# Renata Tebaldi, your opinion



## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

Hi, there;

I am becoming a big fan of Renata Tebaldi, for her pure voice. 
She did not get involved in 'la dolce vita' like Callas and for this her fame might have remained confined to the opera world.

What is your appreciation of her?

What do you make of these statements from wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renata_Tebaldi 
1. 'Callas was a dramatic soprano, whereas Tebaldi considered herself essentially a lyric soprano'
2. 'Tebaldi concentrated on late Verdi and verismo roles, where her limited upper extension and her lack of a florid technique were not issues'.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

I could never see this ridiculous supposed rivalry between Callas and Tebaldi. They were both very different singers who enriched the opera world by their art. People who took sides showed themselves to have the intelligence of the moron on the football terraces who looks on the other team as 'the enemy'. Why not just enjoy both? I do.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Napodano said:


> What do you make of these statements from wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renata_Tebaldi
> 1. 'Callas was a dramatic soprano, whereas Tebaldi considered herself essentially a lyric soprano'.


I don't know if it is true that Tebaldi considered herself a lyric, but IMO she was indeed a lyric soprano, whereas Callas had a darker, heavier sound that marks her out as being a dramatic singer (although I think it is SO dark I would suggest she was a mezzo). In any case I've never understood the obsession with comparing the two, a fair comparison with Tebaldi would be de los Angeles, another lyric who excelled at Boheme and Butterfly.



Napodano said:


> 2. 'Tebaldi concentrated on late Verdi and verismo roles, where her limited upper extension and her lack of a florid technique were not issues'.


I have no idea about the truth of this. Verdi, Puccini and verismo were the staples of the repertoire in Italy in the fifties. There wasn't much interest in bel canto and classical roles in Italy at that time. Maybe Tebaldi did the prestigious stuff, whereas they gave the more niche roles to that Greek girl with the vociaccia?

N.


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

She's not a lyric though she's lyrical. She's a classical spinto who excelled in big spinto roles like Aida, Minnie and the two Leonoras, but who could scale down for lyric roles like Mimi.

I don't think either Callas or De Los Angeles is much of a comparison personally--all three overlapped in some key rep, but VDLA is firmly a lyric, where Tebaldi is a spinto and Callas is whatever she was.

My appreciation of her? I don't really have a "favorite" soprano but if I had to pick one, Tebaldi would certainly be in the running. She's outstanding at her repertoire, and she features heavily in my favorite recordings of the operas she recorded. I think she represents a pinnacle of classical vocal technique. She may yield a little dramatically to some, but those who may have a slight edge in characterization and vocal coloring yields quite a lot to Tebaldi in her ability to produce an even integrated voice throughout her registers and her ability to produce big beautiful musically shaped phrases. 

She's been outstanding in almost too many recordings to list, but I particularly treasure her recorded performances as Desdemona, Liu, Minnie, and Aida.


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

*VDLA is firmly a lyric, where Tebaldi is a spinto and Callas is whatever she was*

How much I am learning from this community! Thank you, howlingfantods.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Tebaldi is a lirico-spinto, and I think she's the most exemplary voice of this fach. Callas almost defied any classification and I consider her a Dramatic Coloratura because in her prime she could tackle the heaviest repertoire with colossal power and drama as well as the lightest ones with incredible superhuman agility, two things Tebaldi never had which in my opinion make any comparison between the two Sopranos completely pointless. And then ...






To me, Tebaldi is a gorgeous woman with a sumptuous voice to match. There's this true-Italian Soprano thing to her, and she has the best diction one could find on any recording of an Italian Opera. This is my favorite video of her:


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## Johnmusic (Oct 4, 2017)

Tebaldi had a large spinto voice - her range was comfortable to high b, It's quality was a miracle.

Regards John Ruggeri


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

Tuoksu said:


> Tebaldi is a lirico-spinto, and I think she's the most exemplary voice of this fach. Callas almost defied any classification and I consider her a Dramatic Coloratura because in her prime she could tackle the heaviest repertoire with colossal power and drama as well as the lightest ones with incredible superhuman agility, two things Tebaldi never had which in my opinion make any comparison between the two Sopranos completely pointless.


I read a critic once (forget who, sorry!) who said something about how Callas is impossible to compare to others, since her goals and techniques completely differed from other performers. So Callas excelled at Callas things that other sopranos barely attempted, and other sopranos excelled at things that Callas couldn't or didn't care to do.

More apt comparisons to Tebaldi would probably be Olivero or Scotto, other very fine performers with similar verismo-heavy repertoires. Scotto had the finer coloratura technique and could be more dramatically incisive, but she had a tendency to shrillness and hard edges on her voice; Olivero could be very affecting but her vocal technique could be a little iffy, especially earlier in her career when she sang with a marked tremolo instead of a vibrato.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

You asked about Tebaldi's voice. 
She had a powerful spinto sound and a beautiful one. Callas admitted she wished her sound was like Tebaldi's. And even Bing dubbed her, "the voice of an angel."
OTOH: Tebaldi always seemed to have a slight problem getting up there to the high note and sometimes just rested a tad beneath it. Her acting too left a lot to be desired except for, ironically, near the end of her run when she gave forth with an incredible performance of Minnie in "La Fanciulla del West" in the famous Poker scene. Her "tre assi e un paio" line was a shattering and stupendous tour de force like nothing ever heard before. The audience went wild!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I do like her compete recordings very much, all of them, I do have problems with the recital CD'S , besides the Christmas album they are all a bit non exciting .


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

The video of Tebaldi which you uploaded, is sublime! Thank you Tuoksu.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Her voice was described as being able to be heard AROUND THE BLOCK. She sang lyrically but could really be heard when she wanted to be. She was perfectly built to have a huge voice with a big face, short neck and was a tall statuesque woman. She also had a strong baritone voice that she used to hail cabs.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Tebaldi considered herself a spinto, and she was right about it. 

An unique artist, a very beautiful timbre, a remarkable evenness of the different registers, up to B4 (in her best period)...

Her voice was so Mediterranean. In fact, when we are listening to Tebaldi, we are listening to Italy itself.


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

I like her. Lovely voice and clear diction. Her shouting at the top, lack of agility and somewhat "matronly" timbre (especially later in her career) could be a bit distracting if she was not in the right repertoire.

