Riccardo Stracciari

One of several Italian baritones whose vocal endowment made them veritable lions among singers, Riccardo Stracciari differed in timbre from the equally celebrated Titta Ruffo. If Ruffo's voice seemed to have been cast from bronze, Stracciari's was swathed in ermine from its substantial bottom register to its exuberant, resounding top. Moreover, Stracciari used his formidable instrument with great artistry, more refined and less visceral than that which characterized Ruffo's approach. Stracciari remained in good form into his early 50s, remarkable enough given his active perfor...