Then, and now - old timers vs. current singers

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

This could be fun. Let's post YouTube clips of old timers singing some opera favorites, side by side with current singers doing the same, for comparison. Of course the old recordings have the disadvantage of poor sound engineering, but still, the vocal qualities of these legendary figures still comes through. This is not to say that one generation is better than the other; which is why I'll pick a *good* clip for each generation, and I invite you all to do the same.

So, I'll start.

"È il sol dell'anima... Addio, addio" from Rigoletto, first with contemporary singers Juan Diego Flórez and Aida Garifullina (starts at 2:00 in this clip that includes the preceding recitativo), then with old timers Giuseppe di Stefano and Maria Callas.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

This is a great idea!

The duet "Suona ogni labbro il mio nome" from the prologue of Simon Boccanegra. What else?!



Piero Cappuccilli and Nicolai Ghiaurov



Thomas Hampson and Carlo Columbara

[MAuer]

Tamino’s Bildnisarie from Die Zauberflöte, sung by . . .

Jonas Kaufmann



and the legendary Fritz Wunderlich.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Perfidi!... Pietà, rispetto, amore (Verdi: Macbeth)



Piero Cappuccilli
One of Cappuccilli's hobbies was deep sea diving so no wonder he had phenomenal breath control!





Thomas Hampson

[Florestan]

[Tolis]

Franco Corelli:




Jonas Kaufmann:





Corelli gives so powerful emotions!

[MAuer]

Elisabetta’s “Tu che le vanità” from Don Carlo

Anja Harteros



Mirella Freni

[Amfortas]

Siegmund's "Winterstürme" from Die Walküre

Lauritz Melchior



Jonas Kaufmann