Yet, when she was in her absolute prime, she did sing like an angel. See how such a large, round, creamy voice could "dissolve" into such a pianissimo at 4:20? Magic!






This is achingly beautiful:


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## davidglasgow (Aug 19, 2017)

Reading this thread has prompted me to revisit some of Tebaldi's records only to find that my memory has played tricks. One example is that I remembered Tebaldi's contribution to Ballo in Maschera, her last complete studio set, as labored and steely, even harsh. Going back to the records I am much more receptive to her virtues as well as noting some limitations: her singing is dramatic, warm and I begin to think that all the singers on that recording - not just Tebaldi - would definitely benefit from a new remastering.

I know that Tebaldi was probably at her peak back in the early 1950s but I think it is worth considering how astutely she maintained her career. I've added a link to Tebaldi singing Suicidio from the late 60s and some other recordings of Suicidio by famous sopranos all in the full maturity of their careers:

Renata Tebaldi, aged c45 in 1967





Birgit Nilsson, aged c45 in 1963





Renata Scotto, aged c.45 in 1979





Leonie Rysanek, aged. c.47 in 1974





Maria Callas, aged c.50 in 1973





After I listened to these records and returned to Tebaldi's version, I realised the extent that I had taken Tebaldi's superb timbre and luxurious tone for granted. I imagine that living up to the epithet Voce d'Angelo must have been murder: happily the singer bears up well even when taken off her pedestal and compared to such able competition.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

davidglasgow said:


> Reading this thread has prompted me to revisit some of Tebaldi's records only to find that my memory has played tricks. One example is that I remembered Tebaldi's contribution to Ballo in Maschera, her last complete studio set, as labored and steely, even harsh. Going back to the records I am much more receptive to her virtues as well as noting some limitations: her singing is dramatic, warm and I begin to think that all the singers on that recording - not just Tebaldi - would definitely benefit from a new remastering.
> 
> I know that Tebaldi was probably at her peak back in the early 1950s but I think it is worth considering how astutely she maintained her career. I've added a link to Tebaldi singing Suicidio from the late 60s and some other recordings of Suicidio by famous sopranos all in the full maturity of their careers:
> 
> ...


You had to link to Callas singing in 1973 (which for _her_ was post career) to make Tebaldi's version stand up to scrutiny. A fairer comparison would have been Callas in 1959 (at the end of her _second_ career). Also, why is their no Caballe, or Ponselle for that matter? I know, let's compare Franco Corelli's Rodolfo in Boheme with others (it's ok folks we'll use a Pavarotti version from post 2000 and leave out di Stefano, Bjorling, Caruso and Gigli, Franco's bound to come up smelling of flowers).

N.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

davidglasgow said:


> Reading this thread has prompted me to revisit some of Tebaldi's records only to find that my memory has played tricks. One example is that I remembered Tebaldi's contribution to Ballo in Maschera, her last complete studio set, as labored and steely, even harsh. Going back to the records I am much more receptive to her virtues as well as noting some limitations: her singing is dramatic, warm and I begin to think that all the singers on that recording - not just Tebaldi - would definitely benefit from a new remastering.
> 
> I know that Tebaldi was probably at her peak back in the early 1950s but I think it is worth considering how astutely she maintained her career. I've added a link to Tebaldi singing Suicidio from the late 60s and some other recordings of Suicidio by famous sopranos all in the full maturity of their careers:
> 
> ...


Interesting to hear singers - all but Tebaldi and Callas here - whose voices were never meant to sing Gioconda!

Callas, even in vocal decline with wobbly top and weakness at the break, still sounds right for the music. But Scotto, a lyric soprano with dramatic ambitions, hasn't the power for it, and she's forced into a harsh wobble. Nilsson has the power, but not the chest tones, the dark timbre, or the Italianate line. Rysanek is equally ill-suited: hysterical, clumsy and worn. Tebaldi? The vocal weight and color are right, most of the voice is in good shape, but the top is obviously strained.

How about comparing some voices made for this music?

Tebaldi when she still had the top notes (1957): 




Callas in her prime (1952): 




Zinka Milanov (1946): 




Anita Cerquetti (1956): 




Eileen Farrell (1960): 




Giannina Arrangi-Lombardi (1931): 




And there's always - always - Rosa Ponselle (1925): 



 (The second, unpublished recording, starting at 4:48, captures her voice better. Why wasn't it chosen for release?)

In searching for a contemporary singer to set beside these ladies, I found on YouTube one Eliane Coelho, previously unknown to me. See what you think:


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

^^^ Don't forget Suliotis, her dark lower voice and slashing dramatic style give a moving performance capturing the crushing sadness and despair with brief moments of hope and remembrance of happier days, her 2nd "tenebre" is as deep and dark as the shadows she descends into.....






It must be said that Callas owns this aria, a perfect showcase for her vocal strengths.......


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## davidglasgow (Aug 19, 2017)

The Conte said:


> You had to link to Callas singing in 1973 (which for _her_ was post career) to make Tebaldi's version stand up to scrutiny. A fairer comparison would have been Callas in 1959 (at the end of her _second_ career). Also, why is their no Caballe, or Ponselle for that matter? I know, let's compare Franco Corelli's Rodolfo in Boheme with others (it's ok folks we'll use a Pavarotti version from post 2000 and leave out di Stefano, Bjorling, Caruso and Gigli, Franco's bound to come up smelling of flowers).
> 
> N.


The subject of the thread is my opinion of Renata Tebaldi - and I think that the length of her career and her successes in the late 60s are worth mentioning...

You'll notice I picked a few famous contemporary sopranos all in their late forties and early fifties - while providing their approximate ages - to contextualise Tebaldi's vocal longevity. I don't think this is particularly problematic, and I'm not surprised you think Callas should get special treatment - picking a studio version from when she was c.36 - because the comparison is arguably not favourable. At least comparisons with Caballe at Orange in 1983 aged c50 would be in the ballpark.

