BENIAMINO GIGLI

The Gigli Edition 14

London , Milan & Rio de Janeiro Recordings 1949 and 1951

CALDARA: La Costanza in amor: Sebben crudele

MARCELLO: Il mio bel foco… Quella fiamma che m’accende

CARISSIMI: Vittoria, vittoria! Mio core

BASSANI: Ah, se tu dormi ancora… Posate, dormite

DI VEROLI: Casarella

GIORDANO: Marcella: Non conosciuto vo’ con gli amici

DONIZETTI: L’elisir d’amore: Quanto è bella… Chi la mente

PUCCINI: Turandot: Nessun dorma

DENZA: Funiculì, funiculà

DONIZETTI: L’elisir d’amore: Chiedi al rio perché gemente

VERDI: Otello: Già nella notte densa; Otello: Ed io vedea fra le tue tempie

MASCAGNI: L’amico Fritz: Ah! ditela per me quella parola

BOITO: Mefistofele: Lontano, lontano, lontano

BIZET: Les Pêcheurs de Perles: Ton coeur n’a pas compris

GOMES: Lo Schiavo: All’istante partir… Quando nascesti tu; Il Guarany: Ma più di tutto… Vanto io pur

FRÓES: Mimosa

TRADITIONAL: A casinha pequenina Appendix

MASCAGNI: Cavalleria rusticana: No, no Turridu

Beniamino Gigli, Rina Gigli (soprano), Dusolina Giannini (soprano)

By the time the tracks on this penultimate volume of The Naxos Gigli Edition were cut, Gigli had been singing professionally for thirty-five years. He continued his activity, both in the opera house and in concert tours well into his sixties, unstinting in the generous outpouring of his art.

This fourteenth volume, comprising opera arias, arie antiche and songs, also includes all of Gigli’s 1951 duet recordings with his daughter Rina, as well as the four highly elusive sides he recorded in Rio de Janiero the same year. The appendix presents the recently discovered 1931 side of the second half of the Cavalleria duet with Dusolina Giannini.

“The Gigli enthusiast will enjoy – maybe even come to love – his [Gigli’s] evocative and noble way with the aria antiche in particular.” Music Web on 8111102 (Edition 13)

Naxos Historical 8111103