Jussi Björling (1911-1960) was a Swedish tenor who conquered glory and fame especially at the Met, recorded aplenty and admirably. He embraced the Italian repertoire from Verdi (Trovatore) to all Puccini (especially Bohème and Tosca). He had a beautiful, round and coloured voice which excelled also in songs and odes. A lyrical nature, unsurpassed technique and vast even dramatic operatic repertoire.
       Lauritz Melchior (1890-1973) was an American tenor, Danish by birth. He had the most sensational career known in history as a Wagnerian Heldentenor. His voice had a baritone quality but his acuti were sonorous and brilliant. He embraced all the Wagnerian roles and ventured in other roles episodically except for a superb Otello. A dramatic nature and thrilling interpretation.
       Salvatore Fisichella (b. 1948) is “our very own” Italian tenor who became particularly renowned in late 1900 for his Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti roles. He has an exhilarating timbre, seductive mid register and sumptuous bass. There is an extraordinary facility for high notes hurled like fascinating pings in the arias Di quella Pira and Nessun dorma. A sensitive nature and lirico spinto versatility.
       Gino Bechi (1913-1993) was an Italian baritone who favoured the great roles of late Romanticism and excelled on stage as Figaro, Rigoletto, Amonasro (Aida), Tonio (Pagliacci, Hamlet and Gerard (Andrea Chénier). A follower of the great Titta Ruffo style and interpretation, he vaunted a voice full of luxuriance, power, dark colours but easy to climb to high notes. He recorded complete operas co-starring Gigli and Caniglia. An extrovert, generous nature and one of my favourite baritones.
       Feodor Chaliapin (1873-1938) was a Russian basso-cantante, perhaps the greatest singing and vocal actor in history. Boris (Boris Godunov), Dosifey (Khovanshchina), Susanin (The Life of the Tsar), Ivan the Terrible (The girl of Pskov), Konciak (Prince Igor), Salieri (Mozart and Salieri), the miller (Rušalka) and the demon (The Demon) were impressive examples. When he sang in Russian, he put on any of the tenor, baritone and bass’ colours. A cultured, mysterious and supremely genial nature.

In singing popular and melodious songs, operatic singers make an immediate contact with the public well at large outside the relatively narrow circle of enthusiasts for opera and classical music. On recording the songs, they get to be known and leave tangible proof of their art, even if imperfect. Moreover, the temperament, talent and professional calibre of opera singers are revealed in songs no less than in arias.

Björling surprised me for the way he differentiates among the various meanings of the strophes of Tonerna, seamlessly changing accents, colours and intensity. His nuance and diminuendo almost to extinguishment at the very end of the song are memorable. It is no wonder that his songs are admired to this day by the whole world. In Serenade, Melchior reveals a certain density of the middle register which recalls his original chord (he initiated his career as a baritone) but his puntatura is of brilliant steel and provides sure testimony that we are dealing with a famous Heldentenor. His diction is a bit poor. Fisichella is sensitivity, suavity and a seductive timbre in Mattinata Siciliana capable, much to my unawareness, to sing with an exhilarating mezza voce, accompanied by a delicate and talented arrangement for the piano. In Incantesimo, Bechi is at his best. Our editor Jay commented on his rendition of the song: “…has remarkable expressive value”. I will add that he shows enormous power at the top and an exceptionally clear vibration in rounding the sound. His vocal mechanism allows for extended and coloured high notes. The expressive value of Chaliapin’s rendition of Oci ciornia is even greater. In this passionate romance, the colossus of Mefistofele (Boito) confirms secret sfumature through his famous vocal echo. He gives to the sound a passionate crescendo and, to the last notes, soft moans of unfailing effect.

Helge K. Sæbo for providing the original Swedish and English translation of the Tonerna lyrics as well as comments on the song, tenor Salvatore Fisichella for an Italian translation of Mattinata Siciliana and general comments, Michèle Muller Grimonprez for the original Russian and English translation of the Oci Ciornia lyrics, Daniela Harris Filippeschi for comments on the Incantesimo lyrics, Yared Gomez for the mp3 on Serenade sung by Mario Lanza and assistance with the lyrics, Emile Keller for a discussion on Oci Ciornia, Ezio Maiola, Geoffrey Mallinson and Rodrigo Andres Zumaeta. Finally, I want to say a special thank you to my valuable and talented editor Jay H. Anthonisen who provided the mp3s of Tonerna, Incantesimo and made available the mp3s of a host of celebrated opera voices in song.