Customer Reviews

Tito Gobbi: Opera and Song

5 star:		(3)
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I give it 5 stars, what else? I hear and hear this CD with the greatest pleasure and emotion. In the fifties, while studying in Italy, I had the occasion to see Gobbi in person and own some of the very same Neapolitan songs and aria recordings which appear on this record. The beauty of the voice of this greatest among the baritones, and his unmatched interpretative skills are a rare source of pleasure for those who have ears and a heart. This CD is a treasure!

After listening to this cd, it reaffirms my views that Gobbi was the unparalled genius among all baritones since the war. He is probably the most important&influential Italian baritone since Titta Ruffo, and what these early recordings make blindingly obvious is something he really didnt get much credit for: The sheer beauty of his voice. Its freshness.....shining, brilliant.... Because he was so committed to each of his operatic characters, even in recital, the beauty of his voice would take a back seat to the emotions of the piece, which meant he would often growl, open his throat very wide for dramatic effect..... which seemed to distract from his purely vocal qualities. Listening to these tracks- especially the songs- might lead you back to some of his later 50's and 60's recordings with a fresh perspective. Especially as I am a young (20yr old) baritone, these recorings are both awe inspiring and disheartening. Matchless.

In this compilation, one can have some of the very best and most popular baritone arias of the world performed by one of the greatest singers ever. The Largo al Factotum aria, from Il Barbiere di Seviglia is performed on his very own style, while Verdi's Di Provenza il Mare is sung with a great amount of feeling and understanding of the role, transmitting exactly what the author wanted the listener to feel. Mozart arias from Don Giovanni and Le Nozzi di Figaro are also excelent. The napolitan songs are also very well interpretated and the over all selection is unmatchable. A must-hae for opera lovers.