Born in 1913, Tito Gobbi's active singing career spanned from the late 1930's to the late 1960's, in the major houses from the late forties on. He sang everywhere, and held a particular fondness for London and Chicago.
Very early on Walter Legge, his producer at EMI Records, called Gobbi, the "Acting Voice." It was not the most beautiful of voices but absolutely compelling. A musician in the La Scala orchestra once told him, "Tito, I don't much like your voice, but when you sing I forget to play my music. "
Gobbi felt the character and dramatic truth of a scene should color the voice, that "beautiful singing" per se, was not the be all and end all, - although he was capable of beautiful singing at its best. It was the interpretation of the role, as he said, "especially interpretation of the words, the meaning of some words. I try to go a little deeper in the characterization of different (roles) personage." He was stickler for every detail, make up, costume, his physical bearing with movement coordinated with the music, not just for his role, but for all the roles in an opera, no matter how small.
Join us this week on The Lyric Stage he sings the music of Verdi, Puccini and Rossini.