TITTA RUFFO, TENIA UN REGISTRO TAN AMPLIO QUE PODIA CANTAR TAMBIEN COMO TENOR Y COMO BAJO.. Algunas veces cuando se enfermaba el tenor, en una ópera, Titta salia a escena y cantaba la romanza del tenor. Esto me lo contó mi maestro de canto, porque había sido guardia de seguridad en el Colón de Buenos Aires, durante 40 años, durante la epoca de Oro.. Tambien me dijo que le enseñó canto a Carlos Gardel cuando era niño, y esperaba a su mamá, mientras ella limpiaba todo el teatro../ Y, en los viajes en barco que duraban casi un mes, Caruso escuchó cantar a Gardel; se quedo impresionado de la impostacion perfecta de Carlos que le ofreció entrar a la ópera y se radicara en Italia.. Ustedes saben como siguió la vida de Gardel, CANTANDO TANGOSSSS... !!!!!!!!!!!!
Ruffo has always been a GIANT for me. One of those Blessed and endowed with a conception of sining that exceeds even his vocal gift! Long live Ruffo Titta!
por algo FUE UNICO estamos escuchando una grabacion de 1930 y todavia se escucha la tremenda voz que tenia yo creo que ya no podremos escuchar mas estas voces por algo fueron UNICAS E IRREPETIBLES
I have so many favourite sopranos, tenors in many roles but Ruffo in this role is the best and I can say is that he must be the best baritone of all time
What is so interesting about this great document of Ruffo's singing is the way he personalizes his performance. This was common then. Singers had their particular style...and their performances were unique. Today? Singers attempt...and I mean ATTEMPT to just get through the notes. Ruffo owned his roles. He played with them and made them unforgettably unique experiences. He knew that the object was to thrill an audience, and this is what he did with supreme technique and style.
Just heard this after the recording of Il balen on this site. This is truly magnificent singing, in total contrast to Il balen. Magnificent voice of course, but also wonderful line and phrasing AND considerable subtlety in dynamics. This is one of the very greatest pieces of singing I have ever heard
E' immenso. La sua voce rotonda e leonina, alle volte struggente e languente, è formidabile. "Andiam, incominciate" vi è un emissione di sol, continui, poderosi e martellanti, da fermare il respiro.
absolutely the best ever before or since.My early accompanist in NY Solon Alberti played for both Ruffo and Amato on tour as well as MMe Schumann Heink. He used to rave about Ruffos appearances in Chicago going back as far as 1912. especially his singing of this particular aria.
Thomas Rexdale so amazing to hear personal accounts of famous singers from the early ages. Could you possibly elaborate on what your accompaniest had to say about Ruffo's voice? How did it sound in person? Ive heard people describe singing with him as "its like singing against the Niagara Falls"
it had been some time since I had listened to this, it really is almost unbelievable. after hearing this, it would be understandable if the entire theatre vacated, the best of the performance is over.
I've just read TR's autobiography-"La Mia Parabola"-a very good, dramatic and realistic read and I've begun to listen a bit more closely to TR, which is wonderful and I'm becoming a fan. I thought I'd post a comment I came across in Edgar Herbert-Caesari's final book "Vocal Truth". He, EHC, is in fact, reminiscing about another baritone, Viglione Borghese. He says that VBs voice was the biggest baritone voice he'd ever heard. He heard him sing Amonasro in Aida in 1909. "Never, repeat never have I heard a bigger and better sound, of real beauty too, than that which came out of VB's throat. It literally flooded the opera house. The whole audience rose as one man to applaud and applaud." (p 75.) EHC then says, that he was writing as a musical correspondent at the time and said that "...VB would make three of TR!" What's interesting for me is the fact that TR is so outstanding, one can only speculate about VB!!
@iamsingin Well, then you would have known that it is possible for the Ruffo recording to have been done at a lower tuning. Who knows. You are welcome for the videos and the information.
I hear no one today who can sing Ruffo's roles anywhere like he did. I heard Joan live and diction or not she was a phenomenon of sound and technique and she had more dramatic sense than her detractors give her credit for.
