La donna è mobile - Who's the best singer?

00:00 Alfredo Kraus (1927-1999)
00:27 Angelo Minghetti (1889-1957)
00:41 Aureliano Pertile (1885-1952)
01:03 Beniamino Gigli (1890-1957)
01:23 Carlo Bergonzi (1924-2014)
01:57 Cesare Valletti (1922-2000)
02:19 Dmitri Smirnov (1882-1944)
02:43 Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)
03:08 Ferdinando Ciniselli (1893-1954)
03:33 Fernando de Lucia (1860-1925)
04:07 Ferruccio Tagliavini (1913-1995)
04:28 Franco Bonisolli (1938-2003)
04:49 Franco Corelli (1921-2003)
05:17 Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966)
05:41 Giacomo Lauri-Volpi (1892-1979)
06:06 Gianni Raimondi (1923-2008)
06:31 Giovanni Martinelli (1885-1969)
06:55 Giuseppe Di Stefano (1921-2008)
07:18 Jerry Hadley (1952-2007)
07:44 Jerome LoMonaco (1926-2002)
08:10 Joseph Schmidt (1904-1942)
08:35 Jussi Bjorling (1911-1960)
09:00 Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)
09:26 Mario Del Monaco (1915-1982)
09:52 Mario Filippeschi (1907-1979)
10:13 Mario Lanza (1921-1959)
10:42 Miguel Fleta (1897-1938)
11:07 Nicola Martinucci (1941-0000)
11:37 Nicolai Gedda (1925-2017)
12:02 Richard Tucker (1913-1975)
12:23 Tito Schipa (1888-1965)

[@shicoff1398]

Josef Schmidt live singing in Italian in a 1937 Carn. Hall concert sings a great diminuendo and fine cadenza at the end, just before the high B before the high B that was also terrific he rec. the aria in both Italian and German of course, but his live one was wonderful, Bjoerling's was excellent also, I saw him sing the role in house in 1958 in Chicago, as with Tucker and Caruso Jussi had a fine cadenza and top B. Schmidt, Tucker and Jadlowker had been Cantors, so they had to have a good cadenza for the liturgy, even early Del Monaco sang the role with a good cadenza in the aria and fine high B but of course, he did not sing it later, Corelli didn't sing the role ever, but did sing the aria, Cadenza's where not his thing, but he had that great Diminuendo up top when needed. Peerce did the aria very well and had a great cadenza also, his studio rec. of it in 1950 on RCA with Warren and Berger is a classic Rigoletto Rec. others like Merrill, Peters and Jussi B. also on RCA in 1956 are excellent also.

[@jameshook1862]

Mario del Monaco total ruled that one, as he also did with his Pinkerton, unforgettable, forever in our hearts.

[@user-in4qr4gd9c]

Fleta, Schmidt! Superb!

[@martinkeith5543]

wonderful a great comparison of every great tenor is here I have the ones I love Gigli bjorling lanza pavarotti but listen closely some very beautiful voices very beautiful

[@luigigiovanelli8929]

Tutti o quasi molto bravi. Scelgo Caruso, Björling, Wunderlich, Schmidt

[@giovanelliartistmanagement3940]

aggiungo Franco Bonisolli

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

The older tenors with the bel canto technique had far more agility in their voices, during the coloratura passages. The best ones were Joseph Schmidt, Martinelli and Lauri Volpi.

[@ivanscotton6163]

O melhor Lá Donna é Mobile é de 1933 em Sueco com Yussi Bjorling.

[@maurobalsamo5229]

Bjoerling, Caruso, Jerry Hadley, Nicola Gedda.

[@catherinegrillos8739]

Fantastic idea to put these together and thank you! So hard to choose just one!❤

[@hellahennessee6707]

Jussi and Fritz!

