Leonard Warren & Mario Del Monaco - Oh! Mostruosa colpa...si pel ciel - Otello - Verdi - LIVE!

Leonard Warren (April 21, 1911 - March 4, 1960) & Mario Del Monaco (July 27, 1915 - October 16, 1982). INCREDIBLE! Sorry for the little bit of skipping noise in the end. I figured it is better to hear this even with a bit of that than not at all.

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

Rare historical moment of two Dragonborn unleashing the Voice together

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

Del Monaco's Esultate is Fus ro dah x 1000

[@mariofilippeschi4855]

ahahahhaha two Dovahkiins.

[@photo161]

OMG-If only it were possible to hear singing half so good as this today!

[@TrueConnoisseur]

Love the vocal contrast between the explosive, bombastic Del Monaco and the sumptuous legato of Warren.

[@bodiloto]

Due leoni della lirica. Immensi .

[@jmccracken1963]

Teatro alla Scala, Milan, in 1954. I have the complete performance on CD; it is all truly OUTSTANDING!!!!

[@andreabeltrami2431]

Warren , una voce e uno stile inimitabile

[@fofinha445]

Grande dueto entre dois enormes cantores.....extraordinário

[@fajeartha]

Absolutely incredible - and that IS how Otello should be sung!! The amazing Del Monaco & Warren -

[@369-samyuggu]

The golden trumpet and golden tuba are fantastic!!!!

[@lewashcliffe]

All the comments about Warren; Del Monaco was awesome in this role and this aria in particular. His powerful voice and declamatory style clearly placed his sound above the orchestra yet gave beauty and authority to the music being sung. This was Mario del Monaco at his very best.

[@robertosperanza2719]

Caruso /Mario- Titta/Warren... magníficos... únicos... por siempre... desde el alma... desde Montevideo...

[@joseluizdelorenzo2538]

Duas vozes excelentes e potentes da "era de ouro" da ópera!

[@hwh1946]

Love the way Warren snarls "Mano di Casio!"

[@CantorClassics]

Wow!. Two vocal titans at their peak. Thanks for posting this.

[@Gopher31]

I said Del Monaco was a spinto when younger as he thicken up his production he became a full dramatic. Your Absolutely right. I could explain to someone how the vocal apparatus should work and it would not help them. a teacher that knows how it works and is able to help his students accomplish the ideal is a rare and wonderful thing!

[@legatofancier]

Tremendous collaboration between Del Monaco & Warren. According to the Warren biography, they were great pals. Honestly, I've never really cared for most of Warren's commercial recordings. However, I can better understand his reputation in live recordings like this one. Together, Del Monaco & Warren not only exhibit great power, but a remarkable sense of ease. That's all the more remarkable when you consider the intensity of the performance as well as the music itself. Very impressive!

[@marcogori9677]

finalmente Jago che non urla "in man di Cassio" ma lo sibila come un serpente, come prescrive Verdi!

[@gaemp]

just SUPER!!!! no other tenor can sing Otello like MDM!

[@alragarp]

Duo de fabulosos cantantes.

[@iamsingin]

I have a hard time believing that Del Monaca was "without a doubt bigger" than Giacomini. I get the feeling that there are places in the voice that are stronger for each singer. In any case, Giacomini, regardless of consistency issues, had a tremendously large and beautiful voice. It was no coincidence that he was frequently asked to do Chenier and Forza as he was one of the very few that could be heard in the rep.

[@sugarbist]

@Ces Yal But either way, both tenor voices could fill any opera house.

[@moishemillerr]

Love how their vibrato matches on the last note! Sometimes Warren would even take the A!

[@raulcesari4115]

Mario sempre inarrivabile.

[@joelkatz8729]

Extraordinary

[@itob.9231]

Viva Mario Del Monaco

[@DonPaolissimo]

The greatest twosome imaginable in this duet & the rest of the opera! Warren was the epitome of Verdi baritone singing - compare his Rigoletto bdcsts (7, I believe, from 1944 to 1959) to the trash that has been foeced upon our unsuspecting ears ever since.

[@Gopher31]

I completely agree about Del Monaco, He pushed the limits of his naturally spinto voice and became great, those who tried to emulate him failed. The production of Del Monaco and Giacomini are more similar than you think. Both had Larynxs that are lowered more than Corelli for example. Both sang in a very thick production. Both had huge squillo and correspondingly powerful 3rd or 4th harmonics.

[@gemmadestate3216]

Amazing!!!

[@SilverSingingMethod]

Thanks!!