There is a lot of praise for this great artist in the comments.He had a great voice,and talent to go with it.He also had bad judgment in his technique,which resulted in cutting the many years off his career.If you listen closely,on all his high notes he puts direct pressure on his vocal chords to increase intensity or crescendo.The correct way to increase intensity without hurting those delicate chords,is to is to put the pressure on your body,chest and abdomen.He admitted he blew out his vocal chords.He made a deliberate bad choice for the sake of affect. Ian Kaye
Interesting... It makes sense to use your body to create support and pressure needed for big sound. So Ruffo said that he put too much pressure on his cords by pushing too much? Just wondering how long was his career? I thought he had a long one...
@@andymanland he had more than a 25 year carreer, and what a career !! I think it's ridiculous to say Ruffo blew out his voice. He was still a god in his later years. Between 25 years of Titta Ruffo and two centurys of Hovrostovsky, my decision is easily made.
@MrCafiero I'll give a few. In general, in all his singing he kept the Eh vowel open higher than most. Per esempio, at the E natural on "prendeRE". Also, many will cover the Oh vowel on the Eb of "Uom", but that is far more frequently open than the previous example. But in general, in this rep, singers will cover the Oh vowel on Eb. Another is on "POvere". This aria is a relatively low aria in terms of tessitura, so there aren't so many examples overall.
@MrCafiero I would LOVE if 432 would come back. Singing 440 or plus is a royal pain for some of this rep. I doubt if will ever happen though.... No need to be patronizing. I am, and have been for quite a long time, fully aware of tuning issues. You aren't enlightening my life, here. I shan't go into my training as that is rather pedantic, indeed.... I thank you again for all of the videos and, at times, an interesting discussion.
@iamsingin WHAT? Orchestras etc. used to be tuned lower. As they were often tuned lower for these recordings. 440 and even 444 (with Von Karajan) came later. Look up Verdi Tuning since you don't seem to know about this stuff. There is a video on youtube. MacNeill sang very well late into his career. Look up Nulla silenzio on youtube. He was 60. With every career there will be some ups and downs.
My late grandfather used to talk about this, how the orchestras were tuned lower than they are now. From memory, he said it was a notable occasion when it was agreed upon to set A to 440hz sometime in the 1940s.
Pls locate O Casto Fior from Il Re di Lahore by Titta Ruffo, it is absolutely outstanding, I havent heard it since I had the 78 rpm recording, Thanks, JRT
Nucci,Hampson,Terfel,Gavanelli,il nuovo /vecchio/ baritono di zarzuela Domingo etc.etc.etc... o TITTA RUFFO ?... una scelta davvero difficilissima!... ahahahahahahahahah ! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
+Oleg VR Domingo = baritono /sbagliato/ è un fatto ! amico da dove vieni ?!... da anni Domingo sta ''interpretando'' il repertorio del baritono con la corda del tenore. Domingo aveva incominciato la sua carriera come baritono di zarzuela . attualmente dai critici e saccenti lo stesso Domingo e' considerato uno dei migliori baritoni in circolazione , una parte del pubblico moderno lo adora come baritono... prima di parlare con me non sapevi questo fatto?!...
@iamsingin Oh, I see. Well, look up the info. I gave you the sources to look at. I am certainly not going to write a dissertation on youtube. British singers were not Italian singers where VERDI HIMSELF asked for tuning at 432. And opera singers specifically.
Boy, it is incredible how dark the voice is even when he sings wide open notes that almost all other dramatic baritones cover. The ones who sing technically similarly, usually have much lighter color in the top. Perhaps that was the reason for his relatively early decline. Whatever... He was able to do it and the 20 years he had were glorious, so I will take it..
With regard to sheer voice, Ruffo is king. But with regard to interpretation as well as elegance, I prefer Battistini for this aria and so many others. There are two notable exceptions, in which I prefer Ruffo's renditions: "Eri tu" from Verdi's "Ballo" and the Drinking Song from Thomas' "Hamlet."
@iamsingin But remember, the tuning was probably a bit lower when he actually recorded this. And he does "cover" some of the E naturals. I don't think that was his downfall because he could do both easily. I think he probably had some medical issues or personal things that happened.
