When I asked him that very question in 1975, he replied that he couldn't explain how, but said that in his formative period his idols were the young Gigli and Miguel Fleta and that he tried to emulate them. His closest friend, Joseph A. Gimma, who ensured Di Stefano's and Callas's financial security in their later years, told me that Di Stefano always lived "in the moment," and that the pursuit of passion, in music and in life, was all that he lived for.

Yes, his young and middle aged voice has been exceptionally beautiful. I love his vibratos as well, the most relaxed, free, expressive and wonderful one so far among all of the tenors who have ever sung in this World. Beautiful, clear articulation, the resonance never too nasal. His singing was always highly musical and artistic I've just re-explored this voice again, and cannot stop to wonder on the beauty of it! But there were more singers who much more cared about theirs voices, much more better than Di Stefano did, even though he left behind such a great musical art for us!

The great, great, great Di Stefano. I never tire of that sweet, soaring, melodic voice. He was the perfect voice and interpretation of Puccini with those soft, gentle pianissimi...

I suoi famosi pianissimi sonno incomparabili e indimenticabili. SOpratutto la loro espressività che utilizzava bei momenti i più dolci.

La più bella voce e MEZZAVOCE tenorile della storia del disco....

The Maestro's career reminds me of Edna St. Vincent Millay's famous poem: "My candle burns at both ends, it will not last the night; but ah, my foes, and oh my friends; it gives a lovely light."

For those who have the ears to hear, he teaches everything about vocal use by demonstration. Interesting that he said of himself, he learned to do what he did by listening to Gigli and Fleta. Those who criticise his later singing fail to account for what age takes from us all. What a great singer he was, so adept at sharing the heart of the arias.

Un canto che viene dal Cielo..Unico! Il miracolo consiste nella gioia di poterlo ascoltare e riascoltare credendo nel valore metafisico del sentimento

When I first heard the 1950 Standard Hour Salute Demeure and heard Di Stefano take a full throated high c and decrescendo it to an exquisite pianissimo I developed a whole new respect for this man's talent. Some of his early recordings are so so incredibly beautiful.

Grazie a dio rimangono le registrazione che ci permettono di valutare l' immensità dell'artista.

This is why I never give a final judgement on a singer until I have heard them live and in space. Everything here most likely worked magnificently in the house. Superb.

In every discussion about Pippo, people always want to discuss him not covering in the passagio, him taking on dramatic roles not for his voice, his lifestyle that wasn't great for his voice, his reckless singing style, etc. in an effort to disparage one of the greatest singers ever. It is as if those people do not want to simply appreciate the heavenly beauty of his voice and prefer to live in the world of pettiness. It is sad.

Mis oídos no pueden evitar que la voz de di Stefano sea la más amigable y atrayente de los demás tenores de calidad. Es un tono y una expresión, un timbre una media voz que encanta y no cansa al oírlo pudiendo escucharlo en un amplio repertorio desde el operístico hasta las bellas canciones napolitanas.

Sheer beauty. The most beautiful tenor voice ever. Thank you so much for this compilation.

Pippo Di Stefano con la sua grande capacità' di canto ha contribuito ad avvicinare al mondo della lirica molte persone affascinandole con i suoi giochi di voce!

Pour moi aussi, Di Stafano est le meilleur ténor ! C'est non seulement la mezza-voce, mais aussi, les modulations de la ligne vocale, la finesse de la prononciation chantée, le phrasé. For me too, Di Stafano is the best tenor ! It is not only the mezza-voce, but also, the modulations of the vocal line, the sharpness(delicacy) of the sung pronunciation, the phrasing.

Ethereal, amazing, beautiful, words cannot describe the voice.

He had a gorgeous quality of voice.

I can guarantee that if a tenor can beautifully decrescendo on the Faust C5 (Salut, Demeure), Fortissimo to Pianissimo, he will win any and every competition he ever enters...that’s how hard and rare that is. I’m trying so hard to get that ability, it requires so much lower body support and absolute mental fortitude. Di Stefano may not have had the most clean technique, but he beats everyone in terms of sheer musicality and interpretation.

This more than anything sets Di Stefano apart from other tenors... This is very difficult for most tenors especially the larger voices. Di Stefano makes it sound easy.... great artistry....

WOW!!!! That is all I can say. Thanks for posting. He was my voice teacher's favorite tenor and now I understand why.

