# BARITONE TOURNAMENT (By Request): Magini-Coletti vs Ancona



## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Antonio Magini-Coletti, Italy, 1855-1912






Mario Ancona, Italy, 1860-1931






'A tanto amor' from Donizetti's _La Favorita_.

Who's singing did you prefer and why?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Well for me there was no contest. Being unfamiliar with either singer I simply chose the one with the beautiful baritone voice and who didn't sing the high note off key -- Ancona.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Well for me there was no contest. Not being familiar with either singer I simply chose the one with the beautiful baritone voice and who didn't hit the high note off-key. Mario Ancona.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

How do I delete a double posting?


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

I don't know the piece, but I found myself more attracted to Magini-Coletti's sound, which is not suprising after just reading that he studied with Persichini, who also taught Battistini, De Luca and Ruffo. It strikes me as a more robust voice than Ancona's, yet it's well controlled. Ancona's singing is very refined and he sings this beautifully, but my vote is for Magini-Coletti.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

These two top-tier baritones illustrate the value placed on individuality in the music-making of the day. They both exhibit the technical virtues we expect of singers of their generation, but where Ancona gives us a beautiful suavity and gentleness, Magini-Coletti brings to the piece passion and a quality we find also in Battistini, which I'll just call "swag." We hear it in the melismas, which break free of rhythmic constraints and sound like spontaneous outbursts and even feats of daring. Pure Cyrano de Bergerac! There are a few rough spots in Magini-Coletti's rendering, but I appreciate him for not playing it safe, and give him my vote.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Creativity vs. Refinement. I find this one very close, but ultimately come down on the side of Bonetan and Woodduck. I really like Ancona's voice -- it's amazing how beautiful it is despite the recording quality. I think in terms of sheer vocal beauty, I think Ancona wins. But Magini-Coletti has a great sound as well, with a little more metal, at least as it's used here. His singing is more creative too, and that's really what swayed me. Compare M-C at 0:46-0:54 to Ancona at 1:08-1:24. Ancona is really great with this phrase (he has perfect balance of registers), but M-C turns it into a more expressive moment imo. While I really appreciate the refinement of Ancona's delivery, and dearly wish I could hear him live, or at least in a 1950s level studio recording, I was ultimately more gripped by Magini-Coletti's playfulness with tempo and phrasing.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Well I didn't know this aria, and I didn't know either of the two baritones, but enjoyed both performances. They both have very fine voices, though Ancona's is a little more melifluously beautiful and he sings with great refinement and style. Still, Magini-Coletti has a very fine voice too, and sings with great feeling. I'm going to have to pass as I really can't make my mind up.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Such beautiful voices - open, rich and powerful - damn, why can't we have more singers like this today?
Ancona is surely more refined and handles different registers with ease, it's amazing how natural his voice sounds!
But, to tell you the truth, Magini-Coletti adds so much passion to his performance, he takes risks and it blew my mind away. And my vote follows.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Azol said:


> Such beautiful voices - open, rich and powerful - damn, why can't we have more singers like this today?


Any at all, even one baritone of this calibre, would do. I'll give the world twenty more years to produce one, and then I'm outa here.


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