For me, the undisputed champions of operetta are Ivor Novello and Franz Lehar. I could listen to original cast recordings of Novello for hours, and have spent an unimaginable amount of time gathering everything from and by him that I could find, then buying the rest. In operetta singing, I like Trefor Jones, Olive Gilbert (I love contraltos and am one), Richard Tauber, Mary Ellis, and Vanessa Lee. As for opera singers, my favourites are Tito Schipa, Leopold Simoneau, Richard Tauber (yes, he makes two appearances here), Louis Graveure, John McCormac (extraordinarily similar to Trefor Jones), , and to a lesser extent, Beniamino Gigli, and Enrico Caruso. I am starting to appreciate the last more as I listen to him, but more on a scholarly level, as his voice is fascinating to study. Yes, I very much prefer tenors. I seriously can't get enough of Tito Schipa, though, and went crazy the other night, downloading things from him! I simply adore his voice. He has chest voice, but he's not obnoxious about it, as many are today. I love elegance over power, and he displays this perfectly. His clarity is lovely and his vibrato is perfect. At no point do I tire or get a headache when listening to him. Even Simoneau, who is sweeter, lacks his qualities. Tauber is wonderful for power with control. His voice is heavier but still enjoyable, especially because he sings both operetta and opera. Any other recommendations of singers would be appreciated, but unless they truly follow the old way of singing, please keep them from prior to the 1950's.

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