I posted Giangiacomo Guelfi in 2023, but I came across this film from a television production of Tosca with him and Renata Tebaldi, and I suppose that I couldn’t resist.
Guelfi was a great Verdi baritone (that is another way of saying a dramatic baritone) and was one of the great Scarpias of the 20th century.
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.
Puccini, Tosca, “Già, mi dicon, venal”
TOSCA (con un gemito)
Salvatelo!
SCARPIA
Io?… Voi!
(Si avvicina alla tavola, vede la sua cena lasciata a
mezzo, e ritorna calmo a sorridente.)
La povera mia cena fu interrotta.
(Vede Tosca abbattuta, immobile, ancora presso la
porta.)
Così accasciata? Via, mia bella signora,
sedete qui. Volete che cerchiamo
insieme il modo di salvarlo?
(Tosca si scuote e lo guarda; Scarpia sorride
sempre e si siede, accennando in pari tempo di
sedere a Tosca.)
E allor sedete, e favelliamo.
E intanto un sorso. È vin di Spagna.
(Riempie il bicchiere e lo porge a Tosca.)
Un sorso per rincorarvi.
TOSCA
(fissando sempre Scarpia si avvicina lentamente
alla tavola, siede risoluta di fronte a Scarpia; poi
coll’accento del più profondo disprezzo gli chiede:)
Quanto?
SCARPIA (imperturbabile, versandosi da bere)
Quanto?
(Ride.)
TOSCA
Il prezzo!
SCARPIA
Già, mi dicon venal, ma a donna bella, no, no,
io non mi vendo a prezzo di moneta.
Se la giurata fede
debbo tradir, ne voglio altra mercede.
Quest’ora io l’attendeva!
Già mi struggea
l’amor della diva!
Ma poc’anzi ti mirai
qual non ti vidi mai!
Quel tuo pianto era lava
ai sensi miei e il tuo sguardo
che odio in me dardeggiava,
mie brame inferociva!
Agil qual leopardo
t’avvinghiasti all’amante.
Ah, in quell’istante
t’ho giurata mia!
Mia! Sì, t’avrò!…
(Si leva, stendendo le braccia verso Tosca; questa,
che aveva ascoltato immobile le lascive parole di
Scarpia, s’alza di scatto e si rifugia dietro il
canapè.)
TOSCA (correndo alla finestra)
“Ah!
Piuttosto giù mi avvento!
SCARPIA (freddamente)
In pegno il Mario tuo mi resta!
TOSCA
Ah! miserabile…
L’orribil mercato!
(Le balena l’idea di recarsi presso la Regina e
corre verso la porte.)
SCARPIA (ironico)
Violenza non ti farò. Sei libera. Va pure,
ma è fallace speranza; la Regina
farebbe grazia ad un cadavere!
(Tosca retrocede spaventata e, fissando Scarpia, si
lascia cadere sul canapè; poi stacca gli occhi da
Scarpia con un gesto di supremo disgusto.)
Come tu mi odi!
TOSCA
Ah! Dio!
SCARPIA (avvicinandosi)
Così, così ti voglio!
TOSCA (con ribrezzo)
Non toccarmi, demonio; t’odio, t’odio,
abbietto, vile!
(Fugge da Scarpia inorridita.)
SCARPIA
Che importa?
Spasimi d’ira, spasimi d’amore!
TOSCA
Vile!
SCARPIA
Mia!
(Cerca di afferrarla.)
TOSCA
Vile!
(Si ripara dietro la tavola.)
SCARPIA (inseguendola)
Mia…
TOSCA
Aiuto! Aiuto!
(Un lontano rullo di tamburi a poco a poco
s’avvicina, poi si dilegua lontano.)
SCARPIA
Odi?
È il tamburo. S’avvia; guida la scorta
ultima ai condannati. Il tempo passa!
(Tosca, dopo avere ascoltato con ansia terribile, si
allontana dalla finestra e si appoggia, estenuata,
sul canapè.)
Sai quale oscura opra laggiù si compia?
Là si drizza un patibolo.
Puccini, Tosca, “Yes, they say that I am venal”
TOSCA (moaning)
Save him!
SCARPIA
I?…You rather!
(He goes to the table, notes his supper interrupted
midway, and again is calm and smiling.)
My poor supper was interrupted.
(sees Tosca, dejected and motionless, still at the
door)
So downhearted? Come, my fair lady.
Sit down here. Shall we try to find
together a way to save him?
(Tosca bestirs herself and looks at him. Scarpia,
still smiling, sits down and motions to her to do
the same.)
Well then, sit down, and we shall talk.
And first, a sip of wine. It comes from Spain.
(He refills the glass and offers it to Tosca.)
A sip to hearten you.
TOSCA
(still staring at Scarpia, she advances towards the
table. She sits resolutely facing him, then asks in
a tone of the deepest contempt:)
How much?
SCARPIA (imperturbable, as she pours his drink)
How much?
(He laughs.)
TOSCA
What is your price?
SCARPIA
Yes, they say that I am venal, but it is not
for money that I will sell myself to beautiful
women.
I want other recompense
if I am to betray my oath of office.
I have waited for this hour!
Already in the past I burned
with passion for the Diva.
But tonight I have beheld you
in a new role I had not seen before.
Those tears of yours were lava
to my senses and that fierce hatred
which your eyes shot at me only fanned
the fire in my blood.
Supple as a leopard
you enwrapped your lover.
In that instant
I vowed you would be mine!
Mine! Yes. I will have you…
(He rises and stretches out his arms towards
Tosca. She has listened motionless to his wanton
tirade. Now she leaps up and takes refuge behind
the sofa.)
TOSCA (running towards the window)
“Ah!
I’ll jump out first!
SCARPIA (coldly)
I hold your Mario in pawn!
TOSCA
Oh, wretch…
Oh, ghastly bargain…
(It suddenly occurs to her to appeal to the Queen,
and she runs to the door.)
CARPIA (ironically)
I do you no violence. Go. You are free.
But your hope is vain: the Queen would merely
grant pardon to a corpse!
(Tosca draws back in fright, her eyes fixed on
Scarpia. She drops on the sofa. She then looks
away from him with a gesture of supreme
contempt.)
How you detest me!
TOSCA
Ah! God!
SCARPIA (approaching)
Even so, even so I want you!
TOSCA (with loathing)
Don’t touch me, devil! I hate you, hate you!
Fiend, base villain!
(She flees from him in horror.)
SCARPIA
What does it matter?
Spasms of wrath or spasms of passion…
TOSCA
Foul villain!
SCARPIA
You are mine!
(trying to seize her)
TOSCA
Wretch!
(retreats behind the table)
SCARPIA (pursuing her)
Mine!
TOSCA
Help! Help!
(A distant roll of drums draws slowly near, then
fades again into the distance.)
SCARPIA
Do you hear?
It is the drum that leads the way for the last march
of the condemned. Time passes!
(Tosca listens in terrible dread, and then comes
back from the window to lean exhausted on the
sofa.)
Are you aware of what dark work is done down
there?
They raise a gallows.
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.