Renata Tebaldi "Sempre libera" La Traviata 1948

[HU1914]

It is so suprising to me when people forgive a great singer like Tebalde from being sharp or flat but will not forgive Leona Mitchell.

Let's enjoy the singers for their lovely gifts to mankind.!!!

[AleksandraPlamenac]

Well she isn't a spinto, she is an etalon of a dramatic soprano

her technique made her handle this aria in a way that a dramatic soprano can, but it really sounds strange, especially at certain quick places

she is my FAVOURITE singer, along with Jessye Norman, and say this as a devoted fan, because I am used to the fact that when Tebaldi sings something, she does it incomparably BEST, of course if it's written for her voice, and this aria is for a lyric-colorature, like Caballe or Sutherland

[rubyedelman]

it is wrong to say Tebaldi's voice was made for this or for that -it all depends what kind of technique the singer gets. It is the technique that does or does not allow to do certain things not the natural given voice. Was everybody at the time of Patti and Galvany born with perfect voices and all of a sudden there is no voices today???

Think, it is the bad teaching!!!!They have no idea what they are teaching!

[3F93]

I love Tebaldi, but her voice wasn't made for this role... she was a spinto, not a coloratura! Her voice was made for verismo.

[Allotmenteer2]

@3F93 I agree she has got a very strong voice.

[Allotmenteer2]

@3F93 I agree she has got a very strong voice, but I like this version anyway. I like a good strong voice!!

[Godolia]

This recording isn't from a 1948 radio concert, but from the complete Traviata conducted by Giulini with Tebaldi, Prandelli and Orlandini in 1952 (RAI, MIlano), though somehow manipulated (the speed is alterated from "Di voluttà nei vortici" and there are some other editing arrangements).

[profgv]

WONDERFUL.......flat or sharp who cares. This is a treasure.

[Erdrick345]

Well, that comment by Giancarla was ridiculous. Renata Tibaldi up to the mid-50's was a supreme singer with a most beautiful, and pure voice. Maria Callas once remarked"Sometimes, I wish I had the voice of Rinata Tibaldi." They had completely different singing styles and were both at the top of their professions. That is universally accepted by opera fans. save you. I completely agree with lorenzo and I'm of German descent!

[martinci24]

Que horrible "coloratura" si es k asi se le puede llamar

[operaofthe70s]

americanevita....Thanks for mentioning Zeani and Lorengar....both did Violeta´s and both had a very special approach to the Role,and very successful

[AmericanEvita]

I'm a multi- soprano fan, love them all and don't play favorites. Tebaldi had a different approach to Violetta than Callas. Callas went for the drama and the realism of the tragedy, Tebaldi clearly went for tonal beauty and polished technique. She has a beautiful voice and her Violetta is just grand. I love it. Brava Tebaldi. Also love Moffo, Sutherland, Sills, Zeani, Varady and Lorengar as Violetta.

[tenorisimo1975]

chillona

[Shahrdad]

Is it me or has someone speeded up everything starting with Folie, Folie? The first half is done in the right key, but as far as I know, Tebaldi always sang the second half transposed a whole tone down, since a D-flat was out of her reach, even in the late 40's. Even Tullio Serafin's wife used to comment negatively on the downward transposition. Here, starting at Folie all of a sudden the voice sounds higher and more girlish, as if the recording was sped up to catch up with the original key.

[512gontran]

@Shahrdad Listening to "che spero or piu, che far degg'io" it seems that, here, the transposition is only a semitone down. I don't think it has been speeded up.

[65attila]

@VoceDiDio

Aren't you a well spoken music lover? Only the anonymity would allow you to speak so crudely and rudely. I think they are working on a cure for ill-mannered , low life people like you,

[ManricoV]

What a beautiful voice she has ! ! ! Brava Tebaldi !!!