Despite your protestations, this is not the same as comparing tenors in their 30s,40s,50s and 60s across different formats - cylinders, 78s, 33s, Digital - it is just my response to rehearing some records and heaven forbid this might not be in Callas' favour.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

davidglasgow said:


> The subject of the thread is my opinion of Renata Tebaldi - and I think that the length of her career and her successes in the late 60s are worth mentioning...
> 
> You'll notice I picked a few famous contemporary sopranos all in their late forties and early fifties - while providing their approximate ages - to contextualise Tebaldi's vocal longevity. I don't think this is particularly problematic, and I'm not surprised you think Callas should get special treatment - picking a studio version from when she was c.36 - because the comparison is arguably not favourable. At least comparisons with Caballe at Orange in 1983 aged c50 would be in the ballpark.
> 
> Despite your protestations, this is not the same as comparing tenors in their 30s,40s,50s and 60s across different formats - cylinders, 78s, 33s, Digital - it is just my response to rehearing some records and heaven forbid this might not be in Callas' favour.


Not having listened to much Tebaldi so far in my opera-going life, I do know that soprano Aprile Millo (born in 1958) has been compared to her as far as timbre and artistic sensibility are concerned. Here is Millo, at about age 31, singing "Morro, ma prima in grazie":


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

DarkAngel said:


> ^^^ Don't forget Suliotis, her dark lower voice and slashing dramatic style give a moving performance capturing the crushing sadness and despair with brief moments of hope and remembrance of happier days, her 2nd "tenebre" is as deep and dark as the shadows she descends into.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, but... Suliotis makes me a little uneasy. Obviously inspired by Callas, she sounds to me like "Callas lite" or "Callas not quite." I constantly hear the older singer behind her, wanting a little more fullness to the tone, a little more shading to the phrasing, a little steadier support to the soft singing, a little more fluency in the melisma, a little more darkness and weight to the chest voice...

I wonder if, had Suliotis been in a Callas master class, the master would have said, "Don't try to be me. You must know your own voice and find your own way." I think Suliotis was a size too small for this music and was only a wannabe dramatic soprano, like Scotto. Scotto lasted longer, but her voice lost much of its beauty.


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

It hardly seems like a controversial statement to say that Tebaldi maintained her vocal beauty and technique into her 40s better than many other singers. Duck, your list practically proves David's point--Callas and Cerquetti aged terribly. Cerquetti was basically done by 30, Callas was audibly fraying by her early 30s, Souliotis was done as a prima donna by the time she was in her mid 30s. Did Arangi-Lombardi even perform past age 40 or so?

On the other hand, I have the live Fanciulla that Tebaldi did with Konya when she was probably around 47 or 48 that misses a couple of high notes but is otherwise spectacular. She was still making recordings into her early to mid 40s that still stands up pretty well--the studio Gioconda and Don Carlo springs to mind.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Woodduck said:


> Yes, but... Suliotis makes me a little uneasy. Obviously inspired by Callas, she sounds to me like "Callas lite" or "Callas not quite." I constantly hear the older singer behind her, wanting a little more fullness to the tone, a little more shading to the phrasing, a little steadier support to the soft singing, a little more fluency in the melisma, a little more darkness and weight to the chest voice...
> 
> I wonder if, had Suliotis been in a Callas master class, the master would have said, "Don't try to be me. You must know your own voice and find your own way." I think Suliotis was a size too small for this music and was only a wannabe dramatic soprano, like Scotto. Scotto lasted longer, but her voice lost much of its beauty.


I know that the received opinion is that Suliotis attempted to many highly dramatic roles too early and wrecked her voice. Is this a fair statement.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Interesting to hear singers - all but Tebaldi and Callas here - whose voices were never meant to sing Gioconda!
> 
> Callas, even in vocal decline with wobbly top and weakness at the break, still sounds right for the music. But Scotto, a lyric soprano with dramatic ambitions, hasn't the power for it, and she's forced into a harsh wobble. Nilsson has the power, but not the chest tones, the dark timbre, or the Italianate line. Rysanek is equally ill-suited: hysterical, clumsy and worn. Tebaldi? The vocal weight and color are right, most of the voice is in good shape, but the top is obviously strained.
> 
> ...


Can't beat the Callas 1952 version


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Yes, but... Suliotis makes me a little uneasy. Obviously inspired by Callas, she sounds to me like "Callas lite" or "Callas not quite." I constantly hear the older singer behind her, wanting a little more fullness to the tone, a little more shading to the phrasing, a little steadier support to the soft singing, a little more fluency in the melisma, a little more darkness and weight to the chest voice...
> 
> I wonder if, had Suliotis been in a Callas master class, the master would have said, "Don't try to be me. You must know your own voice and find your own way." I think Suliotis was a size too small for this music and was only a wannabe dramatic soprano, like Scotto. Scotto lasted longer, but her voice lost much of its beauty.


Totally agree. I really don't understand the hype about Souliotis.


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## davidglasgow (Aug 19, 2017)

Woodduck said:


> Yes, but... Suliotis makes me a little uneasy. Obviously inspired by Callas, she sounds to me like "Callas lite" or "Callas not quite." I constantly hear the older singer behind her, wanting a little more fullness to the tone, a little more shading to the phrasing, a little steadier support to the soft singing, a little more fluency in the melisma, a little more darkness and weight to the chest voice...
> 
> I wonder if, had Suliotis been in a Callas master class, the master would have said, "Don't try to be me. You must know your own voice and find your own way." I think Suliotis was a size too small for this music and was only a wannabe dramatic soprano, like Scotto. Scotto lasted longer, but her voice lost much of its beauty.


The problem is that so many of Callas' own recordings - nearly all her records in stereo (!) if 1958 marks a decline - might similarly be called "Callas lite" or "Callas not quite" based on knowledge of what came before.

We can listen in vain at times for fullness and steadiness even if there is shading and insight in Callas' lean 1959 version. It gets to the stage that her record made in 1952 - made by the way with a decent cast which was not really bettered in 59 but probably surpassed in 68 with Gardelli - is used as a stick against every other interpretation. Was Callas in 1959 not then "a size too small for this music"? Presumably you'll agree Callas' voice too had "lost much of its beauty"...

I agree we can find redeeming qualities in all Callas' work even the late 1960s and the aforementioned 1970s recitals - which are at times like hearing a Caruso or Gigli working with the bare resources of a Bocelli. But if we are going to be as accepting of that curate's egg then Suliotis' record deserves a bit more credit for what it is rather than for what it is not.

