Gian Giacomo Guelfi- Pietà, rispetto, amore

[@nicolamele2408]

Gola aperta, canto libero, fluido ed elegante! La vera scuola di canto "sul fiato". Tecnicamente perfetto e questi Astri duravano mediante dai 30 anni ai 40 e passa anni di gran carriera!

[@Funghiallapanna]

I saw him live twice as Scarpia and Jack Rance. It was a large instrument, one of the biggest male voices I ever heard. It was so big he sometimes had a little difficulty "moving" the voice. This sort of volume was in the class of Hotter, Del Monaco and the young Ghiaurov --- immense sound.

[@Huaimek861]

Wonderful to hear this brief excerpt of a great baritone . I have no recordings of him . I heard him sing Gérard in Andrea Chenier 51 years ago with San Carlo visiting London's Drury Lane . His " Nemico della Partia " was unforgetable , huge , magnificent , his voice reverberated around the theatre , the audience went wild at the end .

[@chengducat]

So grateful he was among us. Will never die as long as he is rembered

[@38chile]

I am so glad to have found this clip. I saw Guelfy as Scarpia in a production at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, chile in the 1960s I believe. Ferrucio Tagliavini was the tenor, and I forget who Tosca was. Guelfi's powerful voice resonated in the theater and could be heard loud and clear over the orchestra and the chorus in the Te Deum. Immense, bautiful voice and lots of charisma in his acting. The connoscenti in the upper balconies were very vocal in their appreciation.

[@federicotrainajr]

in questo ed in altri ruoli è stato uno dei più grandi di tutti i tempi

[@classicStudy12]

Bravo!

[@wotan3000]

Would have LOVED to have heard him.

[@shanederry2691]

This phenomenal baritone I recently discovered!!

[@paulostroff99]

Awesome! Bravo! A great talent! TY.

[@DonPaolissimo]

Those of us who know (really know & understand) have long appreciated GGG. The man was a vocal volcano!

[@szabadieva3122]

Grazie mille !!!

[@alexanderklykov6084]

Grandissimo.

[@Taehan_Kim_1]

Bravissimo

[@sevoflurane]

He is one of my favourite baritones, unforgettable in verdian roles. He did not simply sing notes, he acted through the voice. He ranks among the best, in my opinion.

[@mose3]

Great dramatic baritone! Corelli's favorite Gerard.

[@anakinmorgan2456]

i realize I am kinda off topic but do anybody know of a good website to stream newly released movies online ?

[@1stJJ]

I think this is worthy of Tito Ruffo, excellent version, thanks for posting it.

[@nisticom]

Sta ancora bene? Era un grande!!

[@CzarDodon]

I was lucky enough to hear him as Scarpia when I was only 13 years old - too young to appreciate the finer points of his interpretation - I do remember the sheer power of the voice which dominated Chorus and Orchestra in the Te Deum. Perhaps, his bass-baritone colour was not what they were looking for at the time. The recorded baritones of that period were all lighter.... and so many (Sereni, Panerai, Tagliabue, Savarese, Protti, Mascherini, Bruscantini as well as thouse you mentioned)

[@adriangans]

Concerning your very true and informative introduction I would like to comment. There were many great, great voices and singers that were never justly praised. This spectacular baritone was greatly admired by his colleagues(Corelli refers to him in an interview with Stephan Zucker.) In a political climate, which opera always will be, some will fall through the "cracks." LOL Cracking tenors, get it.

[@joanabanyeres]

per me e un magnifico baritono..... MAGNIFICO

[@khankonchak]

1) Many singers sing pianissimo on "inaridita", many do not. There are plenty examples of the latter on KZbin alone, i.e. Justino Diaz, who decrescendos to mp at best, and Louis Quilico, who hardly makes a shift in dynamics at all. 2) If you know of a contemporary of Guelfi (other than Herlea or Macneil) with a fattier, more robust sound above the passaggio, I would LOVE to hear him. It's amazing to me that anyone could fail to hear the heft and fullness in all registers of Guelfi's voice.

[@Operanobility]

It's nit picky comments like yours that explain why this monumental singer never got to the very top of the game...especially in the United States. Who gives a sweet s--t if he forgets a word, or if some note is slightly misplaced? Italian opera is about SOUND. As Rossini said...voice, voice,and voice. Guelfi had a few more of those to boot! Little opera queens only care about nit picking. Great singers could care less about such crap. Guelfi was in a class by himself. Fabulous in every way.

[@AndybOfficialChannel]

finally an accurate comment, thank you

[@papajaighh2605]

I just came here to say all us singers need friends like you!! Well said

[@blascortes8391]

Uno dei più grandi baritoni

[@hmbwe]

I think we can all agree that Guelfi has a much more powerful and italian voice than any Baritone today. For me this is what a Baritone in this repertoire should sound like. Baritone with Bass quality.

[@lafca88]

bellissima voce. in questo brano ,peraltro difficile, ha un leggero momento di "defaillance".

[@СеклитаЛимариха]

Люблю.

