I like that tiny stain of, let's call it "imperfection", that some people here call "out of range" it gives the performance an additional dash of livelyness and drama (of course my taste, my opinion) - why it creates more goosebumps than other more perfectly sung versions. to quote Bacon - teres no beauty without some strangeness in its proportions, which, in my interpretation says that total perfection is always in danger to be boring...
I really don't understand how anyone can say this is beautiful. Di Stefano always pushes and sing open throughout the passaggio. The pitch always suffers (flat) and the sound is soo ugly.
A@jp40798 Few except DEL Monaco, caruso, aragall, corelly had legato and projection like pavrotti' s...Pavarotti never had to push his voice to make it sound big, but it had one of the best projection ever!
His range is fine. One of the best instruments of all time. I am partial to the gooey Italian voice. In my opinion, in the top 5 of all time for various reasons
Ronaldo... Check out the 72 recording by Pavarotti and Sutherland. It is glorious. Personally my favorite Dorma is Corelli. But my favorite Che gelida manina belongs to Giuseppe D.
Wonderful. I like love Jussi B's version, but that is audio only: the pain comes through strongly in this one and it looks like an on-stage masterpiece. Marvellous.
Anche io sono un ammiratore del GRANDE DI STEFANO.DEVOperò dire che il si naturale è "opaco"non squilla come dovrebbe! Certamente NON STAVA AL MEGLIO!
@giancarloguerrero I saw De Stefano in Turandot at the Lyric Opera in Chicago in 1961, opposite Birgit Nillson, with seats up front on the right aisle so I could see him clearly....red in the face and obviously straining to keep up with Nillson and the Orchestra in their final duet.....felt sorry for him! IMO his lovely voice was far better suited for the lighter roles he did earlier in his career.
Absolutely stunning ! His pronunciation of the lyrics is so complete. This is something that all non-Italian singers MUST study. So many singers butcher the Italian lyrics and the arias at that point become difficult to listen to.
This is the fellow of whom Bjoerling said, if he worked, could be better than any of them. Of course that is not true because none could be better than Bjoerling. However, i have always been relatively unmoved by Di Stefano. I say this with no disrespect, I simply find something missing. Bjoerling sang with total vocal perfection and achieved the sublime, Correlli for me , sang with an emotional itensity that is unequalled. Di Stefano is a good singer with a fair voice
A good singer with a fair voice????? wow you just disrespected a man MANY feel was the best EVER! you are entitled to an opinion however rediculous it is I guess. I am not sure what you listened to, but try Distefano's Core Ngrato and I dare you to find better.
I appreciate reading a well thought comment without someone ruining good dialogue with a stupid thumbs down.....only because they have a different opinion. This afternoon, I listened (without looking...just listened) to every known tenor sing this, and Bjorling's version is the most beautiful to the ear and soul. And, this is a sincere observation.....please no "thumbs down"
O_o Well, then I must say you are pretty ignorant *good singer with a fair voice* you must be kidding :D Among great masterpieces (masters) is no order ... Keep that in mind, all of them are amazing, I prefer The Big P.'s version, though.
DiStefano was indeed Pavarotti's idol and inspiration. He does not get the recognition because singing roles like this in Turdandot harmed his voice, and his greatness lasted about 15 years, with a dearth of great tenors to compete with. But in all of opera, there is not a great voice, or great heart, than DiStefano's. There are great recordings of Nessun Dorma, but this one stops me every time. The voice, color, clarity, emotion... bravissimo, Maestro Giuseppe...
So this guy was Pavarotti's idol. How come di Stefano never gets more credit as an opera legend? This recording is fabulous. Did he have a short career or something?
The whole tape slows down that's why the picth falls, it seems there's a lot of deaf people here in Youtube. I would love to see the original tape without that slowing down to aprecciate the last vincero in tune.
This is a remarkable voice and artistry. If these were not his natural arias, a "spinto", pushing his lyric voice to dramatic heights, bless him for the courage and artistry. The remarkable tone, character, precision and emotion of DiStephano at his best ranks him among the greatest voices ever to grace the stage. Even with the less-than-stupendous ending, this is marvelous and heart-rending. Bravo, Pippo.
The sound of his voice and interpretation is brilliant, in my opinion... but it seems that he didn´t charish his gift the way he should have... and for that his voice "lost" its potential to become even more great! (but of course folks, that´s my opinion : )
Pas d'accord messieurs dames. Ce n'est pas un rôle pour lui, il n'en n'a pas la voix. D'ailleurs ses sons sont trop ouverts, preuve qu'il rame. Mais il reste un grand ténor tout de même dans "ses" rôles.
Someone has made a comment stating that Stefano would sound like most other tenors if he didn't keep his top "open." I completely disagree... he is credited with "the most natural tenor voice" for a reason. If he learned to protect his top (and no, I DO NOT mean covering... covering is a means to an end in my opinion) his voice still would have been quite characteristic and natural. I doubt he would have sounded like all the other tenors.
wowyourgaiy, It wasn't my intention to do Pippo a disservice, by suggesting that his voice would have been indistinguishable had he not adopted his largely unique style of singing wide open, - it would always have been an outstandingly good voice. But the quality & unique tonal signature of any voice, is absolutely inseparable from the technique that forms it, - both its virtues & its flaws. It was self evidently his open vowel formation that imbued his voice with its lachrymose quality.
