a devil from hell may justify a bit of perfervid thespianism. If you haven't already, catch his video clip of the death of Boris from a 1950s TV show. Still the best Boris, along with Mark Reizen, imo.


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## deggial

moody said:


> This is perfect but I'm suspicious regarding the transfer speed.


might well be. The interpretation is lovely.


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Campanari* (1855-1927) was born in Venice, and as a child he was a cello performer prodigy, being a member of the La Scala orchestra as a seventeen years old teenager. However, his real love was singing and he debuted in 1880, in the Verdian "Ballo". He kept both jobs during some time, until he finally decided to be a full time singer. His debut at the MET was in 1894, singing Il Conte di Luna, with Tamagno's Manrico. He sang more than 200 performances in New York, until his retirement, in 1912.

Before this retirement, he recorded some arias for Victor, of which we can hear a rather inward-looking performance of "Eri tu":






Or this rather more energetic rendition of Faust's "Dio Possente":


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## schigolch

*Mario Ancona* (1860-1931) was born in Livorno. He debuted relatively late, at 29 years old, singing Massenet's _Le Roi de Lahore_. However, his was a very swift and complete success. Three years later, in 1892, he was singing at the premiere of _Pagliacci_, as Silvio, under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. He was also a favourite of the Covent Garden, and the MET. He retired in 1916.

His main repertory was Verdi and Puccini, with the typical Belcanto baritone roles (Riccardo, Enrico), some Mozart (Figaro, Don Giovanni) and even some Wagner (Telramund, Hans Sachs,... sung in Italian), with the occasional French opera, mostly sung in Italian too.

Ancona's voice was magnificent. Very masculine and beautiful, with velvety overtones, uniform in all the range, fluid singing, very secure top notes until A3,... On the weak side, he was not the most imaginative of singers.

Let's hear Ancona in this exciting performance of "O de' verd' anni miei"






Arguably his most famous recording, singing with Enrico Caruso:


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Bellantoni's* (1880 - 1946) first big success took place at Teatro Carlo Felice, in Genoa, singing Amonasro in 1907. From there he went to La Scala and other important theaters outside Italy, like Madrid or Buenos Aires. He retired in 1925, and his last years were rather sad, having being ruined in the Great Depression.

His was a very powerful voice, a true dramatic baritone, even a bass-baritone. A darker voice also than other baritones on this small series. He was an expressive singer, but always using a true Belcanto technique, and able to restrain such an enormous instrument, which is not always an easy task.

This is an impacting performance of _La Favorita_'s "A tanto amor":






And we have also this "Vision Fugitiva", from Massenet's *Herodiade*, sung with passion, and very nice dynamics:


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## schigolch

*Mario Sammarco* (1868 - 1930) was born in Palermo, Sicily. He debuted there while still very young, at twenty years old, and he was much appreciated also outside of his native Italy, especially in the Covent Garden, where he sang 26 different roles until his retirement in 1919, while collecting a lot of praise for his acting skils.

He was a very versatile singer: Ernani, di Luna, Rigoletto, Iago, Enrico Ashton, Belcore, Figaro, Don Giovanni, Hamlet, Monteverdi's Orfeo,... but he also tackled the main roles of verismo. He was the first Gérard in _Andrea Chenier_ (1896), and the firt Cascart in Leoncavallo's _Zazà_ (1900).

A great voice, though perhaps with an excessive inclination towards finding the easy way out.

This was the opinion on Sammarco of the Italian critic and voice expert Rodolfo Celletti (in Italian):

_Baritono "tenoreggiante", secondo la tradizione verdiana, aveva voce morbidissima e di timbro insinuante, ma anche vibrazioni energiche e ragguardevole volume. Le sue attitudini al belcantismo trovarono compiuta estrinsecazione nella Favorita, nell'Ernani, nella Traviata, in cui Sammarco sfoggiava fiati, legature, mezzevoci che lo ponevano nell'immediata scia di Battistini, insieme al contemporaneo Ancona e ai più giovani De Luca e Stracciari; ma anche in queste opere, come nel Ballo in Maschera, nell'Aida, nella Gioconda e, soprattutto, nel Rigoletto, spiccavano la declamazione serrata, la sillabazione mordente, l'espressione intensa e l'azione scenica varia, dinamica, approfondita che fecero di lui uno dei primi grandi interpreti veristi, tanto nel genere brillante (Marcello della Bohème, oltre alla citata Zazà) quanto nei personaggi biechi e brutali (nel suo Scarpia, alla viscida untuosità e all'affettata eleganza si alternavano l'irrompente sensualità e lo spirito d'autorità violento e intollerante), quanto infine nelle parti a sfondo umanitario ed epicchegiante come Gérard dello Chénier o Worms della Germania_

This was his Gérard, in a slightly disappointing performance:

http://www.*youtube*.com/watch?v=9c6AEgqN6Cg‎

A much better Cascart:






And singing Verdi:


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## schigolch

*Antonio Scotti *(1866-1936) was born in Naples, and his breakthrough role was, surprisingly, Hans Sachs at La Scala, when he was already 32 years old. In 1899 he debuted in the MET, and he just kept singing there until his retirement, in 1933.

An elegant and restrained baritone, with a good voice, but in my view not playing in the same league that the best singers of the fach.

In Don Pasquale:






Singing with Enrico Caruso:


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## schigolch

*Mattia Battistini *(1856 - 1928) was born in Rome. He was trained by the best available teachers at the Santa Cecilia Academy. His debut was at 22 years old, in _La Favorita_, singing with the soprano Isabella Galletti, and collecting a thunderous applause. Very soon, Battistini was singing everywhere: London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Vienna,... he also travelled to America, but it was in Russia where he was considered as the best singer in the world. He would sing in Russia from 1888 to 1914, and was celebrated as "The Baritone of Kings, and the King of Baritones". Indeed, he sang until a few months before his death.

Battistini was the consumate professional, taking care of his voice, preparing the roles from a stage point of view, and documenting on each opera, and each composer. He was blessed with a very beautiful voice, and a superb middle register, with secure top notes. His low notes were missing, however, a little bit of weight. A very flexible instrument, absolutely no problems to manage coloratura, and a perfect legato. Elegant phrasing. He was one of the last baritones that were fully trained in the Belcanto tradition, rather than the verismo school.

He sang on stage more than 80 roles. Some of the operas he was part of: _La forza del destino, Il trovatore, Rigoletto, Dinorah, L'Africana, I Puritani, Lucia di Lammermoor, Aïda, Ernani, Don Carlo, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Un Ballo in Maschera, La Favorita, Hamlet, La Traviata, Don Pasquale, Otello_,....Massenet wrote for him his _Werther_'s baritone version, and the role of Athanaël.

There are many recordings in youtube, just a couple of examples:

"Era la notte" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=q_rNq7yrE6I

"Ah per sempre io ti perdei" -


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## schigolch

*Domenico Viglione-Borghese* (1877-1957) debuted at 22 years old, as the King's Herald, in _Lohengrin_. Later, he went to South America, and after that he was able to sing at La Scala, in 1910. Then he basically stayed in Italy for the rest of his career.

His repertoire was mainly Verdi and verismo. The voice was really good, with a sickly sweet timbre, but also powerful and imperious, as needed. A true dramatic baritone. However, his technique was not really as refined as Battistini's or some other baritones we have already discussed. More like the verismo school. Instead of singing the aria, sometimes he just battled it to submission.

Singing Otello: 




Singing La forza del destino:


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## Revenant

*Apollo Granforte*: (1886-1975). Baritone and voice teacher who left a lasting legacy as both.


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## schigolch

*Apollo Granforte* (1886-1975) was born in Legnano, but he moved to Argentina with his parents as a child, where he attended singing classes and debuted at Teatro El Círculo, in Rosario, the year 1913. Only four years later he was singing in Rome, and debuted at La Scala in 1922. He was a regular of the Italian opera houses until his retirement in 1943.

A very powerful voice, that always stirred a response from the audience. His phrasing and singing style were not the most refined ever, but he was one of the leading baritones of his generation.


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## schigolch

*Taurino Parvis *(1879-1957) was born in Turin, and after obtaining a college degree in Law, he decided to drop everything for singing, and debuted in Rio de Janeiro, in Mascagni's _Iris_. His debut scaligero was in 1908, and until his retirement in 1929 he was a regular of the major Italian theaters, as well as singing abroad in Spain, Russia, the US,.. (as an anecdote, he was singing _Carmen_ in San Francisco, in 1906, the day of the famous earthquake).

His was a good, though not superb, voice, with powerful top notes. Not star material, perhaps, but a very good singer. He sang a lot of verismo, and was the baritone at the world premiere of operas like _I Cavalieri de Ekebú_ or _Il Piccolo Marat_.


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## schigolch

*Ernesto Badini *(1876-1937) was born in Milan, and his speciality were buffo roles. His voice, light and flexible, and his acting talents, were just about ideal for this type of characters. He sang at La Scala for 21 consecutive years. He also did some singing outside Italy, and his Gianni Schichi at Covent Garden was especially celebrated. He was considered one of the best ever Fígaro, Dulcamara or Don Pasquale.


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## TrevBus

schigolch said:


> *Nicolai Ghiaurov (1929 - 2004)*


Thank you. IMO, the greatest bass ever. His Don Basilio and King Philip are treasures.


----------



## moody

TrevBus said:


> Thank you. IMO, the greatest bass ever. His Don Basilio and King Philip are treasures.


Better than Ezio Pinza and Tancredi Pasero,I don't really think so in any way whatever.


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## schigolch

*Cesare Formichi* (1883-1949) was born in Rome, and after his debut in Bologne, in 1907, he was singing for several years in Italy, before moving to the international operatic scene ((Mariinsky, Viena, Liceu, Teatro Real, Teatro Colón, Berlin...) and especially Chicago, where he was a regular from 1922 to 1933. After his retirement in 1935, he decided to work as an opera house manager.

His was a powerful, important, voice, though perhaps his singing was not the most refined. He was the recipient of the famous sentence of English's critic Ernest Newman: "Italy is no longer the country of Belcanto, but of mal'aria". But he was a darling of the public in many theaters.















*Emilio Ghirardini* (1885-1965) was born in Ferrara, and debuted singing Rigoletto in Argentina. After that, he sang mainly in Italy where he was a regular of all opera houses, including La Scala, where he sang his first role (David, from _L'Amico Fritz_) back in 1930, until his retirement in 1949.

He was especially appreciated by Mascagni, that considered him one of the best baritones of the world. In fact, while his voice is not really top class, he was able to use it well.


----------



## TrevBus

moody said:


> Better than Ezio Pinza and Tancredi Pasero,I don't really think so in any way whatever.


Yes. You have your OPINION and I have mine. Disagreements are always fun are they not? I think so too.


----------



## moody

TrevBus said:


> Yes. You have your OPINION and I have mine. Disagreements are always fun are they not? I think so too.


There has to be an accepted consensus on the over-used description "great". If not there is no point to being a member of a music forum,One's opinion when chatting with your mates is OK, but to claim greatness for a singer,much less "the greatest bass ever",should be backed up with reasons why.
I have never heard Ghiaurov described thus but only as a competent singer in all my considerable experience,I have certainly never heard him spoken of in the same world as Pinza or Pasero much less Plancon or Chaliapin.
The description of his first recorded attempt at Boito's "Mefistofele" seems fairly apt :"A commanding interpretation,weak on Italian and low on charm".
Six years later in the complete recording :"Ghiaurov himself,alas, is not the prime reason for this judgement,his qualities and faults remain those of the earlier highlights issue. The command is there...but the interpretation remains ponderous and Ghiaurov lacks the sophistication which has to be part of any devil's make-up. In the duet with Faust 'Fin da Stanotte',Mefistofeles sounds a bit like a willing cart-horse'.
from "Opera On Record".


----------



## TrevBus

moody said:


> There has to be an accepted consensus on the over-used description "great". If not there is no point to being a member of a music forum,One's opinion when chatting with your mates is OK, but to claim greatness for a singer,much less "the greatest bass ever",should be backed up with reasons why.
> I have never heard Ghiaurov described thus but only as a competent singer in all my considerable experience,I have certainly never heard him spoken of in the same world as Pinza or Pasero much less Plancon or Chaliapin.
> The description of his first recorded attempt at Boito's "Mefistofele" seems fairly apt :"A commanding interpretation,weak on Italian and low on charm".
> Six years later in the complete recording :"Ghiaurov himself,alas, is not the prime reason for this judgement,his qualities and faults remain those of the earlier highlights issue. The command is there...but the interpretation remains ponderous and Ghiaurov lacks the sophistication which has to be part of any devil's make-up. In the duet with Faust 'Fin da Stanotte',Mefistofeles sounds a bit like a willing cart-horse'.
> from "Opera On Record".


Good sound argument and written w/knowledge. All I can say, HE IS FOR ME.


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Danise* (1883 - 1963) was born in Naples, where he debuted in the role of Alfio, in 1906. After some years in the Italian operatic stage he went for some time to Russia, and finally he sang at La Scala in 1916, in the role of Rolando (_La Battaglia di Legnano_). From 1921 to 1932 he was singing at the MET, and he was the first Carlo Gérard in New York (with Gigli and Muzio). He retired in 1933 and opened a singing school. As an anecdote, his second wife was the Brazilian soprano Bidu Sayao.

Danise's voice is that of a dramatic baritone, but with easy top notes, able to sing almost all Verdi roles for the fach. His singing style was austere, very classical, trusting in his great phrasing and his ability to sing in mezza voce and pianissimo. He was very appreciated as Rigoletto, where the existing recordings show indeed a master's performance.


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## schigolch

*Luigi Montesanto* (1887-1954) was born in Palermo, where he debuted singing Escamillo in 1909, but just a few years later, in 1913, he will be singing Escamillo at La Scala. After some more years in Italy, he started to sing in America, where he was a member of the world premiere of _Il Trittico_, singing in "Il Tabarro" with Muzio and Crimi. He returned in the 1920s to Italy, and sang there until his retirement in 1942. He opened a singing school and was the teacher of Giuseppe Di Stefano.

A nice voice, with a good technique, and an engaging on-stage presence were his biggest assets.


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## schigolch

*Gaetano Viviani* (1896-1954) was born in Sicily, but as a child he went to America with his parents. There he debuted in 1921, but a couple of years later he decided to go back to Italy, to continue with his studies. His debut scaligero was in 1929, as Don Carlo, with Aureliano Pertile, Ebe Stignani and Bianca Scacciati. Problems with the Fascist authorities made him return to America, but he came back after the war to Palermo, where he died just after retiring from the stage.

His repertory was that of a typical Italian baritone, with some incursions into modern opera by Marinuzzi, Pizzetti or Respighi, plus some Wagner and Bizet (sung in Italian). He was particularly appreciated as Barnaba. A dark, powerful voice, but also with nice top notes.


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## schigolch

*Mariano Stabile* (1888-1968) was born in Palermo, and debuted there singing Marcello in 1909. Apart from Italy, he also sang in Russia, Spain, France.... but his real breakthrough happened when Toscanini selected him as Falstaff for the reopening of La Scala, in 1921. He would sing this role more than one thousand times!. He was one of the most ighly regarded baritones in Italy until his retirement in 1955, singing roles like Gérard, Scarpia, Iago, Malatesta, Dulcamara, Schicchi,...

His top notes were rather limited, and his timbre, a little bit on the indifferent side. However Stabile was a very good 'fraseggiatore', and his reputation as singer-actor was second to none, especially in comic roles.


----------



## DavidA

schigolch said:


> *Gaetano Viviani* (1896-1954) was born in Sicily, but as a child he went to America with his parents. There he debuted in 1921, but a couple of years later he decided to go back to Italy, to continue with his studies. His debut scaligero was in 1929, as Don Carlo, with Aureliano Pertile, Ebe Stignani and Bianca Scacciati. Problems with the Fascist authorities made him return to America, but he came back after the war to Palermo, where he died just after retiring from the stage.
> 
> His repertory was that of a typical Italian baritone, with some incursions into modern opera by Marinuzzi, Pizzetti or Respighi, plus some Wagner and Bizet (sung in Italian). He was particularly appreciated as Barnaba. A dark, powerful voice, but also with nice top notes.


Looks like Richard Burton with a beard.


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## DavidA

I must confess when I hear recordings of people reckoned to be great singers of the past, I tend to feel let down. Whether it is because the ancient recordings do not let us hear their voices well or because they are (like any antique) over-priced, it is difficult to say. Be that as it may, the only singers I listen to are those recorded in a reasonable quality of sound, usually post-1950. Antiques I reserve for collectors.