[@absdyna]

Corelli recording most probably from 1958

[@valeriomessersi1016]

Anche qui siamo di fronte ad una nota sulla quale ogni TENORE nella sua carriera dovrà fare i conti !!!! Chi è il più BRAVO ????? Ad ognuno il piacere di scegliere il proprio beniamino !!!!!

[@opera.turkiye]

Lo scopo principale qui è che le persone commentino la tecnica dell'opera. Non stiamo facendo niente di male. Ognuno ha i suoi gusti.

[@valeriomessersi1016]

​@@opera.turkiye D'accordo !!!

[@smemr]

The Caruso recording is from 1908. There are earlier versions but this and the 1904 version are best.

[@gokceturkmen6015]

Franco Boniselli’ye bayıldım 😍

[@stephenlord9]

Caruso. Caruso. Caruso.

[@saltburner2]

Valetti takes it down a semitone to avoid the high B natural. De Lucia takes it down a whole tone, making A the top note. Caruso is perfect.

[@diplomamilldoc8562]

Next take a look at Una Furtiva Lagrima, and include Joseph Schmidt's version recorded live at Carnegie Hall in 1937. Amazing runs and trill.

[@shicoff1398]

Yes, Schmidt in that concert in 1937 was singing as always fantastically well, he should have stayed in NYC in 1937 after singing there, but went back to Germany and that was a poor choice as he was a Jew, and so he then later he left Germany and was caught in France and sent to the Swiss internment camp where he got sick and died at age 38, his reason for leaving NYC was that his manager ( it was His uncle Mr. Leo Engel) advised him to come back and that "all would be OK", he was well liked and popular in Berlin and in Vienna of course, but things politically got worse for him, so he left and was a tragedy of WW2, dead at age 38. (RIP Schmidt 1904-1942) Had he not been Jewish, of course he would not have left, he had great success in Germany of course, he was a fine artist with a beautiful Lyric voice and great high notes and at 4 foot ten in height he had some trouble on stage, with finding shorter soprano's, but he sang complete performances of Boheme in Brussels with good reviews, as the voice though not big, was large enough to carry in lyric roles like Boheme in the opera house.

[@matveykurland7012]

Interesting. Never heard of Minghetti and Cisinelli.

[@Kjuken69]

The best if you not choose by heart or by favorite tenor, is Björling! he is dancing trough the notes, with no force! No one sings like him, out this or any other group of tenors.

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

If you are not just picking your favourite, then Joseph Schmidt is by far the best. Incredible fast runs and flexibility, he also had great trills. Bjorling was fine, but there were a few better ones then him.

[@dallasbono]

1. Caruso 2. Lauri-Volpi 3. Pavarotti

[@acitipo]

Todos son grandes tenores, maravillosos, yo me inclino por Luciano Pavarotti. Su voz no era nasal, y su timbre único entre los más grades tenores

[@jesusmunoz2400]

Pavarotti tenía una gran voz pero le faltaba la elegancia de Kraus y Bergonzi. Su canto era anarquico.

[@bodiloto]

Pavarotti dal vivo era bravo nel suo repertorio cioè quello del tenore leggero… no comment il vecchio

[@melihkarasu]

nice video

[@user-ff1cp5lt9n]

Gigli

[@giovannievangelista6218]

1) Raimondi 2) Bjorling 3) Wunderlich 4) Bonisolli 5) Hadley 6)Pavarotti 7) Kraus

[@jesusmunoz2400]

Kraus era infinitamente mejor que todos los que ha puesto delante.

[@camillozanon8560]

Manca Giacomini...

[@jesusmunoz2400]

@@camillozanon8560 Giacomini no tenía el estilo vocal para cantar el duque.

[@diplomamilldoc8562]

Clearly Joseph Schmidt performs the best cadenza with a series of perfectly placed run of notes. His Una Furtiva Lagrima recorded live at Carnegie Hall in 1937 is also stunning. He was a real vocal gymnast, and it all came from a tiny figure standing less than 1.5 metres or 4 ft 11 in height. Sadly Schmidt was pursued through Europe during WWII and died of neglect in Switzerland after entering the country seeking refuge in 1942.

