# Final Round: Parigi o cara: Callas/ Krauss, Gheorgihiu/ Alagna, Galli-Curci/ Schipa



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

There were a couple of possible pairings for Callas that were suggested to me but I went with Krauss as he is more widely known than the other tenor, at least to me..


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

The Callas excerpt is from the Lisbon *Traviata*, recorded live in March, 1958.

First off, I acknowledge that the other sopranos both have healthy steady voices and that Callas, at that stage of her career, had vocal problems, the chief of which, in the video, was that of unsteadiness in sustained notes. Nevertheless, to me she is the embodiment of Violetta, faults and all.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I'll be surprised if Schipa isn't considered after the glowing thread he had recently.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

MAS said:


> The Callas excerpt is from the Lisbon *Traviata*, recorded live in March, 1958.
> 
> First off, I acknowledge that the other sopranos both have healthy steady voices and that Callas, at that stage of her career, had vocal problems, the chief of which, in the video, was that of unsteadiness in sustained notes. Nevertheless, to me she is the embodiment of Violetta, faults and all.


But it's a _duet,_ MAS...


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Given his reputation as a refined stylist, Alfredo Kraus's loud, persistent aspirates in this are really shocking, and enough in themselves to put this out of the running despite the aristocratic phrasing of Callas, whose less-than-prime vocal estate doesn't bother me enough to matter (Violetta having TB and all...).

Gheorghiu and Alagna seem to be in a hurry, though she manages some expressive singing notwithstanding.

That leaves Schipa and Galli-Curci, whose singing is lovely and stylish throughout, although Schipa needs a few phrases to get fully in the spirit. I don't get any sense of Violetta's illness from Galli-Curci's utterly serene singing, but then this duet, a momentary dream of happiness, is properly a moment of peace and a respite from tragedy.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> But it's a _duet,_ MAS...


Yes, but it Callas singing there! :lol::lol::lol:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

MAS said:


> Yes, but it Callas singing there! :lol::lol::lol:


Yeah, yeah... If it had been Valletti rather than Kraus, I might have voted for her too.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Yeah, yeah... If it had been Valletti rather than Kraus, I might have voted for her too.


It is my fault I didn't post the Valletti one that had been suggested to me but he wasn't on my radar at all. I am allowed a few failings with my contests. A really fabulous aria is next.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> It is my fault I didn't post the Valletti one that had been suggested to me but he wasn't on my radar at all. I am allowed a few failings with my contests. A really fabulous aria is next.


Valetti also sang with Callas in the 1955 La Scala *La Sonnambula* under Bernstein.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> Valetti also sang with Callas in the 1955 La Scala *La Sonnambula* under Bernstein.


i asked for guidance on the Callas duet but was given a choice which got me in trouble. There will be a Callas aria next to redeem me possibly. After doing the contests I thought I knew the major tenors but Valleti never showed up for me in my contests.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> i asked for guidance on the Callas duet but was given a choice which got me in trouble. There will be a Callas aria next to redeem me possibly. After doing the contests I thought I knew the major tenors but Valleti never showed up for me in my contests.


Valetti was a _tenore di grazia_, a light tenor who specialized in the _bel canto_ repertoire, so the light Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and the like. A contemporary reference might be Juan Diego Flórez.

You're not in trouble


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

MAS said:


> Valetti was a _tenore di grazia_, a light tenor who specialized in the _bel canto_ repertoire, so the light Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and the like. A contemporary reference might be Juan Diego Flórez.
> 
> You're not in trouble


I just read that Valetti studied with Tito Schipa, and it shows.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

MAS said:


> I just read that Valetti studied with Tito Schipa, and it shows.


Indeed it does. Valletti was actually my first Alfredo, in the _Traviata_ with Rosanna Carteri and Leonard Warren, conducted by Pierre Monteux, on (I think) RCA. He's worth hearing in anything he did.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

There are actually two Callas/Valletti performances to choose from; Mexico 1951 and London 1958. I should have mentioned that, and that he was also a Schipa pupil. It might have been interesting to pit teacher against student.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

If Schipa were singing with Callas (can you imagine?) then this would be easy. As it is I'm voting for the Callas/Kraus pairing because, we'll, it's my favourite singer in one of her greatest roles and I'm more into sopranos than tenors. Had we chosen either of the Valletti performances, I think they would be clear winners too, especially in London. The Lisbon Traviata has acquired almost a mythical status, possibly because of the McNally play and the fact that it was the first live Callas issued by EMI, but I've always maintained London is better, and I still do.

Here they both are. The sound in London is a good deal better than Mexico, of course. Incidentally, I think Valletti phrases the opening better than his teacher, who is unaccountably stiff in the opening measures.


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## Shaafee Shameem (Aug 4, 2021)

I meant to vote for Callas/Kraus, but clicked Gheorgiou/Alagna by mistake. Anyways, I prefer Schipa amongst the tenors, and Callas among the sopranos. I choose Callas/Kraus for Callas’ completely internalized interpretation, whilst applauding Schipa/Galli-Curci’s excellent singing.


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## niknik (Oct 4, 2014)

There is also the mythical Visconti's Scala La Traviata with Giuseppe di Stefano


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I suspect something must have gone wrong with the Krauss-Callas pairing. Their voices both sound strange to me and the tempo is ridiculously slow removing any urgency or collaboration between the two.
I love Schipa's voice but found Galli-Curci to be disappointing when compared to Gheorghiu, yet Alagna's voice was commendable so my vote must go to the "Bobbsey Twins".


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

If Kraus had this much color in his voice every time I heard him sing I would have been a much bigger fan. The reserve he was famous for - I heard him called a soulful introvert - usually did not have an effect on me. But here I thought he was treading the line between investment and emoting but it was so welcome that I was on his side quickly. For all the talk of the Lisbon Traviata and other mentions of her with this role I actually thought Callas would do more. I didn't hear the kind of Butterfly/Gilda voice changing but of course Callas any time is going to give you her best. They got it for me.

Note...I accidentally spilled over onto Schipa's Un di Felice while listening and that was what I thought I'd get here; absolute top shelf!


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Not fond of Gheorghiou or Alanga but they are not awful. Callas sounds better in her Covent Garden Traviata of the same year and far better at La Scala in 1955, here in Lisbon I don't like her. Schipa and Gali-Curci win here. Schipa's phrasing makes the melody seem more waltz-like but I think it works. If Gali-Curci was replaced with either Covent Garden or Scala Callas it would be an easy choice, but as it stands her and Schipa sing best.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Op.123 said:


> Not fond of Gheorghiou or Alanga but they are not awful. Callas sounds better in her Covent Garden Traviata of the same year and far better at La Scala in 1955, here in Lisbon I don't like her. Schipa and Gali-Curci win here. Schipa's phrasing makes the melody seem more waltz-like but I think it works. If Gali-Curci was replaced with either Covent Garden or Scala Callas it would be an easy choice, but as it stands her and Schipa sing best.


Those pesky duets LOL Thanks.


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

I pick Krause / Callas. He does actually sound that he cares that she is dying and I think this is one occasion where emotions can be allowed to intrude.


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