Added: 4 years ago
From: Ameans2anend
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  • There is no predecessor toCaruso.ECwas also the foundation for every tenor that FOLLOWED.Besides having a most beautiful quality of voice,EC is also in a category of vocal phenomenons withTamagno,Paoli,Zenatello,La­uriVolpe&Del Monaco.DiStefano&Gigli,were great tenors with beautiful qualities of voice&wonderful interpretative skills but both lacked the power of EC.Bjorling had a beautiful line of singing&great quality but was cold more times than not&also lacked the power of a Caruso.

  • Superb! TY A for posting

  • Nice but rather boring

  • Beautiful, thanks for posting

  • To me, Pippo is the greatest among mortal Tenors, but the immortal Jussi Bjorling towers above them all in his Olymp.

  • @Bjorlingmiracle You're an idiot for saying that. Jussi could not match the greats, he's from the school of tenors that compensated lack of voice with technique. Di Stefano is good but even he is no match for the legends.

  • @crapfacejoe

    Well crapface if I'm an idiot for saying that then I'm in good company seeing that most experts agree with me.

  • Comment removed

  • @Bjorlingmiracle Which expert? Most experts name Caruso as the king of tenors, so don't generalize. Experts look at technique and ignore everything else. Voice and interpretation are just as important as technique, and in the prior two Bjorling is not even in the top 5.

  • @crapfacejoe

    You research it for yourself and you will find I'm right about what I say. If not then you're entitled to your opinion as am I. At the end of the day judging who is the better singer is extremely subjective so I say; to each his own.

  • @Bjorlingmiracle

    According to this man Björling never had a voice to begin with, it should tell you a little something about his ability to know a great voice when he hears one.

    Which tenor you like is subjective; which tenor is best (within reason) is objective.

  • @Honken

    Well Di Stefano was a great Tenor, but obviously not a great judge of other tenors...envy maybe?

    Pavarotti on the other hand judged Jussi as all but divine, and refused to be compared to him, saying 'Please I'm only human!' As for objectivity in determining which Tenor is the greatest that is debatable. However on a number of occasions the foremost experts on opera have placed Jussi as n:o 1 of all Tenors so you just may be right in your assertion.

  • @Bjorlingmiracle It was not unusual for Pavarotti to make positive remarks about other artists as he did about Tucker,Bocelli,calling him"THE VOICE"if you can believe that.When Barioni came on the scene,Del Monaco stated that"it looks like we are all going to be looking for new jobs".Bjorling having a beautiful voice&line of singing, did have problems with interpretive skills& was cold more times than not.Bjorling was also criticized at times for his voice not being big enough in the theatre

  • @sugarbist

    That is a good point. Especially, when you hear Pavarotti make a comment like Paul Mccartney is the best and I am okay. He wanted to perform with Mccartney. Obviously, there is humility in comments like that and even more so when he talks of other greats.

  • @babystinky Lazaro,Gigli,MDM,Tagliavini&Pa­v had big egos.Although I would like to think that they were sincere about some of the statements they have made,there seems to be a shadow of doubt that some how looms over some of their comments.No tenor is perfect.Although I did make a negative comment about Bjorling,there are times when I do enjoy him as much as I do my favorites.People KNOCK themselves out,defending their favorite&attempting to catapult them to the number1.IT'S A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME

  • @crapfacejoe

    Björling is considered to be the rightful predecessor to Caruso, Di Stefano is considered to be the rightful predecessor to Gigli. These are two completely different approaches to singing and cannot (in my opinion) be compared technically as the distinction between them is huge.

    I'm pretty sure the order of greatness is Caruso, Björling, Schipa, Lemeshev, Gigli.

  • @Honken Predecessor means to precede so you got it the other way round. Bjorling has nothing in common with Caruso nor did Di Stefano with Gigli. Caruso and Gigli were just better than Bjorling, different styles or not.

  • @crapfacejoe

    Oh, right! English is my third language so I tend to mix up words from time to time. What I meant was that the general consensus by literally every expert in the field (Kesting, Jones, Tagliavini, Pola, Stefan the Joke Zucker ect).

    "You are the only one worthy to wear his mantle, bear Rico’s crown!", ~Dorothy Caruso talking to Jussi Björing.

  • @Honken How can that be when Caruso's style and voice is not even remotely similar to Bjorling. Forget about Dorothy Caruso, do you personally think Bjorling succeeded Caruso, or is Bjorling a tenor of his own breed.

  • @crapfacejoe

    Succeeded! Successor! Finally, that was beginning to irritate me haha.

