Titta Ruffo (9 June 1877 – 5 July 1953), born as Ruffo Cafiero Titta, was an Italian operatic baritone who had a famous career singing in operas around the world. He was known as the "Voce del leone" ("voice of the lion") and was highly respected, even by other baritones. Giuseppe De Luca, a rival baritone, once said, "His was not a voice, it was a miracle" (though the second part of his statement, "which he [Ruffo] bawled away…," is not often published). Victor Maurel, who created the roles of Iago and Falstaff in Verdi's operas, praised Ruffo's high notes, calling them the most beautiful baritone sounds he had ever heard (see Pleasants, cited below). Walter Legge, a well-known classical record producer, called Ruffo "a genius."
Biography
Born Ruffo Titta in Pisa, he changed his name to Ruffo Titta for his stage career. He was named after a favorite dog, Ruffo, by his father, a foreman at an ironworks. His mother always called him "Cafiero." He studied singing and voice techniques with several teachers.
Ruffo made his operatic debut in 1898 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, playing the Herald in Wagner’s Lohengrin. After a slow beginning, his career grew rapidly in the early 1900s because of his strong voice and expressive acting.
His major debuts included performances in Buenos Aires (1902), London (1903), Milan (1904), Lisbon (1907), the Paris Opéra (1911), and the Theatro Municipal in São Paulo (1911). He made his American debut in Philadelphia in 1912 and performed often in Chicago. He joined the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1922 as Figaro in The Barber of Seville, after serving in the Italian army during World War I. He performed 46 times at the Met from 1922 to 1929. While working at the Met, he studied with voice teacher Estelle Liebling. In 1929, he signed a movie contract worth $350,000 (equivalent to about $6,563,000 today).
Ruffo retired in 1931 and lived in Switzerland and Paris for several years. He wrote an autobiography titled La mia parabola, which was translated into English in 1995 as My Parabola. In 1937, he returned to Italy, where he was arrested for opposing the Fascist government and supporting socialist ideas. His sister was married to Giacomo Matteotti, whose murder by Fascists led Ruffo to refuse to sing in Italy again. Later in life, he remained friends with several singers, including baritones Gino Bechi and Carlo Tagliabue, and tenors Giacomo Lauri-Volpi and Giuseppe di Stefano.
Titta Ruffo died in Florence, Italy, from heart disease on July 5, 1953, at the age of 76.
Vocal characteristics and recorded legacy
Ruffo performed many important baritone roles in French and Italian operas. These included Rigoletto, Di Luna, Amonasro, Germont, Tonio, Figaro (by Rossini), Valentin, Iago, Carlo (in both Ernani and La forza del destino), Nabucco, Vasco, Don Giovanni, Barnaba, Scarpia, Marcello, and Renato in Un ballo in maschera. He also performed baritone parts in operas that are not remembered much today, such as the title roles in Hamlet by Ambroise Thomas and Cristoforo Colombo by Franchetti, as well as Cascart in Zazà by Leoncavallo and Neri in La cena delle beffe by Giordano.
Ruffo’s singing style was different from earlier singers. He focused on powerful sound, strong delivery, and a rich, deep tone, rather than the smooth, flexible singing that was popular before. Some critics compared him unfavorably to Mattia Battistini, a previous Italian baritone known for his elegant, silvery voice. However, modern critics say the difference between Battistini and Ruffo was not as clear as some people thought. Both singers showed excellent vocal skill, control, and the ability to sing long, smooth phrases. They also shared a teacher, Venceslao Persichini, and preferred a bold, expressive style of singing.
In 1928, Walter Legge, a British critic and future record producer, praised Ruffo’s voice. He said Ruffo’s voice was strong, rich, and full of emotion. Legge noted Ruffo’s ability to sing high notes clearly, his variety of tones, and his deep understanding of the music. He called Ruffo a genius.
Ruffo recorded many songs. He made over 130 records, starting with Pathé Frères in Paris in 1904 and then for La voce del padrone from 1906. When he moved to the United States in 1912, he worked with Victor Talking Machine Company until 1929. His voice recorded well, even on early recording technology, because it was so rich and full. He continued recording during the electrical era after 1925, but most of his published electrical recordings were made later in his career. Some critics say his voice lost some of its strength in his later years, but unpublished recordings from 1933 show he still had a strong voice, technique, and charm.
Two of Ruffo’s most famous recordings are the Brindisi from Hamlet (made in 1907 and remade in 1911) and the unaccompanied All'erta, marinar! from L'Africaine by Meyerbeer. These recordings highlight his powerful voice and skill. Other praised recordings include his versions of Largo al factotum from Il barbiere di Siviglia, Pari siamo, Urna fatale, Credo in un Dio crudel, Tremin gl'insani, Buona Zazà, del mio buon tempo, Nemico della patria, and the Prologo from Pagliacci. These recordings are available on CDs from Pearl and Preiser labels.
Unlike many singers of his time, Ruffo never signed an exclusive contract with one opera company. He worked as a free agent, performing in many places and earning top pay. He was the only male opera singer of his time who could match Caruso’s fame and fees. Ruffo and Caruso sang together rarely and made only one recording together: a 1914 performance of the Oath Duet from Otello by Verdi. Historians say this happened because opera houses could not afford to pay both singers’ high fees, especially if a famous soprano was also in the production.
After retiring, Ruffo refused to teach voice. He said he did not know how to sing well and did not want to teach others. However, he remained in good form for about 26–27 years, which is impressive for any singer.