The Dueling Tenors, part 7- Kaufmann/Di Stefano "Pourquoi me reveiller" from "Werther"

Call me crazy...... :-P
Instead of comparing two very similar tenors, I thought I'd compare two entirely different tenors for a change, singing the same piece phrase-by-phrase. The great Italian lyric tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano, and German spinto Jonas Kaufmann (One of my favorite current tenors) singing "Pourquoi me reveiller" from Massenet's "Werther. This is one of the most dramatically beautiful arias ever written in my opinion, and I like both interpretations very much. If you state a preference, please state the reasons for your preference..... ;-D Enjoy!!!
Please see parts 1-6 for additional information.

[@germanquintero10121946]

Ante tal calidad de ambos siendo mi preferido siempre por sus maravillosas interpretaciones que me emocionan siempre, Jonas Kauffman , pero seria injusto valorar a uno mas que a otro, son maravilla pura para cualquier aficionado al bel canto, gracias por compartirlo

[@mujaku]

The diction of Giusseppe di Stefano is flawless.

[@Ivanhoe2]

I very much enjoy this "two for one" idea and see no rivalry between the totally different voices..just two enjoyable interpretations. Thanks for drawing my attention to it. Best wishes.

[@peterlundgren8090]

Di Stefano, Young voice of him in this production!

[@PerArneJonsson]

Di Stefano is just amaxing. The more I listen, the more I'm medmerized by the sheer beauty of his voice. Kaufmann is good, but his lower register doesn't come naturally.

[@Klinxor]

Kaufmann like a silvery moon reflected on the dark sea, Di Stefano like bright sunlight. Both magnificent, but Kaufmann gets my vote.

[@ShawDAMAN]

thanks for your comment :)

[@verasantarelli4088]

Lo stile vocale cambia con le epoche e il gusto del pubblico viene influenzato dalla cultura sociale del momento, ma l'importanza del testo all'interno del melodramma non viene quasi mai meno...Ora questo confronto di due epoche diverse non fa altro che innalzare sempre più nel punto più alto dell'Olimpo l'Arte sublime di Pippo Di Stefano il quale affermava che " Il massimo del virtuosismo è cantare facendo dimenticare che stai cantando"!

[@giampierone010]

Lei pensa che cambino i gusti??? Io penso che cambiano le proposte...poi se facciamo un' analisi dei due artisti si nota sopratutto Di Stefano con una tecnica alquanto "aperta" ma con un dominio di stile ed interpretazione da numero uno!!! Il signor Kaufmann per quanto mi riguarda canta tutto uguale che sia Pollione,che sia Nemorino che sia Werter...la sua tecnica nasale e artefatta lo porta a interpretare il recitar-cantando come un principiante...saluti

[@verasantarelli4088]

Grazie ....è quello che pensavo!

[@guidogreco341]

Uno è un usignolo..mi sia concessa la licenza l altro una cornacchia...in questa romanza il paragone fa fatto con JEDDAH..GIGLI:::Kaufmann va accostato a Corelli e Del Monaco in ruoli più drammatici...poi si deve vedere se il pargone regge..de gustibus

[@ShawDAMAN]

Me too, to an extent..... :P I like Di Stefano's delicate pianissimos but I like Kaufmann's added power on the high notes ("pourquoi me reveille,-ER") As far as interpreting the text, I think both are very good.

[@mercedesaguilar8317]

Kaufman is farly a spinto; he is a leggero with all the emission ingolatta. Listen to his 1993 version of il sogno of Manon, he clearly sounds like Kraus o Schippa, vey far from Corelli or Melandri. By the way, di Stefano was like Pavarotti a lirico-leggero.

[@Oetti]

oh in my opinion Kaufmann easily takes the cake here... guess I was just never a Pippo fan. by the way, I agree ShawDAMAN, this is one of the best arias ever, for any range. So enigmatically thrilling... I just adore it!