[Chilair1]

I agree that she sometimes sings flat, but when she is on,its completely magical. More magic than most people will ever experience in their lifetimes. You dont have to like her, but to be honest, maybe you should appreciate what she has done a little more. Saying that even your cat could sing mimi is just so disrespectful on so many levels for so many reasons. Im not picking a fight with you, but I do enjoy being honest about the singers I listen to, and that involves a RESPECTFUL critique.

[primohomme]

Well, I don't care much for Puccini. I have to say that what was so special about her voice is that she absolutely no breaks/changes in timbre, she could pass from mid-low to middle to middle-high to high with no change in color, and that was admirable. I do have a couple of her recordings, and when she is not singing high, it is lovely.

[65attila]

@primohomme

Perhaps you should have your cat's performance of Mimi released so we can all enjoy. Maybe your next hearing aid will help your poor listening . I doubt anything can help your smart alec attitude and pomposity, Do you and Maria communicate on the other side?.

This performance of Tebaldi's is exciting and I think even if one does not like her in ACT I - the rest of the role is perfect for Tebaldi's voice and temprament.

[opera75frfr]

La voix de la toute jeune Tebaldi, mais on sent déjà que l'essentiel de ses qualités n'est pas dans l'aigu, ni dans l'agilité. Cependant un document vraiment historique, car tebaldi n'aura que très peu d'années une voix aussi heut-palcée et avec cette agilité là. Dès le milieu des années 50, les qualités serton immenses, mais autres.

[OneNobodyAND100000]

No... "Sempre Libera" non è decisamente un pezzo per Renata Tebaldi...

[paredi67]

pure joy to the heart. and so extraordinarily pure !

[primohomme]

I wonder if she was actually more of a mezzo, coz her tone reminds me of Marilyn Horne.

[Loismustdie26]

the timbre (see Wikipedia) of her voice as a few similar qualities to Horne, but she's definitely not a mezzo. A persons timbre has very little to do with a persons vocal range. Mezzos sing lower stuff, and the ease with which Tebaldi hits the high notes (like the note at 7:08) proves she has the upper register for a soprano, not a mezzo.

[primohomme]

Most often she stained, screamed and was flat

[Loismustdie26]

if this is screamed strained or flat, than Callas, Tetrazini, Sutherland, Scotto are all shrill harpies.

Are you sure you're not hearing the bad recording quality.

[primohomme]

I'm speaking in general throughout most of her career. She was notorious for screaming the top notes and going flat. That's not a good sign of a soprano.

[Loismustdie26]

hmm. I've never heard that, though I'm hardly a Tebaldi expert (or even a novice for that matter).

Are there any recordings on here which are good examples?

Sorry you keep getting shot down on here, some people have a hard time hearing that their idols have flaws.

[primohomme]

Listen to her Casta Diva and her Ah non credea, her Abigaille (Nabucco) it is AWFUL how strained she is.

[Loismustdie26]

oh wow, you're totally right, that was an abysmal Casta Diva.

She has a lot of emotion, but the technical skill is seriously lacking. I'd still rather Tebaldi than Netrebko (who just yells the whole thing as loud as she can, though she yells it flawlessly). But give me Callas, Caballe, or even Fleming over both of them.

Was she more suited to Puccini? because her Vissi d'Arte is truly moving. Where did she make this name for herself?

[viverito]

All those recording you are referring to are from the same recital cd she recorded for DECCA very late in her career. Decca made the decision of recording all the arias she had never either previously recorded or performed live just as a document. They were not arias she was ever performed live or ever part of her repertoire. She never sang Turandot, Norma, Nabucco or Sonnambula. Everyone who knows about opera knows about that recital release and the circumstances under which they were recorded.

[viverito]

only later in her career this is early

[foropera]

Brava, that's great! Never thought she could reach these C like that, and I like much her flamboyance here, and the whole musicianship is great !

[Dymension]

There was a transposition that took place in the recit before Sempre Libera. These are B naturals. Nonetheless, it is fabulously executed.

[Patpoussin]

She could ;-)

Merveilleuse Renata !

