Perhaps, to correct some strange ideas of who taught him singing and other myths about this great artist, one should read his autobiography, My parabola. It is availble both in Italian and English
If I remember correctly, Thomas' HAMLET was one of Ruffo's great early successes. No other baritone has the sheer animal intensity of Ruffo. It's such a natural sound, without artificial colorations. an elderly singer who actually heard Ruffo a number of times told me that when Ruffo took his high notes it sounded like bells ringing!
la piu grande incisione che si conosca del brindisi , e forse nessuno mai piu arrivera a cantarla come lui, grazie ruffo per la tua voce unica, e per le emozioni che sento riascoltado la tua voce, grazie a nome di tutti gli appassionati d'opera
@lodiopera Quanto sono daccordo con lei.Vedo con ritardo questo video,dove Ruffo è semplicemente da sogno,non solo per tecnica e grande vocalità espressiva,che all'occorrenza sapeva piegare ad esigenze più liriche, ma anche per l'interpretazione vocale che delinea del personaggio,sottolineandone sfumature e stati d'animo che via via si snodano nell'aria.Se lei è daccordo toglierei senz'altro il" forse" dal suo commento postato.Grazie e cordialità.
Non so se avete notato, quasi tutti i commenti sono di estimatori stranieri. Infatti tra noi italiani Ruffo non gode di quella considerazione, che invece gli spetta, a causa di critici ipocriti, confusi e opportunisti. Gli stessi che hanno esaltato, ed esaltano ancora, voci di baritono dubbiose, povere ed insipide. Ma il tempo per Ruffo come per qualche altro baritono italiano che ha subito la stessa sorte, come Bastianini, sarà galantuomo.
Serafin was absolutely right - Ruffo's voice was a miracle - unique and absolutely compelling! It's very unlikely that anyone will ever seriously compare to him as the greatest natural baritone voice in the era of recorded sound.
The greatest baritone of them all. To think that he sounds this good on ancient recording equipment; imagine how he must've sounded in person! Tullio Serafin said Ruffo was one of three vocal "miracles," the other two being Ponselle and Caruso.
There is quite meaningless to compare any baritone with Ruffo or any singer at all for that matter. So unique in the history of singing was his glorious voice.
Other baritones might have been more subtle or polished but no one before or since has produced such a big, thrilling, ringing, burnished sound coupled with tremendous drama and expression.
Ruffo had the most perfect natural voice tecnique in history. Nobody knows today to sing that way. The best baritone ever, the real Lion of the baritones.
If Ruffo sounds this great via this ancient recording technology, he must have sounded like a god in the theatre! Tullio Serafin called him one of his three "vocal miracles," the other two being Ponselle and Caruso.
I'll tell you that all I heard or read in 1950 was "there is no baritone equal to Tita Ruffo." His career was over, of coursem but singers and teachers in and around New Orleans said this so much that after buying every record of his available, I missed out on several other great baritones when they sang at the Auditorium here. Bastianini is not his equal but Tibbett came close. Warren and Merrill dominated the Met until the end.
Are you at all familiar with Pavel Lisitsian? If so,could you please comment on him,as I personally consider him to be on the same level as these other giants-pb
I agree with you. Lisitsian is one of my absolute favorites. He had a GORGEOUS timbre and an excellent technique. He wasn't as heavy a voice as Warren,Tibbett or Ruffo but he was one of the great Verdi baritones nonetheless.
I'm pleased that someone of your caliber agrees with me.I believe him to have been one of the greatest baritones.Thank you pb -for replying so quickly!I shall look forward to your future postings with great anticipation.
I too believe Bechi was in the same ballpark as Ruffo, though perhaps a little lower in the lineup:). Ruffo's voice was enormous, so it doesn't limit Bechi to suggest that his instrument was not so huge. All the same, he was a true dramatic baritone, with tremendous squillo and spine-shivering high notes. His Gerard to Gigli's Chenier is magnificent --
@primobaritono So hard to chose. I love Ruffo, Bechi, Warren, Merrill. Tibbett was set apart by the warmth, tear in the voice sound. I'm sure I've left somebody off (McNeil). We just don't seem to have such guys singing today. Let me know if you think a current guy comes close.
Curiously, Ruffo stated he never taught singing because he never knew how to sing properly, and that was why his voice declined at a relatively early age. Not that he was lacking in ego as well. Whatever his true opinion was of his own merit as a singer, records such as this confirm his greatness. The way he colors his voice runs through many of his recordings; "Eri tu" is another fine example.
In Musical America, December 27, 1913, Ruffo wrote the following: "In view of the fact that numerous vocal instructors have endeavored to claim the credit of having been my "teacher" I desire to state emphatically that my brother Ettore is the one to whom practically all such distinction is due. I remained his faithful pupil for six years and am the living proof of his scientific method of voice production." So he must have known something.
