June 7, 19 2 3
MUSICAL COURIER
TITTA RUFFO TRIUMPHS
ON PACIFIC COAST IN CONCERT
MARCH - APRIL 1923
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a reception seldom given an artist by a Seattle audience. He achieved a great sensation in singing the “Drinking Song” from Hamlet and the difficult “Largo al Factotum” from “The Barber of Seville.”—Seattle Star.
Titta Ruffo sang at the Arena last night and no artist of the season has stirred a Seattle audience to the pitch of enthusiasm his glorious singing occasioned. When frenzied applause and cheering did not bring the desired results the audience shouted its demands and the great baritone gave lavishly of his great gifts.—Seattle Daily Times.
Titta Ruffo’s concert was a popular triumph. And the end of the recital, lengthened by numerous encores, found the crowd visibly reluctant to leave. Never has a great artist evoked more enthusiasm from a Seattle audience.— Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Titta Ruffo, the great Italian baritone, scored a veritable triumph last night at the Auditorium. His first number was the “Patrie.” At its close the audience gave him the solid applause that means definite and sincere pleasure. From this, as a start the delight of the listeners mounted and mounted until, after his singing of the “Largo al Factotum” from “The Barber of Seville,” the house could not contain itself, but broke loose and shouted, cheered, stamped and whistled its joy and its insatiable desire for more in terms more energetic than subtle. As for Ruffo he was evidently in the mood for singing and sing he did. His big, powerful, rich voice rang out like a clarion. It was Ruffo’s night and the way the house roared its delight left one in no doubt of it.—Portland Oregonian.
Ruffo’s dramatic ability, combined with his wonderful voice, thrilled his hearers through all numbers and there were calls for more. There was no affectation about Ruffo and he sang before the capacity audience much the same as he would sing before a group of his most intimate friends.—Lincoln Star.
Photo by Illustrated News.
and the transports became noisier as the program neared its close. It is a voice splendid in its vigor, its powerful timbre and its ringing sonority.—San Francisco Chronicle.
He can woo “as gently as ’twere any nightingale”; he can put airy mockery into his voice, and, when he sings a gondola song of old Venice, the romance and the moonlight of the ancient city are there.—San Francisco Examiner.
From the moment Titta Ruffo arrived at the Exposition Auditorium platform yesterday afternoon, conveyed directly by motor which nonchalantly whirred and rolled through the interior doors, until he sang his final note the day was one of gay festival. The Ruffo voice is one without duplicate or any near approach to if.—San Francisco Journal.
Ruffo has a radiant personality and a voice that requires all the superlatives that mean the best of everything to describe it.—San Francisco Bulletin.
Titta Ruffo was heard in concert last evening at the Arena and was accorded
It was a gala and festive occasion. The air was hectic with cheers and applause and shouts for favorite numbers. Women stood up in their places and waved handkerchiefs and men did everything but get on top of their chairs and cheer. He sang as only Ruffo can sing with a wide, full, heaven-storming voice that lifted you completely off your seat when it reached its full fortissimo.—Los Angeles Times.
His advent to the stage was the signal for storms of applause and as the first sonorous notes of his voice floated over the house it was with difficulty that the audience restrained its enthusiasm until the song ended.—Los Angeles Examiner.
Titta Ruffo was cheered and stamped and pounded back to the stage at the Philharmonic Auditorium last night until he was breathless. He fascinated with his singing, he carried all on the tide of his emotion and delighted with his interpretative finesse. He has been the great god among baritones to an idolizing people, as Caruso was the tenor deity.—Los Angeles Express.
His gusto is all sweeping and his voice is a veritable trumpet of clarionlike resonance. He is a great singer of the old and new school combined. Perhaps one of the last of the outpouring Caruso type.—Los Angeles Herald.
Ruffo’s appearance caused such a demonstration that he had to signal for silence before he could sing. He was superb throughout and demonstrated that he has been called the world’s greatest baritone with perfect justice. —San Francisco Call.
Los Angeles has heard two master singing artists during the present season. One was Ruffo and the other was Chaliapin. Ruffo sang with that solid blazing tone that has its sure source in a substantial, powerful and splendidly resilient physique.—Los Angeles Record.
His every appearance was the signal for an outburst of plaudits and cheers