I think it got worse and worse because of Bonynge. Actually, she sort of blamed him in an interview they did together. She said he insisted so much on legato that she lost her vowels. She was much better earlier I think.
Her diction got better throughout her career. Like most high voices, of course, there were aspects of the voice that were fresher and more attractive at the start of the career, but her voice aged beautifully..she retained all the coloratura ability and most admirable keep her very top ...quite extraordinary.
Her vowels are better here when she is lower and closer to or in chest voice. As she goes up it gets mushy again. This being in English probably helped her a bit, but again, the middle and up is that same odd sound. I think she had an amazing instrument. Could have been even better if that would have gotten worked out.
@MrCafiero Not quite sure when I was arguing. If you have definitive proof that this recording and all other of Ruffo's recording were altered by specific margins, I will happily accept that information. As we only have a certain idea about what could have been, I must only discuss what I hear and know. For example British singers of the same era frequently were singing at 450 plus. None of this was standard, ever. One could sing much lower in Rome than in Sicily. So, no argument, just fun
@billyguns2 Fair enough - those descriptions don't apply to Callas' voice at all. Sutherland's, however, did have an amazing timbre, beauty of sound, and a MASSIVE voice. Go figure. Haha.
@billyguns2 Very true, sir. Except for the portamento part. Whenever someone mentions portamento, I think Gruberova [shivers]. However, I think Sutherland's interpretations and diction got much better as she aged. Of course, Serafin was dead by that point. Haha.
@MrCafiero Instead of arguing, iamsingin, why don't you BOTHER to look up the diapason and tuning issues here on youtube and also the Schiller Institute.
@MrCafiero This is quite clearly standard 440 tuning, so that isn't the reason. Whether it was his downfall specifically is certainly impossible for us to say, but other singers that consistently sang big rep in this way like MacNeil frequently have a harder time maintaining good, later career production once youthful folds grow tired. Basically these guys are the baritone equivalent of Di Stefano or modern day Cura.... Of course in my opinion Ruffo was far more talented, but similar tech.
@iamsingin What do you mean "sorry"? Of course the stupid recording is at 440 because when they put it on CD they put it at 440. Uh, HELLO? This has nothing to do wit "opinion" or "disagreement". It is a fact. There is a book by Favia-Artsay, in fact, where she lists all the Caruso recordings and the speed at which they were recorded. All of the CD's everyone listens to of Caruso are played back at the wrong speed. So it doesn't show what his voice was really like. cont'd..
@@xxsaruman82xx87 No. I said and I meant The God of Voice. It's not my phrase. It is the title of one chapter in Ruffo's autobiography. It tells a particularly gruesome story. There were Indian tribes in America and they had heard of European opera singers. They had heard that Ruffo was called by some early critic or promoter "The God of Voice". A young Indian lad had killed a sacred animal and he was condemned by the tribe. They decided that the arbiter of his fate should be this "God of Voice" that they had heard of. Ruffo was summoned and attended their ceremony. I am doing this from memory so I may have gotten some details wrong. You should read "Mia Parabola" for yourself. It's a wonderful book that ranks along side of Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" or "The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini" as an autobiography. So whatever the details the Indians decided to honor Ruffo - the God of Voice - by blinding the young man.
@@xxsaruman82xx87 Baritones write the best autobiographies. Read both of Merrill's. One is sweet and sentimental. His agent probably made him write it. But the other is mostly about the sex lives of other opera stars. You're not like to ever forget the Mario Lanza story. I'll tell you another little known Titta Ruffo anecdote. You undoubtedly saw the film "Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail". That's the one with Sean Connery as the elder Dr. Jones. Connery says at one point "Indiana? We named the dog Indiana". He was named after the family dog. Titta Ruffo's real name wasn't Titta Ruffo. It was Ruffo Titta. He reversed it to keep the Titta name concealed. Singing wasn't a proper profession. The family dog was named Ruffo. I think Spielberg or the screenwriter must have been an opera fan.
@MrCafiero If you mean that he used his customary technique in this recording that is 440, and did not alter it, I understand what you are saying, but I find it hard to believe that they would tune differently for the recording than how they customarily tuned. As far as MacNeil is concerned, I didn't say anything about those guys not singing a long time, what I said is that they don't sing well late in the career. To me he lost so much ring throughout the voice at a relatively early age.
