Customer Reviews

The Very Best of Giuseppe di Stefano

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Giuseppe DiStefano was a fine tenor in his time. He began his operatic career just after World War II and persevered until the very early 1970s. Included in his career was a partnership with Maria Callas in a number of operas. This CD has 40 different cuts, many of them representing the singer in his prime.

Let's consider some examples of his craft.

"Recondita armonia": This well-known aria from "Tosca" is sung well. DiStefano's rich, strong voice works nicely here.

"Nessun dorma": A different kind of aria, from Puccini's "Turandot." This calls for some subtle singing, and DiStefano does well here. His voice has a consistently lustrous tone from middle to higher notes.

"La donna e mobile": He sings this well, but it seems a bit flat. He sings the notes, but there is not much sense of the Duke. He hits the final high note well.

"Ah, si ben mio": Smoothly sung. Does not stand out as one of the more stirring versions of this piece.

"Di quella pira": A genuine show stopper! This is a spirited version, with generally smooth transitions from lower to higher notes. His voice is almost overpowered by orchestra and chorus near the end, although his final high note is done well. Some, like Tucker and Corelli, could have their voices rise over orchestra and chorus. Still, a nice version.

In the final analysis, this is a nice look at one of the better tenors of his time. He compares well with the top tenors, such as Franco Corelli and Richard Tucker, in this repertoire, although he may not be at their level.

Giuseppr di Stefano's La Scalla debut in "Manon" in 1947 caused a sensation. He was a handsome young singer with an impulsive and dramatic temperament on stage and one of the most beautifl tenor voices in living memory. Open throated and warm, the young tenor's voice had its own distinctive phrasing and intonation, and with his perfect diction- to quote conductor Nicola Rescigno:" you could write down everything he sang" -his singing was immediately accessible.
This collection presents a selection of the many recordings from his relatively short career: From the two exquisitely sung arias from "Mignon" in 1947, to the late 50's, including many excerpts from the wonderful friuts of his associations with Maria Callas. Hearing his "Cavaradossi", his duke in "Rigoletto" or his "Pinkerton' has always left me not wanting to hear another voice in these roles. As well as the beauty of his voice. di Stefano possessed a legendary ability to spin a melting pianissimo and diminuendo which were the envy of Jussi Bjoerling.
Also included are tracks from a difficult to find recital from 1959 with conductor Antonino Votto. By this time a rawness had crept into his upper register, adumbrating the early end to his career. By the early 60's with faulty voice production, the assumption of roles too heavy for his essentially lyric tenor and respiratory problems, his career had slowed. But his popularity and the essential persuasive beauty and musicality of his voice extended his career until his world tour with Maria Callas in1974, and even a few years before his death in 2008 at the age of 87 he debuted in the role of the emperor Altroum at Caracalla.
He was Pavarotti"s favourite tenor and great mentor. Mezzo Giuletta Simionto said of him: "He was as generous with his voice as he was with his purse." Had di Stefano been a more careful custodian of his beautiful voice he might have had a career to rival Caruso's-- was the verdict of the redoubtable manager of the Met. Rudolph Bing.
However Giuseppe di Stefano left us great vocal treasures and many of them are here.

For the most part this recording is fair. The Neapolitan songs are very well done and some of the arias from French opera were very nice. The big disappointment is Nessun Dorma from Turandot. In this aria Di Stefano is horribly flat on the penultimate high note that for many makes this aria so exciting. It would have been best if the producers could have found another aria for the collection.

Giuseppe di Stefano is one ofthe very best tenors ever, and this is a wonderful selection of arias
and Italian 'songs.'