Giuseppe de Luca was one of the most famous Bel Canto baritones of his time. He was a student of Antonio Cotogni, and Toscanini called him the greatest baritone that he had ever heard. His early recordings have been remastered so that a lot of the voice comes through. He was trained in the bel canto style, and you can hear the elegant phrasing and the legato line very clearly. There is a duet with Carus included here as an extra special treat. The last selection is “Caro mio ben”, which is an Italian art song usually sung by voice students. De Luca is significantly older here than in the earlier selections, but the singing is still lyrical and beautiful. Please enjoy his legacy.
Verdi, Il trovatore, “Il balen del suo sorriso”
Il balen del suo sorriso
D’una stella vince il raggio!
Il fulgor del suo bel viso
Novo infonde in me coraggio!…
Ah! l’amor, l’amore ond’ardo
Le favelli in mio favor!
Sperda il sole d’un suo sguardo
La tempesta del mio cor.
Verdi, The Troubador, “The dazzle of her smile”
The dazzle of her smile
Vanquishes a star’s ray.
The radiance of her beautiful face
Newly infuses courage in me.
Ah, love, love burns,
Speak to them in my favor!
The sun loses in one of her glances,
The storm in my heart.
Donizetti, L’elisir d’amor, “Venti Scudi”
Nemorino
Venti scudi!
Belcore
E ben sonanti.
Nemorino
Quando? Adesso?
Belcore
Sul momento.
Nemorino
(Che far deggio?)
Belcore
E coi contanti,
gloria e onore al reggimento.
Nemorino
Ah! non è l’ambizione,
che seduce questo cor.
Belcore
Se è l’amore, in guarnigione
non ti può mancar l’amor.
Nemorino
(Ai perigli della guerra
io so ben che esposto sono:
che doman la patria terra,
zio, congiunti, ahimè! abbandono.
Ma so pur che, fuor di questa,
altra strada a me non resta
per poter del cor d’Adina
un sol giorno trionfar.
Ah! chi un giorno ottiene Adina…
fin la vita può lasciar.)
Belcore
(Del tamburo al suon vivace,)
tra le file e le bandiere,
aggirarsi amor si piace
con le vispe vivandiere:
sempre lieto, sempre gaio
ha di belle un centinaio.
Di costanza non s’annoia,
non si perde a sospirar.
Credi a me: la vera gioia
accompagna il militar.
Nemorino
Venti scudi!
Belcore
Su due piedi.
Nemorino
Ebben vada. Li prepara.
Belcore
Ma la carta che tu vedi
pria di tutto dêi segnar.
Qua una croce.
Nemorino segna rapidamente e prende la borsa.
Nemorino
(Dulcamara
volo tosto a ricercar.)
Belcore
Qua la mano, giovinotto,
dell’acquisto mi consolo:
in complesso, sopra e sotto
tu mi sembri un buon figliuolo,
sarai presto caporale,
se me prendi ad esemplar.
(Ho ingaggiato il mio rivale:
anche questa è da contar.)
Nemorino
Ah! non sai chi m’ha ridotto
a tal passo, a tal partito:
tu non sai qual cor sta sotto
a quest’umile vestito;
quel che a me tal somma vale
non potresti immaginar.
(Ah! non v’ha tesoro eguale,
se riesce a farmi amar.)
(partono)
Donizetti, The elixir of love, “Twenty scudi”
Nemorino
Twenty scudi!
Belcore
Hard cash
Nemorino
When? Now?
Belcore
On the spot.
Nemorino
(What should I do?)
Belcore
And with the money,
Glory and honor to the regiment.
Nemorino,
Ah! It isn’t ambition
That seduces this heart.
Belcore
If your ambition is to have love,
It won’t be lacking in the army!
Nemorino
(I know well that
I am exposed to the perils of war:
That tomorrow I must abandon my
Homeland, uncle, relatives, alas.
But I also know that
There is no other means
For me to conquer
In one day
and triumph
Over Adina’s heart)
Belcore
(At the sound of the lively drum beat)
Among the ranks and the banners
Love takes pleasure
In consorting with
Happy camp-followers;
Always happy, always gay,
He has a hundred beauties to choose from.
He doesn’t bother with constancy
He doesn’t waste time in sighing.
Believe me: true glory accompanies the soldier.
Nemorino
Twenty scudi!
Belcore
Immediately.
Nemorino
Very well, so be it. Get them ready.
Belcore
But you must sign this
Paper before you can get anything.
Here, a cross.
(Nemorino makes a cross quickly on the recruiting paper)
Nemorino
(Dulcamara, I’m going now to investigate)
Belcore
Give me your hand, young man,
I’m happy to add you to my ranks:
All in all,
You seem to me to be a good lad,
You will soon be a corporal,
If you follow my example.
