Titta Ruffo (9 June 1877 - 5 July 1953), Italian Baritone
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Titta Ruffo (9 June 1877 - 5 July 1953), born
as Ruffo Titta Cafiero, was an Italian opera star who had a major international
singing career. Known as the "Voce del leone" ("voice of the lion"), he was greatly
admired, even by rival baritones, such as Giuseppe De Luca, who said of Ruffo: "His
was not a voice, it was a miracle" (although not often published is the second part
of De Luca's conclusion "...which he [Ruffo] bawled away..."), and Victor Maurel,
the creator of Verdi's Iago and Falstaff. Maurel said that the notes of Ruffo's
upper register were the most glorious baritone sounds he had ever heard (see Pleasants,
cited below). Indeed Walter Legge, the prominent classical record producer, went
so far as to call Ruffo "a genius".