DUELING DIVAS ~ Melba (1904) vs. Tetrazzini (1911) in Verdi's LA TRAVIATA

Australian Soprano Nellie Melba (1861-1931) / Ah! fors' e lui... Follie!... Sempre libera / La Traviata (Verdi) / Recorded: March 1904 --

Italian Soprano Luisa Tetrazzini (1871- 1940) / Ah! fors' e lui... Follie!... Sempre libera / La Traviata (Verdi) / Recorded: March 6, 1911 --

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• Nellie
• Melba
• Luisa
• Tetrazzini
• Opera
• Verdi
• Traviata
• 78
• rpm
• CurzonRoad

[daphnebeloved]

For me tetrazini has ( the best legato was galli curci) more legato line and projection, so the voice conveys more nuances and color.On the other hand, Melba for me always had white tone, no projection and no legato...

[CurzonRoad]

@daphnebeloved

Interesting points... and always fun to compare. IMHO these are two totally different singers, like apples and oranges, both good, great in their own ways. Thank you!

[Kievest]

First, may I say that the astonishingly candid and detailed photos are an entire art in themselves! Your master- ful use of the visuals compounds the enjoyment exponentially!! On to the singers....Melba's aching vulnerability, refinement, and utterly desperate abandon in the sempre libera are fragile and intoxicating. Tetrazzini is a more red meat variety Violetta with a sobriety, gravitas and a defiant sempre libera. For me, more technically dazzling than profound. Bravo!

[CurzonRoad]

Can't disagree with your well chosen words. Both are different in the manners and qualities you describe, Melba conveying vulnerability & refinement, Tetrazzini of a more "red meat variety" (I like that!). To settle matters... I shall take both! Thank you... and BTW, I'm running out of pictures! Cheers, etc. Doug --

[1peterpann]

I really enjoyed this wonderful collection of opera sung by two historical diva`s how different the style of singing was back then love it!!!! They both win far as i`m concerned.

[LacrimaLunaMortua]

For me, Tetrazzini

[chrisz78]

@meinfb Well, if you give tuppence (or more) on people's reaction as a measure of artistic value, then Paul Potts and Bocelli must be even better singers than Galli-Curci! The problem remains that there's a certain one-dimensionality, a lack of dynamic range in GC's singing, and she manages to get away with even flatter top notes than Melba - painful listening for me, but then as a trained musician I'm very finicky in that respect, and most listeners probably wouldn't notice.

[domi2020]

Both are great voices. Melba has a brilliant even tone and precision and interpretatively more profound. LT makes it a showpiece with her staccati fireworks but there is some choppiness in the phrasing. Sutherland later duplicated her. Love them both!

[7441338norman]

i just never heard the point to melba , being compared to luisa one is a light soprano , luisa a coloratura. not the same vocal type .

[Rapture1987]

With trills like Melba's, who needs a High Eb?

[ronfast]

I Listen too both beautiful singers and Melba sings with more of a feminine gentleness yet her voice possesses a romantic quality a flowery register at the top,but with mama L.T, Melba does not have the vocal adroitness readiness and grace that mama Luisa conveys now get into it...

[cirodaraujo]

This is like asking who is more godly - Christ or the Holy Spirit...