# Schipa: Tenore Unico



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

It's been years since found this little documentary on Tito Schipa on YouTube, and now I've chanced upon it again. I think it might be a nice introduction to him to those who don't know him, but it might be even more meaningful to those who know him well. We come on the forum to talk about things, and so I'm tempted to say more, but the film does such a fine job of presenting and discussing its subject that I'll offer it without trying to describe its content.

I'll say only that for anyone who doesn't know this unique and wonderful artist, and hasn't yet discovered why the greatest tenors since speak of him with something like reverence, this is a good place to start. For the rest of us, it may express very well what we hear and how we feel about his voice and art.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> It's been years since found this little documentary on Tito Schipa on YouTube, and now I've chanced upon it again. I think it might be a nice introduction to him to those who don't know him, but it might be even more meaningful to those who know him well. We come on the forum to talk about things, and so I'm tempted to say more, but the film does such a fine job of presenting and discussing its subject that I'll offer it without trying to describe its content.
> 
> I'll say only that for anyone who doesn't know this unique and wonderful artist, and hasn't yet discovered why the greatest tenors since speak of him with something like reverence, this is a good place to start. For the rest of us, it may express very well what we hear and how we feel about his voice and art.


Incredible what he does and expresses without having to overdo a phrase and still brings complete feeling to it. His last note in "Una furtiva" has to be the most exquisite note I have ever heard from any tenor and it was done with complete passiveness and no heroic final chord.
He was a "complete" tenor. Bravo.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Wonderful singer. Would that his ilk was about today.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> It's been years since found this little documentary on Tito Schipa on YouTube, and now I've chanced upon it again. I think it might be a nice introduction to him to those who don't know him, but it might be even more meaningful to those who know him well. We come on the forum to talk about things, and so I'm tempted to say more, but the film does such a fine job of presenting and discussing its subject that I'll offer it without trying to describe its content.
> 
> I'll say only that for anyone who doesn't know this unique and wonderful artist, and hasn't yet discovered why the greatest tenors since speak of him with something like reverence, this is a good place to start. For the rest of us, it may express very well what we hear and how we feel about his voice and art.


I've seen a few of Kesting's documentaries, always informative, always entertaining especially with the estimable Stefan Zucker!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Barbebleu said:


> I've seen a few of Kesting's documentaries, always informative, always entertaining especially with the estimable Stefan Zucker!


Zucker is a riot. One of the world's true eccentrics.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Zucker is a riot. One of the world's true eccentrics.


Say what you will about his eccentricities (and you would be correct!) but he is a smart, enterprising, out-of-the-box interviewer who knows plenty about the art. 
He was a very close friend of Corelli's and had him on his radio show for years talking about different singers, mostly tenors.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Say what you will about his eccentricities (and you would be correct!) but he is a smart, enterprising, out-of-the-box interviewer who knows plenty about the art.
> He was a very close friend of Corelli's and had him on his radio show for years talking about different singers, mostly tenors.


His interviews with the retired Italian singers is a hoot!


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Yes they were a hoot and at the same time very informative.
I recall discussions among Zucker, Franco and Jerome Hines about Pertile and singing in the mask. Corelli loved Pertile and Lauri-Volpe. I am beyond distressed that I completely lost all of those wonderful interviews. They were priceless.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> It's been years since found this little documentary on Tito Schipa on YouTube, and now I've chanced upon it again. I think it might be a nice introduction to him to those who don't know him, but it might be even more meaningful to those who know him well. We come on the forum to talk about things, and so I'm tempted to say more, but the film does such a fine job of presenting and discussing its subject that I'll offer it without trying to describe its content.
> 
> I'll say only that for anyone who doesn't know this unique and wonderful artist, and hasn't yet discovered why the greatest tenors since speak of him with something like reverence, this is a good place to start. For the rest of us, it may express very well what we hear and how we feel about his voice and art.


Thanks for that.


