[graziesignore]

Thanks for the tip on Stracciari! Me likey.

I'm very partial to Giorgio Zancanaro, who has "ruined" many a baritone for me. I cannot name names, only that they tend to be post-1980s and I occasionally leap up in the middle of their arias and exclaim "No. Just...no."

(By the way, on listening to the Il Balen you posted, I noticed that Stracciari seemed to aspirate vowels a bit and was wondering if that's an "Italianate" habit because Bastianini and Zancanaro did it too...)

I love Ramey as well, although he seems not to have ruined other basses for me.

I am still in search of my soprano ruin.

 

[graziesignore]

I have found it very interesting (or at least amusing/endearing) how some singers who fulfill so many qualities of basic good singing (and I think Woodduck has made a nice rundown of points) can have this or that single glaring bad habit that -- while not affecting your overall enjoyment -- makes you want to take them out to the woodshed on occasion.

 

[graziesignore]

I gotta say, Stracciari's devotion to a clean line of singing is exactly why I like Italian baritones in general, (and, for me, Zancanaro in particular). Why has this style of singing fallen out of fashion? Is there no joy in voices that ride the natural line of the music without artificial emoting? Why do we knee-jerk prefer HUGE voices to voices that are seamless in all registers? Why do we tolerate singers who (again, I won't name names) pause for huge ugly gasps of breath in the middle of what should be a flawlessly executed line?

It is frustrating for me because I don't even understand how some singers today can get work, much less be acclaimed Met-worthy.

(shutting up now)