Search - Giuseppe Verdi, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Giacomo Puccini :: Mario del Monaco: Opera Arias

A force of Nature!

Armindo | Greece | 01/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the most commonly used sentence when someone wants to describe the voice of Mario Del Monaco.Not many tenors can sing those high notes which del Monaco reaches, with such ease!Loathed by many for this high sound and accused for not being able to sing below forte, especially in the late stages of his carreer, no one can deny the fact that he has performed and recorded operas with some of the greatest singers of all times:Renata Tebaldi, M.Callas, J.Sutherland, M.Olivero, A.Cerquetti, G.Simionato, E.Bastianini, C.Siepi and many others. The list is long. Perhaps not the best tenor choice for all the roles he performed, Mario del Monaco was sublime when the role suited his voice. Such examples are Ottelo, Andrea Chenier, Canio (Pagliacci), Des Grieux (Manon Lescaut), Johnson (Fanciulla del West) and many of these performances are heard on this collection. He had a certain sound that made his voice very dramatic thus so good for these roles.Concluding, those who like him will find this collection of exceptional value. Those who don't, just stay away since this Cd is full of Mario del Monaco."

Showcase for a powerful voice

Daniel Brockman | Petaluma, CA USA | 02/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mario del Monaco reached his professional peak in the 1950s, as analog recording technologies approached their golden age. This cd remasters excellent recordings of del Monaco's truly magnificent voice."