Mario del Monaco- Pollione

[ralphoperaphile]

BariTenore - quite right; it's an A at 1:33; there is an option for a top C at 1:44 which Del Monaco doesn't take, then he hits a top B at the end.

[pichuco1945]

BRAVO, MAESTRO

[mpiarosati]

unico ed irripetibile

[ponte330]

grandissimo del monacooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

[kgarmaker123]

Its no wonder he did not take the first high C.. he is singing so loudly and with such weight. there is no way he could muscle out that note. But he made the one at the end.. BRAVA./

[ralphoperaphile]

That "high C" is a B flat!

[leonardovittori1]

@ralphoperaphile well that explains it then.. LOL.. My BAD.

[BariTenoreDram]

@ralphoperaphile No it's high A

[francescomuzzarelli]

Trovare una voce altrettanto voluminosa, eroica, timbrata e omogenea è davvero difficile! Caro Mario la tua voce è terapeutica ... eri e rimani un grandissimo tenore.

[AtaGiacomini]

Tenore Primo di mondo!!!!!!

[mongemark]

voce eccezionale ma lo stile non è proprio il meglio..però l'accento è da vero tenore eroico

provare a sentire Lauri Volpi nella stessa aria e si avrà un giusto paragone

[cicchettocicchetto]

del monaco è stato e resterà l'unico Pollione della storia. Lui non fatica a tenere le note e non si nasconde stotto i singhiozzi. Anna.

[edraith]

Non dimentichiamoci di Corelli :)

[AtaGiacomini]

@edraith F. Corelli e' tenore,ma del Monaco e' TENORE...

[edraith]

@AtaGiacomini Non esageriamo mo. Stanno entrambi lassù.

[corellithebest]

Del Monaco is wonderful! He certainly has the right to hold the notes as long as he wishes. As Minnie-Monica said, it is not as strict in the Romantic opera as in Mozart.

[minnie888444]

2. The gestures are very meaningful: they help with the actual singing and they are part of the overall elegance. Fluid gestures, even when he emphasizes a note with a faster movement, that movement is still round and stylish.

[minnie888444]

1. So this is what "self indulgent" is supposed to mean referring to opera singers: when they hold a (high) note longer or lengthen or shorten other notes! Well, that is called "ad libitum" or "a piacere." This kind of singing is used in Romantic opera, which no longer requires a "tyrannical" beat like Mozart.

But someone called it "self-indulgent" in English and everybody parrots that!

[vocede]

Klingt gut!!! Warum reißt er nur bei vielen hohen Tönen den Kopf so hoch? Als gut trainierter Sänger hat er diesen ungünstigen Kompensationsmechansimus für nicht gut angepasste Atmung doch nicht nötig.

[wwjacod13]

He sounds like he's trying to squeeze out a big crap. And in my opinion that's pretty much what he's doing. I really can't finish listning to this. There's is alot to be said for holding back every once in awhile.

That's not to say that I feel this way about all of his recordings. The best "Un di all'azzurro spazio" I have ever heard was his performance with Callas at La Scala in 1955. (not availible on youtube as far as I know)

[gaemp]

listen to his "Un di all'azzurro spazio" from La Scala 1949 (with Tebaldi and de Sabata)...

[pearlmuth3]

Yes --CzarDodon is exactly correct in his definition of spinto. By the way if you can get it, Del Monaco in his very early days live sang a great Ballo in 1946 and I have hilites of it and the voice was then more of a Spinto but clearly on his way to being a great dramatic tenor and he sang some beautiful lyric notes in 1946.

[pearlmuth3]

Hell, Corelli was far more self indulgent as you accuse Mario, look at corelli he held on in tosca longer then anyone, ran ahead of the orchestra so he could stop and hold the high notes forwever ( Tosca) he scooped slid and sang flat often and he was no dramatic tenor, a spinto. Yes he was very exciting early and he sang calaf better then anyone and looked great but he had more bad habits then MDM and he did not have as big a voice as MDM either. I heard both of them live MDM IN 59-otello

[Matt54e]

mmm, listened to that one too. I guess it's a matter of taste but I find him loud, often flat and self-indulgent holding high notes too long etc... For me Corelli is a superior singer in the "loud and bright" department......The voice is undeniably fantasticlaly dramatic but I would still rather hear any number of smaller voiced singers with a better line sing this.

[raythetse]

Not as good as the 1967 recording from a live performance of Norma. Look to the right and find that one, its much better, Del Monaco at his best.