    Their style is different due to the fact that Caruso died 10 years before Björling even started recording, not to mention that Björling had a more metallic quality than Caruso. However, the whole successor thing is meant in the terms of greatest tenor, not most similar (though I think this was the case for Gigli/Stefano).

  • Dolcissimo, celestiale, che passione!

  • Il Grande Pippo, insuperato!!!! di una dolcezza unica.

  • Absolutely wonderful! I had bever heard this recording before.

  • I suoi pianissimi sono meravigliosamente unici!!I suoi acuti stupendamente rari!!Grande Pippo!!!

  • tremendo, unico.

  • sus pianisimos son maravillosos , gracias por subir esta version.. saludos¡¡

  • Superb! TY A for posting.and Candy for sharing.One of my three favourite tenors-the other two being Gigli and Bjoerling.

  • A voice of the most sublime artistic evolution despite his young age and one that

    foreshadows the staggering interpretive powers that would come into fruition.

    Thank you for posting this masterpiece Ameans and to Opensecret51 for

    sharing!

  • Sublime,merci !

  • I much prefer Caruso's 1904 classic to any version of this aria. In my opinion and perhaps that of many others who studied Caruso's masterpiece, that 1904 recording was the single best performance ever recorded by a tenor. The emotion, complication, melody, and resonance Caruso displayed in that performance is why so many consider him the best tenor ever recorded.

  • @wiseroldfart I would prefer Luigi Alva's rendition to anybody's else - elegance, passion and elevation. But of course, people have different ears.

  • Sin entrar en comparaciones odiosas, qué voz y qué sentimiento para cantar...¡Bellísimo!

  • for the first few seconds, I thought I heard Gigli's voice!

  • @hansquad Yes, very similar from time to time. Both had a very nice tone.

  • I agree - my all time favourite tenor.

    He and Callas together were amazing.

    Apart from having a superb voice, his diction was clearer than most..

  • very beautiful..a lovely tenor, much love..thank you for sharing

  • Thank you for this jewel. Such controlled and beautiful blending of the registers into the upper range. Counterbalanced by such great breath support in the pianissimo.

    The depth of expressive quality almost seems to derive from this. The voice opens almost too quickly in the 'quelle festose giovani ' line, but shows undiminished colour even in the forte / fortissimo. I go to sleep tonight an increment less ignorant. Thanks.

  • His voice is just so ever soft and tender, almost like lullaby quality. His voice has a heart melting quality.

  • Sublime!!!!Divinal!!! Di Stefano é o melhor!

    Ricardo

  • Great, great, great!

    Amazing, inspiring!

  • Just WONDERFUL... very deep emotions... an awesome performance!!!

  • Very good, but I prefer the emotional 1904 recording done by Caruso. Bjorling also did a great job on this aria and many others.

  • Superb!

  • Thank you Mr. DiStefano for giving such beauty to the world......

  • does Di Stefano ever sung AVE MARIA......?

    any comment?

  • @bajobaritonoAH: I don't think anyone did Ave Maria better than Bjorling. Have a listen.

  • @wiseroldfart: My mistake. I thought it was Bjorling's Ave Maria that I listened to. It was O Holy Night and he did it brilliantly. If he did Ave Maria, it's not on YouTube yet.

  • Thanks for sharing,

    I hear Opera through my skin and Di Stefano's Furtiva lacrima, Rip my skin with shere emotion.

  • Wow! His dynamics are just amazing!

  • @hopelesslyderanged This has to be the most unique and entertaining response I've read to date. Ha!

  • Nobody does dynamics like this guy...from 1:40 to 2:00 is one of the most amazing "moments" that I've EVER heard in an aria. I can only hope to someday come close to the control that he has. Ugh. It's disgustingly good.

  • Sergei Lemeshev is pretty incredible, too. He probably wasn't very know in the west. I do love this Di Stefano recording, and think he's special.

  • and the most intelligent one...

  • fantastic recording...such a gentle entrance...beautiful interpretation!

  • absolutely marvelous, the best version I've come by so far

  • @maewe WOW! absolutely. So beautiful, so tender, so thoughtful - so pure.

  • Extremely sexy.

  • I am lost for words ---simply ---excellent !!!

  • This is quite good,although I still believe that Caruso's in 1904 was greatest

  • does caruso was better than him???

  • @mauriciomille Caruso wasn't "better". Each singer has his own merits, the golden timbre and fantastic legato of Caruso, the inaudible breathing and silverlined topnotes of Bjorling, the stentorian magnificense of Melchior. But no singer ever had more beautiful pianissimos than Pippo, and no one ever sang so natural and clearly. No matter what he sings, you can hear what he says. He is a wonder...

