On Sep 21, 4:54 pm, "CHSIII" <chs
...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> How strange. I absolutely adore Tetrazzini (with two z's and one n). She
> had great spirit, and a freedom of execution - I certainly wouldn't call it
> slovenliness - more pertinent to her age than our own consult-the-score and
> do absolutely what is written puritanism. And her technique was phenomenal,
> even in the 1932 film of her singing with a recording of Caruso, at age 62,
> the voice is absolutely steady, perfectly in pitch, and fully expressive.
> One of the greatest of all recordings is her 1911 take on "Saper vorreste" -
> the second of the two featured at the following YouTube link:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK4gvd-n4e4
> The attack on the High D after the succession of staccato D's is typical of
> her her exuberance and style in a day when license and personal art were
> very close. Enough, I suppose, to make old Verdi turn over in his grave,
> but enough to make me truly merry at every hearing.
> Other than their solid technique, I would in no way compare her to
> Sutherland, an altogether grander and "plushier" voice and delivery. But I
> would find great similarities between Tetrazzini and Sills, whose studies
> with Estelle Liebling linked her directly to the "golden" age, and to the
> type of voice and technique and style which Tetrazzini, along with Melba and
> Sembrich, carried to the greatest heights.
> "richer...@hotnail.com" wrote in message
> news:e32afe76-0bbe-4491-bed9-bd2cda2882da@br5g2000vbb.googlegroups.com...
> On Sep 21, 4:37 am, SeattleJohn <johnsayshe...@live.com> wrote:
> > On Sep 20, 10:09 pm, "richer...@hotnail.com" <richer...@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > On Sep 21, 12:07 am, SeattleJohn <johnsayshe...@live.com> wrote:
> > > > I've gone rather mad for Tetrazinni lately and was wondering how other
> > > > listeners would rate her as if she were a contemporary of Sutherland
> > > > and Sills ( or any other you want to mention). Her stacatti and trills
> > > > were the best of all IMHO and her voice was so unusually beautiful. We
> > > > know if was big enough to be heard a block away.
> > > I can't stand Tetrazinni.
> > > I think the voice, from what I recall reading, was quite large.
> > > She does some amazing things techinicaly, without any question and has
> > > a really long breath line. I went back and listened to an Una Voce
> > > Poco Fa, and she does some great things.
> > > But it's all disfigured for me by her singing on any vowel sound she
> > > needs to and by a slovenliness of execution that is almost
> > > unbelievable. It's not that the ornaments themselves aren't fluid. But
> > > she'll mangle words and phrasing as if she were entirely indifferent
> > > to what she were doing. She is less of a musician than most.
> > > It's also instructive, if you ever want to, to compare the same
> > > recordings (she seems to have recorded a relatively small repertoire
> > > ad nauseum), and watch how quickly (and steadily) the voice
> > > deteriorates over time.
> > I respect your perspective. Since I am unfamiliar with the languages I
> > would never notice those factors myself.- Hide quoted text -
> > - Show quoted text -
> And no disrespect to you or your views meant. I simply can't abide
> her. When you posted, I had not listened to her in ages and went back
> and listened to a handful of things and was shocked by how little I
> liked her, despite her obvious extraordinary (but, to me, mere)
> technical accomplishments.
> All best- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -
Well, you know I really respect your viewpoint on singers. I don't
think I hear her execution as being 'free' - I am all for that - but
I don't hear at musical at all. I don't hear it within the context of
any melos. I think Chaliapin goes to about the edge of what I accept
(and he's pretty free), but somehow he seems 'educated', and this,
entirely subjectively to me, seems uneducated and willful. I am sure
she has lots of ancestors - some of those Handel ladies in particular
- but it feels like that to me. I hear the slovenliness in the vowel
alterations, which to me seem Sutherland like (although I agree with
your general point) and just not having a very clean or refined style.
Exuberance is a wonderful word for her, and I wonder if that isn't
what it wasn't all about with her, It had to be a big voice, and it
carried a lot before it, but I am not sure I would highlight the style
as much as the exuberance. I think she was a simple soul (although her
voice manual is not) and kind of uncomplicated in her appetites - not
necesary to go into here - and that conveyed itself impressively in
the way she sang. It is remarkable how 'open' the throat sounds when
she sings - that is maybe THE most techinically impressive thing about
her....she is never tight or constricted. But for me it doesn't hit
it at all. An amazing mechanism, yes. Having said that, and admired
the natural flair, I find little to make me want to hear her. All
taste, I think.
All best