A very sad and ignorant comment, considering that almost every baritone since, believes Tita Ruffo was the greatest baritone ever to have recorded. This is fact. Are you even aware that this was recorded over 100 years ago, and of the primitive devices into which they had to record? If you ever meet Hvorostovsky, ask him his opinions on great baritones, you might learn a thing or two.
HAHAHA And this comment, ladies and gentlemen, is the best example of ignorance. People thinking Hvorostovsky is some sort of legend. Why don't you throw in Jonas Kaufmann and Andrea Bocelli while you're at it
@MrCafiero Umm, sorry bud, but take out a pitch fork. This recording is clearly 440. I am fully aware of the tuning differences at different stages in history and more importantly at different theaters depending on the tuning of the local organ. No need to get bent out of shape.... We clearly disagree on some singers, but that is cool. If everyone liked the same thing, it wouldn't be so fun, not would it. Cheers... And the other question, I have friend with the same last name.
You people who just are nothing special need to find an island somewhere. Like the land of misfits. Do you have anything else to do? I laugh out loud every time I see your posts because they are so pathetically transparent and hysterically stupid. BWAHAHAHA! ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!
hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahaaaahahahahahaha!!!!!!! Man you are so funny. I mean not only to mention DH as the biggest voice but when you threw out Bartoli!!!! HEr tongue blocks her voice. If anything Dbra VOights no singin ass has a bigger voice than Bartoli. Not even close.
One of the best records in the history of singing. Perfection from top to bottom.
jean pearce
He is one of the greatest baritones of all time.
Without doubt the supreme baritone. Dwarfs all others.
BRAVISSIMO!!! El León del canto lírico!
Impressionante . In più , vero teatro nel teatro .
Ruffo was to baritones what Caruso was to tenors...the first and reigning superstar.
According to Walter Legge, Tullio Serafin remarked that he had encountered three miracles in his career: Caruso, Ponselle and Ruffo.
Bravissimo! This could be the definitive version of this aria. Very high level singing here. Ruffo was a TITAN!
TITTA RUFFO, TENIA UN REGISTRO TAN AMPLIO QUE PODIA CANTAR TAMBIEN COMO TENOR Y COMO BAJO.. Algunas veces cuando se enfermaba el tenor, en una ópera, Titta salia a escena y cantaba la romanza del tenor. Esto me lo contó mi maestro de canto, porque había sido guardia de seguridad en el Colón de Buenos Aires, durante 40 años, durante la epoca de Oro.. Tambien me dijo que le enseñó canto a Carlos Gardel cuando era niño, y esperaba a su mamá, mientras ella limpiaba todo el teatro../ Y, en los viajes en barco que duraban casi un mes, Caruso escuchó cantar a Gardel; se quedo impresionado de la impostacion perfecta de Carlos que le ofreció entrar a la ópera y se radicara en Italia.. Ustedes saben como siguió la vida de Gardel, CANTANDO TANGOSSSS... !!!!!!!!!!!!
Dudo que como bajo.
Wow, I need lessons with Ruffo's brother!
Ruffo has always been a GIANT for me. One of those Blessed and endowed with a conception of sining that exceeds even his vocal gift!
Long live Ruffo Titta!
por algo FUE UNICO estamos escuchando una grabacion de 1930 y todavia se escucha la tremenda voz que tenia yo creo que ya no podremos escuchar mas estas voces por algo fueron UNICAS E IRREPETIBLES
The greatest of baritones.
La Voce del Leone !!!!!! * * * * * .....
That voice had to be freaking HUGE
Nobody can beat him for many hundred years!
Grande Maestro!!!!!!
I have so many favourite sopranos, tenors in many roles but Ruffo in this role is the best and I can say is that he must be the best baritone of all time
Another great! Perfect diction! A pleasure!
The Best. Grazie Maestro.
I can say only: oh my God!! Thank you for uploading!
nothing short of extraordinary.
Great.
And such a nice clear diction.
