Great Opera Tenors: Beniamino Gigli

On this CD:

1. Aida, opera Se quel guerrier io fossi...Celeste Aida
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Walter Goehr

2. L'elisir d'amore, opera Una furtiva lagrima
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Sir John Barbirolli

3. La bohème, opera Che gelida manina
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Umberto Berrettoni

4. La forza del destino, opera La vita è inferno..O tu che in seno
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Umberto Berrettoni

5. L'Arlesiana, opera E la solita storia del pastor
Composed by Francesco Cilea
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Umberto Berrettoni

6. Un ballo in maschera, opera Di tu se fedele
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Rome Opera Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Tullio Serafin

7. Un ballo in maschera, opera Forse la soglia attinse..Ma se m'e forza perderti
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Rome Opera Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Tullio Serafin

8. Andrea Chénier, opera Un di all'azzuro spazio
Composed by Umberto Giordano
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Umberto Berrettoni

9. Andrea Chénier, opera Come un bel di di maggio
Composed by Umberto Giordano
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Oliviero de Fabritiis

10. Ellens Gesang III ("Ave Maria"), song for voice & piano, D. 839 (Op. 52/6)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Herbert Dawson, Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Rainaldo Zamboni

11. Agnus Dei, for voice & piano (or orchestra) (Intermezzo from L'arlésienne Suite No. 2/6, arranged by Ernest Guirard)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Bruno Seidler-Winkler

12. Requiem Mass, for soloists, chorus & orchestra (Manzoni Requiem) Ingemisco
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Rome Opera Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Tullio Serafin

13. Caro Mio Ben for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Giuseppe Giordani
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Rainaldo Zamboni

14. Torna a Surriento for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Ernesto de Curtis
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Dino Olivieri

15. L'Ultima Canzone for voice & piano/orchestra
Composed by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Walter Goehr

16. Core 'ngrato (Catari), for voice & orchestra
Composed by Salvatore Cardillo
Performed by Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Rainaldo Zamboni

17. Funiculì Funiculà for voice & orchestra (& chorus ad lib)
Composed by Luigi Denza
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Walter Goehr

18. Rigoletto, opera La donna è mobile
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Franco Ghione

19. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Il fior che avevi a me
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Franco Ghione

20. Tosca, opera Dammi I colori !...Recondita armonia
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Beniamino Gigli, Giulio Tomei
Conducted by Oliviero de Fabritiis

21. Tosca, opera E lucevan le stelle
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Franco Ghione

22. Pagliacci, opera Recitar !..Vesti la giubba
Composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Franco Ghione

23. Cavalleria rusticana, opera in 1 act Mamma, quel vino è generoso
Composed by Pietro Mascagni
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli, Giulietta Simionato
Conducted by Pietro Mascagni

24. Isabeau, opera E passerà la viva creature
Composed by Pietro Mascagni
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Umberto Berrettoni

25. Stabat mater for 2 sopranos, tenor, bass, chorus, & orchestra Cujus animam
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli

26. Panis angelicus for tenor, organ, harp, cello & bass
Composed by Cesar Franck
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Bruno Seidler-Winkler

27. Serse (Xerxes), opera, HWV 40 Fronde tenere..Ombra mai fu
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Herbert Dawson, Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Sir John Barbirolli

28. Ave Maria for voice & orchestra (or piano) (after Bach)
Composed by Charles Gounod
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Alois Melichar

29. Amarilli mia bella, for voice & continuo
Composed by Giulio Caccini
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Lawrance Collingwood

30. Atalanta, opera, HWV 35 Care selve
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Vito Carnevali

31. Plaisir d'amour, for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Johann Paul Aegidius Martini
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Dino Olivieri

32. O Sole Mio for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Eduardo di Capua
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Dino Olivieri

33. La Serenata for voice & piano/orchestra
Composed by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Dino Olivieri

34. La danza. Tarantella Napolitana ("Già la luna è in mezzo al mare"), for voice & piano (Soirées musicales)
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Walter Goehr

35. Aprile for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performed by Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Lawrance Collingwood

36. Mattinata, song for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra with Beniamino Gigli
Conducted by Franco Ghione

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful selection of Gigli songs.......2003-01-23

Anyone who likes Gigli (and its hard not to) will enjoy this set of 2 CDs. There are about 2 hours of recordings from arias to popular songs, some of which I can still remember my mother listening to when I was a little boy. Gigli had one of the great voices of the past century and it is a delight to have this representative collection from his long career. The sound quality is generally good but does vary from recording to recording.

One of the best this century has ever seen..........2001-10-27

This review will have to be based on my knowledge of the vinyl releases of these performances, so there's a caveat about the sound of this CD release: I don't know how good the transfers will be. Based upon the digital transfers I have heard of Gigli's voice, I can say anyone who enjoys a great lyric tenor voice, backed by heartfelt passion and stunning techniques can't go wrong here. Gigli was one of those rare performers who could traverse back and forth between dramatic roles and lyric roles with neither the voice nor the styles suffering for it. I will say that Bocelli fans should find Beniamino Gigli to their taste, if they can get past the antiquated sound. I do admit to a similarity between the two voices, although Gigli had the power needed to sing Manrico and Canio on stage and unamplified.
For my taste, I like Gigli even better than Bjorling, which is high praise, believe me. His piano (soft) singing was sweet as honey, with passionate high notes that thrill the ear and the heart. Mario Lanza fans should also take note of Gigli. Many of the admirable points of Lanza's singing were present in spades in Gigli's work. The older singer seemed to feel the music he sang deep within his soul, just as Lanza did.
Andrea Chenier was one of Gigli's greatest roles, as well as Rodolfo in Puccini's La Boheme. One point about his singing is well worth pondering: Gigli had a long, long career, filled with hard and passionate singing, but his voice retained it's expressive viola d'amore sweetness to the end of his career. Those interested in a finely honed singing technique ought to listen to him just for the vocal lessons. Gigli was an expert with head voice, as well as full-throated singing reminiscent of Enrico Caruso, and he was not afraid of using and mixing both techniques in the same aria or song.

Music Track:

Music Track

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