GIGLI, Beniamino: Gigli Edition, Vol. 15: Carnegie Hall Farewell Recitals (1955)

This final volume of the Naxos Gigli Edition, released to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the great tenor�s death, is taken from his Carnegie Hall farewell concerts in April, 1955. Making their first appearance on CD here, these recordings demonstrate that Gigli remained to the end his old, communicative self, still able to pour an immense tranche of emotion into whatever he was singing. For a man his age the overall sound is still remarkable and the honeyed mezza-voce remains a delight, untouched by the passing years. As ever in a Gigli programme, operatic titles are intertwined with more popular material. By and large Gigli kept faith with those pieces he most enjoyed singing and that his public adored. �It was only through my audiences that this exercise of lungs, diaphragm and vocal cords became transmuted for me into a profound spiritual experience. Like a squirrel counting his hoard of nuts in the winter, I treasure their applause in my memory.�

Tracklist

Meyerbeer, Giacomo
Scribe, Augustin-Eugène - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
1L'Africana (L'Africaine), Act IV: Mi batte il cor … O paradiso03:00
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Caccini, Giulio
Guarini, Alessandro - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
2Amarilli, mia bella02:29
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Donaudy, Stefano
Donaudy, Alberto - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
3O del mio amato ben (O my beloved)03:33
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Handel, George Frideric
Minato, Nicolò - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
4Serse (Xerxes), HWV 40, Act I: Frondi tenere e belle … Ombra mai fu, "Largo"03:15
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Massenet, Jules
Gille, Philippe - Lyricist
Meilhac, Henri - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
5Manon, Act II: Chiudo gli occhi (En fermant les yeux), "Le Reve"03:08
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Wagner, Richard
Wagner, Richard - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
6Lohengrin, Act I: Merce, merce, cigno gentil (Nun sei bedankt, mein lieber Schwan!)01:34
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Grieg, Edvard
Bodenstedt, Friedrich - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
76 Songs, Op. 48: No. 6. Un reve (Sung in French)02:21
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Weston, Paul
Russell, Bob - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
8Reviens mon amour, "Tristesse" (arr. of Chopin's Etude No. 3 in E Major, Op. 10, No. 3)02:13
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Massenet, Jules
Blau, Edouard - Lyricist
Hartmann, Georges - Lyricist
Milliet, Paul - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
9Werther, Act III: Ah! Non mi ridestar (Pourquoi me reveiller?)02:35
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Gomes, Carlos
Paravicini, Rodolfo - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
10Lo Schiavo, Act II: All'istante partir … Quando nascesti tu03:15
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Puccini, Giacomo
Illica, Luigi - Lyricist
Giacosa, Giuseppe - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
11Tosca, Act III: E lucevan le stelle … O dolci baci02:23
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Weckerlin, Jean Baptiste
Traditional - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
12Bergere legere01:19
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Da Ponte, Lorenzo - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
13Don Giovanni, K. 527, Act I: Dalla sua pace03:38
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Curci, Giuseppe
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
14Notte a Venezia01:39
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Carnevali, Vito
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
15Come, love with me02:18
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Curran, Pearl Gildersleeve
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
16Life01:44
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Crescenzo, Vincenzo de
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
17Rondine al nido02:38
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
De Curtis, Ernesto
Bovio, Libero - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
18Addio, bel sogno03:08
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Di Veroli, Manlio
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
19Ritorna amore02:52
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Bixio, Cesare Andrea
Cherubini, Bixio - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
20Mamma02:54
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Capua, Eduardo di
Capurro, Giovanni - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
21O sole mio01:36
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
Puccini, Giacomo
Zangarini, Carlo - Lyricist
Civinini, Guelfo - Lyricist
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)
22La Fanciulla del West, Act III: Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano02:05
Gigli, Beniamino (tenor)
Fedri, Dino (piano)

Total Playing Time: 55:37