  • @mozzrt agree with,, every singer or tenor are different. Are you agree with that? what do you think?? there will not be another pavarotti, there will not be another caruso, there will not be another bocelli, etc. they were only one, one and diferent voices

  • very beautifull and soft voice......

  • che voce favolosamente bella!

  • What a gem of voice!

    Thank you.

  • YES E BELLISSIMO UN DIO DE LA LIRICA... IL RE!!

  • masterpiece..beautiful!!

  • Inmortal. Eterno. siempre vivo. Gracias, gracias, Pippo.

  • Es verdad, era un tenor belcantista por excelencia y se desvió para peor ya que forzó la bella voz con arias de bravura, al menos nos resta esto y no es poco, lo recordaremos con admiración

  • Excelente, si hubiera continuado en estos repertorios lo que habría hecho de verdad -y no mito- este hombre. Lástima

  • Interpretazione sublime! Ottima tecnica! Degno compagno artistico della favolosa Maria Callas! L'italia, L'italia del "bel canto", brillerà ancora grazie anche alla sua luce perpetua! GRAZIE GIUSEPPE!

  • no me gusta la tecnica ke usa, pero tiene una bella voz,se le agarra mucho en la garganta la voz en los agudos...pero tiene un precioso timbre..

  • Amazing....simply amazing....

  • Nemorino the way it should be sung; with sincerity, vulnerability, and passion. What a work of artistic genius was that performance. Thanks for posting!

  • Young Di Stefano is the most beautiful tenor voice ever recorded.  This clip plus the live Mexico City clip of E Luceven le Stelle are sufficient evidence of that...

  • @Chiliarches I agree with you totally!! Thank you!

  • Sublime!

  • the best redition ever, song with great sensitivity, and at least he stresses the pino, pianissimo, that are in the text, and all the other great tenors (Pavarotti and Domingo) never pay any attention to!.

  • ...because they can't.

  • Serata in onore di GIUSEPPE DI STEFANO Teatro alla Scala - Ridotto dei Palchi Giovedì 8 Aprile 2010, ore 18:00 ingresso libero fino ad esaurimento posti

  • @segu82

    Magari ci potessi andare - vivo a Roma.

    Ma sai chi canta in onore di Pippo?

  • Serata in onore di GIUSEPPE DI STEFANO Teatro alla Scala - Ridotto dei Palchi Giovedì 8 Aprile 2010, ore 18:00 ingresso libero fino ad esaurimento posti

  • SERATA IN ONORE DI GIUSEPPE DI STEFANO, Giovedì 8 Aprile 2010, ore 18:00, Teatro alla Scala di Milano (ingresso libero)

  • my fav. tenor

  • Wish this could be digitally remastered, like Caruso's

  • He is a KING!!!Он је краљ!

  • 1. Caruso

    2. Gigli

    3. Joseph Schmidt

    4. Valletti

    5. Bjoerling

    6. Schipa

  • 1.Pavarotti

    2.Wunderlich

    3. Di Stefano

    ...

    Not quite sure about Caruso for the quality of his records is very poor.

  • Ognuno ha una propria classifica, sono tutte da rispettare ma poco interessanti come commento.

  • 1. Corelli

    2. Pavarotti

    3. Di stefano

    4. Domingo

    5. Caruso

  • Que faites vous de Mario LANZA ? = hors classement car le meilleur ?

    What made you of Mario LANZA? = except the best classification because?

  • @CREQUIE

    Mario Lanza n'a pas eu la chance, ( l'opportunité) de chanter "en théâtre " ou en opéra . C'est pour celà qu'il n'est jamais "classé" . L'idée de classement est stupide, car chaque artiste peut , tour à tour être bon ou mauvais ... Subjectif tout çà !

    Mais je crois que c'est vraiment une des plus grandes voix, méconnues .

    Amitiés

  • Perfettamente daccordo con Sig.ra Francesca!

    Pippo Di Stefano ha interpretato questo brano a 23 ani (Pippo è del 1921). Che senso ha fare classifiche! E evidente a tutti che è una voce STUPENDA e che in "una Furtiva Lacrima" nel 1944 Di Stefano rappresenta i massimi vertici della voce tenorile!

    Forse non è il miglior tenore di tutti i tempi.....ma questa osservazione può essere solo un gusto personale.

    Bravo Pippo!

    Pieni Voti 5*****

    e grazie per il post

  • @jeanmolin55 Viva l'Italia!!

