Titta Ruffo
Titta Ruffo was one of the greatest baritones of the 20th century. He had a resonant voice, magnificent power in the middle and upper registers, and a palette that nearly defied description, encompassing darkness, brilliance, and strength.
In this clip, he displays some of his extraordinary vocal agility as Rossini’s Figaro, a role in which he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1922.
One of the YouTube commenters had this to say about Ruffo singing this recording:
“The size of his voice moving with such ease is like an elephant doing perfect pirouettes in Swan Lake.”