Opera Cage Match: Stride la Vampa from Il Trovatore 

Simonato - what a voice!

Cossotto is the most perfect, of course. And this is of the most beautiful mezzo voice ever... I always love Barbieri for expressiveness and character.... Zajic sounds pale opposite the rivals in any respect... Luckily for her, she lives in another era.

I think there's a tendancy under appreciated what we have now. If you listen carefully, Zajick offers amazing power and dynamic range and great variety of color. Her attacks are clean and her transitions from note to note have great support and meaningful thrust. Her low register is unreal and her top is the most full and free of all here with Cossoto being a close 2nd. I unfotunately haven't heard the others live, but have sung with and heard Dolora many times. My favorite! Hardly pale!

The task of choosing between great mezzos such as Barbieri,Simionato and Cossotto is virtually impossible.They all have particular attributes that make them unique.But if you forced me to choose who sings this aria best,I'd have to say Barbieri with Cossotto a close second. Grazie mille baritonoguapo for sharing these great but brief excerpts.

Also, Zajick actually sings the trill. None of the others even try, except Barbieri.

THE PERFECTAS AZUCENAS..HEY.. THIS is FANTASTICO..VERY,VERY TALENTED MEZZO-SOPRANOS.. A perfect blend of power and delicacy. This music blows my mind. Splendide.A force of nature! Magnificent! ORIGINAL AND uNIQUE. Amazing. Absolutely pleasant... A delight to my ears. Beutiful voices, great! ...Excellent!!! Expectacular.. THANK YOU.

I think they are all fantastic but for me personally Cossoto is my favourite in this cage match

La Verrett reinvented the role of Azucena!

Hard to say which is the best. I like all three Italian ladies. I enjoyed Zajick live, but not in this recording. I wish this cage match has part 2 --- with the top Italian mezzo of the 20th Century, Stignani, and some non-Italians, Verrett, Bumbry, Gorr, and maybe also Nicolai and Dominguez.

They are all very good. If I had to choose - well, I will - the very slight preference for Barbieri - for her drama!

come Azucena la voce delLa Barbieri aveva il colore adatto à questo ruolo. Magnifica La Barbieri Grazie !

hey - what about stignani? she was the ultimate azucena. but, maybe not within the "last 50 years". there is a live recording from 1953 on youtube of her "condotta, ell'era in ceppi". it's fabulous!

To be fair, this performance is not Zajick's best of this aria. Thank you for introducing me to these legendary ladies on this, one of my absolute favorite arias, though! I already loved Zajick's rendition.

Despite her detractors, I still consider Barbieri the greatest Azucena of all time. Also loved Simionato, Cossotto, but "Freddie" owned this role.

Cossotto e Sempre Cossotto !!!!!!!

As it happens, I don't think Obraztsova has been equalled in this role. I'd put her in over Zajick ... doubt it's just me.

Barbieri, Simionato y Cossotto son magnificas, y están a años luz de la Azucena de Zajick, muy inferior a la de estas 3 grandísimas cantantes.

I like Giulietta's middle register and her voice fit the character the best, but I just like Cossoto's better. they were all great though.

Simionato e poi Cossotto? O forse Cossotto e poi Simionato? Terza comunque Fedora Barbieri.

Barbieri for drama every time. Simionato clarity of the higher tessitura. Cossotto for vocal "point"and focus. Zajick one of the better more recent mezzos in the role, but the voice placement works against good Italian diction somehow, I think.

No sure really if it is Italian or general. but there is something with the voice placement that puts the sound much farther back.

Fedora Barbieri all the way!

Cossotto with her misclassified lyric soprano :DDD just no. Verrett was the greatest.

Cloe Elmo

None of them. Cloe Elmo did better.