The "Son vergin vezzosa" Contest - Amelita Galli-Curci

[mptpopz]

She was my Grandfathers cousin.

[hetoimasai]

I am completely mesmerized by her. Despite the limitation in the technology that captured her voice, it sufficed to capture her range exquisitely. She ranks right alongside Maria Callas, Sylvia Sass, and Sumi Jo, IMHO. In fact, I place Amelita's performances above Maria Callas'.

[jorgepda]

@hetoimasai i am probably one of the biggest Callas fans out there, but I completely agree. Gall-Curci's tone is exquisite and her technique impeccable.

[EdmundStAustell]

What an immaculate musician! You could set your watch by those tempi. She was offered a professorship of piano at the tender age of 23--and that pianistic proficiency is evident in her approach to the music. Perfect style, impeccable musianship, and a lovely flute-like voice; one very classy little lady! It doesn't get much better--if any--than this.

[LobsngDmchoi]

The controversial final trill -- someone should analyze it scientifically. Sorry, folks, I hear some b-natural, esp. towards the end. For me, in this repertoire, the brilliance & beauty of a trill is the goal, rather than its perceived "correctness." Consult Manuel Garcia's singing treatise -- does he say there is only one way to trill? In this style, the final trills are often unwritten by the composer, so are less subject to rules & more dictated by a performer's discretion & taste.

[1psoas9]

The lightness and ease of her voice are miraculous in hteir own right, but also have a rare ability to characterize a really young person. Virginity is a very difficult quality to evoke onstage -- Mary Pickford comes to mind , and Elisabeth Schumann and Mary Garden. Not many can make it both plausible and appealing. Galli-Curci really seems innocent.

[JessicaWise]

Wow. Neat and I really like it - except for that fire alarm at the end. What is that!? ;-)

[AulicExclusiva]

It's an unusual, rare privilege to talk to somebody who actually knows what he is talking about, and doesn't think singing began with Roberto Alagna!

[meltzerboy]

Or, even worse, Andrea Boccelli! I appreciate the compliment and feel the same way.

[AulicExclusiva]

A lovely little leggiero voice, not really suited to the great brilliance required by the bel canto repertoire.

She often sang out of tune, and is not at her freshest in this 1923 recording, which was originally withheld from publication.

Galli Curci was at her best in lyric, salon music, where her delicate, silvery timbre made its best effect.

[meltzerboy]

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but I disagree with some of your comments. Galli-Curci specialized in the bel canto repertoire of Bellini and Donizetti. True, certain critics of her time (Aldrich, Krehbiel) said her voice was more warm and gentle than truly brilliant and that it was a small voice. But others (Henderson, Moore) said she was "an artist of brilliant abilities..." with a voice that was "singularly smooth, deeply colored, and flexible." She did sing out of tune at times.

[meltzerboy]

Continued--Her recordings are probably more brilliant than her voice sounded in the opera house because of the "lack of sheer tone...less apparent in recitals" (De Schaunsee). She did excel in popular song as well as bel canto, and also in the French repertoire. Her Lucia, Linda, Amina, Elvira, Violetta, Gilda and other roles were wildly acclaimed by audiences and most critics for their brilliance, florid agility, beautiful phrasing in recitatives and arias, and pure legato.

[meltzerboy]

Continued--The noted voice teacher, Duval, who had heard Patti in her prime as well as Sembrich, Melba, and Tetrazzini said that Galli-Curci surpassed them all in "vocal emission and style," though her "scales could not compare to Sembrich's" nor her trill to that of Melba.

[AulicExclusiva]

You don't need to defend Galli Curci to me. She was certainly one of the most celebrated singers of her time. I just think that her voice was too light for the brilliant repertoire. Her type of Lucia, like Lily Pons', was swept off the boards by Callas and Sutherland. Patti, Sembrich, Melba, Kurz and Tetrazzini were more like them than light leggiero sopranos of the Galli-Curci sort. Patti sang Aïda. Can you imagine Galli Curci singing Aïda?

[AulicExclusiva]

Galli Curci's Sonnambula and Semiramide ACOUSTIC records from the 1920s were never issued, because the vocalism and intonation leave something to be desired. Her issued electrical Caro nome was take 34. Quite aside from the famous goitre, she clearly had other problems. I think it's pointless to compare her to a Melba or a Tetrazzini.

