I wonder how much our reaction to one singer can be influenced by their vocal partner. I am thinking of Tebaldi and del Monaco - he seems to over emote and belt it out so much that perhaps she seems colder than she might otherwise . I have dug out a 2 CD arias set this evening and I am certainly much more taken with the performances of the Catalani and Ponchielli solo pieces and I find her Puccini generally rather cool. The exception being a particularly lovely O Soave Fanciulla with Bergonzi who seems a much better match.
To be frank di Stefano has never struck me as particularly special but Callas seldom needed anyone to spark off - though of course when she did have a great singer like Gobbi in Tosca the results could be stupendous. Alagna sounded in much fresher voice again with Kurzak his new partner in L Elisir d amore last year than he had for a very long time when singing with Gheorghiu.
It is wonderful when operatic pairings really work but I just wonder whether some singers need that much more to give their best than others.
To be frank di Stefano has never struck me as particularly special but Callas seldom needed anyone to spark off - though of course when she did have a great singer like Gobbi in Tosca the results could be stupendous. Alagna sounded in much fresher voice again with Kurzak his new partner in L Elisir d amore last year than he had for a very long time when singing with Gheorghiu.
It is wonderful when operatic pairings really work but I just wonder whether some singers need that much more to give their best than others.
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