[Matt54e]

This is horrible singing. The voice is a amazing but so little style (and tuning!). I woudl rather hear even Florez sing this just to hear the notes placed properly.

[izar1234]

Well, that's a little harsh. Mario could be a little inelegant, but many of his notes here are quite astounding and he's very much in tune for the most part. As for hearing Florez in this part, he'd have to be miked, especially in the cabaletta. If you want to hear an amazing version by an incredible voice (other than Corelli!), click on the Vickers version at the right from Orange. Make sure to listen to that cabaletta too! Unreal.

[RobertoML72]

This isn't a role for Flórez or another light liryc tenor. You don't know much about opera. I don't know much too but I don't make opinions without foundations.

[Matt54e]

I actually know a lot about opera- why do you feel the need to insult me?

I can assure you that nobody sang like Del Monaco when this opera was written; my comment about Florez was an exageration. Del Monaco is barely in tune at times and shouts his head off- this is not at all what bel canto is about. Listen to Pavarotti (a lyric tenor incidentally and a well known Pollione) to hear it sung far better.

[Arsace88]

Il miglior Pollione...

[VivaRenata]

D'accordo! Ogni volta che sento la voce e l'interpretazione di MDM, sembra un miracolo.

[egymagyar1111111]

anybody wants to make it just to do it as Alexander the Great said: "HIC RHODOAS HIC SALTA" passion, inhibition and being 100% the role it is MDM gloria

[operacaster]

regarding a todays tenor not being taken seriously... that's a mute point because today we don't have any tenors even approaching mario,... :--) and that's a shame. think of it this way... if it were all that easy to do it this way we'd have more people doin it. viva del monaco

[fabrizzzio48]

Mr. Del Monaco's arm movements are an expression and extension of both voice and intention. Only and idiot who does sing this kind of music cannot appreciate what it does when one is singing it. It's a matter of thrust of energy, like a swordsman cutting through. It helps Monaco produce an open, full, sustained, ringing tone. Good.

[iskenderuna]

Impressive! - but he DOES wave his arms around like a traffic policeman controlling the traffic. I doubt any singer today would be taken seriously if they behaved like that today on stage! Still, different times , different traditions :-)

[snooppuggypug]

Whatever you say.

[tomzoricic]

Your comment is funny and pathetic

[vickersman]

this is also a concert, and not a stage version-it makes a difference.

[salomenet]

Norma is always celebrated as an opera of extreme difficulty for the soprano, but it is has particular demands from the tenor as well - Pollione needs a tenor also in posession of a very secure LOW registry. Del Monaco is obviously an ideal match for the part, still my personal preference lies with Franco Corelli.

[OperaGhost1990]

This is Del Monaco. Did you know that he was barried with his Otello dress. Is amazing the way he delivered himself to opera without having Calla´s fate.

[Batistabomb999]

I think the best Pollione is Corelli. He sings this aria better

[BeauTenor]

I agree....although I am VERY partial to John Alexander too...

[mornaymariedomini]

Full opinion with "pietar73" who has said every thing about the wonderful Mario!!

[8calaf5]

del monaco and corelli are the best pollione

[pietari73]

Del Monaco is really the best Pollione,better than Giacomini. Neither sang C in the beginning of aria, but sang B-flat couple bars before high C. I don`t mind that. This music is supposed to be manly, which it is. Monaco was perfect.

It is very sad, that all these movements (watch his hand and feet!) are regarded nowadays as being a "diva" or "primadonna" style or "old opera". People like Del Monaco really knew how strenuous those top notes are! That is why italians have a word "Spingere!".

[ErnestoPetti]

sorry but spingere is wrong this is cz we have this word... and there is an high a not b flat before the high c regards ;P

[pietari73]

You are right. I am sorry. Did not check it from the piano, actually my son referred to me regarding this. It is NOT a B-flat, but A-natural. My bad. Anyway, my comments about Mario Del Monaco fitting for this role still stand. Remember; only Corelli and Pavarotti recorded this (as far as i know) faithful to the original score, which is, high C, "rapiti senSI!"... Thanks anyway. All the best.

[DragTas]

and John Alexander

[vickersman]

John Alexander was an amazing voice.I remember coming back from a rehearsal of The Merry Widow (I had a small lead role), and listening to Alexander during a Met broadcast intermission- don't remember what he was singing (afterall that was almost 35 years ago.He was accompanied by piano, so you could really hear his astounding voice.Should have had a bigger career

[CzarDodon]

spingere just means push it has no special meaning "spinto" is used as a definition of a stronger than lyric but not exactly dramatic