[@ShawDAMAN]

Yes, both studio. I think DI Stefano's was recorded 1954 but I could be mistaken. His pianissimo is good as usual but the high notes are a but tight as pearlmuth pointed out. I wonder if he did more than one recording of this aria.

[@ShawDAMAN]

Calleja does seem to have the technique to go the distance, which is great to see! Maybe inspired a bit by Lanza too, performs his songs occasionally and in fact, was a member of Derek Mcgovern's older Lanza forum... =)

[@moorfan1]

I have always enjoyed the live recordings of Pippo better than the studio recordings. The first Lausanne recordings excepted of course. There was something more that came out of his voice heard live, even if it was a recording of a live performance.

[@ShawDAMAN]

Thanks for confirming my opinion with your first-hand knowledge =D Never cared for Cura to be perfectly honest.

[@Ettoredipugnar]

No contest , DiStefano !!!

[@Mooorhe]

I think I have two rare recordings of di Stefano doing this live. 1949 in SF and 1950 in Mexico, both recordings are unreleased and I have no idea what they sound like because they are on reel-to-reel. I'm sure they would sound better than this. Just need to get them off the tapes...

[@ShawDAMAN]

As far as Kaufmann is concerned he's never been especially famous I guess (although more so now) but because of that many people don't realize he's been singing for about 14 years already! And he still sounds quite good. He does sound a tad throaty and pushed sometimes but he has a pretty heavy voice so you wouldn't expect him to have easy, lyric-style high notes. I like him alot so far.

[@sugarbist]

Di Stefano's quality of voice is outstanding along with his impeccable diction and phrasing. He does get muscular with the 2 A- naturals. I like Kaufman and think he's very sincere, but still has a peculiar sound in his center register. He opens up quite well on the high notes though. Both caress the music as they should.

[@ShawDAMAN]

I agree, I like Kaufmann's voice very much. Actually he has already lasted longer than Di Stefano in a way.... he made his professional debut in 1994, 15 years ago already and he's still singing well. So it seems like his technique is pretty solid, or, he just has very resilient vocal cords since he does sound a bit throaty to me sometimes. =) But as far as support, breath control etc he seems well developed. One of the best currently active tenors IMO.

[@ShawDAMAN]

Well, probably only he and maybe his teacher know if his voice is naturally that heavy, I sure don't :-P But like I said he's been singing well for nearly 15 years already which is already longer than Di Stefano or Carreras' prime :P He should be prettymuch in his prime now (coming up on 40 yr's old) so we'll see. Calleja may indeed be the future for the lyric roles. Heavier stuff I'd prefer Kaufmann, obviously. :-)

[@ShawDAMAN]

Kaufmann surely has a voice, although I'm not sure he's using it entirely right.

[@sospello]

To add something about Calleja whom I heard in 2009 as well at the Met in Rigoletto, I have yet to hear a voice live that has that much ring and beauty in the house. The recordings I had heard previous to the Rigoletto give little indication of how enveloping the sound is or how rounded. Kaufmann, whose voice I also admire, has a different placement and darker sound that has power without a lot of ring-some of the lower voice seems to blend with the orchestration rather than riding above it.

[@barryoderfer]

I guess I would have to flip a coin comparing these two.....I like Di Stefano for the "smooth and softer" version, but, I also like the power that Kaufmann gives.

[@ShawDAMAN]

The aria has beautiful lyrics too. Some people's comments here are making me feel that perhaps Di Stefano isn't represented fairly here. (nothing intentional, these were just 2 recordings that I had- I love Di Stefano.) Try listening to his famous "Salut Demeure" or "E lucevan le stelle-" -but based on these 2 recordings, I do prefer Kaufmann. I love his voice, combines beauty and power, and he does a great job with the oft-mentioned "dynamic contrast" as well.

[@ShawDAMAN]

Di Stefano is not at his best here admittedly. But I know what you mean, his singing lacks the brightness and pointedness of say, Pavarotti or Lanza. His high notes especially later on don't have that sort of bright electric sound of the 2 I mentioned. They don't flow, they're being pushed out. Nevertheless I am rambling here because in his prime he was superb at many things. That famous "Salut demeure" and I have yet to hear a more moving "E Lucevan le stelle" than his early ones.