[@Babywinona]

MARIO DEL MONACO HA SIDO, ES Y SERA EL MEJOR OTELLO DESDE QUE VERDI COMPUSO ESTA MARAVILLOSA OPERA.-

[@joelshuan]

Zainda Mario Del Mónaco no es el mejor Otelo; e lo dirò in italiano: LUI È OTELLO! :) HE IS OTELLO!

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@xLaughingManX I have never heard Ruffo overblow his vocal folds. He sang for 30 years on a very high level. That is a long, long time.

[@DonPaolissimo]

UNBEATABLE!!! What a shame that RCA or London did not produce a recording of duets with these two vocal giants - Gioconda, Forza, Otello, et. al. DonPaolo

[@davidnewton9496]

Magnificent!!!!! It's impossible to say more.

[@legatofancier]

Fascinating comparisons! In the past, I've rarely appreciated Warren's commercial recordings. He tends to sound different in recordings from live performances. Of course, I'm too young to have heard him live. In most recordings, I would tend to describe his voice as "thick," but of course that's just subjective. Having heard McNeil live when he was singing well, it was a treat for the ears! It's a privilege to read such a well informed, civilized discussion!

[@SilverSingingMethod]

Del Monaco was no spinto. He was a dramatic. Pure dramatic. He did not have thickness in his sound. Thickness distorts vowels. Giacomini had this. Corelli had a very low larynx. You can see it clearly in his videos. He also had very weird vowels and pronunciation sometimes. They all had mega squillante, but Del Monaco had it from bottom to top. As Lauri Volpi attested to it being the most singular sound he ever heard. And Corelli said so as well.

[@sugarbist]

Excellent comment

[@bodiloto]

Silver Singing Method Mario Del Monaco purtroppo non aveva la voce del tenore drammatico vero come lei pretende ma quella del tenore lirico pieno, e' un fatto . questa e' la mia modesta opinione . il vecchio

[@bodiloto]

@@sugarbist Del Monaco aveva la voce del tenore lirico pieno . altri Signori erano dei tenori drammatici veri ...

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

Giacomini was great, though.

[@sugarbist]

@@bodiloto Lei lo Chiama " Lirico Pieno" Io lo chiamo Dramatico. Penso che questi sono termini uttuliziati per descrivere un tipo di voce. Quindi, potrebbe essere come dice Lei, ma credo che possiamo essere d'accordo che Lauri Volpi dice nel suo libro, che la voce di Del Monaco e stata fabricatta per cantare Otello. Saluti

[@iamsingin]

@MrCafiero Listen, man. I love Del Monaco. Clearly one of the best voices of all time. I also love Giacomini and find many aspects of his singing to touch me in ways that Mario couldn't and vice versa. I find Giacomini's voice to be absolutely gorgeous. Of course he had issues here and there like most everyone does. Del Monaco had a hell of a time with legato at times. Giacomini's own opinion of his voice is hardly important to me. Most singers only hear their own flaws. So, I love both.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@iamsingin Del Monaco was bigger by all accounts. I have never heard of anyone who heard both of them say that Giacomini was as big. And I don't think Giacomini had a "beautiful voice". And he didn't think so either. He would often say that his voice was not beautiful. He was in no way near the skill, beauty and greatness of Del Monaco. And that is quantifiable in many ways; squillante, evenness of tone, vibrato, release of constriction etc.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@iamsingin Del Monaco was without a doubt bigger than Giacomini. My teacher also said Warren was equal in size to Del Monaco. I think Giacomini is inconsistent. Sometimes good, but other times with a depressed larynx and thick, odd sound.

[@itob.9231]

Il più Grande Otello...Qui nessuno come lui...

[@joemcbob9688]

Bravo Del Monaco!

[@angr3819]

Thank you

[@SilverSingingMethod]

There is a mini cover before that. Anyway, there are vocal vectors. In the voice there is a down pull (infrahyoids), and up pull (suprahyoids), a back pull (which the stylo vectors is involved in) and a forward pull. Balancing these forces out is crucial. In covering the larynx has to stay low, but not depressed. Depressed meaning the hyoid is crushed onto the thyroid cartilage. The larynx must be stabilized by the vectors of force. :)

[@SilverSingingMethod]

Exactly. As men, singing full voice, we want to keep the thyroarytenoid (vocalis) fully engaged while adding the stretch of the CT's, increased work on the infrahyoids as well as the stylohyoid etc. There is much to it all. My teacher wrote a whole chapter on covering in his unpublished book. I am going to write my own in time. There is a ton of information that has not been covered in it. One of the main problems in keeping this sound is also getting rid of constriction; Valsalva maneuver

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@stevevandien I would not fight over something subjective; which do you like better, coke or pepsi? LOL! I think MacNeil in his prime had squillante - while still being super dark - while Warren always had some thickness in the sound which puts me off a bit.

