Georges BIZET
(1838-1875)
The Pearl Fishers – Del tempio al limitar
- with Giuseppe De Luca (baritone)
Amilcare PONCHIELLI
(1834-1886)
La Gioconda – Enzo Grimaldo - with Giuseppe
De Luca (baritone) [2 takes]
Gaetano DONIZETTI
(1797-1848)
Lucia di Lammermoor – Tombe degl’avi
miei – [2 takes]
Giusto cielo, rispondete [2 takes]
Tu che a Dio spiegasti L’ali
Chi mi frena in tal momento?
With Amelita Galli-Curci (soprano),
Louise Homer (contralto), Angelo Bada
(tenor) Giuseppe De Luca (baritone),
Ezio Pinza (bass)
Guiseppe VERDI
(1813-1901)
Rigoletto – Bella figlia dell’amore
– with Amelita Galli-Curci (soprano),
Louise Homer (contralto), Giuseppe De
Luca (baritone) [2 takes]
La Traviata – De’ miei bollenti spiriti
Ambroise THOMAS
(1811-1896)
Mignon – Ah, non credevi tu
Mignon – Addio, Mignon fa core
Giacomo MEYERBEER
(1791-1864)
L’africaine – O Paradiso
Pietro MASCAGNI
(1863-1945)
Cavalleria rusticana – Viva il vino
spumeggiante
Ernesto DE CURTIS
(1875-1937)
Voce ‘e notte
Canta pa’me
Once again as with
previous issues in this series owners
of Romophone’s Gigli editions will recognise
this selection, which derives from the
Complete Victor Recordings Volume II
1926-28. As before the songs and arias
are in, largely, chronological sequence.
Mark Obert-Thorn has worked on his Romophone
transfers somewhat but differences are
minimal. One interesting feature to
note for prospective purchasers is that
he has sequenced two successive versions
of the Tomb Scene from Lucia di Lammermoor
by combining different takes, though
the third side (of three) remains the
same, the only issued take. As a result
we depart briefly from the chronological
run of this series. Listeners will therefore
have an identical recording of Tu
che a Dio spiegasti L’ali to end
each scene – which they can doubtless
programme out should they wish.
These early electrics,
famous though they are, repay close
listening, and not just for the stellar
ensemble for the Rigoletto extracts
- Amelita Galli-Curci, Louise Homer
and Giuseppe De Luca or the comprimario
Angelo Bada and Ezio Pinza in Donizetti.
In Ponchielli we can hear that De Luca
is inclined to be slightly one dimensional,
though his voice deployment is superior
to Ruffo on previous Gigli recordings
– fortunately we also get a chance to
hear the first and second takes of Enzo
Grimaldo. I can’t say that I feel
sympathetic to Gigli stylistically in
Tombe degl’avi miei (in either
of the preserved takes), a piece he’d
actually previously recorded slightly
earlier. Though it was a role he performed
widely, not least at the Met, his exaggerated
phrasing, no matter how intrinsically
beautifully sung, comes between the
music and this listener at least. Pinza
is magnetic however in his small role
in Giusto cielo.
Gigli shows his truer
colours in the ringingly declamatory
Mascagni extract and the De Curtis are
of course, as much a part of his repertoire
as any here, and sung with scrupulous
attention as well as beauty of tone.
If only his Thomas Mignon (sung
in Italian; on stage he partnered Bori)
weren’t quite so, well, full of fretful
manly catches in the throat, and not
so intent on promoting legato phrasing
over genuine depth of characterisation.
Still this is a small blot on the musical
landscape. The fine transfers allow
us untrammelled access to Gigli’s commanding
musicianship. Naxos has given full matrix
details so that one can follow what
they’ve done with accuracy.
Jonathan Woolf
Beniamino Gigli (tenor) 
