Tiers of singing...

5 examples (not having to do with the quality of the voice but rather just with diction and musical style) which make one preferable to the other. There is a lot to say about what Pavarotti does.  What do you hear?

1. Every [r] that is rolled sung by Pavarotti is so clean and clear, even the soft ones.  The other singer, in contrast, doesn't roll his r's with the same pronouncement or ferocity. 

2. Some words, like "risplende" sung by Tosti have some what of a diphthong in them, while Pavarotti's express a very pure vowel. 

3. The doubled consonants expressed by Pavarotti are very pronounced and easily noticable, while Tosti's sound almost doubled in some places, but the excitement in which Pavarotti sings them makes the words much more interesting to my ear.

4. The vowels of Tosti tend to be a little darker, especially the [a] vowels. As a result, Pavarotti's bright a's ring more in my ear and sound more italian.

5. The consonants of Tosti tend to be more pronounced than Pavarotti's. For example, Tosti's [t]'s are very t sounding, while Pavarotti's sound almost like a [d].

[e] and [o]

How do Joyce’s [e] and [o] vowels differ from Gigli’s?

Gigli's [e] and [o] vowels are very open, they sound very natural. His vowels are consistently open and similar. On the other hand, Joyce's vowels are closed. In the context of this piece her [e] vowels are not necessarily consistent, as some of them definitely sound more open, but in general they are closed. Sometimes, her [o] vowels even sound like "oooh's".

Well, better late than never!

These are two virtuosic arias and both of these low voices are pushed to their upper limits.  Do you recognize how these two men deal with the singing of their vowels differently?  Do they sound the same in terms of diction (also some to do with their approach to their vocalism)? 

Do you catch either not doubling a doubled consonant or rolling a flipped ‘r’ or flipping a rolled ‘r’?   

Ferruccio Furlanetto--

Another Italian, Ferruccio Furlanetto, jumped out iwth the word "sottile" which didn't have a double t. His rolled r's were great, however. On the word, "orecchie" the consonants weren't as stopped as I would expect to hear, but the tempo of the aria might not allow for such a pronounced expression. The word "bocca" didn't have much noticeable stops. The word "schiamazzo" didn't sound doubled much either. Cannone, raddoppia--not doubled. "calunniato" had a gn in it when he said it. None of the ll's seemed doubled either, but it is hard to tell with l's. The diction is so different with him in comparison with Aldo. His vowels, overall, are much darker.  He also wore himself out with his gestures and what sounded pressed(?); when he gets into the allegro section he starts barking a little bit.  Finally, he was singing some interesting pitches at time, even the last note seemed a few cents off. 

Aldo Protti--

This very Italian looking man has incredible tone and resonance. HIs rolled r's and double consonants were superb in his rendition of Si Puo. The stamina involved in producing this quality a performance is remarkable. His acting isn't too bad either. He really tells the story, and one can definitely tell he is very familiar with the language and the story. His high notes, in contrast to his low notes, sound very consistent in their production and quality. His 'a' vowels seemed bright at points, and overall I didn't detect any problems with doubling, rolled or flipped r's.

They do not sound the same, though the are both low voices, their expressions and vocalisms are completely in different places and with somewhat different diction.

In Poverta?

Notice, their double consonants and how they're treated. This is a huge thing in Italian and you’ve really got to work hard to understand how double consonants sound.  They’re responsible for a lot of the rhythm and flavor of the language.  Also notice how these two connect syllables by portamento - sliding. Also, notice what they do with it comes to the words "In poverta". What is the difference?

 These two do a brilliant job of making the syllables sound like words.  How are they doing it?

Giuseppe di Stefano

Really, this Tenor has a fabulous sound-- after listening to the entire video, however, the highest note sounded uncharacteristic from the rest of the gorgeous aria. I really love the way he lyricizes each phrase.  

The way that both singers make the syllables sound like words is by using word stress, and holding vowels longer, almost 'cheating' the rhythm a bit to make out more of the Italian and the words.

Carlo Bergonzi

His a vowels do sound darker in comparison to di Stefano. And when it comes to the words "in poverta" it is very obvious the difference. Carlo sings almost straight through this phrase, while Giuseppe di Stefano makes stops and lingers on the last part of the word the 'ta' of poverta, and really makes something out of the word. Also, Carlo goes off pitch at the end... sadly.