To: "VOCALIST" <vocalist>
Subject: Re: The charm of the old
Date sent: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 17:38:33 +0200
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>


Hi,
I absolutely agree with Laurence that we, singers have to listen recordings
done before 1960-70. The quality of recordings nowadays is so high, that
singers seem to sing like not human beings at all - balanced, correct,
untiring, techically perfect etc. etc. That's like fast food, isn't it?

For every singer I suggest to listen Benjamino Gigli - becuse of his
wonderful symbiosis of perfect technique and genius interpretation. I have
listened Gigli very much and I take him as a model. He had not any spinto
voice, but he could do everything with his technique, even Otello and
Turriddu, isn't that admirable? Is there somebody now in year 2000, who
could sing like that - who has such a flexibility and power in the same
time? Any opinions?

Of course Callas is phenomenal, that's out of the question. I think she is
like narcotics - when one has listened her recordings, he has to listen
them more and more - there is always something to find in her performances.
For instance, I have listened her Tosca (rec. 1952, with di Stefano and
Gobbi, cond. de Sabata) maybe five hundred times and always I found from
there some new nuance or color. What is it that our modern opera stars do
not have such a dedication and deep relation to their caracters in opera? I
have thought a lot about this. Because our life goes faster? Because of
tecnology? Because of information? There is something I cannot explain.

Another thought. If I listen contemporary recordings - I prefer
live-recordings. These are "onest" if you understand what I mean. On these
recordings always something HAPPENS - and shows us that all singers are
human beings and this makes performance real and vivid. Any thoughts?



Best regards,

Toomas Kaldaru
tenor
Tallinn, Estonia