Il balen del suo sorriso

Il Balen Del Suo Sorriso From Il Trovatore. Verdi

The below information is for those non English speakers to translate.

Robert Merrill
June 4, 1917 – October 23, 2004
The great baritone Robert Merrill demonstrates how great singing looks and sounds like.
Merrills voice is produced with freedom and ease. Merrills face and body are free of constrictions.
However, there is an athleticism and physicality about his singing. The sound is efficient, big and resonant. There is an absence of noise. His larynx is low but free. All great singers sing with a low larynx. It is not exclusive to Melocchi. Hence the sound is dark (scuro) The darkness is balanced with core or clarity. (squillo)

Dimitri Hvorostovsky.
Born October 16, 1962 -
There is an immediate impression of ease and control.The sound reveals something completely different. There is an evident vocal squeeze and girding of the sound.
The sound is thick and woofy with a lack of squillo. Gasping for air indicates signs of laryngeal constriction. (closed throat)At times you get the impression that the sound comes out through the nose. His voice is actually quite small in person. His voice is not fit for Verdi.
This recording improves his small dull sound. He has far less squillo in person.
Monotonal sounding and incredibly boring. Note, the piano with a closed lid is competing with his sound.
Here, he seems to be as loud or louder than the orchestra. Intonation becomes a problem.Hvorostovskys voice is collapsed.The correct functioning muscular groups are not being engaged.When he tries to engage the correct function with his faulty technique the sound gets muscled, and constricted.
He does not know how to sing by engaging these muscles with vocal efficiency, which in itself gives vocal size.Audible gasping and breathing does indicate there is some assistance of a microphone.For recording purposes or assistance through enhancement.

Titta Ruffo
9 June 1877 – 5 July 1953
The Greatest Baritone and probably the greatest singer on record.Note the sound quality of the instrumentation compared to a modern day orchestra.Fill in the gaps and you have an idea of the quality of Ruffos magnificent sound.The sound is balanced with amazing muscular coordination.
The full robust sound is dark with squillo. (clarity)Well enunciated clear vowels.The sound is so efficient and free.It is unbelievable how such a gigantic sound could be so fluid.
The sound is exciting and engaging. It is never boring. Incredible Intonation and vibrato.
A truly great demonstration of how singing should be.