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This page will spotlight some of my favorite operatic singers, those whose singing touches me in important ways. Most were active in the early decades of the twentieth century, and while some are famous, the majority are largely forgotten to the general public today.
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Francesco Tamagno (1850-1905)
Considered the first true example of the “heroic tenor” Fach, Tamagno was one of the greatest tenors of his, or any, generation. His huge, masculine tone (awe-inspiring even on early acoustic records) was quite exceptional in his time, and it was combined with a finely honed bel canto technique. But these were merely the foundations of his style; what made Tamagno great was the passionate, colossal emotion with which he sang.
Verdi chose the great tenor to debut the greatest of all Verdian tenor roles, Otello, at La Scala in 1887; the premiere was a triumphant success. Tamagno’s incredibly committed singing is documented in a score of recordings he made for the Gramophone & Typewriter Company in Milan in 1903 and 1905 (he retired from the stage in 1904).
In this recording of his greatest role, made only months before he died, Francesco Tamagno portrays the heartbroken Otello as though his own life depended on every word. It is one of the most moving performances in recorded opera.
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“Niun mi tema,” from Verdi's Otello (1887), recorded in Milan in 1905
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Mark Reizen (_-_)
Bio info. Because Stalin-era restrictions prevented most great artists from performing outside the Soviet Union, Reizen never attained the international renown of the other great basses of his era such as Boris Christoff, George London, or Cesare Siepi. For similar reasons, he made relatively few recordings of opera in its original languages (though the Italian recordings he made __; but even singing in translation, Reizen's careful attention to the words gas though his own life depended on every word. It is one of the most moving performances in recorded opera.
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Mephistopheles' “Invocation” from Gounod's Faust (18_), recorded in _ in 19_
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