Opera Cage Match: Stride la Vampa from Il Trovatore
Posted on 29 July 2010 by Abidoon
The first ever Mezzo cage match! Arguably the four most prevalent Azucenas of the last 50 years duke it out for the top link in the Azucena food chain. First verse only. In chronological order: 1. Fedora Barbieri, 1956 2. Giulietta Simionato, 1956 3. Fiorenza Cossotto, 1963 4. Dolora Zajick, 1991
THE PERFECTAS AZUCENAS..HEY.. THIS is FANTASTICO..VERY,VERY TALENTED MEZZO-SOPRANOS.. A perfect blend of power and delicacy. This music blows my mind. Splendide.A force of nature! Magnificent! ORIGINAL AND uNIQUE.
Amazing. Absolutely pleasant… A delight to my ears. Beutiful voices, great! …Excellent!!! Expectacular.. THANK YOU.
Simionato e poi Cossotto? O forse Cossotto e poi Simionato?
Terza comunque Fedora Barbieri.
Fiorenza Cossotto
ACH WHERE IS PODLES?!?!?!
Cossotto e Sempre Cossotto !!!!!!!
Agree with you concerning Cossotto I heard her live . Very impressive indeed.!
hard to beat Fiorenza A bright focused and very large voice.I saw her live [circa 1970] as Santuzza in Cavalleria Big round bright ringing voice that was always on pitch and carried to the back of the auditorium. You can hear some of that here!
1- simionato e cossotto, pari
2- fedora barbieri
La Zajick non mi piace. Avrei messo la Arkhipova o la straordinaria viorica cortez
1) Cossotto
2) Simionato
3) Barbieri
4) Zajick
I love that a few posters below mention Stignani and Arkhipova – my two favorite Azucenas. I’ve never been a fan of Obraztsova in this role but I’d put her at the top of my list for Amneris.
1. Giulietta Simionato
2. Fiorenza Cossotto
3. Fedora Barbieri
4. Dolora Zajick
Although in the 1978 recording Fiorenza Cossotto is unbeatable.
As it happens, I don’t think Obraztsova has been equalled in this role. I’d put her in over Zajick … doubt it’s just me.
I like Giulietta’s middle register and her voice fit the character the best, but I just like Cossoto’s better. they were all great though.
Simionatto is magnificient. I like this young Cossotto.
Elena Obraztsova, Nina Terentieva and Irina Arxhipova were great Azucenas in their own Russian way.
Hard to say which is the best. I like all three Italian ladies. I enjoyed Zajick live, but not in this recording. I wish this cage match has part 2 — with the top Italian mezzo of the 20th Century, Stignani, and some non-Italians, Verrett, Bumbry, Gorr, and maybe also Nicolai and Dominguez.
They are all very good. If I had to choose – well, I will – the very slight preference for Barbieri – for her drama!
I think they are all fantastic but for me personally Cossoto is my favourite in this cage match
if you’ve ever heard zajic live, you’d know that she holds her rank against any past mezzos as far as sheer vocal power and intensity
They are all excellent in their own way. The real issue with the SOUND is how they were recorded and by which company. EMI for Barbieri, RCA for Cossotto, Decca for Simionato (all done at the time engineers really tried to showcase the voice). Zajick was recorded by Sony, and NO ONE sounds great with their technology. With them, all singers recede back into some “barrel.” I have heard them all live: ALL EXCELLENT, Zajick the largest sound, Cossotto the most penitrating. the other two:rivitting
hey – what about stignani? she was the ultimate azucena. but, maybe not within the “last 50 years”. there is a live recording from 1953 on youtube of her “condotta, ell’era in ceppi”. it’s fabulous!
The task of choosing between great mezzos such as Barbieri,Simionato and Cossotto is virtually impossible.They all have particular attributes that make them unique.But if you forced me to choose who sings this aria best,I’d have to say Barbieri with Cossotto a close second. Grazie mille baritonoguapo for sharing these great but brief excerpts.
Cossotto is the most perfect, of course. And this is of the most beautiful mezzo voice ever…
I always love Barbieri for expressiveness
and character….
Zajic sounds pale opposite the rivals in any respect… Luckily for her, she lives in another era.
Cossotto wins hands down, would loved to have heard Florence Quivar in this, she would have raised the ante.
No sure really if it is Italian or general. but there is something with the voice placement that puts the sound much farther back.
Mind that Zajick is the only non-italian here, so it’s not fair to compare her diction to the others.