# SOPRANO TOURNAMENT: (Round 1 Tiebreaker): Ponselle vs Tebaldi



## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Rosa Ponselle, USA, 1897-1981






Renata Tebaldi, Italy, 1922-2004






Who's singing did you prefer and why? This will run for just three days so get your votes in!


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Hmmmm! Looks like I am first at bat.
Well I guess it all depends upon what one seeks when listening to an aria. They were both superb and top of the line.
For me powerful high notes do not grab me half as much as the expressions of sadness that are expressed through the voice.
If I were searching for the most beautiful singing voice I would have chosen Tebaldi hands down but I am one who doesn't necessarily believe the most beautiful voice is the most important part of singing. It's more the heartfelt depth of feelings and not just attempts to express feelings that don't really seem to go beneath the surface, and for this reason I must choose Ponselle who exhibits an abundance of plaintive sadness.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

This was an interesting aria for both divas as High C was never either of their friend. I would say in most instances I find that Ponselle generally performs arias better than her competition. I am a Ponselle groupie and am getting ready to do my 3rd speech to my Toastmasters club in 11 years about her. I would say in defense of Ponselle here that this recording does not serve her voice well but she is shown to much better advantage on recordings of arias such as Casta Diva, Suicidio ( where she holds her own with Callas, and THAT is saying a lot) and the arias from La Vestale. This is not a recording of Ponselle that I want to listen to over and over. I think it is believable that Rosa was so scared of the C that she froze up. She eliminated Aida very early from her repertoire because of that. Where she shines in Aida is in the duet with Martinelli from the tomb. Now THAT is a performance to beat!!!!!!!! If you haven't heard it you must NOW>

On the other hand, Tebaldi is recorded really well, her glorious voice is shown to great advantage with an acceptable C6. She also emotionally embellishes the aria in ways that Rosa does not. Her subtle sob is wonderful. It is not everyday that a singer beats a performance by the Divine Ponselle, but this was that day for Renata.

The best high Cs from O Patria Mia in my opinion are from four performers that are very different: Caballe singing it soft as a whisper (probably in first place) , Price on her last performance in opera, Early Callas in a bad recording but she makes you see God, and Alessandra Marc who sings the biggest, fullest high C EVER... not the most appropriate but dear GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I accidentally voted for Tebaldi - itchy fingers. Ponselle sings very cleanly, carefully, and does very nice things with her goddess voice, but I'm not fond of her approach to high notes (a lot of her contemporaries use the same approach), sort of just on the breath, without propulsion, gingerly, that it almost always makes the note sound flat. 

Tebaldi, on the other hand, sounds like a woman suffering for her country (!) and she's convinced she'll never see it again. The recording is very "alive" and extraneous sounds from Miss Tebaldi, the ambience, etc. can be excruciating. I'll let my accidental click stand - the Universe wants it that way...


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

MAS said:


> I accidentally voted for Tebaldi - itchy fingers. Ponselle sings very cleanly, carefully, and does very nice things with her goddess voice, but I'm not fond of her approach to high notes (a lot of her contemporaries use the same approach), sort of just on the breath, without propulsion, gingerly, that it almost always makes the note sound flat.
> 
> Tebaldi, on the other hand, sounds like a woman suffering for her country (!) and she's convinced she'll never see it again. The recording is very "alive" and extraneous sounds from Miss Tebaldi, the ambience, etc. can be excruciatin. I'll let my accidental click stand - the Universe wants it that way...


 LOLOLOL :lol::tiphat:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I'd have to remark at the outset that neither of these recordings flatters the voice of the singer, both recordings distorting the qualities and quality of the instrument to an extent that I'm not sure I can render a fair judgment. Ponselle's voice as recorded shows the flattening out of its vibrancy and timbral complexity which was the curse of a primitive technology afflicting all high voices back then. Tebaldi sounds terribly harsh and metallic. 