[@alexeyizmirliev64]

Che cadenza!

[@diplomamilldoc8562]

@@alexeyizmirliev64 kzbin.info/www/bejne/anPImZysa9JliZI link to La Donne e Mobile recorded live

[@shicoff1398]

I'd agree, especially his live 1937 Carnegie Hall concert as he sings it (Una Furtiva) in Italian, with his even more impressive Cadenza then his excellent studio recordings of it, in both Italian and German, and that live version in the concert (in NY.) shows what a great artist he was, with the ability to sing live as well or better than his studio recordings, studio records, which can be recorded using the best take for commercial sale, the true test of a singer is live in house recordings, he was a great artist. Joseph Schmidt was Jewish and at that time, tragic for him, as he was captured and sent to a Swiss internment camp after fleeing Germany, to bad, back in 1937 when he was in NYC. singing in concert, he didn't stay there. RIP. Great lyric tenor Joseph Schmidt 1904-1942, dead at age 38.

[@ivanbendana551]

No one is the best. Verdi neve wrote the final high note. However, these recordings are unven in volumen and clarity, so we are unable to chose the better performances. Take nota that the first Duke, Raffaele Mirate (1815-1895) was a spinto tenor instead or lyrical. We can hear some elegant voices, like Bjorling, Bergonzi, Kraus and Wunderlich; some very lyrical voices, like Schipa and Valletti; some robust voices like Caruso, Fleta, Tucker, del Monaco, Corelli, Bonisolli and Martinucci; some very expansive voices, like Björling, Corelli and Pavarotti; some bright, beaututiful and very little voices. In short, the sound of the recordings is very poor and each onf these tenors have his own merits, en and no one is the best, but we may choose the worst. Greetings,

[@karifrid]

Wery good and wise commennt...

[@timothycrombie3730]

Your third sentence says it all.

[@LuisSanchez-bc5np]

❤️❤️

[@gonzalocuadra8657]

I don't know if Caruso invented this cadenza or was composed for him or was just one of many other cadenze done in Italy in those years but one thing is sure: Caruso recorded the aria three times, and in the first one he didn't make the usual cadenza; however in the second version, Victor 1904, he did the closing cadenza. His 1908 third, final take, is the best. Caruso was the king of tenors and his record company was a worldwide enterprise: Well, since 1904 the tenors start the Caruso tradition! It's not Verdi's. It's almost impossible to find the Caruso cadenza in a recording of another tenor before him. And, as it's unwritten, they had to learned it just by ear... This is the reason of such wrong notes, the dirty solfeggio, the ugly glissando in so many singers with just the high B in his minds. 😖

[@oktaygozcu4799]

I heard something about this. This song is so easy to remember nearly for everyone. Verdi didn’t give this aria the tenors cause they could hum the aria at the street or somewhere hahahaha. Just last rehearsal he gave this aria. I don’t have a source i just rememeber from a conversation.

[@Garwfechan-ry5lk]

Caruso was doing what Verdi wrote!

[@gonzalocuadra8657]

@@Garwfechan-ry5lk Hi! Yes, indeed, Caruso did what Verdi wrote... But no in this famous cadenza at the end. The oficial score (Ricordi) shows the music as written by Verdi and the end of the second stanza is very similar to the end of the first one, so, without that coloratura and high note. We are so acustomed to this traditional ending that is hard to believe is a virtuoso show off.

[@Garwfechan-ry5lk]

The two earlier versions were cut because of the problem of running out of Wax, in Covent Garden he always did this on stage in performances at Covent Garden in 1910 he did only six performances that season with Melba and Tetrazzini Sammarco Stracciari and Journet and a Concert at the Albert Hall with Scotti and Kirby-Lunn. He was immaculate in this is Favourite role.

