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Booklet-GB1159-2.Pdf 9 there is no doubt that Calaf's aria, taken from the unfinished Tlirandof, is to be considered the last great page of music for tenor of the entire operatic repertoire, wOlihy of competing for the public's favor against celebrated arias of the great composers, from Bellini to Verdi, from Donizetti to Mascagni. In actuality, "Nessun dorma" has found its way into operatic concerts and recorded recitals of the most famous tenors, and this fact testifies to the extent of its popularity. Not to mention that its regular inclusion in some megaconcerts broadcasted worldwide, has spread the fame of "Nessun donna" to heights unthinkable for any other opera aria, and comparable only to the world of pop music. * * * The anthology opens with the tenor Daniele Barioni who, in a live recording from 1966, dominates this aria by Puccini with a voice that is both stentorian and brilliant. The performance by Carlo Bergonzi (recorded live in 1974) once again reveals this tenor's intelligence and musicality: the vocal power indispensable to this aria is present, yet the singer manages equally to find an elegance in the vocal line, joined to a phrasing full of variety and nuance. The Swedish tenor Jussi Bioerling, protagonist of a famous complete edition of Tlirandof with Birgit Nilsson and Renata Tebaldi, does more than display a voice of great beauty: he finds just the right expression necessary to define the character of Calaf, dominating the high tessitura with security and brilliance. Note also the excellent Italian pronunciation. A live recording of 1982 presents the tenor Gianfranco Cecchele in what has become somewhat his theme song, since he has performed Turandof in the thea­ ters of half the world (including the production commemorating the fiftieth anni­ versary of La Scala in 1976). This performance reveals a voice which is powerful and facile in the high range, just as Puccini calls for in his score. 10 The name of Franco Corelli can be considered synonymous with Calaf: his powerful voice, of dark timbre but capable of reaching dazzling heights, is revea­ led once again in this live recording from 1961 to be ideal for delineating the masculine and dreaming character of Calaf, so laden with pathos. The emotion created by the gradual ascent to the B natural in the three "vincero"s is almost unequalled by any tenor on record. It is not surprise that at the end of the perfor­ mance the audience explodes in an ovation, pleading for an encore. Antonio COl·tis, a typical tenor of tbe Verismo scbool, sings with incisiveness and power, but exhibits a certain effort in reaching tbe B natural. In this recording fi'om 1948, the thirty-tlu'ee-year-old Mario Del Monaco has all the qualities needed to create a memorable Calaf: vocal power and ease of resonance, in cisiveness, a dark and masculine timbre. His performance of "Nessun dorma" is without a doubt among the most convincing and moving of the collection. The same cannot be said for the Florentine Mario Filippeschi. This tenor bets all of bis cards on his high register, the extreme ease of which all owed him to take on such roles as Aroldo (Guglielmo Tel!) and Raoul (Ugol1otli). His "Nessun donna" is not, however, very expressive and it redeems itself only in the captiva­ ting finale. Giuseppe Giacomini is one of the few tenors singing today who is able to under­ take this role, a fact demonstrated by this li ve recording from 1981. The baritonal color of the voice does not prevent this tenor from rising with ease to the high notes. The effect on the public is thrilling, and enthusiastic applause breaks out after the explosion of "vincero"- remarkable both for its power and its duration. Beniamino Gigli sang this "Nessun donna" at the age of 58, but the voice is still solid. Playing with the beauty of timbre, the tenor from Recanate begins the aria with a supple and dreamy tone before unleashing a fu ll er sound (in which are to be heard an excessive openness of the vowels) in preparation of the ascent - 11 somewhat coarse by nonetheless fascinating - to the brilliant hi gh notes. The con­ ductor even stops the orchestra at the fermata over the B natural in order to emphasize the high note, while the end of the aria is entrusted to the chorus and orchestra in a Hollywood-style arrangement (not Puccini 's). The performance of Alessandro Granda is not particularly outstanding from either a vocal or an interpretative standpoint. The voice, permeated with a light vibrato, is nonetheless powerful, and the aria concludes with a ringing B, wh ich . however. immedi ately moves with a portamento down to A. The Polish tenor Jan Kiepura di splays a lovely timbre, a supple vocal produc­ tion, and a powerful high range. He sings this "Nessun donna" in German at a fa irly slow tempo which lends majesty and an almost Wagnerian air to the aria. The beautiful, round voice of Flaviano Labo offers a masculine and vibrant interpretation of the aria, flaunting powerful and ringing hi gh notes in this live recording from 1972. The performance of Giacomo Lauri Volpi demonstrates all the qualities which supposedly led Puccini to write the part of Calaf with thi s tenor from Lanuvio in mind. The youthful timbre, the extreme ease in the high range, the clarity of expression, all pl ace th is "Ness un donna" at the top of an ideal "hit-parade" of tenors. Taking a rather slow tempo, th e Spanish tenor Hipolito Lazaro (the great rival of Fleta) undertakes "Nessun donna" with a beautiful voice and an elegant vocal line, but the B natural of "vincero" is just sli ghtly touched upon, and with effort. Aroldo Lindi's performance is perhaps the least interesting of the anthology. The tenor, whose vocal timbre is fa irl y anonymous , takes a certain artistic license (in the form of portamentos), but displays fac il e high notes and some expressive imagination. The interpretation of Giovanni Martinelli is quite anoth er story: thanks to the incisive expressivity, the supple vocal production and the absolute control of the .
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