[AulicExclusiva]

None of this belies the uniqueness of Galli Curci as a vocal personality. But she was more a Bidù Sayão type of singer than a Tetrazzini. Nothing wrong with that.

[meltzerboy]

You're right, Galli-Curci's voice cannot be compared to Melba's or Tetrazzini's. In fact, each of these great singers had unique voices that cannot be compared to one another's or any other singers' voices. In terms of vocal quality, however, I think it is comparable. No singer is perfect; certainly Melba and Tetrazzini had "problems" as well, not with intonation or trills, but in the case of Tetrazzini, with her lower and middle registers, and in the case of Melba, lapses of taste...

[meltzerboy]

Continued--Melba was criticized for bringing her chest voice too high, producing an unpleasant effect. Her phrasing was said to lack sufficient portamento, "cut in lengths rather than rounded as Tetrazzini's and Sembrich's phrases." Still, she was considered by most critics, particularly Henderson, a great singer. Klein, however, stated her singing left him cold, and this was a common complaint, with the notable exception of Hurst. All these singers had detractors, Chorley with regard to Patti.

[AulicExclusiva]

ALL great singers have detractors. I would not say I'm a Galli Curci detractor, even though she is not a hallowed favourite for me as she obviously (and legitimately) is for you. Tetrazzini is my goddess.

All I was saying is that her voice was to light for Pasta/Grisi/Persiani rôles. That is all. Norina? Yes. Adina? Yes. Rosina transposed? Yes. Anna Bolena? NO. Elvira? No. Semiramide? No.

[meltzerboy]

You could do much worse than Tetrazzini in terms of goddesses. Tetrazzini is no doubt a phenomenal singer, with a beautiful tone and unique timbre, an uncanny ability to color and shade her voice, superb technical skills, especially her messe di voce, as well as powerful vocal projection. She is certainly one of my favorites as well. But though she--like Patti--sang some of the heavier roles, she was not critically acclaimed for these but much more for her lighter repertoire.

[meltzerboy]

Continued--The acoustic recordings you mention are faulty indeed despite their beauty. But the year of recording for both is 1924, the year in which Galli-Curci's voice was beginning to decline due to her goitre condition. Occasional flatness is evident even earlier, in her prime, in her 1917 recording of the "Bell Song," for example. But she has so many positive vocal attributes, as Anthony Boucher once pointed out, that she can afford a few blemishes.

[AulicExclusiva]

Anthony Boucher! WBAI—Golden Voices.

.

You go back, Mel!

[meltzerboy]

Yes, I'm a record collector dinosaur. I'm surprised and glad you heard of him; at least I now know I'm not delusional!

[meltzerboy]

True, Patti sang Aida. She also sang the Trovatore Leonora and even Carmen. But, did she sing them well? According to Herman Klein, one of Patti's most ardent fans, she should never have sung Carmen. And in Aida as well as Violetta, she had cuts and transpositions made in the score. George Bernard Shaw even stated that Marguerite was too heavy for her, though she technically sang the music perfectly. Patti was a leggiero soprano like her predecessors Sontag and Lind. She had a unique timbre.

[meltzerboy]

Continued--Her voice had a dark quality to it and it projected very well. But it did not have the resonance of Melba's voice, or the power of Tetrazzini's voice; it was more of a "flute voice" than a clarion, trumpet-like voice, according to Henderson. Nonetheless, its beauty and virtuosity were peerless.

[AulicExclusiva]

I expect that Patti's voice had a weight, colour and size similar to Anna Moffo's.

Neither Patti, nor Sontag or Lind, nor indeed Moffo,were soprano leggieros of the Galli Curci/ Guglielmetti/Ivogün/Pons/Berge­r type. They were lirico-leggieros.

If De los Angeles or Vallin could sing Carmen, so could Patti. And she sang Elsa too.

[MrRicksStudio]

Trills were a problem for her. Sometimes she would even trill to the lower note rather than the upper! I have heard one that sounds more like a tremelo in thirds rather than a real trill. Could have been the fault of the acoustic recording process though. She is probably my favorite soprano of the 78 era.

