The Essential Collection goes up market for our first venture into classical music! Here we feature some of the greatest tenor voices of the first half of the twentieth century.
Forget those other over hyped and over paid “great tenors” who were but twinkles in their parents eyes when these giants roamed the earth.
From the legendary Enrico Caruso to his “prodigy” Beniamino Gigli known as the “Peoples Tenor” (so named by Tony Blair I believe…only joking) to Jussi Bjorling, Richard Tauber, Antonio Cortis and Joseph Schmidt, known as the “pocket Caruso” due to his diminutive stature (he was a short fat guy!!)………… these truly were the giants of the time.
Some tracks, particularly Caruso’s whose last records actually date from the early twenties were electronically overdubbed in the thirties which although frowned upon by purists give us an idea of what he would have sounded like with modern day recording equipment.
So sit back, listen and enjoy the music of the golden age of the great tenors, Placido who?
CD1
1. Cielo E Mar! (‘La Gioconda’) - Enrico Caruso
2. Sultanto A Te - Enrico Caruso
3. Il Mio Tesoro (‘Don Giovanni’) - John McCormack
4. Where’Er You Walk (‘Semele’) - John McCormack
5. Quando Le Sere Al Placido (‘Luisa Miller’) - Tito Schipa
6. Plaisir D’Amour - Tito Schipa
7. Nothung! Nothung! Neidliches Schwert! (Forging Song) (‘Siegfried’) - Lauritz Melchior
8. Kongernes Konge - Lauritz Melchior
9. Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi…Celeste Aida (‘Aida’) - Beniamino Gigli
10. Notturno D’Amore (‘I Milioni D’Arlecchino’) - Beniamino Gigli
11. Nessun Dorma (‘Turandot’) Tom Burke
12. My Dreams - Tom Burke
13. Ha Wie In Meiner Seele (Hoffmann’s Aria) (‘The Tales Of Hoffmann’) - Richard Tauber
14. Adieu, Mein Kleiner Gardeoffizier (Goodbye) (‘Im Weissen Rössl’) - Richard Tauber
15. Ah! Che Tormento (‘La Cena Del Beffe’) - Antonio Cortis
16. Non Piangere Líù (‘Turandot’) - Antonio Cortis
17. Morgenlich Leuchtend Im Rosigen Schein (Walther’s Prize Song) (‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’) - Richard Crooks
18. O Lola, Rosengleich Blühn Deine Wangen (Siciliana) (‘Cavalleria Rusticana’) - Richard Crooks
19. Cujus Animam (‘Stabat Mater’) - Jussi Björling
20. Nu Är Jag Pank Och Fågelfri (‘Tiggarstudenten’) - Jussi Björling
21. Una Furtiva Lagrima (‘L’Elisir D’Amore’) - Ferruccio Tagliavini
22. Ella Mi Fu Rapita!...Parmi Veder Le Lagrime (‘Rigoletto’) - Ferruccio Tagliavini
CD2
1. O Sole Mio - Enrico Caruso
2. Recitar!...Vesti La Giubba (‘Pagliacci’) - Enrico Caruso
3. Mi Par D’Udir Ancora (‘I Pescatori Di Perle’) - Beniamino Gigli
4. Torna A Surriento - Beniamino Gigli
5. Ach So Fromm (‘Martha’) - Joseph Schmidt
6. Suzel, Buon Di…Tutto Tace (Cherry Duet) (‘L’Amico Fritz’) - Tito Schipa & Mafalda Favero
7. La Donna È Mobile (‘Rigoletto’) - Enrico Caruso
8. Santa Lucia - Enrico Caruso
9. Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz (‘Der Land Des Lächelns’) - Richard Tauber
10. O Dolce Incanto (‘Manon’) - Beniamino Gigli
11. Che Gelida Manina (‘La Bohème’) - Enrico Caruso
12. O Soave Fanciulla (‘La Bohème’) - Enrico Caruso & Nellie Melba
13. La Vita È Inferno… O Tu, Che In Seno Agli Angeli (‘La Forza Del Destino’) - Giovanni Martinelli
14. Valencia - Tito Schipa
15. Recondita Armonia (‘Tosca’) - Enrico Caruso
16. E Lucevan Le Stelle (‘Tosca’) - Enrico Caruso
17. Salut! Demeure Chaste Et Pure (‘Faust’) - Jussi Björling
18. Del Tempio Al Limitar (‘I Pescatori Di Perle’) - Enrico Caruso & Mario Ancona
19. Amor Ti Vieta (‘Fedora’) - Beniamino Gigli
20. Dai Campi, Dai Prati (‘Mefistofele’) - John McCormack
21. Oh! Mostruosa Colpa!...Si, Pel Ciel (‘Otello’) - Enrico Caruso & Titta Ruffo
