100 Greatest Singers: EZIO PINZA

[1Victorinus]

There were a number of great basses in the first half of the 20th century (Kipnis, etc), but none had a more beautiful voice than Pinza.

[thephantom1946]

How strange some young person would think that Pinza was weak in characterization. He was well known for his excellent characterization and acting of his roles, as well as for his gorgeous voice. Critics many times described him as a great singing ACTOR in his opera roles, and after. He was a standout.

[mlcollins10]

he had a natural, not manufactured-sounding voice. One of the top bassos of all.

[baltoman24]

Pinza was certainly among the greatest, perhaps the greatest of the basso cantante -certainly no one since comes close. In addition, his wonderful character helped him create the most vivid characters. thank you for this wonderful recording of a great artist!

[thephantom1946]

For me, there is/was no basso cantante as good as Pinza, the best of the best. I've heard many others in over fifty years, and he's still the greatest. I have his autobiography and yes, he could read music, just not sight read to sing right off the page.

[seektheforce]

@thephantom1946 Jose Mardones was quite good too.

[MissLadyboy007]

@thephantom1946 What about Nazzareno di Angelis(sp?), Pol Plancon and Cesare Siepi? I do like Pinza he possessed a beautiful lyric bass voice but I think that he was rather weak in the characterisation side. In other words a pretty voice but not much sense of character.

[emacasta]

Just perfect!

[Bonacrik]

wonderful recording

[gallantentry]

beautiful sound! 

[Moegiust]

indispensible. There are other wonderful basses (thank goodness) but Pinza was the ne plus ultra in many if not most of his roles. An unimpeachable choice.

[hafizullahchishti]

Pinza, in his prime, was incomparable. In this recording, done in the late 1940s, his voice is actually rather worn and by comparison lacks the thrust and sonority his voice had earlier. Listen to his recordings from the late 1920s and 1930s for a clearer picture of what most of us missed.

[lawprof3]

Pinza's intonation and phrasing are perfect and he inhabited every role with deep dramatic flair. I love my Pinza CDs.

[mailace]

You want my comment. Just one word. INCOMPARABLE

[hashatz]

Pinza was quite possibly the finest bass of the 20th century. He had a large enough range to sing the roles of the bass. His smooth delivery and wonerful legato was exemplary. He was musically intelligent and his repertory was wide ranging.

[minnie888444]

Wonderful interpretation of this excruciating aria, with many effects, open vs. closed notes, just to mention one.

This time, Mike, I agree with you. Pinza belongs in the category of the greatest. Thanks for posting.

[stevevandien]

There's been a lot of misinformation floating around about Pinza's music-reading abilities. In his autobiography, he states very clearly that he couldn't SIGHT-READ. But he certainly knew the notes on the piano that corresponded to notes in the score. Without question, he knew EGBDF/FACE. If you gave Pinza some music , he could learn it if he had access to a piano.

[d3liriumtr3m3ns]

o isis und isiris from the magic flute is simply one of the most outstanding recordings i ever heard

[d3liriumtr3m3ns]

pinza for me is like zeus

[vpo2g2]

One of the most beautiful voices ever as well as a phenomenal technique.

[sch48]

Love his voice. No, he couldn't read music, but he only had to hear the score once, and could sing it. You don't need to be able to read music to sing, only have a great ear.

[seektheforce]

@sch48 but reading music certainly helps...

[qklq42]

This great basso had - as every performer- his better and less evenings. For instance: his Don Giovanni of Salzburg 1937 (under Bruno Walter) is rather everage, but his Don at the Met in 1942 (under the same Bruno Walter) is absoloute brilliant !

Hans NL

[danielpavarotti]

I love his voice, is great!!

[paulostroff99]

One of if not the most versatile of all bassos. He belongs on any list. Bravo! TY.

[mozzrt]

Pinza belongs here, but where is Gobbi? Pinza couldn't read music! Nor could Brita Hertzberg, one of Swedens foremost Wagner singers during the 40's and early 50's, how did they manage?

As Shirley Verrett says: ' The first thing you must do is to read the score, really study the notes to see if your voice is suitable for it.' Why didn't they learn...? Does anyone know of other singers that couldn't read music? I mean singers, not Elvis etc.

[flaze3]

apparently Pavarotti was not very good at it.

[corellipavarotti]

Pavarotti could not follow a full score, by his own admission, but could read his own part.

[flaze3]

Well that's more than enough for me, lol.

[Jpmadore1]

Enrico Causo had a hard time reading sheet music in his youth-look what happened to him once he started recording!

[JackOperaMan]

Leonard Warren

[lpvcrcd]

was there an overall better bass voice? if you start from there you have very little to disagree with .. some will disagree,,, a few  will complain.. but most all will admit the man's greatness... a tribute to Pinza's legacy indeed!

[j72050]

...could not read music, this former baker and bicycle racer....but he was ok for Toscanini, and Elvis, McCartney, and so many fantastic artists could not read music....

[ruffomaldito]

My opinion?...I declare myself incompetent to pass jugment over your treasured list, which includes fantastic singers of whom I ´d never heard. I could re-write the list every week and be perfectly satisfied. But you´ve introduced us to so many of the oldies.....so all I can say is: Thanks!

[100Singers]

Thank YOU very much for your nice compliment!

[pearlmuth3]

Maybe not Pons but he and Moore where an item for awhile. He is my favorite also.

[SenorAlfredoKraus]

Imho nobody is better than Ezio in Don Giovanni. He sang "Fin ch'han del vino" with a perfect phrasing and an ease that I cannot find in anybody else. Moreover, we can say that there are various reasons for being Pinza the best Don Giovanni.. one of them is that he was a real "Don Giovanni": in a book about Rose Ponselle - with many of her interviews quoted - it is said that Pinza used to try to seduce every women he met at the Met and sometimes he could also try to "touch" them with his hands..

[meltzerboy]

The real-life exploits of seduction by Pinza are probably more than rumor. I recall Lily Pons once remarked that he didn't get away with it when he approached her.

[meltzerboy]

My feeling is that if Pinza and Plancon are bassos that appear on your list of greats, Chaliapin deserves to be featured as well.

[meltzerboy]

With one of the most beautiful basso cantante voices on record, particularly in his younger years, and a true sense of style and musicality (if not musicianship since, reportedly, he did not read music), Pinza deserves to be on the list. I love Siepi's voice and singing as well but I agree with your choice.

[IlgruppoDiDocci]

he can sing la calumnia e venticello well, but he doesn't mean him to make the rol well.  is most complete in pagliacci

[VinylToVideo]

After hearing Pinza's Don Giovanni there was no "the other great Don Giovanni" for me.

[patjan92]

It's hard to argue with the choice of Pinza, but if the other candidate was Siepi, well...

[Herur22]

Exactly.

[Chiliarches]

I'd like them both on here...but Siepi was certainly the more exceptional voice.