Con't. Pippo even tacitly admitted this himself. After being requested by a conductor one day to sing modified vowels above the bridging notes because he thought Pippo was singing too open, - Pippo replied - 'Like this?' - & proceeded to sing perfectly modulated vowels on high notes. The conductor remarked that it was beautiful & healthier vocally. Pippo then replied - 'Perhaps, - but it's no longer Di Stefano!'
Obviously Corelli & Bjoerling had more voice to work with when it came to this aria, but Pippo does an irresitible"motivo" to the phrasing. It all sounds stunning until that last note, however Pippo never had confidence in his upper range which came and went depending on the state the voice was in that day.
Too many faults here, it's not one of his best versions. Although his voice is good, and beautiful - noone ever got thosediminuendos - he never really learned to sing like a real pro. Had he, he would have been no 1 even surpassing Caruso. Too much smoke filled rooms playing cards at night, instead of practice...
mozzrt, but you have to consider that without the vocal flaws that defined Di Stefano's voice, it would not have sounded like Di Stefano! Without that too open production, it would have sounded like many other Italianate tenor voices, & would have conspicuously lacked that unique warm open sunny timbre. For the same reason, it was the tension in Tauber's throat that gave him that unique vibrato in his high voice, while at the same time limiting his range. Who would have it otherwise?
You've got a point there! At least he was surely one of the very best, and those heavenly pianis he produced... But when I want to get a lump in my throat, I rather than this - greatly overplayed aria - listen to Pippo singing 'Faust'. My gawd...
Yes! - The singers who move me emotionally, or make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, are the ones who are emotionally involved in the piece. The ones who reveal their inner thoughts, personality, character, soul. - Not the ones who sing with a geometrically precise homogenous pear shaped tone from bottom to top. If I want to listen to a synthesizer, I will. But I prefer to hear a human voice with human flaws that show his heart!
Pippo did sing with a too open production. But the weakness wasn't the open vowels, it was the imposition on the voice of too much power & dramatic singing with that production. When he was young, & singing more lyrically, the voice could do no wrong, because it was working within the inherent limitations of the technique he employed. The voice only said enough! When he started leaning on it for spinto power at the top. You can't fade to piano top C's without a superb technique!
A mio avviso, la voce più morbida e suadente della storia dell'opera. Però, nel ruolo di Calaf, non ce lo vedo. Sarebbe stato un grande belcantista, però ha rovinato la sua voce in ruoli troppo spinti e pesanti per lui. Resta un grande Pippo!
He shouts just like a street vendor, however his voice is so beautifull that many people have called him a great singer. I call him one of the greatest voice of all time, that never learned how to sing properly.
You sum it up very nicely. Gigli, Bjorling, Lauri Volpi and a few others are such "better" singers.. and yet despite Pippo's limitations especially in the high notes near the end, I always come back to this version. He was one of the greatest singers ever.
there was a fluctuation of the playback speed of the recording at the very end in the high notes. you can hear whole orchestra drop about 10 or 15 cents. he wasn't singing flat...
greattenors: you may be being just a tad hard on him. I love the sound but hate the method.He really did have an exceptional voice of more than adequate power for lyric roles. But recording the arias from Fanciulla, Forza, etc., invites his friend Mr. WayFlaT in. Of course who he resembles a lot in this is Martinelli once his ship left port about 10 years before he did. The Turandot from Covent Garden, much praised in England has some really nasty moments.
DiStefano had a career long battle with his intonation witness the flat top notes in I Puritani, his first complete opera with Callas. Even when his singing is in pitch its not really agreeable after the mid 1950s. He had one of the greatest natural voices in history but Tucker, who had just as great natural gift, was still in great voice when he passed-away at 61. DiStefano's career was in tatters by the time he was 40.
Di Stefano could not sing a thing decently after 1952. Here He is way off pitch in the high B (almost half a tone). But the worst is that his voice is so ruined and sressed that the voice color changes constantly over the passagio.
True, leucemy had probably the largest responsability in his decline, but his repertoire was too often inappropriate and his cords started to degenerate even before he fell ill
Did you hear this great singer, live without a mic? If so please post an objective description to add to the wonderful YouTube archive before the memory is lost for ever.
Recordings don't tell everything. Quality, size of voice, character, integrity, movement & the effect on an audience need describing too. How I wish I could have been there in 1734 to hear Farinelli stun an audience with a single note, but we do at least have Charles Burney's marvellous account.
What a pitty! With such ventures in drammatic repertory, dubious technique and undisciplined night life he ruined his cariera. Such carismatic artist!
lilyan...i think the best version except the fact of more experience of this field of maestro distefano...BUT BY THE FACT OF SOFT,MILD,TENDER,PULPY impression[because when someone sleeping we must respect that]-and a roughly accent[i.e albano=accent provencial] in one voice may destroy,ruin the final result....
