I had a discussion with Perplexity in which I mentioned my favourite singers, namely Tito Schipa, Mattia Battistini, Edmond Clément, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Enzo de Muro Lomanto, Beniamino Gigli (particularly his lighter works), Leopold Simoneau, Dino Borgioli, Mario Ancona, and Salvatore Baccaloni. It gave me an initial list of recommendations. After explaining that I usually prefer those with lighter voices, it refined the list to include the following. Cesare Valletti, Alessandro Bonci, John McCormack, Georges Thill, Giovanni Manurita, Fernand Ansseau, and Luigi Infantino,. It then added notes (copied here)to the following Jussi Björling (Retain only for Mozart (e.g., Don Giovanni, 1959) where he minimizes vibrato for classical poise), Tito Gobbi (Avoid verismo roles; seek 1938 Il barbiere broadcasts for buffo deftness sans heaviness), Giuseppe di Stefano (Pre-1952 recordings (e.g., L’amico Fritz) reveal gauzy lyricism before spinto transition), and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi (Caution advised – his 1920s Puritani (Cetra) has squillo, but post-1935 work leans dramatic). The original recommendations omitted from the final list included Titta Ruffo, Giuseppe De Luca, Pol Plançon, Gino Bechi, Vic Damone, Sergio Bruni, and Carlo Tagliabue.
I already know Valletti, Bonci, McCormac, and Plançon, and have heard Björling once or twice. The rest are new to me, though I have heard a few names in passing. Do you agree with these recommendations? Can you provide any others? I actually found Edmond Clément, along with Leonid Sobinov and Dmitri Smirnov whose voices I also enjoyed. , in a wonderful suggestion in my Introduction post, to the Opera subreddit. I never thought I would be listening to those who sang only in French or Russian, but they were so good that I couldn't ignore them. Clément is now in my Regular folder (those whom I listen to frequently, as opposed to Extras, those whom I just have but don't often listen to).