[@UMVELINQANGI]

Magnificent!

[@egymagyar1111111]

Cafiero thanks, we heard here a Warren inspired by MDM to have what I miss many other of his other recordings, do not interpret me badly Warren one of the greatest, and difficult to choose only one, bless you

[@pedrocampollo6595]

Two monsters!!!

[@jackrance7639]

Del Monaco un leone ...

[@SilverSingingMethod]

I have not mentioned everything! LOL! ;) Too long for youtube...haha! You can read my blog though. Lots of explanation there. :)

[@sugarbist]

Two giants of the operatic stage.

[@photo161]

...With respect, "...even now" ? I would say, especially now.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

In particular the middle third of the tongue forms the vowels. The tip articulates. The back third affects pharyngeal space. The tip also must retract. There are tongue muscles that should be active and tongue muscles that should be inactive. All about balance.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@legatofancier I know what you mean about Warren's sound. And I agree that Merrill's middle was definitely more focused and louder. For me, Warren always sang a bit "thick", unlike the other baritones mentioned. Their vowels are clear and ringing. I still have great respect and admiration for Warren. It was a tremendous voice. MacNeil in his prime is better in my opinion.

[@Gopher31]

Of course! the tongue forms the vowels which lead to proper resonance as you know!

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@iamsingin Del Monaco was a much bigger and louder voice than Giacomini.

[@bodiloto]

Non è vero . Errato .

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@stevevandien You cannot really say that you have heard some recordings of Warren where you don't hear "thickness" as that is a term I have used and you would have to know exactly what I mean when I say that; and that would take demonstration. Ruffo was king for me. I think MacNeil in his prime is right up there, but Ruffo had something special. Bartiones I always look to are: Ruffo, Battistini, MacNeil, Merrill, Tibbett, Granforte, Ancona, Sammarco, Tagliabue, Molinari, etc.

[@Gopher31]

That the tongue forms vowels? try saying ee and the ah and see what happens with your tongue. try it without moving your mouth it is possible. different vowels have different formants, when these formants coincide with the sung harmonics they will give them a good boost.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@legatofancier No they couldn't. Ruffo's voice was just enormous. Even Poselle said his voice was bigger than Warren and the like.

[@Gopher31]

If you read properly you would see that we are saying largely the same thing about vowels muscular switches and the work of the laryngeal musculature!

[@iamsingin]

@MrCafiero ,, sorry ran out of space, and I think I posted in the general area and not the reply... Anyway, as far as sheer size is concerned, I would point to the Si per ciel gala performance with Milnes. We all know that Milnes didn't have a huge voice by all-time standards, but certainly bigger than most baritones of today. In this clip, Giacomini absolutely eats Milnes. One can't even hear Milnes on the unison high A. Up to Bb, Giacmoni is one of the all time greats.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

So then it is a muscular switch and not just an acoustical one. Yes, right. We are saying similar things. I am adding things. And the tongue also plays a HUGE role in all of this and I could go on and on.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@xLaughingManX Actually, I did not begin that early. And we don't know about his health etc. Also, he said that he didn't know about technique, but I don't believe it. Firstly because he also wrote a long response about how his brother taught him a very detailed scientific method of voice. He also studied every day for months with Persechini and watching other pupils (including Battistini and De Luca) and then studied with two other baritones.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

Unbeatable *EXCEPT* for the Ruffo?Caruso recording. I do wish they would have recorded together more as well.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

No, this is one of the most misunderstood things in all of voice training. It is a muscular switch. The infrahyoids and stylo muscle vectors come into play more to keep the larynx in position, low, and keeping chest fully engaged. It is always on fine EE and OO which is why the old school singers use those vowels to get the top. So it sounds like UH. But it is not taught today correctly.

[@legatofancier]

@xLaughingManX - In a Live At the Met broadcast intermission feature back in the '80's, Vinay and Licia Albanese were being interviewed. Vinay said that he thought that he was always a baritone. Licia Albanese, politely demured saying that he had "beautiful high notes." Go figure, huh?

[@SilverSingingMethod]

This is with Tebaldi and Votto.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@xLaughingManX These old singers really went through some crap in their lives.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@iamsingin Regardless of what you find beautiful, functionally Giacomini had a depressed larynx and a thick sound much of the time. Del Monaco did not have that. He had much better vowel clarity and ease.