[@gabrieleruffini4884]

Lauri Volpi n.1 wonderful also Kraus, Pavarotti, Bjoerling, Gianni Raimondi

[@franbestguitrplayerinthewo5027]

The best of all pavarotti good scale

[@leonardopizzella7834]

Comparto muchas de las opiniones de aquí, pero los parámetros para cada artista no son las mismas. Es verdad que Kraus la canto mucho y muy bien, y que Caruso es incomparable pero no se sabe bien hasta donde llegaba su talento que obviamente era superlativo pero sus grabaciones son ruidosas. Después quien no amo la voz y simpatía de Pavarotti, aunque es más actual el sonido y esto le da ventaja? Pero para mí y claro está que estoy diciendo que en lo personal me gusta Jussi Bjorling por sobre los demás después wunderlich y Bergonzi.

[@shicoff1398]

I hate to review singers I did not see in house as in house can be different then even a live recording but studio records are often not quite as seen live in house. Bigger voices often record not was well as smaller more Lyric ones, I saw both Bjoerling and Peerce in 1958 in house as a 18 year old and recall some of it but later in 1959 saw Del Monaco in house singing Otello, then saw Tucker, both their voices where for me better and even larger then I'd imagined from their studio records, MDM sounded back then at least, less steely in house then the studio London label LP's I had of opera's.

[@jackbulmash4247]

Caruso does seem to execute the cadenza the best.

[@opera.turkiye]

I think so too :)

[@stephenlord9]

it was his cadenza... note the turn in the middle

[@ricardohermida347]

Para mí Alfredo Kraus .Por voz,por vocalización y por control de la respiración en los agudos era incomparable….

[@operaforever8545]

Where is Lemeshev?

[@suffes1]

The duke himself of course! Jussi Björling!

[@ramonavandermerwe1159]

The best!❤❤❤Jussi Bjorling!

[@carlosrapita7546]

Sin duda alguna la de Kraus además 40 años cantando el Duca en directo y a tono. Inigualable

[@eliseobarjau2812]

Yo lo dudo...

[@carlosrapita7546]

@@eliseobarjau2812 cantó Rigoletto en su debut en 1956 en El Cairo. Su último Duca en vivo Año 1994 en el Met de Nueva York. 38 años. Y cantando la Donna de Mobile hasta el final. En sus últimos conciertos en vida 17 y 21 de marzo de 1999 en el Auditorio que lleva su nombre en su ciudad natal de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Con un cáncer de páncreas completamente invadido y cantada a tono. De ése concierto salió a hacerse pruebas que desgraciadamente confirmaron los peores augurios. Falleció el 10 de septiembre de ese año. Espero le quede claro.

[@carlosbauza1139]

@@eliseobarjau2812 La evidencia está grabada.

[@eliseobarjau2812]

@@carlosbauza1139 Y no es que Krause no cante muy bien el papel del Duque de Mantua en la Ópera de Rigoletto; algo que evidentemente lo hace como un gran maestro, sin embargo, en toda actividad y disciplina; existirán formas, métodos y maneras que, logrando parecidos o semejantes logros y calidades afines, habrán tambien diferencias sutiles de color de la voz, de la intensidad del timbre y su modulación y del cuerpo de la voz, y otras cualidades que diferencian a cada cantante y, considerar por añadidura, el de la interpretación histrionica del personaje. Y en toda esta ensalada de elementos a cumplir, se dan a la labor los diferentes cantantes por cumplir exitosamente, como igualmente, habrán miles de escuchas, que como público apreciarán a cada uno de los intérpretes; pues, será aquí, dónde cabe considerar los gustos de cada quién dentro del público que les escucha. Yo prefiero a Jussi Bjorling, porque su color, su timbre y cuerpo de voz, me agradan más que el timbre, color y cuerpo de la voz de Krause y también lo mismo en la forma de interpretar al personaje. Y habrá otros escuchas que van a preferir a Giusseppe Distefano o al peruano Alejandro Granda o a Jaime Aragall o tantos otros más que no tienen porqué ser solo como Alfredo Krause. Saludos!

