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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia “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“.“ “In 1920, MUSICAL AMERICA described a performance in New York: “Titta Ruffo's admirers, 7,000 strong . . . almost lifted the roof off . . . . The great organ tones of the baritone . . . stirred the audience to a frenzy of excitement. . . . Caruso himself has not received a stronger tribute“
