Gigli & DeLuca - Pearlfishers duet

Beniamino Gigli and Guiseppe De Luca singing the duet from Bizet's Pearlfishers - Del Tempio Al Limitar - for Victor in 1927. One of the most beautiful arias in all of opera and this is perhaps the best recording of it. I'm not ashamed to admit that I got choked up towards the end of this record.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Gigli
• DeLuca
• Pearlfishers
• Victor
• Orthophonic

[merrihew]

I have a poor quality tape of a 1972 Lily Pons concert (her last). Most of it is SO bad. But towards the end she gets it together and is momentarily glorious.

[merrihew]

Yes, Kreisler after the early '30's started to decline. But he had his moments. I have a 1943 radio broadcast of the Mendlessohn concerto. The first 1/2 is terrible but then it comes together and is magnificent.

[merrihew]

Selectively after 1930. He didn't know when to quit. His records from the 1950's are pretty bad. Its interesting that some voices like Melchior hold up so well but others like Gigli fall apart early. Is it poor training or as Melchior said, singing on the interest and not the principal?

[pedrinrj]

This rendition can be defined with one simple word: Tears.

Opera singing can hold hundreds of methods, techniques, nuances and anything you can think about music. But the final goal is the same, for every singer; to bring to the audience the emotion and the feelin that the author and himself intended to express. To lift us up to that unique place that only music can make.

Gigli was a master in this.

[paulostroff99]

Only the equally gorgeous Bjorling/Merrill recording dares comparing to this!Glorius indeed!Bravo.

[ebony1911]

@judykay1229 Answer---Nothing! You have freed yourself form the Callas hype--- a fueled by a great PR job from Angel records and from the Pirate Industry that proliferated after her death.

[judykay1229]

I know that we should not compare singers... just enjoy them, but I do not GET Enrico Caruso. Gigli to me is so far superior.

What am I missing?

The same goes for Callas... I am a Montse fan and I adore Tebaldi. What am I missing?

[tagliavini]

I had this on an old Pearl recording. Was always one of my faves. Such clarity

[carolynhope1]

Of all the recordings of this duet, this is my alltime favorite. Such a beautiful blending of voices especially at the end. imo, it even beats the most celabrated recording of Bjoerling and Merrill..

[Beekeeper911]

Viva Licorice-Pizzas! The sound quality for this 1927 recording is amazing. What a treat to hear this vibrant performance!

[jallfjallf]

Many compares this with Björling/Merril, not least in my home country Sweden...

But listen to the old recording of Caruso and Ancona. It's absolutely fantastic.

[raphabenbenjamin]

if you have ears you can hear that de Luca is closer to the mic.

[jhb134]

@TheInimitableKaka - Oh, it DOES stand-with Bjorling/Merrill ... and Caruso/Ancona is very-singular, also. I diagree with "Richard Taylor" about Gigli's scoops, because his exceptional projection and tone are EQUAL to the task, of the tenor part of the duet. de Luca is scrupulous, inimitable, and very-expressive ... on his own. ... I also agree with lpvcrcd, very much ... and it's great to have THREE, exceptional versions to enjoy, from the Bizet pen! opinions only, of course.

[TheInimitableKaka]

Lemeshev, anyone?

[The99Gambo]

Almosty worthy of standing with the Bjorling/Merrill recording: it's that marvellous. Thank you.