Bravo, maestros
I love to see people arguing in YouTube between Corelli, di Stefano, and del Monaco. So much passion and talent - and proves that art lives beyond the short lifespan of the artist. Fifty years may stand between us and the age of those tenors in their prime, yet we still care enough to squabble.

For me - well, I love del Monaco, but the criticism leveled at his lack of modulation was undeniably correct. I've always felt that spending time in the army at an age when, in another world, he might've been training his voice, could be a poignant explanation, however it isn't necessarily so. His forceful and passionate characterisation, when in an opera suited to his power, was rather awesome, though.

Giuseppe di Stefano reportedly sang his voice to tatters with unwise passion - but for some reason I never truly warmed to him. I think that's perhaps more due to the recordings I've heard than anything else. I just have never like L'elisir D'amore, for one (can't get into Donizetti).

Corelli was a wonder of impeccable voice, a passionate and gifted actor. Different tenors suit different roles and it can be a trial to hear a brilliant tenor wasted in the wrong role, but when Corelli was in the right role he is hard to beat.

Labels: Opera