[meltzerboy]

You're right, Galli-Curci's trills are not always perfect. She herself discusses the matter. It's not the fault of the acoustic recording process since even earlier recordings of Melba, Tetrazzini, etc. do not reveal the same problem. And Galli-Curci 's voice recorded rather well compared to other sopranos of her time such as Melba, Sembrich, Eames, and Nordica. However, some of Galli-Curci's trills are both correct and beautiful. Otherwise, her technique as well as her phrasing are exemplary.

[dinastein44]

True! I love Galli-Curci, but I was also wondering why she sang that last trill with the lower - not the upper - note. After all, she could reach high F easily so she would have had no problem with that trill. It's a mystery.

[snozzefactor]

Charming performance, except for the two trills, both of which sounded quite flat ... and the final trill was just a mistake of judgement. It's interesting to listen to these vintage recordings -- the high notes are rarely held as often as contemporary singers tend to do; there's much more of a "catch and release" quality to the top notes, and also a great deal more fluidity and expressiveness of line in the coloratura passages.

[ryker25]

Lindoro (or anyone), when was this recorded?

[paulprocopolis]

Galli Curci recorded this aria in 1923.

[paulprocopolis]

Galli-Curci was truly a 'songbird' of the first order. She was no great dramatist, but this aria suits her style to perfection, and there is something truly enchanting about her tone.

[stan724]

Galli-Curci was once quoted as saying that Maria Callas had a "tortured" voice. I don't know the context of her remark, or exactly what she meant. There was, to be sure, a note of sadness in Callas' voice. But I wonder if Galli-Curci meant the condition of the voice after all the dramatic use and abuse of it.

[meltzerboy]

I'm not sure of the context of Galli-Curci's remark about Callas' voice, but knowing something about Galli-Curci's ideas concerning singing, I would venture she meant the condition of the voice. For Galli-Curci, the top priority of singing was beauty, and probably to her ears, Callas' tone was not beautiful. This does not mean Galli-Curci failed to appreciate dramatic singing and singers, but her feeling was that drama could and should be expressed only by means of beautiful tone and technique.

[birsutube]

She is a great singer, but OMG, what was that trill; I am thoroughly disoriented .... aaaargh

[ryker25]

So agree - dizzying.

[mariagalvany]

I really enjoy her voice its so soft ad velvet.Everything she tackled she sings it so beautifully and gives it a wonderful emotion. Though she had her faults,she was a great recorder. And posessed such a brillant

tone and a "ping" attack so wonderful.

She ends it with a long held trill. :}

[SqueakyIri]

in comparing Galli-Curic and Pons, whose voice was bigger?

[LindoroRossini]

Interesting question, I think Galli-Curci's voice was just a hint bigger than Pons'.

[garbo2210100]

Wonderful and Incredible trill.

She is amazing.

[dinastein44]

That's a downward trill. Why didn't she sing an upward one? I'm certain she could.

[meltzerboy]

Although Galli-Curci and Pons have often been compared since they sang similar repertoire and were both coloratura specialists who loved to end their arias with high notes, I don't think their trills are comparable. Pons actually barely had a trill: sometimes it was no more than an exaggerated vibrato. Galli-Curci, on the other hand, had a genuine trill although it was, at times, faulty. Pons' technique, in general, is not at the same level as Galli-Curci's. Yet both are great singers.

[milizakorjus]

Sounds like Galli Curci had like dear Lily Pons a downward trill. Effective but not accurate. The florid technique was so limpid - mmmm.

[LeonConrad]

Singing 3 / Characterisation 3

Amazing evenness of tone, apart from a rather nasty bump at the end of the first major descending run, but the recording as a whole suffers from the 78rpm 'must get it all one side' syndrome, which renders it rushed and mechanistic, when compared to the relatively more modern performances from 33rpms onwards.

[meltzerboy]

Thank you for the kind words. I agree that Galli-Curci's velvety middle voice is most beautiful even without the coloratura fireworks.

She also had an utterly even scale from top to bottom and her singing was exquisitely refined and elegant. However, in defense of Tetrazzini, certain of her slower songs sans coloratura ornaments, such as Tosti's Aprile and La Serenata, display much beauty.