[@CraigFrancisSoto]

Grazie mille khankonchak for introducing to me to yet another lesser known(at least to me)wonderful opera singer.Guelfi certainly has a big voice and I love his timbre.Where do you find these guys?You obviously have a very comprehensive knowledge and collection of opera singers.Please keep up the great work.We opera afficionados here on KZbin love your excellent contributions.Bravo!

[@adriangans]

A tenor that was superior to most of his time and was likened to Caruso was a tenor named Giovanni Consiglio. He also was not remembered historically. We must remember that there is only so much room at the top and that these legends are still remembered and admired nearly a half century after their prime. We can only hope that memories lasting a lifetime will last a couple more.

[@TrueConnoisseur]

Guelfi's voice was amazing - truly one of the great instruments of all time. However, to call him one of the best VERDI baritones is to misclassify his instrument. To me, Guelfi typifies a true helden baritone (dramatic baritone / dramatic bass baritone, at the lightest). Many of the standard Verdian roles were just too high for his insanely burly, dark voice; his best roles are the lower lying dramatic roles, topping out at F4 / F#4 (as you mention - Scarpia, Rance, Alfio, Amonasro, etc). It's just a shame that he never sang any of the great Wagnerian heldenbariton roles. I would love to hear his Wotan, Amfortas, Sachs, etc.

[@lucabernard489]

For some people, verdian means dramatic

[@markovican]

@khankonchak, I agree with what you say here. I guess its just the way it goes: Every era has its star singers, who get picked by major labels much more, and as a result, those certain singers remain much more famous than other opera legends. Don't forget that Guelfi sang in the era that, especially from today's point of view, was the golden age of opera: You had true legends for every role and fach in standard repertoire. Perhaps his lesser fame was the case of his schedule and connections, or so it makes sense to me as a logical explanation: When I browse Verdi and Verismo recordings from that era, there are quite a few baritones who raise an eyebrow, and instead who, Guelfi would be perfect choice. Maybe you can say something on his schedule, if it was, so to say, disproportionate - in terms of too much Italy, too little America. (I read that was Cecchele case, that he was more than happy to seldom leave Italy). As for Gobbi, I was never a fan, and while I learned to appreciate him, its still beyond me why is he considered preeminent baritone of '50s&'60s. Warren&Merril are americans, and as such, comparison in fame doesn't make much sense, to say the least, and Merril is a lyric baritone, unlike Guelfi. Bastianini sounds to me that he should be most comparable to Guelfi. Taddei and Cappucilli were both great, but all things considered, not better that Guelfi. After all, Guelfi was at least in that "Cavalleria" under Karajan, that should keep his name well known, and that's a great deal more than some others, like Herlea you mentioned (I cant imagine better example of how glorious voice is underrepresented: The man not only had deep, rich voice with blazing top notes, but also a vocal agility and diction to match. Then again, he was from beyond Iron Curtain).

[@nisticom]

I agree with you, he was really a first rate singer. One of the best, especially vocally. Grande!

[@giampierone010]

Ottimo interprete,un po duro nel canto anche se non forza la voce,ma tutto sommato un'ottima performance!!! la voce è di grande ampiezza riscontrabile in pochi baritoni!!! grazie

[@piasecznik]

@minnie888444 Yes, you're right, I was mistaken. Boito only started to write for Verdi after Piave died in 1876, some 30 years after the Macbeth premiere. Well, if you follow the libretto along with the original play, then there are not too many changes in the plot. The whole 'chain of being' thing disappears with Duncan becoming a silent role (actually Act I is pretty much reduced to a few pieces), but apart from that they're quite close to Shakespeare's play.

[@piasecznik]

@minnie888444 'Raffermar sul trono Questo assalto mi debbe, O sbalzarmi per sempre... Eppur la vita Sento nelle mie fibre inaridita!' is taken from 'This push Will cheer me ever, or disseat me now. I have lived long enough: my way of life Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf;' and Shakespeare's version of the main aria text is [to be continued]

[@Rocky1357924680]

R.I.P.

[@khankonchak]

3) Diction issues? Where?? Guelfi makes a mistake at the end, when he repeats "non spargeran d'un fiore..." instead of "sol la bestemmia..". It's a flubbed line, but that has NOTHING whatsoever to do with "diction", which refers to pronunciation and elocution. Given the glorious sound here, I think I can forgive Guelfi the lapse. Perhaps this record is less than "perfect", but I (and many aficionados) find it thrillingly virile. I see that despite your remarks, it even made your favorites list.

[@herrbrucvald6376]

Gorgeous! wow. the Forza duet w/ Corelli here is incredible too... never heard of him, i'm ashamed to say now... He sang Chevreuse at La Scala in 1969 in 'Maria di Rohan. Nuthin' better than a great Italian baritone.....

[@piasecznik]

'As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not. ' Pietà, rispetto, amore, Conforto a'dì cadenti, Ah! non spargeran d'un fiore La tua canuta età. Nè sul tuo regio sasso Sperar soavi accenti Ah! sol la bestemmia, ahi lasso! La nenia tua sarà. Oh, and Arrigo Boito isn't just a librettist, he was a composer in his own right.

