YouTube and the Revitalization of The Great Operatic Masters

With the demise of great live opera, many opera aficionados have found themselves retreating to earlier performances. While finding recordings of old masters singing famous arias in the discount LP bin at Amoeba records can be a fun pastime, YouTube has revolutionized the availability of rare recordings, particularly film clips.

To demonstrate some of the gems that are available through the wonders of open-post websites, I have compiled a list of the 10 best Italian opera arias with details of some of the best (and rarest) free clips available. Most of these clips, if available at all previously, were confined to random intervals on the Arts network or occassional PBS compilation specials. Now, with the wonders of the internet taking the world forward, it is also easier to look back and appreciate the simple elegance and artistry of these operatic masters.

Top 10 Italian Opera Arias:

1. Iago's 'Credo' from Verdi's Otello performed by John Vickers. For the full effect see the excellent DVD production starring Vickers with Freni as Desdemona. For a quick fix check out Cappuccilli's Iago http://youtube.com/watch?v=a_hc8j8pdPc&search=iago%27s%20credo

2. 'Vissi D'Arte' from Puccini's Tosca performed by Maria Callas. Check out the famous 1964 Covent Garden performance of the aria and don't miss the clip of Scarpia's chilling death scene in Act II with Callas at her finest. http://youtube.com/results?search=callas+tosca&search_type=search_videos

3. 'Mi Chiamano Mimi' from Puccini's La Boheme is best performed by Anna Moffo. Listen to RCA's compilation of Moffo's famous arias, including 'Mi Chiamano Mimi' to fully appreciate the range of technical perfection that Moffo utilized along with her sometimes saucy and sometimes sweet, but always warm tone. This recording really gives the listener a feel for why this diva's voice could never fully be categorized (Coloratura? Lyric? Spinto?)http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00001R3MX/103-4996369-9997426?v=glance&n=5174 For a visual of the second best performance, see Mirella Freni's Mimi at http://youtube.com/results?search=mi+chiamano+mimi&search_type=search_videos

4. 'E lucevan le stelle' from Puccini's Tosca performed by Franco Corelli or Giuseppe Di Stefano. Listen to Corelli as the quinessential doomed tenor: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001MJ1/sr=1-1/qid=1153806026/ref=sr_1_1/103-4996369-9997426?ie=UTF8&s=music. For double the fun, see two different clips of Di Stefano's http://youtube.com/results?search=e+lucevan+le+stelle&search_type=search_videossearch=e+lucevan+le+stelle&search_type=search_videos

5. 'Casta Diva' from Bellini's Norma performed by Monserrat Caballe or Maria Callas. For a special treat and a direct comparison of Callas' and Caballe's Druid Divas, once again, check out the free clips on YouTube.com. Computer speakers, of course, don't do either's voice justice. However, the clip of a young Maria Callas singing the aria in concert at Opera Paris in 1958 (her Paris Opera debut, so YouTube claims) is truly stunning. And, is it possible that the young diva looks nervous? It's also an interesting example of how singers of that age dealt with standing in front of the audience during lengthy introductions and interludes. http://youtube.com/watch?v=Smg9hiU6rII

6. 'Chi il bel sogno di Doretta' from Puccini's La Rondine performed by Anna Moffo. To hear Moffo at her Lyric best, listen to this 'off the beaten path' Puccini aria, then listen to the whole under-appreciated opera. http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/7106660/a/Puccini:+La+Rondine+(Complete).htm Unfortunately, this aria is too obscure to even be on YouTube.

7. 'Salce, Salce' from Verdi's Otello performed by Kiri te Kanawa or Mirella Freni (I can't find a Moffo recording, although it would undoubtedly be stunning). To appreciate Te Kanawa's beautiful and most famous role as Desdemona, watch the rather famous DVD starring Placido Domingo http://secure2.ihwy.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&Product_ID=2346&DID=21 Domingo's Otello is stilted, but with Te Kanawa's Desdemona and Sergei Liefercus as a tantilizingly evil Iago, the overall production is quite nice. You can see a young, and surprisinly pretty Joan Sutherland perform the aria at http://youtube.com/results?search=willow+song%2C+verdi&search_type=search_videos .

8. 'Vesti la Giubba' from Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci performed by Beniamino Gigli. However, see the goldmine of great tenors, including Caruso, Del Monaco, Di Stefano, Lanza, Vickers, and Pavarotti performing the sad clown song. An absolute MUST SEE! http://youtube.com/results?search=vesti+la+giubba&search_type=search_videos

9. 'Una Furtiva Lagrima' from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore performed by Beniamino Gigli or Luciano Pavarotti. You can see the latter's at http://youtube.com/results?search=vesti+la+giubba&search_type=search_videos. And don't overlook the ancient Nicolai Gedda's 1983 recital of the song at one of the Met galas (still better than most modern tenors half his age).

10. 'Tu, che di gel sei cinta' from Puccini's Turandot performed by Anna Moffo. Unfortunately, YouTube didn't add any special insight to this choice, in a testament to the lack of filmed recordings of the opera pre-dating 1980 (a few in concert versions of 'Nessun Dorma' highlight some greate tenors, including Di Stefano and Del Monaco).