[4caeruleus]

As a kid I used to try to give up opera records during Lent. It was always Galli-Curci who made me break my vow. I just had to hear that voice. This particular recording was usually the irresistible temptation.

[meltzerboy]

(Continued) Where I disagree is your comment about the noise of Callas and Sutherland. True, Callas was often screechy in the top register, but she was a great singer and artist nonetheless in so many ways. There is nothing noisy at all about Sutherland's voice; it is quite beautiful and her technique is fabulous. Sutherland and Galli-Curci in fact admired one another greatly.

[meltzerboy]

(Continued) I also agree that her trill at the end of the Lucia Mad Scene is wonderful, a crescendo trill similar to Melba's. But I believe it was Melba's trill that was studied by voice scientists. Further, it is true, sadly, that some people do not recognize the greatness of several of these early singers, Galli-Curci among them.

[meltzerboy]

Hobo197, I agree in part with what you say. I too love many of the early singers, and Galli-Curci is my favorite female singer of the group. However, her trill was occasionally less than perfect and she sometimes sang flat, probably due to her goiter condition. Otherwise, she was indeed marvelous.

[hobo197]

oh! her trilling is one of the best around!!

her famous trill in one of those lucia arias is the greatest trill on record and was studied by voice scientists.

[63Attila]

Her trills are NOT trills. Please can't you hear? Listen to Melba, Kurz. Ponselle and Sutherland for trillin

[shivastotravali]

I agree, that's not trill.

[33blueberries]

It's not evident here, this is true. But these are imperfect examples. When the trill was good, it was good, and Galli-Curci did sing MANY good trills. It's a pity to hear this sort of variation of form between performances, but it does happen. Whatevs, it's still ravishing, and what's more, CORRECT tone production.

[63Attila]

33blueberries (3 hours ago) Show Hide 0  Marked as spam Reply | Spam It's not evident here, this is true. But these are imperfect examples. When the trill was good, it was good, and Galli-Curci did sing MANY good trills.

..............

You might have replied to wrong post. I mentioned nothing about trills but your post was informative. The voice was So Beautiful. I heard it described as like a Pansy. It is colorful and velvety.

Best wished-JOHN

[hobo197]

i think alot of u dont realise what is great singing,also some of u dont understand the mastery it takes to perform a difficult piece so that it appears "mechanical" to the naive. many people think they understand or try to understand what these great singers really sounded like but i think they have no idea.better if u listen to the noise of callas and sutherland.

[Jabe88]

was the disc scratched and repeating itself during the trill/tremolo (or whatever was she doing)?

Besides that, Galli Curci is a very good singer...

[hobo197]

very good?

[Liwah]

I have met few singers that I feel this way about but, as impressed as I am by her largely self taught skills, I HATE her trill.

[zakar67]

Molto brava!

[niklausse]

3/3

[agnellodei]

her high notes were exquisite!

[CMOSjockey]

I really do like her. This is extremely good. She certainly hits the notes like bells. Like Tetrazini. OK, the trill just blew it a bit. If its a bit odd, she should have shortened it. 4/5 stars.

[mdancer01]

4/4

[evaeke]

Is it the antique recording...or isn't she articulating at all? I am not a real fan of Belcanto vs. Galli-Curci but this one is not so bad. 4/2

[meltzerboy]

BeauTenor, the long trill at the close sounds "weird" only because Galli-Curci trills on the note and the note below, rather than the note above (which is the proper way). She sometimes had difficulty with her trills, virtually the only flaw in her superlative technique.

[gspaulsson]

She is actually singing the lower note a minor third down, so technically it's a tremolo, not a trill. I wonder why she does that? It's not that high a note for her.

[BeauTenor]

whoops...listened to it again, and that trill is...wierd. still tho, better than most of what've heard lately...

[BeauTenor]

I love that long trill...too bad no one hardley remembers how anymore.

[garconfrancais01]

weird...3/3

[meltzerboy]

Sorry for the typo, pno4tay (clever).

