A Forgotten Great Baritone

[Varlaam42]

"Il balen", or anything else! I'd like to hear him sing Happy Birthday!

[paulostroff99]

Wondrous singing.TY primo for posting this gem.

[cantorandopera]

Just heard Pagliacci today on a recorded "live" from La Scala.  The baritone was very good, but as we say in NY - OY VEY! We can't duplicate this type of singing. I love the dark quality of his voice for this aria.

[transparentknife]

reminds me of Perelli from Sweeney Todd

[davda57]

He was one ugly mother fucker

[redgrapeskins]

@davda57 you should have seen his handsome father --- He walked on 3 knuckles

[svjatazarov]

шикарно!!!!

[russell7771181]

superb!

[heron520]

great singer.....thanks for this. what dou you all think about Marcello Giordano?a great rigoletto.and Simone.

[bassobaritono]

is the recording slow? That was not a "G" at the end. It's a F#. However, that is truly a great voice! What I would call an actual Dramatic Baritone..we don't have any truly dramatic baritones anymore just pushed lyric or kavalier baritone. Thick, rich, metallic sound with plenty of squillo....

[Capta1nAm3rica]

timeless, eternal, refreshing after the thousandth repetition.

[pepeelsordo]

But, we have the great Tomasito!! (ha,ha)

Fantatic Danise.

Thanks.

[796824]

There are no Baritones in the Metropolitan today, Danise far outshines any of them.

[orovalleydude]

@796824 For what my educated opinion is worth, [I studied voice for 15 years with Horne's first teacher, Joe Klein] I agree with you. There are no baritones at the Met today

[796824]

It's heartening to find a connoisseur

[barrocke]

FANTASTIC ! Thanks for uploading ! (but man! your Karajan's Brandenburg video is horrible) 8^B "Deutce Liberace"?

[hashatz]

The quality of a singer is measured by his intelligent interpretation. Danise is a baritone to be reckoned with at any age.

[Agorante]

Danise isn't obscure or forgotten. He's not as well known perhaps as Ruffo, Straciari, or Amato but there is an article on him in Grove's and there are recordings of him in most of the baritone compilations.

He is in fact remembered. Quick, who played Jolson's mother in "The Jazz Singer"? Who ever the hell she was, she's forgotten.

This is a very good recording of a very good voice.

[bodiloto]

+ 100 !!!!!

[svjatazarov]

на слух слышу шикарную школу пения! поёт как разговаривает! легко! смех шикарный! нет горла, "индюка" пылесоса в себя, очень естественно звучит голос, ля-бемоль шикарная и естественная! поёт без напряжения! похоже на шикарную школу пения через А

[Achbar]

He sounds Great!

[Kievest]

Thank you for this engaging historical

journey. Danise is new to me but his

dramatic power is undeniable. The

photos truly "flesh" out his persona

(sorry) and enrich the audio.

[operalament]

it is not without some trepidation that I say this, but i disagree . I find his phrasing clumsy in places, in some places his pitch his all over the lot, and i simply do not hear great vocal production. i have profound respect for primobaritono, his knowledge and taste are of the highest order, Im not familiar with danise, and this may be a bad example, but i just listened to it again and i think it is pretty mediocre, if not down right poor.

[ahtenor]

please check out my vocal workouts......

"alberto hernandez vocal 12,3,4,5,6,7 and 8".......appreciate any feed back...

[Aetion]

Honestly speaking, I didnt have heard of him. A really great voice! Thanks for posting and info.

[butchfoot]

His recordings, at least the ones i have were issued in the states on Brunswick . Probably if he would have been on Victor he would have been better known.

[aboxguitar]

He has a great covering sound!

[raythespian]

I remember the name, but never actually heard or saw Danise.  He sings this beautifully, although the Ab and G are not among the best.

[acla9000]

Oh, it's the first time ever I heard about this baritone! None artist should be forgotten, so thanks for the memory, primobaritono!

[geok53]

wow thats all i got to say. Its sad that he has been for gotten . Can you please put more vid of him !!!! He is really good better then some of the baritones of today.

[leadoffeohippus]

This might be the best rendition of this aria I've ever heard.

[neronnenn]

peccato non canti "puntato", appoggia un po', comunque voce di primo piano

[pasfresh123]

vocal perfection! we are sooooooo far from this nowadays.

[johnhoie]

Never heard of him before, and I hate to judge on one recording, but he sounds first rate.

I'd love to hear him sing "Il Balen".

[LIANG14]

Wonderful baritone, such great flow of sound.

Brilliant laugh as well!  Sometimes laughing well is stupidly hard. =D

[Shinollama]

Dude i play a baritone and ya....im a girl and not many girls play baritones so "BARITONES UNITE"

[singinginachurch]

A baritone? Cool!

What are you acting in?

