# First Round: La Donna e Mobile: Schipa, Paoli, Caruso, Cortis



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

We need some opposite of Wagner music. One of these is a gift to Woodduck. These are all real short so I thought we'd have a tenor gala.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Seattleoperafan said:


> One of these is a gift to Woodduck.


Paoli, Caruso, Cortis? I don't see it.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I preferred Cortis‘s version to all the others, though he shortens the value of the notes at the end of some of the phrases. Caruso‘s runs were astonishing, given his thick tone. Schipa‘s _diminuendi _were wonderfully refined and his little laugh endearing. Paoli was showy, and his interpolared high note unwise.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I can eliminate Paoli right off. I know he had a powerful, penetrating voice and has his partisans (I seem to remember one here on TC), but I find him inelegant and a bit strained, here as in everything else I've heard him do.

The remaining three are delightfully individual, and I'm not at all sure I have a first choice. Schipa transposes down a half-step, which doesn't bother me particularly, given his characteristic elegance and charm. Unfortunately the reverb added to the recording obscures some of the quality of his timbre. I don't care for the way Cortis ends phrases abruptly, and so I'm going to choose Caruso, whose rendition remains a classic, full of verve and character. And that stunning cadenza!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

hammeredklavier said:


> Haydn?
> 
> Paoli, Caruso, Cortis? I don't see it.


He has spoken earlier of his love of early Schipa, which this is. I try to remember these things, but can't remember people's names or if I have told a story before


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> I can eliminate Paoli right off. I know he had a powerful, penetrating voice and has his partisans (I seem to remember one here on TC), but I find him inelegant and a bit strained, here as in everything else I've heard him do.
> 
> The remaining three are delightfully individual, and I'm not at all sure I have a first choice. Schipa transposes down a half-step, which doesn't bother me particularly, given his characteristic elegance and charm. Unfortunately the reverb added to the recording obscures some of the quality of his timbre. I don't care for the way Cortis ends phrases abruptly, and so I'm going to choose Caruso, whose rendition remains a classic, full of verve and character. And that stunning cadenza!


If you like three out of four of my historic tenor choices then that makes up for some of my roadkill rounds


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

My oh my!! The king easily reigns. Not only does he have an incredible natural musicality built in but he has a beautiful tenor sound as well. The others sadly don't compare and 2 actually have annoying sounds. Although too light of voice to suit me, Corliss does have some appealing qualities. Enrico Caruso by a knockout!
PS. I am a tenor maven first and foremost.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Although I can't stand the Frankenstein modern orchestra "restorations," Caruso is, of course, fantastic. He wins. 
I enjoyed listening to the natural Cortis transfer the most, however. Cortis was a great, underrated tenor who was highly regarded by Caruso himself.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Although I can't stand the Frankenstein modern orchestra "restorations," Caruso is, of course, fantastic. He wins.
> I enjoyed listening to the natural Cortis transfer the most, however. Cortis was a great, underrated tenor who was highly regarded by Caruso himself.


Sorry! I meant to include one that had just been cleaned up like the ones by Maldoror and not with new orchestration. Oops.
Good to hear from you in a contest I post.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Although I can't stand the Frankenstein modern orchestra "restorations," Caruso is, of course, fantastic. He wins.


My sister commented that on these "restorations" Caruso sounds as if he's behind a curtain. That says it well.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I really like the easy, fluent and stylish performance from Schipa. Truly wonderful. However, it's missing the confident swagger the likes of Di Stefano or Pavarotti delivered in this role.

Paoli is singing too much through his nose for my taste and his version isn't as musical or stylish as Schipa's.

Caruso sings this in an inimitable way and really makes it his own. It's always hard to hear on this older recordings, but his voice doesn't seem as free as Schipa's (but that's probably just the recording technology of the time). He suits both the role and the aria better than Schipa and I love the way he speaks and acts through song.

Cortis is wonderful. He doesn't quite have the tecnical fluency of Schipa, but I like his interpretation in general, even though it isn't as accomplished as Caruso. Worth hearing!

Caruso it is then!

N.


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## kappablanca (9 mo ago)

Caruso is far and away the best. Others have elaborated as to why. I would recommend listening to another remastering of his recording, done by RosaPonselleArt on YouTube (just copy and paste: Enrico Caruso - La donna e mobile / cleaned by Maldoror). It’s not perfect, but it brings some squillo back into the record and cleans up the echo effect.

Paoli is strange to me. Some people claim he’s better than Caruso. I can’t understand that at all — Paoli’s extremely experienced Otello still sounds wobbly and less refined to my ears than Caruso, who never even lived to sing his debut Otello (as planned, with Ponselle as Desdemona and Ruffo as Iago. What a cast!)


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

kappablanca said:


> Caruso is far and away the best. Others have elaborated as to why. I would recommend listening to another remastering of his recording, done by RosaPonselleArt on YouTube (just copy and paste: Enrico Caruso - La donna e mobile / cleaned by Maldoror). It’s not perfect, but it brings some squillo back into the record and cleans up the echo effect.


This is what I cheated you guys out of:


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## kappablanca (9 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> This is what I cheated you guys out of:


Thank you! I have no idea what Maldoror is even after some cursory searching, but whatever it is, it does a wonderful job bringing old records to life. Caruso wins by even more with this cleaning.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

kappablanca said:


> Thank you! I have no idea what Maldoror is even after some cursory searching, but whatever it is, it does a wonderful job bringing old records to life. Caruso wins by even more with this cleaning.


I think it was a him. They are the best restored versions of Ponselle you can find on Youtube. Actually it sounds better on lp played on my stereo but I rarely remember to do that I am ashamed to say.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I'm late to the party and can't really add anything to any of the comments above. Caruso for me, with Schipa in second place.


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