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

But Giacomini was still good. He is much better than any tenor today.

[@oliverdelica2289]

True he's a flawed but amazing singer

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@xLaughingManX I think Del Monaco was bigger for sure. Corelli was more of a spinto and Del Monaco a true dramatic. And YES, RUFFO/CARUSO!!!

[@SilverSingingMethod]

There is more to covering than you know about. This increased work allows a man to keep chest dominant with a low larynx. Otherwise he goes into headvoice (not chest dominant) which is what women do, or he sings "uncovered" which is what non classical singers do. There is an acoustical switch, but that is a result of these things. The vowels still should be understood. And that has to do with tongue position which affects all these things. There is more to this, but I could write a book.

[@rosacelani9866]

Otello :Mario Del Monaco ❤️

[@SilverSingingMethod]

Your "explanation" did not even mention the stylohyoids which is why I was mentioning them. You also stated that covering was an "acoustical" switch only, not a muscular switch. That is just not correct. All the muscles I mentioned do more and the stylohyoids are added. So it is a muscular switch. And there is more than that.

[@christianlibrul]

One great singer, one Greyhound bus air horn.

[@sugarbist]

Yes, But the Air Horn sang with impeccable diction and a driving impetus with endless breath. No tenor before or after MDM had the option to sing like Del Monaco

[@Gopher31]

I should add that the word cover is used in many ways. the way i described being the most common. It's been interesting debating with you, you clearly know what you're talking about. I'm sure you're an excellent teacher! Good night!

[@thomasrexdale3706]

i agree totally with james gatworthy below. i have been s singer for 60 yrs and a singing teacher for 50. Over the years loads of vocal research --even with students of Jean DeReszke! I demonstrate the difference between "lowered larynx" and normal position to my students--twice as much sound in upper middle going toward top--they get a big kick out of it the first time they hear it!! As a tenor using this device i can also sing --for fun at parties--the bass arias from Messiah!!

[@leadoffeohippus]

Wow I can't believe this even exists.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

I would not say that. I know people who sang with all of them. Del Monaco had a much bigger voice and more squillante. Sometimes the lack of "thickness" can make people think it was not as big, but it was huge. I don't know what you mean by open vowels. All of them sang covered which is a muscular switch that happens. Del Monaco's vowels were better than all of them - which they should be. Corelli would get distortions.

[@legatofancier]

@MrCafiero - An elderly former helden baritone told me that when Titta Ruffo took his high notes it sounded like bells ringing. Warren's soft grained, extremely covered voice never appealed to me. Ruffo had a virility in his voice that no one has probably ever matched. People whose opinion I respect have told me that Robert Merrill's middle voice was bigger than Warren's voice in the middle. Cornell MacNeil in his prime may have had a bigger overall voice than either of them.

[@nybuffymeister8328]

Well put. Listen to Merrill with Tucker in the Forza duo. His E naturals were a canon. MacNeil was unlike any other in G to A. Still Warren had a voluminous voice and special pathos to his singing, which neither came close to .

[@SilverSingingMethod]

I can see that there used to be prejudice, but Warren is nowhere near Ruffo. People that heard both of them have said so, even Ponselle. Ponselle said it was an unfair comparison because Ruffo's voice was bigger and more dramatic.

[@Gopher31]

If you hear anything from Del Monaco from around 1960 you would think he a spinto and a light one at that! It is true that all singers voice's thicken up with age but his within 5 years changed substantially. IMO all great Tenors had a low larynx some lower than others. Those with a very low larynx will usually have a thick sound and often a tense sound to their voice as with Giacomini and Del Monaco. I agree that Del Monaco was squillant

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@cdgray2 And also Ruffo and Caruso. Amazing.

[@Gopher31]

The main differences are that Giacomini had a bigger natural voice and sung more closed vowels on top. Del monaco sang open vowels like Corelli, unlike corelli he did not have the gentleness making them sound shouty but so visceral!

[@69brancaleone]

Wonderful!

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

I believe I have this on LP. From the Met, if I'm not mistaken?

[@SilverSingingMethod]

What do you describe as the difference between excessively lowered and depressed? I would not say Giacomini has a beautiful sound. It was usually quite ugly and thick. Caruso, Völker, Gigli, Di Stefano etc. had beautiful sounds.

