# Classic Rigoletto Quartet "Bella figlia dell'amore": Peters, Thebom, Valletti, Pinza



## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

*Classic Rigoletto Quartet "Bella figlia dell'amore": Peters, Thebom, Valletti, Siepi*

Feeling down today so I was fishing around for something to perk me up. The quartet from Rigoletto never fails to do that when sung by competent singers, and this version with Roberta Peters, Blanche Thebom, and one of my all-time-favorite basses, Cesare Siepi, here assuming the baritone role of Rigoletto for this short excerpt, I thought was worth sharing.

Peters here does not sound Tweety Bird as she sometimes can, showing a nice, full, almost spinto sound. Thebom is competent if not terribly sexy (Maddalena is supposed to be _une fille de la nuit_; she is the "woman of love" the Duke of Mantua is singing to), and Siepi (sorry I wrote Pinza originally) shows that amazing voice off to full effect, even if this is luxury casting. Valletti sings the notes with a couple of pitch problems in the passaggio, not quite in the same class as the other three to my ears.

Anyway. Enjoy! And feel free to make this into Your Favorite Quartet from Rigoletto thread by posting other examples and sharing (if you like) why you particularly favor them.






And have a good day.

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

A great rendition! I'm particularly a fan of Thebom (though this isn't her very best recording) and Pinza.

Here's my favorite:




First off, I'm impressed by the sound quality and balance of singers. Second, though, Caruso is as good as I've ever heard him, and considering he's one of the greatest of all greats, that's pretty good. The greatest singing here though is by Tetrazzini. Wow. Her voice is stunningly beautiful, clear, and like a laser beam. I also think the coordination between the singers is perfect. I can hear the different musical lines so clearly, but it's still full of expression. Nobody dominates, but everyone still somehow stands out. It's a truly astonishing recording.


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

The youtube video names the bass as Siepi, not Pinza.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Open Book said:


> The youtube video names the bass as Siepi, not Pinza.


Yes, of course, I meant Siepi. Thank you.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

The two recordings above certainly have fine singers in them and I agree that Caruso sounds magnificent. One of the difficulties with this piece is that it can come across as rather formal, with the singers stepping out of character to show off their vocal qualities rather than their interpretative skills. I find this to be the case with the Valletti version above, despite the singers all being undoubtedly great.

My favourite is the following. Di Stefano doesn't sing with quite the skill of Caruso, but he DOES sound like he is overegging his seduction of Maddalena, who in turn playfully sees through his little game, waving him away with her 'you're all talk an no...' lines. Callas characterises Gilda's pain like no other and the interesting rhythms Verdi has given the part are articulated as sighs and plaintive cries. Meanwhile Gobbi's Rigoletto is cruel and brusque, not realising that his unmasking of the Duke is only making things worse for his daughter. This performance makes one realise that this isn't just a clever bit of ensemble music writing, but a complex portrayal of four contrasting characters, fully sketched out in rhythm and tone.






P.S. The video is incorrect about the year of the recording. It was made in 1955, not 1963.

N.


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## IgorS (Jan 7, 2018)

Another great recording with Caruso and Amelita Galli-Curci:


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

IgorS said:


> Another great recording with Caruso and Amelita Galli-Curci:


Galli-Curci is wonderful in this, such effortless singing. Caruso is singing more heavily than in the earlier recording above. Still phenomenal.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Rigoletto Quartet - Moffo, Bergonzi, Merrill, Love - MET 1968
This mus have been quit a happening, look/ listen to that cast.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Bella Figlia DellAmore Sutherland and Pavarotti Rigoletto Quartet



> Nigel T
> 
> That this is one of the greatest quartets in all opera, sung by one of the finest ever quartet of singers should be enough. But this is a LIVE performance, no enhancements, no technological gimmicks, just pure unadulterated musicianship. Stunning.


And I agree.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Rogerx said:


> Rigoletto Quartet - Moffo, Bergonzi, Merrill, Love - MET 1968
> This mus have been quit a happening, look/ listen to that cast.


I was hoping to like this group, but Bergonzi sounds taxed and unseductive and Moffo is nearing the end of her career and starting to sound threadbare. The whole thing is rushed and ragged; did they actually rehearse this? Still, we'd be unlikely to hear better voices from the Met stage today, which is depressing.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Auf Deutsch, but an _amazing_ group of singers. Would rather hear this group doing it in German through a static fog than any four singers today.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Auf Deutsch, but an _amazing_ group of singers. Would rather hear this group doing it in German through a static fog than any four singers today.


I agree. Rosvaenge was always astonishing. Who are the others?


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

The soprano is the outstanding Felicie Huni-Mihacsek. The contralto is Emmi Leisner! Bass/baritone was Theodor Scheidl. Incredible cast.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Woodduck said:


> I was hoping to like this group, but Bergonzi sounds taxed and unseductive and Moffo is nearing the end of her career and starting to sound threadbare. The whole thing is rushed and ragged; did they actually rehearse this? Still, we'd be unlikely to hear better voices from the Met stage today, which is depressing.


Merrill is definitely marching to the beat of his own drummer.

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Auf Deutsch, but an _amazing_ group of singers. Would rather hear this group doing it in German through a static fog than any four singers today.


It takes a lot to make German sound seductive (unless one is a native speaker-singer) but Rosvaenge manages it very well. And this is a true ensemble where the singers are actually listening to each other. It doesn't even bother me that the bass consistently sings a wrong note D-flat instead of B-flat on what would be "sapró" in the Italian. It fits in the chord :shrug:

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

*Callas, Gobbi, di Stefano, Lazzarini/La Scala/Serafin 1955*

The "La donna é mobile" comes first, then the quartet is at about 3:15

Callas is simply splendid, Gobbi incisive, and di Stefano sounds in good voice. A great ensemble.






Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Barelytenor said:


> The "La donna é mobile" comes first, then the quartet is at about 3:15
> 
> Callas is simply splendid, Gobbi incisive, and di Stefano sounds in good voice. A great ensemble.
> 
> ...


So good it's been nominated twice! (See post #5.)

N.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Barelytenor said:


> The "La donna é mobile" comes first, then the quartet is at about 3:15
> 
> Callas is simply splendid, Gobbi incisive, and di Stefano sounds in good voice. A great ensemble.
> 
> ...


The Callas/Di Stefano/Gobbi/Lazzarini performance is part of a great recording of the opera, and it's musically impeccable, but that isn't enough to make me forget that these voices are not always the most pleasing to my ear. It's been a while since I've heard Di Stefano in particular, and I'm reminded of how driven and brassy his notes above the staff were. I actually find his "La donna e mobile" (preceding the quartet here) rather painful.


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

I think I read somewhere once that Bjorling used to call the quartet his solo. As Merrill once said of him, "Jussi was a great guy, but he was still a tenor!"

This clip is from my current favorite full recording--I really wish I could find a clip of this from the pristine remaster though--it sounds waayyyy better.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Another classic.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

*Vargas, Garanča, Netrebko, Tézier in Rigoletto Quartet*

I rather enjoyed this one. I found Vargas to be the most convincing singer in the role, gorgeous voice and properly seductive. Garanča sings well but is a bit too icy despite twirling her hair to appear sexy. The ensemble is good. 




Netrebko is, uh, OK. Is she acting? Asleep? _Almeno,_ she is competent and undistracting here. I never heard Tézier sing poorly, and he is fine here, although there is not a lot of meat for the baritone in this quartet.

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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