Customer Reviews

Franco Corelli - Songs and Arias

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Franco Corelli, who sang from 1951 to 1975, was the greatest tenore di forza of the postwar era. A powerful and exciting singer, never a subtle, elegant, or refined one, he had his detractors (who called him crude, vulgar, self-indulgent, and who lambasted his execrable French), but there can be no argument about the quality of his voice, a big, vibrant tenor with a thrilling timbre (often described as rich, dark, or baritonal) and a brilliant, secure top that must have been the envy and despair of other tenors. A nervous performer repeatedly subject to pre-performance jitters and anxiety attacks (a wag once said of him that Corelli could always think of more reasons not to sing than to sing), once onstage he was a generous singer who gave fully of himself and, like Caruso, poured out his magnificent voice unstintingly, never holding back.

The voice itself was one of the glories of the generously-endowed operatic scene of the Fifties and Sixties, and one of greatest tenor voices of the century. Herbert von Karajan said of Corelli, "A voice of heroic power, yet with great beauty of tone; darkly sensuous, mysteriously melancholic . . . but above all, a voice of thunder and lightning, fire and blood." Harold C. Schonberg, senior music of the New York Times, reviewing Corelli's Metropolitan debut in 1961, noted that his voice "has something of an exciting animal drive about it, and when Mr. Corelli lets loose, he can dominate an ensemble," and later described his voice as "a force of nature, an act of God, the vocal equivalent of an earthquake, volcano or hurricane." The distinguished musicologist Paul Henry Lang writing in the New York Herald-Tribune called Corelli "a latter-day Caruso." Alan Rich of the New York Herald-Tribune wrote of him, "There is no tenor in modern times, Italian or otherwise, whose voice rings out with greater vibrancy, whose every tone carries with it emotion at white heat. The sounds he makes, seemingly without effort, are dazzlingly bright, urgent, and communicative." Since Corelli's retirement we haven't heard anything remotely like him, and those of us who know his voice (and Bjorling's) can perhaps be pardoned for finding the "three tenors" so popular today somewhat anemic in comparison.

I have been an admirer of Corelli, a collector of his recordings, and a follower of his career since the late 1950s (when he had not yet sung in America, and his only recordings were Italian Cetra imports). I have just about everything he recorded. There is no tenor voice before the public today equal to this one, and I urge you not to miss it.

But the two-CD set under review here is not the place to start. If you are new to Corelli, I recommend the EMI single CD "Heroes" or the EMI two-CD set "Franco Corelli," with their heavy doses of his typical operatic fare, as ideal introductions to this rewarding singer. Corelli was above all a creature of the opera house, in his element singing Puccini, Verdi, and verismo Italian opera. The set under review here, misleadingly entitled "Songs and Arias," contains in fact only one aria, a very atypical one: Handel's "Ombra mai fu" from "Serse" (made famous by a Caruso recording). Indeed, some of the composers represented here-Handel, Schubert, Bach, Mozart, Rossini-are in fact stylistically very far from the kind of singing one associates with Corelli. A couple of the songs, "Because" and Grieg's "I Love Thee," are mildly comical in Corelli's overpoweringly Italianate and operatic renditions. But this is a set well worth owning for anyone who knows and likes Corelli. There is a first-rate Ingemisco from the Verdi Requiem, the traditional religious songs are all sung with seriousness and devotion, and most important, the bulk of the set comprises Neopolitan songs, which Corelli sings superbly. (I think he sings them better than anyone.) Of these my own favorite is "Core n'grato," a powerful song, and Corelli's recording of it is unequalled: there is a prodigious outpouring of bronzen tone here that must be heard to be believed. It's true that some of the orchestral arrangements are corny and dated, but with gloriously gutsy, full-blooded singing like this, from one of the greatest tenor voices of the century in its prime (all the recordings here are from 1961 to 1965), I can overlook the arrangements. These two CDs are very generously filled (22 songs,77 minutes for one and 23 songs, 78 minutes for the other), and include, I believe, everything Corelli recorded for EMI that wasn't opera.

If you like Corelli, if you like Neopolitan songs, you'll want this. But it's not the place to start in appreciating Franco Corelli.

Every song that you wished Franco Corelli would sing is on these two CD's. My husband and I are in heaven when we listen. The sweetness of his voice takes your breath away!

His voice is amazing...and the ease he has in singing... He speaks through music...his words and innerself flow out through his lips. A true master of music...of life...of the human soul... This CD will kindle and sparkle one's soul over and over again.