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## Revenant

Schigolch, I remember a classic saying among Italian opera singers and critics: "La donna e mobile, ma Stabile e sempre stabile."


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## schigolch

*Giovanni Inghilleri* (1894-1959) was born in Sicily, and he started working in Opera as a 'répétiteur', until he realized he could do better as a singer. He debuted in 1919 (as Valentin, in _Faust_), and soon was singing in all Italian theaters, including La Scala, although his fetish house was Naples' San Carlo. He also sang outside Italy, for instance he was the baritone of the legendary 1930 _Traviata_ in London, with Ponselle. He retired in 1953 and, like many others, started a second career as a vocal teacher.

A nice voice, a solid technique, an attractive singing style... Let's hear some Inghilleri's arias:


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## schigolch

*Carlo Galeffi* (1882 - 1961) was born in Venice, and he claimed to be a self-taught singer. His debut was in 1907 singing _La Favorita_, and in 1912 he was already one of the leading baritones at La Scala, where he was active until 1940, singing thirty two roles in more than five hundred perfomances. His repertory was centered mainly in Verdi and verismo, with few exceptions: Figaro, Amfortas, Telramund, Boris Godunov,.. He was in the cast of three world premieres: _Parisina_, _L'Amore dei tre Re_ and _Isabeau_.

Galeffi, nicknamed the "Caruso of baritones" had a warm, round voice, that was also a big one. His singing style was more in the verismo line, than the belcanto's of singers like Ancona or Stracciari. He was not a great vocal actor, always privileging the beauty of his vocal line over portraying a character.


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## schigolch

*Benvenuto Franci *(1891 - 1985) was born near Siena, and his teacher was the great baritone Antonio Cotogni. His debut was at Teatro Costanzi, in Rome, the year 1918, and his first role scaligero Amonasro, in 1923. He was part of the world premieres of _Il Piccolo Marat_, Boito's _Nerone_ and _La Cena delle Beffe_. He was also a regular in Madrid, Paris, London, Berlin and Buenos Aires. He retired in 1952.

His main repertory was verismo, Verdi and Puccini, but also a few Mozartian and Bizet roles, or even Wagner's Hans Sachs. A light baritone voice, very attractive timbre, and reportedly good acting skills.


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## schigolch

*Eugenio Giraldoni* (1871 - 1924), son of another famous baritone, Leone Giraldoni, was born in Marseilles, but he was as Italian as the pizza or Via Veneto. However, his operatic debut was in Barcelona, as Escamillo, in 1891. He then proceeded to sing in several Italian theaters and he was also the first Barone Scarpia, in 1900, at Teatro Costanzi, the same role that he sang at his debut scaligero. At la Scala, he also sang at the world premiere of Ildebrando Pizzetti's _La figlia di Jorio_. During his career he also sang in New York, Paris, London, Buenos Aires,.. He retired in 1921.

His dark baritone and acting skills were best suited to the verismo repertoire, but he was also well considered singing some Verdi's operas, Onegin, Telramund, a few French roles,...






http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=Y4XstJkluGY


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## schigolch

*Carlo Tagliabue* (1898-1978) was born in Como, and his debut was at 22 years old, singing in Catalani's _Loreley_. His debut scaligero was in 1931, and he was also a regular at Covent Garden, the MET, Teatro Colón,... until his retirement, in 1959, singing _Lucia_ in Genoa.

This was a true Verdian specialist, with a perfectly balanced voice, a secure technique, and impeccable musicality. After WWII, however, he was no longer in top form.


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## schigolch

*Riccardo Stracciari *(1875 - 1955) was born in Bologne, and he debuted there, in 1899, singing Marcello. Five years later, he was already singing at La Scala (Amonasro). In 1906 he sang Edgardo at the MET, and from this moment on he was almost always working in America, until the early 1920s. At the time of his return to Italy, he was considered a true operatic star, and he performed often until the mid 1930s. Later, with the outbreak of WWII, he retired and became a voice teacher.

Stracciari's baritone voice was as beautiful as they get, rounder and fuller than his contemporaries Ruffo, Molinari, de Luca or Amato, and with stronger low notes than a Battistini. His capacity to sing legato was legendary. According to Rodolfo Celletti: "The voice was velvety and delicate, uniform in all registers, with strong top notes, and brilliant low notes. Wonderful technique: impeccable emission, perfect diction, elegant phrasing, flawless musicality". He was sometimes considered as too cold, too restrained on stage, centered in a quest for vocal perfection. In any case, one of the greatest baritones of all time.


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe de Luca* (1876 - 1950) was born in Rome, and his operatic stage debut was being still very young, at twenty years old, singing Faust's Valentin at Piacenza. From 1902 to 1910 he was one of the leading baritones at La Scala, (he was the first Sharpless scaligero), but his biggest success was in New York, at the MET, where he sang from 1915 to 1935, and was a darling of the audience. He retired in 1940.

Toscanini: "De Luca è assolutamente il miglior baritono che abbia mai conosciuto" (De Luca is beyond any doubt the best baritone I've ever met).

John Steane: "The velvet of his round, warm tones was matched by the smoothness of his style. He never shouted and never forced, never broke the line with an aspirate or a rough joining of registers; and, once his debut at La Scala was over (as Alberich, of all things, in Das Rheingold), he always sang what was within his voice".

De Luca's voice was very pleasant, but not spectacularly beautiful (though remarkably well-balanced across all his tessitura), and he didn't have the powerful throat of a Ruffo, or the brilliant timbre of a Stracciari. His best feature was the flawless execution, a limpid, pure sound and a nearly perfect, apparently effortless, legato.


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## schigolch

*Titta Ruffo* (1877 - 1953) was born in Pisa. He came from a poor family, but his voice was soon detected and he was given a scholarship to study at Academia di Santa Cecilia, in Rome. His operatic debut was in 1898, at the Teatro Constanzi in Rome, as the Herald in Wagner's _Lohengrin_. In 1904 he was already singing at La Scala, and he launched a succesful career in London, Paris, Buenos Aires,... His major venue in the US was Chicago, as he didn't sing at the MET until 1922, in the role of Figaro.

Ruffo's repertoire was basically Verdi (Rigoletto, Di Luna, Amonasro, Germont, Renato, Iago,..) and French opera, though he was also singing Don Giovanni, Rossini's Figaro and was a frequent performer of verismo operas.

"I have been witness to three vocal miracles: Caruso, Ponselle and Ruffo" (Tullio Serafín)

A monster of a voice, that could dwarf any orchestra or indeed his fellow singers. Of course, to tame such a voice it was difficult. The natural powerful delivery and the beautiful, noble timbre, was often accompanied by rather indifferent, monotonous singing. In his time, Ruffo was considered the leading baritone of the "modern, verismo" school, while Stracciari or De Luca were more in the "classical" mold. Regrettably, some of Ruffo's mannerisms were copied by later Italian, and not Italian, baritones that, however, did not possess his incredible voice, and artificially tried to expand their middle range.


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## schigolch

*Pasquale Amato* (1878 - 1942) was born in Naples, and his operatic debut was in the role Germont père, in 1900. Arturo Toscanini, a big supporter of Amato, brought him to La Scala in 1907, where he premiered Cilea's _Gloria_. He sung several years in Buenos Aires, but his greatest success in America was at the MET, where he was a big star from more than a decade, and premiered there _La Fanciulla del West_, along with Caruso and Destinn. He retired in 1920.

His repertory was basically Italian (Verdi, Puccini, verismo), with some French roles (Escamillo) as well as German's, but sung in Italian (Kurwenal, Amfortas). While his voice was certainly a good one, especially in the upper range, he was not able to reach either the fame of a Ruffo, or the singing ability of an Stracciari. Somehow, there were always some strained notes produced, though Amato was able to sing with good legato, and was a more than competent phraser.


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## schigolch

*Mario Basiola* (1892 - 1965) was born in Cremona, and started training as a baritone with Cotogni. His debut was in 1915, singing _La Favorita_. He started then a good career in second tier Italian theaters, but he decided to go to America, where he will be singing at the MET from 1925 to 1932. Coming back to Italy, he then got his debut scaligero with the opera _Una partita_, by Zandonai. Singing between Rome and Milan during a few years, with the outbreak of WWII he went to Australia, where he retired in 1951.

A typical baritone from Cotogni's school, Basiola was the owner of an excellent vocal technique, with remarkable homogeneity in all his range, a perfect diction and easy top notes. A fluent, elegant singing. He was able to combine this with the more dramatic singing of the verismo school, and this is making Basiola's recordings to sound quite modern even in the 21st century. His repertory of choice was Verdi, verismo and Massenet.


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## Revenant

Grammophone recently showcased an edition of Tito Gobbi's master classes. Now this should be interesting. This is the fellow who was left out of that list of great Verdi singers.

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/focus/tito-gobbi-masterclass


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## dgee

I saw this a while ago and thought it was great fun - a 15 tenor sign-off of the famous high C (or B) from Act 3 of Faust. Some interesting comments too

Of course, not just fascinating for the singing


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## schigolch

Two great tenors from Imperial Russia.










*Leonid Sobinov* was active from 1899 to 1914, and then after the Great War he was busy with being the Bolshoi's director, and little by little he just retired as a singer. On stage, he was a great mixture of the Italianate school of singing, and the Stanislavski's acting system.

Listen to his flexible voice, a very fluent singing, always restrained and elegant. When he died in 1934, he passed the torch to none other than Sergei Lemeshev.


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## HumphreyAppleby

schigolch said:


> *Nicolai Gedda (1925 -)*


The best. He speaks nine languages, and sings perfectly in all of them too!

The best high notes of any tenor: 





And the best mezza voce: 





And extreme longevity and range of roles:


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## HumphreyAppleby

Daniele Barioni (1930-)

While he was never the most elegant of tenors, he had one of the most beautiful natural spinto tenor voices I've ever heard. He was best in Puccini, and sang with such passion and beautiful natural phrasing that one could forgive any mannerisms. He suffered a long vocal decline between 1964 and 1972, when he stopped performing as prolifically as he had previously. The reason for this vocal decline is obvious, and tragic: in 1963 his wife died from cancer, and her death was soon followed by the deaths of both his mother and sister, all within one year. He moved back to Italy and never sang at the Met again, where he had been a budding star. He was beloved by American audiences, and had toured almost the entire country in traveling productions from the Met. He was beloved by Ted Kennedy, and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Mario del Monaco said of him: "If his career had continued, he would have put us all out of work." Richard Tucker agreed, so much so that he threw a fit to keep Barioni from the radio broadcasts.

There are many, mostly live documents of his beautiful singing, although there is a wonderful studio recording of Puccini's _La Rondine_, and Met Opera Club recordings of _La boheme_, _Tosca_, and _Rigoletto_, which are cut and only available on the original vinyl. Here are some of his best performances:

An incredible Nessun dorma from a live performance of _Turandot_ (1966). At the end of the concertato that finishes off act I he held the final "Turandot!" for 17 seconds, and continued to sing while ringing the gong. Here, he phrases "Ma il mio mistero e chiuso in me" better than most tenors I've heard. He's got a wonderful sense of how to move the vocal line forward, and where the phrase should land.





And here's a wonderful piece from _Rondine_, which shows off his beautiful middle voice. (1966)





His top was sometimes strained, which is starting to happen ever so slightly in the above recordings, and by the end it could sound painful, as demonstrated in a 1970's recording of "In questa reggia" with Price. But listen to how free, beautiful, and powerful it was early on in 1961, before his tragedy.


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## schigolch

Barioni, Gianni Raimondi, Labò, Pier Miranda Ferraro,... a very solid second line of Italian tenors during those years.

Personally, I like this Fanciulla with Olivero and Guelfi, conducted by De Fabritiis:


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## HumphreyAppleby

There's another good live performance with Tebaldi, although Barioni sounds a bit young for the part there. But his phrasing of the the "Quello che tacete" arietta is exquisite here with Olivero. And Olivero is great as well.


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## schigolch

In the beautiful and underrated opera _L'Arlesiana_, by Francesco Cilea, there is one very famous aria, that had been recorded by many tenors since the early 20th century, "È la solita storia del pastore" (Federico's lament).

Singing this aria the protagonist, Federico, who is deeply in love with a girl from Arles (hence, the Arlesiana of the title), but has to face the opposition of his family, is lamenting on his sad predicament.

_È la solita storia del pastore..._
_Il povero ragazzo voleva raccontarla_
_E s'addormì._
_C'è nel sonno l'oblio._
_Come l'invidio!_
_Anch'io vorrei dormir così,_
_nel sonno almen l'oblio trovar!_
_La pace sol cercando io vo'._
_Vorrei poter tutto scordar!_
_Ma ogni sforzo è vano._
_Davanti ho sempre_
_di lei il dolce sembiante._
_La pace tolta è solo a me._
_Perché degg'io tanto penar?_
_Lei! Sempre lei mi parla al cor!_
_Fatale vision, mi lascia!_
_Mi fai tanto male! Ahimè!

_​Let's hear some notable performances from the past:

*Beniamino Giigli, an almost perfect rendition, though perhaps his wail is a liitle bit too exaggerated*.






*Tito Schipa, in one of those rarified peaks of operatic recorded singing
*





*A Swedish Federico?. Björling magical's voice made italmost possible... almost

*


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## schigolch

In the Second Act of _Andrea Chénier_, the young poet, confronted with the downfall of his ideals about the French Revolution, during the Reign of Terror, is still willing to risk his life and remain in his country, just for the sake of a mysterious love inflamed by some letters... "Credo A Una Possanza Arcana":

*José Carreras, every bit the poet, though a little cavalier in his singing*:


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## schigolch

*Antonio Melandri* (1891 - 1970) was a dramatic Italian tenor, that started his career playing the oboe, until he discovered he was more attracted to singing, and made his professional debut at Teatro Coccia, in Novara, in the role of Edgardo.

He was a regular at La Scala during a decade, and was also singing across all Italy, and abroad, being especially admired at Teatro Colón, in Buenos Aires. His basic repertory was Verdi, Puccini and verismo. There are complete recording of "Cavalleria Rusticana", "Ernani", "Fedora" and a very nice "Mefistofele", with Nazzareno De Angelis, Mafalda Favero and Giannina Arangi-Lombardi.

We can hear below a rendition of _Ch'ella mi creda_, plus a duet with Arangi-Lombardi:


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## schigolch

*Rudolf Laubenthal* (1886 - 1973) was active from 1913 to 1933, and after singing primarily in Germany, he proceeded to the USA, and the MET, in 1923. He was one of the heldentenors of choice, especially during the 1920s, and of course his major roles were Wagnerian heroes. Let's listen to him singing Siegfried, alone and in a duet with Frida Leider:


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## schigolch

Italian tenor* Alessandro Ziliani *(1906 - 1977) started his career in 1929, at Mila's Teatro Dal Verme, singing in a performance of "Madama Butterfly". His debut at La Scala was in 1934, and he was a regular there during several years. Apart from Italy, he sang often in Germany. He retired in 1952, and he was the first manager of Luciano Pavarotti. He married the soprano Mafalda Favero (with her in the picture above, singing "La Bohème" in Parma).

An attractive and Italianate voice, with more metal in it than the average load. He was considered as a poor man's Lauri-Volpi by some Italian critics. Let's listen to him singing Puccini, both alone and in a duet with her wife:


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## schigolch

*Francesco (Frank) Valentino* (1907 - 1991) was an American baritone, trained in Italy, that sang several years in Europe, before returning to America in 1940, to sing for more than twenty years at the MET. His major roles included Rigoletto, Marcello, di Luna and Figaro, and we can listen to some nice recordings like a _Bohème_ conducted by Toscanini, with Licia Albanese and Jan Peerce, or a _Macbeth_ with Margherita Grandi and Italo Tajo.

Let's listen to Valentino singing _Pagliacci_'s prologue and a duet of _Don Pasquale_, with Bidú Sayão:


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## schigolch

*Piero Campolonghi* (1914 - 2002) was an Italian baritone, that started his career in 1939, singing in _Andrea Chénier_ at Bergamo. Until his retirement in 1975 he was a frequent performer in many Italian theaters, including La Scala, and also in Latin America. In 1952 he sang with Maria Callas and Giuseppe Di Stefano, _Rigoletto, La traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, I puritani _and _Tosca. _During a few years, he ventured also into tenor territory.

