Addio, Fiorito Asil CAGE MATCH: Gigli vs Pavarotti

Part three of the Addio, Fiorito Asil Cage Match series. I thinks these two singers of had two of the most naturally beautiful lyric tenor voices in recorded history. Although they are a generation apart, I find this match pretty even. Enjoy!

1. Beniamino Gigli, 1940
2. Luciano Pavarotti, 1974

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Addio
• Fiorito
• Asil
• Giacomo
• Puccini
• Madama
• Butterfly
• Benjamin
• Franklin
• Pinkerton
• Cage
• Match
• Sing-off
• corelli
• del
• monaco
• cura
• giordani
• tenor
• opera
• aria
• luciano
• pavarotti
• beniamino
• gigli
• caruso
• the
• three
• tenors

[Pawelp]

Gigli age 50 and Pav age 39. Bit of a difference..

[MsRuthes]

We are blessed to have had all of these great voices: Caruso, Gigli, Bjoprling, Corelli, DelMonaco, "Pavarotti, Domingo....Let us just revel in what they have given us and stop pitting one against the other. It's like comparing apples abd orabges.

[lips555so]

The big difference are :recording epoch, age, and above all the Orchestra, definitely the Orchestra is much more  good in Pavarotti redemption.

[RichieLeone]

one can habitually hear an old gigli recording and not be 100% positive who the singer is - this NEVER happens when hearing Pav - is such distinctness of sound necessarily a good thing? And is it likely that one may not be as certain w/ Gigli because the recording technique in his day was so inferior as to eliminate sounds that make a voice unique? How can anyone ever compare caruso/gigli vs bjoerling/corelli/Pav when the playing field (i.e. recording technique) is so categorically different?

[MsRuthes]

it's odd,but I don't remember making that comment. I don't know how I let that go through with the typos, but I agree with what I said.

[travesura100]

@MsRuthes I agree, but the order is: Caruso first, Gigli, Bjoerling, Corelli and the rest.

All dilettatanti should learn to taste them all, enjoying them to the full and put them in that order, otherwise, there is

a problem with their taste.

[Cantormatis]

The tempi in the 1974 Butterfly are in general very very slow, and the orchestra generally very loud; such was van Karajan. Pavarotti generally sang in a very protected, careful way on this recording, and, one might say, covering his passagio more than usual. It is certainly a different sound than he employed on the Boheme recording he did only a year or two before. It's not his best role, to my ear, but he sings well otherwise through the recording.

[Cantormatis]

@premiereopera1 You sure you mean "cover" so much as modifies the vowel on an F?

[premiereopera1]

Gigli by far over Pavarotti, both here and in anything I have heard. Pav "covers" the F's much too much, taking away all the tenorial thrill, IMO, and is boring.

[sugarbist]

THEY BOTH HAVE VERY BEAUTIFUL VOICES AND WE R FORTUNATE TO HAVE THEM

[TraVoiBelle]

PAVAROTTI of course!