What is so interesting about this great document of Ruffo's singing is the way he personalizes his performance. This was common then. Singers had their particular style...and their performances were unique. Today? Singers attempt...and I mean ATTEMPT to just get through the notes. Ruffo owned his roles. He played with them and made them unforgettably unique experiences. He knew that the object was to thrill an audience, and this is what he did with supreme technique and style.
un grande de todos los tiempos bravo gracias a la tecnologia de hoy todavia podemos escucharlos y DISFRUTARLOS como siempre bravooo
Just heard this after the recording of Il balen on this site. This is truly magnificent singing, in total contrast to Il balen. Magnificent voice of course, but also wonderful line and phrasing AND considerable subtlety in dynamics. This is one of the very greatest pieces of singing I have ever heard
E' immenso. La sua voce rotonda e leonina, alle volte struggente e languente, è formidabile. "Andiam, incominciate" vi è un emissione di sol, continui, poderosi e martellanti, da fermare il respiro.
Ma un po di capretino, hahah
Bravissimo Ruffo!
IMPRESIONANTE . . . ! ! ! PERFECTO * * * * * * .
absolutely the best ever before or since.My early accompanist in NY Solon Alberti played for both Ruffo and Amato on tour as well as MMe Schumann Heink. He used to rave about Ruffos appearances in Chicago going back as far as 1912. especially his singing of this particular aria.
Thomas Rexdale so amazing to hear personal accounts of famous singers from the early ages. Could you possibly elaborate on what your accompaniest had to say about Ruffo's voice? How did it sound in person? Ive heard people describe singing with him as "its like singing against the Niagara Falls"
El Mejor con diferencia . Impresionante !
Awesome! There were none better!
He was an amazing singer. Glad we have a pretty decent record for others to study. The current group can not begin to compare!
The heroic size and abundance of squello (sp) on that final high G.!...simply spectacular!
it had been some time since I had listened to this, it really is almost unbelievable. after hearing this, it would be understandable if the entire theatre vacated, the best of the performance is over.
Unless Caruso were singing Canio...
I've just read TR's autobiography-"La Mia Parabola"-a very good, dramatic and realistic read and I've begun to listen a bit more closely to TR, which is wonderful and I'm becoming a fan. I thought I'd post a comment I came across in Edgar Herbert-Caesari's final book "Vocal Truth". He, EHC, is in fact, reminiscing about another baritone, Viglione Borghese. He says that VBs voice was the biggest baritone voice he'd ever heard. He heard him sing Amonasro in Aida in 1909. "Never, repeat never have I heard a bigger and better sound, of real beauty too, than that which came out of VB's throat. It literally flooded the opera house. The whole audience rose as one man to applaud and applaud." (p 75.) EHC then says, that he was writing as a musical correspondent at the time and said that "...VB would make three of TR!" What's interesting for me is the fact that TR is so outstanding, one can only speculate about VB!!
I wholeheartedly agree. La Mia Parabola is the best opera biography or autobiography ever written.
와우!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Calfiero, for sharing this. I am familiar with the fabulous recording but had never read the testimonial.
@iamsingin Well, then you would have known that it is possible for the Ruffo recording to have been done at a lower tuning. Who knows. You are welcome for the videos and the information.
I hear no one today who can sing Ruffo's roles anywhere like he did.
I heard Joan live and diction or not she was a phenomenon of sound and
technique and she had more dramatic sense than her detractors give her credit for.
poderoso
Greatest!
There is a lot of praise for this great artist in the comments.He had a great voice,and talent to go with it.He also had bad judgment in his technique,which resulted in cutting the many years off his career.If you listen closely,on all his high notes he puts direct pressure on his vocal chords to increase intensity or crescendo.The correct way to increase intensity without hurting those delicate chords,is to is to put the pressure on your body,chest and abdomen.He admitted he blew out his vocal chords.He made a deliberate bad choice for the sake of affect.
Ian Kaye
Interesting... It makes sense to use your body to create support and pressure needed for big sound. So Ruffo said that he put too much pressure on his cords by pushing too much? Just wondering how long was his career? I thought he had a long one...
