Beniamino Gigli
Beniamino Gigli was the foremost Italian tenor of the 1920s through the 1940s, possessed of a smooth, lush voice with a lyric sweetness often described as "honeyed." He became a Metropolitan Opera star, singing 28 roles there, and was a legitimate heir to the tenor Enrico Caruso, who had died at the beginning of the 1920s. No one person could fill Caruso's shoes, but it was widely conceded that Gigli inherited his lyrical and romantic parts, while Giovanni Martinelli took over the more heroic roles. Gigli was also one of the most-beloved performers of Italian song, with a special gift for the traditional Neapolitan repertoire. His singing was heavily mannered by modern standards, characterized by sobs, catches, and portamenti, but it had an inherent beauty and sincerity that are still easy to appreciate. Although an even more stylized actor than singer, Gigli had a successful film career, appearing in almost 20 films.
Gigli began his singing career as a child, performing for treats and coins at a local café. At age 7, he entered the choir of Recanati Cathedral, where his father was Sacristan. When he was 15 and still a boy soprano, he was recruited to sing the heroine in an operetta in the nearby city of Macerata; he did the production in drag! When he was 17, he moved to Rome to live with his brother, a student of sculpture; the two led a bohemian existence, frequently cold and hungry, until Gigli was offered a position as a servant in a wealthy household. There he was provided with room and board and given afternoons off to practice or to take lessons with a local teacher, Agnese Bonucci, who offered to teach him at no cost.
During World War I, a music-loving colonel saw to it that he was posted to a non-combat position in Rome and also encouraged him to audition at the famous Academia di Santa Cecilia, where his evident musical talent led them to waive the normally required piano examination. He studied there for two years, and upon graduation won the famous Parma vocal competition. On the strength of that, he was offered roles at various small opera houses and made his official opera debut as Enzo in La Gioconda at Rovigo in the fall of 1914. By December 1916, he made his Rome Opera debut as Faust in Boito's Mefistofele. When the war was over, the recording company HMV set up a studio in Milan, and it was there that Gigli began his extensive recording career. In 1918, he made his La Scala debut also as Boito's Faust in a performance conducted by Toscanini. The next year, he made his first appearance in the Americas as Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Teatro Colon. His Met debut followed in November 1920, also as Faust, and he sang there every season until 1932.
His Covent Garden debut was not until 1930, as Andrea Chénier. After World War II, which he mostly spent in Italy, he largely restricted his singing to concert performances; his last public appearance was in May 1955, at a concert in Washington, D.C., ending a professional career of 41 years.
Gigli was one of the first singers to make complete opera recordings, including a particularly fine Andrea Chénier (EMI) and Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci released as a set on Nimbus. Among his solo CDs, a two-disc set on Pearl (Gemm) captures him in his youthful prime.
© TiVo
Artistas semelhantes
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Björling, Caruso and Gigli: Three Legendary Tenors in Opera and Song
Beniamino Gigli, Enrico Caruso, Jussi Björling
Opera - Lançado por Prima Voce em 01/01/1996
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Chansons napolitaines et romances italiennes
World - Lançado por Forlane em 01/01/2003
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Gold Italian Collection (Premium-Riserva)
Pop - Lançado por Goodwind Records em 28/09/2022
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Giordano: Andrea Chénier
Beniamino Gigli, Maria Caniglia, Gino Bechi
Classical - Lançado por Past Classics em 01/02/2012
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Tenor Legend
Classical - Lançado por Warner Classics em 22/02/2010
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Romanze…serenate…canzoni
Folk - Lançado por Saar srl em 01/05/2012
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GIGLI, Beniamino: Gigli Edition, Vol. 8: Milan, London and Berlin Recordings (1933-1935)
Classical - Lançado por Naxos em 03/01/2005
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Historical Recordings
World - Lançado por Azzurri LTD em 15/03/2012
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Opera Arias (Tenor): Gigli, Beniamino (The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli) (1927-1946) (Salvatore Cammarano - Gaetano Donizetti - Francesco Maria Piave)
Opera - Lançado por IDIS em 01/01/2007
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The Beniamino Gigli Collection, Vol. 5: True Belcanto in Opera and Songs (Recordings 1927-1949) [2014 Digital Remaster]
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Lançado por Jube Classic em 05/08/2014
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Beniamino Gigli - 60 songs (Digitally remastered)
Pop - Lançado por Alpharecord - Fonotil em 15/06/2017
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GIGLI, Beniamino: Gigli Edition, Vol. 6: New York Recordings (1928-1930)
Classical - Lançado por Naxos em 30/08/2004
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Mélodies classiques italiennes (Mono Version)
Classical - Lançado por BNF Collection em 01/01/1954
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beniamino Gigli: The BBC Recordings: 1927 - 1952
Classical - Lançado por Urania em 25/04/2006
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The Three Tenors | The Best Opera Arias | Björling, Lanza & Gigli
Mario Lanza, Beniamino Gigli, Jussi Björling
Pop - Lançado por In Vinyl We Trust em 14/10/2022
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Verdi: La forza del destino - Leoncavallo: Pagliacci
Classical - Lançado por Bongiovanni em 01/05/2015
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Donizetti & Puccini: Airs d'opéras (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Lançado por BNF Collection em 01/01/1952
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GIGLI, Beniamino: Gigli Edition, Vol. 13: London Recordings (1947-1949)
Classical - Lançado por Naxos em 16/05/2006
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GIGLI, Beniamino: Gigli Edition, Vol. 9: Berlin, Milan and London Recordings (1936-1938)
Classical - Lançado por Naxos em 01/05/2005
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GIGLI, Beniamino: Gigli Edition, Vol. 10: Milan and London Recordings (1938-1940)
Classical - Lançado por Naxos em 27/06/2005
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The Very Best Neapolitan Songs
World - Lançado por MTPixel em 16/11/2011
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