I agree he is not best Calaf, but he is the only singer to ever make me fall in absolute love with his voice. I can't describe it really, but I know someone must feel that way about someone. If he was still here, or if I had been around back then, I'd try to marry him rofl
di Stefano "invented" a new sound-producing method, which makes his vioce veerrrrrryyyyyyy different from other tenors (listen to him singing Core 'Ngrato and you will surely understand)
nokia1242000: Please DiStefano's voice was really totally gone BEFORE he was 40! He tried to talk Pavarotti into opening up the top they way he did to please the public. Pavarotti who was a really brilliant student of singing KNEW that following DiStefano's example = bye bye voice and he resisted the suggestion. Pavarotti, like or hate his laziness and clowning around, never offended the ears. DiStefano can be counted upon for OMG that's awful quite often.
Okay, I'll admit I don't know much...But I do know Pippo was great and I love him in any role. Even Pavarotti was critized for this opera because he was a bel canto--much too delicate for the Calaf!
Ok. In fairness, the video obviously slows, lowering the pitch almost a half step there right before the "vincero". It's so obvious! You just can't say he's flat, c'mon!
For me, Nessun Dorma its an Aria for a tenor with a deep voice. For a Dramatic Tenor who can reach the high notes too. Or a Liric Tenor that can get it deep. That the Nessun Dorma that i like the most.
Two things brought DiStefano's glorious instrument to an untimely demise. One, his shoddy technique which rarely addressed covering the passagio area from the middle to the upper register. In short, he sings wide on the top notes. And two, his ventures into roles like Calaf and Otello which are the domain of the heroic tenor and clearly exposed the limitations previously outlined. Pippo was first and last a lyric tenor and should have realized that. His career might have been longer.
It *is* flat, especially the high B at the end. I don't think this performance is particularly good. Perhaps Pavarotti persisted in saying that di Stefano was his favorite tenor because he knew the man was no match for him. For me, in addition to Pavarotti, the greatest Nessun Dorma I've heard was sung by Jussi Bjoerling.
No where near Pavarotti or even Richard Tucker and Jussi Bjorling.....did not possess the power or range of Pavo or the others.....diction and emotion however were very good.
He had the cloth, but, alas, not the technique. Listen to the "spread."
vpo2g2 2 weeks ago
Is it just me or does the orchestra change key on the last Vincero? Sounds like they went down a half step, the "B4" sounds more like a Bb4
nicktabus1000 1 month ago
es mi tenor favorito..le amo
ryuchyglorina 1 month ago
He makes no passagio!!! This sort of "technique" obviously destroyed his voice...
listeningtoit 3 months ago
Mr Italy - The Greatest !
DinoLucca1 3 months ago
please keep his memory alive, visit the facebook page:
IN MEMORIA OF GIUSEPPE DI STEFANO
floriasadventures 3 months ago
era el idolo de pavarotti, ahora entiendo el parecido al cantar nessun dorma
juanmanuelchano 3 months ago
PiPPO, ..el corazón mas grande que el pecho.....
coreTenore 4 months ago
I like that tiny stain of, let's call it "imperfection", that some people here call "out of range" it gives the performance an additional dash of livelyness and drama (of course my taste, my opinion) - why it creates more goosebumps than other more perfectly sung versions. to quote Bacon - teres no beauty without some strangeness in its proportions, which, in my interpretation says that total perfection is always in danger to be boring...
Bahutsauvage 4 months ago in playlist Corelli Turandot
I really don't understand how anyone can say this is beautiful. Di Stefano always pushes and sing open throughout the passaggio. The pitch always suffers (flat) and the sound is soo ugly.
JCLAWS 4 months ago
not good ....
joshlive29 6 months ago
I prefer Pav on this one.
dennisdeemii 6 months ago
@dennisdeemii i gusti sono gusti ma tu ci capisci poco di lirica.
RiKoTheKing 6 months ago
A@jp40798 Few except DEL Monaco, caruso, aragall, corelly had legato and projection like pavrotti' s...Pavarotti never had to push his voice to make it sound big, but it had one of the best projection ever!
daphnebeloved 6 months ago
Comment removed
marguerite263 7 months ago
Thanks for this Di Stefano treat. It has been said, perhaps correctly, that his technique was flawed but that golden voice who cares?
FRANKHODGES39 7 months ago
His range is fine. One of the best instruments of all time. I am partial to the gooey Italian voice. In my opinion, in the top 5 of all time for various reasons
WestChesterMike 7 months ago
I love his songs, but not this one. Maybe this one is slightly out of his range?
peterwdeng 7 months ago
perfect
TheMare7890 8 months ago
Pavarotti tried to emulate Stefano's flow, you can hear it especially in this song.