@@andymanland he had more than a 25 year carreer, and what a career !! I think it's ridiculous to say Ruffo blew out his voice. He was still a god in his later years. Between 25 years of Titta Ruffo and two centurys of Hovrostovsky, my decision is easily made.
@MrCafiero Also just want to thank you for putting up so many great videos. Awesome stuff.
Único E IRREPETIBLE esta grabación de ser del año 1930 o 1940 no más y sin embargo como se escucha su vozarron . UNICO
@MrCafiero I'll give a few. In general, in all his singing he kept the Eh vowel open higher than most. Per esempio, at the E natural on "prendeRE". Also, many will cover the Oh vowel on the Eb of "Uom", but that is far more frequently open than the previous example. But in general, in this rep, singers will cover the Oh vowel on Eb. Another is on "POvere". This aria is a relatively low aria in terms of tessitura, so there aren't so many examples overall.
"Titta Ruffo wasn't a baritone. He was an orchestra of baritons". Galliano Masini
Ill check out some vids from the 70's. Thanks
@MrCafiero I would LOVE if 432 would come back. Singing 440 or plus is a royal pain for some of this rep. I doubt if will ever happen though.... No need to be patronizing. I am, and have been for quite a long time, fully aware of tuning issues. You aren't enlightening my life, here. I shan't go into my training as that is rather pedantic, indeed.... I thank you again for all of the videos and, at times, an interesting discussion.
@iamsingin WHAT? Orchestras etc. used to be tuned lower. As they were often tuned lower for these recordings. 440 and even 444 (with Von Karajan) came later. Look up Verdi Tuning since you don't seem to know about this stuff. There is a video on youtube. MacNeill sang very well late into his career. Look up Nulla silenzio on youtube. He was 60. With every career there will be some ups and downs.
My late grandfather used to talk about this, how the orchestras were tuned lower than they are now. From memory, he said it was a notable occasion when it was agreed upon to set A to 440hz sometime in the 1940s.
@iamsingin Uh...440 wasn't the standard when many of these singers were recording which is the whole point. MacNeil sang into his 60's.
Pls locate O Casto Fior from Il Re di Lahore by Titta Ruffo, it is absolutely outstanding, I havent heard it since I had the 78 rpm recording, Thanks, JRT
Nucci,Hampson,Terfel,Gavanelli,il nuovo /vecchio/ baritono di zarzuela Domingo etc.etc.etc... o TITTA RUFFO ?...
una scelta davvero difficilissima!...
ahahahahahahahahah !
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Terfel is not baritono! He is basso-baritono!!!...
Domingo is not baritono! He is tenor!!!...
Terfel = baritono leggero,comico.
dal vivo è così .
+Oleg VR
Domingo = baritono /sbagliato/ è un fatto !
amico da dove vieni ?!...
da anni Domingo sta ''interpretando'' il repertorio del baritono con la corda del tenore.
Domingo aveva incominciato la sua carriera come baritono di zarzuela .
attualmente dai critici e saccenti lo stesso Domingo e' considerato uno dei migliori baritoni in circolazione , una parte del pubblico moderno lo adora come baritono...
prima di parlare con me non sapevi questo fatto?!...
bodiloto comme fanno à parragonare Dmitri a tal gigante non h
@iamsingin Oh, I see. Well, look up the info. I gave you the sources to look at. I am certainly not going to write a dissertation on youtube. British singers were not Italian singers where VERDI HIMSELF asked for tuning at 432. And opera singers specifically.
Boy, it is incredible how dark the voice is even when he sings wide open notes that almost all other dramatic baritones cover. The ones who sing technically similarly, usually have much lighter color in the top. Perhaps that was the reason for his relatively early decline. Whatever... He was able to do it and the 20 years he had were glorious, so I will take it..
With regard to sheer voice, Ruffo is king. But with regard to interpretation as well as elegance, I prefer Battistini for this aria and so many others. There are two notable exceptions, in which I prefer Ruffo's renditions: "Eri tu" from Verdi's "Ballo" and the Drinking Song from Thomas' "Hamlet."
@iamsingin Where does he sing "uncovered" in a place where others sing covered?
exactly. They are recordings that have been engineered.
orgoglio italiano nel mondo
Come Bastianini . Qui c'è la patina antica della registrazione. Ettore non era inferiore in nulla, anzi.
