# BARITONE TOURNAMENT (Bonus Matchup #6): Mattei vs Stracciari



## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Peter Mattei, Sweden, 1965-






Riccardo Stracciari, Italy, 1875-1955






Who's singing did you prefer and why?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

First of all, my real favorite: 



  No contest!

As to the 2 above, no question that of the two Stracciari wins. It's supposed to be funny and not perfect singing.
Neither of them were near the top of my choices. I'd like to hear Merrill because if I recall his was excellent.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

To sort of piggyback off what Nina said, as well as many of the comments in other threads wanting to hear certain singers in certain pieces, if any of you have requests feel free to send me a private message with your chosen matchup with recordings and I'll be happy to do the rest. I ask that we keep the requests to Italian rep baritones for now and I'll take requests for the other voice types as those tournaments unfold...


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Bonetan said:


> To sort of piggyback off what Nina said, as well as many of the comments in other threads wanting to hear certain singers in certain pieces, if any of you have requests feel free to send me a private message with your chosen matchup with recordings and I'll be happy to do the rest. I ask that we keep the requests to Italian rep baritones for now and I'll take requests for the other voice types as those tournaments unfold...


Oh neat. Well you have the Bechi that I just posted and I will now find Merrill for you to add. Thanks


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I've admired Mattei's work and found him a versatile and impressive artist. He's very enjoyable here, but it's pretty hard to go up against one of the greatest of all baritones. I played one of Stracciari's several "Largo al factotum" recordings for a bass-baritone friend in college and he was amazed at what he was hearing.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> As to the 2 above, no question that of the two Stracciari wins. It's supposed to be funny and not perfect singing.


What are the imperfections?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> What are the imperfections?


Perhaps "perfect" isn't the right word but what I was trying to express was that the aria is a comedic one and I felt that Mattei seemed to be more involved in getting everything just right -- it is a tricky aria after all -- by being more involved in the singing rather than just relaxing and enjoying himself.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I enjoyed Mattei's performance very much, but he's up against one of the greats, who finds so much more light and shade (not to mention humour). Stracciari it is.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Stracciari has a better sense of style and brings more variety to the piece and so he wins. I don't really like the way he hams up the humor, but that was very much the way the Barber was done at the time.

N.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Stracciari does exactly what this cavatina requires: show off. And what an impeccable diction!
Mattei is too serious even to create any audible difference between "colla donnetta..." and "col cavaliere..." Boooring!

And Bechi... that's a masterclass of singing! He lets us feel the self-importance of Figaro, the notion that is somehow missing from both performances above.


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