Beniamino Gigli in Sonnambula, Cavalleria Rusticana, Gioconda etc.

00:00 “Prendi, l'anel ti dono“, from Bellini's La Sonnambula (Movie: Laugh, Pagliacci) 02:37 “Ombra mai fu“, from Handel's Xerxes/Serse (London, 1933) 04:18 “Addio alla madre“, from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana (Vitaphone Varieties, 1927) 06:53 “Cielo e mar“, from Ponchielli's La Gioconda (Vitaphone Varieties, 1927) 09:15 “O sole mio“, by Eduardo di Capua 11:04 “Non ti scordar di me“ (Movie: Non Ti Scordar Di Me, 1935) ------------------------------------- What soaring, liquid, golden flow of beautiful tone! and the most beautiful mezza voce, for sure... Franco Corelli said in an interview that the recordings can't really tell you just how beautiful Gigli's voice was live in the theater. Corelli said it was like an angel was singing and Gigli's mezza voce or falsetto could “fill the theater“ and no one else had this. It was something unique to Gigli. The acting is in the VO