[@jesusmunoz2400]

@@eliseobarjau2812 Kraus no Krause. Kraus y Bergonzi son las dos referencias en este papel, cada uno en su estilo pero unicos. La partitura del duque esta escrita para cantarse con elegancia y estilo. Verdi sabía como perfilar los personajes vocalmente. El histrionismo es lo que suelen hacer muchos cantantes para suplir sus carencias técnicas.

[@carlosbauza1139]

Alfredo Kraus!

[@ahmetkursatergen3262]

Gerçekten çok güzel 👏

[@pablodemarcos5379]

Gracias por habernos ahorrado el... baritenor ibero-mexicano. Pero falta el grande Aragall ! 😮

[@spevoljub]

Wunderlich and Bjorling

[@bajdenica9745]

Pavarotti ❤❤❤

[@helmutlocatelli4070]

La versione più bella è la seconda, quella di Minghetti, perché è fedele alla scrittura di Verdi, il quale ci teneva moltissimo a scongiurare l'effetto "finale di scena" laddove un finale non ci doveva essere (vedasi pure il si bemolle in pianissimo nell'aria "Celeste Aida").

[@opera.turkiye]

I will try to fulfill your request. Might be a good comparison.

[@PinaOliva-dp1ig]

Tutti bravissimi. Come si fa a dare una classifica? Posso dire che per me il podio va sicuramente a Franco Corelli ma anche Lauri Volpi Gigli Del Monaco Di Stefano Martinelli Tuker sono tutti meravigliosi. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@fr.jamesjohnson1567]

Caruso and (sloppy run notwithstanding) Lanza for me.

[@wordsworks7084]

The most beautiful is Mario Lanza.

[@massimodesantis2228]

Di Stefano il più grande

[@jesusmunoz2400]

Pippo bella voz pésima técnica

[@maxtrentini5589]

Kraus e Pavarotti perfetti...forse Gedda...gli altri appena sotto

[@ilecier]

Filippeschi Pavarotti Hadley Gedda Raimondi

[@GaboFreitas]

Luciano and Corelli! Bravisimo

[@elenajha4357]

Caruso of course. Then di Stefano, Schmidt, Pavarotti, and Corelli. Could the next comparison be "si, vendetta, tremenda vendetta" from Rigoletto, please? Let baritones show their best)

[@M.Stabile]

Ivan Petroff rigoletto is one of the best

[@jesusmunoz2400]

Ninguno sabía hacer la coloratura bien menos Pavarotti en su primera época. Kraus era infinitamente mejor en este papel que lo que ha nombrado.

[@opera.turkiye]

Of course. I will try to fulfill your request. Might be a good comparison.

[@Garwfechan-ry5lk]

Caruso by a Universe

[@ramirocortes2549]

Fernando de Lucia es el único que no emite el SÍ agudo; será por falta de voz para hacerlo o por ceñirse estrictamente a la partitura ??

[@lieliannenasgy2649]

Franco Corelli without doubt

[@giovic9802]

Where's Kiepura and Rosvaenge?

[@josdenis3684]

Music is no competition.

[@opera.turkiye]

I agree with what you said, but everyone has their own taste. It's nice for people to express themselves about it.

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

Opera is somewhat of competition. Since everyone always sings the same material there are always comparisons. Opera is like olympics of singing.

[@yozaggg8386]

Luciano💯

[@sinakiris6068]

Ion Buzea yoksa bu liste eksik sayılır....

[@AllenFigueredo5]

Ciniselli 🎉

[@ulrikewermann1268]

you forgot Aragall...

[@Penco40]

Only the fermata? How can you compare?

[@cesarezappa7574]

the best is Franco Bonisolli!!!!

[@jefolson6989]

These vidz are fun for me- NOT for my neighbors!

