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A guide to good opera singing
Pavarotti, Jussi Björling, Placido Domingo, Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli
The Aida with the best combination of singing and sound quality features Birgit Nilsson in the title role.
I’d say one of the greatest barriers to enjoying opera is knowing whether or not the singing is good. I’m being serious. It’s a problem for those who haven’t spent years studying voice or exploring the vast expanses of the operatic recording industry. It goes beyond just knowing what you like. Yes, that’s important but to truly enjoy opera, you need to know what’s good.
You might like Luciano Pavarotti, I mean who doesn’t, but not know that his voice isn’t ideal in many of the roles he performed and recorded. Over the years, I’ve received a lot of pushback from people about singers such as Pavarotti or Andrea Bocelli. These are ultra-famous singers but that doesn’t mean everything they do is good or appropriate.
Here are some recordings you can listen to that have undeniably good singing. Some might not consider these to be the end all be-all but there is no disputing that the singing is good.
Let’s start with the world’s favorite opera, La Boheme, by Giacomo Puccini. There are two recordings you can count on for excellent singing. The first is with Pavarotti and Mirella Freni. The conductor is Herbert von Karajan. This recording is going to be hard to beat. The sound quality is excellent and the singing of Freni and Pavarotti is definitive in their respective roles. It really can’t be beaten.
Video:
Puccini - La Boheme
1973 With Pavarotti
The other recording is older and features Victoria de los Angeles and Jussi Björling in the lead roles. This recording is in mono and doesn’t have the dynamic range of the other but it has great singing. If you want to expand your knowledge of singers, this recording is for you.
Video:
La Boheme
With Victoria de los Angeles & Jussi Björling
The world’s second favorite opera is Carmen by Georges Bizet. The best version to get started with has Tatiana Troyanos in the title role, Placido Domingo in the role of the hapless Don Jose, and Kiri Te Kanawa in the role of Micaëla. Te Kanawa is almost a forgotten singer these days but she is magnificent. Troyanos was never a household name but she is a fantastic singer. So far as Domingo goes, this is one of his best roles. He sang everything and near the end there were some strange recordings such as a Tristan und Isolde. However, in this recording he is in the prime of his career. His French diction is impeccable and the voice is exciting. Georg Solti conducts this performance.
Video:
Bizet: Carmen / Act 4
With Tatiana Troyanos · Plácido Domingo
The final opera we will look at is Aida by Giuseppe Verdi. I took them out of order but Aida, Boheme, and Carmen are the “ABCs” of opera. Aida doesn’t have an obvious top recording. There is a version with Pavarotti but his voice isn’t for this role. The Aida with the best combination of singing and sound quality features Birgit Nilsson in the title role, Franco Corelli as Radames, and Grace Bumbry as Amneris.
Video:
Verdi- Aida
With Franco Corelli, Birgit Nilsson, Grace Bumbry
You now have four great recordings of high-quality singing and you have a list of opera singers to explore. The singers are Mirella Freni, Birgit Nilsson, Kiri te Kanawa, Victoria de los Angeles, Grace Bumbry, Tatiana Troyanos, Franco Corelli, Jussi Björling, Luciano Pavarotti, and Placido Domingo.
Here's something you might be interested in.
A guide to good opera singing
Pavarotti, Jussi Björling, Placido Domingo, Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli
A guide to good opera singing
Pavarotti, Jussi Björling, Placido Domingo, Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli
The Aida with the best combination of singing and sound quality features Birgit Nilsson in the title role.
I’d say one of the greatest barriers to enjoying opera is knowing whether or not the singing is good. I’m being serious. It’s a problem for those who haven’t spent years studying voice or exploring the vast expanses of the operatic recording industry. It goes beyond just knowing what you like. Yes, that’s important but to truly enjoy opera, you need to know what’s good.
You might like Luciano Pavarotti, I mean who doesn’t, but not know that his voice isn’t ideal in many of the roles he performed and recorded. Over the years, I’ve received a lot of pushback from people about singers such as Pavarotti or Andrea Bocelli. These are ultra-famous singers but that doesn’t mean everything they do is good or appropriate.
Here are some recordings you can listen to that have undeniably good singing. Some might not consider these to be the end all be-all but there is no disputing that the singing is good.
Let’s start with the world’s favorite opera, La Boheme, by Giacomo Puccini. There are two recordings you can count on for excellent singing. The first is with Pavarotti and Mirella Freni. The conductor is Herbert von Karajan. This recording is going to be hard to beat. The sound quality is excellent and the singing of Freni and Pavarotti is definitive in their respective roles. It really can’t be beaten.
Video:
Puccini - La Boheme
1973 With Pavarotti
The other recording is older and features Victoria de los Angeles and Jussi Björling in the lead roles. This recording is in mono and doesn’t have the dynamic range of the other but it has great singing. If you want to expand your knowledge of singers, this recording is for you.
Video:
La Boheme
With Victoria de los Angeles & Jussi Björling
The world’s second favorite opera is Carmen by Georges Bizet. The best version to get started with has Tatiana Troyanos in the title role, Placido Domingo in the role of the hapless Don Jose, and Kiri Te Kanawa in the role of Micaëla. Te Kanawa is almost a forgotten singer these days but she is magnificent. Troyanos was never a household name but she is a fantastic singer. So far as Domingo goes, this is one of his best roles. He sang everything and near the end there were some strange recordings such as a Tristan und Isolde. However, in this recording he is in the prime of his career. His French diction is impeccable and the voice is exciting. Georg Solti conducts this performance.
Video:
Bizet: Carmen / Act 4
With Tatiana Troyanos · Plácido Domingo
The final opera we will look at is Aida by Giuseppe Verdi. I took them out of order but Aida, Boheme, and Carmen are the “ABCs” of opera. Aida doesn’t have an obvious top recording. There is a version with Pavarotti but his voice isn’t for this role. The Aida with the best combination of singing and sound quality features Birgit Nilsson in the title role, Franco Corelli as Radames, and Grace Bumbry as Amneris.
Video:
Verdi- Aida
With Franco Corelli, Birgit Nilsson, Grace Bumbry
You now have four great recordings of high-quality singing and you have a list of opera singers to explore. The singers are Mirella Freni, Birgit Nilsson, Kiri te Kanawa, Victoria de los Angeles, Grace Bumbry, Tatiana Troyanos, Franco Corelli, Jussi Björling, Luciano Pavarotti, and Placido Domingo.
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