DESCRIPTION:
''From the start, di Stefano was deeply sceptical of operatic practise as he found it: his reaction, even to some renowned performers, tended to be, "If that's opera, you can keep it." But one or two things did impress him (notably, Gigli as Poliuto in 1940), and with the assistance of Montesanto, himself something of an individualist in his day, he developed an approach to opera performance which aimed to realise directly and emphatically the theatrical impulses that had prompted Verdi, Puccini and the others to write in the first place. To achieve such a goal, di Stefano trained himself carefully: his singing derived from deep study and from a serious consideration of the artistic and aesthetic responsibilities he held. Widespread views of insufficient training or lack of discipline are mistakenly deduced from his incurably breezy manner. He simply thought for himself and did not necessarily regard as gospel anything anyone else held to be standard practise.''

0:00 - Vola, vola, vola
2:43 - Canto, ma sottovoce
5:39 - Barcillunisa
8:03 - Cantu a timuni
10:13 - Abballati
12:32 - Mutteti di lu Paliu
16:08 - Se vuoi goder la vita
18:58 - Mamma
21:52 - Una furtiva lagrima
25:37 - Ed anchè Beppe amò
29:08 - O dolce incanto... Chiudo gli occhi
35:56 - Addio, Mignon! Fa core
36:04 - Ah! Non credevi tu
40:15 - Io son sol... Ah! Dispar, vision
44:56 - E la solita storia
49:07 - E lucevan le stelle
52:15 - La vita è inferno... O tu che in seno agli angeli
58:29 - Una parola sola! Or son sei mesi
1:02:28 - Ch'ella mi creda libero
1:04:50 - Avete torto! Firenze è come un albero
1:08:07 - Non piangere, Liù
1:10:53 - Nessun dorma
1:14:08 - Passione