Rigoletto: Live Master Classes: Tito Gobbi Opera Workshop
Rome: Web & Print, s.a.s., [2004]
72 pp., 3 CDs, $36.00
Associazione Musicale Tito Gobbi, Via valle della Muletta 47, 00123 Rome, Italy
A brittle yellow newspaper clipping in my archives from the Los Angeles Times is dated 10 February 1982. It was written to celebrate the eleventh and last opera workshop of the Rosary College Graduate School of Fine Arts in Florence and its star teacher, baritone Tito Gobbi. In extolling his merits and accomplishments, staff writer Louis B. Fleming quotes Ida Cook’s assessment: "I don’t know anyone else who has the maestro’s genius for passing along the skill of opera singing, for telling how it is done."1
Cook, a prolific author and avid opera lover since 1924, was Gobbi’s ghost-autobiographer. As she and Gobbi describe the birth of the program in Tito Gobbi: My Life, the idea germinated during his Chicago engagement in 1958. He was invited by Sister Maria Michele Armato for a recital, a return engagement at nearby Rosary College in River Forest, Illinois. To vary the program, "In the second half I stripped my jacket and tie and I announced that I was inviting the audience to witness a rehearsal."2 Gobbi then gave an improvised opera rehearsal of the first act of Falstaff with the assistance of some obliging Chicago colleagues. Years later, when Sister Maria Michele became dean of the Graduate School of Fine Arts established by Rosary College at the Villa Schifanoia in Florence, she invited the maestro to organize a summer opera workshop at the villa.
Gobbi accepted the offer immediately. A successful and rewarding undertaking for all concerned, it was repeated annually for an international student body. This experiment became the model for a new program that was to start in the summer of 1983 near Venice, with an international competition added to the workshop. Gobbi himself declared, "The results have been very satisfactory. From those attending these workshops, 40 have gone to professional work in opera, including stage directors, critics, coaches, and conductors as well as singers. And, yes, two are in jazz. One has his own group."3
As the descriptive title of the set implies, this multimedia publication contains the instructive conversations and rehearsals with young singers under Gobbi’s tutelage. "The aim is improving projection of sound, interpretation and pronunciation," he said in the Los Angeles Times interview.4 According to the set’s accompanying information, the master classes presented here took place at the Villa Schifanoia between 1973 and 1978. Although the individual sessions clearly did not take place in the same years, they all relate to Rigoletto, and the purposeful editing leads us through the opera from the opening scene to Rigoletto’s final anguished cry as the imaginary curtain falls.
The set consists of three compact discs and a seventy-two-page illustrated booklet. No translation of the libretto is provided, nor is it necessary. Anyone who will devote the listening time to these discs will not be trying to learn what the opera is about. Members of the intended audience are likely to know much of Rigoletto by heart, even if not every word of every character.
The transcription of the spoken exchanges and instruction helps the listener understand Gobbi’s accented English and his remarks made in Italian (to the accompanist) or French (to soprano Noelle Lenain). The color coding of the English and Italian texts makes it easy to follow the proceedings in the language of choice. Ironically, the Italian version is the translation for Gobbi’s instructions. Although at one point he pokes fun at himself in trying to sort out the correct pronunciation between "wowel" and "vowel," his command of English is perfectly satisfactory. Still, one senses he would have even more instructive comments to make if his English vocabulary were as ample as his native Italian. And while on languages: there are obvious differences among the students’ command of Italian pronunciation.
The layout and execution of the booklet are excellent. Profuse illustrations show Gobbi as Rigoletto in many productions over the decades, including action shots from the classic 1946 film. The project as a whole is done so well that any negative observations could seem like quibbles, but quibble I must. On page 18, we are told that Rigoletto was first produced on "11th March 185" [sic]. A couple of words in the text are misspelled, including Lars Kullenbo’s name given twice as Kelenbo (pp. 55–56), and on page 47 assurgere inexplicably replaces the ascendere of Piave’s libretto. Worse, the booklet was clearly typeset by someone unfamiliar with English orthography. The faulty syllabication may be inconsequential, but why let such a number of blemishes stand and spoil the overall excellence?5 Careful proofreading could have eliminated all typographical errors.