A couple of examples of his singing: "Il balen del suo sorriso" and "Ah! per sempre io ti perdei...":


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## schigolch

*August Seider* (1901 - 1989) was a German heldentenor, that sang mainly in Leipzig, in the years before the end of WWII, though he also toured other German theaters, and even a few abroad. After WWII he settled in Munich until his retirement in 1967. His was a legit heldentenor voice, of the baritone-like type.


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## schigolch

*

Bruno Landi *(1900 - 1968) was an Italian light-lyrical tenor. He debuted back in 1925 as _Rigoletto_'s Duca. His debut at La Scala was in 1936, as Fenton. He also sang in several USA theaters, including the MET, during seven seasons. He is best remembered by his Almaviva. He retired in 1961, and lived thereafter in Buenos Aires.


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## schigolch

*Anselmo Colzani* (1918 - 2006) was an Italian baritone, that was active for more than 30 years, and was singing at many Italian teathers, including La Scala, as well as the MET, from 1960 to 1978. Unsurprisingly, most of his repertory was Verdi, Puccini and verismo.

Not the most refined of singers, but an exciting baritone in his best moments:


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## schigolch

*Charles Friant *(1890 - 1947) was a French tenor that was one of the regulars at the Opéra comique during the 1920s and 1930s. His repertory was esentially French opera (Werther, Carmen, Manon, Lakmé, Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame,...) with some incursions in the Italian such as Tosca or Pagliacci. A lyrical voice, typically French, full of nuances.


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## HumphreyAppleby

I just discovered Vasile Moldoveanu. His voice is more beautiful than Del Monaco's, but sounds just as huge and powerful.

he gives me major chills here in _Il tabarro_:


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## schigolch

Meyerbeer's _L'Africaine_ was a very big success when it was premiered in 1865, and continued to be popular until the beginning of the 20th century. However, after that it was given less and less frequently, until today when it's almost a rarity. However, the aria for tenor in Act 4, "O paradis!", has been recorded many times, by many singers. Let's hear a few of them:

1.- Georges Thill, in 1930, using the 'voix mixte': 




2.- Jussi Björling, in 1939, singing (wonderfully) in Italian: 




3.- Sergei Lemeshev, in 1948, singing (no less wonderfully) in Russian: 




4.- The Spanish tenor, Miguel Fleta, singing in 1927, with his very personal style (in Italian): 




5.- Again in Italian, Beniamino Gigli, in 1954: 




6.- Now in German, but with Helge Rosvaenge (singing in 1933). It could be klingor and we would like it all the same: 




7.- Another great French rendition, by Fernand Ansseau (in 1922): 




8.- The hugely underrated Francesco Merli, in Italian, singing in 1926:


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## schigolch

*Luigi Rossi-Morelli* (1887 - 1940) was that rarity... An Italian baritone, that debuted as Wotan, and was mainly appreciated as a Wagnerian singer... singing in Italian.


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## schigolch

*Evan Williams* (1867 - 1918) was one of the top sellers of records in the United States during the early gramophone period.


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## schigolch

*Raffaele Arié *(1920 - 1998) was a Bulgarian bass that performed during most of his career in Italy (where he was a student with the legendary baritone Riccardo Stracciari), and basically within an Italian and Russian (with the occasional Mozart or Gounod) repertory. He was somewhat less succesful than his compatriots Boris Christoff and Nicolai Ghiaurov, but his voice was a good one, and he was capable of using it well:


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## hpowders

Jussi Bjorling is the greatest tenor I've ever heard. Get the Beethoven Missa Solemnis conducted by Arturo Toscanini, if you really want to hear him at his best.


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## schigolch

*Gianni Poggi* (1921 - 1989) was an Italian tenor, with a rich and dense voice of lyrical-spinto, that specialized basically in 19th century and verismo Italian repertoire. During his long career, spanning more than two decades, he sang in the best European and American theaters, and alongside major stars like Callas, Tebaldi, Simionato... Not the most insightful of performers, but always a solid presence, and with brilliant, incisive high notes.


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## schigolch

*Alfred Piccaver* (1884 - 1958) was an American singer, born in England, gifted with a beautiful, robust but flexible, voice of lyrical tenor, with easy top notes and an exciting performer. He was able to sing roles like Il Duca or Edgardo, alongside others like Canio or Loris Ipanov. He was especially well considered at Vienna, where he was indeed a veritable star.


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## schigolch

*
** Emil Schipper *(1882 - 1957), a baritone born in Vienna, was an acclaimed Barak in _Die Frau ohne Schatten, _as well as a celebrated Wagnerian baritone until his retirement in 1938_:

_




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLHhO7rjuY4


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## schigolch

*Florencio Constantino* (1869 - 1919) was an Spanish operatic tenor, that was trained in Argentina and Uruguay, and then in Italy. After his debut in 1894, he was a regular in Spanish, Italian and American seasons. Owner of a beautiful, lyrical voice, that was progressively losing its appeal, due to the rather bohemian life preferred by the singer.


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## schigolch

*Giuseppe Taccani* (1882 - 1959) was an Italian lyric-spinto tenor, able to produce some dazzling high notes, but to sustain also a barnished middle register. Most of his career was spent in Italy, and with basically an Italian repertoire. He opened a singing school after retiring.


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## Revenant

schigolch said:


> *Giuseppe Taccani* (1882 - 1995) was an Italian lyric-spinto tenor, able to produce some dazzling high notes, but to sustain also a barnished middle register. Most of his career was spent in Italy, and with basically an Italian repertoire. He opened a singing school after retiring.


Who knows how long his voice lasted, but he was certainly long-lived himself!


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## schigolch

*Maurice Renaud* (1861 - 1933) was a French baritone, that was as respected by his singing, as by his acting. He has a long and succesful career, first in France and Belgium, and then across all Europe, and also in the United States. He sang an extensive repertoire, but arguably his most notable creations were in French roles.


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## schigolch

Tony Poncet (1918- 1979) was a French tenor, of Spanish origins, that was pretty popular in France during the 1950s and 1960s singing the French and Italian repertoires. His spinto voice, as well as his good upper register, were attuned to the dramatic roles he sang, though his very small stature proved to be a challenge in scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ3s0CFJTfI


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## moody

schigolch said:


> *Miguel Fleta (1897 - 1938)*


I must say that you surprise me by describing Fleta as great. His screaming hysteria,complete lack of control and big wobble surely rule him out of court, To me he's tiring to the extreme and an example of how not to do it.


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## Revenant

moody said:


> I must say that you surprise me by describing Fleta as great. His screaming hysteria,complete lack of control and big wobble surely rule him out of court, To me he's tiring to the extreme and an example of how not to do it.


I must say, my father was a friend of Hipolito Lazaro in the 1930s and 40s. He always recalled Lazaro as sociable, unassuming among friends at least, and did not put on airs. But when the subject of his voice in comparison to other tenors came up, particularly Fleta, then he frequently was not charitable. I think the word "mouse" would come up. Maybe it was no more than professional rivalry speaking. But then again, Lazaro was a Loyalist who went into exile because of the Spanish Civil War and Fleta was on the other side. Personally, I can't stand Fleta's wobble in opera arias. Perhaps he should have stuck to popular songs like Ay-ay-ay.


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## schigolch

*Bernardo de Muro* (1881 - 1955) was a Sardinian spinto tenor widely admired by the volume of his voice, as well as his forceful high notes. He was also able to sustain his breath for long seconds. It's famous his interminable high note on the third act finale of "Aida", when he would hold the note while walking all the stage up to the front seats when he consigned hiw sword to a spectator. His repertoire was basically Verdi, Puccini and verismo opera.


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## schigolch

*Giovanni Voyer* (1901 - 1976), born in Spain as Juan Voyer, was a tenor trained in Italy, where he sang at La Scala from 1933 to 1948, mainly verismo and German opera (sung in Italian). He was also present at the Covent Garden during the British premiere of Berlioz's _La Damnation de Faust,_ under the baton of Thomas Beecham. After his retirement he was teaching at Lisbon for many years. His voice was full and meaty, with a wide center and a good placement of the high notes, that were however not particularly exciting.


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## Revenant

Norman Treigle was a bass-baritone who was highly acclaimed as an acting singer.

Born: March 6, 1927 - New Orleans, USA
Died: February 16, 1975 - New Orleans, USA

Very sparse number of recordings available to me, but I have his non-HIP assumption of the title role in _Giulio Cesare in Egitto_, with Beverly Sills as Cleopatra (1967 studio recording).









It's worth reading a bit about him in the internet.

http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2013/3/Features/The_Demon_Within.html

And watching/listening to this video segment on YouTube:

Norman Treigle Remembered: 




Sorry for the double jpeg. I hate it when it happens but I've been unable to delete these ghostly redundances.


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## schigolch

*Plinio Clabassi* (1919 - 1984) was an Italian bass, that sang many roles, but centered in the Italian repertoire. A beautiful, masculine voice, that was used with gusto and that italianate flair. He was married to Rina Gigli, the daughter of the great tenor Beniamino Gigli.


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## Alfredoz

Mario Filippeschi


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## Woodduck

moody said:


> I must say that you surprise me by describing Fleta as great. His screaming hysteria,complete lack of control and big wobble surely rule him out of court, To me he's tiring to the extreme and an example of how not to do it.


Your remarks cannot be based on these two examples. There is no screaming here, no wobble, and the controlled diminuendo in "E lucevan" is superb. Find me a tenor currently active who could execute it so well.


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## schigolch

*Ramón Blanchart* (1860 - 1930) was an Spanish baritone, born in Barcelona. Though the best part of his career he sang in Spanish and Italian teathers, he also performed in Moscow, London, Buenos Aires, New York or Chicago. His preferred repertory was Verdi and Donizetti, but also tackled often Wagner's roles (sung in Italian) and French opera. He recorded several operatic fragments between 1906 and 1910.


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## andantee

My favorite male singer is Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.


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## perempe

Revenant said:


> Who knows how long his voice lasted, but he was certainly long-lived himself!


Giuseppe Taccani died in 1959 in Milan according to a website.


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## Revenant

perempe said:


> Giuseppe Taccani died in 1959 in Milan according to a website.


Yes, I looked it up myself at the time of the post. My own inimitable way of adverting that the date numbers were switched around a bit via a typo.


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## schigolch

*Virgilio Lazzari* (1887 - 1953) was an acclaimed Leporello as well as a consumed master of the Italian repertoire. The owner of a clear, but not particularly distinguished, voice, and a fine actor, he was a regular at American theaters, as well as the Festival of Szalburg.


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## schigolch

*Richard Mayr *(1877 - 1935) was persuaded by none other than Gustav Mahler to give up medical training, and become an operatic singer. The Austrian bass-baritone was a regular of Vienna, Szalburg, London and New York, where he favored Wagnerian roles, Leporello, Figaro, Sarastro, Barak (he created this role), Ochs,...


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## JohnGerald

I read the first eight pages of this thread without seeing any reference to either John McCormack or Jussi Bjoerling, both of whom were the best of the best.


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## hpowders

Yes. Jussi Bjorling was terrific. So was the great bass Alexander Kipnis.


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## Figleaf

I hope I managed to post the link to YouTube correctly. It's supposed to be John McCormack singing O del mio amato ben, a strong candidate for the title of my favourite record of all time.
John was my first love, musically speaking. I'd heard Caruso and Gigli before him, but their overdone emoting seemed a bit hokey to me and I didn't really see them as much more than historic curiosities, though I've since heard more of Caruso and revised my opinion of him upwards. 
I started with the electrical recordings of McCormack's Irish songs- didn't we all? Then I got the CD Lieder and Art song and discovered not only a new facet to his art but a repertoire that was new to me. I remember I was doing German A Level at the time, and it was always his inimitably accented German that I heard in my head! Has any singer ever phrased better than McCormack, or combined such perfect diction with perfect legato? As a young man - say from 1910 till the early 20s- he really did have the voice of an angel. It's not even possible for me to choose a favourite among the records of that time. Even when his voice had dried out somewhat, he was capable of peerless singing. His late recording of Bantry Bay is one of the most moving things I've ever heard, as is No, Not More Welcome: 'I'd live years of grief and pain [the FEELING he put into those words!]/to have my long sleep of sorrow broken/ by such benign blessed sounds again'. Thomas Moore's words sum up how I feel about John McCormack.


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## JohnGerald

Macushla melts the soul.


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## Figleaf

JohnGerald said:


> Macushla melts the soul.


I love that one. That head voice he uses at the end!


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## Allanmcf

John McCormack singing She Moves Through the Fair, with Gerald Moore accompanying on piano. Just magical!!


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## nina foresti

Pertile gets my nod.


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## Figleaf

Emile Scaramberg, 1863- 1938


















I love this man. What passion, what elegance! Surely the greatest French tenor of them all.


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## schigolch

*Sándor Svéd *(1906 - 1979) was a Hungarian baritone, a former student of Riccardo Stracciari, that was among the most incisive singers of the 1930s and 1940s. His voice was praised for the beauty of its timbre, and his technique by the smoothness of emission. He was a kind of Verdi specialist, but also performed the French and Wagnerian repertory as well.


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## Jobis

George Shirley, fantastic lyric tenor! Such warmth of tone, shame about the awfully hammy English lyrics...


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## StlukesguildOhio

Last night I was listening to one of my favorite tenors of all time. Fritz Wunderlich's tragic early death was surely one of the great losses of classical music of our time.


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## OperaGeek

StlukesguildOhio said:


> Last night I was listening to one of my favorite tenors of all time. Fritz Wunderlich's tragic early death was surely one of the great losses of classical music of our time.


100% agreed. He had something very special, and seemed to only get better and better until that tragic hunting cabin fall.

It's painful to think about the recordings he could (and in all probability would) have made. Judging from his recordings, his voice got weightier and richer during the 1960's, yet did not lose its quality in the process. It's not that much of a stretch to imagine him eventually becoming the Lohengrin and Walther of one's dreams, as well as Max (Freischütz), Florestan and... In comparison, think of Peter Seiffert, who gradually went from a relatively light lyric tenor (singing light operetta and a terrific Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, among other things) to a top-notch Lohengrin and even Tannhäuser.

At least, Wunderlich recorded extensively during his all-too-short career. You are probably all aware of this already, but in addition to the "official" releases on DG, EMI/Warner and others, there are now three 10 disc sets of Wunderlich available at a bargain price:





















Another extraordinarily talented German tenor who died prematurely, was Peter Anders.









While his basic sound was not _quite_ as attractive as that of Wunderlich, Anders was equipped with a voice of rare quality and interpretative skills of the highest order. An example: 




Sadly, Anders died in 1954 aged 46 following a car accident, still very much at the peak of his career. Another great loss to the world of opera.


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## schigolch

*Paul Knüpfer *(1866 - 1920) was a German bass, and a specialist in German repertory, mainly Wagner and Strauss. He sang in Bayreuth for several seasons, and was also a regular in English theaters. His voice was rather flexible for a bass, and he enjoyed a great reputation with audiences and critics alike, until the last years of his career.


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## Chordalrock

Ludwig Suthaus in Furtwangler's "Tristan und Isolde". For the noble masculine sound of his voice, which the recording captures well.

There's an amazing recording of Wolfgang Windgassen singing "Amfortas! Die wunde!" floating around. I'm sure he's done other things well but I rarely listen to complete operas.


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## schigolch

*Giorgio Merighi* (1939) was an Italian tenor, singing basically Italian (Verdi and Puccini) repertoire, that always appeared on the verge of making a real breakthrough to stardom, but somehow never did. He sang in major theaters, from the MET to la Scala, with a beautiful voice and an engaging stage persona. There are also a few CDs available in the market.


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## The Sound Of Perseverance

Hahahahahahhahahahahaahhaahahhaahahhahahaahahahahahahaha


----------



## Figleaf

The Sound Of Perseverance said:


> Hahahahahahhahahahahaahhaahahhaahahhahahaahahahahahahaha


What? I don't get it!


----------



## BalalaikaBoy

One of my all time favorite singers: the great spinto tenor Anatolii Solovyanenko
I'm amazed that history hasn't recognized this amazing voice. imo, he's like Franco Corelli with a Ukrainian twist. he was an opera singer, but I find his recordings of traditional Ukrainian music the most beautiful


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## schigolch

*Vincenzo Bettoni* (1881 - 1954) was an Italian bass that alternated the serious and the comic repertoires. He debuted while still a very young man, and he performed during most of his career at La Scala, as well as other Italian theaters. He was active also in England, France, Spain, South America,... His flexible and well-extended voice led him to tackle a big number of roles, including not only Italian opera, but also French and German.


