CORELLI'S FIRST AIDA - TURIN 1956 'Celeste Aida'
Franco Corelli studied the role of Radames for a performance in Spoleto following his winning a prize at the Florence Maggio Musicale in 1951 but switched to Don Jose because he did not feel he was ready for the exigencies of Aida. In 1956 he recorded the complete opera with the RAI forces in Torino which was issued by Cetra. This extract (Celeste Aida) shows that Corelli had acquired a polished bronze sheen and secure top to his voice by then. He does not take the diminuendo ending but seems, at least, to consider attempting it as there is a slight diminishing of volume. He does, however, show that predilection for holding onto a good note once he has hit it which endeared him to his fans and infuriated many critics. The fact is, acceptable style or not, it is what put seats into the seats of opera houses around the world for years to come and made me a life-long fan!