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

Woodduck said:


> It's been years since found this little documentary on Tito Schipa on YouTube, and now I've chanced upon it again. I think it might be a nice introduction to him to those who don't know him, but it might be even more meaningful to those who know him well. We come on the forum to talk about things, and so I'm tempted to say more, but the film does such a fine job of presenting and discussing its subject that I'll offer it without trying to describe its content.
> 
> I'll say only that for anyone who doesn't know this unique and wonderful artist, and hasn't yet discovered why the greatest tenors since speak of him with something like reverence, this is a good place to start. For the rest of us, it may express very well what we hear and how we feel about his voice and art.


Thank you WoodDuck. While I have been an avid fan of Schipa for decades, I had certainly never seen this YouTube video before. It throws now light on this marvelous singer. I'm not afraid to confess I ended the performance of "Una Furtive Lagrima" in tears


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

aussiebushman said:


> Thank you WoodDuck. While I have been an avid fan of Schipa for decades, I had certainly never seen this YouTube video before. It throws now light on this marvelous singer. I'm not afraid to confess I ended the performance of "Una Furtive Lagrima" in tears


That makes two (at least two) of us.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Its an art that calls so little attention to itself in the obvious, overt ways....power equated as volume, ringing high notes, displays of emotion...that its kind of amazing that he managed to convince just about everyone that heard him (at least that's the impression history has left) that he's an absolute giant! The voice and singing are absolutely un-mistakeable and everything is completely without affectation. He's just wonderful, thank you for posting!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ScottK said:


> Its an art that calls so little attention to itself in the obvious, overt ways....power equated as volume, ringing high notes, displays of emotion...that its kind of amazing that he managed to convince just about everyone that heard him (at least that's the impression history has left) that he's an absolute giant! The voice and singing are absolutely un-mistakeable and everything is completely without affectation. He's just wonderful, thank you for posting!


Schipa is the anti-Corelli. :devil:


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> Schipa is the anti-Corelli. :devil:


And he still managed to get a good review from Stefan!!!.......that is...as good as you can get after the proclamation that this kind of voice CAN'T thrill. oy-veh!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ScottK said:


> And he still managed to get a good review from Stefan!!!.......that is...as good as you can get after the proclamation that this kind of voice CAN'T thrill. oy-veh!


I agree that Schipa didn't have a squillo-thrillo sort of sound. But human voices touch primal things in us that range far beyond nervous excitation. Some sounds are thrilling but not moving; others, the reverse. Schipa's sound has something in common with the veiled tone of instruments like the viola or the double reed winds. The overtone structure is complex, and the effect is piquant and a little strange; it doesn't come at you to make an announcement, it draws you in to tell you a secret, and with Schipa's incredible diction you won't miss a word of that secret no matter how softly he tells it. The big, brilliant voices can tire me quickly. I can listen to Schipa forever.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> The big, brilliant voices can tire me quickly. I can listen to Schipa forever.


ditto, ditto,ditto....and everything else you said as well!

I've never gotten the idea that Schipa didn't have a beautiful voice. A unique beauty is more beautiful for the uniqueness.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Woodduck said:


> Schipa is the anti-Corelli. :devil:


Or rather, the anti-Christ. :devil: Only the anti-Christ can have a voice like that. :devil:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

hammeredklavier said:


> Or rather, the anti-Christ. :devil: Only the anti-Christ can have a voice like that. :devil:


Humor succeeds only when it has something to do with its own subject. Otherwise it's as welcome as the person in the library who doesn't bathe.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Woodduck said:


> Humor succeeds only when it has something to do with its own subject. Otherwise it's as welcome as the person in the library who doesn't bathe.


It's meant as a praise though. But you're right, I'm sorry. I have to confess the way you used the emoticon was so charming, I couldn't help it, lol. Thanks for the thread on Schipa; it's very informative.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

If I had to choose a single voice as the most beautiful and angelic I've ever heard it would be Schipa.


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