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## schigolch

*Ferruccio Giannini* (1868 - 1948) was an Italian tenor, that migrated very young to the USA, and there he was one of the first ever recorded operatic singers, still in the 19th century. He was also a celebrated teacher, and the father of the famous dramatic soprano Dusolina Giannini and the American composer Vittorio Giannini.


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## Figleaf

schigolch said:


> *Ferruccio Giannini* (1868 - 1948) was an Italian tenor, that migrated very young to the USA, and there he was one of the first ever recorded operatic singers, still in the 19th century. He was also a celebrated teacher, and the father of the famous dramatic soprano Dusolina Giannini and the American composer Vittorio Giannini.


He is a fabulous singer, who I only discovered earlier this year. The Cielo e Mar is beautiful, what a shame he didn't record the whole aria! The sound quality of the Miserere from Trovatore isn't so kind to his voice- such are the vagaries of early recording- but it's a beautiful performance, probably my favourite version in Italian.


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## Figleaf

Ferruccio Giannini discography:

http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/40759/Giannini_Ferruccio_vocalist_tenor_vocal

He was making records in 1896! I would love to hear his Di quella Pira from that year. Judging from the high note at the end of the Miserere, it should have been a pretty good performance, as well as possibly the first on records. It's absent from this otherwise pretty comprehensive list of Di quella piras- do any copies still survive? Check out this site anyway because it's a hoot, though not all the links work.

http://www.francoisnouvion.net/tenorssingingdiquellapira.html

I think I love his Cielo e mar because it reminds me of Francesco Marconi, whose recording is the yardstick all others should be judged by, for me at least! Great to hear singing in that nineteenth century tradition.


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## schigolch

*Piero Pauli* (1898 - 1967) was an Spanish lyric tenor (his true name was Pere Paulí), that was mainly active in Italy, and singing Italian repertoire, from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s. A voice of remarkable homogeneity, and a reliable singer.


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## schigolch

*George Ots *(1920 - 1975) was an Estonian baritone, son of the tenor Karl Ots. For more than twenty years he was one of the leading baritones in the USSR, singing Russian repertoire as well as the more established roles of the Western repertoire. He also performed successfully in several European countries. A beautiful and polished voice.


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## schigolch

*Georgi Vinogradov (1908 - 1980)

*


----------



## Albert7

Give me some more Franco Corelli .

More information at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco_Corelli.


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## schigolch

*Manuel Salazar* (1887 - 1950) was a dramatic tenor from Costa Rica, the owner of a big voice, with brilliant top notes, and clear diction. He was trained in Italy, and sang there and in Latin America for several years, until he debuted at the MET in 1921. As many other singers, after his retirement in 1937, he was a vocal teacher in his native San José.


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## schigolch

*Michel Dens* (1911 - 2000) was a French baritone. His repertoire of choice was also eminently French, though he also tackled a few Italian and Mozart roles. His career at the operatic stage extended for 45 years, and he reputedly sang around 10,000 live performances.


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## schigolch

*David Devriès* (1881 - 1936) was a French tenor, born into a family of professional singers. His repertoire was also basically French, with a few incursions in Italian roles. Most of his career was spent in France, but the also sang in New York and London. His style of light-lyric tenor, was tipically French, and rather old-fashioned. Listening to his recordings, one can almost close the eyes, and pretend to be in 19th-century France:


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## nina foresti

Aureliano Pertile


----------



## Barelytenor

GoneBaroque said:


> Interesting to hear the prompters voice so plainly in the Lohengrin. two well done performances by a tenor who seems almost forgotten as far as I can see.


I am getting long in the tooth now, but I have never forgotten the incredible beauty and power of James King's voice, which I first heard as Siegmund on the Solti _Ring_ recording around 1968 (?). It seems that so many heldentenors had power but not beauty or subtlety. King had it all.

Best Regards,

George


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## schigolch

*Eugenio Fernandi* (1924 - 1991) was an Italian lyric-spinto tenor that started his career in Italy, where he was a disciple of Aureliano Pertile, but singing abroad he included more dramatic roles in his repertory. He is remembered by his Duca, his Pinkerton, his Alfredo Germont, his Radames, his Riccardo... His voice looked always on the brink of cracking, but somehow he managed to keep it under control, mostly.


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## schigolch

*Mario Petri *(1922 - 1985) was an Italian bass, that boasted a relatively large repertoire, but is mostly remembered by his Mozart and Rossini roles. He sang his first Don Giovanni in 1950, and soon he was required across all Italy to sing the role. He was also active in other European countries, and in the Festivals of Glyndebourne and Salzburg. In 1960 he changed his career, and became an actor and also a pop singer. An expressive and well-modulated voice, tough his timbre was not especially attractive.


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## schigolch

*Alexander Pirogov* (1899 - 1964) was a Russian bass, the brother of Grigory Pirogov, also an operatic bass. Pirogov was for thirty years an stalwart of the Bolshoi, where he was a sort of rival to Mark Reizen. All his career was done withing the Soviet Union. He is mainly remembered by his Boris. A powerful, vibrant voice.


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## schigolch

*Giovanni Gravina* (1872 - 1912) was an Italian bass. considered as a 'basso profondo', that sang basically the Italian repertoire, and split his career between Italy, South America and Russia. He lost his right eye as a result of being stabbed by the tenor Florencio Constantino during a swordplay in Rossini's ''Il Barbiere di Siviglia''. Apparently, Gravina never recovered and died from the injury after a few weeks.


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## schigolch

*Gaston Micheletti* (1892 - 1959) was a French tenor, from Corsica, that was a regular of the Opéra-Comique during more than twenty years. His repertoire was basically French and Italian. A robust voice of spinto, but able also to tackle more lyrical roles. He is particularly recorded as Supervía's Don José.


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## schigolch

*Gastone Limarilli* (1927 - 1998) was an Italian tenor, an specialist of the spinto Italian (and a little bit also French) repertoire, at the manner of Mario Del Monaco: Radames, Alvaro, Ernani, Don José, Dick Johnson, Calaf, Cavaradossi, Chénier, Canio, Manrico... and even explored some contemporary pieces by Alfano or Porrino. This was however a huge challenge for his voice, and he was able to sing in the major theaters only from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. A powerful voice, but, alas!, not so powerful after all.


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## MAS

Not sure if someone already mentioned this astonishing singer - considered a dramatic coloratura tenor.


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## MAS

deleted stupid post


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## schigolch

*Piero Guelfi* (1914 - 1989) was an Italian baritone, that based his career in Verdi and verismo opera, with a few incursions in Italian belcantanto or Wagner (sung in Italian). During his peak years he was a regular at the best Italian theaters, and also managed a good career singing in USA, France or Germany. A big voice, though not the most refined of singers.


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## schigolch

*Charles Dalmorès* (1871 - 1939) was a French spinto tenor, that was popular especially singing French repertoire (though he also sang Italian and some Wagner), both in Europe and America. The owner of a big, but refined, voice, he was also praised for his acting talent.


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## BalalaikaBoy

looks like I managed to stumble upon yet _another_ hidden gem from Ukraine. the great baritone Mykola Kondratyuk


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## schigolch

*César Vezzani* (1888 - 1951) was a French dramatic tenor, that had a career spanning almost 40 years, until his retirement, due to a stroke in 1948. His repertoire was French, Italian, Wagnerian roles... The owner of a powerful voice, solid, with a wide range, he established himself basically in his native France.


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## BalalaikaBoy

schigolch said:


> *César Vezzani* (1888 - 1951) was a French dramatic tenor, that had a career spanning almost 40 years, until his retirement, due to a stroke in 1948. His repertoire was French, Italian, Wagnerian roles... The owner of a powerful voice, solid, with a wide range, he established himself basically in his native France.


interesting, like a combination of Pavarotti and del Monaco


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## schigolch

*Augusto Beuf* (1887 - 1969) was an Italian Bass-Baritone. He started his career while still very young, singing in minor Italian venues, but his real breakthrough came after WWI. In the 1920s and 1930s he sang many roles in the Italian repertoire, but also others like Boris Godunov, Samson or Telramund. He also sang many seasons in South America, and retired as a seasoned veteran in 1951. A beautiful voice, though a little bit on the anonymous side.


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## schigolch

*Oreste Luppi* (1870 - 1962) was an Italian bass. His career was mainly limited to Italy, though he sang also in a few European venues, as well as Buenos Aires. His repertoire was also mostly Italian. The owner of a beautiful, masculine voice he was not considered among the leading vocal actors during his performing days, however.


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## schigolch

*Otto Edelmann* (1917 - 2003) was an Austrian bass. He was a regular performer at his native Vienna, but also very welcome at Bayreuth. La Scala, or the Metropolitan Opera. He tackled a wide repertoire, from Mozart to Verdi and Wagner. The owner of a beautiful timbre, he was also capable of smooth emission and good legato. And a good actor, on top.


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## schigolch

*Carmelo Alabiso* (1886 - 1966) was an Italian spinto tenor. Most of his career took place in Italian theaters, and singing Italian 19th century opera, and the contemporary verismo repertoire. The owner of a rich italianate voice, he was considered as a second rate actor, though. Curiously, after retiring he was for several years the chief of the claque at La Scala.


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## schigolch

*Jean-François Delmas* (1861 - 1933) was a French bass-baritone, that was mainly active in the French and Wagnerian repertories. He was also a creator of several roles in operas such as _Thaïs_ or _Monna Vanna_. However, he rarely sang outside of France. A powerful voice, that was particularly strong in the upper register.


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## schigolch

*Gustav Walther* (1834 - 1910) was a German tenor, a real stalwart at Vienna, where he sang during more than thirty years. He was a very well respected singer of Mozart and Wagner, but also of Meyerbeer. Also a famed performer of lieder. In 1905, at 71 years old, he recorded a few arias, that are a living testimony of 19th century singing:


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## schigolch

*Karl Hammes* (1896 - 1939) was a German baritone. A regular of Bayreuth, Berlin, Cologne, Salzburg and Vienna. He was appreciated especially in Wagner, Strauss and Mozart roles. A refined performer, and a beautiful baritone voice. He was also a combat pilot, and he died in the first days of World War 2nd, over the sky of Varsovia.


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## Headphone Hermit

schigolch said:


> he died in the first days of World War 2nd, over the sky of *Varsovia*.


.... you mean 'Warsaw', I presume?


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## nina foresti

Was Aureilano Pertile mentioned? A giant among fine tenors. And a fine actor to boot.


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## Pugg

nina foresti said:


> Was Aureilano Pertile mentioned? A giant among fine tenors. And a fine actor to boot.


I have his Otello on vinyl. :tiphat:


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## schigolch

nina foresti said:


> Was Aureilano Pertile mentioned? A giant among fine tenors. And a fine actor to boot.


It was:

http://www.talkclassical.com/14020-great-male-singers-past-14.html?highlight=pertile#post233719

But you can mention him here again, as many times as you like.


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## nina foresti

Pugg said:


> I have his Otello on vinyl. :tiphat:


Lucky you. A rare gift.
I have only his excerpts except for a full Aida with Granforte.


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## schigolch

*Armand Tokatyan* (1894 - 1960) was an Armenian tenor, born in Bulgaria. He started as a vaudeville singer, until he decided to start training to sing opera at 25 years old. In 1923 he sang his first role at the MET, where he was a regular for many years. A big star in the 1920s and 1930s, he is almost forgotten after his death. An elegant phraser, good legato and a beautiful voice:


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## schigolch

*Joseph Schwarz* (1880 - 1926) was a baritone born in Latvia, but his training and career was launched in Vienna. He was able to convince audiences and critics in Austria, Germany, Russia,... and then also in the US, at Chicago and New York. By the end of his career he was having voice problems, due to health issues, and he died at 46 years old. The voice is of great quality, and the singing very musical. He sang many of the major baritone roles in Germany, French and Italian opera.


----------



## Woodduck

schigolch said:


> *Joseph Schwarz* (1880 - 1926) was a baritone born in Latvia, but his training and career was launched in Vienna. He was able to convince audiences and critics in Austria, Germany, Russia,... and then also in the US, at Chicago and New York. By the end of his career he was having voice problems, due to health issues, and he died at 46 years old. The voice is of great quality, and the singing very musical. He sang many of the major baritone roles in Germany, French and Italian opera.


Truly great singing. Schwarz deserves to be ranked with the very best. I think I would rather hear him do Verdi in German than any baritone of the last half century do it in Italian. The following article points out that he was dubbed "the second Battistini." His flexibility and freedom in "Il balen" shows why.

http://www.cantabile-subito.de/Baritones/Schwarz__Joseph/schwarz__joseph.html

Evidently he was a great actor as well. Imagine that noble voice as Amfortas.


----------



## ArtMusic

Francesco Bernardi, a.k.a Senesino for whom Handel wrote many great arias for.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senesino


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## Pugg

Still gives me goosebumps.


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## schigolch

Woodduck said:


> Truly great singing. Schwarz deserves to be ranked with the very best. I think I would rather hear him do Verdi in German than any baritone of the last half century do it in Italian.


Indeed, as you know, there is a wonderful tradition of singing Verdi in German, of which Schwarz was part, and that is a treasure still to be discovered by quite a few opera fans.


----------



## schigolch

*Nicola Fusati* (1876 - 1956) was an Italian spinto tenor, that debuted a little bit late, at 32 years old, due to having completed first his training as a doctor. He sang basically in Italy, and Italian roles. He was well considered as Radames, Otello, Manrico, Cavadarossi, Turiddu, Chénier... He was also praised for his acting abilities. A nice, powerful voice, with some squillo, but of limited range.


----------



## BaritoneAssoluto

*Sesto Bruscantini* (10 December 1919 - 4 May 2003) was an Italian Baritone, one of the greatest buffo singers of the post-war era, especially renowned in Mozart and Rossini.









https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKH_87nqJo0


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## BaritoneAssoluto

Happy belated birthday Maesto Hammes!


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## schigolch

*Luigi Manfrini* (1880 - 1931) was an Italian bass active in the first decades of the 20th century in Italy, Argentina, England,... He is remembered by his complete recordings of Aida and La Bohème in 1928, where he was singing alongside Aureliano Pertile, Irene Minghini Cattaneo, Dusolina Giannini,... and holding his own:


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## schigolch

*Paolo Silveri* (1913 - 2001) was an Italian singer that started his career as a Bass, but some years later changed to Baritone. He made a successful career singing mostly Verdi baritone roles, as well as Puccini's Scarpia and Mozart's Don Giovanni. After receiving praise all across Italy, he also sang in England, France, the United States... His voice was arguably not the best one, but he was the owner of a solid technique, and was also a good vocal actor.


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## schigolch

*Afro Poli* (1902 - 1988) was an Italian baritone. His career was centered in Italian repertoire and Italian theaters, though he was also requested for several movies and quite a few recordings. Firmly established in a second-tier of singers, he enjoyed however a long career, due to his reliability: he was almost always singing between B and B+:


----------



## schigolch

*Wilhelm Strienz* (1900 - 1987) was a German bass. His first years he sang in several German theaters, mainly Wagner, Strauss and Mozart roles. In the 1930s he was under contract with the Berlin State Opera, and he also sang in other countries, like England and France. During WW2, he became a kind of radio star, singing popular songs. He continued his operatic career after the war, and retired in the 1960s.

A beautiful bass voice, and a stylist, elegant performer.


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## schigolch

*Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender* (1897 - 1978) was a German baritone, highly regarded as a specialist in Mozart and Verdi roles, though he also sang operas by Wagner, Puccini, contemporary composers,... He performed mostly in Germany and Austria, with a few performances in other European countries. His daughter was the well known mezzo Brigitte Fassbaender.

A nice and pleasant voice, coupled with a solid technique.


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## schigolch

*Roger Bourdin* (1900 - 1973) was a French baritone. His repertoire was centered mainly in French opera, but he sang more than 100 different roles on stage. He also participated in world premieres of operas by Pierné, Ibert and Bondeville. His wife was the famous soprano Géori Boué, and his daugther the also famous writer Françoise Bourdin. His voice and technique were indeed very well adjusted to the traditional French singing:


----------



## schigolch

*Leonid Sobinov* (1872 - 1934) was one of the great tenors of Imperial Russia.

He was active from 1899 to 1914, and then after the Great War he was busy directing the Bolshoi and he just retired as a singer. On stage, he was a great mixture of the Italianate school of singing, and the Stanislavski's acting system.

Listen to his flexible voice, a very fluent singing, always restrained and elegant.


----------



## Woodduck

schigolch said:


> *Leonid Sobinov* (1872 - 1934) was one of the great tenors of Imperial Russia.
> 
> He was active from 1899 to 1914, and then after the Great War he was busy directing the Bolshoi and he just retired as a singer. On stage, he was a great mixture of the Italianate school of singing, and the Stanislavski's acting system.
> 
> Listen to his flexible voice, a very fluent singing, always restrained and elegant.


