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Beniamino Gigli
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| By 1925 and his first electrical recordings, Beniamino Gigli was already an international opera star.
He was based in America but spent part of the summer in Italy.
His speciality at the Met was the Italian and French repertoire, and between performances on the operatic stage he would give frequent recitals.
His Berlin Opera début was in 1924 as Rodolfo in La Bohème, quickly followed by Cavaradossi in Tosca and the Duke in Rigoletto, in which he had to sing 'La Donna è mobile' three times, such was the audience's appreciation.
Puccini sent a telegram to Gigli inviting him to create the role of Prince Calaf in his latest opera, Turandot, at La Scala, but died before completing the opera and the première was subsequently postponed.
During the summer of 1930 Gigli made his long awaited Covent Garden début as Andrea Chénier, a role ideally suited to his temperament and voice. The enthusiasm of the audience was such that he had to repeat the main arias. During the same season he sang in Tosca, Martha, and La Traviata with Rosa Ponselle. For the next two years he continued to be a member of the Met and gave many performances in Europe. His Metropolitan Opera involvement came to an abrupt end in 1932 when as a result of the American financial depression all artists had to take a cut in fees. Gigli complained that the management had made the cuts without any consultation, and he felt compelled to return home to Italy. America's loss was to be Europe's gain. During the Second World War Gigli continued to sing throughout Italy where he was always greeted by an enthusiastic following. He had also by this time made a number of films which had made him a household name to millions. One of these, Forget me not, Gigli's last opera performance was on 15th August 1954 when he sang both Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, and Canio in Pagliacci on the same night! The following year he made farewell concert tours throughout the world. He sang for the last time in public on 25th May 1955, and died in Rome on 30th November 1957. This selection of Gigli's recordings provides a cross-section of his repertoire from the lyric to the dramatic, all performed with great confidence and a sure vocal technique. Particularly noticeable is the effortless ease of his top notes, which compares favourably with the earlier recordings, in which he would transpose down to avoid the top C. Despite his well-known mannerisms for which he is sometimes criticised, his sweetness of tone and delicate vocal timbre make these prized recordings compulsive listening. |
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