(I have recruited my rival:
This is a good story to tell.)
Nemorino
Ah! you don’t know who has reduced me
To take such a step, to make such a decision:
Though you see me dressed in simple peasant clothes
You cannot imagine what the heart that beats inside;
You couldn’t imagine what value
Such a sum has for me.
(Ah! No treasure equals
That which can make her love me.)
(exit)
Verdi, La traviata, “Di Provenza il mar, il suol”
Germont
Di Provenza il mar, il suol – chi dal cor ti cancello?
Al natio fulgente sol – qual destino ti furò?
Oh, rammenta pur nel duol – ch’ivi gioia a te brillò;
E che pace colà sol – su te splendere ancor può.
Dio mi guidò!
Ah! il tuo vecchio genitor – tu non sai quanto soffrì
Te lontano, di squallor il suo tetto si coprì
Ma se alfin ti trovo ancor, – se in me speme non fallì,
Se la voce dell’onor – in te appien non ammutì,
Dio m’esaudì!
Verdi, The fallen woman, “The sea and soil of Provence”
Germont
The sea and soil of Provence — who has erased them from your heart?
From your native, fulsome sun — what destiny stole you away?
Oh, remember in your sorrow that joy glowed on you,
And that only there peace can yet shine upon you.
God has guided me!
Ah, your old father — you don’t know how much he has suffered!
With you far away, with misery has his house become full.
But if in the end I find you again, if hope did not fail within me,
If the voice of honor didn’t completely become silent in you,
God has heard me!
Giordani, “Caro mio ben”
Caro mio ben
Credimi almen
Senza di te
Languisce il cor
Caro mio ben
Senza di te
Languisce il cor
Il tuo fedel
Sospiro ognor
Cessa crudel
Tanto rigor
Cessa crudel
Tanto rigor
Tanto rigor
Caro mio ben
Credimi almen
Senza di te
Languisce il cor
Caro mio ben
Credimi almen
Senza di te
Languisce il cor
Giordani, “My dear beloved”
My dear beloved
Believe me at least
Without you
My heart languishes
My dear beloved
Without you
My heart languishes
Your faithful one
Always sighs
Stop, cruel one
So much punishment
Stop, cruel one
So much punishment
So much punishment
My dear beloved
Believe me at least
Without you
My heart languishes
My dear beloved
Believe me at least
Without you
My heart languishes
Giuseppe de Luca
December 25, 1876 – August 26, 1950
Giuseppe De Luca, one of the greatest exponents of bel canto, the art of technically perfect and beautiful singing, and a distinguished former member of the Metropolitan Opera Company. De Luca was born in Rome and he entered a singing school at the age of eight, appearing in its choir as a boy soprano of astonishing range. He entered the Santa Cecilia Accademia as early as 1892, when he was only fifteen. He studied for five years with Venceslao Persichini (one of the most important coaches of the time). He was soon the prize pupil of the class (Tita Ruffo was another student at the same institute). In 1897, shortly before his twenty-first birthday, he made his début singing Valentin (from Faust) in Piacenza. The next important step was Milan. He appeared at the Teatro Lirico and La Scala for eight seasons. In 1907, 1910, 1911 he made guest appearances at Covent Garden, and he also visited Poland and Russia. De Luca was in impressive company where baritones were concerned: Scotti, Ruffo, Pacini and Sammarco were all on the roster of La Scala at his time. After 1915 he joined the ensemble of the Met and remained there as leading baritone until 1946 (more than thirty years). He regularly appeared in South America, Spain, England, Russia, Germany and Austria. He created roles in several operas: Massenet’s Grisélidis and Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur in 1902, in 1903 Giordano’s Siberia and Sharpless in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Among his most frequent partners were Caruso, Rosa Ponselle, Claudia Muzio, Giovanni Martinelli, John McCormack, Adamo Didur and José Mardones. He sang Sancho Panza opposite Chaliapin at the world première of Massenet’s Don Quichotte in 1910. He had a repertoire of nearly 100 roles. He was an outstanding actor and was particularly acclaimed in character- and buffo roles. He sang the whole Verdi and Puccini repertoire. Apart from that he was successful as Wolfram and Beckmesser. He was a great Mozart singer (Don Giovanni, Figaro). His career lasted almost five decades.
In November, 1947, an overflow crowd jammed Town Hall in New York for his Golden Jubilee as a singer, and long after the end of the program he was still singing encores to rocking applause. Mr. De Luca was an honorary member of the Metropolitan Opera Club and the Bohemians. His decorations included the Academy of St. Cecilia, Rome; Donato of First Class, Knights of Malta; Cavalier of the Great Cross, Crown of Italy, and Commendatore of S. S. Maurizio and Lazzaro.