100 Greatest Singers: GIUSEPPE DI STEFANO

THIS PROJECT IS RESERVED ONLY FOR THE GREATEST! Think so? Please comment!

Giuseppe di Stefano, Tenor (1921-2008)

Giacomo Puccini - Tosca
Recondita armonia (Recorded 1953)

My personal opinion: The most natural voice in the history of tenor singing. If he sang, you could wrote down every line. That´s all I have to say about "Pippo" - and it´s enough! His voice spoke for itself!

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• Giuseppe
• di
• Stefano
• Puccini
• Tosca
• Recondita
• armonia
• Cavaradossi
• Callas
• Tenor

[Kirubvb]

Es gibt keinen besseren als di stefano in Tosca. Und wenn mich meine Ohren nicht täuschen ist dies schon eine Aufnahme aus anfang 1962 mit Karajan sein. Richtig geraten?

[100Singers]

@Kirubvb Nein, es ist tatsächlich die 1953er Aufnahme unter Victor de Sabata. In der Karajan-Aufnahme mit Leontyne Price ist di Stefanos Stimme bereits merklich eingedunkelt und "verbrauchter" geworden... Mike

[leadoffeohippus]

Awesome. And haha did they have a tenor play the sacristan in this recording?

[100Singers]

Good point! No, indeed it was the Bass Melchiorre Luise who gave his debut in 1925 as a Bariton, but soon after he changed to the Bass-repertory. His voice was poor of resonance, that of a Buffo-Bass. So sometimes he sounded like a tenor! Mike

[GermanOperaSinger]

He spoke to you through his singing. When you listen, you feel like you know him personally. This is the only tenor which has this effect on me.

Aside from Caruso.

[100Singers]

Good definition and well said! Kind regards from Mike!

[1stJJ]

Yes I agree, the best I've ever heard.

[Ailsa72]

I love DiStefano in his earlier years (regret never heard him live). I agree about his ability to connect -- something to do with the vibrato and alpha brain wave states maybe?). This is gorgeous.

[punkrockpatti]

THANKS!! wonderful voice. not well known to some but so lovely. such richness. great clarity!

[alshybobbers]

I like Jessie j better.

[DiegoAOMunoz]

Never heard a Pippo rendition of this aria. Sounds GREAT! Thank you for posting!

[paulostroff99]

Superb! TY 100 singers for posting

[berto1999]

Di Stefano is the number 1! Nobody is like Di Stefano!

[philipc67]

This is from the famous 1953 De Sabata recording of TOSCA, with Callas and Gobbi, he is superb here and his "Lucevan le Stelle" arguably the best ever recorded, the long-drawn pianissimi, lamenting cadenzas torturingly beautiful. He had a lovely instrument and elegant Italianate phrasing, one of the greatest, although the voice wasn't really big enough for heroic roles like Otello, Radames, Calaf. In those roles Corelli's and Del Monaco's voluminous (but booming and unsubtle) voices excelled.

[segu82]

absolutely #1!!!!!!

[Lovelytenor1]

@citrussorbet Actually, what Jussi B said was,"He could be #1 in the world, if he put his mind to it". I have the quote. It was not a kind remark.