Description

RINA GIGLI (NAPLES, 31 JANUARY, 1916 – RECANATI, 22 AUGUST, 2000)

 

 

 

 

Daughter of the famous Italian tenor Beniamino Gigli (1890–1957), she was trained by her father and made her debut in 1943 at the Teatro Regio in Parma as Violetta in La Traviata, with Beniamino Gigli (with whom she had already given her first concert in Rome in 1936) in the role of Alfredo. After appearing at various Italian theaters, in 1946 she sang Nedda in Pagliacci in a guest performance of the Teatro San Carlo of Naples at London’s Covent Garden Opera, again partnering her father. She subsequently toured Portugal and South America with him.

In 1949 she sang Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, with Ramón Vinay as Otello. In 1951 she toured South Africa with her father and the baritone Tito Gobbi. After her marriage she sang under the name Rina Lorenzelli-Gigli. Under this name, she recorded a duet with her father on HMV in 1941; after the Second World War, several solo recordings were released on HMV, and in 1951 she recorded another six duets with him for the same label. A 1953 recording of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore on MDP exists. On HMV, she is also heard as Micaela in Carmen, and on EJS in Catalani’s Loreley.

Her second marriage was to the bass Plinio Clabassi (1919–1984). The expected worldwide career never fully materialized, and after the death of her father she appears to have performed only rarely. Her last appearance was in 1971 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples as Nedda in Pagliacci. She later lived in Recanati.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Amico Fritz (Mascagni) Ah, ditela per me (w. Gigli) DB11342 2BA7581-2

Amico Fritz (Mascagni) Non mi resta DB6459 2EA12048-1 HMV, London 1947-05-29

Carmen (Bizet) Ah mi parla di lei… Mia madre veggo ancor (w. Gigli) DA5416, DA5416, 0BA4920-1, 0BA4921-1 HMV, Milano 1942-02-20

Elisir d’amore (Donizetti) Chiedi al rio (w. Gigli) DB11347 2BA7578 HMV, Milano 1951-01-18

Forza del destino (Verdi) Pace, pace, mio Dio DB21619 2EA17320- HMV, London 1953-04-28

Mariä Wiegenlied (Reger) DB6931 2EA12126-1 HMV, London 1947-06-11

Mefistofele (Boito) Lontano, lontano (w. Gigli) DB11342 2BA7582-1 HMV, Milano 1951-01-18

Otello (Verdi) Già nella notte densa… Ed io vedea (w. Gigli) DB11345, DB11345, 2BA7579-2, 2BA7580-2 HMV, Milano 1951-01-18

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Non hai compreso (w. Gigli) DB11347 2BA7583 HMV, Milano 1951-01-18

Peer Gynt (Grieg) Canzone di Solveig DB6931 2EA12047-2 HMV, London 1947-05-29

Sonnambula (Bellini) Ah, non credea mirarti DB21619 2EA17338- HMV, London 1953-04-28

Vêpres Siciliennes (Verdi) Mercè, dilette amiche DB6459 2EA12046-2 HMV, London 1947-05-29