Presumably more credit still is deserved by Tebaldi's versions which bring together a more dramatic temperament than we might expect and a warm full tone into the bargain. If not better than Callas then just about everyone else in the intervening 50 years which is pretty good going


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

davidglasgow said:


> *The problem is that so many of Callas' own recordings - nearly all her records in stereo (!) if 1958 marks a decline - might similarly be called "Callas lite" or "Callas not quite" based on knowledge of what came before. *
> 
> We can listen in vain at times for fullness and steadiness even if there is shading and insight in Callas' lean 1959 version. It gets to the stage that her record made in 1952 - made by the way with a decent cast which was not really bettered in 59 but probably surpassed in 68 with Gardelli - is used as a stick against every other interpretation. Was Callas in 1959 not then "a size too small for this music"? Presumably you'll agree Callas' voice too had "lost much of its beauty"...
> 
> ...


To equate a declining but great singer singing appropriate repertoire with a singer who never quite achieved greatness attempting repertoire too heavy for her makes no sense. Even at the end, Callas still had a voice suitable for Gioconda, and - more to the point - _knew more about singing than Suliotis ever did._ Just listen to the weak breath support at the ends of the final phrases, where Suliotis is pushing too hard to produce a chest voice, or the lack of intensity in the tone in her soft singing. In a young singer these things indicate the need for further study, and a good teacher would put her on a diet of Vaccai exercises and then perhaps Mozart until she achieved the consistency needed for dramatic singing. I might also suggest putting away her Callas recordings for a while!

What you call Callas's "lean" version from 1959 is still a masterful piece of singing, interpretation, and musicianship, despite the slight lessening of power since 1952 and the increasing difficulty with the high notes.






No one could control a phrase like Callas, articulating it precisely from attack to release, even when that became a question of mind over matter. Her basic technical and musical mastery survived even into her last performances and recordings of the 1960s: her Covent Garden Tosca and her Carmen are magnificent demonstrations of what a knowing singer and consummate musician can do with a recalcitrant instrument. We all know that by 1972 it was too late for her, and if your point in citing Callas in her "comeback" recital was simply to prove that Tebaldi's voice lasted longer, who would argue with you?

As far as Tebaldi is concerned, I love her voice and style and lovely presence, even if I don't always find her an interesting artist. But I get no pleasure from her forced, hard, flat high notes, any more than I do from Callas's strained wobbles. Comparing the last efforts of singers in decline strikes me as a rather morbid exercise, except for the purpose of analyzing vocal technique and its malfunctioning.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

howlingfantods said:


> It hardly seems like a controversial statement to say that Tebaldi maintained her vocal beauty and technique into her 40s better than many other singers. Duck, your list practically proves David's point--Callas and Cerquetti aged terribly. Cerquetti was basically done by 30, Callas was audibly fraying by her early 30s, Souliotis was done as a prima donna by the time she was in her mid 30s. Did Arangi-Lombardi even perform past age 40 or so?
> 
> On the other hand, I have the live Fanciulla that Tebaldi did with Konya when she was probably around 47 or 48 that misses a couple of high notes but is otherwise spectacular. She was still making recordings into her early to mid 40s that still stands up pretty well--the studio Gioconda and Don Carlo springs to mind.


I wasn't trying to disprove anything. I just find all this "singer A outlasted singer B" stuff rather trivial. Some singers still sound great in their fifties and even sixties. I heard Nilsson do Isolde at 54, vocally unimpaired. Ponselle, retired and recorded at home in her 50s, sounded glorious. Flagstad at 60 had become a rich-voiced mezzo-soprano. Melchior sounded virtually the same at 60 as at 30.

I just found those singers doing "Suicidio" more interesting for other reasons.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

davidglasgow said:


> The subject of the thread is my opinion of Renata Tebaldi - and I think that the length of her career and her successes in the late 60s are worth mentioning...
> 
> You'll notice I picked a few famous contemporary sopranos all in their late forties and early fifties - while providing their approximate ages - to contextualise Tebaldi's vocal longevity. I don't think this is particularly problematic, and I'm not surprised you think Callas should get special treatment - picking a studio version from when she was c.36 - because the comparison is arguably not favourable. At least comparisons with Caballe at Orange in 1983 aged c50 would be in the ballpark.
> 
> Despite your protestations, this is not the same as comparing tenors in their 30s,40s,50s and 60s across different formats - cylinders, 78s, 33s, Digital - it is just my response to rehearing some records and heaven forbid this might not be in Callas' favour.


I absolutely agree that it is worth noting Tebaldi's longevity and even comparing her with other singers who didn't have such longevity whether that be Callas and Souliotis or others. That's totally valid and it's well known that Callas and Souliotis had short careers compared with others. I'm not sure the material chosen best showed that point, however. I am not familiar enough with Tebaldi's recorded outputs to know the material that is out there from when she was older. Perhaps there is a more suitable aria from one of her farewell concerts?

The point about tenors was that despite Corelli being a wonderful artist, he wasn't right for the role of Rodolfo in Boheme, although compared with myself he was amazing! It's all relative.

N.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Woodduck said:


> Yes, but... Suliotis makes me a little uneasy. Obviously inspired by Callas, she sounds to me like "Callas lite" or "Callas not quite." I constantly hear the older singer behind her, wanting a little more fullness to the tone, a little more shading to the phrasing, a little steadier support to the soft singing, a little more fluency in the melisma, a little more darkness and weight to the chest voice...


I find Elena an exciting even thrilling singer with the right material like the suicidio, she obviously pushed voice too hard too soon along with not ideal technique that soon caused vocal damage, her debut in 1964 (only age 21!) and by late 1970 her main role soprano days were over, I really don't find her a Callas imitator (who really can be?) and one of her fans was Maria Callas herself as seen below backstage of a Norma performance and other occasions supporting Elena.....












> Presumably more credit still is deserved by Tebaldi's versions which bring together a more dramatic temperament than we might expect and a warm full tone into the bargain. If not better than Callas then just about everyone else in the intervening 50 years which is pretty good going


I did like that Tebaldi suicidio video, captured the full emotional drama of the aria in her own beautiful style, what more could one ask.........


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

*Franco* obviously loved her!


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

MAS said:


> *Franco* obviously loved her!
> 
> View attachment 98282


Gotta love any opera star that can pull off "big hair" look like Tebaldi.......