[arn123321]

if you sing baritone, you're not a girl, period

[Shinollama]

i DON'T sing baritone I play an instrument called a baritone horn!

[Lantogh]

@Shinollama Is impossible even for a contraalt o-o

[stefakamelpash]

Whoa! Talk about line! Virtually the entirety of the aria is one long flow of sound. Amazing singing!

[greatvoicewebsite]

Hi everybody,

Do you know that Giuseppe Danise' site is on line since 2004?

giuseppe-danise dot com.

It's the official site.

The web site contains rare pictures and document from Danise's personal and family archive-

Please visit our web site

[greatvoicewebsite]

TEST

[operacaster]

guiseppe danise was a wonderful baritone of the golden era of caruso whom he sang with. he was also bidu sayao's husband and a good teacher. one of his students was the very good tenor barry morrell.

see... some of us remember the giants of yesterday :--) i sure miss this type of sound

[gmmix]

Never knew Danise was Bidu Sayao's husband!

Thank you for this significent nugget of information. Danise: fine, fine baritone.

Thanks, too, to the poster.

[michonnetsu]

overwhelming vocal and interpretive richness! The rising of pitch (A444 is basically the norm today, ask any harpist you meet), the need to have a presence on three continents at once. louder orchestras and "shirtless" productions are all somewhat to blame. Training that reduces the individuality (harder to conduct or stage without lengthier collaboration) of a young singer is also culpable. We have to keep trying as teachers and audiences need to start demanding as well.

[michonnetsu]

overwhelming vocal and interpretive richness! The rising of pitch (A444 is basically the norm today, ask any harpist you meet), the need to have a presence on three continents at once. louder orchestras and "shirtless" productions are all somewhat to blame. Training that reduces the individuality (harder to conduct or stage without lengthier collaboration) of a young singer is also culpable. We have to keep trying as teachers and audiences need to start demanding as well.

[gpoec]

Each age is an age unto itself. These comments, though enjoyable, range from high humor to sheer ignorance. All of the singers from the past were great. Today any fool can make a record. There wouldn't be a record of their singing if they weren't rich or great.  The wonderful young lions of today will mellow, and another generation will be making the same stupid comments (you know who you are). Better to be a singer than a critic. Try it, put yourself on YouTube and let us have a go at you.

[discoverer05]

He was part of that cornucopia of great baritons of the Italian school in the period 1880-1930. The first was Giuseppe Kashmann, la last Carlo Tagliabue, the greatest (for me) Pasquale Amato. In addition: Mattia Battistini, Carlo Galeffi, Giuseppe Stracciari, Titta Ruffo, Giuseppe de Luca, Mario Ancona. Each of them would be considered the number one today. And they were singing almost in the same period. If the term golden age has a sense, that was golden age!

[civoknum]

Giuseppe Kashmann is not Italian. he was born in Croatia on island Mali Losinj

[raythespian]

I started listening in the '40s, and Danise's name was still bandied about. But records were scarse and expensive, and I don't think I ever heard him. Thanks for reviving this legendary baritone.

[popertop]

that hilarious mustache was so worth it.

[mvconnelly]

Bravissimo.  Thank you for sharing.

[paulostroff99]

Unbelievably good!

[Giovannifabuloso]

Not only was he one of the greatest baritones of the century,but a great teacher as well.Singers like this are never forgotten. They live on throughout the ages because of their great art. Singers today could not hope to polish this great mans shoes. The art of singing today is dead. There are no great singers anymore or great teachers> Today the music schools crank out singers that all sound the same. They have no personality or understanding of the art. In short they do not know how to sing.

[Chum2MarchHare]

Generalizations and derision don't exactly elevate fine singers such as Danise. Neither does such a comment contribute to the perpetuation of the singing art. In my humble experience at music school, respect for great singers of both past and present was encouraged. It is possible to enjoy many of the wonderful living artists on their own terms. Even during the communication age, individual legacies can take time to establish.

[Giovannifabuloso]

I am a professional Opera Singer myself. Please sit down and listen to Rosa Ponselle, Leonard Warren, Jussi Bjorling, and Beniamino Gigli. Can any of todays singers compare to any of them? The teachers in the music schools do not have a clue about the GRand Tradition. Music schools these days are a joke. At least you know who Danise was.

[iamamusIim2]

i agree

[796824]

AMEN. Singing today, if one can call it that, is ludicrous to the extreme. No one has the vaguest idea what Chiaroscuro singing is all about. How fortunate to have collectors who air the Golden Age of Singing on You Tube.

[rupepill]

Well said. In every age there seem to have been - and continue to be - fine singers to enjoy. Good singing no doubt would be encouraged by informed appreciation; it is unlikely to thrive on negativity. Having so many singers, past and present, available here at YouTube happily enables listeners, if they wish, to form their own opinions.