[meltzerboy]

I completely agree, pyo4tay. And despite Galli-Curci's near-perfection, one does not get the impression of a mere mechanical approach to her singing (although some will disagree). To me, there is sensitivity, poetry and warmth in her rare timbre. This is but one of the features that distinguish Galli-Curci's singing from Tetrazzini's, the latter also a great artist due to her spontaneity and joie de vivre as well as her virtuosity.

[63Attila]

meltzerboy says:

To me, there is sensitivity, poetry and warmth in her rare timbre.

A most accurate description of this magnificent artist. Tetrazzini was a virtuosa

extrodinaire but she did not touch me in her slow singing. Her middle/lower voice stuff could be annoying. With Galli-Gurci, if she sang all night with no pyrotechnics it would be amazing because of her gorgeous tone, even scale and musicality. I believe that she was a excellent pianist and a well schooled musician,

[pno4tay]

Galli-Curci in her acoustic Victors was as close to vocal perfection as one can be. Period. That, coupled with the fact that her voice was captured better by the recording horn than those of her rivals, made her records best-sellers. A miraculous voice, incidentally self-taught. She was trained as a pianist (Milan Conservatory) and only had occasional coaching to get her through vocal crises such as the disastrous throat surgery which effectively ended her career.

[clearandsunny]

There are some die-hard Galli-Curci fans here. Well, she certainly was a legendary voice, so I can understand the passion. It's a splendid technique, although her delivery, as heard here, could be quite pastel, the arias turned into vocalise. But what a vocalise!

[meltzerboy]

I believe it was in her first recording of Norma, the descending scale at the close of "Casta diva" before the cabaletta. According to some critics, she had at one point a tendency toward sliding in her descending chromatic scales. I'm not saying I criticize her for sliding, but perhaps there is some truth in it. Certainly there is occasional scooping in her singing. But I love Sutherland! Every singer has some faults, including Galli-Curci.

[meltzerboy]

If you wish, try some of Galli-Curci's other recordings (on the original 78's) featured on youtube, and let me know what you think. For example, her performances of the "Una voce poco fa," "Ah, non credea mirarti," "Sempre libera," and the mad scene from Lucia.

[sevoflurane]

I will download some tonight. In fairness I have some CDs of her in Italy and I remember her performing a lot better than here.

[meltzerboy]

I think we mean the same thing. The notes should not be "hammered out" but smoothly connected, and Galli-Curci is a mistress of legato in her movement from note to note; so is Melba, Ponselle, Callas. Sutherland has been accused at times of "sliding" or glissando. On the other hand, the great Sembrich has been accused of occasionally separating notes. On other points, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

[Iareto]

I have NVER heard Sutherland slide anywhere. Can you show me?

[Cramnella]

I agree that Sutherland was no slider! One of the great marvels of Sutherland's voice is the clarity of the tones in her runs. One critic likened them to a string of pears where each note in the run is perfectly sounded but knitted together with the others in a perfectly seamless line.

On the other hand, I have read critics criticize Sutherland for scooping, which she sometimes did. I think this was a special effect and not a crutch when she did it.

[dugbin]

Callas' scales and runs were described as pearls falling off a string. Her legato was also noted because of the smooth shift from one note to another. Rosa Ponselle also showed the same smooth legato; and Callas says that it was so because they were from the "old schooling." They were both bel canto singers and were both coached and partially trained by Maestro Tullio Serafin.

[33blueberries]

I think the scooping is the result of singing so much Romantic Italian music, it sort of goes with the style in a lot of ways! And once made habit, perhaps hard to remove. Oh well.

[33blueberries]

Olympia. But only in the sections where the doll is winding down. It's odd to hear!!

[meltzerboy]

Mezzoforte, perhaps, but Galli-Curci could execute a diminuendo to the most delicate pianissimo. I'm not sure what you mean by "distinct notes"; in legato the notes are NOT supposed to be distinct. Sutherland points this out in an interview. Notice the beginning of the aria; even Sutherland, who sings the same ornament, is not as good. Or the capture of the rhythm of the polacca that no other singer does as well. Or the series of "distinct" upward trills followed by a descending scale.

[sevoflurane]

I am afraid I do not agree. You must be able to hear every note clearly in legato: each linked to the other by a smooth line. Listen to the chromatic scales sung by Callas and Devia in Casta Diva. That's a fine example!

