Beniamino Gigli

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Beniamino Gigli (March 20, 1890 - November 30, 1957) was an Italian singer, widely regarded as one of the greatest operatic tenors of his time.

Gigli was born in Recanati, in the Marche, the son of a shoe-maker and an opera buff.

In 1914, Gigli won first prize in an international singing competition in Parma. His operatic debut came on October 15, 1914 when he played Enzo in Amilcare Ponchielli’s La Gioconda in Rovigo, following which he was in great demand. Gigli made many important debuts, in quick succession and always in Mefistofele: Teatro Massimo di Palermo (March 31, 1915), Teatro San Carlo di Napoli (December 26, 1915), Teatro Costanzi di Roma (December 26, 1916), La Scala (November 19, 1918), and finally the Metropolitan (November 26, 1920).

Other roles Gigli became particularly associated with included Rodolfo in Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème and the title role in Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, both of which he would later record in full.

Gigli rose to prominence after the death of Italian tenor Enrico Caruso in 1921. He was often called “Caruso Secondo”, though he much preferred to be known as “Gigli Primo.”

Gigli left the Met in 1932, ostensibly after refusing to take a pay cut. Giulio Gatti-Casazza, the Met’s General Manager at the time, was furious at his company’s most popular singer; he spread numerous lies to the press, e.g., that Gigli was the only singer not to accept the pay cut. There were several others, e.g., Lily Pons and Rosa Ponselle.

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Top Tracks

1	"Nessun Dorma" from Giacomo Puccini's "Turandot"	70
2	Core 'ngrato full track	40
3	O Sole Mio full track	38
4	Mamma full track	34
5	Act II: "Vieni, Sul Crin Ti Piovano" full track	21
6	Act II: "Il Dolor Che In Quel Volto Favella" full track	18
7	Nessun Dorma, Turandot	17
8	Act I: "Danza Sacra Delle Sacerdotesse" full track	16
9	Nessun Dorma (Turandot Act 3)	13
9	Tosca: E lucevan le stelle full track	13
11	La Traviata: Parigi, o cara full track	12
12	Torna a Surriento full track	10
13	Act I: Nume Custode E Vindice full track	9
13	Nessun dorma, Turandot (Puccini)	9
15	Nessun Dorma	6

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Spencetastic wrote:
last month

Vainement, ma Bien Aimée by Beniamino should be on this list

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molenaarh wrote:
March 2009

unsurpassed

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dagodame wrote:
August 2008

To hear Beniamino Gigli sing is sheer bliss to the ears

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funkayy wrote:
May 2008

I'm looking for Cara Salva, if anyone can help me out.

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allegroconfuoco wrote:
November 2007

Best tenor I've ever heard. Not the most remarkable voice (that would be Lauri Volpi), not the best actor (mannequins were more lively), not the most popular (that would be Pavarotti) or appreciated (that would be Caruso)... just the best.

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