Renata Tebaldi & Giulietta Simionato - Fu la sorte - Aida - Verdi

[MrCafiero]

@Turridu25 I don't care what he said about himself he was not able to sing the dramatic rep. with enough volume in the top to do anything justice.

[meltzerboy]

@maipisimo67 Perhaps Tebaldi has more of everything you mention. But there were other great Aidas, including all of those I had mentioned in my previous comment, and some very beautiful voices among them such as Destinn, Ponselle, Rethberg, and Price. I would also add Milanov to the list. However, as I had stated, I do think Tebaldi remains the gold standard for the role. Thanks for your interesting comment.

[sonozoltan]

Brava, Renata! Brava, Giulietta! Two of the greatest singers ever!

[tebaldicallas]

They sing with such power - They made quite a few recordings together.

Their voice a rich. They five studio recordings together.

Ie: Aida - Suor Angelica - La Forza del destino - Il trovatore and Adriana Lecouvreur.

Giulietta RIP together with Tebaldi.

[sedahedonja]

Dear MrCafiero, it's all about technique ;-)And yes, they sang from a quite young age soooo much shows and concerts and recordings(much heavyer to do), and still sing until they late days (have u seen the Magda Olivero- vid from last year??)My italian coach told me once: at their golden age, singers studied singing for 2 years, then they had "spartito" for the next 8 years, singing already tiny roles near famous experienced singers... now they study 8 years singing and do..2 months of coaching)

[MrCafiero]

It is technique, you are right. And they studied very often daily for 2 years which is different than once a week like they do now. And conductors and impresarios would groom them in small houses. Conductors rarely recruit young talents any more. It is very sad.

[billyguns2]

Please let's not forget the other two great AIDA recordings: Solti with Price/Vickers/Gorr, and Perlea with Milanov/Bjoerling/Barbieri. Added to these three there are some remarkable individual performances on other recordings as well.

[MrCafiero]

"Recordings" perhaps, but Björlings voice was way too small and light for Radames which is a dramatic tenor role.

[billyguns2]

Do you think Carlo Bergonzi was a dramatic tenor? He is the Radames on this recording. Thank heaven for recordings where great singers can give us brilliant performances of roles they couldn't perform on stage, e.g., Bjoerling's Calaf.

[MrCafiero]

Bergonzi wasn't a dramatic tenor.

I have to say that I am not sure I can agree with your following statement.  That is not what opera is about and it has contributed to ruining the art. Now we have extremely small and woofy voices singing roles on the stage that are enhanced. And it started with this stuff. Hvorostovsky, Alvarez etc. And the big voices that should be singing are pushed to the side.

[seektheforce]

@MrCafiero Do you teach daily, like the old style?

[MrCafiero]

Bergonzi was a bigger voice than Björling though.

[profgv]

@billyguns2 I always thought of Bergonzi as being like a lyric spinto...Light for the Nemorino's and darker for the Chenier's....He was the ultimate artist....I remember one special Gioconda every note, every vowel was shaped like a sculpture...Sorry to rant..

[bodiloto]

IMMENSI, IMMEMORABILI!!! Grazie

[meltzerboy]

Although Leontyne Price is regarded by many as the greatest Aida, and previous generations have accorded that title to Destinn, Ponselle, or Rethberg, while Callas brought great drama to the role by means of her novel reading of the text, I have always thought Tebaldi the gold standard. This is no way detracts from the magnificent singing of the other sopranos mentioned, all of whom I admire greatly.

The old admonition to sing on the interest, not the principal, goes back to Patti's advice.

[MrCafiero]

Yeah, hard to beat Ponselle or Destinn, but Tebaldi is wonderful. I actually also really like Nilsson in this role. Her timbre against the brass instruments is really great.

[meltzerboy]

I'll have to listen again to Nilsson in the role, but generally I don't like her in Italian opera (with the exception of Turandot); of course, her Wagner and Strauss are magnificent. Ponselle was thought to be the greatest Aida and her recordings from the opera are marvelous. So is Destinn's famous "O patria mia," with that disembodied final note (somewhat reminiscent of Calve's weird, "fourth register" in "Ma Lisette"). After all, it's like comparing different kinds of jewels.

[meltzerboy]

What do you think of Milanov's Aida? I have mixed feelings, but I never saw her on stage, and people I know who have tell me she was even better than Tebaldi.

[MrCafiero]

I also have mixed feelings about it. She was probably much better in person. I know Merrill said she was his favorite Aida so she must have done something spectacular.

[carlissima28]

brava giulietta! i love the "trema, vil schiava..."

[meo2imma]

I have loved these two great singers in these roles since I acquired the Karajan recording more than forty years ago. With the incomparable Bergonzi and Macneil, as Radames and Amonasro, and a couple of very serviceable basses in Arnold Van Mill and Fernando Corena, it's an almost faultless cast. Add to that Karajan's vital spark and the Wiener Philharmoniker and you'll understand why it's still one of my favourite Verdi recordings. Thank you so much for this posting.

[opera535989]

Correct. This recording was the standard by which all others are measured, and still is.

[VivaTebaldi]

Two great voices - singing with power.

The greatest Mezzo and Soprano in the

world. Thanks for posting this.