Mario del Monaco - The Rare HMV & London Records (1948/58)

Mario Del Monaco (July 27, 1915 - October 16, 1982) was an Italian tenor and is regarded by his admirers as being one of the greatest dramatic tenors of the 20th Century.

Most music scholars and opera cognescentes credit the Italian from Florence Mario Del Monaco to have been blessed with the most powerful and biggest tenor voice in the 20th century. I wouldn't know about in all history, but for all I know, he could have indeed have the biggest tenor voice in history, since in the old days of opera -Baroque Era to the 19th century, purely lyric tenors with only some weight and power- like Caruso, were in vogue. When Monaco came along, he changed the course of tenor performances. He was singing in electrifying performances during the 50's- his career spanned the same time of Maria Callas' legendary performances. He even worked with Callas and Tebaldi in such operas as Norma and Andrea Chenier. Mario Del Monaco's most famous role was Verdi's Otello, still considered the greatest interpretation by any tenor of that role. This album finds him at his peak and he sings aria after aria in powerful, masculine, dynamic and beautiful voice, exemplifying the best way to sing in the Italian manner. Find out for yourself and put on this recording while listening to other tenors singing the same arias at the same time. I have tried it. Monaco's voice is far bigger and meatier than such celebrated tenors as Giuseppe Di Stefano, Franco Corelli, Jon Vickers, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavoratti. Vickers had a big voice as well but even his voice is thinner next to the hefty voice of Del Monaco. Not only that but Del Monaco was the first real "star" tenor at a time when soprano divas were always the stars. He immersed himself in the roles he sang and brought to life for post-World War II audiences.

This well-documented album showcases Mario's versatility in various Italian operas. The only non-Italian aria here is the last one, Siegfried's Aria and Monologue from Wagner's Die Walkure. But mostly, he sang in Italian as only singers from Germany itself sung in the operas of Strauss and Wagner. Americans or Italian singers sticked to the much beloved Italian repertoire. Monaco shows off his muscular vocal chords in the classic tenor signature aria - Vesti La Giubba from I Pagliacci, made famous by Enrico Caruso. In this aria, Pagliacci, just learning that his lady love Nedda has been unfaithful, is naturally crushed but has to perform that night and adopts a "show must go on" attitude. "Laugh, clown, laugh" is his motto in that aria. Monaco makes that aria more intense than any other tenor that followed him. His Manrico is the perfect vehicle for his heroic bravado technique and his Di Quella Pira is hands down the finest interpretation. Included here are arias from Otello, including the passionate "Esultate!" which soars above a powerful orchestra. Also here are stirring arias from Andrea Chenier and even a delightful rendition of "Largo Al Factotum" from the comic Rossini masterpiece The Barber of Seville. Surprisingly, Monaco does not seem perfect for such a role, since it seems to be vocally beneath him. Del Monaco was too serious and heroic sounding that such comic roles as a barber appeared like an odd stray from the norm. But it also proves his versatility I guess. For me, Mario Del Monaco was at his best in such roles as Manrico from Trovatore, Radames from Aida, Cavaradossi from Tosca (included here) Don Jose in Carmen, which he sung opposite Regina Resnik, Calaf in Turandot and Siegfried as well as Otello. Get this album and hear for yourself the voice that dazzled audiences and the man who is still beloved and talked about by opera lovers to this day.

Tracklist

01. Verdi - Otello "Esultate" (Act I)
02. Verdi - Otello "Tu! Indietro!… Ora epersempreaddio" (ActII)
03. Verdi - Otello "Dio mi potevi scagliar" (ActIII)
04. Verdi - Otello "Niun mi tema" (ActIV)
05. Verdi - Aida "Se quel guerrier io fossi… Celeste Aida" (Act I)
06. Meyerbeer - L'Africana "Mi batte il cor… O paradiso!" (Act IV)
07. Wagner - Lohengrin "Da voi lontan" (Act III)
08. Flotow - Martha "M'appari"(ActIII)
09. Bizet - Carmen "Il fior che avevi a me tu dato" (Act II)
10. Massenet - Werther "Ah! non mi ridestar" (ActIII)
11. Puccini - Manon Lescaut "Donna non vidi mai" (ActI)
12. Puccini - Turandot "Nessun dorma" (ActIII)
13. Leoncavallo - Pagliacci "Recitar Vesti la giubba" (Act I)
14. Leoncavallo - Pagliacci "No, Pagliaccio non son" (Act II)
15. Leoncavallo - La Boheme "Musette… Testa adorata" (Act III)
16. Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana "Mamma, quel vino e generoso"
17. Giordano - Andrea Chenier "Un di all'azzurro spazio" (Act I)
18. Giordano - Andrea Chenier "Come un bel di di maggio" (Act IV)
19. Cilea - Adriana Lecouvreur "La dolcissima effigie" (ActI)
20. Verdi - Ernani "Merce, diletti amici… Come rugiada" (ActI)
21. Verdi - Un ballo in maschera "Forse la soglia attinse " (Act III)
22. Puccini - Madama Butterfly "Addio, fiorito asil" (Act III)