Beniamino Gigli tenor
Gigli had cancelled some performances of his previous tour, including Dundee. He had also been ill at the beginning of this visit but was clearly on good form at this stage. His concerts were now hugely popular, with many ex-servicemen returning from Italy having gained a taste for opera.
Further Scottish tour venues to be confirmed, though it appears from these press comments that Glasgow and Dundee may have been the only Scottish dates this year.
His programme (generally sung in Italian) included:
Martini: Plaisir d'amour.
Schubert: Ave Maria.
Verdi: La donna è mobile Rigoletto.
Bizet: La fleur que tu m'avais jetée Carmen.
Puccini: Ce gelida manina La Bohème.
Puccini: E lucevan le stelle Tosca.
Announcement
Dundee Courier & Advertiser: Tuesday, 30 November 1948
Gigli Booked for Dundee
'Mr Harold Fielding, the London concert promoter, has made arrangements for Beniamino Gigli to sing in the Caird Hall, Dundee, on Thursday, March 3. Messrs Methven, Simpson, Ltd, the Dundee booking agents, will be in charge of the local arrangements, and details with regard to public booking, &c. will be announced later.
'Gigli will sing in St Andrew's Hall, Glasgow, on the Tuesday before his Dundee concert. Mr Fielding is promoting the British tour by arrangement with Mr Jack Hylton.
'The famous tenor is the world's most highly paid musician. His British tour last season brought him payment at the reputed rate of £1500 per concert.
'For the past two seasons Dundee music-lovers had Gigli disappointments during his tours. On the last occasion the hall was booked out with 3000 tickets sold.'
A Preview
Dundee Courier & Advertiser: Thursday, 17 February 1949
Dundee Visit is Gigli's Wish
'An assurance that Gigli will keep his Dundee date on March 3 was given last night at the Caird Hall by Mr Reginald T Bickerstaff, associate of Mr Harold Fielding, the promoter. Mr Bickerstaff was in Dundee with Miss Eileen Joyce for her piano recital. He told the Courier & Advertiser that on Sunday he heard Gigli sing at his opening concert of the tour at Croydon in London's biggest cinema, with an audience of over 4000.
'''Gigli has never been in greater voice,'' he said. ''It is his greatest wish to fulfil his Dundee engagement. After last season's two unavoidable disappointments he feels keenly the position. ''A dozen times he has talked about the Dundee engagement and he is looking forward to it with special interest.''
Dundee Courier & Advertiser: Friday, 25 February 1949.
Gigli to Stay at Perth
'Gigli is expected to stay two nights in Perth next week. He sings in Glasgow on Tuesday and Dundee on Thursday, and is due to arrive in Perth on Wednesday. He will stay at the Station Hotel.
'Seating capacity in Caird Hall for the concert will be about 3100, as there will be 75 chairs on the platform in addition to organ gallery seats. The latter have been booked out at 5s. Price for the platform chairs is 10s., and prices throughout the hall range from 5s. to 25s. Booking to yesterday totalled 1725.
'Gigli, who will be 59 on March 20, retains his position as the greatest tenor of our time. He will sing 16 songs in his Dundee programme.'
The Dundee Review
Dundee Courier & Advertiser: Friday, 4 March 1949
Gigli Thrills 2800 in Caird Hall
'The return of Beniamino Gigli to Caird Hall last night was rapturously greeted by an audience of 2800 in Caird Hall. In nearly two hours' singing (16 programme songs and 10 encores) the famous tenor not only showed that he has fully recovered from his recent indisposition but that he is still possessed of the great powers which made him the outstanding tenor of our day.
'Greying at the temples now and three times a grandfather, Gigli gave a wonderful display of vocal technique, for the artistry of which he has long been famed. He constantly belied the fact that he is 59 years of age, throwing himself and his still glorious voice with thrilling abandon into well-known operatic arias.
'The audience was insatiable, and such sweeping thrills as Gigli produced in the ''Flower Song'' from Carmen, ''The Stars are Brightly Shining,'' from Tosca, and ''Your Tiny Hand is Frozen'' roused the greatest enthusiasm. His magical technique again created a furore in the sparkle of ''La Donna è Mobile'' (Rigoletto).
'The number of intense climaxes and full-powered high notes which Gigli achieved in one evening were lost count of. Yet at the end of two hours he was still throwing them off easily and introducing his typically boyish little asides of humour between songs.
'While his bravura singing and the passionate operatic climaxes held the thrills, much of the enjoyment in Gigli's performance came in songs of quieter mood and style. It was in these that he showed the completeness of his artistry - a singer of peerless style and technical accomplishment.
'For example, in a group of early Italian songs, there were such delicate enjoyments as ascending scales sung pianissimo and progressions of ornaments sung with the greatest finesse. Gigli's beautiful mezza voce rivals the top note thrills in the affection of musicians. It is a never-ceasing wonder how he moves with such smooth grace and tone uniformity from lower to middle and upper registers. The change from chest to head voice was, as ever with him, managed so as to be imperceptible at the transition point.
'Other notable examples of his beautiful tone were in Martini's ''Plaisir d;amour'' and ''Ave Maria.'' And at the end more Italian songs, including ''Mama,'' well known to troops in Italy.
'Gigli's accompanist was Vito Carnevali, whose completeness of accord with the singer was a feature.'
Tested Voice with ''Tipperary''
'Gigli arrived from Perth by car about an hour before the concert. He went on to the platform of the empty hall and tried out his voice by singing a few lines from ''Tipperary.''
'Precautions were taken backstage to ensure that he would not catch another cold like that which caused cancellation of concerts in England last weekend. Draught screens were placed in the corridors by which he entered and left the platform.
'Though he gave a generous programme of encores, Gigli did not linger. He left almost unnoticed within a few minutes of his final appearance, slipping into his car for Perth via the doorway of the recruiting office behind the Caird Hall stage. Hundreds of autograph hunters queuing in the corridor inside were disappointed.
'He leaves Perth to-day for Manchester, his next concert being at Liverpool on Sunday.'
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