# Round Three: Prologo Pagliacci. Granforte and Ruffo



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Si puo (I Pagliacci) · Orchestra of La Scala · Apollo Granforte 




Si puo (I Pagliacci) · Titta Ruffo Titta Ruffo - The early recordings 1906 - 1912


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

My photo says it all. I worship these two, but I worship Granforte on more days of the week than Ruffo so he gets my vote. I don't think there has been a baritone as good as Granforte since Granforte. He's got easy power and his voice comes across as extremely resonant to me. He can sing loud, he can sing soft, and he can color and act with the voice any way you like. We hear it all here and he does it with a unique timbre which I find to be perfect for the roles he sings. His Iago with Sabajno remains the most impressive baritone singing I've ever heard. I love this guy.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

What a contest John, they just keep getting better!!! While listening to Bonetan's "picture-sake" I was pretty much thinking game over! I think of Ruffo as so dramatic that 
I did not expect him to keep up with Granforte's magnificent handling of the rumination's going on in Tonio's brilliant seduction of the audience. And darn if he wasn't right there with him, section by section! I found these two to be clearly the two most satisfying renditions I've heard. More dynamic than Gorin and more nuanced than Warren. More dramatically fulfilled than Tibbet and more true to the text's meaning than Sarobe ( name right?) The only question is could I choose between them. And for two suitably dessert island renditions I found one distinction.... after all of the beautifully realized individual sections , to me, Ruffo found the sweep of the e voi section and Granforte was still emphasizing the personal and I found Ruffo's ending more satisfying. But both were tremendous!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Bonetan said:


> My photo says it all. I worship these two, but I worship Granforte on more days of the week than Ruffo so he gets my vote. I don't think there has been a baritone as good as Granforte since Granforte. He's got easy power and his voice comes across as extremely resonant to me. He can sing loud, he can sing soft, and he can color and act with the voice any way you like. We hear it all here and he does it with a unique timbre which I find to be perfect for the roles he sings. His Iago with Sabajno remains the most impressive baritone singing I've ever heard. I love this guy.


I listened to Granforte today on a new contest for next time and I could hear how his voice was not darkened. Do I get a gold star


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I really don't know. I think they were both great. 

The only thing I didn't like about Ruffo was that he was a little cavalier about the notes, almost using a sort of parlando, where Granforte stuck to the score and was just as effective. For that reason, I'm going to go for Granforte.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I listened to Granforte today on a new contest for next time and I could hear how his voice was not darkened. Do I get a gold star


Indeed you do! 

This is the kind of singing modern dramatic baritones should strive for imo. From both men.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Such great voices! I marginally prefer Apollo Granforte, for subjective reasons.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Not an easy choice between two great voices, but Ruffo uses a bit more portamento and Granforte blasts out the penultimate climax. Small points, but enough to give my vote to Ruffo.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Ahhh Titta my luv, despite a formidable opponent, you've just got that "extra something" that makes you king. (It's good to be the King!)


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

I originally skipped this round, but after all the effort it took me to understand the libretto in the next round, I came back here, to reap more benefits.

I choose Appolo Granforte, but I imagine him as Tonio here, not the traumatised author.

Ruffo is sadder, something between Tonio and the traumatised author. He is also interesting, but those long notes should not have been so super long for what he does with them. (Is the "wide vibrato" a correct expression here ?)


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