DI STEFANO WAS THE GREATEST LIRICO TENOR OF ALL TIMES, AND MOST BEAUTIFUL VOICE OF ALL TENORS. I AM A TENOR FOR MY SELF, AND I LISTEN TWO LEGENDS DI STEFANO, AND FRANKO CORELLI,

Semplicemente straordinario. ...

The soft singing is falsetto dominant (the lengthening muscles of the larynx). The full voice singing is a coordinated mix of chest (the thickening muscles) and falsetto. Di Stefano's impeccable register coordination in the upper register enabled him to move smoothly from soft (falsetto dominant) to full sound (coordinated) and all points in between. The amazing diminuendos and cresendos are a testament to this amazing skill.

Lovely compilation showcasing one of Pippo's most astounding qualities. I am only missing the other great moment from "E lucevan le stelle", but never mind.

Che fenomenale gestione delle dinamiche; filare il DO naturale del Faust al Met...........beh.......ci vogliono: un apparato fonatorio unico, tecnica sublime e.......un coraggio leonino!!!!! Grandissimo

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL ! MANY THANKS ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥♥

Cosa aggiungere ? Canta da solo !!! Le sregolatezze tecniche degli anni successivi ....devono farci riflettere sulla ..naturale sregolatezza dei.... Geni Assoluti

Grazie al Curatore di questa antologia, veramente strepitosa.

Ci sono delle persone che non stimano la bellezza esclusiva della sua immortale voce e preferiscono vivere nel mondo della aridità, ma ascoltando alcune prodezze di Pippo Di Stefano ci permettono di risentire e valutare la dimensione dell'immenso , unico e inimitabile ARTISTA con i pianissimi dolcissimi era la voce perfetta per le interpretazioni pucciniane e non solo!!!!

His voice was so liric and with lots of harmonics and he wa able to mix it with falsetto without you noticing where one started or ended and defenetly the breath he had such a good support and and good lung expansion the rest was pure ARTISTRY!!! VIVA PIPPO!!!!

Voix sublime !

Pippo el más grande tenor pésele a quien le pese... su voz hermosa como ninguna, su dicción increíble, y qué técnica, en pocas palabras, simplemente Di Stefano...

Real great ! But you forget " Firenze sogna ", the most spectacular...

Incredible what he had! Unbelievable!!!!

ho avuto il piacere di conoscerlo nel 1990 ad un recital insieme ad Alfredo Kraus e di avere autografato il suo libro "L'arte del canto"....guai a chi me lo tocca....

Especially at 2:32, heaven on earth!

Sua Maestà Giuseppe Distefano!

Da ascoltare in rigoroso silenzio, perché da i BRIVIDI nel profondo del CUORE. GRAZIE PIPPO x esserci stato, sarai x sempre INDIMENTICABILE.

Complimenti per la bella antologia che hai creato. Condivido l'idea, come ho gia' scritto altrove, che Di Stefano nei primi anni della sua carriera, e' stato Il Piu' Grande. Assolutamente ineguagliabile, per mezzi vocali, timbro e sensibilita'. E chi dice il contrario poco conosce della "finezza" nel belcanto

Superb vocal control. Powerful, sweet and beautiful. The consummate Tenor.

non passa un giorno senza sentirlo! sempre rimane unico!!!

Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Lucia aria is from 1955 Berlin con Callas and Karajan!!Great Video!!Grande Pippo!!

Di Stefano's ability to diminuendo and sing sotto voce was unique and very rare in a spinto voice it sets him apart from all other tenors. I'm sure he didn't even know himself how he did it. He was just born with the ability. It's easier for a tenor to sing loud but soft? That's hard. Some can do it sometimes but no one did it like Di Stefano.

il piu' grande di tutti...e non solo per le sue mezzevoci

I never heard a better one ! LES

I love him.Thank you for posting.♫♪ ॐ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

¡Maestro!

Scusate, ma desideravo aggiungere quanto segue: L'ultima apparizione in pubblico è del 24 ottobre 2004 a Oderzo per ricevere ancora un premio, a testimonianza di un affetto del pubblico mai venuto meno anche dopo tanti anni dal termine della carriera. Il 3 dicembre 2004 rimane gravemente ferito nel tentativo di difendere il suo cane durante una rapina nella sua casa di Diani in Kenya, venendo preso a colpi di randello dai ladri che lo lasciano a terra insanguinato e privo di sensi. Ricoverato all'ospedale di Mombasa, le sue condizioni si rivelano più gravi di quanto fossero apparse in un primo momento: a causa delle profonde ferite deve subire almeno tre operazioni e il 7 dicembre entra in coma. Il 23 dicembre, dopo un lungo viaggio di trasferimento verso l'Italia, viene ricoverato in un ospedale milanese. Rimane infermo sino alla morte nella sua casa di Santa Maria Hoè, presso Lecco, dove si spegne il 3 marzo 2008. Grandissimo, indimenticabile, unico ...