[ShawDAMAN]

Not ideal for her but quite a good performance

[paredi67]

aggiungo il mio ai plausi di questo post! Meravigliosa voce potente, giusta, armoniosa, limpida, trasparente, non ho mai sentito una cosa cosi' bella! Dov'era il pubblico dei conoscitori della Scala quando hanno preferito quella cassa di risonanza, potente si', ma pasticciata e confusa, che era la Callas? Che peccato! Meno male che ero troppo piccola e che non ho rimpianti, ma certo gli Scalensi si sono persi molto! C'era la mafia anche li?

[vitruvio2]

ma che dici?nessuno ha preferito la Callas alla Tebaldi,è lei che se ne è andata dicendo che alla Scala non c'era più posto per lei.Callas pasticciata e confusa?mah...la Tebaldi disse di Lei che le sembrava un carillon stregato tanto era precisa .Studi e si informi,Cara

[amayzak]

She sounds fantastic. The extra spin in her voice adds a lot of core to the sound here; makes Violetta sound like a woman instead of a girl. They don't make sopranos like her anymore :(

[chambersgif]

Meravigliosa interpretazione, straordinaria voce, una violetta perfetta!!!!

Grande grande TEBALDI..!!!!! Uno stile splendido, fa impressione la potenza vocale. Grazie tanta signora Tebaldi commovente.

[MiniManu11]

Tebaldi per sempre!!!

[Richiesutherland]

Spectacular!!! This is amazing singing, so beautiful, rich, full of the right emotion at all moments. AND the flexibility.  This should shame anyone who thinks that Tebaldi couldn't sing coloratura passages!! Amazingly smooth runs and accurate at all times.; Today we hear tiny voices who can't negotiate the coloratura with anything like this perfection. Oh, Renata, you were a gift to us from God! Thank you so much for posting this!

[MARISOLDELMONACO]

FANTASTICA!!!!!!!!

BRAVA TEBALDI

[DonRolini]

Wow, I never really liked her voice until I realized that her voice is what you would consider a true Italian Spinto voice. She packs a lot of that weight and resonance to the top which gave a little a problem later on in her career. Otherwise this was a great rendition of the aria and I LOVE IT! thank you for posting this.

[cdivo39]

Tebaldis' top was NEVER very good. She went out of her way to avoid the high notes if she could, especially in her later career and when she did hit them they were forced and god awful! She transposes down here and usually did. Her middle was wonderful. A good soprano in my estimation, but I would NEVER count her among the greats.

[ChristophePhilippe]

To VivaMariaCallas's point, this is one of Tebaldi's most consistent flaws: she sang flat practically all the time. Even on records, they issued performances like that. Her A-flat at the conclusion of "Senza mamma" in "Suor Angelica" is painful.

[xafnndapp]

Of course the pitch it's turned up at 5:06 in the recording, it's not her who decided to to do so! Singers cannot do that, there is an orchestra there!

Of course she transposed it down a semitone as she always did.

You can even realize that the timbre of her voice in this recording is "lighter" in colour from 5:06 because of the wrong speed.

nevertheless, for the size of her voice this is a good rendition even if lowered a semitone.

[zuri2002]

@xafnndapp oh wow, i think you're right. coz in the other youtube clips of her sempre libera, she transposes down exactly at the 4:47ish mark, "che far degg'io?"

Instead of going from G-flat to E-flat on "g'io", she goes down to D. after that, the "Gioire!" goes from D to F#, establishing the tonality a semitone lower than when it started.

The fioritura after that only goes up to a B, but the score shows that it should be a C. On the last note of the fioritura, she goes a bit sharp and that is

[zuri2002]

@xafnndapp (cont'd) where i think the recording engineers started to speed up the tape.

The notes right before 5:06, "di volutta perir", are somewhere between the D major and E-flat major tonality. The hurried way she sings the two "gioir"s helps mask the change in tonality, so that she does indeed hit a D-flat in the succeeding fioritura and ends the phrase in what is undisputedly an E-flat.