The diminuendo is a test of both technique and musicality, the former making the latter possible. Sobinov's are frequent and flawless. Singing as natural as speech. Has anyone now alive heard the likes of this?

Old Russia gave the world some fabulous singers. What is New Russia giving us (besides DT)?


----------



## SenaJurinac

*Anton Dermota* (1910 - 1989) was a Slovene tenor.
Dermota made his debut at the opera in Cluj in 1934, and was promptly invited by Bruno Walter to perform at the Vienna State Opera. Dermota quickly became a favorite of the Viennese audience and remained with the State Opera's company for more than forty years. He was one of the stars of the reopening of the original house in 1955 following its destruction in the WW II (as Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio). Dermota was best known for his Mozart roles.

Da Capo - Interview with August Everding, 1987:


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## Pugg

​
*Aureliano Pertile *(9 November 1885, Montagnana - 11 January 1952, Milan) was an Italian lyric-dramatic tenor. Many critics consider him one of the most exciting operatic artists of the inter-war period, and one of the most important tenors of the entire 20th century.


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## Woodduck

Pertile is exciting, but he wears me out! Perfect for verismo. Nobody comparable today.


----------



## Pugg

Tenore AURELIANO PERTILE - Otello - "Dio! mi potevi scagliar" (1942)


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## Pugg

*Apollo Granforte* (20 July 1886, Legnano - 11 June 1975, Milan) was an Italian opera singer and one of the leading baritones active during the inter-war period of the 20th century.


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## Pugg

Torsten Ralf, Fidelio (Beethoven), "Gott! Welch dunkel hier!".

Torsten Ralf (January 2, 1901 - April 27, 1954), was a Swedish operatic tenor, particularly associated with Wagner and Strauss roles, one of the leading dramatic tenors of the inter-war period.


----------



## Pugg

G Verdi Don Carlo Il Grande Inquisitor B Christoff

Boris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer, widely considered one of the greatest basses of the 20th century.


----------



## Pugg

Ramón Vinay Sings "Vesti La Giubba" 1948

Ramón Vinay (August 31, 1911 - January 4, 1996) was a famous Chilean operatic tenor with a powerful, dramatic voice. He is probably best remembered for his appearances in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi's tragic opera Otello


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## Pugg

Baritono CARLO TAGLIABUE - Un ballo in maschera "Eri tu che macchiavi..." (1939)

Carlo Pietro Tagliabue (January 13, 1898 in Mariano Comense - April 6, 1978 in Monza) was an Italian baritone.

After studies with Leopoldo Gennai and Annibale Guidotti he made his debut in Lodi, Lombardy, in Loreley and Aida. His debuts in Genoa (1923), Torino, La Scala (1930), Rome (1931), and Naples (1931) were all in Tristan und Isolde (sung in Italian). He also performed in Wagner's Götterdämmerung, Tannhäuser and Lohengrin. However, Tagliabue would go on to excel in the Verdian repertoire, especially La forza del destino, Aida, Rigoletto, La traviata, Nabucco, and Otello. He created the role of Basilio in Respighi's La fiamma in 1934.


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## Pugg

*Pierre Bernac*: "Meine Seele rühmt und preist" part I of II

Pierre Bernac (12 January 1899 - 17 October 1979) was a French baryton-martin who became the most renowned interpreter of the French art song, and had a close artistic association with Francis Poulenc.


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## Pugg

Carlo Tagliabue

Carlo Pietro Tagliabue (January 13, 1898 in Mariano Comense - April 6, 1978 in Monza) was an Italian baritone.
I am hooked.


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## Pugg

Ludwig Hofmann - DER FREISCHÜTZ - Schweig! Schweig! - 1943

Ludwig Hofmann was a German opera singer (bass), who from the late 1920s obtained worldwide recognition above all as an exponent of Wagnerian roles


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## Pugg

André D' Arkor, " Ah! Quel plaisir d'être soldat" 1927 Columbia

*André d'Arkor* He studied music at Liege Conservatoire and in 1925 he made his debut at Liege in Lakmé. After three years at Liege, he moved to Ghent where he built up a repertoire of 80 roles, then in 1929 he was at Lyons and in 1930 he moved to the Theatre de la Monnaie at Brussels which was to become his artistic home.


----------



## Pugg

Mozart - The Magic Flute: In Diesen Heil'gen Hallen (Gottlob Frick, bass)
Gottlob Frick was a German bass who sang in opera. He was known for his wide repertory including Wagner and Mozart roles, as well as those of Nicolai and Lortzing.
1906-1944


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## Pugg

Kipras Petrauskas - Lensky's aria

Kipras Petrauskas (1885-1968) was born in Ceikiniai in eastern Lithuania to a musical family. His father was a woodworker by trade who also worked as organist for various churches in the district. His brother, Mikas, was an accomplished composer, conductor, teacher and singer. Young Kipras received his musical education from these two gentlemen and began his career as an organist. His first appearance on the opera stage came about in the neighboring town of Vilnius in 1906 in his brother's opera Birutė. Realizing that he needed further training, the young tenor applied to the Conservatory in St. Petersburg and was granted a scholarship. During his four years there, he sang the lead tenor roles in many student productions, including Yevgeny Onegin, May Night, Faust and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Petrauskas was seen by…and made quite an impression on…representatives from some of Russia's leading theaters. Upon leaving the Conservatory, the young tenor was bombarded by contracts and in very short order, made a pair of important debuts… as Roméo at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre and as the Duke in Rigoletto at St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre.


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## Pugg

*Helge Rosvaenge *Sings Andrea Chenier "Improvviso"

Helge Rosvaenge Helge Anton Rosenvinge Hansen, (August 29, 1897 - June 17, 1972) was a famous Danish operatic tenor whose career was centred on Germany and Austria, before, during and after World War II. Rosvaenge was born in Copenhagen. He made his debut at Neustrelitz as Don Jose in Carmen in 1921.


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## Pugg

"Als du in kuhnem Sange" Karl Scheidemantel

Karl Scheidemantel (29 January 1859 - 26 June 1923) was a baritone singer, and later an opera director.


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## Barbebleu

Pugg said:


> Mozart - The Magic Flute: In Diesen Heil'gen Hallen (Gottlob Frick, bass)
> Gottlob Frick was a German bass who sang in opera. He was known for his wide repertory including Wagner and Mozart roles, as well as those of Nicolai and Lortzing.
> 1906-1944


What are these dates Pugg? Frick was alive and kicking for a great number of years after this. I think you mean 1994!


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## Pugg

Barbebleu said:


> What are these dates Pugg? Frick was alive and kicking for a great number of years after this. I think you mean 1994!


I saw it to late, sorry.


----------



## wkasimer

*Pavel Lisitsian (1911-2004)*






Perhaps the greatest Soviet baritone of the post-WW2 years:

http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Pavel_Lisitsian


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## Pugg

Torsten Ralf, Fidelio (Beethoven), "Gott! Welch dunkel hier!"

Torsten Ralf (January 2, 1901 - April 27, 1954), was a Swedish operatic tenor, particularly associated with Wagner and Strauss roles, one of the leading dramatic tenors of the inter-war period. Ralf was born in Malmö


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## wkasimer

Igor Gorin (1904-1982)






Gorin received his training in Vienna, and sang opera in Europe during the early part of his career. After a brief stint as a cantor in a Rhode Island synagogue, he emigrated to the USA in 1933. The bulk of his career was spent in concert, recitals, and radio shows. He sang a few performance at the New York City Opera and Chicago Lyric Opera, and a single Met performance as Germont in 1964, well past his prime.

The YouTube clip above is probably his most famous recording, dating from 1941.


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## Pugg

Rodolf Ritter- Il Trovatore

*Rudolf Ritter* (1878-1966) was a leading Austrian tenor whose two-decade career encompassed everything from comic opera to the heroic roles of Wagner. Born in Brüx (now part of the Czech Republic), Ritter began his career as an officer in the Austro-Hungarian military. After a decade in uniform, Ritter…at the age of 30…had a change of heart. An enthusiastic amateur singer, he made the decision to begin vocal studies in preparation for a career on the stage. Ritter began working at the Vienna Conservatory, where he spent two years studying voice and stagecraft. After completing his studies, the 32-year-old tenor made his debut with the Vienna Volksoper, in the title role of Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann. Interestingly, Ritter was pigeonholed as an operetta tenor during his three-year association with the Volksoper (1910-1913) appearing in such works as Orphée aux Enfers, La Belle Hélène, The Mikado (all in German, of course) and the world premieres of Zemlinsky's Kleider Machen Leute and Kienzl's Die Kuhriegen. During this period of his career, Ritter divided his time between Vienna and Munich, developing a reputation as a light opera specialist. In spite of his success in operetta, Ritter had his sights set on something else. He wanted to be a Heldentenor.


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## wkasimer

Paul Franz (1876-1950)






Franz was the premiere French dramatic tenor during the first quarter of the 20th century. Although he sang all of the Wagnerian tenor roles, his voice was lyrical enough that he also sang French lyric roles throughout his career.


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## schigolch

There is a long tradition of singing Verdi in German, that produced some of the finest Verdian singing ever.

As an example, just listen to Danish tenor Helge Rosvaenge singing "Celeste Aida", the way it's written on the score:


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## wkasimer

Joseph Rogatchewsky (1891-1985)






Despite his birthplace (Ukraine) and last name, Rogatchewsky was entirely French trained and associated with the French lyric repertoire - so much so that the above recording, from Tchaikovsky's Pikovaya Dama, is sung in French.

He participated in a superb complete recording of Massenet's Manon in the late 20's:


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## Meyerbeer Smith

Jean-Baptiste Fauré






Fauré: created Hoël in Meyerbeer's _Le pardon de Ploërmel (Dinorah)_, Nélusko in Meyerbeer's _Africaine_, the Marquis de Posa in Verdi's _Don Carlos_, and Hamlet in Thomas's opera.


----------



## Pugg

Alexander Pirogov- Shaklovity's aria from Khovanshchina

Alexander Stepanovich Pirogov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Степа́нович Пирого́в; 1899-1964) was a Russian bass opera singer. Pirogov was born in Ryazan, one of five sons of a musical father


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## wkasimer

Apologies if he's already been referenced in this thread...

Mark Reizen (1895-1992)






Reizen possessed one of the greatest bass voices of the last century, and because of his superb technique, had an exceptionally long career. He made a number of excellent recordings well into his 70's, and was still able to pull off Gremin at the age of 90:


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## schigolch

Yes, of course Reizen was already mentioned in the thread after 28 pages, but there is no problem at all to mention again. 

The video with him singing Gremin at an old age is very moving.


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## wkasimer

schigolch said:


> Yes, of course Reizen was already mentioned in the thread after 28 pages, but there is no problem at all to mention again.
> 
> The video with him singing Gremin at an old age is very moving.


Hmm. Reizen didn't come up when I searched the thread for his name. But as you say, you can never have too much of a good thing...

And here he is at a youthful 79, sounding much better than most basses half his age:


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## schigolch

wkasimer said:


> Hmm. Reizen didn't come up when I searched the thread for his name. But as you say, you can never have too much of a good thing...


This is because the indexing of the site is wrong since there was a problem with the forum some months ago. The search function is only working since that moment forward, but not backwards... 

Reizen is in page 6.


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## Larkenfield

wkasimer said:


> Apologies if he's already been referenced in this thread...
> 
> Mark Reizen (1895-1992)


Remarkable voice at any age. Stunning at the age of 90. The benefits of a remarkable vocal technique.


----------



## Pugg

Mario Sammarco: "Votre toast je peux vous le rendre"

Mario Sammarco was an Italian operatic baritone noted for his acting ability. Biography[edit]. Sammarco was born in Palermo, Sicily, and studied locally with Antonio Cantelli. He made his operatic début in Palermo as Valentine in Faust in 1888.


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## Pugg

Ferruccio Tagliavini - La mia letizia infondere (Verdi - I Lombardi alla prima crociata)

*Ferruccio Tagliavini* was an Italian operatic tenor mainly active in the 1940s and 1950s. Tagliavini was hailed as the heir apparent to Tito Schipa and Beniamino Gigli in the lyric-opera repertory due to the exceptional beauty of his voice, but he did not sustain his great early promise across the full span of his career.


----------



## wkasimer

Probably another duplicate, but...

Josef Schwarz (1880-1926)






One of the greatest baritones of the last century, Schwarz was the reigning baritone in Berlin before Schlusnus, until Schwarz's death at age 46 after an appendectomy. Schwarz had the additional misfortune of making all of his records before the advent of the electrical process, which is probably why hardly anyone has heard of him.

http://www.cantabile-subito.de/Baritones/Schwarz__Joseph/schwarz__joseph.html

http://forgottenoperasingers.blogspot.com/2016/02/joseph-schwarz-baritone-10-10-1880-riga.html


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## schigolch

Page 25. 

But, really, don't worry about that. We are free to mention a singer as many times as we like.


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## Pugg

Giuseppe Taddei - Te Deum - Tosca, Act 1

Giuseppe Taddei (26 June 1916 - 2 June 2010) was an Italian lyric baritone, who performed mostly the operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Giuseppe Verdi.


----------



## wkasimer

Friedrich Schorr (1988-1953)

Schorr singing the orchestrated version of Wolf's "Prometheus", Barbirolli conducting:


----------



## wkasimer

Paul Robeson (1898-1976)

The "Killing Song" from the film "Sanders of the River":


----------



## Pugg

Léopold Simoneau Sings "Je crois entendre encore" From Bizet's Pearl Fishers


----------



## Pugg

*Francesco Merli*, "Cielo e mar", Ponchielli: La Gioconda (Columbia, 1928)

The great Italian tenor Francesco Merli (1887-1976) in Enzo's aria "Cielo e mar" from Ponchielli's La Gioconda, recorded for Columbia in 1928.


----------



## Pugg

Bach - Cantata No. 82, Mack Harrell Baritone, Marc Lifschey Oboe

Mack Harrell (Baritone). Born: October 8, 1909 - Celeste, Texas, USA Died: January 29, 1960 - Dallas, Texas, USA. The distinguished American baritone, Mack Harrell, studied violin and voice at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. In 1938 Mack Harrell made his concert debut at New York's Town Hall .


----------



## Pugg

Ferdinando Ciniselli - La donna e` mobile - r.1924

Italian tenor Ferdinando Ciniselli was born in 1893. He made his debut in 1919. Gifted with a warm and mellow voice, he sang the whole lyric-tenor repertoire. His qualities were musicality, artistic temperament, extremely clear diction and incisive phrasing.


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## Pugg

Mario Sereni (25 March 1928 - 24 July 2015) was an Italian baritone, who sang leading roles at the New York Metropolitan Opera for many years. Sereni was born in Perugia, Italy. He attended the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena where he was a pupil of Mario Basiola.


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## wkasimer

Louis Cazette (1887-1922)






Cazette would likely have been the greatest French lyric tenor of his time, but after his career was delayed by WW1, he suffered an accident on stage and died from tetanus at 34 (although there is some dispute about the cause of his demise).

http://www.cantabile-subito.de/Tenors/Cazette__Louis/cazette__louis.html


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## Pugg

Tenore MARIO FILIPPESCHI - Rigoletto "La donna è mobile" con bis -


----------



## wkasimer

Solomon Khromchenko (1907-2002)






Khromchenko was an important tenor at the Bolshoi for many years.


----------



## Pugg

Waldemar Kmentt "Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde" Mahler

Waldemar Kmentt (Wien, 2 February 1929 - Ibidem, 21 January 2015) was an Austrian operatic tenor, who was particularly associated with the German repertory, both opera and operetta.


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## Pugg

*Giovanni Martinelli*, Age 27, Sings "Recondita Armonia," From Tosca. 1912

Giovanni Martinelli (October 22, 1885 - *February 2, 1969*) was an Italian operatic tenor. He was associated with the Italian lyric-dramatic repertory, although he performed French operatic roles to great acclaim as well.


----------



## Pugg

Raoul Jobin - La fleur que tu m'avais jetee

Raoul Jobin, CC (April 8, 1906 - January 13, 1974) was a French-Canadian operatic tenor, particularly associated with the French repertory.


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## Pugg

Mario Sammarco - Zaza piccola zinagara - Zaza - Leoncavallo.

