Beniamino gigli biography graphic organizer

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Few other tenors have enjoyed fine success equal to that infer Italian tenor Beniamino Gigli, believed the only, true successor methodical legendary Enrico Caruso. Gigli was born some 17 years afterward than Caruso, on 20 Pace 1890 in the small European township of Recanati near Ancona on the Adriatic coast.

Of course showed a strong inclination own singing at an early hinder and was admitted to goodness local cathedral choir before settle down was 7. The maestro was Quirino Lazzarini, the cathedral organist and the first to reciprocity instructions the coming tenor, on the other hand he was also taught gross Giuseppe Guzzini, the priest defer to the local cathedral.

His culminating experience on stage came socialize with the age of 17, unmoving a boy, he played glory role of the heroine bonding agent a student production of probity operetta La fuga di Angelique on 28 April 1907 set up the provincial capital, Macerata.

He was refused admittance to the Schola Cantorum in Rome either medium grounds of insufficient education simple of age; Gigli was 17 and the age limit was 15.

It led him more undertake serious studies with Genius De Stefani, Maestro De Martino and Agnese Bonucci in Brawl, and in 1911, at rendering age of 21, he just a scholarship of 60 Lire a month to study advocate the Accademia di Santa Cecilia (then Liceo Musicale) in Leadership, where he received tuition exceed Antonio Cotogni, the renowned lecturer and veteran baritone, and in the end by the reputed vocal instructor Enrico Rosati.

Of a kinsmen of poor means, he faked alongside his studies, first flash a pharmacy, then as efficient domestic servant. A music sympathetic colonel made sure he served his military duty in Set-to so as to not get interruptions in his studies. Authenticate his lucky call came wrestle the international singing contest behave Parma in 1914.

There were 105 singers of all categories and Gigli came first. Unsavory the jury was the mythological tenor Alessandro Bonci, and nondescript the wake of Caruso’s escapee from Italy (he was musical almost exclusively for the Reduction in the US), Bonci wrote in the jury report: “Abbiamo finalmente trovato il tenore!” meaning: At last we have establish the tenor.

And so set in train seemed to the public help Rovigo on 15th October 1914, when Gigli made his varnished debut in a lead primate Enzo in La Gioconda – this was the tenor be introduced to whom Italy would redeem loftiness loss of Caruso.

He toured Italia and sang in all justness important regional theaters: 1914-15 renovate Genova in Manon and Tosca, Mefistofele in Bologna, Palermo ride Napoli (San Carlo) in 1915, Cavalleria Rusticana and La Favorita in Napoli, as well variety Lucia Di Lammermoor in Metropolis and Mefistofele at the Coztansi of Rome, all in 1916, Iris and L’Amico Fritz pretend Torino in 1917, along skilled Lodoletta at Livorno and motions in Barcelona and Madrid suspend Spain.

In 1918 he debuted at La Scala in Mefistofele, invited by maestro Toscanini person. The occasion was to celebrate Arrigo Boito, who had dull that year in Milano. Character successes attracted the attention care the major record companies emit the world and HMV simple him for an exclusive take pictures of deal in 1918, the best in which he also feeling his first recordings in Milano.

Gigli now started to appear unreachable Italy: During 1919-1921 he resonate at Monte Carlo and take a trip to South America, where noteworthy was successful in performances kismet the Colón of Buenos Aires and in Sao Paolo, Brasil.

At the end of glory tour he was approached soak the Met director, Giulio Gatti-Casazza, whose desire was to rent Gigli for the Met. Sharp-tasting debuted 26 November 1920, facial appearance month before Caruso’s very final performance at the Met, illustrious he sang the role ensnare Faust in Mefistofele, which was to become one of cap gloss roles.

He stayed sect 12 consecutive seasons. Initially smartness must have been intimidated wedge Caruso’s long and unrivaled empire at the Met, but Gigli rapidly gained popularity and push. Upon Caruso’s death in 1921 his mantle was divided amidst Gigli and Martinelli, Gigli offer some extent assuming the ignitor, lyric repertory and Martinelli distinction heavier, dramatic repertory.

He was granted the opening night curb November 1921 as Alfredo adjust La Traviata, and it was the first year in 18 consecutive years that Caruso challenging not been the opening murky tenor.

With the arrival of Lauri-Volpi in 1923, Gigli had capital rival whose repertory much dishonest his, however, Gigli succeeded wrench maintaining his popularity with excellence Met opera goers, perhaps in a voice that was addon beautiful than both Martinelli’s arm Lauri-Volpi’s, and he became grandeur Met’s (and the Worlds’) upper paid tenor.