Interesting. I guess singers--like others--sometimes contradict themselves. I'm sure Ruffo was aware of his talent and that he had a unique gift. Some critics claim his natural voice was not polished. Perhaps Ruffo lacked the finesse and subtlety of Battistini (whose own taste is at times questionable), but he could shade and color his tone with the best of them and was not lacking in artistic expression or technique. Regardless, the voice itself is the main attraction in which one can rejoice.
I think that maybe he did not want to teach or be hassled about it so he acted like what he had was just natural. There is just no way you can study with several teachers and not have a clue. One of his teachers was the teacher or Battistini and De Luca. Ponselle wrote in her autobiography that Ruffo was often dismayed as he had a great mezza voce, but audiences only wanted to hear his forte.
One thing is for sure: whoever taught Ruffo, Battistini, and De Luca how to sing was not clueless. I think this caliber of singers necessarily have idiosyncratic voices that are instantly recognizable, and not at all generic copies. Caruso was also applauded by the public for his forte tones. Perhaps modern audiences are more discriminating, but I'm not really sure and, also, perhaps they have to be given the voices available.
I know what you mean. I think modern audiences do not ever get to hear great singers like these older singers so they have no idea how it should sound in its prime. Voices should not all sound alike.
This is amazing. A miracle. There is so much going on here that you have to listen to it for decades to hear it all. His voice is very complex. Let's not forget that many of the great baritones, including Battistini, did not have great low notes.
How to describe this voice? Like brightly-polished brass wrapped in velvet? With a gong on top? I'm a professional writer, but that's the best I can do:) --
He sounds like a lion in every sense of the word (I mean that in a good way). There's passion, fire, ferocity, and immense power. Next to Ettore Bastianini, Ruffo is also one of my favorite baritones.
E' veramente un Titta Ruffo "incantatore". Magnifico!!! Divino!!!
lirica2011 4 months ago
out of this world..
jcab2323 5 months ago
Perhaps, to correct some strange ideas of who taught him singing and other myths about this great artist, one should read his autobiography, My parabola. It is availble both in Italian and English
Apollogranforte 1 year ago
Magnífico!!! Parece que mastica las palabras, tutto sulla maschera.
capoest 1 year ago
If I remember correctly, Thomas' HAMLET was one of Ruffo's great early successes. No other baritone has the sheer animal intensity of Ruffo. It's such a natural sound, without artificial colorations. an elderly singer who actually heard Ruffo a number of times told me that when Ruffo took his high notes it sounded like bells ringing!
legatofancier 1 year ago
la piu grande incisione che si conosca del brindisi , e forse nessuno mai piu arrivera a cantarla come lui, grazie ruffo per la tua voce unica, e per le emozioni che sento riascoltado la tua voce, grazie a nome di tutti gli appassionati d'opera
lodiopera 2 years ago
@lodiopera Quanto sono daccordo con lei.Vedo con ritardo questo video,dove Ruffo è semplicemente da sogno,non solo per tecnica e grande vocalità espressiva,che all'occorrenza sapeva piegare ad esigenze più liriche, ma anche per l'interpretazione vocale che delinea del personaggio,sottolineandone sfumature e stati d'animo che via via si snodano nell'aria.Se lei è daccordo toglierei senz'altro il" forse" dal suo commento postato.Grazie e cordialità.
1947Rollo 10 months ago
No doubt the greatest natural baritone voice of all time, but as de Luca said, "he bawled it away".
GermanOperaSinger 2 years ago
What does "... bawled it away" mean?
thekaliko 2 years ago
I think he meant "barked".
edraith 2 years ago
c'è chi lo apprezza in italia..o almeno io lo adoro...
Grazie Maestro
sergioprs 2 years ago
LA VERA SCUOLA DI BELCANTO ITALIANO !!!! RUFFO,IL MIO IDOLO !!!! IMMORTALE !!!! Grazie !
bodiloto 2 years ago
Thanks for this posting. I did not know him. Excellent singer.
timmhg 2 years ago
hey guys.....would you review my AH VOCAL 6 and comment on it
ahtenor 2 years ago
Non so se avete notato, quasi tutti i commenti sono di estimatori stranieri. Infatti tra noi italiani Ruffo non gode di quella considerazione, che invece gli spetta, a causa di critici ipocriti, confusi e opportunisti. Gli stessi che hanno esaltato, ed esaltano ancora, voci di baritono dubbiose, povere ed insipide. Ma il tempo per Ruffo come per qualche altro baritono italiano che ha subito la stessa sorte, come Bastianini, sarà galantuomo.
lanaturale 3 years ago 2
Serafin was absolutely right - Ruffo's voice was a miracle - unique and absolutely compelling! It's very unlikely that anyone will ever seriously compare to him as the greatest natural baritone voice in the era of recorded sound.
legatofancier 3 years ago
No one can touch him.
