Berger has always been my favorite singer. Hearing her here with Gigli is a revelation. They both have such pure, precise voices, full of emotion but perfectly controlled.
Extraordinario vídeo, escuchar a Beniamino Gigli y a la Bella cantante famosa soprano Erna Berger, de origen alemán si no me equivoco con voces super agradable para esta Opera.
Curious that Gigli seemed to have 2 voices. This light one when a microphone was present, and a spinto voice in live opera. The famous Manon Lescaut ! He is an entirely different singer.
stunning in it's beauty the voice of Gigli; the mezza-voce unrivaled by other tenor; with di Stefano and Wunderlich the most beautiful tenor voice recorded. Thanks for the post.
secretofsinging - O mon dieu he was wonderful, as was Erna Berger. She sounds kind of like Rosa Ponselle. Was Gigli better than Caruso? I never would have thought so but after hearing and seeing so many recordings I might think that. Oh heresy!
Thank you for publishing this historical clip. I have admired Gigli for years, but never saw a moving picture. How wonderful to finally see this old movie. What a voice!
oh that we could hear--and see--singing like this today. So beautiful and sensitive! God bless them both and God bless Verdi--i wish he could have heard this..well he did hear Adelina Patti and Fernando Lucia--about as close im sure.
What an amazing historical document of operatic culture in Germany in the mid-30's. Seeing this for the first time, I finally realized what Gigli meant to his generation. I had a hard time appreciating Erna Berger since her light coloratura gives her smooth sailing in Sempre libera, but then there's the rest. I've often wondered what Verdi was thinking when he wrote Traviata - the only soprano I know who could carry off both the coloratura in Act I and the dramatic intensity in the following acts was Callas. On the other hand, pitch was definitely lower in the 19th century and even if slightly so made a difference to the voices. Not criticizing, just interested in what others think about this apparent disparity in the composition.
Erna Berger hat wie Callas eine unverwechselbare Stimme, sie waren aber ganz verschieden. Callas hat oft sehr unsauber gesungen,Berger fast immer perfekt
Gigli and Lauri-Volpe studied in Rome with the same teacher.. Comparing him to anyone today is very difficult. He never uses too much voice and for that reason he doesn't sound like modern opera singers. So his is the model, and not what we hear today.
When I was about 16 (Now 83) I went to see Gigli in his farewell performance in London. I loved his voice on the records we had and I have to say I was so disappointed. He was old (to me) maybe 60 and his voice was thin and not a patch on his best. But nevertheless I am glad I went so I can say I saw him.
Sabia que Gigle atuou em diversos filmes inclusive ao lado de Magda Schneider, mãe da Romy. Com a derrota das forças do Eixo, foram abolidas a influência Cultural principalmente a Italiana. Os Italianos fizeram um filme sobre a Anita Garibaldi que cheguei assistir na Década de 50 e os mais velhos me afirmavam terem assistido a produção Italiana da vida de Carlos Gomes. Espero encontrar na Cultura que está sendo a Internet. Será a Internet ? Sur La Liberté de Lá Consciente de Voltaire?
Always interesting to see opera performed during an era long preceding its "invention". That is, long before the layers upon layers of so-called "hidden, secret meanings" were at last unearthed by someone named Maria Callas. Which is nonsense.
Diese Gegensätzlichkeit zwischen männlicher und weiblicher Stimme, zwischen Vertrautheit und Fremdheit - möge diese Spannung nicht nur in der Musik, sondern, in der Kunst und im Leben überhaupt erhalten bleiben. Wir sind nicht gleich. Niemals.
Sound tracks in movies don't give an adequate impression of operatic voices since the recordings were greatly enhanced. Berger sounds shrill here but on records she is light and girlish. Rise Stevens said that she was filmed singing an octave lower and then dubbed with her own voice so her mouth would not be distorted on film.
This is probably one of THE great scenes in the movies. If you want to drive someone to suicide - get Gigli on the job! of course the woman drives off, is wrecked in a horrible horrible accident.
I feel so terrible for Erna Berger …they will film her for her voice, but they show close-ups of everyone else, but her …I find that absolutely disgusting.😢