If it's a tenor voice you want to hear look no further. Franco Corelli is undisputedly one of (if not the) greatest tenors of the 20th century. His voice is capable of unbelievable power and exquisite pianissimo's. The broad range of religious arias, Italian songs and arias is enough to keep anyone's attention and have them panting for more. I recommend this wholeheartedly. Enjoy...

FRANCO CORELLI IS MAGNIFICENT ON THESE TWO CDS. HIS VOICE IS SO POWERFUL IT IS UNBELEIVABLE.HE IS SURELY THE GREATEST SINGER OF ALL TIME. IF YOU THINK PAVAROTTI IS GOOD AT SINGING 'O SOLE MIO' THEN CORELLI'S VERSION ON THIS CD WILL BLOW YOU AWAY. AT THE END OF THE SONG HE SINGS THE LAST LINE A NOTE HIGHER (HIGH C) WITH SUCH FEROCITY IT IS LIKE NOTHING ELSE ON EARTH. THIS GUY HAS A TALENT THAT IS SURELY A GIFT FROM GOD. HE IS MAGNIFICENT. A REAL DIVO!

This is a wonderful compilation that gives the listener an opportunity to hear selections not usually found on "the best of" type CD's. Corelli sounds fabulous and seems very much at home with the selections except for the two sung in English. I was amazed that these were included. Although his singing is superb as always (including one high "c" that I timed at over 13 seconds!!!) Corelli is obviously very uncomfortable with the language.

It was refreshing to hear one of the world's great voices sing selections that were not as familiar to me. Every album I find from Franco Corelli is fresh, new and never disappointing.

Especially at this price, you could not go wrong in buying Songs and Arias.

I own this C.D. and I have listened to it many, many times. Allthough I understand the feelings of the reviewer saying the songs are sang by the same fiery tone, I don't understand them fully. I would come to this conclusion if I would have listened to this the songs on a (too) soft volume.

If you really listen to it, not as backround music , but so you can hear it well and you aren't doing anything else, you will notice with how much passion a lot of the songs are sang by Corelli. Core 'ngrato is filled with passion, and I think Corelli is unsurpassed with that song. He didn't have lack of musicality either... Perhaps some more lessons would have done him good, but almost everyone could use some more. I even say that listening to some of Corelli's recordings is like having a singing lesson.

I would really recommend this C.D. if you are interested in his voice. the Core 'ngrato, Ave Maria and O sole Mio are great for instance. If you want to try full opera recordings try Il trovatore, Norma or Andrea Chenier

A great singer, mediocre recordings. Probably would not purchase again. But Corelli is a terrific singer and one of the best.

I knew that Franco Corelli had one of the most beautiful and exciting male voices of this century that is 23 days from ending. It's huge in volume, with a great squillo (vibrating), easy on the high notes, long fiato, homogenous in the three registers, with some animal attraction. I also knew some of his singing mannerisms, like lack of legato line that he breaks with continous sobs, confusing diction in any language, a tendency to sing always in forte-fortissimo (despite his beautiful piani), a lack of commitment with the author's style and a general absence of musicality. This tendencies are controlled in some of his operatic recordings by the conductor. But here in this record, made just to serve his voice they all take over. You find them all in each and every song. No matter which style, the religious pieces, the napolitane, the Spanish songs,... all are sung with the same fiery tone, that shocks you on the first one, but that after the fourth or fifth you are sick and tired of it. The orchestration has been arbitrarily changed with little taste, some pieces are transposed down to enable the big fat high loud gulpy tone, the rithm slows down every now and then to allow him to display one of the already heard skills. He is not singing the songs, he is just singing Franco Corelli. What would other tenors have done with such an incredible voice, because it's incredible? Say some other great historic tenors like Schippa, Di Stefano, Kraus, that didn't have extraordinary big or beautiful voices. They would have made us cry with every note, something that Franco Corelli is not able to do. With him we just can turn the volume down. A major disappointment as I say because his instrument is one in a million. Maybe all of this is caused by his lack of training. Corelli is a self-learnt singer, and some music classes would have done him good. If you want to hear his great voice go to other opera recordings like his Turandot with Nilsson, his Norma with Callas, his live Trovatore with Karajan and Price and few more. The rest is all the same, and as happened to me with this record you can only listen to it twice, then will go to the end of my record list.

Corelli's voice was quite large,but I'm not very sure about it's beauty.He is much better in operas,but on these discs,I find his singing annoying.To the reviewer who wrote the Major Disappointment review and included Di Stefano in those not having a beautiful voice,I'd have to say that you obviously don't know what you're talking about.

Music fan from New Jersey.