How Didn't Gigli WRECK His Voice??

Beniamino Gigli was a lyric tenor who broke some of the cardinal rules of sustainable singing, taking on spinto and dramatic roles and singing wide open in the passaggio for years. And yet his voice stayed remarkably strong and powerful until the very end. How did he do it?! We listen to the Act 4 duet from Verdi's La forza del destino, "Invano Alvar... Le minacce, i fieri accenti," joined by the less-known but fantastic baritone (later tenor) Carlos Guichandut. Broadcast from August 1947. As a bonus, we finish off the video with Gigli singing two High D-flats(!!) in heavy roles (Manrico in Trovatore & Don Alvaro in Forza) at ages 58 and 61. Chapters: 0:00 Gigli, Heavy Roles, & Passaggio (Covering) 7:10 Gigli & Guichandut: Forza Duet (1947) 16:29 Additional Reflections 20:54 Gigli sings 2 High D-flats (1948 & 1951) My previous reactions to Gigli singing in Buenos Aires: 1. Amor ti vieta (from Giordano's Fedora):    • Gigli at 60 ENCORES “E lucevan le stelle” ...   2. E lucevan le stelle (from Puccini's Tosca):    • Gigli at 60 ENCORES “E lucevan le stelle” ...