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

She took up La Gioconda late in her career. I heard a live broadcast from the 60's from the Met. Other than not having the C6 towards the end of the opera, she was the ultimate Gioconda in my opinion. Her Suicidio rivaled Callas' for perfection. It was a glorious performance. I heard an early Tosca where she had all the C's, but they didn't stick around long. Her Mimi and Butterfly were great as was her Minnie in Fanciulla.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Seattleoperafan said:


> She took up La Gioconda late in her career. I heard a live broadcast from the 60's from the Met. Other than not having the C6 towards the end of the opera, she was the ultimate Gioconda in my opinion. Her Suicidio rivaled Callas' for perfection. It was a glorious performance.* I heard an early Tosca where she had all the C's, but they didn't stick around long*. Her Mimi and Butterfly were great as was her Minnie in Fanciulla.


I remember this discussion from an earlier thread, 55 ROH with all 5 high C's in place, Tebaldi - Gobbi - Tagliavinni

Pristine XR is sourced from FM broadcast 33rpm transcription discs, excellent sound......










56 MET Tosca taken from saturday radio broadcast features familiar MET male duo of Warren & Tucker to join Tebaldi in another excellent performance, cheap Amazon USA


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> She took up La Gioconda late in her career. I heard a live broadcast from the 60's from the Met. Other than not having the C6 towards the end of the opera, she was the ultimate Gioconda in my opinion. Her Suicidio rivaled Callas' for perfection. It was a glorious performance. I heard an early Tosca where she had all the C's, but they didn't stick around long. Her Mimi and Butterfly were great as was her Minnie in Fanciulla.


I feel that Tebaldi's voice was perfect for Puccini. It filled out his melodic lines and his orchestration as few other voices do. Her Mimi with Bjoerling's Rodolfo blows away the rest for sheer vocal splendor:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

MAS said:


> *Franco* obviously loved her!
> 
> View attachment 98282


So did Deutekom.


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## Johnmusic (Oct 4, 2017)

IMO a voice of unique beauty and size._
*Renata Tebaldi "Pace, pace mio Dio" La forza del destino *_


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Pugg said:


> So did Deutekom.


I read somewhere that she was astonished when she heard him sing (since he was replacing the tenor who was ill, there had been no rehearsal, so she first heard him in performance), she almost forgot to sing herself.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

MAS said:


> I read somewhere that she was astonished when she heard him sing (since he was replacing the tenor who was ill, there had been no rehearsal, so she first heard him in performance), she almost forgot to sing herself.


Your right, it's in her biographee, she loved him dearly as she did Muti.
( All musical so to speak , she was happily married)


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## Johnmusic (Oct 4, 2017)

What a glorious concert
Renata Tebaldi recital 3 avril 57


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## Johnmusic (Oct 4, 2017)

Tebaldi is vocally at her best and the drama brings me to tears.
Renata Tebaldi "Senza mamma" Live 1953 





It was Toscanini who called Tebaldi "Voce D'Angelo"


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

You may want to watch this





dedicated to Tebaldi and Callas


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Napodano said:


> You may want to watch this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


it's a good thing you put this in a Tebaldi thread, since the video and audio choices do no justice to Callas. Tebaldi comes across as a singer, Callas as a celebrity who sometimes sang.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> it's a good thing you put this in a Tebaldi thread, since the video and audio choices do no justice to Callas. Tebaldi comes across as a singer, Callas as a celebrity who sometimes sang.


Unfortunately, the life Callas led at the end of her career preoccupied people more than her singing ever did, even in her good years. Certainly she was fodder for the gutter press, and they loved to hate her and paint her as unsympathetic and bitchy. Videographic evidence of Callas singing is, unfortunately, confined to the end of her career, when the voice was no longer reliable, and from the then-primitive television medium, so even there she is not shown at her best.

Tebaldi was beloved in most of the theaters in which she sang - especially at La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera, but her fame never went beyond the opera world, *except * when her life or career touched Callas's. I don't know much about her film and television appearances, beyond what I've seen from kinescopes from opera productions in Italy or Japan and films of her concerts.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

MAS said:


> *Unfortunately, the life Callas led at the end of her career preoccupied people more than her singing ever did*, even in her good years. Certainly she was fodder for the gutter press, and they loved to hate her and paint her as unsympathetic and bitchy. Videographic evidence of Callas singing is, unfortunately, confined to the end of her career, when the voice was no longer reliable, and from the then-primitive television medium, so even there she is not shown at her best.
> 
> Tebaldi was beloved in most of the theaters in which she sang - especially at La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera, but her fame never went beyond the opera world, *except * when her life or career touched Callas's. I don't know much about her film and television appearances, beyond what I've seen from kinescopes from opera productions in Italy or Japan and films of her concerts.


This is not what I remember, and I was around in the mid 1960s. In musical circles it was Callas' singing that occupied people's attention. Of course there is always the element of gutter-press and idiot celebrity worship. In Vienna it was all about Karajan's car and ski trips and hairstyle among the gossip columnists. But serious music lovers don't bother with that sort of thing if they have any sense.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> it's a good thing you put this in a Tebaldi thread, since the video and audio choices do no justice to Callas. Tebaldi comes across as a singer, Callas as a celebrity who sometimes sang.


I've only watched the first three minutes with the 'Babbino caro' segments. Tebaldi sounds shrill, almost as if she is a very good imitation of what people think an opera singer should sound like (although there is something effortlessly beautiful about this sound and how natural the text feels). Callas sounds warm and human and comes off better IMO even if the voice is not totally even. No wonder Callas sells far more now than Tebaldi whereas it was the other way around when they were in career.

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

DavidA said:


> This is not what I remember, and I was around in the mid 1960s. In musical circles it was Callas' singing that occupied people's attention. Of course there is always the element of gutter-press and idiot celebrity worship. In Vienna it was all about Karajan's car and ski trips and hairstyle among the gossip columnists. But serious music lovers don't bother with that sort of thing if they have any sense.


Of course, you are right in musical circles the music is always more important. However, I think MAS meant the general public and not just music circles.

N.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

The Conte said:


> I've only watched the first three minutes with the 'Babbino caro' segments. Tebaldi sounds shrill, almost as if she is a very good imitation of what people think an opera singer should sound like (although there is something effortlessly beautiful about this sound and how natural the text feels). Callas sounds warm and human and comes off better IMO even if the voice is not totally even. No wonder Callas sells far more now than Tebaldi whereas it was the other way around when they were in career.
> 
> N.