The text is headed by a statement from Gobbi that sets the tone for the whole enterprise: "I think and believe that it is my duty to transfer to the young generations what was my great fortune to learn in a 40 year career. I don’t think that the treasure of the experiences that I have accumulated has to vanish with me."6 Though unidentified as to source (they are not heard on the compact discs), this statement and the introductory text contain what must have been Gobbi’s opening remarks to students, perhaps every summer at the beginning of each cycle. He explains his perceptions of talent and voice, whether inborn or developed, along with comments about mastering the scenic action, subjectivity of interpretation, and the responsibility of a singer. He next turns his attention to Rigoletto, in his estimation "the masterpiece of all masterpieces," followed by a short description of his own experiences, beginning with his first assumption of the title role. In a highly objective personal remark, Gobbi shows uncommon self-awareness and self-criticism: "By the end of the 50’s, after performing it nearly 400 times, I realized I could no longer give my best vocally nor could I stand the physical strain. So, I sadly said good-bye to the role but I continued to love and study this opera to be able to transfer my experience and my understanding of it to younger singers."7
Multiple performances alone are no guarantee of insight or refinement. However, when an exceptionally intelligent artist sings a role that many times to universal critical acclaim, his advice is worth hearing and considering. Gobbi had also benefited from the coaching of the maestri who had guided his career, and the fact that he had heard or sung with two generations of Gildas, Dukes, and Sparafuciles was not lost on his observant, critical mind.
As all effective teachers would do, he makes it clear from the outset that "I am Tito Gobbi and I can’t change myself nor my ideas and views. Also when I teach and I give to my students interpretative hints, suggestions and examples on a character, I know it’s always me, Tito Gobbi, explaining [to] them how he sees and performs the role. But mine is only one of the different possibilities of interpretation and I underline that they mustn’t copy what I do, but find their own interpretation. This is a big task and they must do it with a great sense of respect for the composer and for the author’s libretto."8 Yet in spite of the allowance that is to be made for differing concepts and delivery, it is clear from the outset that a line, a phrase, even a single word in his rendition may well be within the very few near-ideal solutions.
Gobbi also stresses the dedication that is required of a singer to give the public the fruits of his study, his sacrifices, "and the gifts God made him: voice and intelligence," all of which cannot be accomplished "without great discipline." A singer must have greater self-discipline than all other professionals because he has to study, sing, recite, act onstage, and control his daily life. "He must take care of his physique, his health, his body, avoid excessive drinking or eating, soaking in the rain, catching a cold or the flu. He is responsible for himself 24 hours a day, because he no longer belongs to himself, he belongs to the public."9 Wise words, wise counsel, presumably adhered to by Gobbi himself.
Gobbi’s is the "thinking voice." As a highly critical orchestral player once said to him: "I don’t know why it is, Tito. I don’t particularly like your voice, but when you sing I forget to play."10 The same reaction can be extrapolated to his master classes. When Gobbi speaks, in spite of his perceptible discomfort with a second language, the authority of his utterances informs us that one is in the presence of a master craftsman offering his creative ideas about every role of the opera.
Most of the students have good young voices. They are well prepared and know their roles, but for the most part they are beginners. Clearly, they are in need of guidance and direction. The first voice we hear is that of a very young Gösta Winbergh. His tenor is light and bright, technically competent, and he impresses with his excellent Italian diction and maturity. Gobbi’s comments are just finishing touches, adding details and polish to an already well-developed concept and presentation.
In the segments that follow, occasionally the pianist fills in the missing lines, but to get a point across, Gobbi often sings them himself. That’s how we get snippets of Gobbi as Duke, Gobbi as Sparafucile, or even Gobbi as Gilda. Sometimes he just marks a phrase to help out a singer, but when he sings at full voice, in Rigoletto’s music in particular, he brings back more than just the memory of the divo of yore. Yet through nearly three hours of recorded time, one never gets the impression that Gobbi is showing off or that he is trying to impress his captive audience. The man is clearly beyond such pettiness; in offering these examples his sole objective is to teach.