TheDervishSufi 9 months ago
catastrophe !!!
joshland29 10 months ago 2
SIMPLY THE BEST!!!
kenngala 11 months ago
i like this version but i feel its a little too bright at times. other than that it sounds godly
MUTEGIO36 11 months ago
How can you compare this with the other singer?
it is a good phrasing, breathing, tone pure lyric
sincerity
Unfortunately, all recording devices are not fully convey the lyrical high voices, the timbre becomes Silver with sound
oks29 11 months ago
His phrasing is so dynamic and stylish. You can tell Pavarotti studied this guy a lot.
tonyhan0903 1 year ago 2
@MisterPapageno the recording was slowed down in the last bit, so do note sounds awful....but I do agree that his high notes are not good
mgdoom 1 year ago
Orchestra did something weird... lowered the pitch. 2:53- 2:54
aguacun 1 year ago
@aguacun i think he was just flat
tomcane8 10 months ago
I can see why he is pavarotti's Idol, Absolutly amazing.
alkincilogt1 1 year ago
Gigli and Corelli my favorite Nessun Dorma singer.
cantweb09 1 year ago
Di Stefano, Pavarotti and Alessandro Valente is the best Nessun Dorma singers!
Hunorrrr 1 year ago
Ronaldo... Check out the 72 recording by Pavarotti and Sutherland. It is glorious. Personally my favorite Dorma is Corelli. But my favorite Che gelida manina belongs to Giuseppe D.
mikem5151 1 year ago
Pavarotti's favourite! great performance!
a3aanm 1 year ago
Pav was good in this but only on recitals and for TV. This is one of the best versions ever
ronaldo190172 1 year ago
Wonderful. I like love Jussi B's version, but that is audio only: the pain comes through strongly in this one and it looks like an on-stage masterpiece. Marvellous.
99Gambo 1 year ago
Mario Del Monaco also had a wonderful version and also Corelli. Giuseppe's rendition is awesome.
99Gambo 1 year ago
Anche io sono un ammiratore del GRANDE DI STEFANO.DEVOperò dire che il si naturale è "opaco"non squilla come dovrebbe! Certamente NON STAVA AL MEGLIO!
ulisseclisse 2 years ago
Awesome! The first I heard his music was in the movie The Goodfellas. After experiencing it, i was hooked.
johneverready 2 years ago
this is not in goodfellas! lol and you know it dont you haha
mrm4xim4m 2 years ago
good but squeezed and the pitch goes back and forth. For beauty and dead-on pitch, no can touch Luciano Pavarotti.
tklogan11809 2 years ago
@tklogan11809 Totally disagree. Several
have not only "touched" Pavarotti but gone
way beyond him most notably Corelli...best vocal tenor of the 20th Cent.
brunobrandy 1 year ago 2
to me his voice is prefect.i love caruso jussi gigli the list goes on and on but i find this voice the best
thedukeofjazz 2 years ago 5
Cuore ed interpretazione... non solo tecnica! Grandissimo di Stefano. Il mio preferito con Corelli.
SchmidtCaspar 2 years ago
PARFAIT !!!
Grazie a Oneguin65 !
Francesca
francesca7564 2 years ago
he's perfection
fpareen 2 years ago 2
Wonderful!
SchugOo 2 years ago
simply amazing.
one of my favorites by him.
thanks for posting!
xTjPx 2 years ago
he might have been shouting a bit at thsi point in his career, but the beauty and clarity of the voice and diction is undeniable.
giancarloguerrero 2 years ago 9
@giancarloguerrero I saw De Stefano in Turandot at the Lyric Opera in Chicago in 1961, opposite Birgit Nillson, with seats up front on the right aisle so I could see him clearly....red in the face and obviously straining to keep up with Nillson and the Orchestra in their final duet.....felt sorry for him! IMO his lovely voice was far better suited for the lighter roles he did earlier in his career.
Republicrat74 7 months ago
The sheer beauty of his voice is overwhelming.
Extremely well focus, great flow, intelligent interpretations.
In my world, the only one to match him here is Jussi. (And Jussi had a huge admiration for di Stefano.)
PEAinSwe 2 years ago 16
Stiemt zu hoch.
MultiKoek 2 years ago
de,Safano & Corelli do it for me
tatters1232006 2 years ago
In the same league as Domingo, hideous beyond belief.
mannail888 2 years ago
@mannail888 is he or isn't he?
sugarbist 9 months ago
Absolutely stunning ! His pronunciation of the lyrics is so complete. This is something that all non-Italian singers MUST study. So many singers butcher the Italian lyrics and the arias at that point become difficult to listen to.
thespian12345 2 years ago
Giuseppe di Stefano is magnificento!