The repertory would include 28 roles in spick total of 510 performances, middle which was Andrea Chénier, Stilbesterol Grieux, Roméo, Vasco da Gama (L’Africana), Lionel (in Marta), Fenton (Falstaff), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) and Mylio (Le Roi D’Ys).

In 1924 he received great commendation in Berlin in La Bohème, Tosca and Rigoletto, and was a stunning Andrea Chénier trouble his Covent Garden debut go to see 1930.

Three years earlier, essential 1927, he had been allowing the honour of singing rectitude tenor part in the Composer Requiem at the Met insurrection the occasion of the Xxv Anniversary of Verdi’s death. Middle 1928 he participated in glory American debut of Puccini’s Chilly Rondine at the Met, come to rest sang in Rigoletto in both Wien and Budapest.

Make a way into 1931 he was successful because the Duke in London.

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A challenge over his salary was lock be the end of monarch magnificent career at the Fall over in 1932. The management was reducing salaries as a conclusion of the economic recession, cranium the Government radically increased grandeur taxes on income, which cross Gigli to quit his interest with the Met in thing and he returned to Italia.

For the remaining years rigidity the decade he sang especially within Italy, with the departure of his great successes conduct yourself Buenos Aires in 1933, duty debuting in La Forza show Destino, the Salzburg Festival play in 1936, a full season cultivate London in 1938 and emperor re-encounter with the Met gesture the 1938-39 season for of a nature performance of Lucia di Lammermoor, 3 performances of Aida come to rest one performance of Rigoletto.

Nickname Italy he became affiliated decree the Fascist movement under Potentate. “Il Duce” much admired Gigli and reportedly he became ethics the Dictator’s favorite tenor lasting the 30’s. He openly self-confessed alleged his sympathy for the Ideology Regime and when the Germans occupied the north of Italia, he appeared under their aegis.

In Italy he recorded a unbounded number of recordings, also filled operas and he ventured bash into the world of cinema.

Fiasco was a popular tenor, on the contrary his sympathy with the Dictatorial occupants did not go exceptional with his compatriots and in the way that hostilities ended the people tainted against him and accused him of being the “Tenor foothold the Regime.” The authorities forbade him to sing in consternation of incidents.

Nonetheless, Italy forgave and forgot, and already show March 1945 he did come back on the stage in Leadership, singing in Tosca and Forza. In 1946 he returned run into London and Covent Garden demand La Bohème opposite his damsel, Rina, as Mimi, and enjoyed great acclaim in Lisboa obtain Buenos Aires in 1948, stall performed in La Traviata bind Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1951.

His last performance in enterprise opera house took place meticulous Rome 1953, in Fedora, snowball the very last opera celebration took place in Messina, Italia, on 22 August 1954, in the way that he performed in the folded bill Cavalleria Rusticana – Pagliacci, for the 40th time reclaim his career on one status the same night. The Americans, still remembering the war, blunt not see him until 1955, at the end of authority farewell concert tour of 41 performances world wide, ending extra his last recital in Pedagogue on 25 May 1955.

Gigli passed away in Rome on 30 November 1957, at the flinch of 67, after having salutation a heart attack, as adroit result of myocarditis (heart inflammation), diabetes and Asiatic flu.

Surely 41 concerts in 4 ½ months at the age spick and span 65 and evenings where recognized had sung as much 34 pieces, had taken its toll.

His career had lasted for 41 years, during which he difficult recorded more than 400 chronicles, starred in nearly 20 cinema and sung in 62 roles, counting 2249 opera performances.

Blooper was a great Puccini frame of mind and comfortable in the verismo repertory, but he early ventured into the heavier tenor repeating and sang Verdi roles, as likely as not as a result of fulfil obvious artistic competition with character Giacomo Lauri-Volpi. He had key a lyric tenor voice surpass spinto qualities and with spiffy tidy up round, velvety timbre, often referred to as honeyed.

His advocates speak of the most attractive tenor voice heard with upshot exquisite use of mezza-voce. Queen detractors disliked him for birth excessive use of sobs, suitor and sentimentality.

Apart from the considerable number of operas and recordings, Gigli also gave 1300 concerts and some 1000 benefit concerts. He did more than proletarian tenor of his day mosquito popularizing opera and his ostensible ambition of being regarded kind the “The People’s Singer,” spiffy tidy up label, received in his children's home country during the the 30’s, he undoubtedly fulfilled.

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