The one surprise, if not really disappointment, is that he seems unwilling or unable to color his voice to suit the characters he impersonates. It doesn’t matter whose lines they are; in purely vocal terms it is a Gobbi Duke and a Gobbi Gilda we hear, even when a head tone or falsetto would serve the purpose much better. Accordingly, his roar in the "E il sol dell’anima" duet exemplifies inflection as to textual delivery but offers no musical value. Also, when he sings the line "Ma ne avrò vendetta" (in "Ella mi fu rapita") in his purest Iago voice, one doesn’t even know what it is he wants to get across.
But what a difference regarding the title role! In "Pari siamo," Gobbi interrupts James Edwin Stith to demonstrate the words "esser difforme," and the interpretative gap between teacher and pupil shows in an instant the value and usefulness of these master classes. Gobbi still has an enormous voice, even without singing at full force. When singing high-lying passages, he occasionally drops the music an octave for expediency. In this particular session, he stops himself twice before reaching the high note of the closing passage, but on the third demonstration he sings through "Ah no, è follia!" and caps it with a stunning high G. Pas mal for an old baritone never especially admired for his acuti.
Predictably, the most satisfying high point is the "La rà ... Cortigiani" scene. Gobbi excels with his incisive comments addressed to the baritones alternately sharing his attention, a competent Lars Kullenbo and an even better James Edwin Stith. Gobbi, as expected, is mesmerizing in the passages from "Cortigiani." It is not a matter of being unable to contain himself and rallying to the sound of the music; rather, this scene being the core of the role and the high point of the opera, he knows that this is where the baritones most need his advice about interpretation, inflections, correct phrasing, pacing, and singing.
Coming to the line "se dei figli difende l’onor," with the unwritten high G (sol), Gobbi maintains "there is no reason" for it. "I have done it sometimes yes, sometimes not and, listening to this aria, it’s much better without it [demonstrating]—much human, beautiful, more baritone. Some crazy baritone starts shouting like this and then we are like donkeys following. ... it doesn’t add one milligram of success in your success, only it will put you in a risk."11 This may be a matter of opinion. One can listen to two classic recordings from the 78 r.p.m. period: Giuseppe De Luca’s without the high note (1929) and Riccardo Stracciari’s in the complete recording (1930), with not one but two high Gs back to back on the last two syllables of "difende." Whether we have been conditioned by crazy baritones or not, the effect is worlds apart. It should also be remembered that De Luca’s comfort zone always fell short of the high G, whereas Stracciari had a phenomenal high A; his pupil Alexander Sved, who followed the master’s example of double Gs in "Cortigiani," even had a B-natural.12 Gobbi was less fortunately endowed, and Rigoletto’s other Gs lie uncomfortably high for him on records, so his advice here is to be taken cum grano salis.
After "Tutte le feste," it is a special treat to hear Gobbi sing his own lines for the "Solo per me l’infamia" duet and then, skipping the Monterone passage, go straight into "Sì, vendetta." The students applaud—and rightly so. Once more, and quite appropriately this time, we hear the bite in the voice and the trademark snarl over which Gobbi held a joint monopoly with rival baritone Gino Bechi. Then, clearly in another session, Lars Kullenbo takes over the role, the pianist does Monterone, and Gobbi sings Gilda. Kullenbo does well, but in the very audible differences between his and Gobbi’s Rigolettos can be measured the decades of experience the maestro is trying to impart to his students.
Gobbi gives equal time to all the principal roles. He works at length with Paulette Berman on "Caro nome" and with Johnny Soto Vasquez on a very good "La donna è mobile" with a well-executed Caruso cadenza. He devotes the same attention to Panfilo Cafarelli, a bright-voiced tenor who sings the Maddalena-Duke banter leading up to the quartet proper. The Duke in the latter is sung by Tord Slattegard, and one can visualize the smile on Gobbi’s face as he shows how the line "Bella figlia dell’amore" can sound seductive.
His inflections are just as evocative in Rigoletto’s last monologue, the lines before opening the sack containing the wounded Gilda. As Kullenbo sings "S’attenda" for the midnight bell, Gobbi adds on cue a hiss for the wind. A minor touch, but it lends an aura of drama. In a wise editorial choice the sessions end with Gobbi singing (a bit hoarse this time) the title role to Noelle Lenain’s Gilda. If I am not mistaken, he can be heard breathing with Lenain between the dying Gilda’s phrases: "Benedite ... alla figlia ... o mio padre. ..." When it is over, the students applaud, and the listener is moved to do likewise.