MrCafiero 3 years ago 2
Una comitiva di baritoni!!!! Grande Maestro!!!
checco00165 3 years ago
Wow wow wow. A recent discovery for me -- this guy ROCKS.
janiscortese 3 years ago
Grande voce! Ho visto proprio oggi la sua tomba. R.I.P...
19olivier72 3 years ago
Mi scusi, dove esatto è situata la tomba di Titta Ruffo? A Firenze? Vorrei visitarla un giorno per rendere omaggio a questa figura leggendaria.
xsavovx 3 years ago
salve, sono lodiopera, la tomba di titta ruffo si trova al cimitero monunentale di milano, inseme alla moglie, e alla sua amata adelina fanton,
lodiopera 2 years ago
Evviva il Leone!!
bellacantatrice 3 years ago
Glorious! Bravo! TY.
paulostroff99 3 years ago
Sir, your informed introductions add a great deal to the enjoyment of listening, Many thanks!
Ivanhoe2 3 years ago 4
Thank you very much! That is indeed very kind of you to say!
primobaritono 3 years ago
"His was not a voice, it was a miracle"! (Giuseppe De Luca for Titta Ruffo)
Aetion 3 years ago
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ciencin 3 years ago
The greatest baritone of them all. To think that he sounds this good on ancient recording equipment; imagine how he must've sounded in person! Tullio Serafin said Ruffo was one of three vocal "miracles," the other two being Ponselle and Caruso.
billyguns2 3 years ago 4
billyguns2-And in this he (Serafin) was so right!
paulostroff99 3 years ago
God, to hear this again, the Great Lion Ruffo Titta. I actually own this recording but haven't listened to it in a while. Thanks for the post!!!
robertwbecker 3 years ago
A very good transfer brillantly illustrated.
There is quite meaningless to compare any baritone with Ruffo or any singer at all for that matter. So unique in the history of singing was his glorious voice.
klokheten 4 years ago
Well said!
paulostroff99 4 years ago
He sounds the same voice "type" as Gobbi. A little more velvety, but I'm sure Gobbi learnt a lot from him. (He did it well.)
Sieglinde84 4 years ago
and a guy like Hvorostovsky pretends to be his continuator!!!Oh,my....that Hvorostovsky is an authentic shameless without any scruples!!!
ankhsnammon
Ankhsnammon 4 years ago
absolutely the best.
poolatkigali 4 years ago
Other baritones might have been more subtle or polished but no one before or since has produced such a big, thrilling, ringing, burnished sound coupled with tremendous drama and expression.
troppofiato 4 years ago
Ruffo had the most perfect natural voice tecnique in history. Nobody knows today to sing that way. The best baritone ever, the real Lion of the baritones.
briopera 4 years ago
sono d'accordo - superb!
Who can compare - the sheer dynamism of the core resonance - the essence of Golden Age singing. LaVoix7
LaVoix7 4 years ago
Glorious singing!
paulostroff99 4 years ago
Warren and Merrill could not compare to Ruffo, Stracciari, Granforte, John Charles Thomas and the great Battistini.
796824 4 years ago
If Ruffo sounds this great via this ancient recording technology, he must have sounded like a god in the theatre! Tullio Serafin called him one of his three "vocal miracles," the other two being Ponselle and Caruso.
billyguns2 4 years ago
I'll tell you that all I heard or read in 1950 was "there is no baritone equal to Tita Ruffo." His career was over, of coursem but singers and teachers in and around New Orleans said this so much that after buying every record of his available, I missed out on several other great baritones when they sang at the Auditorium here. Bastianini is not his equal but Tibbett came close. Warren and Merrill dominated the Met until the end.
blakemooney 4 years ago
You don't think Gino Bechi plays in that top league ? His huge, open, squillo drenched sound was the closest thing to Ruffo in my opinion.
primobaritono 4 years ago
Are you at all familiar with Pavel Lisitsian? If so,could you please comment on him,as I personally consider him to be on the same level as these other giants-pb
paulostroff99 4 years ago
I agree with you. Lisitsian is one of my absolute favorites. He had a GORGEOUS timbre and an excellent technique. He wasn't as heavy a voice as Warren,Tibbett or Ruffo but he was one of the great Verdi baritones nonetheless.
primobaritono 4 years ago
I'm pleased that someone of your caliber agrees with me.I believe him to have been one of the greatest baritones.Thank you pb -for replying so quickly!I shall look forward to your future postings with great anticipation.