777Thinking 2 years ago 3
Lui pronunciò così bene tutte le lettere, stupendo
silverbud 2 years ago 5
Totally out of his elements.
mannail888 2 years ago
dennis567, i have no idea what you are talking about your comment does not make any sense
operalament 2 years ago
This is the fellow of whom Bjoerling said, if he worked, could be better than any of them. Of course that is not true because none could be better than Bjoerling. However, i have always been relatively unmoved by Di Stefano. I say this with no disrespect, I simply find something missing. Bjoerling sang with total vocal perfection and achieved the sublime, Correlli for me , sang with an emotional itensity that is unequalled. Di Stefano is a good singer with a fair voice
operalament 2 years ago
It is Bjorling, and if you really think that he as a better sound, try a other kind of music....
dennismarian567 2 years ago
How miserable can you be, fooling around with two of the greatest voices of the past century. They both sang their own way. Both were great.
carclamcc 2 years ago 6
A good singer with a fair voice????? wow you just disrespected a man MANY feel was the best EVER! you are entitled to an opinion however rediculous it is I guess. I am not sure what you listened to, but try Distefano's Core Ngrato and I dare you to find better.
tonybada1 2 years ago
I appreciate reading a well thought comment without someone ruining good dialogue with a stupid thumbs down.....only because they have a different opinion. This afternoon, I listened (without looking...just listened) to every known tenor sing this, and Bjorling's version is the most beautiful to the ear and soul. And, this is a sincere observation.....please no "thumbs down"
Wanderwd 2 years ago
O_o Well, then I must say you are pretty ignorant *good singer with a fair voice* you must be kidding :D Among great masterpieces (masters) is no order ... Keep that in mind, all of them are amazing, I prefer The Big P.'s version, though.
JericClage 2 years ago
DiStefano was indeed Pavarotti's idol and inspiration. He does not get the recognition because singing roles like this in Turdandot harmed his voice, and his greatness lasted about 15 years, with a dearth of great tenors to compete with. But in all of opera, there is not a great voice, or great heart, than DiStefano's. There are great recordings of Nessun Dorma, but this one stops me every time. The voice, color, clarity, emotion... bravissimo, Maestro Giuseppe...
jd1906sf 2 years ago 3
So this guy was Pavarotti's idol. How come di Stefano never gets more credit as an opera legend? This recording is fabulous. Did he have a short career or something?
5stringofFernandoSor 2 years ago
The whole tape slows down that's why the picth falls, it seems there's a lot of deaf people here in Youtube. I would love to see the original tape without that slowing down to aprecciate the last vincero in tune.
Cheers
scalectric 2 years ago
I think they slowed the tape so he could sing the high note. Veritably impossible to sing that open and sustained and not beef the B.
blueman3 2 years ago
Only if that B natural was...............God is equal. Gave him clear diction instead.
steakopera 2 years ago
La più bella e la più passionale voce dell'epoca discografica. Un riccardo, un rodolfo, un Germont quasi impossibili da superare.
nalekhina 2 years ago
that is definitely the most perfect diction I've ever heard on this aria.
Greatheil 2 years ago 3
Devapooo you're so lucky, he was the greatest ever and my favorite. Did you know him?
VictorAWineGuy 2 years ago
di stefano era un belcantista?
tomviolenceisadream 2 years ago
¿se equivocó en la última nota o me parece?
euterpeasecas 2 years ago
creo que depende de la baja calidad del video no se
andyroma72 2 years ago
te parece...!
minuicch 2 years ago
del monaco diceva che era il piu grande del dopoguerra
andyroma72 2 years ago
that is my great great grandfather
Devapooo 2 years ago 5
Cool!
AZo9jojo 2 years ago 3
He was born in '21. A bit young for a great, great grandfather wouldn't you think :p
clujsander 2 years ago
TIENE UN SONIDO MUY DURO..
SEGOVIALOPEZRAMOS 2 years ago
genial distefano como tenor d belcanto y algunos papeles verdianos, calaf le viene grande creo k se necesita mas drama.
es mi timbre d voz favorito pero cavaradossi y otros papeles k abordo creo k n eran acordes a sus caracteristicas
grande distefano!
figaromitico 2 years ago
Dear Lord... this is awful in so many ways...
dindoxal 2 years ago
Que nadie se ofenda por el anterior comentario,sé que es un grandísimo tenor, pero aquí ha pinchado un hueso.-
xjavierss 2 years ago
no nos ofendemos,pero creo que en el ultimo vincero, le pifio....
ellicantropo 2 years ago
pfffffff se le va un poco los finales de frase?
Amadeuss84 2 years ago
No se puede cantar peor.
xjavierss 2 years ago
Si si se puede no me has oido a mi jajajajjaja
Amadeuss84 2 years ago 2
This is a remarkable voice and artistry. If these were not his natural arias, a "spinto", pushing his lyric voice to dramatic heights, bless him for the courage and artistry. The remarkable tone, character, precision and emotion of DiStephano at his best ranks him among the greatest voices ever to grace the stage. Even with the less-than-stupendous ending, this is marvelous and heart-rending. Bravo, Pippo.
jd1906sf 2 years ago
The sound of his voice and interpretation is brilliant, in my opinion... but it seems that he didn´t charish his gift the way he should have... and for that his voice "lost" its potential to become even more great! (but of course folks, that´s my opinion : )
Karlott
Alfifa 2 years ago
He's obviously a bit flat on the B natural
and certainly didn't have the remarkable
voice of Corelli or even Tucker. This
is not the aria for him at all. A bit over
rated over the years I would say.
brunobrandy 2 years ago
There is a Core n'grato elsewhere by di Stefano and someone commented that his technique was failing there. And he was right.
