belcantopera's video: O tu Palermo - Ezio Pinza 1927

Italian bass Ezio Pinza was born in Rome in 1892, and the opportunity to display his elegant and musical singing was never greater than in operas such as Verdi's Simon Boccanegra or Vespri Siciliani... "O tu Palermo." Notice the extreme smoothness of the voice. Many basses, less endowed vocally, will sometimes bark their way through even lyric arias like this. Pinza never did that. He was always the consummate singer and musician. It is hard to imagine this aria better sung. It displays Pinza's operatic gifts perfectly. It is all there: the musicality, the stylistics, and—always—the flawless technique and beautiful, flowing voice. ------------------------------------- ACT II. Palermo, Sicily, in 1292 at the time of the French occupation. Beside the sea. The patriot leader Procida secretly lands on the shore from a small fishing boat. He is returning from exile and he expresses his joy at returning to his native land and city: O tu Palermo / "Et toi, Palerme" / "O thou Palermo, adored land..." ("I now know what it means to translate and I feel sympathy for all bad translations that are around because it is impossible to make a good one", Verdi to Giulio Ricordi 6 June 1865.) ATTO II. In una «ridente valle presso Palermo». L'introduzione orchestrale suggerisce il moto di una barca; il patriota Procida è infatti appena sbarcato, e saluta la sua patria in un elaborato Andante in tre parti: O tu Palermo / "Et toi, Palerme..." ------------------------------------- NORMA Recordings 1902-1923 (Ezio Pinza): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_yxW-YHIlM Qual voluttà trascorrere - Gigli, Rethberg, Pinza (1930): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f34HPiN-GOY Simon Boccanegra - Finale - Met 1935 - Tibbett / Martinelli / Rethberg / Pinza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-rW-VRfFEc I VESPRI SICILIANI - Maria Callas 1951 (Complete Opera Verdi): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMbd0rSmxLY I Vespri Siciliani - Sinfonia - Claudio Abbado (2002): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHIvK1tPjxk I Vespri Siciliani - Sinfonia - Claudio Abbado (2002) Score Animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swAxrHwKQaI Overture to "I Vespri Siciliani" - Carlo Maria Giulini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGp8Ppi_Fok Overture to "I Vespri Siciliani" - Riccardo Muti (1989): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhVbUfKXYAk Riccardo Muti "O tu Palermo" Preludio (La Scala, 1990): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eFjHqrSPe4 Riccardo Muti "Giorno di pianto" Preludio (Firenze 1978): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtcjSjcnt5U -------------------------------------