This Week in Classical Music: February 7, 2022.Renata Tebaldi.Last week we missed a very important anniversary: Renata Tebaldi was born 100 years ago!Tebaldi had one of the most beautiful voices of the century, which Toscanini called “the voice of an angel.”She was a rival of Maria Callas, who was a year younger than Tebaldi – it’s hard to imagine that two sopranos of such talent were singing contemporaneously, although Callas’s career was much shorter.It’s difficult to argue that Tebaldi’s voice was more “classical” and in many ways better, although Callas’s had an amazing emotional quality which Tebadli’s interpretations sometimes lacked.Their voices also had somewhat different timbre and range: Callas was a dramatic soprano capable of singing coloratura parties, she was especially good in the bel canto repertoire, while Tebaldi was a lyric soprano at her best in the verismo operas. They shared some roles, Tosca being one of them.Opera lovers will be forever divided between those two divas while adoring them both.
Tebaldi was born in Pesaro on February 1st of 1922.In 1946 she took part in the opening concert at the war damaged La Scala.The conductor that evening was Arturo Toscanini, and both he and the public loved Tebaldi’s voice.She became a regular at La Scala in the post-war era.In 1950 she sang for the first time at the Covent Garden; the same year she made her debut at the San Francisco opera and then in Chicago.In 1955 she came to New York; she would appear at the Met for the following 20 years.Tebaldi performed till 1976.
As so often is the case with great artists, it’s difficult to select a recording to illustrate their art.Mimi in La Bohème was one of Tebadli’s great roles.Here she is in Si. Mi chiamano Mimi, from the 1959 recording.The Orchestra of Santa Cecilia is conducted by Tullio Serafin.And here is a scene from another opera in which Tebaldi excelled: Pace, pace mio Dio, from Verdi’s La Forza del Destino.This recording was made in 1958 in concert; Leonard Bernstein conducts The New York Philharmonic.
This week and the previous one were rich on singers’ anniversaries: last week we could’ve also celebrated Jussi Björling’s birthday, who was born on February 5th of 1911; this week there are two greats: the soprano Hildegard Behrens who excelled in the German repertoire, from Mozart to Wagner and Berg, and the incomparable Leontyne Price. Behrens was born on February 9th of 1937 and Price – on February 10th of 1927, so she will be celebrating her 95th birthday.Price deserves a full entry, which will be forthcoming.In the meantime, you may be interested to compare Pace, mio dio sung by Tebaldi, above, with Price’s 1984 recording, here.
Renata Tebaldi, 2022
This Week in Classical Music: February 7, 2022. Renata Tebaldi. Last week we missed a very important anniversary: Renata Tebaldi was born 100 years ago! Tebaldi had one of the most
beautiful voices of the century, which Toscanini called “the voice of an angel.” She was a rival of Maria Callas, who was a year younger than Tebaldi – it’s hard to imagine that two sopranos of such talent were singing contemporaneously, although Callas’s career was much shorter. It’s difficult to argue that Tebaldi’s voice was more “classical” and in many ways better, although Callas’s had an amazing emotional quality which Tebadli’s interpretations sometimes lacked. Their voices also had somewhat different timbre and range: Callas was a dramatic soprano capable of singing coloratura parties, she was especially good in the bel canto repertoire, while Tebaldi was a lyric soprano at her best in the verismo operas. They shared some roles, Tosca being one of them. Opera lovers will be forever divided between those two divas while adoring them both.
Tebaldi was born in Pesaro on February 1st of 1922. In 1946 she took part in the opening concert at the war damaged La Scala. The conductor that evening was Arturo Toscanini, and both he and the public loved Tebaldi’s voice. She became a regular at La Scala in the post-war era. In 1950 she sang for the first time at the Covent Garden; the same year she made her debut at the San Francisco opera and then in Chicago. In 1955 she came to New York; she would appear at the Met for the following 20 years. Tebaldi performed till 1976.
As so often is the case with great artists, it’s difficult to select a recording to illustrate their art. Mimi in La Bohème was one of Tebadli’s great roles. Here she is in Si. Mi chiamano Mimi, from the 1959 recording. The Orchestra of Santa Cecilia is conducted by Tullio Serafin. And here is a scene from another opera in which Tebaldi excelled: Pace, pace mio Dio, from Verdi’s La Forza del Destino. This recording was made in 1958 in concert; Leonard Bernstein conducts The New York Philharmonic.
This week and the previous one were rich on singers’ anniversaries: last week we could’ve also celebrated Jussi Björling’s birthday, who was born on February 5th of 1911; this week there are two greats: the soprano Hildegard Behrens who excelled in the German repertoire, from Mozart to Wagner and Berg, and the incomparable Leontyne Price. Behrens was born on February 9th of 1937 and Price – on February 10th of 1927, so she will be celebrating her 95th birthday. Price deserves a full entry, which will be forthcoming. In the meantime, you may be interested to compare Pace, mio dio sung by Tebaldi, above, with Price’s 1984 recording, here.