Gigli: Beniamino Gigli - A Life in Words and Music - CD

CD - 1

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Gigli: A Life in Words and Music

 

1. 'I was born with a voice and very little else...' / Ponchielli: 'Cielo e mar' from La Gioconda - 1918

00:05:22

 

2. Family background

00:05:20

 

3. Gigli's stage debut and poverty-stricken start

00:06:36

 

4. Puccini: 'O soave fanciulla' from La Boheme - 1919

00:03:36

 

5. Service in the household of Countess Spannocchi

00:03:19

 

6. Donizetti: 'Spirto gentil' from La favorita - 1918

00:04:03

 

7. Colonel Delfino, and Giovanni Zerri's legal agreement

00:05:01

 

8. Cannio: O surdato 'nnammurato - 1918

00:02:26

 

9. A hospital visit and a scholarship

00:02:18

 

10. Mascagni: 'Ah! ritrovarla nella sua capanna' from Lodoletta - 1918

00:03:42

 

11. Gigli graduates and makes his debut; he goes for the high B flat

00:06:31

 

12. Puccini: 'E lucevan le stelle' from Tosca - 1918

00:02:56

 

13. Marriage, Rome and a tour to Spain

00:04:13

 

14. Mascagni: 'Apri la tua finestra!' from Iris - 1918

00:02:35

 

15. A letter from Fred Gaisberg of HMV

00:04:15

 

16. Mascagni: 'Mamma, quel vino e generoso' from Cavalleria rusticana - 1919

00:04:18

 

17. Gigli conquers South America, and receives an offer from the Met

00:03:35

 

18. Metropolitan Opera debut in Mefistofele

00:04:42

 

19. Boito: 'Giunto sul passo estremo' from Mefistofele - 1921

00:03:27

CD - 2

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Gigli: A Life in Words and Music

 

1. The critics' verdict, and more performances

00:04:41

 

2. Donizetti: 'Tombe degl'avi miei' from Lucia di Lammermoor - 1927

00:04:40

 

3. Gigli's fate becomes entwined with Caruso's

00:07:30

 

4. Giordano: 'Un di all'azzurro spazio' from Andrea Chenier - 1922

00:04:26

 

5. Who will be Caruso's successor?

00:05:49

 

6. Verdi: 'De'miei bollenti spiriti' from La traviata - 1928

00:04:22

 

7. Life forms a regular pattern, and Gigli learns to sing in foreign languages

00:02:06

 

8. Lalo: 'Vainement, ma bien aimee' from Le Roi d'Ys - 1922

00:03:26

 

9. Manon at the Met

00:00:57

 

10. Massenet: 'O dolce incanto' from Manon - 1931

00:03:36

 

11. Catalani's Loreley

00:00:50

 

12. Catalani: 'Nel verde maggio' from Loreley - 1923

00:02:28

 

13. Summer in Italy, then back to New York and some physical training

00:04:33

 

14. Gounod: 'Ah! ne fuis pas encore!' from Romeo et Juliette - 1923

00:02:14

 

15. Honorary Captain of the NYPD

00:02:22

 

16. Meyerbeer: 'O paradiso' from L'Africaine - 1928

00:03:57

 

17. Flourishing finances and professional rivalries

00:04:49

 

18. Crushing remarks; the attraction of radio

00:03:40

 

19. Sullivan: The Lost Chord - 1931

00:04:29

 

20. A new decade, and the honour of playing Nemorino at the Met

00:01:31

 

21. Donizetti: 'Quanto e bella' from L'elisir d'amore - 1925

00:02:52

CD - 3

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Gigli: A Life in Words and Music

 

1. Debuts in Paris and London, and London's critical reception

00:04:43

 

2. Flotow: 'M'appari' [Ach! So fromm] from Mata [Martha] - 1929

00:03:39

 

3. Crisis: the death of Gigli's mother, and tension at the Met

00:03:44

 

4. Departure from the Met

00:04:28

 

5. America's loss is Europe's gain

00:06:40

 

6. Speech: Gigli in an interview at the Savoy Hotel, London - 1946

00:00:43

 

7. Cherished London reviews

00:01:41

 

8. Leoncavallo: 'No, Pagliacci non son!' from Pagliacci - 1934

00:03:14

 

9. Recording reflects the drama

00:01:08

 

10. Leoncavallo: 'Suvvia, cosi terribile' from Pagliacci - 1934

00:02:57

 

11. Touring, Gigli's working relationships, and a new turn of events

00:05:59

 

12. De Curtis: Non ti scorder di me - 1935

00:03:17

 

13. Film popularity, Hitler and Goebbels, and the Caracalla tradition

00:04:44

 

14. Puccini: 'Che gelida manina' from La Boheme - 1938

00:04:25

 

15. Voice expert John Steane's recommendation

00:00:28

 

16. Puccini: ' O soave fanciulla' from La Boheme - 1938

00:03:34

 

17. A new recording of Tosca

00:02:41

 

18. Puccini: 'Recondita armonia' from Tosca - 1938

00:02:49

 

19. Patience and hard work produce 'a perfrect set of master recordings'

00:02:36

 

20. Puccini: 'E lucevan le stelle' from Tosca - 1938

00:02:41

 

21. A return to America and the Met

00:04:34

 

22. Verdi: 'Ingemisco' from the Requiem - 1939

00:03:39

 

23. The recording of Madama Butterfly

00:00:37

 

24. Puccini: Closing moments of Act I, Madama Butterfly - 1939

00:04:18

CD - 4

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Gigli: A Life in Words and Music

 

1. War keeps Gigli in Italy

00:02:56

 

2. Introductory speech to Cavalleria rusticana by Mascagni - 1940

00:00:50

 

3. Translation of the speech

00:00:58

 

4. Mascagni: 'Mamma, quel vino e generoso' from Cavalleria rusticana - 1940

00:04:45

 

5. More role debuts, Gigli's wartime films, and Andrea Chenier

00:06:41

 

6. Giordano: 'Un di all'azzurro spazio' from Andrea Chenier - 1941

00:05:09

 

7. John Steane's verdict

00:00:28

 

8. Giordano: 'Come un bel di di maggio' from Andrea Chenier - 1941

00:03:04

 

9. Rome Opera House rallies wartime spirits

00:01:06

 

10. Verdi: 'Teco io sto - Gran Dio' from Un ballo in maschera - 1943

00:01:21

 

11. Verdi: 'Non sai tu che se l'anima mia' from Un ballo in maschera - 1943

00:03:33

 

12. Verdi: 'Oh, qual soave brivido' from Un ballo in maschera - 1943

00:03:24

 

13. Gigli's political affiliations

00:06:32

 

14. Verdi: 'Celeste Aida' from Aida - 1946

00:04:36

 

15. Postwar Italy: an HMV manager's report

00:01:00

 

16. Verdi: 'Pui ti riveggo, mia dolce Aida' from Aida - 1946

00:03:15

 

17. Covent Garden with Rina, then a tour of Britian and Ireland

00:06:18

 

18. Speech given by Gigli after a concert at the Royal Albert Hall - 1952

00:00:42

 

19. The final phase - and no thoughts of retirement

00:02:47

 

20. Di Veroli: Ritorna amore - 1952

00:03:34

 

21. A last visit to the USA

00:01:14

 

22. Cottrau: Santa Lucia - 1949

00:03:06

 

23. Gigli's death, his obituaries, and his place in the tenor lineage

00:09:04

 

24. Meyerbeer: 'O paradiso' from L'Africaine (ending) - 1928

00:02:28