I do think we have to be very careful judging singers by such recordings. The shrillness can be an effect of the studio recording or the reproduction. Certainly the sound of Tebaldi is nothing like what I have on the Decca recordings she made, including the aria in question. Also I wonder when this was recorded? Late in her career? Of course, Callas 'wins' by her amazing stage presence.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

DavidA said:


> I do think we have to be very careful judging singers by such recordings. The shrillness can be an effect of the studio recording or the reproduction. Certainly the sound of Tebaldi is nothing like what I have on the Decca recordings she made, including the aria in question. Also I wonder when this was recorded? Late in her career? Of course, Callas 'wins' by her amazing stage presence.


I think it's the effect of hearing the singers back to back and Callas' darker colours contrast against Tebaldi's cooler sound. Both are in good voice, Tebaldi doesn't have any vocal defects in these short passages.

N.


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## VitellioScarpia (Aug 27, 2017)

The video does not show Tebaldi at her best, it almost seems that she is distracted. The Decca rendition is the opposite in terms of interpretation and warmth.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

VitellioScarpia said:


> The video does not show Tebaldi at her best, it almost seems that she is distracted. The Decca rendition is the opposite in terms of interpretation and warmth.


I'll see if I have it and dig it out.

N.


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

*sigh* Of course, this descends into Callas/Tebaldi. I can understand why people were interested in Callas versus Tebaldi during the 50s when they were two of the top sopranos and contemporaries. I will never understand why people remain interested in comparing the two 60 years later, when temporal proximity matters zero to us now, and the two performers were so completely different. Do we spend all our time comparing Bjorling and Melchior?


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## davidglasgow (Aug 19, 2017)

The Conte said:


> *I've only watched the first three minutes* with the 'Babbino caro' segments. Tebaldi sounds shrill, almost as if she is a very good imitation of what people think an opera singer should sound like (although there is something effortlessly beautiful about this sound and how natural the text feels). Callas sounds warm and human and comes off better IMO even if the voice is not totally even. *No wonder Callas sells far more now than Tebaldi* whereas it was the other way around when they were in career.


This seems quite an extrapolation based on around a minute of music shared between them (besides voiceover) 

When I compared versions of 'Suicidio' earlier in this thread you said:


The Conte said:


> You had to link to Callas singing in 1973 (which for her was post career) to make Tebaldi's version stand up to scrutiny. A fairer comparison would have been Callas in 1959 (at the end of her second career). Also, why is their no Caballe, or Ponselle for that matter? I know, let's compare Franco Corelli's Rodolfo in Boheme with others (it's ok folks we'll use a Pavarotti version from post 2000 and leave out di Stefano, Bjorling, Caruso and Gigli, Franco's bound to come up smelling of flowers).


I'm intrigued that you now think that a more suitable comparison is Renata Tebaldi and Maria Callas both singing Lauretta's winsome aria in 1965. Perhaps two sopranos who were Aidas, Giocondas and Toscas - and neither of whom ever sang the part of Lauretta in the theatre - are (to borrow Woodduck's phrase re Gioconda) "made for this music" instead?

...Or perhaps you are just changing your criteria because you think in this instance that Callas has the advantage 

I can borrow your argument and ask: 'Why is there no..."

Claudia Muzio





Victoria de los Angeles





Elisabeth Schwarzkopf





or Rita Streich?





If it was a faux pas earlier for me to privilege Tebaldi's length of career, is it not problematic to equate the number of records Callas sells with her artistic value? If Callas' sales are good does it correspond that this reflects on Tebaldi the artist?

Thanks, David


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

davidglasgow said:


> If it was a faux pas earlier for me to privilege Tebaldi's length of career, is it not problematic to equate the number of records Callas sells with her artistic value? If Callas' sales are good does it correspond that this reflects on Tebaldi the artist?
> 
> Thanks, David


I'm confused, the comparison between the two arias was in the documentary. I just commented on it. I've checked and I have Tebaldi's Babbino Caro to compare with the one chosen in the documentary.

N.


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## davidglasgow (Aug 19, 2017)

The Conte said:


> I'm confused, the comparison between the two arias was in the documentary. I just commented on it. I've checked and I have Tebaldi's Babbino Caro to compare with the one chosen in the documentary.
> 
> N.


I'm talking about the two versions in the documentary: both 1965 , they are on Youtube.

Your post - from this morning at 11.13, I'm not sure if the quote is displaying correctly? - said because you like Callas' version better "No wonder Callas sells far more now than Tebaldi" - I'm suggesting that record sales might not be a good way of gauging artistic merit: there is a lot of variables involved including celebrity, marketing etc.

Earlier in the thread when I suggested that Tebaldi's length of career was a way of gauging her success I got replies saying that this was superficial - and that the only real test test was how she compared with the best on record - with links to Callas, Ponselle, Cerquetti, Milanov etc.

Thanks, David


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

VitellioScarpia said:


> The video does not show Tebaldi at her best, it almost seems that she is distracted. The Decca rendition is the opposite in terms of interpretation and warmth.


So I gave this a listen last night and yes, the video isn't her at her best. I am not much of a Tebaldi fan, but there is an effortless grace and refined style to her Babbino Caro that can be admired by anybody.

N.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Tebaldi doesn't appear to be enjoying herself in that video. On her recording she's really into it and sings "O mio babbino caro" as beautifully as it can be sung, with more nuance and without overweighting it and overextending it the way some sopranos do (here's looking at you, Montserrat). Callas, as expected, lightens her tone and acts out the role of a young girl begging her father to let her marry. It might be nice to hear them both at their best:


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## Johnmusic (Oct 4, 2017)

davidglasgow said:


> This seems quite an extrapolation based on around a minute of music shared between them (besides voiceover)
> 
> When I compared versions of 'Suicidio' earlier in this thread you said:
> 
> ...


====================
David thank you for your intelligent and musically sensitive post-John


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## davidglasgow (Aug 19, 2017)

Johnmusic said:


> ====================
> David thank you for your intelligent and musically sensitive post-John


Thanks for the compliment John !


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## Johnmusic (Oct 4, 2017)

IMO this scene is all the greatness of Tebaldi in one place viz. beauty, size, phrasing, dynamics and sensitivity to the meaning of the drama. I get chills of joy when I hear this.

