Opera its not necessarily about the prettiest of voices

And this recording of Rigoletto is one of the best proofs. Perhaps Callas didn't have the prettiest of soprano voices but all those who love her love the enormous amount of things she was so able of transmitting. She is a painter of extreme insight and of fine nuances and not one of great frames. The way you can understand every detail of Gilda's feelings and moods without understanding even a word takes discussion at another level than those of great voices. Damme Sutherland as much as she tries never gets at the same level. And so being her character is weaker and less involving.

Same but not all is true about Gobbi's Rigoletto. Listen the way he can cry and scream in "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata" and you will find anything else unsatisfactory. Not all is true because I actually think Gobbi has one of the most beautiful and versatile baritone tone in the recorded music. But again his charm and uniqueness comes from the extraordinary capability of describing in singing his character sometimes more than music itself could do.

Last but not least you have the authoritative direction of Tulio Serafin "the opera conductor" of those days with great knowledge of his favorite cast. He lets the tempo breath there were the drama get more intense and his singers need to define in great detail the feeling. And they do it in such a rewarding style. Just listen to the final quartet of this opera and everything will became clearer than I could ever express in words.

And lets not forget Di Stefano. This is a count you can believe and understand not just a proof that higher notes can be perfect. What is the use of perfect highs when you don't understand anything. Don't get me wrong. Di Stefano's voice is in great shape and by no means he loses to Pavarotti in the amount Pavarotti loses to him in all other aspects.

This is one of the rare complete exemplars of the "Golden Age" of opera making and singing. Beautifully sung, so profound in every nuance and full of nuances, so nicely conducted through a beautiful and really dramatic end.