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One known son is
Phillip (Phil) J. Hildebrandt of Detroit, born in February 1934 in New York and still living. He is the son of Gloria Doyle, who was an opera singer at The Metropolitan Opera. Phil Hildebrandt's children (Gigli's American-born grandchildren) are comedian William (Bill) Hildebrandt
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among them; and it is well documented that Gatti-Casazza gave himself a large pay increase in 1931, so that after the pay cut in 1932 his salary remained the same as it had been originally. Furthermore, Gatti was careful to hide Gigli's counter offer from the press, in which the singer offered to
396:
In the last few years of his life, Gigli gave concert performances more often than he appeared on stage. Before his retirement in 1955, Gigli undertook an exhausting world tour of farewell concerts, including performances at the
Metropolitan Opera. This impaired his health in the two years that
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in 1921. Such was his popularity with audiences he was often called "Caruso
Secondo", though he much preferred to be known as "Gigli Primo". In fact, the comparison was not valid as Caruso had a bigger, darker, more heroic voice than Gigli's sizable yet honey-toned lyric instrument.
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Early in his career, Gigli was known for a beautiful, soft and honey-like lyric voice, with an incredible mezza-voice, allowing him to sing light, lyrical roles. As he grew older, his voice developed some dramatic qualities, enabling him to sing heavier roles like Ràdames in
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He said in his memoirs he married six months earlier than he actually did; this was to conceal the fact that his wife
Costanza was pregnant before reaching the altar. Gigli had two children with Costanza: Enzo and Rina. (The latter was a well-known soprano in her own right.)
422:, his confessor, to whom he donated a large amount of money. Also, Gigli sang an unusual amount of sacred music (especially in the 1950s), atypical of a leading operatic tenor. Additionally, he was throughout his life deeply devoted to the sacred music of Don
230:, New York City (26 November 1920). Two other great Italian tenors present on the roster of Met singers during the 1920s also happened to be Gigli's chief contemporary rivals for tenor supremacy in the Italian repertory — namely,
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Like many artists, Gigli was a man of contradictions. On one hand, he gave more fund-raising concerts and raised more money than any other singer in history, with close to one thousand benefit concerts. He was deeply devoted to
342:, the Met's then general manager, was furious at his company's most popular male singer; he told the press that Gigli was the only singer not to accept the pay cut. There were in fact several others,
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After leaving the Met, Gigli returned again to Italy, and sang in houses there, elsewhere in Europe, and in South
America. He was criticised for being a favourite singer of the Italian dictator
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In addition to his stage performances, Gigli appeared as an actor in over twenty films from 1935 to 1953. Some notable appearances include 1936's
Johannes Riemann-directed musical drama
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753:"BENIAMINO GIGLI, FAMED TENOR, DIES; Star of 'Met' in Twenties Made U.S. Recital Tours-- Cleared of Collaborating Colorful and Controversial Refused Salary Cut Criticized U.S. in War"
370:, he was able to give few performances. However, he immediately returned to the stage when the war ended in 1945, and the audience acclaim was greater and more clamorous than ever.
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remained to him, during which time he helped prepare his memoirs (based primarily on an earlier memoir, fleshed out by a series of interviews). Gigli was initiated to
163:, the son of a shoemaker who loved opera. His parents did not, however, view music as a secure career. Beniamino's brother Lorenzo became a well-known painter.
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Gigli is rumoured to have had at least three other children with as many different women. Gigli's exact number of offspring is unknown.
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Some of the roles with which Gigli became particularly associated during this period included
Edgardo in
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Later, Gigli is well known to have had a second family with Lucia
Vigarani, producing three children.
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sing five or six concerts gratis, which in dollars saved was worth more than Gatti's imposed pay cut.
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Gigli rose to true international prominence after the death of the great
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On the other hand, Gigli's relationships with women were often tainted by scandal.
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Gigli left the Met in 1932, ostensibly after refusing to take a pay cut.