[dugbin]

Yes, I agree. You have to clearly hear every note in the legato, and each one of them must be connected in a smooth, fine, and clear line. Every note must be heard clearly; whether it is legato, portamento, or staccato. Everything must be heard.

[sevoflurane]

If a note is not recognizable from the other the singer is cheating with a glissando. It is often the case in Rossini: it is fast coloratura and only a few singers master it. Another example is Horne's, she can sing fast coloratura with a beautiful legato.

[sevoflurane]

What Sutherland meant, | hope, is that notes do not have to be aspirated or sung as "portati"

[meltzerboy]

I am amazed you think Galli-Curci's coloratura is sloppy. True, her trill is not always perfect (at the close, she trills on the note and the note below, instead of the note above), but the scales and other embellishments--not to mention the musical line and legato--are surely superior to those of any singer before the public today, including Devia's and Gruberova's.

[sevoflurane]

In her coloratura (in the scales and gruppetti) the notes do not come out distinct as they should to make it electric. Also she does not have a great range of intensity: everything goes from mezzoforte to a mezzopiano.

[pno4tay]

One can't really fault her dynamic range. Things had to be altered to suit the recording horn. They even had to back up for high notes!

[33blueberries]

Not as distinct as, say, Sutherland's, but listen to recordings of Tetrazzini and Melba. Maybe it was just a prevailing taste of the day. So much of singing is an aesthetic. Sure, there's always something that's MORE correct, but where do you draw the line. As for dynamics..well, Galli-Curci was one of the first sopranos of the 20th Century to sing coloratura roles exclusively, and the voice, fittingly, was not huge. Not that it needs to be. There's still dynamic variation. Blame the record too.

[33blueberries]

This is true, I don't have memory of a good Devia trill, and even Gruberova's, while mostly passable (in my books, I'm the first to admit that I am a partial audience though :D) are not as good as Galli-Curci's. Galli-Curci at her best had a bloody great trill, not as clean as the Sutherland, but still true and rapid. Enough about trills though.

[sevoflurane]

I have no idea which is the reply to my comment... anyway... what do you mean by "the result of singing so much Romantic Italian music"? Where in Italian Romantic music would scooping be a specific feature? Secondly, I would urge you to listen to Devia better, since not only does she master a trill, but she has also sung trilli ribattuti. If were you I would go a check the trill on the C sharp in the Messa di Gloria...

[sevoflurane]

I did not remember she was that boring. The staccati are nice enough, the trill and coloratura sloppy. Why does she sings "bela vogl'io brilar"? One of the poorest characterisations. 3/1

[SirGeorg]

I like her technique, not her tone; she definitely sounds youthful but a bit dull to me 4/3

[meltzerboy]

Galli-Curci is IMO the greatest female singer on record, if not in history. This applies a bit more to her technique than her tone, which is still beautiful, or her interpretation, which is often great nonetheless. In this piece, she is not the best interpreter of the lot (both Callas and Caballe, in their very different ways, are superior), but her technical skill is supreme, rivalled only by Sutherland's. Especially noteworthy are her delicious ease of utterance and her scale passages. 5/4

[drdre333]

WOOHOO! Another contest! Love it!

I personally much prefer Galli-Curci in her abilities to that of Tetrazzini for these older singers. I give this a 4/4 as yes, the words tend to get completely lost, and it at times seems quite mechanical; however, I love the beautiful technique (the only thing lacking is a true trill) and absolute ease of the voice - so comforting.

[operadm]

It would have been exciting to have heard her live, but even with the old recording her singing is beautiful. I agree with toricaballe 5/4

[Iareto]

Decent. 4/4.

[remrom2]

5/5--brava  remus

[xema2005]

She's never been my favourite, she has great high notes, but sounds mechanical and for me its like she's just singing notes and not words, it doesnt make sense or justice to what Elvira is saying. 3/5

[Orfeus80]

The tone is innocent, sweet but is she singing it in another language? Most of the time I think she's just vocalising?4/4

[gvjps123]

Beautiful, even, limpid tone, flawless coloratura, lovely high notes. The interpretation is a bit mechanical though she captures the character's youthful innocence.

5/3.5

[OperaBR]

Marks: 4/5.