Search - Giuseppe di Stefano :: Giuseppe di Stefano - Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, etc.

Fabulous performances, tight sound

madamemusico | Cincinnati, Ohio USA | 06/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tenor Giuseppe di Stefano, best known for his work with soprano Maria Callas, was a geniune star in his own right...but he was also a singer who pushed the voice too far into heavy repertoire, thereby ruining its lyric beauty by 1960. These studio recordings, made between 1955 and 1960, capture di Stefano at his considerable best as an artist, the voice rich and burnished, with more squillo and ping than Bergonzi, more richness and lushness than Pavarotti, in similar Italian repertoire and surprisingly good readings of French arias. (His version of "Pourquoi ma reveiller" is almost as great as Nicolai Gedda's, and he is the only tenor I've ever heard who almost makes "Salut, demeure" from "Faust" sound like good music.) For some reason, however, Decca-London has made this a marginal item in their catelogs, which means that you may have to order it used. If so, be careful who you order it from, you may not get the shipping or condition you expect, but I was lucky, my CD arrived intact and undamaged. The dated sonics make di Stefano's voice sound a bit drier than it really was, yet the beauty and richness of his sound comes through. A must-own CD for any vocal lover!!"