Forgotten by many,* Mario Sammarco*(December 13, 1868, although some sources say 1867 - January 24, 1930)was an incredible baritone who was born in Palermo. Great clarity of vowels, balanced registration, and very little constriction. A bit unsteady with the legato at times. He studied with Franz Emmerich, the teacher of Adamo Didur. Sorry for the noise in the recording. It is old.


----------



## Pugg

Di Provenza La Traviata - *John Brownlee* Metropolitan Opera.

John Donald Mackenzie Brownlee (7 January 1900 - 10 January 1969) was an Australian operatic baritone. For most of his professional career he was based in Europe and then United States


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## Pugg

Josef Greindl and Martti Talvela sing The Inquisitor Scene from Verdi's Don Carlo

*
Josef Greindl* (23 December 1912 - 16 April 1993) was a German operatic bass, remembered mainly for his performances of Wagnerian roles at Bayreuth beginning in 1943. Josef Greindl was born in Munich and studied at the Munich Music Academy with Paul Bender. His opera debut was in 1936

*Martti Olavi Talvela (*4 February 1935 - 22 July 1989) was a Finnish operatic bass. Born in Hiitola, Finland the eighth of ten children he studied in Lahti and Stockholm, and made his operatic debut in Helsinki in 1960 as Sparafucile


----------



## Pugg

Jussi Björling, Una Furtiva Lagrima

*Jussi Björling was born in February 5th 1911 *in Borlänge in the Swedish province of Dalarna, 220 km NW of Stockholm. His father David was a tenor and singing teacher and trained the voices of his children from an early age.


----------



## Dilettant

*Ferruccio Tagliavini (1913-1995)*

I was made anew the first time I heard the supple delicacy and sweetness of Ferruccio Tagliavini's singing. This little, puttoesque Italian tenor with his angelic voice, is on my altar of tenors along with Björling and Pavarotti.


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## Pugg

Dilettant said:


> *Ferruccio Tagliavini (1913-1995)*
> 
> I was made anew the first time I heard the supple delicacy and sweetness of Ferruccio Tagliavini's singing. This little, puttoesque Italian tenor with his angelic voice, is on my altar of tenors along with Björling and Pavarotti.


Great first post, welcome to Talk Classical.


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## wkasimer

Lev Sibiryakov (1869-1938)






Born in Ukraine but largely trained in Italy, Sibiryakov had one of the finest bass voices on record, and an international career. He certainly deserves to be better known, like many singers of the acoustic era.


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## Pugg

Jan Derksen sings "Il balen del suo sorriso" from Verdi's Il trovatore (live)

*Jan Derksen* (Alkmaar, 14 juli 1932 - Amsterdam, 10 maart 2004) one of the best baritones we ( The Dutch) had .


----------



## Pugg

Verdi - La Forza del Destino - Bergonzi, Colalillo, Cassis, Mattiucci, Cava, Ceccarini - Excerpt
A few greats from the past.


----------



## Pugg

Russian-American baritone* Igor Gorin* - Born Ukraine, 26 OCT 1908 - Died Tucson, AZ 24 MAR 1982 - Taught voice at the University of Arizona


----------



## Pugg

Robert Weede Sings "Eri Tu," From Un Ballo In Maschera

*Robert Weede*, (1903-1972) American baritone, made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1937 as Tonio in I Pagliacci. He went on to sing other big Italian roles there, including Amonasro, Baron Scarpia, and Rigoletto.


----------



## Pugg

*Manuel Salaza*r - Forza del Destino

Manuel "Melico" Salazar (1887-1950) was born in the town of San Jose, Costa Rica and displayed outstanding vocal talent from an early age. By the age of fifteen, the young singer was appearing in small roles in local zarzuela productions. He began studying voice with Italian born composer and pianist, Alvise Castegnaro, but realized that studies in Italy were needed to start a serious operatic career. Shortly after his 20th birthday, Salazar set sail for Italy, where he lodged with Castegnaro's family in Milan. After three years of intense study, the budding tenor returned to the Americas and signed his first professional contract. Salazar made his operatic debut in 1910 with a small company touring Cuba, Mexico and Central America. In 1911, he appeared professionally in his homeland for the first time as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana and Radames in Aïda.


----------



## Barelytenor

^ "Puttoesque" -- now there's a word you don't hear often. I would loved to have heard him alongside Dame Joan Sutherland. And to have seen them together, tee hee! "Dama Joan, con chi canta?" "Con caro Ferruccio, mio povero piccolo putto!"

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


----------



## Pugg

Fritz Wunderlich - Caro Mio Ben

Friedrich "Fritz" Karl Otto Wunderlich (26-09-1930 / 17 09-1966)


----------



## Pugg

Charles Rousseliere- La Favorite
*Charles Rousselière* (1875-1950) was a French dramatic tenor whose 20-year career took him to major theaters on both sides of the Atlantic. Born into poverty in the village of Saint-Nazaire-d'Aude in the south of France, Rousselière moved with his family to Algeria as a young boy.


----------



## Pugg

Karl-Josef Hering - Arie des Florestan

German tenor (1929-1998)

KARL-JOSEF Hering, the German tenor renowned above all for his portrayal of Siegfried in Wagner's Ring cycle, originally intended to pursue a business career. He took up singing "just for a lark", but became serious about it when his voice developed heroic proportions.


----------



## Pugg

*Galliano Masini* - Lodoletta

*Galiano Masini *Tenor Born 7 Feb 1896 Livorno - Debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca (Puccini) 1924 - Sang in premiere of Caracciolo (Vittadini) - Palla De Mozzi (Marinuzzi)


----------



## Pugg

Tomaz Alcaide - Ah! non mi ridestar (Massenet: Werther) (1930)

*Tomaz Alcaide* Portugal)- Debut as Wilhelm in Mignon (Thomas) 5 Dec 1925 - Created Mascarille in Prezione Ridicole (Lattuada) - Young Clergyman in Madonna Imperia (Alfano) - Lebleu in Vedova Scaltra (Wolf-Ferrari) - Sang in premiere of Primavera Fiorentina (Pedrollo)


----------



## Pugg

The mythical *Tancredi Pasero* singing one of the greatest airas of the bass repertoire. Simply a lesson in bel canto, perfect technique and perfect interpretation... or as near to perfection as is humanly possible


----------



## Pugg

*Jean de Reszke* - O Paradis! (Met, 1901)

The great Polish tenor Jean de Reszke (1850-1925) sings the aria "O Paradis" from Meyerbeer's opera L'Africaine. This was originally recorded on two cylinders during a 1901 performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City by Lionel Mapelson. Unfortunately, the fidelity of the recording leaves something to be desired and part of the performance (from the line "Ô trésors charmants, Ô merveilles...) was missed as Mapleson changed the cylinder on his recording machine. In spite of these drawbacks, if you can adjust your ear to the antiquated sound, you are in for quite a treat. The final B flat rings our loud and clear and gives some impression of what de Reszke sounded like in performance. The roaring crowd at the conclusion of the aria leaves no doubt as to the legendary status of this tenor...even during his lifetime.


----------



## Pugg

*Richard Lewis *sings Bizet and Massenet.

Here is the great tenor Richard Lewis in a pair of opera arias from 1949 with the London Symphony, Josef Krips, conducting.

- "Je crois entendre encore" The Pearlfishers - Bizet
- "Instant Charmant" Manon - Massenet


----------



## Pugg

Arno Schellenberg - Dort vergiß leises Flehn - aus Figaros Hochzeit - 1937

Arno Schellenberg (1903 in Berlin - 1983 ) was a German opera singer (lyrical baritone ) and vocal pedagogue.


----------



## Pugg

*Nikolai Figner* (1857-1918) sings "Ah, lève-toi soleil" from Charles Gounod's opera Roméo et Juliette. This recording was made in 1908.

*Nikolay Figner *(1857-1918), lyric tenor, and Medea Figner (1859-1952), mezzo-soprano, later soprano, were a husband-and-wife team of opera singers active in Russia between 1889 and 1904. Medea was Italian-born but she became completely Russianized after marrying Nikolay


----------



## wkasimer

Alfred Orda (1915-2004)







Born in Poland, Orda spent most of his career singing concerts and recitals in England. Magnificent baritone voice.


----------



## Pugg

Italian dramatic tenor *Giovanni Zenatello* (1876-1949) sings Che gelida manina from La Boheme, composed by Puccini.


----------



## Pugg

site is posting double


----------



## Pugg

*Afro Poli *| Otello (Verdi): Era la notte - private home record


----------



## Pugg

Die Walkure Wintersturme Alfred von Bary (1904) wmv

Alfred von Bary (Tenor) (Valletta, Malta 1873 - München 1926). Lohengrin. First he studied medicine at the universities of Leipzig and Munich which he finished in 1898 in Munich . His voice was discovered by Arthur Nikisch and he studied singing under Richard Müller. H


----------



## Pugg

Una Furtiva Lagrima - Enrico Caruso 1904
Remembering Mr. Caruso's birthday today


----------



## Pugg

*Aldo Protti *- "Si Può?" - Pagliacci 1961

Aldo Protti (July 19, 1920 - August 10, 1995) was an Italian baritone opera singer, particularly associated with the Italian repertory. Protti was born in Cremona. He studied in Parma, and made his debut in Pesaro, as Figaro, in 1948. He made his La Scala debut in 1950, as Amonasro, and sang there for many years.


----------



## schigolch

Yes, it's Caruso's birthday, today.

To celebrate, I have just heard one of his ancient records, in a gramophone from the 1910s. He was still alive by then.

Another example of his singing, a piece in French this time:


----------



## Pugg

*Donald Gramm sings* "Du côté de la barbe est la toute-puissance"

Donald Gramm (February1927 - 1983) was an American bass-baritone whose career was divided between opera and concert performances. His appearances were primarily limited to the United States, which at the time was unusual for an American singer.


----------



## Pugg

Antonio Scotti Sings "Come paride vezzoso," From L'Elisir d'Amore. 1905

*Antonio Scotti *(1866-1934) had one of the longest careers at the Met of any principal singer. Over the course of 34 years, from 1899 until 1833, he sang 36 roles in 832 performances. On top of that, he toured in another 344!) He often sang with Caruso, who was one of his closest friend


----------



## wkasimer

Hans Hermann Nissen (1893-1980)






Nissen was an acclaimed bass-baritone in Germany during the 30's. Although largely neglected by recording companies, he did have the opportunity to record the role of Hans Sachs a complete Meistersinger Act 3 with Bohm, not to mention a recorded performance under Toscanini's baton at Salzburg in 1937.


----------



## Pugg

*Emile Scaramberg*, " La donna e mobile " 1905

Emile Scaramberg Born 1863 in Besancon - Debut as Richard Couer de Lion (Gretry) 1893 - Sang in premiere of Filibuster (Cui)


----------



## Pugg

*Peter Grimes* - Jon Vickers.

Jonathan Stewart Vickers, CC ( 1926 - . 2015), known professionally as Jon Vickers, was a Canadian heldentenor


----------



## wkasimer

Virgilius Noreika (1935- )






I hesitate to mention the great Lithuanian tenor Noreika, because he's still alive and only "semi-retired", but he's one of my favorite Lenskys.


----------



## Pugg

Agnes Baltsa, Neil Shicoff, Carmen Duet, C'est toi...
I have the same feeling about this two. .......


----------



## Pugg

*Simon Estes *as The Flying Dutchman.

1938 American baritone Simon ESTES born Centerville Iowa 
Debut 1965 - Sang in premiere of Traum des Liu-Tung (Yun I)


----------



## Pugg

*Rigoletto* Robert Nagy Tenor

*Robert Nagy *(March 1929 - , 2008) was an American operatic tenor who had a lengthy and fruitful association with the Metropolitan Opera that lasted for three decades. His association with the Met began when he won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1956.


----------



## wkasimer

wkasimer said:


> Virgilius Noreika (1935-2018 )


By very sad coincidence, Noreika passed away this morning, age 82. May he rest in peace.


----------



## Pugg

Ik hou van Holland -- Joseph Schmidt (1937)
For his birthday. ( Dutch song)


----------



## Pugg

Leonard Warren, "Il balen del suo sorriso" (Il trovatore)

*Leonard Warren* (April 1911 - 1960) was an American opera singer. A baritone, he was a leading artist for many years with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.


----------



## Larkenfield

Pugg said:


> Ik hou van Holland -- Joseph Schmidt (1937)
> For his birthday. ( Dutch song)


Schmidt was a wonderful tenor who died tragically young during the War in 1942. I always hear such joy and sense of celebration in his voice. Loved his recordings.

http://historyofthetenor.com/page.php?156


----------



## Pugg

Larkenfield said:


> Schmidt was a wonderful tenor who died tragically young during the War in 1942. I always hear such joy and sense of celebration in his voice. Loved his recordings.
> 
> http://historyofthetenor.com/page.php?156


He was deeply loved in my country ( according to my family) that's why the Dutch song.


----------



## Pugg

On Wenlock Edge sung by Alexander Young (part 1)






On Wenlock Edge sung by Alexander Young (part 2)

*Alexander Basil Young *(18 October 1920 - 5 March 2000) was an English tenor who had an active career performing in concerts and operas from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. He was particularly admired for his performances in the operas of Handel, Mozart, and Rossini, notable the studio recording of Il pirata/ Vincenzo Bellini


----------



## Pugg

Norman Treigle sings "Ella giammai m'amo" from Don Carlo

*Norman Treigle*( 1927- 1975) was an American operatic bass-baritone, who was acclaimed for his great abilities as a singing-actor, and specialized in roles that evoked villainy and terror.


----------



## Pugg

Mario Laurenti: "Voilà donc la terrible cité", Edison 82235 del 14 gennaio 1921

*Mario Laurent*i (Baritone) (Verona 1890 - New York 1922). His real name was Luigi Cavadani. He was sent to the engineer's study to Germany. His voice was discovered in Dresden and he began here to study singing. In 1914 he came to North America and joined to the choir of the Metropolitan Opera


----------



## Pugg

Don Carlo. Corelli - Herlea "Dio, che dell'alma infondere"

Metropolitan Opera House March 7, 1964 Matinee Broadcast in Italian
Don Carlo...............Franco Corelli
Elizabeth of Valois.....Leonie Rysanek
Rodrigo.................Nicolae Herlea [Debut]
Princess Eboli..........Irene Dalis
Philip II...............Giorgio Tozzi
Grand Inquisitor........Hermann Uhde
Celestial Voice.........Junetta Jones
Friar...................Justino Diaz
Tebaldo.................Marcia Baldwin
Count of Lerma..........Gabor Carelli
Countess of Aremberg....Sally Brayley
Herald..................Robert Nagy

Conductor...............Kurt Adler


----------



## wkasimer

Nicolae Herlea (1927-2014)






The Romanian baritone who made his Met debut in the above performance.


----------



## Pugg

Owen Brannigan- Ha wie ill ich triumphieren ( in English)

*Owen Brannigan* in Annitsford - (1908 1973 - )Debut as Sarastro in Zauberflote (Mozart) 1943 - Created Bottom in Midsummer Night's Dream
(Britten) - Noye in Noye's Fludde (Briten) - Swallow in Peter Grimes (Britten) - Collatinus in Rape of Lucretia (Britten) - Hasselbacher in Our Man in Havana (Williamson) - Courtras in Moon & Sixpence (Gardner) - Agenor in Violins of St Jacques (Williamson) - Sang in premiere of English Eccentrics (Williamson)


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## Pugg

Verdi: Un Ballo In Maschera - Renato's aria "Alzati! Eri tu..." / Václav Zítek

*Václav Zítek* (1932-2011)


----------



## Larkenfield

Another by Joseph Schmidt. Said by one who remembered him: The greatness of Schmidt is staggering and the range of music in which he excelled is staggering. Listening to him perform secular music he is God's gift to music. Listening to his cantorial work he is man's gift to God. He is passionate without being bombastic. He is heartfelt without cloying sentimentality.﻿


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## Pugg

Marcel Cordes - Neminco della patria ? - Andrea Chénier - Giordano 432 Hz

Marcel Cordes 1920- 26 Nov 1992 - Debut as Canio in Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) 1941 - Created Tansus in Harmonie der Welt (Hindemith) - Sang in premiere of Titus Feuerfuchs (Sutermeister)


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## Larkenfield

Cantor Sirota! One of the great voices of the early 20th Century -- a favorite of writer Henry Miller:


----------



## Pugg

Boris Christoff *RARE VIDEO* - Ella giammai m'amò


----------



## Pugg

*Nicola Rossi-Lemeni* - Vi ravviso, La sonnambula

Italian-Russian Bass *Nicola Rossi-Lemeni* Born 7 November 1920 - died 1999 Istanbul - Debut as Varlaam in Boris Godounov (Mussorgsky) May 1946 - Created Thomas a Becket in Assassinio Nella Catterale (Pizzetti) - Saul in David (Milhaud) - Ferrante in Reine Morte (Rossellini) - Cardinal in Leggende del Ritorno (Rossellini) - Don Fabrizio Salina in Gattopardo (Musco) - Wallenstein in Wallenstein (Zafred) - Sang in premiere of Trilogia das Barcas (Braga Santos) - Visita Meruvigliosa (Rota) - Sguardo dal Ponte (Rossellini) - L'Avventurio (Rossellini) - In addition to being one of the most respected basses in Italy he was a painter and prize-winning poet


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## schigolch

And also the husband of Virginia Zeani.