[@marcellny]

@assindiastignani Bravo!!!!! they have light mezzos singing this rep now, keenleyside, hampson, even dieskau's horrible version of this. I miss this sound in baritones, I miss the Bastianinis, Warrens, Merrills, Milnes' guelphis. Miss them ever so much. There is so much white soundind unitalian singing going on now over all in baritones.

[@sospello]

This is a great baritone with a generous voice effective in verismo, Puccini and some Verdi roles. I am not sure why he is not more acclaimed. He perhaps did not have the more distinctive vocal "face" of Bastianini or Gobbi. He is also Scarpia's voice for the Tosca film with Corelli from 1956 (Corelli was about the only singer also acting his role on screen; maybe matronly Maria Caniglia was not an ideal film Tosca but Guelfi would have been a fine Scarpia visually--very odd.)

[@IRA77GEOTENORE]

real dramatic verdi baritone

[@rodolfoalonso7568]

Uno de los astros en la cuerda de barítono junto con Cappuccilli Zancanaro Bruson Tabbei Bechii todos magníficos claro que también existen las especificaciones como el que ni siquiera debe ser considerado como un barítono sobre valorado el mediocre Gobbi

[@MrSandpig1]

Look up John Tenaglia. His voice is enormous, and he has a unbelieveable B-flat to boot.

[@STUDIOLAFENICE]

The real deal. Period.

[@pepeelsordo]

fantastic voice. Perhaps (perhaps) exagerated the yawning position (low larinx), but this is how you sound as a baritone, even if your voice is tenorial (for exemple Cappiccilli and others). Did he forgot the words in the second half of the aria (no that it matters)? Thank you for this clip. Perhaps Hampsom can listen to it!!

[@wookinooki9023]

This is 1968? He sounds 70 yo. Or maybe I should say: when he was 70, he sounded the same as when he was 43.

[@rafaeldeacha9704]

Well, Opera is not easy, folks. If you sit objectively and compare this Pietà, rispetto, amore to Warren's, to Milnes, to Bruson, to Cappuccilli's, to Lucic's you might begin to understand why Guelfi never rose above a second-tier status. He is rough around the passaggio, he cannot really spin the voice in a true Verdian cantilena, he huffs and puffs, he flats some of his top notes and, worse of all, he plays havoc with the tempo, which would not make him popular with conductors.

[@ippolitos22]

+Rafael de Acha omg Guelfi is so much better than Bruson!!!!!! there is no comparison at all! Guelfi has a perfect head voice after the second passagio.

[@aubreykreike1312]

Guelfi wasn't a second tier artist. He was extremely popular in the 1950s, had a huge voice and sang around the world in the best houses with the top singers of the day. Unfortunately most singers however good remain in the background with only a few becoming superstars. Bruson sang for years before being identified. Aubrey

[@Jacob-ry3lu]

Guelfi is a thousand times better than Milnes and Bruson. His voice alone is probably bigger than both of theirs combined. And his vocal acting is superb, I don't know what you are talking about.

[@paullewis2413]

@@Jacob-ry3lu I agree he sounds better here than Milnes or Bruson but I've not heard him in any other roles (must investigate) In this aria my favourite remains Taddei who was IMO one of the greatest baritones of the recorded era.

[@Beadle_Bamford]

I totally agree. He had some huge technical problems and in the end he was not a very good musician.

[@khankonchak]

Thank you for your post. However, I fail to see the connection between cortisone and "massive, pumped up" sound. If you mean to suggest that it is because cortisone is a steroid, keep in mind that it's a corticosteroid, whose effects are CATABOLIC- the very opposite of anabolic steroids. Furthermore, as someone who is both a singer and has been involved in the health/fitness industry for years, I can tell you that in mature men such injections have no effect on vocal amplitude whatsoever.

[@rexeterna]

your description is a little off. i've rarely heard a singer NOT sing "inaridita" on pianissimo. and his voice doesn't thin out on top? hmm. obviously i never heard him live but it definitely sounds as if it thins out. also, he screws up the diction several times. the sound and color are lovely but this excerpt here is far from a perfect example of it.

[@AulicExclusiva]

Guelfi seldom sang outside Italy and made very, very few commercial recordings, so he was all but unknown to the greater world. I like him, because he had a fine, huge voice, but he was not a subtle or particularly memorable interpreter.

[@piasecznik]

Actually, it's closely resembling Act V, Scene III in Shakespeare. 'What's the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know All mortal consequences have pronounced me thus: 'Fear not, Macbeth; no man that's born of woman Shall e'er have power upon thee.' resembles ' Le potenze presaghe han profetato: "Esser puoi sanguinario, feroce; Nessuno nato da donna ti nuoce". No, non temo di voi, ne del fanciullo Che vi conduce!'

[@mrice99]

Died today.

[@nisticom]

MI dispiace...

[@rodolfoalonso7568]

Uno de los astros en la cuerda de barítono junto con Cappuccilli Zancanaro Bruson Tabbei Bechii todos magníficos claro que también existen las especificaciones como el que ni siquiera debe ser considerado como un barítono sobre valorado el mediocre Gobbi