Here, the technique is brilliant, focus excellent, movement through the passagio skilful.
Without question a great tenor who clearly needed coach guidance to the end of his great career.
donaldrose 2 years ago
Pas d'accord messieurs dames. Ce n'est pas un rôle pour lui, il n'en n'a pas la voix. D'ailleurs ses sons sont trop ouverts, preuve qu'il rame. Mais il reste un grand ténor tout de même dans "ses" rôles.
louvet66 2 years ago
puissance ou voix mélodieuse, on ne peut pas tout avoir.
galfaclub37 2 years ago
Alors il faut savoir rester dans son régistre!
louvet66 2 years ago
Qu'entendez-vous par rester dans son registre?
galfaclub37 2 years ago
Someone has made a comment stating that Stefano would sound like most other tenors if he didn't keep his top "open." I completely disagree... he is credited with "the most natural tenor voice" for a reason. If he learned to protect his top (and no, I DO NOT mean covering... covering is a means to an end in my opinion) his voice still would have been quite characteristic and natural. I doubt he would have sounded like all the other tenors.
wowyourgaiy 2 years ago
wowyourgaiy, It wasn't my intention to do Pippo a disservice, by suggesting that his voice would have been indistinguishable had he not adopted his largely unique style of singing wide open, - it would always have been an outstandingly good voice. But the quality & unique tonal signature of any voice, is absolutely inseparable from the technique that forms it, - both its virtues & its flaws. It was self evidently his open vowel formation that imbued his voice with its lachrymose quality.
hiyadroogs 2 years ago
Con't. Pippo even tacitly admitted this himself. After being requested by a conductor one day to sing modified vowels above the bridging notes because he thought Pippo was singing too open, - Pippo replied - 'Like this?' - & proceeded to sing perfectly modulated vowels on high notes. The conductor remarked that it was beautiful & healthier vocally. Pippo then replied - 'Perhaps, - but it's no longer Di Stefano!'
hiyadroogs 2 years ago
Secondo me il miglior "nessun dorma" resta quello di Franco Corelli..Di stefano mi piace in opere come Tosca,werther,arlesiana...
iononcambio 2 years ago
è un pò lenta l'esecuzione, d'accordo a dar spazio al cantante, ma non bisogna esagerare...DI Stefano è un grande ;)
damomostudio 2 years ago
too bad the record slows down at the end...it makes it seem like he didn't hit the final note...
mgdoom 2 years ago
Giuseppe di Stefano knows how join high quality music with real "fiddler joy".
This man lived his life in his way, he sang in his way and I am happy for it. :-)
ForAll23 2 years ago
Obviously Corelli & Bjoerling had more voice to work with when it came to this aria, but Pippo does an irresitible"motivo" to the phrasing. It all sounds stunning until that last note, however Pippo never had confidence in his upper range which came and went depending on the state the voice was in that day.
primobaritono77 2 years ago
You are rigth, is not one of his best versions, however, his voice is so powerful .
elizarhysmeyers 2 years ago 2
Too many faults here, it's not one of his best versions. Although his voice is good, and beautiful - noone ever got thosediminuendos - he never really learned to sing like a real pro. Had he, he would have been no 1 even surpassing Caruso. Too much smoke filled rooms playing cards at night, instead of practice...
mozzrt 2 years ago
mozzrt, but you have to consider that without the vocal flaws that defined Di Stefano's voice, it would not have sounded like Di Stefano! Without that too open production, it would have sounded like many other Italianate tenor voices, & would have conspicuously lacked that unique warm open sunny timbre. For the same reason, it was the tension in Tauber's throat that gave him that unique vibrato in his high voice, while at the same time limiting his range. Who would have it otherwise?
hiyadroogs 2 years ago
You've got a point there! At least he was surely one of the very best, and those heavenly pianis he produced... But when I want to get a lump in my throat, I rather than this - greatly overplayed aria - listen to Pippo singing 'Faust'. My gawd...
mozzrt 2 years ago
Yes! - The singers who move me emotionally, or make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, are the ones who are emotionally involved in the piece. The ones who reveal their inner thoughts, personality, character, soul. - Not the ones who sing with a geometrically precise homogenous pear shaped tone from bottom to top. If I want to listen to a synthesizer, I will. But I prefer to hear a human voice with human flaws that show his heart!
hiyadroogs 2 years ago 3
Pippo did sing with a too open production. But the weakness wasn't the open vowels, it was the imposition on the voice of too much power & dramatic singing with that production. When he was young, & singing more lyrically, the voice could do no wrong, because it was working within the inherent limitations of the technique he employed. The voice only said enough! When he started leaning on it for spinto power at the top. You can't fade to piano top C's without a superb technique!
hiyadroogs 2 years ago
Awesome, simply awesome
ronaldo190172 2 years ago
its a good version, sung well. i disagree with cga2000. bjorling,and volpi were not better than di stefano, and on this, song noway were they..
rouman7 2 years ago
This is great! One of my favorites singing Nessun Dorma is Alfredo Kraus. And he sings the Pearl Fishes sooo beautiful!
petereuropa 2 years ago
wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow he is the BEST
akunamatata92 2 years ago
Great Pippo!
ferildivo 2 years ago
A mio avviso, la voce più morbida e suadente della storia dell'opera. Però, nel ruolo di Calaf, non ce lo vedo. Sarebbe stato un grande belcantista, però ha rovinato la sua voce in ruoli troppo spinti e pesanti per lui. Resta un grande Pippo!
