To: "'VOCALIST'" <vocalist>
Subject: RE: The charm of the old and Gigli.
Date sent: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 12:01:34 +0100
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Dear Toomas,

I just wanted to say that I agree wholeheartedly with you about the value of
listening to live vs. studio performances. Studio performances are all too
often very misleading. In a live performance (particularly a bootleg!) you
can here what actually happens in the theatre, and who can really sing their
repertoire. This is truer the further back in time you go. I suspect a lot
of modern 'live' recordings are really live +studio splices, although the
only direct evidence of this I have is the Domingo Tosca from Rome (he had
at least three disasters with high notes live, but doesn't he sing them well
on the video!)

You are also responsible for renewing my admiration for Gigli. I don't think
he should have gone anywhere Otello (there are times when vocal endowment
does count), but your point is sound: with that technique he really could
sing anything he liked. Listening to his recordings over the weekend, I
became aware that I was mentally comparing him to Bjoerling. Bjoerling has
always been a blind spot of mine. I admire his singing enormously. I just
don't like most of it. There are exceptions, of course: his first recording
of 'O Paradiso' is, for me, a desert island disc, and his recording of
Turiddu is white-hot. But, to my ears, this Turiddu is a sport in his
recorded output, I find his usual performing temperament rather general and
mechanical (VEERY subjective view). Also, his habit of 'lifting off' the
high notes (above top Bb) irritates me, although I know many tenors report a
kind of acuto-overdrive from B up, anf Bjoerling's sound up there is still
pretty bl**dy good, and as reliable as hay-fever in May. But, listening to
Gigli, I kept thinking 'here we have a singer with a voice almost identical
in weight and calibre to that of Jussi Bjoerling (the slightly greater
warmth in Gigli's sound is probably attributable to his different singing
position), but without the shortcomings'. On the other hand Gigli didn't
have quite Bjoerling's instinct for style. I'd be interested to hear some
views on Gigli from Bjoerlingophiles. Some technical comaprisons might be
interesting, as their basic vocal material is so very similar. Oh, all
right, I admit it, I'm only on this list for my own education....

I wish I'd experienced Callas in the theatre as most of her recordings still
do strange things to the fillings in my teeth. But I do think she is at her
best on that Tosca. My favourite Callas is the Anna Bolena 'Coppia Iniqua' -
now that's electrifying!

Happy Singing

Regards / vriendelijke groeten

Laurie Kubiak
Commercial Analyst - Europe & Africa SMMS
Sales and Contract Support, Shell Services International
Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA
Telephone: +44 171 934 3853; Fax: +44 171 934 6674
Mobile: 07771 971 921: E.mail: Laurence.l.Kubiak-at-is.shell.com
Office: LON-SC 631