@@marisamassimino6418 они оба начинали как басы..я тоже за Эттора..Но Титта первый для него, учитель
Great voice y good quality of sound.
Is this recording acustic or electric?
jfsanin
@iamsingin But remember, the tuning was probably a bit lower when he actually recorded this. And he does "cover" some of the E naturals. I don't think that was his downfall because he could do both easily. I think he probably had some medical issues or personal things that happened.
I think it got worse and worse because of Bonynge. Actually, she sort of blamed him in an interview they did together. She said he insisted so much on legato that she lost her vowels. She was much better earlier I think.
Her diction got better throughout her career. Like most high voices, of course, there were aspects of the voice that were fresher and more attractive at the start of the career, but her voice aged beautifully..she retained all the coloratura ability and most admirable keep her very top ...quite extraordinary.
I agree, especially in the 50s.
@billyguns2 Odd he didn't mention Sutherland or Callas. Go figure.
Her vowels are better here when she is lower and closer to or in chest voice. As she goes up it gets mushy again. This being in English probably helped her a bit, but again, the middle and up is that same odd sound. I think she had an amazing instrument. Could have been even better if that would have gotten worked out.
She didn't have any chest voice.
I cracked up so hard when I read that. Dmitri is awful and Titta is possibly the best baritone in history.
Get your facts right.
Se si potessero ascoltare con la tecnica di oggi.!
Salvatore Spinelli
Se si potessero sentire queste voci dal vivo durante una recita ...!
Динамики бы сломались от голоса Руффо
Cafiero, thanks, call your attention to listen Gyorgy Melis is available here on youtube, won't regret
@MrCafiero Not quite sure when I was arguing. If you have definitive proof that this recording and all other of Ruffo's recording were altered by specific margins, I will happily accept that information. As we only have a certain idea about what could have been, I must only discuss what I hear and know. For example British singers of the same era frequently were singing at 450 plus. None of this was standard, ever. One could sing much lower in Rome than in Sicily. So, no argument, just fun
@billyguns2 Fair enough - those descriptions don't apply to Callas' voice at all. Sutherland's, however, did have an amazing timbre, beauty of sound, and a MASSIVE voice. Go figure. Haha.
What descriptions don't apply to Callas' voice
@billyguns2 Very true, sir. Except for the portamento part. Whenever someone mentions portamento, I think Gruberova [shivers]. However, I think Sutherland's interpretations and diction got much better as she aged. Of course, Serafin was dead by that point. Haha.
🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️
❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍
🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️
❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍
🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️
@MrCafiero Instead of arguing, iamsingin, why don't you BOTHER to look up the diapason and tuning issues here on youtube and also the Schiller Institute.
@MrCafiero This is quite clearly standard 440 tuning, so that isn't the reason. Whether it was his downfall specifically is certainly impossible for us to say, but other singers that consistently sang big rep in this way like MacNeil frequently have a harder time maintaining good, later career production once youthful folds grow tired. Basically these guys are the baritone equivalent of Di Stefano or modern day Cura.... Of course in my opinion Ruffo was far more talented, but similar tech.
@iamsingin What do you mean "sorry"? Of course the stupid recording is at 440 because when they put it on CD they put it at 440. Uh, HELLO? This has nothing to do wit "opinion" or "disagreement". It is a fact. There is a book by Favia-Artsay, in fact, where she lists all the Caruso recordings and the speed at which they were recorded. All of the CD's everyone listens to of Caruso are played back at the wrong speed. So it doesn't show what his voice was really like. cont'd..
Don’t watch the video. A bloody ad pops up in the middle of the aria, thus ruining it.
The God of Voice.
Don't you mean the Voice of God? I suppose either works.
@@xxsaruman82xx87
No. I said and I meant The God of Voice. It's not my phrase. It is the title of one chapter in Ruffo's autobiography. It tells a particularly gruesome story.
There were Indian tribes in America and they had heard of European opera singers. They had heard that Ruffo was called by some early critic or promoter "The God of Voice".