Calaf081081 2 years ago
He shouts just like a street vendor, however his voice is so beautifull that many people have called him a great singer. I call him one of the greatest voice of all time, that never learned how to sing properly.
antfreire 2 years ago
You sum it up very nicely. Gigli, Bjorling, Lauri Volpi and a few others are such "better" singers.. and yet despite Pippo's limitations especially in the high notes near the end, I always come back to this version. He was one of the greatest singers ever.
cga2000 2 years ago
His arias stand out above others in so very many ways.
maloneysandwich 2 years ago
great version, I think the Mario del Monaco & Mario Lanza renditions just a bit better
saiyan59 2 years ago
what happened to hes voice sounds really strange here I love pippo but I dont know what happened with him on this aria
dejabu24 2 years ago
Very good, but the high notes failed him there..
detubator 2 years ago
there was a fluctuation of the playback speed of the recording at the very end in the high notes. you can hear whole orchestra drop about 10 or 15 cents. he wasn't singing flat...
owenhsmith 2 years ago
Comment removed
hiyadroogs 2 years ago
You're right! That aside, the ending would've sounded fantastic! Unparalleled phrasing as well.
oneringwraithof9 2 years ago
greattenors: you may be being just a tad hard on him. I love the sound but hate the method.He really did have an exceptional voice of more than adequate power for lyric roles. But recording the arias from Fanciulla, Forza, etc., invites his friend Mr. WayFlaT in. Of course who he resembles a lot in this is Martinelli once his ship left port about 10 years before he did. The Turandot from Covent Garden, much praised in England has some really nasty moments.
gaytenor 2 years ago
Comment removed
Dalloway3 2 years ago
DiStefano had a career long battle with his intonation witness the flat top notes in I Puritani, his first complete opera with Callas. Even when his singing is in pitch its not really agreeable after the mid 1950s. He had one of the greatest natural voices in history but Tucker, who had just as great natural gift, was still in great voice when he passed-away at 61. DiStefano's career was in tatters by the time he was 40.
gaytenor 2 years ago
Di Stefano could not sing a thing decently after 1952. Here He is way off pitch in the high B (almost half a tone). But the worst is that his voice is so ruined and sressed that the voice color changes constantly over the passagio.
greattenors 2 years ago
i love him!!unbelievable!
riccimaggio 2 years ago 4
very good old times
praisethelord333 2 years ago
Totally inappropriate repertoire for this singer and he paid a heavy price for it the way it greatly shortened his career.
kmillard 2 years ago
Sooo true; tragically true!
It pains me to see things like this; the same happened to José Carreras.
Two of the most beautiful voices of the century ruined by bad repertoire choices and poor technique...
PickBit 2 years ago
Carreras more from the cancer that i think affected him a bit. Eventhough they say it didn't.
notlracstabb 2 years ago
True, leucemy had probably the largest responsability in his decline, but his repertoire was too often inappropriate and his cords started to degenerate even before he fell ill
PickBit 2 years ago
best tenor ever giuseppe shall never be forgotten
yruti 2 years ago
best peformer ever giuseppe will never
be forgotten
yruti 2 years ago
The last comment was meant for SebasGreco from 2 months ago.
barryoderfer 2 years ago
Only two tenors singing this song can bring a lump to my throat & a tear to my eye?.....Giuseppe & surprisingly Mario Lanza. BOTH AWESOME!! Ron
rontenn 2 years ago
Did you hear this great singer, live without a mic? If so please post an objective description to add to the wonderful YouTube archive before the memory is lost for ever.
Recordings don't tell everything. Quality, size of voice, character, integrity, movement & the effect on an audience need describing too. How I wish I could have been there in 1734 to hear Farinelli stun an audience with a single note, but we do at least have Charles Burney's marvellous account.
CharlotteinWeimar 2 years ago
Great Voice! Great! Great!
berto1999 2 years ago
Great between the Great's
italymxp 2 years ago
so this play is based on gook culture?
durango112 2 years ago
You could at least get your racist terminology correct!!!
"Chink" = Chinese (Turandot takes place in Beijing.)
"Gook" is slang for Korean.
And no, Turandot is based on an Italian novel by Gozzi "Turandotte."
kmillard 2 years ago
Gooks, Chinks, Japs, whats the difference?.
durango112 2 years ago
Well, just remember:
Madama Butterfly = Jap
Turandot = Chink
Music and libretto written by Wops for Wops.
That way, you'll always be an educated opera fan!!
kmillard 2 years ago
Or at least, an educated bigot! lol
hiyadroogs 2 years ago
Wow! I'd never heard this! Thankyou!