[@oktaygozcu4799]

Jussi Bjorling Joseph Schmidt Filipeschi Pavorotti

[@ivanscotton6163]

Aquela gravação em Sueco com Yussi Bjorling é a melhor. Me parece ser de 1933 ou 1931.

[@marksmith3947]

MDM way too loud, as usual

[@mohsenarambon]

The Best .. Filippeschi ❤️ Corelli Pavarotti

[@cinanhakkee]

Enrico Caruzo

[@TimothyJonSarris]

There is no best singer….there are different singers of all types and everyone has their preferences, but best doesn’t exist.

[@opera.turkiye]

I agree with what you said, but everyone has their own taste. It's nice for people to express themselves about it.

[@ramirocortes2549]

Ningún crítico puede decir cuál es el mejor. Ese tema es muy subjetivo, así que es más acertado decir el favorito

[@leonardoquinteroquiroz635]

Pavarotti!

[@virgilioghisoni]

il migliore è caruso

[@yomocaro3500]

Caruso❤❤

[@user-bd9hx8zi2r]

Cмирнов

[@alexeyizmirliev64]

Caruso, la Cadenza finale e da capo giro.

[@adrianpentek1]

Lanza

[@janduplessis8968]

Luciano Pavarotti was the best without a doubt

[@johnfalstaff2270]

Poor video, I would say. Why didn't you present their best recordings of this song/aria? Caruso, Monaco, Corelli and some others recorded it one time only. Pavarotti more than once. Still there are much better technical quality recordings. These here are filling me up with disgust. I have many of them at home in much better condition, so why didn't you put more effort before placing it on KZbin?

[@lz43p15]

Pavarotti,Fleta

[@BellaFirenze]

Nessuno. Il migliore sono io.

[@giuseppescura9912]

Bergonzi forever😊

[@enzocardinale5028]

Nessuno lo canta come è scritto. Comunque, Di Stefano per sempre.

[@jesusmunoz2400]

Pippo ni hacía reguladores ni hacía las agilidades finales bien.

[@Castorp-wn7dh]

Pavarotti.

[@frankdemaria7766]

Pavarotti and Caruso equals

[@frankdemaria7766]

Thank you

[@bodiloto]

Frank DeMaria Pavarotti/🐈‍⬛ / and Caruso / 🦁/ equals?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 il vecchio

[@Simon-es2pu]

Björling is the King of La donna é mobile without a doubt

[@user-tb4cj5qp3z]

Наилучший-величайший тенор на все времена Лучано Паваротти.😊❤😊

[@alexeyizmirliev64]

E nato a Erevan?

[@radames5855]

Si,domani😂

[@olofalriksson2464]

Jussi is number one!☺

[@xxirapax8830]

KRAUS il miglior Duca

[@ismamura794]

Primo in assoluto Pavarotti...!!!!!!!!per la potenza vocale, senza gorgheggi, la frase non spezzata. 😊

[@jesusmunoz2400]

Pavarotti tenía una voz espectacular pero le faltaba la elegancia de Bergonzi y Kraus

[@acitipo]

Son registros de voces distintas, color de voz, distintos, no se puede comparar un ligero con un dramático. Luciano Pavarotti destacó por la belleza de su timbre.

[@jesusmunoz2400]

@@acitipo Kraus no era ligero, era lírico ligero. Pavarotti en vivo no tenía una voz especialmente grande. Para mi en el canto además de la belleza es fundamental el manejo de la voz y la adecuación estilística del canto y en eso Kraus y Bergonzi eran infinitamente mejores.

[@jesusmunoz2400]

@@acitipo Pavarotti no era Dramático. Era Lírico.

[@bodiloto]

@ismamura794 Pavarotti primo per la potenza della voce ?!?! Ragazza da dove vieni ?! Sei appena caduta dalla Luna ?!… il vecchio

[@serhiybaturyn5797]

Gigli