# Lamento di Federico



## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

I was sitting last evening browsing YouTube as you do when you have too much time on your hands. I had the notion that I wanted to hear my late father's favourite singer, Mario Lanza, and I came across a clip of him singing Federico's lament from Cilea's L'Arlesiana. I really enjoyed it and noticed that there were clips by other singers tackling this very fine aria. Two hours then passed and I found that I had listened to the following great singers all with their own distinctive ways of handling this aria. Some added the spurious high B that isn't in the score, more didn't.

For my own amusement I scored them all out of five. I look forward to your comments, I think.

Ferrucio Tagliavini 5
Tito Schipa 4.8
Jonas Kaufmann 4.85
Luciano Pavarotti 4.85
Giuseppe Di Stefano 4.4
Mario Del Monaco 4.6
Nicolai Gedda 4.7
Jussi Bjorling 4.6
Jose Carreras 4.7
Mario Lanza 4.9
Jon Vickers 4.8
Beniamino Gigli 4.8
Placido Domingo 4.7
Rolando Villazon 4.8
Alfredo Kraus 4.2
Franco Bonisolli 4.5
Carlo Bergonzi 4.8
Marcelo Alvarez 4.75
Richard Tucker 4.75
Jan Peerce 4.9
Richard Crooks 4.9
Vasile Moldoveanu 4.8

I wasn't familiar with Bonisolli, Akvarez, Crooks or Moldoveanu but wow! Tagliavini and Peerce are just glorious. A few of the singers had more than one version on YT but I didn't really have the time or the inclination to listen to them all so my scoring is based on the version I did listen to.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Kaufmann beats Gigli?  I guess voice can't have been your main criterion! 

Having said that, Schipa has always been my favourite in this aria. I haven't listened to any of the recent ones.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Figleaf said:


> Kaufmann beats Gigli?  I guess voice can't have been your main criterion!
> 
> Having said that, Schipa has always been my favourite in this aria. I haven't listened to any of the recent ones.


Only just, and perhaps the version I listened to wasn't his best. I love Gigli and usually I would give him the edge over most modern singers. Schipa is also a favourite but my big revelation apart from Crooks was Tagliavini. He was just a joy to listen to. A proper head voice but the power was always there when needed.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Thanks for bringing Tagliavini's interpretation to my attention. It really is superb. If I continue to prefer Schipa by a slight margin it's mainly a matter of liking his vocal timbre more than Tagliavini's, which has always seemed to me just a bit wimpy. How's that for a sophisticated musical term?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Lanza is missing on your accounting. I also loved his version.
Villazon and Carreras get high marks from me as well. Pavarotti also did a beauty.
I have not heard Gigli but that will change right now as I run over to you-tube.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

It's a shame that Sir Harry Secombe's version isn't on YouTube; it's quite a revelation. Worth tracking down.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Just returned from hearing Gigli and Vickers (beautifully done)as well.
Gigli treats it as a lullaby and it is absolutely gorgeous but nothing takes the place of Lanza's for me.
It's the one they'd better play in my Memorial service!
The one that bothers me the most is Kaufmann's. It's just not an aria that seems to fit his sound.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Lanza is missing on your accounting. I also loved his version.
> Villazon and Carreras get high marks from me as well. Pavarotti also did a beauty.
> I have not heard Gigli but that will change right now as I run over to you-tube.


Lanza is number ten down the list with 4.9.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Just returned from hearing Gigli and Vickers (beautifully done)as well.
> Gigli treats it as a lullaby and it is absolutely gorgeous but nothing takes the place of Lanza's for me.
> It's the one they'd better play in my Memorial service!
> The one that bothers me the most is Kaufmann's. It's just not an aria that seems to fit his sound.


I felt that Kaufmann sings it beautifully, and to my mind, interprets really well - hence the mark.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Again I would reiterate that this is based on the particular versions I listened to on you tube. Once I've had time to listen to the alternates I may change my mind, possibly! I couldn't find a Corelli version, hence his absence.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> It's a shame that Sir Harry Secombe's version isn't on YouTube; it's quite a revelation.


You can hear a tiny sample of one of his recordings (a late one, I think) here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Il-Lamento-Federico-LArlesiana/dp/B001KE7BUC


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