TITO GOBBI: THE SINGING ACTOR (10 CDS)

The baritone Tito Gobbi is considered one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. He was particularly celebrated for his live performances of 19th century Italian opera repertoire, and especially the music of Giuseppe Verdi. The recordings in this ten-CD collection were made between 1942 and 1960.

The worldwide fame of Tito Gobbi (1913-1984) was founded on the seemingly endless diversity of his vocal style and acting ability, with which he turned the characters of his stage personas into dramatic experiences for his audience. He was a "singer-actor", and among the repertoire in which he excelled were parts like Scarpia (Tosca), Iago (Otello), Michele (Il tabarro), Jack Rance (La fanciulla del West), Posa (Don Carlo), Falstaff and most notably Simon Boccanegra. Tito Gobbi's performances with Maria Callas are still among the best-selling recordings of all time.

Personnel: Tito Gobbi (baritone) with Orchestra and Chorus del Teatro alla Scala Milano, Victor de Sabata, Antonino Votto, Tullio Seraffin (conductor), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Carlo Maria Giulini (conductor), Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Tullio Serafin (conductor) and others