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In 1914, he won first prize in an international singing competition in
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175:. His operatic debut came on 15 October 1914, when he played Enzo in
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Gigli made many important debuts in quick succession, and always in
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443:(1953-2021) and Lori Jean Hildebrandt, both of Detroit, Michigan.
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139:; 20 March 1890 – 30 November 1957) was an Italian opera singer (
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Many of Gigli's recordings, including complete operas with
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786:"Obituaries in Detroit, MI | the Detroit Free Press"
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Como un Rayo de Sol: El aureo legado de
Beniamino Gigli
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751:Times, Special to The New York (1 December 1957).
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829:History of the Tenor – Sound Clips and Narration
808:International Jose Guillermo Carrillo Foundation
143:). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest
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226:, Buenos Aires (28 June 1919) and finally the
817:Discography of American Historical Recordings
189:, following which he was in great demand.
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803:Opera Vivrà – Beniamino Gigli's biography
587:. Varese: Zecchini Editore. p. 608.
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262:You may hear Beniamino Gigli performing
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886:20th-century Italian male opera singers
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732:from the original on 27 September 2013
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576:Beniamino Gigli: Il tenore di Recanati
409:He died of pneumonia in Rome in 1957.
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596:. Worcester: AMW Press. p. 408.
825:(Capon's Lists of Opera Recordings)
381:and Giuseppe Fatigati's 1943 drama
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891:Conservatorio Santa Cecilia alumni
644:"Beniamino Gigli: A Life in Music"
634:. AllMusic. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
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728:(in Italian). 11 July 1993.
689:"Music: Fortissimo Farewell"
613:Finnish Beniamino Gigli Club
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245:Beniamino Gigli in the 1920s
222:, Milan (19 November 1918),
136:[benjaˈmiːnoˈdʒiʎʎi]
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722:"When Totò was a Freemason"
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592:Ciampa, Leonardo (2019).
574:Brander, Torsten (2001).
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385:(English release title:
866:Italian operatic tenors
583:Inzaghi, Luigi (2005).
216:Teatro Costanzi di Roma
896:Victor Records artists
678:. Wyeth Press. p. 360.
519:The Voice of the Heart
317:and the title role in
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834:18 April 2019 at the
674:High fidelity. 1957.
608:Beniamino Gigli Prize
366:). Toward the end of
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861:People from Recanati
488:Selected filmography
340:Giulio Gatti-Casazza
218:(26 December 1916),
214:(26 December 1915),
458:and Cavaradossi in
304:Lucia di Lammermoor
289:Here on archive.org
236:Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
232:Giovanni Martinelli
208:Teatro di San Carlo
177:Amilcare Ponchielli
147:of his generation.
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228:Metropolitan Opera
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676:Records in Review
632:"Beniamino Gigli"
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823:Discography
559:Biographies
527:Mother Song
447:Vocal style
399:Freemasonry
391:Alida Valli
383:I Pagliacci
195:Mefistofele
182:La Gioconda
141:lyric tenor
86:lyric tenor
75:Rome, Italy
845:Categories
770:4 February
619:References
551:Night Taxi
360:Giovinezza
280:Ezio Pinza
151:Early life
49:1890-03-20
765:0362-4331
736:1 October
701:0040-781X
511:Ave Maria
420:Padre Pio
375:Ave Maria
344:Lily Pons
314:La Bohème
299:Donizetti
159:, in the
832:Archived
730:Archived
602:See also
220:La Scala
157:Recanati
132:Italian:
84:Singer,
57:Recanati
815:at the
706:9 March
662:Memoirs
204:Palermo
59:, Italy
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554:(1950)
546:(1943)
538:(1943)
530:(1937)
522:(1937)
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506:(1936)
498:(1935)
468:Legacy
212:Naples
187:Rovigo
167:Career
161:Marche
145:tenors
594:Gigli
461:Tosca
405:Death
270:with
173:Parma
772:2023
761:ISSN
738:2018
708:2023
697:ISSN
693:Time
480:and
455:Aida
346:and
282:and
234:and
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65:Died
43:Born
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