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About Mattia Battistini Complete Recordings, Vol. 1
Amazon.com Operaphiles in search of the lost art of the bel canto baritone will find a virtual holy grail in the form of Mattia Battistini. Born in 1856, he is the oldest singer of his generation who recorded extensively in his prime. In contrast to the emphatic, overt emotionalism typical of verismo singers, Battistini spins out effortless, lavishly decorated lines, sustained by virtue of prodigious breath control. Introspective phrases are embellished by unexpected accents and flamboyant, dynamic surges, best exemplified in a 1906 group of Ernani excerpts. Highlighting the 1902 Warsaw recordings are a snappy yet restrained "Largo al factotum" and Wagner's song to the Evening Star from Tannhaüser, sung in mellifluous Italian. Romophone's transfers auger well for what promises to be the definitive Battistini edition. --Jed Distler