----------



## Pugg

*RICHARD CROOKS *SINGS NEAPOLITAN LOVE SONG 1944 BROADCAST

He was born on June 26, 1900 in Trenton, New Jersey. Following several concert seasons as an oratorio and song recital specialist, including the American premier of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, he traveled to Germany where he made his operatic debut in Hamburg as Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca in 1927. After his tour in other European cities such as Berlin, Crooks returned to the United States and made his American debut in 1930 in Philadelphia. He became a star of the Metropolitan Opera, specializing in French and Italian operas. He participated in the farewell gala on March 29, 1936, for Italian soprano Lucrezia Bori,


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## schigolch

Just for the sake of completion, Lucrezia Bori was Spanish, not Italian.


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## Pugg

Giuseppe ACERBI ~ Aria di Edgardo (LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR - Donizetti) - 1907

*Giuseppe Acerbi *(Tenor) (Codogno 1871-Milan 1934). Pinkerton. He studied in Milan with Marziani, Blasco and Rossi. He mad his debut in 1899 at the Gaffurio in Lodi in ''Rigoletto'' and ''Traviata''. He was not satisfied with his performances and decided to resume his studies.


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## Pugg

James McCracken V-esti la giubba

*James McCracken *(December 16, 1926 - April 29, 1988) was an American operatic tenor. At the time of his death The New York Times stated that McCracken was "the most successful dramatic tenor yet produced by the United States and a pillar of the Metropolitan Opera during the 1960s and 1970s."


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## Pugg

Josef Mann/ Il Trovatore

*Josef Mann (*1883-1921) was born into a musical family in the Austro-Hungarian city of Lemburg. Some sources give the year of Mann's birth as 1879, but key events in the tenor's life and career make the later date seem more plausible. He studied law at the University of Lemburg, receiving his degree in 1906


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## Pugg

*Louis Quilico*

Louis Quilico, CC (January 14, 1925 - July 15, 2000) was a Canadian opera singer. One of the leading dramatic baritones of his day, he was an ideal interpreter of the great Italian and French composers, especially Giuseppe Verdi. He was often referred to as "Mr Rigoletto" in reference to the Verdi opera.


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## Pugg

Robert Holl; "Liederkreis"; op. 39; Robert Schumann

*Robert Holl*, is a Dutch bass-baritone. He is opera, concert and Lieder singer, composer and singing teacher. Born: 10 March 1947 (71 years), Rotterdam


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## Pugg

*Paul Schöffler*; "Credo in un Dio crudel"; Otello; Giuseppe Verdi

Paul Schöffler (15 September 1897 - 21 November 1977) was a German operatic baritone, particularly associated with Mozart, Wagner, and Strauss roles.

Born in Dresden, he studied at the Music Conservatory there with Rudolf Schmalmauer and Waldemar Staegemann, and later in Milan with the great Italian baritone Mario Sammarco. He was a member of the Semperoper in Dresden from 1925 to 1937, and then joined the Vienna State Opera. He was also a regular at the Bayreuth Festival and the Salzburg Festival, establishing himself in roles such as Figaro, Don Giovanni, Alfonso, The Speaker of the Temple, Pizarro, Holländer, Wolfram, Kurwenal, Hans Sachs, Wotan, Amfortas and Orest. He took part in the creation of Gottfried von Einem's Dantons Tod in 1947, and Richard Strauss's Die Liebe der Danae in 1952, both in Salzburg.

He made guest appearances at the Royal Opera House in London, the Paris Opéra, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, La Scala in Milan, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, also appearing in San Francisco and Chicago.

He also enjoyed considerable success in a few Italian roles notably Iago and Scarpia, and eventually moved to character roles (Music Teacher, Antonio), singing well into his 70s.


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## Pugg

Otto Edelmann sings Catalogue aria.

*Otto Edelmann* (1917- 2003) was an Austrian bass. He was born in Vienna and studied singing in Vienna with Gunnar Graarud. His debut was at Gera as Figaro in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. He later sang the Vienna State Opera, the Edinburgh Festival and the Metropolitan Opera.


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## Pugg

*Lauritz Melchio*r - Mein Lieber Schwan!

Lauritz Melchior (1890-1973) was born in Denmark, where he studied voice at the Copenhagen Royal Opera School. ... One critic, Washington DC based Paul Hume, wrote of Melchior, "not the world's greatest Wagner tenor - the only one!" While on a world tour in the .... If he were as good a lover as singer


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## Pugg

*Ezio Pinza *sings "La Calunnia" from Barber of Seville

Ezio Pinza was an Italian opera singer. A bass with a rich, smooth and sonorous voice, he spent 22 seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearing in more than 750 performances of 50 operas. At the San Francisco Opera, Pinza sang 26 roles during 20 seasons from 1927 to 1948.


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## wkasimer

Oscar Natzke (1912-1951)






A fine bass from New Zealand, Natzke was on the cusp of an international career when he collapsed on stage during a performance of Meistersinger at New York City Opera, and died a few days later at the age of 39.

The National Library of New Zealand issued two 2CD sets of his recordings - highly recommended if you can find them.


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## wkasimer

Boris Shtokolov (1930-2005)






Shtokolov was a popular bass in the former Soviet Union, and a leading soloist at the Mariinsky for three decades.


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## Pugg

*John Brownlee* sings Trees and Invictus

John Donald Mackenzie Brownlee (7 January 1900 - 10 January 1969) was an Australian operatic baritone. For most of his professional career he was based in Europe and then United States. He married former Countess Donna Carla Oddone di Feletto in Paris on 29 November 1928


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## Pugg

*Luigi Alva* - Com'e gentil "Don Pasquale"

Luis Ernesto Alva y Talledo, better known as Luigi Alva (Paita, Peru 10 April 1927) is a Peruvian operatic tenor, active in the second half of the 20th century. A Mozart and Rossini specialist, Alva achieved fame with roles such as Don Ottavio (in Don Giovanni), Count Almaviva (in The Barber of Seville) and Fenton (in Verdi's Falstaff). He retired from the stage in 1989.[1]


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## Pugg

Josef TRAXEL - Gebet an Jungfrau Maria _ Alessandro Stradella ( F. von Flotow )

*Josef Traxel* (29 September 1916 in Mainz - 8 October 1975 in Stuttgart) was a German operatic tenor, particularly associated with Mozart roles and the German repertory.

He studied at the Darmstadt Conservatory, but was conscripted into the army before beginning his career. However, he was able to make his debut in Mainz, as Don Ottavio, in 1942, while on sick-leave from the army. After internment in Britain as a prisoner of war, he returned to Germany and resumed his career in Nuremberg in 1946, where he remained until 1952, he then joined the Stuttgart Opera. The same year, he appeared at the Salzburg Festival, where he sang the role of Mercury at the premiere of Richard Strauss's Die Liebe der Danae. In 1954, he first appeared at the Bayreuth Festival as Froh in Rheingold, returning as Walther in Tannhäuser, as Erik and the Steuermann in Der fliegende Holländer, the young sailor in Tristan und Isolde, a Knight in Parsifal, and in 1957, as Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. He was also a frequent guest at the Munich State Opera and the Vienna State Opera, also appearing in the Netherlands and Switzerland. He frequently performed in, and recorded, sacred music.


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## Pugg

JAMES MCCRACKEN - È lucevan le stelle - TOSCA (Puccini)

*James McCracken* (December 16, 1926 - April 29, 1988) was an American operatic tenor. At the time of his death The New York Times stated that McCracken was "the most successful dramatic tenor yet produced by the United States and a pillar of the Metropolitan Opera during the 1960s and 1970s." ...


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## Pugg

*Donald Smith* (tenor) sings Nessun Dorma.

Donald Sydney Smith OBE (27 July 1920 - 1 December 1998) was an operatic tenor. His voice had a bright Italianate quality, which could match in size, carrying power and tonal allure the voices of most sopranos and mezzos.


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## Pugg

*Jussi Björling* as Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata, live, Stockholm, 1939.

The great Swedish tenor Jussi Björling (1911-1960) in Alfredo's solo scene "Lunge da lei...De'miei bollenti spiriti" (sung here in Swedish) from Act 2 of Verdi's La Traviata, coming from a live performance at the Royal Opera, Stockholm, on 29 August 1939 conducted by Herbert Sandberg. Björling sang the role of Alfredo only 13 times during his entire career, with 12 performances in Stockholm and one in Prague between 1933 and 1939. This live performance in 1939 turned out to be his final appearance as Alfredo on stage.


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## Pugg

*Alexander Kipnis* - Wagner: Wotan's Farewell - German State Opera Orchestra/Blech (1926)

Alexander Kipnis (1891-1978)was a Ukrainian-born operatic bass. Having initially established his artistic reputation in Europe, Kipnis became an American citizen in 1931, following his marriage to an American


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## Pugg

Wagner 'Der fliegende Holländer' Die Frist ist um - *Hermann Uhde*
1914-1965 
In spite of being a famous singer, he often also sang small roles such as Donner in Das Rheingold, Melot in Tristan und Isolde, the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos, and Shchelkalov in Boris Godunov. In the United States, he created a sensation at the Metropolitan Opera in his debut title role as Wozzeck (sung in English), ...


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## wkasimer

Aksel Schiotz (1906-1975)











The great Danish tenor Schiotz's career was interrupted twice - first, by WW2, and shortly after the war, by surgery for a benign brain tumor that left half of his face paralyzed. He struggled to resume his career, but as a baritone. These two recordings are justly famous.


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## Pugg

Peter Hofmann sings Lohengrin's Grail narration.

*Peter Hofmann *(22 August 1944 - 30 November 2010)[1] was a German tenor who had a successful performance career within the fields of opera, rock, pop, and musical theatre. He first rose to prominence in 1976 as a heldentenor at the Bayreuth festival's Jahrhundertring (Centenary Ring) in 1976, where he drew critical acclaim for his performance of Siegmund in Richard Wagner's Die Walküre. He was active as one of the world's leading Wagnerian tenors over the next decade, performing roles like Lohengrin, Parsifal, Siegfried, and Tristan at major opera houses and festivals internationally.[2]


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## Pugg

*Kurt Equiluz* - Cantata BWV 140: IV. Zion hört die wächter singen

Kurt Equiluz (born 13 June 1929 in Vienna) is an Austrian classical tenor in opera and concert, known for recording works of Johann Sebastian Bach with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Helmuth Rilling, a member of the Vienna State Opera as a tenor buffo from 1957 until 1983.


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## Pugg

Lohengrin - In fernam Land - the long version - Sandor Konya.

*Sándor Kónya *(September 23, 1923 - May 20, 2002) was a Hungarian tenor, particularly associated with German and Italian roles, especially Lohengrin and Calaf. Biography[edit]. Kónya was born in Sarkad, Hungary, and began his vocal studies at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, with Ferenc Székelyhidy.


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## Pugg

*Paolo Silveri* - Guglielmo Tell - Resta immobile

Paolo Silveri was born on December 28th 1913 in Ofena (province of Aquila). Although being of almost the same age as Bechi (born 1913), Gobbi (1915) and Taddei (1916) his career only started with some delay


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## Pugg

In Memoriam MICHEL SENECHAL (1927-2018) in Rossini and Berlioz

MICHEL SENECHAL died on 1st April 2018.


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## Pugg

Ivan Kozlovsky: "Quel trouble inconnu me pénètre?", Aprelevka Plant 9174/75 de 1938 (?)

1900 - Died: December 23, 1993 - Moscow, Russia. The Ukrainian tenor, Ivan (Semyonovitch/Semyonovich) Kozlovsky, studied at the Kiev Conservatory, drama, piano and singing with N.V. Lissenko (Lysenko) and Mouravyova (Muravyova). Ivan Kozlovsky made his operatic debut at Poltava in 1918 (or 1920)


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## Pugg

*John van Kesteren* "Die Regimentstochter"

John van Kesteren, Tenor (1921-2008) singt "Endlich bin ich am Ziel" aus der Oper "Die Regimentstochter" von Donizetti (Aufn. 1959)


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## Pugg

Verdi - Macbeth - Perfidi! ... Pietà, rispetto, amore - Josef Metternich (Berlin, 1950)

*Josef Metternich* June 1915 in Hermülheim; † 21. February 2005 in Feldafing) was a German operatic baritone. Metternich also appeared at the Royal Opera House in London, La Scala in Milan, and made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, in La forza del destino, in 1953.


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## Pugg

Cesare Curzi (born October 14, 1926 in San Francisco ) is an American opera singer ( tenor ).

Curzi was born the son of Italian immigrants ; his father Francesco Curzi was tenor. From him Curzi received his first singing lessons . At the age of 15, he appeared for the first time in an operetta theater, in an operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan . Curzi studied singing at the College of Music in San Francisco. After his military service , he began in 1947 in the choir of the San Francisco Opera and debuted in 1948 as a soloist in a small role in the opera Madama Butterfly . He remained an ensemble member of the San Francisco Opera until 1954, performing in small and medium-sized roles: Parpignol at La Bohème , Edmondo at Manon Lescaut , Iseppo at La Gioconda , Normanno at Lucia di Lammermoor, and Nathanael at Hoffmann's Tales .


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## Pugg

Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 - 29 October 2003) was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice


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## Pugg

Julius Patzak; "Konstanze dich wiederzusehen"; Die Entführung aus dem Serail; W.A. Mozart

*Julius Patzak* (9 April 1898 - 26 January 1974) was an Austrian tenor distinguished in operatic and concert work. He was particularly noted in Mozart, Beethoven and in early 20th-century German repertoire.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese




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## Pugg

*Josef Traxel* (* 29. September 1916 in Mainz; † 8. Oktober 1975 in Stuttgart) was a German operatic tenor, particularly associated with Mozart roles and the German repertory. He studied at the Darmstadt Conservatory, but was conscripted into the army before beginning his career. However, he was able to make his debut in Mainz, as Don Ottavio, in 1942,


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## Barelytenor

*Cesare Siepi Sings "O tu, Palermo" Like a God LIVE*

Can I play too, Pugg? Although I am a high baritone I can only sound remotely like Siepi early in the morning before I warm up. The bottom note here is a low F although Siepi could sing down to a resonant low C. He has always been one of my favorite singers, both interpretively and just in terms of the lush, dark quality of his sound. Enjoy! This performance of the beautiful aria "O tu, Palermo" from _I Vespri Siciliani_ dates from 1957.






Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## Pugg

> Can I play too, Pugg? Although I am a high baritone I can only sound remotely like Siepi early in the morning before I warm up. The bottom note here is a low F although Siepi could sing down to a resonant low C. He has always been one of my favorite singers, both interpretively and just in terms of the lush, dark quality of his sound. Enjoy! This performance of the beautiful aria "O tu, Palermo" from I Vespri Siciliani dates from 1957.


Of course you can, the more the better.


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## Pugg

Eugene Conley - - Cielo e mar

*Eugene Conley *(March 12, 1908 - December 18, 1981) was a celebrated American operatic tenor. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Conley studied under Ettore Verna, and made his official debut as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1940. In 1945, he first appeared with the New York City Opera.


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## Barelytenor

*Tenor Eugene Conley with High Notes Out the Ying-Yang!*

This is "Vieni fra queste braccia" from Bellini's_ I Puritani,_ a well-known bravura aria for tenor with some extreme high notes. Luciano Pavarotti was famous for his rendition of this, but Conley does it every bit as well, with longer phrases. _Twice._

I grew up in North Texas where both Eugene Conley and another famous tenor, Thomas Hayward, hung out after their professional careers were over. Conley was Artist-in-Residence at the University of North Texas in Denton, and Hayward was Artist-in-Residence at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. I sang many a duet/trio/quartet/sextet (and even one septet, the "Questo è un nodo avviluppato" from _La Cenerentola_) with various singers who were students of one or the other, most notably Gary Lakes, tenor, who studied with Hayward. Lakes thought he was an Irish tenor at the time_ á la_ John McCormack; it was a few years later that he went out to Seattle and developed into a credible Wagnerian tenor. I myself studied briefly (and privately) with another vocal coach at SMU, Bruce Foote.