Renata Tebaldi "Amami Alfredo!" with encore Naples 1952


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Your right, it's in her biographee, she loved him dearly as she did Muti.
> ( All musical so to speak , she was happily married)


But she was never married


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Bellinilover said:


> Not having listened to much Tebaldi so far in my opera-going life, I do know that soprano Aprile Millo (born in 1958) has been compared to her as far as timbre and artistic sensibility are concerned. Here is Millo, at about age 31, singing "Morro, ma prima in grazie":
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Bellinilover said:
> 
> 
> > they sound similar in tone but Tebaldi was twice the size.
> ...


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

The Conte said:


> Seattleoperafan said:
> 
> 
> > To be fair that was just due to Renata's hair, though:
> ...


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

The Conte said:


> Seattleoperafan said:
> 
> 
> > To be fair that was just due to Renata's hair, though:
> ...


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

*Renata Tebaldi (Pesaro, 1 February 1922 - San Marino, 19 December 20*



Renata Tebaldi: style, elegance and passion


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I don't remember if I posted this earlier, but one would not normally think of her as the ideal Violetta, but I heard her on an archival Met matinee broadcast and she was terrific. Others were better at Sempre libera for sure, but she was surprisingly very acceptable singing it and in everything else she was simply stunning. What a beautiful Violetta she must have been live.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I believe earlier in the thread someone compared Tebaldi's fach with Callas' and said that Tebaldi was a lyric soprano. I have always considered her a spinto soprano and Callas a soprano sfogato -- a rare voice that effected a mezzo sound up to a coloratura sound.
Tebaldi had a lot of power and Millo came close in that department.
Today, Sondra Radvanovsky probably has the most power of today's crop of sopranos.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> I believe earlier in the thread someone compared Tebaldi's fach with Callas' and said that Tebaldi was a lyric soprano. I have always considered her a spinto soprano and Callas a soprano sfogato -- a rare voice that effected a mezzo sound up to a coloratura sound.
> Tebaldi had a lot of power and Millo came close in that department.
> Today, Sondra Radvanovsky probably has the most power of today's crop of sopranos.


Part of the issue with this is that different people have different opinions on fach. If one were to consider a range of sopranos and put them in order of lightest to heaviest voice then you would end up with a spectrum. Some of us find it useful to categorise voices into different types and the number of types you end up with depends on where and how often you cut that spectrum. I think of soprano voices as being lyric (the lightest), dramatic (the heaviest) and spinto (somewhere between the two). Using this system, Tebaldi was a spinto and Callas a dramatic. Or to put it another way, Callas had a heavier, darker voice than Tebaldi and many of their signature roles were quite different. If you are going to compare Tebaldi with a similar soprano, I would go with Olivero.

Edited to add: Some people do not recognise the full panopoly of fachs and so might consider that there are only two types of soprano: lyric and dramatic and that could explain why Tebaldi considered herself a dramatic, or Wikipedia could be wrong...

N.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I've never been a fan, knowing her only from recordings, where I hear in her voice, as one of the English critics once wrote:
"a hint of the fishwife." I'm paraphrasing. 

As many have said before, you probably should've heard her in the opera house, as there you'd have heard the "real Tebaldi," which makes total sense. The operatic voice was made to be heard in the opera house, not on a recording. The microphone exaggerates certain qualities in a voice that, heard "live," would've bee dispersed into the atmosphere.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

MAS said:


> I've never been a fan, knowing her only from recordings, where I hear in her voice, as one of the English critics once wrote:
> "a hint of the fishwife." I'm paraphrasing.
> 
> As many have said before, you probably should've heard her in the opera house, as there you'd have heard the "real Tebaldi," which makes total sense. The operatic voice was made to be heard in the opera house, not on a recording. The microphone exaggerates certain qualities in a voice that, heard "live," would've bee dispersed into the atmosphere.


I've heard the "fishwife" quote before and I find it somewhat unkind, whilst understanding what the critic meant. Quite often she sounds to me rather like the equivalent of a hammy actor. I have a couple of live recordings of her singing _La mamma morta_ where she adds all sorts of extraneous sobs and aspirates. The audience lap it up and go crazy, so she obviously gives them what they wanted, but I just find such histrionics completely over the top. I prefer something a little more subtle.


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## Agamenon (Apr 22, 2019)

MAS said:


> The Conte said:
> 
> 
> > Is that Topo Gigio she is holding?
> ...


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

This thread has taken an interesting turn. I'm not a Tebaldi fan, but mainly because I find her singing lacks drama a lot of the time (although that's primarily in her studio recordings). She's mostly refined, musical and there's a vocal delivery that is close to perfection. Voice of an angel is a far cry from voice of a fishwife, which suggests some vulgar screeching to me. Perhaps she was more animated live than in the studio?

N.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

The Conte said:


> This thread has taken an interesting turn. I'm not a Tebaldi fan, but mainly because I find her singing lacks drama a lot of the time (although that's primarily in her studio recordings). She's mostly refined, musical and there's a vocal delivery that is close to perfection. Voice of an angel is a far cry from voice of a fishwife, which suggests some vulgar screeching to me. Perhaps she was more animated live than in the studio?
> 
> N.


I just find that, live especially, some of her effects are a little vulgar, the vocal acting hammy, over the top and quite often at odds with the character she is playing. She "acts" in capital letters, introducing all sorts of extraneous sobs, gulps and aspirates, though of course there is always the compensation of the voice itself. She does it more in Puccini and _verismo_ and it has to be said the audiences lap it up, so it was rather what was expected in _verismo_ roles in Italy at that time.

On a more positive note, I've grown to like her more than I used to. There's a lot to be said for such solid production, not to mention the beauty of the voice itself and she is certanly not bland. I just don't find her particularly memorable. I can hear the voices of singers like Callas, De Los Angeles and Schwarzkopf in my head, not just the sound of their voices, but their way with the music, but Tebaldi rarely comes into my mind's ear.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I just find that, live especially, some of her effects are a little vulgar, the vocal acting hammy, over the top and quite often at odds with the character she is playing. She "acts" in capital letters, introducing all sorts of extraneous sobs, gulps and aspirates, though of course there is always the compensation of the voice itself. She does it more in Puccini and _verismo_ and it has to be said the audiences lap it up, so it was rather what was expected in _verismo_ roles in Italy at that time.
> 
> On a more positive note, I've grown to like her more than I used to. There's a lot to be said for such solid production, not to mention the beauty of the voice itself and she is certanly not bland. I just don't find her particularly memorable. I can hear the voices of singers like Callas, De Los Angeles and Schwarzkopf in my head, not just the sound of their voices, but their way with the music, but Tebaldi rarely comes into my mind's ear.


