| To: "VOCALIST" <vocalist> Subject: Re: The charm of the old Date sent: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 17:38:33 +0200 Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Hi, I absolutely agree with Laurence that we, singers have to listen recordings done before 1960-70. The quality of recordings nowadays is so high, that singers seem to sing like not human beings at all - balanced, correct, untiring, techically perfect etc. etc. That's like fast food, isn't it?
For every singer I suggest to listen Benjamino Gigli - becuse of his wonderful symbiosis of perfect technique and genius interpretation. I have listened Gigli very much and I take him as a model. He had not any spinto voice, but he could do everything with his technique, even Otello and Turriddu, isn't that admirable? Is there somebody now in year 2000, who could sing like that - who has such a flexibility and power in the same time? Any opinions?
Of course Callas is phenomenal, that's out of the question. I think she is like narcotics - when one has listened her recordings, he has to listen them more and more - there is always something to find in her performances. For instance, I have listened her Tosca (rec. 1952, with di Stefano and Gobbi, cond. de Sabata) maybe five hundred times and always I found from there some new nuance or color. What is it that our modern opera stars do not have such a dedication and deep relation to their caracters in opera? I have thought a lot about this. Because our life goes faster? Because of tecnology? Because of information? There is something I cannot explain.
Another thought. If I listen contemporary recordings - I prefer live-recordings. These are "onest" if you understand what I mean. On these recordings always something HAPPENS - and shows us that all singers are human beings and this makes performance real and vivid. Any thoughts?
Best regards,
Toomas Kaldaru tenor Tallinn, Estonia
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