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Titta Ruffo

Titta Ruffo (9 June 1877 – 5 July 1953), born as Ruffo Cafiero (double forename) Titta, was an Italian operatic baritone who had a major international singing career. Known as the "Voce del leone" ("voice of the lion"), he was greatly admired, even by rival baritones, such as Giuseppe De Luca, who said of Ruffo: "His was not a voice, it was a miracle" (although not often published is the second part of De Luca's conclusion "which he [Ruffo] bawled away..."), and Victor Maurel, the creator of Verdi's Iago and Falstaff. Maurel said that the notes of Ruffo's upper register were the most glorious baritone sounds he had ever heard (see Pleasants, cited below). Indeed Walter Legge, the prominent classical record producer, went so far as to call Ruffo "a genius".

Birth and Death Data: Born June 8, 1877 (Pisa), Died July 5, 1953 (Florence)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1905 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: baritone vocal, speaker

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 126-129 of 129 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 10900½b 10-in. 1907 Di geloso amor sprezzato Emanuele Ischierdo ; Titta Ruffo ; Fosca Titta Vocal duet (tenor and baritone), with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Gramophone 10906b 10-in. 1907 Suoni la tromba intrepido Titta Ruffo ; Andrés de Segurola Vocal duet (baritone and bass), with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Gramophone 17467u 10-in. 10/15/1912 Apparizione dello spettro [Angels and ministers of grace defend us] Titta Ruffo Recitation speaker  
Gramophone 17468u 10-in. 10/15/1912 Essere o non essere [To be or not to be] Titta Ruffo Recitation speaker  
(Results 126-129 of 129 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ruffo, Titta," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101957.

Ruffo, Titta. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101957.

"Ruffo, Titta." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101957

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