[@ShawDAMAN]

Thanks again. =)

[@claudiopersi9925]

Ma state scherzando? ma come è possibile un paragone del genere. PIPPO è storia del SUBLIME canto, e non solo, Kaufmann che è?

[@ShawDAMAN]

Nun, ich bin mir nicht sicher, ich verstehe Sie, aber das sind 2 sehr verschiedene Arten von Tenöre, sicherlich. Versuchen Sie hören Di Stefano Gesang "Salut, Demeure-" Es ist erstaunlich, er Diminuendi auf hohe C! Oder hören Sie ihm singt La Boheme oder Tosca, er ist wirklich sehr gut.

[@ShawDAMAN]

Vielen Dank für Ihren Kommentar. ;)

[@sospello]

I have heard both in large houses and, believe me, Kaufmann, in his repertory, is a much more impressive tenor to hear live as of 2009 than Cura (heard them within a few months of each other).

[@Mooorhe]

Wow, di Stefano was very dissapointing here. I can't honestly say I like either very much... are both studio?

[@ShawDAMAN]

Yeah Kaufmann seems to be a fine actor from what I've seen.

[@Jacob-ry3lu]

With Di Stefano you can actually understand the words. It sounds natural and pleasing. Kaufmann sounds so throaty and pressed its such a constricted ugly sound. I have no idea why he is so well-regarded. Di Stefano’s early piano recording of this aria is much much better than the one used here, but even with his aging problems, he still makes a laughing stock out of Kaufmann.

[@voce29]

Oranges and apples!

[@tomfroekjaer]

Undecided ....

[@Hanako5100]

I don't see much point in comparing singers because each person has a different taste and approach. But speaking for myself, Kaufmann touches my heart much more - this is a tragic situation and Di Stefano is just singing to show off his voice. If an opera is put on just to show off a voice, there is no need for the whole production. Kaufmann always puts his entire heart and technique into his understanding of what he's singing.

[@AnryK2690]

@bodiloto Kaufmann is one of the best living tenor, if not the best at all. P.S. Kaufmann is a sprinto-dramatic voice and this comparison is not fair.

[@Mooorhe]

I'm not sure about the technique part, but I know for certain that he was a fan.

[@ShawDAMAN]

Interesting.... I don't think this one is all that bad, really, but not his best- How is your editing coming along, by the way? :-)

[@ShawDAMAN]

@ThaiMike2010 I prefer di stefano to bjorling personally. I agree kaufmann can't really be compared with di stefano on a career basis. possibly not on any basis. ;P

[@sospello]

Just to add another plus to Kaufmann, he is an excellent stage performer. Calleja was a work in progress a bit there, but still very fine and an improvement over earlier footage I have seen.

[@AnryK2690]

I cannot state a reasonable preference, just because they are very different voices. Di Stefano is far my favourite, but I also like Kaufmann's singing style. Still, it's obvious that Kaufmann seems voiceless compared to great Pippo.

[@ShawDAMAN]

And yes he had the best piano singing from a tenor ever.

[@liliacul1000]

was dasgesangstechnische angeht, lässt es sich trefflich streiten. beide singen sehr schön, einer vielleicht sogar schöner, aber nur einer ist werther.......ein leidender, junger mann....das ist jonas kaufmann

[@floriasadventures]

@medusaview well said!

[@ShawDAMAN]

I like Kaufmann's "flower song" alot too.

[@voce29]

Oh and by the way simply adore Kaufmann and especially in the Werther aria.

[@ShawDAMAN]

Hmm, you made me curious- :-P it turns out that Di Stefano did do an earlier version with piano, the quality is a little poor but he does sound better.

[@ShawDAMAN]

oh yes, I don't think he takes after Lanza as far as technique. I didn't mean that kind of inspiration. :-)

[@ShawDAMAN]

true (It was Melchior that said that wasn't it?)