[@Gopher31]

How is the Stylohyoid involved? I understood that it was involved in swallowing? would it tighten the epilarynx leading to acoustic impedence? Covering IS an acoustic switch the muscular switch occurs earlier in all but the lightest tenors! you dont 'cover' at C#4 do you? It was you who said that covering is a muscular switch you only now say that it is also acoustic?!

[@jmccracken1963]

Is this from the Met (1958) or from La Scala (1954)?

[@SilverSingingMethod]

No, it would not shrink the phayrnx. It elongates the vocal tract. However, it also causes one to have a very loud sound that is not always flexible or beautiful. The sound can be thick. You can certainly get squillante, but it causes other problems so it is not ideal. Del Monaco, although sometimes "shouty" - as you say, never had the thickness issue that Giacomini had. I hear it more in student's of Marcello Del Monaco than in student's of Melocchi himself. I avoid it with my students.

[@Gopher31]

I If the hyoid bone were pushed down onto the thyroid cartilage it would shrink the pharynx to tiny proportions, this would surely lead to a sound that lacked depth no metter how thick the vocal folds are? I anticipate a shouty tone if this were the case. In Giacomini i see a low larynx generating a huge amount of squillo and also providing the depth to balance the voice. He was truely great at his best but as you say, inconsistent. He could hit every high C a night or crack at G's!

[@Gopher31]

Those last three words are key! Balance is how it all comes about! where is this blog?

[@Gopher31]

I agree about giacomini, though i would say excessively lowered rather than depressed! Giacomini had a beautiful and loud sound and could reach C#. However his production did give more problems. On a good day even at 60+ he was perhaps the best Dramatic Tenor. IMO Melchoir and Vinay were high baritones. I have yet to see either hit a high C.

[@uofi1963]

Actually, there's a recording of Melchoir as Siefried taking a high C spot on, and it's big and ringing.

[@iamsingin]

@MrCafiero I haven't heard either of them in the house, have heard very contrasting reports on both singers. I think that both were among the best of all time, so whatever. I do like Giacomin's color a little bit more in the lower roles, whereas Del Monaco had much better Bs and Cs..

[@ElSalvador50]

I'm surprised that Warren didn't take the last high note with MDM. Maybe Milnes was the only one who did that lol

[@oliverdelica2289]

Also Capucilli

[@sugarbist]

Warren had a high C that he would show off at parties

[@Gopher31]

Indeed you could! you seem to have a closer understanding of this than i realised.This increased work is the recruitment of the vocalis muscle in a stretched Cricothyroid dominant production. this changes the top voice from a hooty sound to a full sound- after many years training of course! you are right that all those things are related. going up uncovered often leads to 'chest voice' being pushed up due to a high larynx and short fold posture.

[@antoniomarrone8978]

Precisam 2 Del monaco para ter-se 1 ZENATELLO.

[@sugarbist]

Zenatello was also a very fierce Otello. Check out His 1926 Electric recordings that show how well he sounded.

[@user-jt4js7ed3e]

Хороши.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@iamsingin A comparison against Milnes doesn't say much.

[@Gopher31]

So far you have mentioned nothing that i have not had at least equal knowledge of! I would suggest that there is much about covering and the voice in general that we do not know about!

[@Gopher31]

that's not correct, i believe you are feeling that your larynx is descending? what is actually happening is the cricothyroids are stretching the vocal cords pulling the front of the larynx down. this should happen at about C4 for dramtic tenors. the strap muscles (infrahyoids) should be pulling the larynx down when singing any note. Covering is the name given to the switch from 1st to 2nd formant dominance at the passagio, this stops the voice from sounding strained in the high notes

[@iamsingin]

@MrCafiero oh, and are you Danny?

[@SilverSingingMethod]

@roselandalvin Please refrain from telling me what I mean by thick. I know exactly what causes thickness. And Warren - while amazing - had that flaw. No one is perfect. I don't compare ANYONE to Ruffo because no one can touch him

[@amantedellopera1681]

I think in regards to ruffo the likes of straciarri,granforte,danise,might well have something to say about who was better.ruffo when in his prime was great but so were the others i mentioned

[@Gopher31]

Covering is an acoustic switch that happens not a muscular one all whom have been mentioned apart from di stefano covered. Vowel choices are limited in the top voice due to well spaced harmonics. most tenors only really have one vowel sound above an A. for corelli it was an uh/eh Del Monaco was similar Giacomini had more of an EE sound accentuating higher harmonics off setting his powerful lower harmonics.

[@luissuccar]

Il miglior otello di Del Monaco lo fece sotto la battuta di karajan , quell chi resta non sta alla altezza di quella registrazione .