Metropolitan
Tenor
rnegie Hall, May 2nd
between operatic arias and ballads. The principal tenor numbers from "Marta,” “Faust,” “Be Roi d’Ys” and “B’Elisir d’Amore” were the operatic selections and in the last he sang exceptionally well. “Una Furtiva Bagrima,” giving opportunity for the display of the exquisite lyric quality that make his singing distinctive. In the other group he proved that the concert stage is his field as well as the opera, a group of three selections by St. Donaudy BEING SUNG WITH A PERFECTION OF DICTION AND LOVELINESS OF TONE EQUALED BY FEW OTHER CLAIMANTS FOR CONCERT HONORS. Two numbers were given in English the most effective being “Mother, My Dear,” by Tre-harne.
Brooklyn Eagle, May 3, 1922 GIGLI HEARD IN RECITAL
Beniamino Gigli, one of the most popular of the Metropolitan Opera Company tenors, made his debut on the New York concert stage last night and scored a success. HIS FRIENDS AND ADMIRERS WHO CROWDED CARNEGIE HALL SHOWERED HIM WITH BRAVOS, APPLAUSE AND FLOWERS AND THEIR APPRECIATION WAS DUE NOT ALONE TO HIS BEAUTIFUL SINGING BUT TO HIS PLUCK. Suffering acutely from rheumatism, which did not, however, affect his voice, he carried out his program which was about evenly divided
suffering from rheumatism. He was barely able to walk. YET HE SANG WITH EXCEPTIONAL BEAUTY OF TONE, EVEN WITH SERENITY AND WITH THAT PURITY OF STYLE IN HIS ITALIAN THINGS THAT HAS MADE HIM ADMIRED IN OPERA. Although Mr. Gigli did not know it himself until after the recital, his temperature was over one hundred before he started his programme.
Most of Mr. Gigli’s offerings were of the opera. His selections were familiar to all regular patrons of the Metropolitan, yet they, for the most part, were new to Mr. Gigli; “M'Ap-pari,” from “Marta;” the “Salve Dimora,” “Faust” and the ever popular “Una Furtiva Lagrima,” from “L’Elisir d’Amore,” were among his most telling numbers. NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN MORE BEAUTIFUL, HOWEVER, THAN HIS ENCORE AFTER THE “FAUST” SELECTION, AN ARIA FROM CILEA’S “ARLESIENNE.”
One unusual feature of the recital was Mr. Gigli’s singing of a song in English, “Mother. My Dear,” by Treharne.
There was a large and enthusiastic audience which refused to go home at the close of the programme, but waited until the tenor had bowed his acknowledgment many times before it dispersed.
New York Evening Journal, May 3, 1922
METROPOLITAN TENOR HEARD IN RECITAL
Beniamino Gigli, one of the leading tenors at the Metropolitan Opera, feeling the irresistible urge that sooner or later seems to drive most singers of the lyric theatre to hire a hall and vocally to disport themselves therein, last night gave his first recital hereabouts, if an evening somewhat in the nature of an operatic epitome can be called that. Mr. Gigli sang the best known tenor airs out of “Marta,” “Faust,” “Le Roi d’Ys” and “L’Elisir d’Amore,” operas in only one of which he has as yet been permitted to appear at the Metropolitan—which may be one of the reasons why he wanted to give a concert. He also sang a few songs, mostly in Italian.
HE WAS EMINENTLY IN HIS BEST VOCAL FORM LAST NIGHT AT CARNEGIE HALL. HE HAD HIS VOICE PURRING A VELVET PIANISSIMO, STREAMING FORTH IN CLEAR, SMOOTH, FORCEFUL TONE, AND SHADED BETWEEN THE TWO IN APPROPRIATE VARIANTS OF THE DYNAMIC GAMUT. IT WAS EXCELLENTLY PLANNED AND EXCELLENTLY EXECUTED VOCALISM, AND SHOWED HOW BEAUTIFUL A VOICE THIS SINGER HAS AND HOW EFFECTIVE AND CORRECT HIS TECHNIC CAN BE.
A WARM WILD NIGHT.
HIS SINGING WAS THE MOST REMARKABLE LAST EVENING, SINCE HE WAS SUFFERING FROM AN ATTACK OF RHEUMATISM OR NEURALGIA OF THE RIGHT SIDE THAT QUITE EVIDENTLY WAS GIVING HIM MUCH PAIN. The opening of the programmes was delayed on this account for about twenty minutes. When the audience became somewhat impatient William J. Guard, of the Metropolitan Opera staff, came out on the stage and told the gathering what was the matter, but added that there was no rheumatism in Mr. Gigli’s throat. Quite plainly there wasn’t. AND HE NOT ONLY SANG EVERYTHING ON THE PRINTED PROGRAMME, BUT WHEN THE AUDIENCE WENT QUITE WILD AFTER HE BEGAN THE EVENING WITH THE “M’APPARI” OUT OF “MARTA” HE IMMEDIATELY REPLIED WITH AN ENCORE AND KEPT ON ADDING EXTRA NUMBERS IN RESPONSE TO VOCIFEROUS APPLAUSE AFTER. ABOUT EVERYTHING HE WAS DOWN TO SING. IT WAS, INDEED, CONSIDERABLY A WARM, WILD NIGHT SO FAR AS THE AUDIENCE WAS CONCERNED.
es, especially cor-■igli.
EFFECTED THE VARIETY OF 3S HIS VOICE VOCE IN THE !BEAUTIFUL AS ■AND PHRASING POLISH.
Roi d’Ys” best fefano Donaudy he Ing singer, which ping as an opera his cruel illness, fRIUMPHANTLY.
May 3, 1922
bings his I3ite of Ittack
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THOUGH IT SANG WELL. VD WELL SUS-| FAMILIAR VI-2RA FOLLOWS DM “MARTHA,” ■AND “L’ELISIR 3RS BY ST. gfOES AND DE )GRAMME.
lay 3, 1922
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Italian airs by including Tre-igli DISCLOSED fRETER. NOT DF VOICE BUT HE PROVED kS AN ARTIST. IKEABLE PER-
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VICTOR RECORDS