The fact that the gramophone is already a century old allows us to enjoy the art of the great performers from the 20th century in an opera recording, or the changes they suffered in their voices and styles through the years, thanks to the recordings they made in different moments, all through their careers.
And one of the singers to whom you can apply that is the Italian tenor Franco Corelli, one of those opera singers who does not need to be introduced; because everybody knows him and, for many people, he was one of the best in the last century.
Because of the characteristics of his timbre and his sonority, Corelli was outstanding mainly in spinto and dramatic characters such as the Canio from the opera Pagliacci, by Ruggero Leoncavallo.
That was one of the first roles Corelli performed, and the one with which he had his debut in the Thermal Baths of Caracalla, in July, 1953, only two years after having initiated his professional life.
But among all the recordings of the artist (both in a studio or life), there is one the has a special character: it comes from Pagliacci, and it was made in Italy in 1954, only 14 months after Corelli´s debut in the role of Canio.
Together with him in the cast there were the soprano Mafalda Micheluzzi as Nedda, the tenor Mario Carlin as Beppe, and the baritone Tito Gobbi, who performs a malefic Tonio; and with high-pitched tones in the Prologue, which are all invented, by the way.
The musical director was Alfredo Simonetti and the film was directed by Franco Enríquez.
Translation by Alberto Morales