[@matejknezevic6989]

You cant compare Great di stefano whit kaufmann. Di stefano in his 10 years od his prime touch the stars!He enteres hall if fame fo tenors.and put his voice in nimber one for beauty and diction.kaufmann is not in top 80 tenors of all times

[@nigihayami6]

Finally a logical comment

[@lisnor100]

Kaufmann est bouleversant d'émotion et de profondeur, il est inégalable. Jamais il n'est ennuyeux, et grâce à lui l'opéra est du théâtre. Je n'aime pas la façon dont di Stefano étire les notes. Regardez le DVD de Werther avec Kaufmann, vous ne pourrez plus voir quelqu'un d'autre dans le rôle !

[@FitnessVocalCarlosVinsac]

Sin duda prefiero a Jonas Kaufmann, su línea de canto es inmensamente mejor que la de cualquier tenor.

[@ianjacobs1]

not the best version of this aria by GDS in my opinion. JK has a lovely top range here. I think GDS has better diction and a more beautiful voice, much less covered. I have seen both live and liked both live, True stars! Thanks for posting.

[@voce29]

Oh God, one can hear how di Stefano sings on the capital of his voice and Kaufmann on the interest!

[@alexanderpuritano]

MA COME POTETE METTERE A PARAGONE KAUFMANN CON DI STEFANO ?? MA STATE BENE ?? MA NE CAPITE QUALCOSA DI OPERA ?? A ME NON SEMBRA...PARAGONATELO CON BOCELLI SEMMAI PERCHè FRA DI SETEFANO E KAUFMANN C'è UN ABISSO

[@Mooorhe]

Hmm, do you know if his voice naturally that heavy? It's seems to be a very heavy sound. I think the tenor of the next few decades will be Calleja. His placement is perfect, and he's based his technique on the style of Caruso, Pertile, Pavarotti and one other singer whose name fails me, could have been Gigli. He's going to have a hard time going wrong, he might make the mistake that lead to Pavarotti's decline though, so I'm hoping he'll stick with very lyrical roles for a while.

[@jenspflug7473]

12 years on, your assessment appeared to be completely wrong. Incomprehensible, how anyone could ever give credit to Calleja, the master of flutter and other flaws.......

[@ShawDAMAN]

Yes, pretty heartbreaking story isn't it. I might agree with you on Bizet vs. Massenet :-) "Habanera" was never any great shakes to me! It annoys me, actually. Bizet did write some very fine music, in the "Pearl Fishers" for instance, but I agree, Massenet's music was amazing and, to me, more haunting/moving.

[@floriasadventures]

@MegaParzifal brava!

[@ShawDAMAN]

I think JK is better than Cura from what I've heard myself and from what those who have heard Cura in house tell me.

[@Mooorhe]

You know, the more I listen to di Stefano, the less I like him. I'm starting to feel that his biggest problem was his placement of his sound... it's very much in the throat, like Carreras, though not as prominent until the high notes. After becoming more experienced as a singer myself, I really appreciate singers who place the sound correctly. There's something about Kaufmann's singing that doesn't sound entirely healthy too... I'm interested to see how long he lasts.

[@Mooorhe]

I think Carreras and di Stefano both killed their voices because of the placement, di Stefano sounded better because his natural voice was nicer than the voice of Carreras, who could sound rather rough. He had the best piano singing ever heard from a tenor though, he could float on the note so easily... not even Schipa could equal it. I enjoy his interpretations in general, minus the sobbing.

[@segu82]

@rosaponselle2009 Right!

[@ShawDAMAN]

Cura apparently has squandered his talent to a degree with poor technique etc. But regardless I prefer Kaufmanns timbre and I think he has a better top (at least now.)