A young Indian lad had killed a sacred animal and he was condemned by the tribe. They decided that the arbiter of his fate should be this "God of Voice" that they had heard of. Ruffo was summoned and attended their ceremony.
I am doing this from memory so I may have gotten some details wrong. You should read "Mia Parabola" for yourself. It's a wonderful book that ranks along side of Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" or "The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini" as an autobiography.
So whatever the details the Indians decided to honor Ruffo - the God of Voice - by blinding the young man.
@@Agorante This is fascinating (and sad). Thank you!
@@xxsaruman82xx87
Baritones write the best autobiographies. Read both of Merrill's. One is sweet and sentimental. His agent probably made him write it. But the other is mostly about the sex lives of other opera stars. You're not like to ever forget the Mario Lanza story.
I'll tell you another little known Titta Ruffo anecdote. You undoubtedly saw the film "Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail". That's the one with Sean Connery as the elder Dr. Jones.
Connery says at one point "Indiana? We named the dog Indiana". He was named after the family dog.
Titta Ruffo's real name wasn't Titta Ruffo. It was Ruffo Titta. He reversed it to keep the Titta name concealed. Singing wasn't a proper profession. The family dog was named Ruffo. I think Spielberg or the screenwriter must have been an opera fan.
@Patrick Boyle That’s so interesting! I’ll need to read them then. One I’ve been meaning to read is Tibbett’s autobiography, The Glory Road.
yessir!
Да-аа!
😭😭😭😭
Was Titta Ruffo a dramatic baritone?
Of course he did. I believe you, honestly I do, ha ha
@MrCafiero If you mean that he used his customary technique in this recording that is 440, and did not alter it, I understand what you are saying, but I find it hard to believe that they would tune differently for the recording than how they customarily tuned. As far as MacNeil is concerned, I didn't say anything about those guys not singing a long time, what I said is that they don't sing well late in the career. To me he lost so much ring throughout the voice at a relatively early age.
A very sad and ignorant comment, considering that almost every baritone since, believes Tita Ruffo was the greatest baritone ever to have recorded. This is fact. Are you even aware that this was recorded over 100 years ago, and of the primitive devices into which they had to record? If you ever meet Hvorostovsky, ask him his opinions on great baritones, you might learn a thing or two.
I completely agree with that. But her diction's pretty great here, and she's at least 60.
/watch?v=zXP_9ZlJIsw
HAHAHA And this comment, ladies and gentlemen, is the best example of ignorance. People thinking Hvorostovsky is some sort of legend. Why don't you throw in Jonas Kaufmann and Andrea Bocelli while you're at it
Eccezione tra le eccezioni, anche il fascismo si arrese alla sua bravura
@MrCafiero Umm, sorry bud, but take out a pitch fork. This recording is clearly 440. I am fully aware of the tuning differences at different stages in history and more importantly at different theaters depending on the tuning of the local organ. No need to get bent out of shape.... We clearly disagree on some singers, but that is cool. If everyone liked the same thing, it wouldn't be so fun, not would it. Cheers... And the other question, I have friend with the same last name.
haha. Sutherlands diction was awful. I dont think she even once sang a vowel without modifying it.
De Luca.
Титан
It usually was pretty awful, but I think it got better after the late 1970s. :)
You people who just are nothing special need to find an island somewhere. Like the land of misfits. Do you have anything else to do? I laugh out loud every time I see your posts because they are so pathetically transparent and hysterically stupid. BWAHAHAHA! ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!
Oh stop trolling you loser. I know who this idiot is. Piccolo who has no artistic talent and who is themselves nothing special.
hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahaaaahahahahahaha!!!!!!! Man you are so funny. I mean not only to mention DH as the biggest voice but when you threw out Bartoli!!!! HEr tongue blocks her voice. If anything Dbra VOights no singin ass has a bigger voice than Bartoli. Not even close.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky is good, but Ruffo he is not, not even close !!!
Hvorostovsky is good. Perhaps you can persuade DH to record with the technology Ruffo recorded with. That would really show Ruffo up.
sugarbist ROFL
MrCafiero
Thanks, I thought it was funny as well, while I was writing it.
who's mentioned Dmitri Hvorostovsky? He's here at all out of place.
Why compare the incomparable?