Search - Richard Barthelemy/Tomas, Vincenzo Bellini / Calleja Rafael Barrer, Georges Bizet :: Tito Schipa: The Early Years (The Complete Gramophone And Pathe Recordings) (1913-1921)

Few singers have done so much with so little. Tito Schipa's voice was notoriously short; he routinely transposed pieces with high tessitura and bottom notes were a stretch. But what a middle! The sheer sound of his lyric tenor can send shivers down your spine. This collection, comprising his complete recordings for the Gramophone and Pathe companies made between 1913 and 1921, demonstrates the vocal freedom and melting lyricism of the young Schipa. The selections are infused with charming elegance of timbre and phrasing. The songs are icing on a cake topped with such cherries as a ravishing "Cielo e mar," honeyed Tosca arias, and much else. Marston's superb transfers make these acoustic recordings sound like much later electricals. --Dan Davis