November 11, 2012

Santley Sings Mozart

There are five extant recordings of Charles Santley. I consider the one selected here exceptional for several reasons. The first is that we hear Stantley at the age of 69, yet he easily sounds thirty years younger. The second is the elegance of his singing. There are no bumps, bluster, jumps and jabs in his singing, which are commonly heard today as singers feel like they - unfortunately - must make a huge impression. Elegance? Exceedingly hard to do when you are acting, acting, acting your ass off. The third is his musicality: you are hearing a man who was undoubtedly trained in Mozartian tradition from a man who undoubtedly knew that tradition (that would be Manuel García). The appoggiaturi alone are an education. The fourth is Santley's diction. It's impeccable. I encourage you to find the other recordings on Youtube and elsewhere. There is a lot to be learned from this man.

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