Anyway. Enjoy this tour de force aria from Eugene Conley! (His voice and technique remind me a bit of Alfredo Kraus, do they you?)






Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


----------



## Barelytenor

*Tenor Thomas Hayward Sings "Torna a Sorriento"*

Given what I wrote above regarding Eugene Conley, it is only right to give equal time to Thomas Hayward (1917-1995). Hayward's cousin was the great American baritone Lawrence Tibbett. Hayward won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air along with baritone Robert Merrill. Hayward performed with the New York City Opera and the Met and was principal cover for Jussi Bjoerling. He sang Cavaradossi, Pinkerton, the Italian Singer in _Rosenkavalier,_ Faust, Arturo in _Lucia di Lammermoor, _the Duke of Mantua in _Rigoletto, _and for years had his own radio show called _Serenade to America._ Here he is singing the famous Neapolitan folk song. He has a bit of a glitch on the second verse; such are the perils of live performance. But it's a glorious voice, and we singers are actually ... human. Enjoy!






Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


----------



## Barelytenor

Pugg said:


> *Paolo Silveri* - Guglielmo Tell - Resta immobile
> 
> Paolo Silveri was born on December 28th 1913 in Ofena (province of Aquila). Although being of almost the same age as Bechi (born 1913), Gobbi (1915) and Taddei (1916) his career only started with some delay


Fine high notes and excellent legato are evident on this recording of the difficult high-baritone aria "Resta immobile" from _Guglielmo Tell._ It would nevertheless come as a great surprise to most listeners that Silveri performed professionally not only as a bass (early in his career), as a baritone singing Verdi well, and _as a tenor,_ taking on the role of Verdi's _Otello_ before (wisely) deciding to stay with the baritone parts.

Thus endeth your Operatic Trivial Pursuit clue for the day.

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## Barelytenor

*Former Baritone Paolo Silveri Sings "Esultate" and "Niun Mi Tema" as a Tenor-Otello*

Please do read the interesting notes on the YouTube page; no need to repeat them here. I notice he skips the top note in the start of the "Esultate."






Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## Pugg

Hermann Prey in Don Carlos, Death of Posa

*Hermann Prey* (Berlin, Germany, July 11, 1929 - Krailling, Germany, July 22, 1998) was a German baritone.

Prey became famous among other things for his interpretation of the role of Figaro in the operas of Mozart and Rossini and with his interpretation of the songs of Schubert. He was close friends and also sang a lot with the tenor Fritz Wunderlich.


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## Barelytenor

I love Hermann Prey's voice but can't stand to hear this sung in German! Come on, it's not like Italian is that hard to sing! 

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


----------



## Woodduck

Barelytenor said:


> Given what I wrote above regarding Eugene Conley, it is only right to give equal time to Thomas Hayward (1917-1995). Hayward's cousin was the great American baritone Lawrence Tibbett. Hayward won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air along with baritone Robert Merrill. Hayward performed with the New York City Opera and the Met and was principal cover for Jussi Bjoerling. He sang Cavaradossi, Pinkerton, the Italian Singer in _Rosenkavalier,_ Faust, Arturo in _Lucia di Lammermoor, _the Duke of Mantua in _Rigoletto, _and for years had his own radio show called _Serenade to America._ Here he is singing the famous Neapolitan folk song. He has a bit of a glitch on the second verse; such are the perils of live performance. But it's a glorious voice, and we singers are actually ... human. Enjoy!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Kind regards, :tiphat:
> 
> George


Why do the forgotten singers of yesteryear sound better than the "stars" of today?


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## The Conte

Woodduck said:


> Why do the forgotten singers of yesteryear sound better than the "stars" of today?




You really think that he has anything over Calleja in that piece? I'd prefer Florez or even Kaufmann over this version (not to mention a few of today's singers who aren't tenors).

N.


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## ldiat

Pugg said:


> Hermann Prey in Don Carlos, Death of Posa
> 
> *Hermann Prey* (Berlin, Germany, July 11, 1929 - Krailling, Germany, July 22, 1998) was a German baritone.
> 
> Prey became famous among other things for his interpretation of the role of Figaro in the operas of Mozart and Rossini and with his interpretation of the songs of Schubert. He was close friends and also sang a lot with the tenor Fritz Wunderlich.


 July 22--sad day for Mr.Prey----nice day for moi


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## Woodduck

The Conte said:


> You really think that he has anything over Calleja in that piece? I'd prefer Florez or even Kaufmann over this version (not to mention a few of today's singers who aren't tenors).
> 
> N.


Hayward's vocal production and legato are impeccable. Offhand I'd say he's marginally better than Calleja, though all I have to go on is this heavily miked, overresonant version on YouTube.






Florez seems to give it a bit of a "pop" treatment: 



 He also loses breath support and tone at phrase ends.

Kaufmann: 



 A bit strenuous, lacks legato.

Staying with non-Italians, If I want power, squillo, legato, the whole package - I'll take Melchior:






To reinforce my point about forgotten singers of yesteryear, try the Italian Francesco Albanese (1912-2005). Listen to the dynamic control.






When I hear a tenor that good on a Met broadcast, I'll let the world know.


----------



## Pugg

Herbert Ernst Groh; "Jungfrau Maria!"; Alessandro Stradella; Friedrich von Flotow

Herbert Ernst Groh (27 May 1905 - 28 July 1982) was a popular Swiss tenor. Groh was born in Lucerne and subsequently studied in Zurich and Milan. One of his teachers was Carl Beines, who also taught Richard Tauber. He began his operatic singing career in Darmstadt in 1926, with engagements following in Frankfurt


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## Barelytenor

*Russian Bass Mark Reizen Sings Famous Aria from Boris Godunov LIVE*

The great (and extraordinarily musical) Russian bass Mark Osipovich Reizen (1895-1992) performed until well into his 90s. He was among the foremost interpreters of Boris Godunov but also sang Pimen, Mephistopheles in _Faust, _ Don Basilio in _Barbiere, _ and Prince Gremin in Eugene Oregon, whose aria he performed at the Bolshoi for his 90th birthday. He was a tall man with a commanding stage presence, a rolling basso voice, fantastic legato and a wonderful mezza voce that extended to some amazing high notes, which he also had in abundance. Here he is singing the famous aria from Boris Godunov "I Have Attained the Highest Power" / достиг я высшей власти. Enjoy!






Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## wkasimer

Josef Greindl (1912-1993)






Greindl is remembered mostly as a specialist in Wagnerian bass roles, but he was a superb actor and a fine singer of German Lieder; his recording of Loewe's "Hochzeitslied" is one of my favorites.


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## wkasimer

Here's Greindl again, singing King Philip in the scene with the Grand Inquisitor (Martti Talvela) from Don Carlo, auf Deutsch:


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## wkasimer

Franz Crass (1928-2012)






Another singer mostly known as a Wagnerian, Crass' career ended prematurely due to hearing impairment.


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## wkasimer

Jozsef Gregor (1940-2006)






Much of Gregor's career was spent in his native Hungary, and most of his recordings are sung in Hungarian; he was nearly 50 when he made his American debut.


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## Pugg

Entrance of the Gods from "Das Rheingold" (Wagner), Rudolf Bockelmann

Rudolf Bockelmann (born 2 April 1892 in Bodenteich, died 9 October 1958 in Dresden) was a German dramatic baritone and Kammersänger. He built an international career as an outstanding Wagnerian singer but damaged his reputation during the 1930s by joining the Nazi Party.


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## Pugg

Kurt Bohme - Lortzing's Der Wildschutz - Fünftausend Taler!

*Kurt Böhme* (* 5. Mai 1908 in Dresden; † 20. Dezember 1989 in München) From Germany (Bass).


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## The Conte

Woodduck said:


> Hayward's vocal production and legato are impeccable. Offhand I'd say he's marginally better than Calleja, though all I have to go on is this heavily miked, overresonant version on YouTube.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Florez seems to give it a bit of a "pop" treatment:
> 
> 
> 
> He also loses breath support and tone at phrase ends.
> 
> Kaufmann:
> 
> 
> 
> A bit strenuous, lacks legato.
> 
> Staying with non-Italians, If I want power, squillo, legato, the whole package - I'll take Melchior:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> To reinforce my point about forgotten singers of yesteryear, try the Italian Francesco Albanese (1912-2005). Listen to the dynamic control.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> When I hear a tenor that good on a Met broadcast, I'll let the world know.


I agree about the short comings of Florez and Kaufmann in the piece (although of all the singers mentioned Florez is the only one who can sing in Neapolitan.) The Calleja recording is hard on the ears due to the sound, but the thing that all three have over Hayward is that there is very little head resonance in his voice (which sounds to me like weak crico-thyroids). I also don't hear wonderful legato singing in his version, but quite the opposite (which is another indication that there isn't enough crico-thyroid action), although the clarity of the vowels and articulation of the consonants is superb. It's interesting how two people can hear totally different things from the same recording!

N.


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## Woodduck

The Conte said:


> I agree about the short comings of Florez and Kaufmann in the piece (although of all the singers mentioned Florez is the only one who can sing in Neapolitan.) The Calleja recording is hard on the ears due to the sound, but the thing that all three have over Hayward is that there is very little head resonance in his voice (which sounds to me like weak crico-thyroids). I also don't hear wonderful legato singing in his version, but quite the opposite (which is another indication that there isn't enough crico-thyroid action), although the clarity of the vowels and articulation of the consonants is superb. It's interesting how two people can hear totally different things from the same recording!
> 
> N.


Are we listening to the same singer? There's seamless legato all over the place, phrase after phrase, of the sort not one of today's big name tenors exhibits. How do you define legato? I define it both musically and technically. In terms of technique, it's the ability to move smoothly between notes with no change in tone production, no loss of support for the sound, no break in the evenness of vibrato. Hayward has the security of technique and ease of production needed, and he uses these assets. As for "head resonance," well, the voice resonates freely. I hear no constraints on that. It isn't as if his resonating cavities are closed off. Keep in mind it's an old recording, really quite muffled. The only thing I find lacking is the bright upper partials that a modern recording would capture. Hayward sings better than any of those others you mention, and better than any contemporary tenor I've heard in many a year.


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## The Conte

Woodduck said:


> How do you define legato?


Put very simply I would define it as there not being any gaps in the singer's emission of the vocal lines, except between phrases. Another way of saying that is "It's the ability to move smoothly between notes with no change in tone production, no loss of support for the sound, no break in the evenness of vibrato." I don't hear that from Hayward in that recording (and I am only going on that recording, I'm not familiar with other performances of his). In fact I find Hayward's lack of legato and general interpretation of the aria similar to Kaufmann's. I'm not saying that I dislike Hayward's singing, but it doesn't strike me as star material compared with any of the big name tenors of the last 100 years.

N.


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## Pugg

Max Lorenz; "Allmächt'ger Vater"; Rienzi; Richard Wagner

Max Lorenz (born Max Sülzenfuß; 10 May 1901 - 11 January 1975) was a German heldentenor famous for Wagner roles.


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## Woodduck

The Conte said:


> Put very simply I would define it as there not being any gaps in the singer's emission of the vocal lines, except between phrases. Another way of saying that is "It's the ability to move smoothly between notes with no change in tone production, no loss of support for the sound, no break in the evenness of vibrato." I don't hear that from Hayward in that recording (and I am only going on that recording, I'm not familiar with other performances of his). In fact I find Hayward's lack of legato and general interpretation of the aria similar to Kaufmann's. I'm not saying that I dislike Hayward's singing, but it doesn't strike me as star material compared with any of the big name tenors of the last 100 years.
> 
> N.


You're scaring me now, Conte!  As a singer myself, I know what I'm hearing here, and what I'm hearing from Thomas Hayward is a flawless legato and a highly musical deployment of it. I think we need a third and maybe a fourth party to listen and give an opinion. I'm going to submit this to Greg Mitchell, a singer himself, who's been listening to singers as long as I have and knows as much about singing as anyone here - as anyone I've known, in fact. I'll email him and see if I can get him to offer a judgment. Meanwhile, here are more samples of Hayward's singing from YouTube:
















That's impeccable singing, smooth as silk. I'm not saying that Hayward has the greatest voice I've ever heard, although it's a fine one. I'm only judging his technique and musicality. I've heard nothing as good from the Met in years, with the possible exception of Matthew Polenzani in _Cosi fan tutti_ a few years ago. I don't know what Polenzani sounds like now, though.


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## The Conte

Woodduck said:


> You're scaring me now, Conte!  As a singer myself, I know what I'm hearing here, and what I'm hearing from Thomas Hayward is a flawless legato and a highly musical deployment of it. I think we need a third and maybe a fourth party to listen and give an opinion. I'm going to submit this to Greg Mitchell, a singer himself, who's been listening to singers as long as I have and knows as much about singing as anyone here - as anyone I've known, in fact. I'll email him and see if I can get him to offer a judgment. Meanwhile, here are more samples of Hayward's singing from YouTube:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That's impeccable singing, smooth as silk. I'm not saying that Hayward has the greatest voice I've ever heard, although it's a fine one. I'm only judging his technique and musicality. I've heard nothing as good from the Met in years, with the possible exception of Matthew Polenzani in _Cosi fan tutti_ a few years ago. I don't know what Polenzani sounds like now, though.


I can't listen to the other examples at the moment, but will do when I have time. I am surprised that we are hearing different things, however I have seen a number of classical music discussions were two people are obviously hearing completely different things from the same recording (e.g. one saying a pianist's interpretation was too placid and another that it was too emotional and OTT!) I am also a singer and conversations about technique are fraught with misunderstandings and differences of opinion. I have a friend who is a tenor and swears blind that a couple of today's singers have amazing technique, whereas I find they have badly coordinated high notes. It's quite a minefield.

Thinking about legato from a technical point of view, it's very much associated with the crico-thyroid muscle group and their action seems limited in Hayward's singing to my ear. Did he sing much bel canto or florid arias? I can't imagine his voice having the required flexibility for very florid singing.

N.


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## Pugg

Rudolf Laubenthal - Mime hiess ein mürrischer Zwerg (1928)

*Rudolf Laubentha*l (Tenor) (March 10th, 1886 Düsseldorf - October 2nd, 1972 Pöcking/Bavaria


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## Pugg

Waldemar Kmentt, Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm - Così fan tutte, K. 588, Act I: "Un'aura amorosa"

*Waldemar Kmentt *(Wien, 2 February 1929 - Ibidem, 21 January 2015) was an Austrian operatic tenor, who was particularly associated with the German repertory, both opera and operetta.


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## Pugg

*Raphael Arie* - Boris Godunov - Death scene

Raffaele Arié (22 August 1920, Sofia - 17 March 1988, Switzerland) was a Bulgarian bass, particularly associated with the Italian and Russian repertories. Arié studied first in his native city with C. Brambaroff, making his stage debut at the Sofia Opera in 1945.


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## Pugg

*Wladimiro Ganzarolli *in Don Pasquale - Gaetano Donizetti

Wladimiro Ganzarolli (January 9, 1932 - January 13, 2010) was an Italian operatic bass-baritone, particularly associated with Mozart and Rossini roles.

Born in Venice, he studied in his native city at the Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia with Iris Adami Corradetti. He made his debut at the Teatro Nuovo in Milan, as Mephisto in Faust, in 1958. The following year, he appeared at the Spoleto Festival in Donizetti's Il duca d'Alba, and at the Piccola Scala in Paisiello's Nina.


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## Pugg

*Ludwig Suthaus*; "In fernem Land"; Lohengrin; Richard Wagner

*Ludwig Suthaus *(December 12, 1906 - September 7, 1971) was a major German opera singer ("Heldentenor"), who was born in Cologne and died in West Berlin.


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## aussiebushman

schigolch said:


> *Francesco Merli (1887 - 1976)*


For those not familiar with Merli's wonderful voice, the Austrian lablel Lebendige Vergangenheit showcases Merli, along with Tancredi Pasero, Claudio Muzio and others in all Verdi selections.

It is worth noting that despite his esteem in Italy. neither the Brits not the Americans were impressed with his blazing top notes and strong Italianate vibrato. Just listen to his Otello that arguably puts him in the same class as Vinay

Just one final plea: Rather than just mention singers you admire, why not post a few reasons for your selection PLEASE


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## chicagomark

I love to listen to the wonderful Giovanni Martinelli


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