Although the master classes ran for over a decade, it is my understanding that the six-week opera workshops at Villa Schifanoia were recorded only from 1971 through 1978. Instruction ran six days a week, roughly six or seven hours a day. Recording the master classes was the joint decision of Gobbi and Sister Maria Michele, and the students could use the tapes for instructional purposes. The recording was made on a reel-to-reel tape recorder with a single unidirectional microphone. Although there are some brief moments when a few spoken sentences are on the edge of microphone range, the sound quality is generally excellent. Videotaping the sessions was also considered, but unfortunately the cost of the initial investment at the time proved prohibitive and the idea was quickly abandoned. While this important dimension—the visual—is missing, being able to hear these extraordinary classes brings one as close as possible to being in the presence of a great singer distilling his life’s experience for the benefit of a selected group of fortunate students.
The Associazione Musicale Tito Gobbi was founded in 2003 by the singer’s daughter, Cecilia. She is to be thanked for her decision to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of her father’s death (1984) with the release of the Rigoletto master classes. Cecilia Gobbi and all parties to the present and future releases deserve the gratitude of fans and voice students for rescuing these priceless artistic documents, the legacy of one of the legendary interpreters of the lyric stage. A further piece of good news is that the Tito Gobbi Society is in the process of preparing future releases, each focusing on an individual opera. The set planned for the end of 2005 will concentrate on Don Giovanni, to be followed in future years by sessions on Tosca, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La bohème, La traviata, Le nozze di Figaro, Falstaff, and L’elisir d’amore. In the meantime, we can relish this first set. One can also hope that Gobbi’s classic opera films, Rigoletto, Il barbiere di Siviglia, and the superb Pagliacci, formerly all available on PAL videotape, will be reissued on DVD, for their musical value and as challenging—if intimidating—object lessons.
In his recordings and films, and with the release of the master classes, Gobbi created a model not to imitate but to be used for guidance, presenting the essence of a performing tradition that deserves to be preserved. Should current unfortunate directing trends continue, no matter where would-be geniuses will relocate the plot in time and place, in Piave’s libretto and in Verdi’s music Rigoletto will unalterably remain a jester and his adversaries the Duke and his courtiers. If "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata" will ring in aspiring singers’ ears in Tito Gobbi’s voice and glorious interpretation, he will have left a testament of the role and a bright beacon to follow.
NOTES
For ordering information, write to Paul Hirsh, U.S. Representative, Associazione Tito Gobbi, 2427 Waverly Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, or by e-mail at paul.hirsh{at}verizon.net (in the United States). Information is also available on the organization’s Web site: http://www.associazionetitogobbi.com.
1. Los Angeles Times, 10 February 1982, sec. 1-A, pp. 4–5. 
2. Tito Gobbi, Tito Gobbi: My Life (London: Macdonald and Jane’s, 1979), p. 132.
3. Los Angeles Times, 10 February 1982, sec. 1-A, pp. 4–5.
5. The following examples indicate that this is not an isolated problem: masterpie-ce (p. 14); laugh-ed, fa-ce, ri-ght, lo-ve, therefo-re (p. 15); mo-re (p. 20); plea-se (p. 21); ha-ve (pp. 26, 28, 38); becau-se (p. 28); smi-le (p. 31); voi-ce (p. 32, twice); pie-ce (p. 36); he-re (pp. 38, 45); mu-ch (pp. 41, 42); ri-ght (p. 44); no-te, pu-sh (p. 50); strai-ghter, thou-ght, thi-smoment (p. 51); whi-ch (p. 56). One hopes these errors may be corrected in a reprint edition.
6. Rigoletto: Live Master Classes booklet, p. 5.
10. Tito Gobbi: My Life, p. 47.
11. Rigoletto: Live Master Classes booklet, p. 42.
12. I heard Sved sing this note in his dressing room during the intermission of an open-air Rigoletto performance in Budapest in 1954. Preparing for his big act, he warmed up on the final cadenza of "La donna è mobile."
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