  • @jeanmolin55 bellissimo commento,le sue parole cito :Forse non é il miglior

    tenore di tutti itempi...ma questa osservazione puo essere solo un gusto

    personale e uno dei piu belli commenti per me sul YT.e ovvio che Di Stefano

    aveva una voce sublime di tenore leggero e nel suo repertorio era un Grande

    Artista,ma il giovane pubblico puo ascoltare se vuole Marconi,Caruso,Masini,Fleta,

    Pertile,De Lucia ...questi Tenori hánno interpretato il repertorio di Di Stefano.

    Con rispetto .

  • Ce que j'aime avec lui, c'est qu'il est au-dessus de sa voix.

  • Una stupenda interpretazione !Sublime Di Stefano ***************infinite !

  • My favorite is Carreras other is great!!But i think that man could have just one favorite!!Just for beauty of voice!!

  • so so nice .love the popcorn cracks in the old recording. reminds me of when i was younger. di stefano has the smoothest of all the voices

  • That last diminuendo at the end was simply sublime...

  • My personal top 5 is:

    1. Caruso

    2. Pavarotti

    3. Gigli

    4. Di Stefano

    5. Domingo

  • Domingo??? neveerr!! a "tenor di spinto" with no much techniq, and singing skills. don´t compare him with Pavarotti, Gigli, Caruso and Di Steffano

  • Domingo has much more skills then di stefano, in fact he's still singing. Di stefano after his 35 was "finished".

  • i disagree

  • @principecalaf Right, that's why everytime he would go above a Bflat he would bust a nut.

  • His timbre is unique... Maybe most beautiful tenor voice ever.

  • @discovolante21 if not the most beautiful,the sweetest,when he performs "e lucevan le stelle" i feel like crying(i am a male!).

  • Yes...you're right there, but I'm sorry to see Lanza listed in this category of 100 Greatest Singers since I personally consider him way down the list when names like Di Stefano, Bjorling, Gigli, Caruso and others so easily brought to mind when confronted with Lanza.

  • Si, pleno di gioia.

  • @discovolante21 In my opinion, the best Tenor, is Luciano Pavarotti...or Krauss, but DiStefano had a really SWEET voice, and that's what makes his voice amazing... well he's also a really good tenor.. but Pavarotti was better, he had a stonger voice.. but yes, i agree with u at som point.. he's voice is beautiful =)

  • @Melbeatle Technically my favourite lyric tenor is Alfredo Kraus. His live recordings (especially 1958-1975) are incredible. He very rarely transposed down along his career (I heard once, aged 65, singing possente amor from Rigoletto. He sang C flat instead of D.

  • @discovolante21 Nice!! I like Kraus too, one of the best tenors...I bet u have a great taste in music =) is great to "comment" with ppl like you. the rest can't take opinions...they just get angry lol.

    PS: can i ask why is ur nickname "discovolante"?

    Hugs!

  • @discovolante21 uno de los timbres mas bellos, carreras y wunderlich otro par de timbres exquisitos , ami gusto claro.

  • @discovolante21 dude this song suks tupac will beat his ass in hell

  • Di Stephano lived until 2008!!! Mario Lanza was a great voice, but I don't think I'd put him in lists of people who made careers in the opera.

  • @TSIband Lanza died too early at such a young age.  I'm sure he could make a great career in the opera if he didn't die so early.

  • Fantastic!

  • I think the greatest tenor list should be

    1. Enrico Caruso and Jussi Bjorling

    2. Beniamino Gigli

    3. Luciano Pavarotti

    4. Richard Tucker

    5. Guiseppe Di Stefano and Mario Lanza

  • so so very nice scratches and all DiStefano rocks

  • I just fell in love..

  • Amazing. It doesn't get better than this. SUBLIME !!!

  • This is a very scratchy, marginal recording of DiStefano singing in piano recital. If you can ignore all that static, you'll hear a voice of angelic beauty. There are other, better recordings, but anything by the young DiStefano is a marvel.

  • Di Stefano and Callas everyone else is second.

  • @VictorAWineGuy , Di Stefano and Callas are both unique, however they both had flaws- Mainly in decision making and lifestyle which both affected their voices i a very detrimental way: Callas lost alot of weight in mid-career, while Di Stefano took alot of heavier roles which werent suited to his lyrical voice. That being said I'm a big fan of Di Stefano, but not of Callas- She cant be experienced out of theater and since its a bit late for that we have her voice which isnt really beautiful.

  • Para mi, los mejores de la historia:

    1-Enrico Caruso

    2-Luciano Pavarotti

    3-Beniamino Gigli

    4-Giuseppe di Stefano

  • Sorry, but where are Bjorlin and Fisher-Disekau?

  • ctually broke with his correct technique and within several years, thought still a young man with years ahead to develop his popularity

  • Y Corelli, Bjorlin, Wunderlich?