paulostroff99 4 years ago
Very pleased that you agree! TY
paulostroff99 4 years ago
It is absolutely correct to include Lisitsian in the Hall of Fame of baritones where Ruffo forever will be the Emperor.
klokheten 4 years ago 2
My sentiments entirely!
paulostroff99 4 years ago
Don't forget Battistini
jacobsimon 3 years ago
I too believe Bechi was in the same ballpark as Ruffo, though perhaps a little lower in the lineup:). Ruffo's voice was enormous, so it doesn't limit Bechi to suggest that his instrument was not so huge. All the same, he was a true dramatic baritone, with tremendous squillo and spine-shivering high notes. His Gerard to Gigli's Chenier is magnificent --
stevevandien 2 years ago
@primobaritono So hard to chose. I love Ruffo, Bechi, Warren, Merrill. Tibbett was set apart by the warmth, tear in the voice sound. I'm sure I've left somebody off (McNeil). We just don't seem to have such guys singing today. Let me know if you think a current guy comes close.
Lovelytenor1 1 year ago
Curiously, Ruffo stated he never taught singing because he never knew how to sing properly, and that was why his voice declined at a relatively early age. Not that he was lacking in ego as well. Whatever his true opinion was of his own merit as a singer, records such as this confirm his greatness. The way he colors his voice runs through many of his recordings; "Eri tu" is another fine example.
meltzerboy 4 years ago
In Musical America, December 27, 1913, Ruffo wrote the following: "In view of the fact that numerous vocal instructors have endeavored to claim the credit of having been my "teacher" I desire to state emphatically that my brother Ettore is the one to whom practically all such distinction is due. I remained his faithful pupil for six years and am the living proof of his scientific method of voice production." So he must have known something.
MrCafiero 3 years ago
Interesting. I guess singers--like others--sometimes contradict themselves. I'm sure Ruffo was aware of his talent and that he had a unique gift. Some critics claim his natural voice was not polished. Perhaps Ruffo lacked the finesse and subtlety of Battistini (whose own taste is at times questionable), but he could shade and color his tone with the best of them and was not lacking in artistic expression or technique. Regardless, the voice itself is the main attraction in which one can rejoice.
meltzerboy 3 years ago
I think that maybe he did not want to teach or be hassled about it so he acted like what he had was just natural. There is just no way you can study with several teachers and not have a clue. One of his teachers was the teacher or Battistini and De Luca. Ponselle wrote in her autobiography that Ruffo was often dismayed as he had a great mezza voce, but audiences only wanted to hear his forte.
MrCafiero 3 years ago
One thing is for sure: whoever taught Ruffo, Battistini, and De Luca how to sing was not clueless. I think this caliber of singers necessarily have idiosyncratic voices that are instantly recognizable, and not at all generic copies. Caruso was also applauded by the public for his forte tones. Perhaps modern audiences are more discriminating, but I'm not really sure and, also, perhaps they have to be given the voices available.
meltzerboy 3 years ago
I know what you mean. I think modern audiences do not ever get to hear great singers like these older singers so they have no idea how it should sound in its prime. Voices should not all sound alike.
MrCafiero 3 years ago 2
ooh, actually just got corrected. Ruffo said that Venceslao Persichini told him to get lost (effectively). Ruffo was taught by his brother.
linguini9966 2 years ago
This is amazing. A miracle. There is so much going on here that you have to listen to it for decades to hear it all. His voice is very complex. Let's not forget that many of the great baritones, including Battistini, did not have great low notes.
MrCafiero 4 years ago
How to describe this voice? Like brightly-polished brass wrapped in velvet? With a gong on top? I'm a professional writer, but that's the best I can do:) --
stevevandien 4 years ago
That is actually an excellent description :)
janejones11 4 years ago
Thanks very much:)!
stevevandien 4 years ago
I also agree with her comment.
ingriddoppler 4 years ago
I will agree with the comment of soprano123.Ruffo is wonderful but I like Bastianini,and maybe Gino Bechi better.But this is great to listen to.
CraigFrancisSoto 4 years ago
He is incredible!!! He conveys everything he wants to even in recording. I cry just imagining how he must have sound live !!!
singthesilences 4 years ago
He sounds like a lion in every sense of the word (I mean that in a good way). There's passion, fire, ferocity, and immense power. Next to Ettore Bastianini, Ruffo is also one of my favorite baritones.
soprano123 4 years ago
AMEN!!!! and i'm not even religious!!! -o-
operabitch77 4 years ago
Ruffo was more of a force of nature than a voice. What an extraordinary instrument he had !
gvjps123 5 years ago