Giangiacomo Guelfi, initially studied law at the University of Florence. He subsequently enrolled at the Centro Lirico in Florence, where he was a pupil of the celebrated baritones Titta Ruffo and Mario Basiola (senior). He made his operatic stage debut in 1950 at Spoleto in the title role of Rigoletto.
Guelfi sang all over Italy and all over the world. He had a large, powerful voice, and he was able to control it enough to sing Donizetti and Spontini. As I write about most of the singers I post, there was no drag on the voice. By this, I mean that the squeezing and swallowing muscles were not engaged to produce a sound. He was a great Verdi Baritone.
Te Deum (Tosca)
SCARPIA
Tre sbirri… Una carrozza…
Presto!… seguila
dovunque vada!… non visto!… provvedi!
SPOLETTA
Sta bene! Il convegno?
SCARPIA
Palazzo Farnese!
Va, Tosca! Nel tuo cuor s’annida Scarpia!…
Va, Tosca! È Scarpia
che scioglie a volo il falco
della tua gelosia. Quanta promessa
nel tuo pronto sospetto!
Nel tuo cuor s’annida Scarpia!
Va, Tosca!
CAPITOLO
Adjutorum nostrum in nomine Domini
FOLLA
Qui fecit coelum et terram
CAPITOLO
Sit nomen Domini benedictum
FOLLA
Ex hoc nunc et usquem in saeculum.
SCARPIA
A doppia mira
tendo il voler, né il capo del ribelle
è la più preziosa. Ah di quegli occhi
vittoriosi veder la fiamma
illanguidir con spasimo d’amor,
fra le mie braccia …
illanguidir d’amor,
L’uno al capestro,
l’altra fra le mie braccia …
FOLLA
Te Deum laudamus:
Te Dominum confitemur!
SCARPIA
Tosca, mi fai dimenticare Iddio!
TUTTI
Te aeternum Patrem
omnis terra veneratur!
Te Deum (Tosca)
SCARPIA
Three agents … a carriage …
Quickly! … follow her
wherever she goes! … don’t be seen! … see to it!
SPOLETTA
Of course! Where shall I find you?
SCARPIA
Palazzo Farnese!
Go, Tosca! Scarpia is taking root in your heart! …
Go, Tosca! Scarpia is
letting take flight the hawk
of your jealousy. How much promise
in your ready suspicion!
Scarpia is taking root in your heart!
Go, Tosca!
CHAPTER
Adjutorum nostrum in nomine Domini
CROWD
Qui fecit coelum et terram
CHAPTER
Sit nomen Domini benedictum
CROWD
Et hoc nunc et usquem in saeculum.
SCARPIA
Two birds with one stone
are in my sights, and it’s not the head of the revolutionary
that is the most precious. Ah, in those commanding eyes
to see the fire
die away with the spasm of love,
in my arms …
die away with love.
One on the gallows,
the other in my arms …
CROWD
Te Deum laudamus:
Te Dominum confitemur!
SCARPIA
Tosca, you make me forget God!
ALL
Te aeternum Patrem
omnis terra veneratur!
Giordano, Andrea Chénier, “Nemico della Patria?!”
Nemico della Patria?!
È vecchia fiaba che beatamente
ancor la beve il popolo.
Nato a Costantinopoli? Straniero!
Studiò a Saint Cyr? Soldato!
Traditore! Di Dumouriez un complice!
E poeta? Sovvertitor di cuori e di costumi!
Un dì m’era di gioia
passar fra gli odi e le vendette,
puro, innocente e forte.
Gigante mi credea…
Son sempre un servo!
Ho mutato padrone.
Un servo obbediente di violenta passione!
Ah, peggio! Uccido e tremo,
e mentre uccido io piango!
Io della Redentrice figlio,
per primo ho udito il grido suo pel mondo
ed ho al suo il mio grido unito…
Or smarrita ho la fede
nel sognato destino?
Com’era irradiato di gloria
il mio cammino!
La coscienza nei cuor
ridestar delle genti,
raccogliere le lagrime
dei vinti e sofferenti,
fare del mondo un Pantheon,
gli uomini in dii mutare
e in un sol bacio,
e in un sol bacio e abbraccio
tutte le genti amar!
e in un sol bacio e abbraccio
tutte le genti amar!
Giordano, Andrea Chénier, “Enemy of the Fatherland”
Enemy of the fatherland?!
It’s an old fable that luckily
the public still swallows.
Born in Constantinople? A foreigner!
Studied at St Cyr? A soldier.
A Traitor! An accomplice of Dumouriez!
And a poet? A subvertor of hearts and of habits.
Once I was happy,
going about amongst the hatreds and the vendettas,
I thought my self a giant,
pure, innocent, and strong…
But still I’m a servant!
I’ve changed masters.
And obedient servant of violent passions!
Oh, it’s worse! I kill and I tremble,
and while I kill I weep!
I, a son of the revolution,
was the first to hear it’s cry to the world
and I joined my voice to its…
Now I’ve lost faith
in the destiny of my dreams?
How radiant with glory
my path was!
To reawaken conscience
in peoples’ hearts,
to gather up the tears
of the oppressed and of the suffering,
to make the world a paradise,
to change men into gods,
and with a single kiss,
with a single and embrace
to love all mankind!
And in a single kiss and embrace
to love all mankind!
Rossini, Guillaume Tell, “Resta immobile”
Resta immobile, e verso la terra inclina
Un ginocchio a pregar
Invoca Iddio, invoca Iddio
Ché, sol per suo favore
Al sen tornar potrai del genitore
Così rimanti col guardo fiso al ciel
Così rimanti col guardo fiso al ciel
Tu per amore vacillar potresti
Vedendo contro te lanciar l’acuto stral
Un moto sol potria
La vita a noi costar
Jemmy, Jemmy, pensa a tua madre
Che ci attende insiem
Jemmy, Jemmy, pensa a tua madre
Che ci attende
Pensa a tua madre, insiem
Rossini, William Tell, “Resta immobile”
Stay still, and toward the earth bow
A knee to pray
Call on God, call on God
Who, only for by his grace,
Without returning, you will be able
Thus to save your father,
With your gaze fixed on the sky
Thus to save him,
Stay with your gaze fixed on the sky
You could waver for love
Seeing the sharp blade thrown at you
One motion alone could
Cost us our life.
Jemmy, Jemmy, think of your mother
Who waits for us together
Jemmy, Jemmy, think of your mother
Who waits for us
Think of your mother, together.
Giangiacomo Guelfi
December 21, 1924 – February 8, 2012
Guelfi was an operatic baritone, particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini. Born in Rome, Guelfi studied law before turning to vocal studies in Florence with baritone Titta Ruffo and later in Milan with baritone Mario Basiola. He made his stage debut in Spoleto, as Rigoletto in 1950. He made his debut in 1952 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, also appearing in Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo, Catania, and becoming a regular guest at the Arena di Verona. Outside Italy he appeared in Berlin, Lisbon, London, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, and Cairo. He made his American debut in 1954 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and at the Metropolitan Opera of New York in 1970. He took part in the creation of contemporary works including Lazzaro in Pizzetti’s La figlia di Jorio, Naples, 1954. He was mostly known for his Verdi portrayals in operas such as Nabucco, I due Foscari, Attila, Macbeth, Il trovatore, I vespri siciliani, La forza del destino, and Aida. He also appeared in verismo operas such as Cavalleria rusticana, Andrea Chénier, Tosca, and La fanciulla del West.