Una voz bellisima, sin duda!

Peppì....sei sempre grande!

I’m inclined to say that he was as talented and as natural as a singer can get, and that his ability to float notes without crooning or going into falsetto during his youth was a product of that. But I’m not sure if he actually knew what he was doing. So it’s easy to see why everything fell apart so quickly as he prematurely took on heavier roles and as he became increasingly fond of not covering at all in the passaggio and above. (In his earlier recordings, he doesn’t sing as open as he would later on.)

grazie!

tears...

Un Dio della Musica!

Grazie tante! Manca solo Il barbiere di Siviglia. Comunque grazie mille per la compilation 👍

Unico, di Stefano, único.

+macmtenor who do you study with? I was just about to say the same thing about falsetto. It isn't taught anymore and most have no idea that it is very important in vocal development. Not many that language...

♥️

WOOOOOOOOOW....JUST 😳

impossibile non commuoversi!!!!!!!!!!!!

Блестящий тенор!!! А какие божественные пиано!...

Non mi importa NULLA se dopo circa gli anni 50 di Stefano avesse o non avesse distrutto gran parte (secondo alcuni critici) della voce (OVVVIAMENTE A MIO AVVISO NON IMPORTA) His magnificent artistry trumps all!

So incredible, considering he smoked. Well, was not the only one, franco too I believe. It was normal. Thanks for this.

this is beautifull pianino.he had strong and high c but he enjoj soft singing.nobody like di stefano.

Di Stefano is the best.

In the period of the late 1940's to the early 1960's all other tenors could only weep at trying to match him let alone eclipse him -God 'a finger brushed his throat at the moment of his birth -that can be the only possible explanation of his art .

진정 신이 내린 목소리..허나 그에게 성실함은 부여하지 않았느니..

A volte esistono i miracoli...

Abbiamo cinque utenti che dovrebbero fruire dei servizi di Amplifon....

5 idioti non riconoscono la immensità del grande Di Stefano,seguaci di Bocelli ed il volo,complimenti.

1:51 gorgeous messa di voce....

Giuseppe di Stefano, fino al 1950, possedeva una splendida mezzavoce, poi volendo cantare ruoli sempre più pesanti per il suo tipo di vocalità perse il perfetto controllo del fiato e "scivolò" nel falsetto. Le incisioni del 1944 sono comunque SPLENDIDE . Il DIIMINUENDO nel Faust è eccezionale , pochissimi tenori sono stati in grado di eseguirlo (nemmeno Kraus ci riesce) .Bellssime anche le pagine della FAVORITA (1950 Mexico )La voce del Di Stefano giovane la definirei "calda e lunare" (hot, lunar, silvery) nello stesso tempo.

sono daccordo ,pippo e stato il piu grande in assoluto....

hi DM!!!

8 pollici riversi: poveri frustrati della lirica, ma le orecchie malate ci sono, e non guariscono. Peggio x loro. PIPPO INARRIVABILE!!!

This here is not falsetto! It's real soft singing.

But is this audible in a theatre?

아 도대체 어떻게하는거냐고오오오오오오

Solo un incompetente può non riconoscre che Pippo rimane una il più grande di sempre!

Great for recording, such technique can be futile on scene, since the singing is quite quiet.

Alla faccia degli sproloqui di Rodolfo Celletti...

... and the lot of sigars too...

En muchos casos no son medias voces, recurre al falsete.

Except Lanza sang 40 opera performances and diStefano sang 2000. Big, big difference. If Lanza had tried to sing that many performances, overusing his voice the way he did, he would have gotten to about 300.

Torma

how the hell does he do it?!

Thats not headvoice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats perfect mixed voice or voce mista. These are fruits of beeing young. Over the years he lost these abilities.

Btw, falsetto isn't difficult for large voices!! Maybe for singers now because they constrict and use valsalva to sing. But almost every singer from late 1800's to 1970's

and big singing was not the only reason for his decline. He stopped covering in the top and took big roles without using cover it destroyed the voice but even his farewell your recital with callas he sings better that any tenor in their prime today... Same for Callas