# Round 1: Si Puo? (Il Prologo). Ruffo, Lisitsian, Merrill



## kappablanca (9 mo ago)

The legendary prologue from Pagliacci. Who's the best? I'll try to have rounds with both prewar and postwar recordings.

Ruffo

Lisitsian

Merrill


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

No question for me but the best one, my favorite baritone of them all, was not in the contest --here he is here:





Back to business. I was ready to vote for Ruffo, whom I adore and he did a wonderful job,but I have got to admit that this was a comi-tragedy and Robert Merrill with his simply gorgeous pipes pulled out all the stops so he got my vote. (but Bastianini, IMO, deserves it. ;-)


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## kappablanca (9 mo ago)

nina foresti said:


> No question for me but the best one, my favorite baritone of them all, was not in the contest --here he is here:


Bastianini was for the next round! At least we know now that he's getting at least one vote then...  I do agree - Merrill sounds absolutely marvelous. I still prefer Ruffo on account of his high notes, though.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

kappablanca said:


> Bastianini was for the next round! At least we know now that he's getting at least one vote then...  I do agree - Merrill sounds absolutely marvelous. I still prefer Ruffo on account of his high notes, though.


Ruffo's high note was astonishing. I almost voted for him.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Merill was cool. Lisitsian had a surprisingly failed recording (I wish he had more) and the language doesn't help. Ruffo was good, but there was Merill.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Well. I'm at something of a loss. Three magnificent voices, with Ruffo probably the most richly endowed of them all, but did I find his version the most convincing? Lisitsian suffers from being in the wrong language, though it too is magnificently sung and Merrill is in costume, visibly acting the role as well. In a way that makes them not really comparable.

I also have to confess that my favourite version has probably the least vocal allure, and that would be Gobbi, who never lets us forget that it is Tonio delivering this prologue. He may not have such a lustrous instrument, but, my word, his range of tonal colour is amazing. Is he going to be in the competition? I won't comment on Bastianini, as he is apparently being saved for another round.

Anyway, back to the three in question and I'm finding it hard to make a choice. There's very little to separate them really. Do I have to make a choice?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Well. I'm at something of a loss. Three magnificent voices, with Ruffo probably the most richly endowed of them all, but did I find his version the most convincing? Lisitsian suffers from being in the wrong language, though it too is magnificently sung and Merrill is in costume, visibly acting the role as well. In a way that makes them not really comparable.
> 
> I also have to confess that my favourite version has probably the least vocal allure, and that would be Gobbi, who never lets us forget that it is Tonio delivering this prologue. He may not have such a lustrous instrument, but, my word, his range of tonal colour is amazing. Is he going to be in the competition? I won't comment on Bastianini, as he is apparently being saved for another round.
> 
> Anyway, back to the three in question and I'm finding it hard to make a choice. There's very little to separate them really. Do I have to make a choice?


Be brave, darlin'!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Ruffo has the most impressive voice but offers nothing much in the way of interpretation. Merrill, only slightly less endowed vocally, pays more attention to words and character. Lisitsian, an admirable singer with a voice that sounds smaller and more constricted, is singing in a language that often doesn't scan with the music and occasionally makes me think I've been transported to St. Basil's Cathedral or the Kromy Forest. 

Since opera is drama and I value singing that sounds as if its about what the libretto says it's about, I'll pick Merrill here.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Of these three, I'll pick Ruffo.
My personal favorites are Battistini (who we've already had in a competition in this aria), Zanelli, and Bechi. One of the latter two would be a good contender.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I ended up voting for Merrill, who seemed to make more of it dramatically than the other two. It probably helped that he was performing it to an audience and in costume.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

I like Ruffo and Lisitsian but, although Ruffo had the most impressive voice, Merrill moved me more here.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

How many rounds do you have? I had a single round on this aria but different singers.


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## kappablanca (9 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> How many rounds do you have? I had a single round on this aria but different singers.


Ah sorry, I only posted this because I thought there were no other Prologue contests. I can't seem to find your round -- for the sake of originality in interpretations, who was in your contest?

I wanted three rounds with nine singers in total and then a final round with the winners. If you would like to hold another round instead I'm fine with that too.


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## kappablanca (9 mo ago)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Of these three, I'll pick Ruffo.
> My personal favorites are Battistini (who we've already had in a competition in this aria), Zanelli, and Bechi. One of the latter two would be a good contender.


I was saving Zanelli for the next round as a relatively unknown recording! Zanelli was maybe the best baritenor I've heard. Vinay might comes close. A tragedy how short his career was.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

kappablanca said:


> Ah sorry, I only posted this because I thought there were no other Prologue contests. I can't seem to find your round -- for the sake of originality in interpretations, who was in your contest?
> 
> I wanted three rounds with nine singers in total and then a final round with the winners. If you would like to hold another round instead I'm fine with that too.


I have many planned contests like this in reserve. Go for it. It was only 3: no big deal. You are likely doing it better than me.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Merrill, for the following reasons
1) Better covered high notes
2) has more fun with it 
3) better soft singing (I can think of maybe...5 bass or baritones who were legitimately skilled at singing softly)
4) all and all just....has a more beautiful voice


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