It wouldn't make sense for anyone to transpose part of the recit down to avoid a C in fioritura and then

[zuri2002]

@xafnndapp (cont'd) transpose it back up in order to hit a sustained D-flat moments later. Therefore, logic, added to the observation that her timbre does indeed seem a bit lighter, would lead me to conclude that this particular recording was tampered with. By whom is anyone's guess.

[gaettatelli]

Violetta nel primo atto non è la Violetta del secondo e terzo atto, e questo lo diceva la Scotto, l'ho sentita io testimone che per il primo atto ci vuole leggerezza, ci vuole di non appesantire il suono, bisogna cercare una voce adatta, non cambiare la propria, ma trovare nella propria la chiave risolutiva,la Tebaldi non la trovò grida nella cabaletta non canta

[FSebastiano]

Ah beh, se lo dice la Scotto allora....Per carità, buona cantante, se non fosse per l'abitudine che ha di spingere all'inverosimile sugli acuti e spesso strillarli.

[SensusEtRatio]

Ha ragione, non avrei dovuto degenerare nell'insulto come fa lei... cancello il mio commento... lascio i suoi al giudizio di tutti gli altri...

[silasleander]

the best,even better than callas!

[RobNYNY1957]

Interesting. The basic quality of the voice is lovely. The best parts are the recitative and the cavatina, where her interpretation is free and full-voiced, notwithstanding the intonation problems. She manages the coloratura of the cavatina (original key, unlike her later performances), including the trills so often omitted, but much of it at less than full volume, and quickly passed over. By the end she is rather shrill. This is not an ideal role for her, but she does it reasonably well.

[claudiocp35]

Tebaldi's voice was short, she had no coloratura, listen ignorants! This is Violetta, this is Verdi!!!

[antequem]

Superbe voix , mais malheureusement dépourvue de l'aigu exigé pour ce rôle qui n'a jamais été l'un de ses meilleurs ...

[claudiocp35]

Allez vous en foutre

[antequem]

votre mauvaise éduction ne retranche rien à ce que j'ai dit et qui est réel... le vrai répertoire de

Tebaldi est ailleurs.. chez les véristes , Cilea, Giordano, Puccini etc..qui ne requièrent pas excessivement des aigus que l'artiste n'avait ni quantité ni en qualité...mais la voix, puissante et riche , demeure splendide...jusqu'à l'ut... manquant .

[RobNYNY1957]

I agree. In fact, her interpretation here of the opening recit and "Ah, fors'e' lui" owe more to the Verismo tradition than to bel canto.

[theucrepublicans]

She sings it like late Verdi. Let's be honest, Verdi loved all this screaming. It's like a cat. Utterly wonderful!

[meinfb]

One of the golden voices of the century, sung when she had all of her tomorrows before her... she is singing, on equal terms, with the angels.

[violinka79]

why doas she give high D on the end???

[yglofmi]

I think Tebaldi has always been overestimated. She is not bad of course, but she sounds old fashioned at times. Her approach to the roles is too conventional and nothing new comes from her interpretations. People who like her like beautiful voices and nothing else.

[droog2k]

Well...to me - those rushed chirping coloratura passages are more than I can take...beautiful at times....

[Fairpavel]

A good slow part, sweet "Sempre libera".

[omtara]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the Sempre libera -- it's interesting to hear her lighten up her production. I just love her voice in all its manifestations.

[amatopera]

Quite beautiful. And her substantial lyrical soprano is much to be preferred over the leggieros who owned the part before her (exception: Ponselle!)She is no stupendous coloratura soprano but manages extremely well. And there is the ravishing beauty of her sound.

[kgarmaker123]

Operagoess78 needs to clean up her act.

[kgarmaker123]

Your mouth should be washed out with soap. You should not be allowed to talk that way on this forum.

