Leonard Warren - Rigoletto - "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata"

[1927edith]

Thank you very much for this! I've heard his name from my mum, she said he was the best bariton of a XX. centrury.

[mrspanamadi]

I grew up on this recording....nothing comes close to Leonard Warren in this role. I feel so fortunate to have had the education that included opera in my life.

My first version of a live Rigoletto performance was in 1952 at City Center in NYC. I was 8 years old and rivetted. I have no idea who the singers were but the performance was wonderful to me.

I remember the duke in the La Donne Mobile aria lost a cap in his teeth and spent the rest of the performance trying to hold his cap,

[theropodia]

Bastianini? Warren? Warren? Bastianini?... I can never choose! Awesome.

[harley75604]

Leonard Warren is my all time favorite singer. He was incredible. Sadly he died at age 49 on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera during a performance.

[SHICOFF1]

The best in the role ever. Bravo! RIP

[LardoDiColonnata]

What a voice! :-)

Even italian accent it's good...

[SHICOFF1]

@stevevandien YES YES AND YES--- I heard him sing on sirius met. radio yesterday in Forza from 1954 a live performance with Penno and Zinka and he out sang penno in his Role, his voice sounded huge in both solenne and Invano duets. Penno had a big tenor voice but Warren had all that power and a rich creamy sound Besides, the Verdi King! he was fantastic!

[maya4406]

That is amazing!!! A real color of Baryton!!! He sings sul fiato and in the correct place!!!

[VolkgartenBySquirrel]

Wow! Warren's Rigoletto is not just a superstitious buffoon. Here's a man who is employed by a puppet Duke (whose hangers-on control him by managing his appetites). The Courtiers' dog-kicking hubris equal the Duke's in purveying a very sheltered girl as the week's bed toy. Warren's Rigoletto turns the screw past it's last stop, and seeths with the blood craving of a man who now must amuse and cajole for Gilda's life because the Duke's gentlemen are not above permanently resolving - problems.

[funwithFred]

As far as baritones go, my heart belongs to Leonard Warren <3

[funwithFred]

He was the best....the best!

[AnryK2690]

No words can describe this! I am near crying.

[LordMgls]

This is my favourite baritone aria. Great rendition, but I prefer others. :-)

[AnryK2690]

@LordMgls Namely?

Well. Perhaps Gobbi, Bastianini, Bruson.

[LordMgls]

You will certainly send me to a certain place, but audibly, I love passioned Rigoletto by Dieskau. Gobbi, Nucci, Milnes. Etc etc. :-)

[AnryK2690]

@LordMgls The only reason I am not sending you "there" is that you are my friend. :-) Well. When I listen a Schubert's lieder by Dieskau, he is insuperable, but not here. At least for me. He does great what he can do, but the matter is that he CAN'T really sing this with his soft voice. At least for me...

[LordMgls]

I've heard he is not able to sing without digital remasteration, etc. I don't know it; therefore, I can't judge him out of what he shows in that recording with Scotto & Bergonzi + Kubelik. A very enigmatic interpretation, in my idea. He's romantic in the meaning of the word; but in the historical and artistic sigificate, Verdi is a Romantic as well. I like it. (Thanks for not sending me 'there' - yet. LOL)

Nucci is more reccitativo, it even seemsAnArioso, but it could be anywayAndWeDidnTCatchIt

[GermanOperaSinger]

If I was playing one of Gilda's kidnappers next to Warren's Rigoletto, I'd probably have peed my pants after hearing him deliver that first line, and returned Gilda to him at once!

[taxijunkie]

warum sehne ich mich nach Aufnahmen mit Interpreten aus besagter zeit, einige wie Vickers und Vinay habe ich noch erleben dürfen..oder Mc Cracken(als opernhördebütant).....dann kam mit den grosen 3 die herbe enttäuschung, oberflächlichkeit und vermarktschreierisches Gehabe...Schade um den Reichtum Oper

[schlusnus]

Jmccraken and 34FG.

Dosen't this show the difference in recording techniques

so clear, his voice ideal plus for the jester and like all

comments the best Ive ever heard of cortigiani.

Congrats for airing and and Jmcc for script.

[GermanOperaSinger]

Simply frightening...in my opinion the 1950 Rigoletto he recorded with Berger and Peerce to this day remains the greatest commercial recording of this opera.

[cantorga]

@GermanOperaSinger AMEN, BROTHER!!!!!!!!

[stevevandien]

Warren's voice was huge AND hugely powerful. His vocal technique encompassed a gorgeous mezza-voce and ppp along with his wall-shaking fortes. We Americans (USA AND Canada) have produced some outstanding operatic baritones, from Bispham and Whitehall to Tibbett, Lambert, Merrill, MacNeil, Marsh, Qulico, and Milnes. I have heard and admired them all. But Warren, for me at least, remains the best --

[schlusnus]

This is the real LW at his best in Verdi, sad he made a few records not quite upto his normal greatness.

I think he sang with Erna Berger in Rig: not sure but

if so what a perfect court jester.

[jmccracken1963]

@schlusnus Erna Berger was, indeed the Gilda of this recording. Also Jan Peerce as the Duke of Mantua, Italo Tajo as Sparafucile, Nan Merriman as Maddalena, and Richard Wentworth as Count Monterone. The chorus was the Robert Shaw Chorale. Recorded in the ballroom at Manhattan Center, New York City, in March of 1950 (that accounts for the oceanic echo!).

[tonyhan0903]

What a noble voice! I can't believe how huge his voice is at the low register. I say "My God!".

[mirzahrustanovic]

Bravo!!!!!

[Achbar]

This is Great!

[emaleroland]

wow

[tonyhan0903]

He's great. I like him even better than Gobbi.  Awesome. Bravo!!

[pavoman23]

they are twoo completely different singers, but yeh they are incomparable warrens rich tone is just monstrous

[songsofscarlet]

people never realize how great of a technician LW was...and how huge his voice was. unmatched

[gomongio]

I prefer the Rigoletto by the great Gobbi

[BassoAntico]

Sì. Anche io.

[Operaddict]

Warren must have kept Gobbi "regular"...every time he heard him it must have scared the s--t out of him!

[vilabreze]

This is an ugly thing to say. Not flattering about either of these great artists.

[operadoc]

i have been listening to opera for many years and this is unquestionably the best baritone voice I have ever heard. The tone is rich, the expression and phrasing is unmatched and his high notes are full and sustained

[roselandalvin]

@operadoc  you are in the vast majority-- truly an instrument that dominated every role he ever sang -He takes a back seat to no one

[sospello]

Grazie de aver postato un brano del nostro baritono americano--bravo qui per l'emozione vocale. A fine baritone in Italian roles, perhaps not idiomatic to all, but wonderful vocal color here.