Given that these are both well-known voices entirely suitable for this music, I ask which of their owners provoked the fewest reservations as I listened to how they phrased the music. Ponselle is more or less impeccable, as usual, drawing the lines with clarity, strength, and consummate control. Tebaldi is more impulsive in pursuit of expression, and can sometimes be a little gauche, doing distracting and musically inappropriate things with dynamics, moving from piano to forte or vice versa for no apparent reason except that that's what she feels like doing. I don't understand her approach to the very first phrase, for example. Even keeping in mind that the recording is making her loud bits unpleasant, I'm sufficiently bothered by what I consider lapses in musical judgment and taste to go with Ponselle, and rather easily.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Two glorious voices, eminently suited to the music they are singing but neither recorded very flatteringly. So which do I prefer?

Once again I find myself agreeing with Woodduck.Tebaldi, as I often feel with her, over eggs the pudding, inserting what I would describe as little sobs or intakes of breath to add expression where Ponselle achieves her expressive effects simply by following the score. Tebaldi's performance may seem more expressive but it is acheved at the expense of musical taste. She is more restrained here than she is in verismo opera, but it still slightly annoys me. Tebaldi's top C is a bit of a scream, but at least it's more or less in tune, which wasn't always the case for her. It's a terribly difficult note anyway. Verdi asks for it to be sung _dolce_, but Caballé is just about the only soprano I know who truly sings it sweetly, with one of her trademark floated _pianissimi_.

As regards making a choice between the two, I realise I'm being a little picky, especially given that these days we are unlikely to hear the aria sung as beautifully as it is be either of these two, but Ponselle it is.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Actually, with MAS's mistaken vote error, at this point it looks like it is a tie between them.
(Twilight Zone music): Who will break the tie???


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## Saxman (Jun 11, 2019)

I voted for Tebaldi. I would agree with Woodduck and Tsaraslondon that the recording here is not helping either. But that in a sense evens it out a bit for Ponselle who is not as well recorded in general. 

Still, I find Tebaldi more convincing. I also found Ponselle's approach a bit unforgiving at times. There was also a certain sameness to the voice at times that I didn't like. 

This is the type of contest I'd expect for a final. They are both amazing talents. I'll be happy with whoever gets through.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

This aria is all about sadness and introspection. Tebaldi actually makes it quite an entertaining listen (I'm not too fond of this aria to be honest with you), with her huge swells of sound and subtle sobs etc and I was inclined to vote for Tebaldi at first (top C was barely tolerable, as I had expected. Although nothing near as horrible as C6 in her studio Fanciulla with Del Monaco).
But I gave it another listen (two listens actually) and Ponselle came out on top as a result. She was perfectly in harmony with the mood of the scene, I had to give her that (but top C was also far from ideal, _dolce_ or no _dolce_). Less flashy, more introspective. And it worked for me that way. I guess this what Verdi had on his mind, having prepared to unleash the torrent of high emotions in the next scene.


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## JanacekTheGreat (Feb 26, 2021)

I am a "long-time lurker, first-time poster" here. I decided to make an account to vote, but somehow I couldn't because they require a minimum of 10 posts to perform the action. 

Please register my vote for Tebaldi. Thank you!


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Hi and welcome. I doubt that anyone but you can register your vote.
But I sure do like your taste in composers. _Jenufa_ is a particular favorite of mine.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

This is tough, both are superb. I went for Ponselle in the end as I find Tebaldi a bit cold when it comes to the interpretation of the aria.

N.


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## 89Koechel (Nov 25, 2017)

Well, it might be the "case", that Ponselle was more suited-for Verdi, than Tebaldi. Some of us might even say that Tebaldi and Jussi Bjorling were MEANT-for those great, Puccini interpretations ... although BOTH could excel, in Verdi, of course. The comments of others have pointed-out that Tebaldi might have exaggerated certain parts of her aria, including a part where she virtually "shrieks". ... whereas, Ms. Ponselle sticks to a certain discipline (of the ... ahem ... "OLD days"). Thus, I'll give the nod to Rosa P, for the best.


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