[@bodiloto]

ma cara,come può ignorare l'esistenza della voce/lo strumento/e la tecnica interpretativa?!?come si può ''sentire'' una interpretazione quando la voce e la tecnica che sta usando Kaufmann non corrispondono allo stile del compositore?!?basta di sentire un suono solo per capire che la voce ingollata di Kaufmann e il suo colore falso sono lontano dallo stile francese.anche tu cara hai perso i tuoi sensi?dove è il suono tipico tenorile?!?è ovvio che la voce di Kaufmann è priva di poesia. ciao.

[@AnryK2690]

@eugeneonegin you say the perfect truth

[@comment6864]

I think this is a poor choice for a comparison. There's plenty of other singers that could have been picked who have a timbre closer to Kaufmann's. Yes, Di Stefano's voice is more open, and generally that would be better, except that his particular voice is not the best.. there are too many moments when he becomes too nasal, and that is just plain ugly. A better choice would have been somebody like Nicolai Gedda. Kaufmann sounds much cleaner and younger here. Truly beautiful timbre he has.

[@joanabanyeres]

Curieux comme les amateurs d'opéra ont des opinions différentes, ils sont même mauvais avec leur conception des voix. Un Pipo a été un grand ténor, un peu chantant a son air, mais avec une voix jolie et très italienne. Quant a Jonas c'est toute un autre histoire, Jonas ne chante pas il interprète , il dit , il fait sentir le drame de Goethe, hélas le public ne comprend pas toujours, je vois que vous avez compris, comme moi, hélas il faut le dire.

[@ftbrothers]

stefano 1st, lovely

[@ShawDAMAN]

Ja, sehr schade. Ich glaube nicht, dass er an seinem besten wenn hier. Ich habe gerade diese für Spaß! ;-)

[@Moist_Nugget939]

Kaufman has a better technique and a very nice voice;however, Di Stefano has much more beautiful voice and it fits better with this aria.

[@tauromaniac]

no it was tamagno

[@BaroneVitellioScarpia1]

The answer is very clear. Di Stefano is 1 billion times better than Kaufmann.

[@eduardolima2229]

Muito bom Kaufmann,mas Di Stefano,devido á voz que Deus lhe deu,é mais natural tanto nos graves.como nos agudos,digamos que tem outra beleza.Por muita técnica e potencia vocal que tenhamos,a beleza da nossa voz não se compra,nem se ganha com técnicas.Di Stefano,é melhor para mim,mas devo dizer que gostei de Kaufmann,embora perca muito nos pianos,quando tem necessidade de engrossar a voz,para se manter no tom,perdendo aí toda a beleza.

[@floriasadventures]

@bodiloto ha ha ha..

[@Oetti]

the entire opera's libretto is stunning... so desperate! so sad! it wears on a person so much... I personally feel that Massenet was way better than Bizet. Music was way more evocative than Bizet's... but Bizet will forever be considered superior simply because of "Habanera." what a pity...

[@liliacul1000]

@ShawDAMAN gegen diese subjektive empfindung ist nichts einzuwenden, aber nach meiner einschätzung ist sie nicht mehrheitsfähig.

[@liliacul1000]

@ShawDAMAN gegen diese subjektive empfindung ist nichts einzuwenden.

[@voce29]

Well.there is abolutely no comparison. Di Stefano ruined his voice very early with his open singing in the passagio where he was not able then to reach the high notes correccly falling back into his halfopened throat. Villazon better wacht out,or he will follow him .

[@francesca7564]

Bonjour à tous ! Eh bien... Je préfère Jonas Kaufmann , il s'agit d'un personnage sombre qui chante. La voix "lumineuse" de Monsieur Di Stéphano n'a pas le ton approprié ici ( je sais que je vais me faire assommer, tant pis ... ) Amitiés et merci pour le post ! Francesca

[@ShawDAMAN]

Nicolai Gedda ist besser als beide auf diese Arie;)

[@andrasfoldvary5734]

Di Stefano unaffected, wonderful tenor, Kaufmann forced,, unnatural, not lyric tenor

[@priamvillalonga1713]

Nobody will be listening to (or talking about) Kaufmann in 70 years time. They don't belong to the same world...