# BARITONE TOURNAMENT (Bonus Matchup #5): Maestri vs Battistini



## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Ambrogio Maestri, Italy, 1970-






Mattia Battistini, Italy, 1856-1928






Who's singing did you prefer and why? Now that I've included Battistini in a matchup I feel much better


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

"Un nido di memorie" from Battistini. Divine.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Battistini's voice has character and presence, qualities sorely lacking from Maestri.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

This one's too easy. It testifies to the greatness of a singer that he can shoulder the whole burden of a piece, with almost no audible support from the pathetic facsimile of an orchestra we hear on these old recordings. 

I love Battistini's brinksmanship in the way he drives a climactic high note to an exciting finish by leaning into it. That guy, he got some swag.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Easy. Battitstini has it all. Who sings like this these days?


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Interestingly, the two voices are so different (is it by choice?) - Maestri is more like a bass-baritone, while Battistini sounds almost a baritenor.
Another one for you: while it seems that the vocal technique has downtrended in the 20th century, orchestra playing has considerably improved.
All in all, Battistini is unbeatable here.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Azol said:


> Another one for you: while it seems that the vocal technique has downtrended in the 20th century, orchestra playing has considerably improved.


It does seem like that, yes, but I wonder if it had something to do with the ad hoc ensembles cobbled together for some of these recordings.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

My habit is to listen to the voices without knowing which one and then skipping past the posts to record my own opinion first.
I was thoroughly convinced that I was picking the first one -- a simply beautiful baritone voice and clear diction and enough emotion to render it one fine performance.
Ah, but then little did I know that the following one was the one that would absolutely grab me. The depth of sincerity and passion was so strong that I did not mind the fact that the voice never matched the first one in beauty.
I shall now go up and register my vote for Battistini and read others' posts.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Tsaraslondon said:


> It does seem like that, yes, but I wonder if it had something to do with the ad hoc ensembles cobbled together for some of these recordings.


No doubt. Given the quality of reproduction and the recessed position of the musicians, there wasn't much reason to care about niceties of ensemble. But then music-making was different then, and spontaneity and creativity were valued more highly. Singers varied the tempo and used rubato in ways that sometimes made precisely synchronized accompaniment impossible, and this was not considered a problem. I remember when this aspect of performance style first struck me; it was a 1908 (?) recording of Leoncavallo's song "Mattinata" by Caruso, in which his piano accompanist had a hell of a time following the singer's constant modifications of tempo. If a pianist has trouble following a singer, a group of musicians is definitely not going to maintain perfect ensemble. I'd say it's a small loss for a greater gain, and I'd happily trade the straightlaced, unimaginative singing of today, with its clinically perfect accompaniments, for some of Battistini's or Caruso's devil-may-care style and flair.


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