[operagodess78]

Hmm,well I'm still commenting. So your bitching for no reason.:))

[urherman]

listen to the great Bidu Sayao in this scene greater technique and feeling

[leugim1961]

Que voz tan bella!!

[supermen26zg]

TERIBILE, SUNG LIKE A RIGOLETTO!

[lorenzo23466]

Terribile are you and all the americans or english people that don't understand anything about opera and the art of singinging! And stop to everybody to compare Callas and Tebaldi! They were both goddes, and please respect, respect for them!

[GiancarlaSenna]

@lorenzo23466 is it because of your nation, that you protect Tebaldi so much? She is not at such level like Callas was. Not that she wasn't a great performer, but to me she was mediocre compared to Maria, and have it in mind,i'm not either Greek, or Italian

[profgv]

@lorenzo23466 I agree they were both the greatest...To like one is just ignorant.

[profgv]

@lorenzo23466 I agree. I loves them both. They have given me so many treasures..

[Axel23632]

!Que horrible Violeta! Me quedo con su Butterfly, aunque amo a la Callas y para Traviatas, sólo ella.

[kgarmaker123]

WEll, this is better than I expected.. Other than a few missed b flats and C's here and there, it was mostly in tune and not flat. Tebaldi's Italian is sloppy.. Del, for instance is Dal, her O sounds are AH's .. Rather than Mondo(OOOO) is is Monda.. Interesting as she is really Italian. In 1948, she sounds like a soprano at least.

[operagodess78]

Well,your mother's vagina is sloppy.And in,1948 she was real woman. :))

[47viviane]

this is not the way it's done even if you hide behind a nickname you are supposed to show SOME MANNERS!!!!!!!! Grow up! Behave! Learn manners! THEN post again...

[47viviane]

dito dito would you learn SOME MANNERS here?!?! There should be some yellow card like in soccer for this kind of users - mend your language or get banned...

[gencerito]

que desstre las coloraturas y los ornametos por que insisito tebaldi en una opera en la que ni sikiera con la ayuda del trnsporte d un tono abbajo salvaba por la pesima interpretacion

[Pilou2004]

Unfortunately, her "warblings" are real bad... at times it sounds as if she was choking!

[comey717]

shut up mutherfucker Your dumb has hell

[Pilou2004]

and you can't even spell. Hope your 717 explodes in mid air!

[comey717]

You respond four months later. Thinking I wasn't gonna reply back. Little bitch. :-)

[Pilou2004]

Not that, I just happenned to see your nice coment again... You seem as nice and kind as your ususal.

[saverioorlando]

Enchanting young voice,no transpositions! I dislike how she sings gioir 2 time bevor the Dflat,but the Dflat sounds beautiful.Very great.

[stesondrio88]

Non ci sono parole per definirire la bellezza della voce di Renata Tebaldi, il personaggio di Violetta poi, le era cucito addosso...

[agnellodei]

THOSE ARE D-flats, stop hating!

[jean1938]

Use a diapason if you know what it is!

There is a D-flat, after the 2 gioir, before the laughing.

But the Sempre libera is sung in the key of A-flat. The third of A-flat is C!

So there's NO D-flats at the end!

Just "Cs"

[jean1938]

Of course, I'm talking about the FIRST 2gioir in D, so maybe she hit the D-flat by mistake (should have been a C!).

When they are repeated, the 2 Gioir are done

half a tone higher (in E-flat) being the 5th of the key of the Sempre: A-flat.

And she hits a very nice D-flat there!

So why people hear some D-flats at the end is beyond me!

[FSebastiano]

E' un'autentica meraviglia. La voce della giovane Tebaldi è qualcosa di sublime, non ho parole per definirlo. Magnifico, altisonante, angelico e puro. Grazie delle emozioni che mi doni.

[63Attila]

I think Violetta is one of Tebaldi's greatest roless. Grant other singers the 5 minutes of "Sempre Libera" and the rest of the role

belongs to her vocally and dramatically. The 1952 version with Giulini is my all time favorite.