Englishtenor2 2 years ago
What a pitty! With such ventures in drammatic repertory, dubious technique and undisciplined night life he ruined his cariera. Such carismatic artist!
tomzoricic 2 years ago
Superb diction! Not a flawless performance, but very stirring.
southendmd 2 years ago
This is awesome!! He had such a clear, strong voice - this is one of my favorite versions of Nessun Dorma that I've heard!
novice1959 3 years ago
Grande come nessuno dopo di lui!
carasbino68 3 years ago
lilyan...i think the best version except the fact of more experience of this field of maestro distefano...BUT BY THE FACT OF SOFT,MILD,TENDER,PULPY impression[because when someone sleeping we must respect that]-and a roughly accent[i.e albano=accent provencial] in one voice may destroy,ruin the final result....
kostgian 3 years ago
Thank you for sharing... I know this version. Someone has shared it with me, I don't remember who exactly :-). The best version for sure!
AnaJilK 3 years ago
I agree he is not best Calaf, but he is the only singer to ever make me fall in absolute love with his voice. I can't describe it really, but I know someone must feel that way about someone. If he was still here, or if I had been around back then, I'd try to marry him rofl
Valyria 3 years ago
I get perfectly what you mean here. There are better tenors (not many), more skillful and powerful, but his voice makes me cry and suffer and rejoy
lapochka17 2 years ago
di Stefano "invented" a new sound-producing method, which makes his vioce veerrrrrryyyyyyy different from other tenors (listen to him singing Core 'Ngrato and you will surely understand)
nokia1242000 2 years ago
nokia1242000: Please DiStefano's voice was really totally gone BEFORE he was 40! He tried to talk Pavarotti into opening up the top they way he did to please the public. Pavarotti who was a really brilliant student of singing KNEW that following DiStefano's example = bye bye voice and he resisted the suggestion. Pavarotti, like or hate his laziness and clowning around, never offended the ears. DiStefano can be counted upon for OMG that's awful quite often.
gaytenor 2 years ago
un chef d'oeuvre, un grand homme, une grande voix si juste, avec ça, on refais cette magnifique interprétation.une pure merveille!!!!
bonnavesse 3 years ago
Okay, I'll admit I don't know much...But I do know Pippo was great and I love him in any role. Even Pavarotti was critized for this opera because he was a bel canto--much too delicate for the Calaf!
Remy1957 3 years ago
Ok. In fairness, the video obviously slows, lowering the pitch almost a half step there right before the "vincero". It's so obvious! You just can't say he's flat, c'mon!
mlr1122 3 years ago
Haha what a costume.
liebestod11 3 years ago
I agree with donaldcallen, Di Steffano had a great voice. But this ending is not the best one.
wippocarter 3 years ago
I agree too.
For me, Nessun Dorma its an Aria for a tenor with a deep voice. For a Dramatic Tenor who can reach the high notes too. Or a Liric Tenor that can get it deep. That the Nessun Dorma that i like the most.
SebasGreco 3 years ago
It sounds as if Lanza would be the ideal tenor you're looking for.
barryoderfer 2 years ago
Two things brought DiStefano's glorious instrument to an untimely demise. One, his shoddy technique which rarely addressed covering the passagio area from the middle to the upper register. In short, he sings wide on the top notes. And two, his ventures into roles like Calaf and Otello which are the domain of the heroic tenor and clearly exposed the limitations previously outlined. Pippo was first and last a lyric tenor and should have realized that. His career might have been longer.
primobaritono77 3 years ago
BELLA VOZ
diegocrema88 3 years ago
经典
yinyuehaiyang 3 years ago
This is not how I want to remember Di Stefano. This only hurts!
bloydaage 3 years ago
Di Stefano, the best VOICE!
berto1999 3 years ago
Sounds pretty flat...
alvarogm86 3 years ago
ever heard.. pavarotti?
cga2000 3 years ago
It *is* flat, especially the high B at the end. I don't think this performance is particularly good. Perhaps Pavarotti persisted in saying that di Stefano was his favorite tenor because he knew the man was no match for him. For me, in addition to Pavarotti, the greatest Nessun Dorma I've heard was sung by Jussi Bjoerling.
donaldcallen 3 years ago
besides the orquestra in the second vincero down the pitch in "VIN"
aguacun 3 years ago
No where near Pavarotti or even Richard Tucker and Jussi Bjorling.....did not possess the power or range of Pavo or the others.....diction and emotion however were very good.
MANHATTANBEEFMAN 3 years ago
I believe this man (di Stefano) and Pavarotti had probably the most perfect diction of all tenors.
castorp1981 3 years ago
l'interpretazione di Giuseppe di Stefano è emozionante, forse una delle migliori tra quelle che conosco.
spaccapiano 3 years ago
anche se oggi la moda lirica va verso altre direzioni, gli altri tenori vanno e vengono...tu sei eterno!!!
allagreca80 3 years ago
Da kann ich leider nicht zustimmen. Die Töne sitzen lange nicht so sauber wie bei Pavarotti oder Björling.
blinzinger 3 years ago