Well your name indicates you are British so that could possibly influence your taste ( although the positive influence missed Are You Being Served- guilty pleasure). I spent years going to drag shows, so I am sure my taste suffered LOL. I think only hearing recordings of her effects our opinions negatively. I think the combination of that very striking woman, her stage presence and that huge glorious sound could be spectacular. Her legato was peerless. I think the histronics you describe might play better in a cavernous theater at the back of a house than on a record. I will say that singers like Flagstad, Nilsson, Sutherland and Tebaldi, that were never fully captured in recordings activate my imagination which plays a big part in my enjoyment of them.


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

I think when Toscanini called her _voce d'angelo _, he probably referred not just to the beauty of the voice but also its sheer volume. It evokes the image of an angel blowing the trumpet, not of a sweet cherub lulling. Listen to her live Verdi's Requiem with him conducting (if you can't tolerate the poor sound, then try the other one with de Sabata). What a massive but warm Italianate voice that suits late Verdi perfectly. It would have suited Wagner too. Apparently, Karl Bohm was very fond of her and called her the best Tannhäuser Elizabeth he ever heard. He urged her to explore more Wagner, but she declined and stuck to Verdi and verismo. So yes, she is _loud_, but in the right music, it works out so well.

Another must-have of Tebaldi is the 1953 live _La forza_ conducted by Mitropoulos. It's one of her best nights in the theater and probably one of the best nights in all opera. Her studio Forza sounds nothing like this. I thus doubt if all of these popular DECCA studio recordings of her can truly represent her voice.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

silentio said:


> Her studio Forza sounds nothing like this. I thus doubt if all of these popular DECCA studio recordings of her can truly represent her voice.


Agreed. They don't represent her well. I was put off Tebaldi for a while because of hearing her 60s Decca recordings. To me, this is the real Tebaldi:







silentio said:


> What a massive but warm Italianate voice that suits late Verdi perfectly. It would have suited Wagner too. Apparently, Karl Bohm was very fond of her and called her the best Tannhäuser Elizabeth he ever heard. He urged her to explore more Wagner, but she declined and stuck to Verdi and verismo. So yes, she is loud, but in the right music, it works out so well.


Interesting, I didn't know that. I think she would have done very well in certain Wagner roles, especially Sieglinde.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Agreed. They don't represent her well. I was put off Tebaldi for a while because of hearing her 60s Decca recordings. To me, this is the real Tebaldi:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


O...M....G that music!!!!!!!!! The big aria from Mephistofele is one of my very favorites and she knocks it into an outer space orbit. It is similar to Suicidio in that it requires a really solid chest register to do it well... which is why Callas was so good at it. But Tebaldi... you go gurl!!!!!! And no one does the high notes in this aria like she did!!!!


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I just find that, live especially, some of her effects are a little vulgar, the vocal acting hammy, over the top and quite often at odds with the character she is playing. She "acts" in capital letters, introducing all sorts of extraneous sobs, gulps and aspirates, though of course there is always the compensation of the voice itself. She does it more in Puccini and _verismo_ and it has to be said the audiences lap it up, so it was rather what was expected in _verismo_ roles in Italy at that time.
> 
> On a more positive note, I've grown to like her more than I used to. There's a lot to be said for such solid production, not to mention the beauty of the voice itself and she is certanly not bland. I just don't find her particularly memorable. I can hear the voices of singers like Callas, De Los Angeles and Schwarzkopf in my head, not just the sound of their voices, but their way with the music, but Tebaldi rarely comes into my mind's ear.


I haven't heard enough live Tebaldi recordings to recognise those qualities and I'm more familiar with her studio portrayals where she must have toned things down a lot. Your description of her reminds me of Olivero who was definitely over the top, but that's verismo to a certain extent.

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> O...M....G that music!!!!!!!!! The big aria from Mephistofele is one of my very favorites and she knocks it into an outer space orbit. It is similar to Suicidio in that it requires a really solid chest register to do it well... which is why Callas was so good at it. But Tebaldi... you go gurl!!!!!! And no one does the high notes in this aria like she did!!!!


I know, these excerpts aren't exactly what I think of as being Tebaldi and she obviously toned things down in the recording studio. I remember a singing teacher of mine saying that Tebaldi had two good roles, Manon Lescaut and Leonora in Forza. I'm not sure I particularly like her studio recordings of those two operas, but I was very much surprised by her performance in the live 1958 Forza, that's my favourite performance of hers.

N.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

The Conte said:


> I know, these excerpts aren't exactly what I think of as being Tebaldi and she obviously toned things down in the recording studio. I remember a singing teacher of mine saying that Tebaldi had two good roles, Manon Lescaut and Leonora in Forza. I'm not sure I particularly like her studio recordings of those two operas, but I was very much surprised by her performance in the live 1958 Forza, that's my favourite performance of hers.
> 
> N.


Of course, for much of her career she struggled with the top notes.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Of course, for much of her career she struggled with the top notes.


I think I've mentioned this before, but in Lanfranco Rasponi's book _The Last Prima Donnas_ she bemoans the ever rising pitch of modern orchestras. For a soprano such as her, with a short top, it must have been a nghtmare.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

silentio said:


> I think when Toscanini called her _voce d'angelo _,...
> 
> Another must-have of Tebaldi is the 1953 live _La forza_ conducted by Mitropoulos. It's one of her best nights in the theater and probably one of the best nights in all opera. Her studio Forza sounds nothing like this. I thus doubt if all of these popular DECCA studio recordings of her can truly represent her voice.


My favorite *Forza* of Tebaldi's is the 1958 live recording from Napoli. Her colleagues are Franco Corelli, Ettore Bastianini, Oralia Dominguez, Boris Christoff, and Renato Capecchi, conducted by Francesco Molinari Pradelli. Everyone is at the top of their game and sings their hearts out.


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