[TheAdmiringFool]

A roaring lion!!! What a voice!!!

[OPERASVERKER671]

The orchestra is probably Edison Orchestra and they are not a very good opera-orchestra.

[mrtyles]

those treble notes near the end were great.

[796824]

The claque of yesteryear knew when Danise sang, the walls of the Metropolitan shook It didn't require electronic enhancement as seen today. No singing to match this now

[TITO13ITALIAN]

Well, without entering the squabble over old and new singers, let me say a huge thank you to Primobaritono for acquainting me with this thrilling voice. I'm 71 and still discovering new vocal marvels (the most recent being the worldclass instrument of Joseph Shore - Cameratamaestro).

[jayboytheplayboy]

Thanks for posting; a truly great singer.

[Ankhsnammon]

Chiaroscuro,bellezza,inalterab­ile potenza!!!!

dove sono i baritoni come lui oggidì?

Non ce ne sono più voci così in questo mondo?perchè?

ankhsnammon

[Costantino80]

Uno dei motivi è dovuto all'accordatura delle orchestre, ai tempo di Verdi e subito dopo era mi pare 4,36. Adesso è più alta, a volte anche 4,44.Una cosa davvero irritante!!!

[MrCafiero]

Today he would be considered a bass-baritone.  How sad. It is wonderfully chiaroscuro!

[primobaritono]

You're right ! He's got a lot more weight in his voice than Terfel. And more squillo, too.

[Ankhsnammon]

Sirs,please!at Danise's side,Terfel doesn`t exist!!!

[bradleyjenks]

That's kinda crap, isn't it? You've only heard a few recordings of this guy. True, he sounds really good. But in performance on his worst day, people would sell an appendage to sing like Terfel. You have no idea how often this guy sang well or badly in actual performance, right? Wanna hear a great singer, sadly forgotten, who always delivered? John Charles Thomas. Forgotten due to rep, not his singing. HE was a truly great 'forgotten' singer.

[Ankhsnammon]

Sir,dear sir:

with all my respect for mr.terfel and the other baritones of today,and,obviously!,for you....I would sell my soulto the devil for to sing almost a bit like the golden voices of the past!!!!!

Expressivity,emotion,fierce strngth...but delicate feelings in each note...

art is a language from heart..and to heart...

not from pocket to pocket,sir!!!

and,today,the...eh,mmmmm"artis­ts"?...are much more interested in their very rich pockets....

with respect,ever!

ankhsnammon

[bradleyjenks]

After years of listening to "Golden Age" singers, I am amazed audiofiles prefer old singers uncritically. As if being dead makes them great. I think, when I listen to his contemporaries, that one reason Caruso was special is that he sang more consistently in tune than others. Bad pitch is called expression, bad rhythm.. rubato. I won't call older generations crap. But there are so many lovely contemporary singers. Don't judge them by scratchy recordings of out-of-tune singers.

[Ankhsnammon]

i`m 39 years old....maybe this is the reason,being an old woman,of to prfer the old recordings,the nostalgic sounds...forgive me for my terrifying ignorance,sir!!!

now,about mrterfel:sir,he`s the sole baritoen whom i can call baritone,and very serious artist in our days...!the famous(sadly famous,indeed!)1989 cardiff contest must be won by him...from my humble oppinion.I think that his Hans sachs was incomparable!

ankhsnammon

[hermanzoon]

John Charles Thomas. Next to his name should be this: If you want to learn to sing, listen to this man; Flawless technique.

Yes, he sang many things most likely frowned upon by "real" opera singers. Chaliapin refused to sing with him again because Thomas (Valentin, in Faust) received more acclaim. Shows you the childish ego of Chaliapin.

[radsvid]

Well, that's a bit far-fetched. It is clear that Danise is another category vocally. Terfel, however, has an incredible stage presence. His Leporello is always fun to watch.

[Ankhsnammon]

Yes,Sir.this is true.His Leporello is very very nice tosee...an to listen to!

ankhsnammon(Nina)

[xavierfersanta]

The great Danise, incredible singing like in all his records. I've never heard his prologue, thanks for sharing this.

[stevevandien]

Terrific. We hear the full, rich tone and ringing top with the substantial tonal core (no wooliness or woofiness) typical of Danise and his contemporaries among Italian baritones --

[contediwarwick]

Wasn't he Bidu Sayao's husband?

[primobaritono]

Yes indeed.

[sagalat]

Great. Never heard of him. I often wonder where you get this stuff? And the photos of Leoncavallo, what a dandy. Looks like Rossini. I wonder if he too was so successful as to have a house on Bois de Boulogne full of dancers from the Crazy Horse? Thanks.

[primobaritono]

My dad and I collect historic recordings, it's sort of our hobby. I don't know much about Leoncavallo's life, but I bet reading a biography on him would be interesting.