  • de acuerdo con Bjorling, pero ¿corelli? por favor! un tenor di spinto de poca técnica

  • Fritz Wunderlich ist missing ...

  • Your TENOR list should have read:

    1. E. Caruso & J. Bjorling share 1st place.

    2. Gigli

    3. McCormack

    4. Tucker

    5. Di Stefano

    These top 5 [a total of 6 appear here due to inevitable tie for 1st place as polled in over 300 major cities around the world.

  • but. . . Where is Luciano? i think you are one of the people that underate him.

  • @blakemooney

    My personal top 5 is

    1. Di stefano

    2. Pavarotti

    3. Bjorling

    4. Caruso

    5. Corelli

  • Di Stefano es emoción en estado puro. Le recordaremos siempre. Grazie Pippo.

  • Magnifico. Thanks for posting.

  • You can tell from this recording how much Pavarotti studied this man.

  • DiStefano starts out very slow, but in a few notes, that marvelous voice kicks in, and his version is haunting. I agree that Caruso put an indelibel stamp on this: I don't know of an aria that brings out the beauty of the lyric tenor more than this one. Perhaps "Lamento di Federico". Gigli's is beautiful, and even Mario Lanza's is memorable. DiStefano finishes like Pavarotti: sweet and sublime. A marvelous recording.

  • @jd1906sf He's absolutely right. In the original score the beginning is "serenissimo".

  • His voice is so perfect its hard to believe its even real.

  • Comment removed

  • la più bella voce di tutti i tempi!!!!

  • Senza dubio, sei 100% corretto!!

  • Pavarotti: "I said to Papa, I love Gigli, but I love the voice of this young tenor (i.e. di Stefano) more"

    I also love di Stefano more

  • Nokia-Tell us something we do not know. You're repeating widely known facts which is sooooooo boring.

  • Expression, richness and beautiful delivery all at the same time.......very few have/had everything like Pippo.

  • sei il più grande!!!!

  • I have systematically listened to dozens of renditions of Una Furtiva Lagrima. And in my opinion this is the most beautiful one. Maestro diStefano is here in his purest form. This is sublime. My favorite lyric tenor is Maestro Pavarotti and I can see why diStefano was one of his role models. Such expression in the voice is seldom found in a tenor. This is the diStefano I want and will always remember.

  • Dear TheInquisitive4Ever, have you heard Tagliavini's rendition? Absolutely the most delicate and majestic of all.

  • Juno-Indeed I have. He's one the GREATS for a good reason.

  • No doubt Di Stefano's is a gorgeous performance, but I have two other favorites of this aria that I marginally prefer: Caruso's 1904 version and De Lucia's recording. The latter is I believe the epitome of bel canto singing, while Caruso's performance excels with respect to tone, line, and controlled passion.

  • This is the diStefano I like. Simply wonderful.

  • But oh my gosh Di Stefano's phrasing, woooooooooooooooooooooooooow.

  • I can feel the " sheer beaty." Yes, I can!!

    Many thanks for uploading this.

  • I think you mean "sheer beauty"

  • Yes, that is right! "sheer beauty!!"

  • Pavarotti was a lyric voice, but he had superb projection and great squillol,the cutting power along with his stamina absolutely justified doing some lirico-spinto roles such as Cavadarossi or Dick Johnson at most. I must say even Calaf was interesting enough, but there he went a bit too far..

  • OH GOD!! that dimenuendo was orgasmic...........

  • This IS the beauty of the human voice!

    Yes, indeed.

  • Fantastic.

  • the last mezza di voce... Inhuman.

  • Bravo Pepe! Sempre com amor.

  • le temps s'est arrêté

  • I have see, di Stefano in 1954 to the Paris opera,in Faust of Gounod,its the best souvenir of my life,absolutly wonderfull;

  • Formidabile...e che filati superlativi!!!

  • Inumano

  • Grande Pippo! Magnifico, complimenti e grazie.

  • I was wondering if you could make an mp3 of this so that I can put it on my ipod - since apparently I can't buy the cd :`( - and give us a link to the location where you've put it?

    I for one would be very, very grateful.

  • Why can't you buy the CD? It's on amazon. Just look it up. Anyways, there are many programs to convert youtube to mp3, just look them up. Google.

  • You're right, I can find it now, but I'm pretty sure the first time I did a search I found anything but the early recordings...

  • this is absolutely heartbreaking, divine.

    Thank you so much for posting this!

  • To Inquisitive- Domingo had a bigger voice than almost any singer in the business... but it is true he misused it most of the time. Don't talk about raw talent if you don't understand it...