Tito Schipa - a great tenor

Started by yashin, June 08, 2007, 08:02:02 AM

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yashin

Anyone else love this voice?  His was one of the first opera cds i ever bought -on Naxos (what a great label it is).  I fell in love with the voice straight away. This singer can do no wrong.

I love to turn down the lights and let his version of "falla nana bambin" and "Nina" waft over me.

In opera there is no one to compare to his rendition of " E La Solita Storia " - mind i find the Mario Del Monaco version comes close-for sheer virile singing.  Schipa's "Ah, Dispar" from Manon is also sensational.
Still not convinced?  Listen to the duet from L'Amico Fritz- Suzel, Buon Di (Cherry Duet).

Looking at my cd of his 1913-42 recordings on Perlea i recall the beauty of his traditional songs in particular "I shall return" and "when your in love".

For me Schipa is in a class of his own as a tenor and song-singer.  I also love Jan Kiepura.

Even Gigli said "Although many outstanding tenors possessed a greater vocal potential than Tito Schipa," explained Gigli, "we have all had to bend our knees before his greatness."

Que

Yes, I'm also fond of Tito Schipa!  :)
Proof of the fact that one can be a great singer with a small voice.
Incredible musical intelligence, elegance and good taste.

I have this issue - exactly the right repertoire for him.



Q


Xenophanes

#2
I really haven't heard any Schipa recordings for years.  I'm not sure I have any recordings of him, though we did at home.  I can't look now as my wife has a bunch of clothes and stuff on a table in front of my LP collection. Very nice, light voice. What he did, he did well.

I haven't heard his recording of " E La Solita Storia ," but Bjoerling did it so very beautifully it's hard to imagine a better one.

I believe "Ah dispar" is "Ah, fuyez douce image," and Richard Verreau did a wonderful recording of that one.

Gigli was apparently a very nice guy, and he recognized Schipa's artistry.  He himself could interpret very well indeed when he put his mind to it (which wasn't always, much as I like him).  His recording of "Ah, non me ridestar" (Pourquoi me reveiller) from Manon is stunning both vocally and interpretatively.

I was able to find Schipa's recording of "Ah dispar" in an LP anthology and it is very well done.  It is quite different from Richard Verreau's, who is not as high a tenor but who also sang with perfect control and in French, of course.

val

Schipa recorded Donizetti's Don Pasquale. He his sublime (but the soprano is frightening). I think that CD, regarding Schipa, is a lesson of belcanto that no one ever reached (at least in recordings).