Bonini / Bellantoni / Campanari - Il Mito Dell'opera: Baritoni Italiani Del Periodo - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

This anthology, issued exactly 50 years after the great tenor's death, provides a powerfully involving complete portrait of Giovanni Martinelli, a great favorite for years at the Metropolitan where audiences saw him as the heir to the legend of Caruso, with his renowned breath control and sheen. The most striking features of his approach are his seemingly endless breath control and his slight emphasis upon consonants, increasing the clarity and precision of the words. Born in 1885, Giovanni Martinelli studied with Giuseppe Mandolini in Milan and made his professional debut at the Teatro dal Verne as Ernani in 1910. His debut at the Metropolitan Opera took place in 1913 as Rodolfo in La Boheme. He was a Met mainstay for 32 seasons, earning him the nickname 'The Lion of the Met.'

Live In Tokyo, 2010' captures the band's show at Summer Sonic in Japan, a performance that would end up being drummer Mike Portnoy's last appearance with the band till he rejoined in 2023

Critics, conductors and colleagues agree that Franco Bordoni's voice, accent and interpretation constitute Verdi at his most noble. Which is hardly surprising given the singer's awe of the composer and approach to his art. Bordoni had all the technique he needed to exploit to the full his voice's volume, texture with it's wealth of harmonics and two octave range with no uneven spots. The timbre and color of his voice made him the perfect dramatic baritone, a voice that saw it's owner through years of unflagging, full-on performances.