Italian Songs and Ballads
Francesco Paolo TOSTI (1846-1916) Malia [3:11]; ‘A vucchella
(Arietta di Posillipo) [2:42]; L’ultima canzone [4:46]; Aprile [3:28]; Non
t’amo più [5:36]; Luna d’estate [5:36]; La serenata [3:20]; Ideale [3:22];
Marechiare [2:55]; L’alba separa dalla luce l’ombra [2:22]; Partir c’est mourir
un peu (Song of farewell) [2:36]
Pietro MASCAGNI (1863-1945) Serenata - Come col capo sotto l’ala
bianca [3:48]
Stefano DONAUDY (1879-1925) O del mio amato ben [4:05]
Stefano Secco (tenor); David Abramovitz (piano)
rec. Terzosuonoproduction Mobile Studio, Paris, France, 27-31 April 2009
text and translations available at the Naxos website
NAXOS 8.572471 [47:47] 
The very name Tosti may well conjure up memories of a parade of Italian singers
from Caruso to Schipa to Pavarotti. These are songs that are written to show
off the voice at its best, sweetly sentimental maybe but beautifully written
and responding to sympathetic treatment. Tosti himself came from a very poor
background in the east of Italy but rose to become a favorite of the Queen
of Italy. His visit to London in 1875 was the start of even greater success,
including appointment as singing teacher to the Royal Family, the granting
of British citizenship and eventually in 1906 a Knighthood.
Any defence of these songs has to begin by accepting them for what they are.
They are certainly not musically adventurous and there is more than a little
family resemblance between them. Nonetheless they have charm in abundance
and provided you do not seek for deeper meaning, novelty or complexity they
offer much to enjoy. I have to admit to doing so enormously in almost any
performance but they blossom best when the singer aims to charm rather than
bludgeon the listener, and when they have the original piano accompaniment
or at any rate a straightforward orchestration. There are many performances
on disc that are ruined by inflated or anachronistic orchestral accompaniments.
The simple charm of the original piano versions is almost always best, and
that is what this disc has, played sympathetically by David Abramovitz.
It would be easy but unfair to compare Stefano Secco with the great singers
who have recorded these songs in the past. He is a young singer who has sung
a variety of the leading tenor roles in Italian opera. Despite having Franco
Corelli as his teacher he is prepared to sing quietly and sensitively when
required, and if at present he lacks the flexibility and variety of expression
needed to make the most of the songs he is aware of their general style and
how to put across their simple charms. I am sure that he would have made a
great success in the kind of salon for which they were written. I enjoyed
the recital throughout its rather modest length - a few more songs would have
been welcome - and at times even found myself wishing that Naxos had announced
it as Volume 1 of Tosti’s complete songs. Given the narrow character range
of these songs that is quite an achievement on the part of the performers.
John Sheppard
Musically unadventurous but charm in abundance and much to enjoy.