[dolcefico]

Maybe not greatest, esp. comp. to her Forza/Otello/Boheme, but I agree 63Attila, and ditto Aida: give others O Patria Mia and the rest is Tebaldi's. (If Schwarzkopf sings Flagstad's high C's for Solti's Ring....) Her Sempre Libera sounds great here; she did sing Rossini and early Verdi at this stage. The voice's extra "heft" adds dimension & makes the Germont pere interview and Addio del passato more credible. Like Callas, she could make roles "not ideal" for her unforgettably beautiful.

[dolcefico]

The pleasure's quite mutual. With all the technicians commenting, it's refeshing to read the comments of a more refined and gracious aesthete. Things become intensely personal here, and highly ridiculous: witness the thumbs down we've both received! On the "Renata Tebaldi" double-disk offering in the "Memories" series is included a live (1954 I think?) "E Strano....Sempre Libera" (with Mitropoulos?) that amazes. Now, if I could find her L'assiedo di Corinto....Thoughts anyone?

[katiafeodorovna]

Very beautiful, but nobody like Maria Callas, the only one!!!!

[Dymension]

It is transposed. There is a change in the recit just before the Sempre Libera..

[Pawobrat]

It is on key, are two D flat in both "Gioir"

[Dymension]

It's not. I have perfect pitch and have studied music for over thirty five years and taught at two universities. There is a transposition, and it is not meant as slight to Renata. It is just a fact. When will you people stop attacking others for any little comment they make?

[jean1938]

I did it with her at the piano, and there IS

2 D-flats after each Gioir.

Seems to me the first one is used to transpose.

Because the first 2 Gioir are in D

and the second 2 Gioir are in E-flat,

half a tone higher.

[jean1938]

Yes, I hear 2 D-flats there... But C at the end. But why it is transposed half a tone higher is strande to me. Would it be a "studio mistake"??? I checked with my Callas version of 1953 (CETRA). There is no transposition there. It is done in G and D all the way. So she gives 2 C's after the Gioir! But she gives a high D at the end. May be Tebaldi asked for the transposition in order to hit a high D-flat! ;) Which she does quite well!! (specially the second one)

[jean1938]

Sorry, that message was in response to Pawobrat!

[jeffchester]

Wonderful. People say that Tebaldi didn't have the high C, here is high D flat!!!

[Andante735]

Thank you for posting this! I've been trying to find this for a long time. I'd actually like to hear her "addio del passato" too. First section is typical Tebaldi glory - smooth legato, golden warmth, and achingly beautiful.

[Orfeus80]

Are you sure this is 1948 and not later in the 50s? I don't recall a RAI concert in 1848. The tenor sounds like Prandelli. Anyway, thanks for sharing this!

I find many runs in sempre libera exquisite. the highest ff notes sound sometimes pushed but remember records back then had trouble capturing her powerful notes, I bet that sound would have boomed in a theatre where there are no limits like on a record.

[MusicaParola]

I don't think there were any broadcasts of any kind in 1848. :)

[Onegin65]

Comes from a concert Martini Rossi with Prandelli under Simonetto from Turin RAI in 1948. I verified in the book of Carla Maria Casanova "Renata Tebaldi" La voce d'angelo"

[mountainsmi]

@Onegin65 I remember the Martini Rossi concerts, always on Monday evening on Rai !

[MusicaParola]

What a joy to hear the 26 year old Tebaldi in this scene. Although she regularly transposed the Sempre libera, to my ears it seems to be on key here. Excellent rendition of the first section, reminiscent of Muzio's interpretation. She was occasionally critized for her coloratura (or lack of), but here she manages better than Albanese, another great interpreter of the role. The tempo is a bit fast, but she sails through it beautifully. Brava Renata!

[saverioorlando]

I posted my comment 1 month ago.Listening to this Sempre libera,today,i must add: the first DI VOLUTTA' is slower,beginning a transposition.The second D flat sounds as C.Totally charming of course