Italian Soprano Amelita Galli-Curci ~ Charmant Oiseau (1917)

[mayatatyana1]

Doug, exquisite voice! Beautiful video. Thank you. Maya

[HM0880]

She could sustain really looooong notes! However, she sometimes sounds a little "off"-- especially her lower register; for example, her dip down to the low note at 1:29.

I like the idea of a voice/flute duet (with piano, of course!), although as a violinist, I think someone should write a voice/violin duet. :D As far as the pictures, I like the one of her at the piano; she just looks so erudite. :)

Thank you for posting. :)

[CurzonRoad]

@HM0880

Correcto! Galli-Curci's singing slightly off-key has been noted across these many decades. While very much aware of this, she didn't know why it happened or how to remedy it. All the same.... a great, wonderful artist!

[HM0880]

@CurzonRoad

Hmm, interesting. So she frequently sang somewhat off-key? I've never heard of a well-known singer who had trouble with intonation. Maybe there's hope for my vocal career yet! (Joking, of course... :D)

Like I mentioned previously, her long notes are wonderful. I assume that she would be fantastic in a lyrical melody but not in rapid coloratura. Do you have any recommendations of her singing slow melodies?

[meltzerboy]

@HM0880 As CurzonRoad points out, Galli-Curci had pitch problems at times. I'm not sure the low note you refer to is off, however; maybe my ears are not as sensitive as yours. By the way, Galli-Curci, a trained pianist, often did her vocalizing with a flute! As you may know, she is considered by many, including myself, as the finest coloratura soprano of her time, or perhaps any time.

[HM0880]

@meltzerboy

When I said "off," I wasn't exactly referring to pitch, but something seemed not quite right occasionally. I don't really know. :-p

Neat info about the flute! According to Wikipedia, Galli-Curci was mostly self-taught vocally. Maybe that's partly the origin of her intonation struggles?

I rescind my comment about her coloratura. I am listening to her "Gentle Lark" recording, and it is excellent-- beautifully bird-like and elegant!

Thanks for your kind response. :)

[Shabannie]

Charming!

------Ellen

[genia106]

Caro Douglasio,

CHARMING!

I love the gentleness of her glorious voice.

Grazie

[AulicExclusiva]

It so happens that I was listening to this at home, as I had promised I would. I also listened to Kurz (1907 G & T) Calvé (Victor 1907, 1908; Pathé 1920), Tetrazzini (Victor 1911) and Gitta Álpár (1929 Homocord).

It must be admitted that no one sings the opening air with the silvery smoothness and legato beauty of Galli Curci. Her registers are perfectly equalised and seamlessly joined, and she covers quite a wide range with total grace.

[AulicExclusiva]

I was a little mortified, but I have to admit it: it's quite an exhibition.

The variazioni she pecks at in her patented fashion, but very prettily. She could never, though, outsing Kurz in a flute cadenza. Kurz' high register has much more substance and that glowing, floating cupola to every sustained tone. It's very impressive and of course Kurz has real trills.

[AulicExclusiva]

Kurz has trouble with the awkward tessitura of the air itself, however: her dips into the chest are not pretty at all and here Galli Curci just wipes the floor with her!

Again, the air lies in the worst possible tessitura for Tetrazzini, who sounds veiled and hooty. Very disappointing.

This was obviously a specialty of Calvé's: the tessitura of the air gives her no problem; even so, her registers are not as smooth as Galli Curci's, though she had a better shake.

[meltzerboy]

This was also a specialty of Tetrazzini's, who sang it at every possible occasion, many times as an encore. She recorded the aria at least twice, and I recall that one version was in French, the other in Italian. Also, one of the recordings was much better than the other(s). I find myself in the unusual position of defending Tetrazzini against your criticism of her! She gives quite a dazzling exhibition herself, her staccati are brilliant, and her singing quite charming despite the veiled tone.

[AulicExclusiva]

Tetrazzini's Victor record of the Couplets du Mysoli was made in March, 1911; the HMV, which I have now located and listened to, in July 1911, so clearly T was not happy with the March take. Both disks are in French. I doubted the HMV at first, until I realised that she starts with the second stanza, Quand sur sa couche de ramée... Tetrazzini's French is considerably better than Galli Curci's.

[AulicExclusiva]

Though much improved over the Victor March version, I do not think the July HMV is one of T's great records by any stretch of the imagination. The air itself, sung with a lighter, sweeter tone, is clearly better, but there are still a couple of troublesome dips. The variazioni are easier and more brilliant than in March, but there are a couple of unconvincig high notes at the end. So-so.

[meltzerboy]

Funny I thought one recording was in Italian; I must be thinking of some other aria Tetrazzini recorded in both languages. You may have a point about the deficiencies in the Tetrazzini discs although one of them is superior to the other. As a rule, if the song or aria is about a bird, Galli-Curci is a natural source. It's that she doesn't sound as if she's working at it quite as hard as other singers: a more natural tone and ease of utterance. Too bad Melba or Sembrich didn't record the piece.

[AulicExclusiva]

Calvé fakes her way through the variazioni quite adeptly, best in 1908. The 1920 two-sided version is a mess, and even in 1907 she misses a couple of staccatti.

Alpar ("Mein holdes Vöglein" from Die Perle von Brasilien!) is adorable and almost as smooth as Galli Curci. But she makes things easier for herself by taking the air considerably faster than the lady from Milan. Her high register, though, is more brilliant and substantial than Galli Curci's, which sounds thin to me.

[AulicExclusiva]

But I think it's pretty clear that, all in all, Galli Curci wins this one.

[AulicExclusiva]

Incredible photographs, as always. Thanks, Doug.

[meltzerboy]

One of Galli-Curci's finest recordings. I agree completely with Bivolari's description. Tetrazzini's version is very worthwhile too; but Galli-Curci's performance is staggering and miraculous. (You might call me a fan of hers.) Thanks, Doug.

[65attila]

Doug

A beautiful performance - what a beautiful voice and phrasing.

Thank you-John

[Bivolari]

An old favorite. Seamless legato. Beautiful tone. Magical technique. Galli-Curci at her finest.