Probably the only aria from this opera one regularly hears. But what an aria, a gift for tenors. One can find many versions on YouTube beyond these two performances. It's a fun exercise to create a playlist of them then let them play. Also fun to hear the differences in how tenors of Gigli's generation sing it (e.g., Taglivini or Schipa) compared to tenors from later generations sing it (e.g., Kaufmann or Alvarez). You mentioned Gigli's "impeccable legato," something I especially appreciate, the long line, connected up and down through the aria's phrases, a manner of singing I think we have largely lost, to our detriment (great example of legato is Lauri-Volpi's version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efKDommCo80). If you do make a YT playlist of performances, note how some tenors add the high B on "lascia!" and some do not. I think this aria shows how those high notes, while exciting and moving (Bjoerling's version gives me goose bumps for his B), are not necessary. Cilea wrote a G on the "scia!" syllable and some of the performances show that in the "hands" of a good singer, that B is not needed, the Lauri-Volpi above and Scipa's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYXPMmmmbwE I LOVE that sudden pp following the G!
Whatever Pavarotti sings always has me mesmerised. He sings so beautifully
I saw this Cilea with Carreras and Caballe at The Met; even they couldn't save it.
This is captivating. Just as you said…
Probably the only aria from this opera one regularly hears. But what an aria, a gift for tenors. One can find many versions on YouTube beyond these two performances. It's a fun exercise to create a playlist of them then let them play. Also fun to hear the differences in how tenors of Gigli's generation sing it (e.g., Taglivini or Schipa) compared to tenors from later generations sing it (e.g., Kaufmann or Alvarez). You mentioned Gigli's "impeccable legato," something I especially appreciate, the long line, connected up and down through the aria's phrases, a manner of singing I think we have largely lost, to our detriment (great example of legato is Lauri-Volpi's version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efKDommCo80). If you do make a YT playlist of performances, note how some tenors add the high B on "lascia!" and some do not. I think this aria shows how those high notes, while exciting and moving (Bjoerling's version gives me goose bumps for his B), are not necessary. Cilea wrote a G on the "scia!" syllable and some of the performances show that in the "hands" of a good singer, that B is not needed, the Lauri-Volpi above and Scipa's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYXPMmmmbwE I LOVE that sudden pp following the G!