Alessandro Ziliani was a famous Italian tenor during the 1930s and 1940s. At his peak, he had a very open sound, with no tension in the swallowing muscles. In 1932, he was a big success in Parma as Rodolfo, and in 1934, he made his debut at La Scala in “La Gioconda” and at the Arena di Verona, in “Lucia”. He was to be one of La Scala’s mainstays for several years, creating “Maria Egiziaca” by Respighi there. Other important Scala appearances included leading roles in “Louise”, “Francesca da Rimini”, “Mefistofele”, and “Madama Butterfly”. We don’t have tenors who sound like this today. I hope that you enjoy the posting.
Giordano, Fedora, “Amor ti vieta”
Amor ti vieta di non amar…
La man tua lieve che mi respinge,
cerca la stretta della mia man:
la tua pupilla esprime: “T’amo”
se il labbro dice: “Non t’amerò!
Giordano, Fedora, “Love forbids you”
Love itself forbids you from not loving…
Your light hand that repels me,
still looks for the stroke of my hand:
your eyes exclaim: “I love you”
even when your lips say: “I will not love you!”
Puccini, Turandot, “Nessun dorma”
Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, oh Principessa
Nella tua fredda stanza
Guardi le stelle che tremano
D’amore e di speranza
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me
Il nome mio nessun saprà
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
Quando la luce splenderà
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà
Il silenzio che ti fa mia
Dilegua, o notte!
Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle!
All’alba vincerò!
Vincerò!
Vincerò!
Puccini, Turandot, “No one shall sleep”
No one shall sleep! No one shall sleep!
Even you, oh Princess,
In your cold room,
Watch the stars that tremble
With love and with hope
But my mystery is closed in me
My name shall be known by none
No, no, on your mouth I shall say it
When the light shall shine
And my kiss will dissolve
The silence that makes you mine.
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars!
Set, stars!
At dawn, I shall win!
I shall win!
I shall win!
Puccini, Turandot, “Non piangere Liù”
Calaf
Non piangere, Liù!
Se in un lontano giorno io t’ho sorriso,
per quel sorriso, dolce mia fanciulla, m’ascolta:
il tuo signore sarà domani, forse solo al mondo…
Non lo lasciare, portalo via con te!
Dell’esilio addolcisci a lui le strade!
Questo, o mia povera Liù,
al tuo piccolo cuore che non cade,
chiede colui che non sorride più!
Puccini, Turandot, “Don’t cry, Liù”
Calaf
Do not cry, Liù!
If in a far off day I smiled at you,
for that smile, my sweet girl, listen to me:
your lord will be tomorrow, maybe alone in the world …
Do not leave him, take him with you!
From exile sweeten the streets to him!
This, my poor Liù,
to your little heart that does not fall,
asks the one who does not smile anymore!
Puccini, La Bohème, “O soave fanciulla”
RODOLFO
O soave fanciulla, o dolce viso,
di mite circonfuso alba lunar,
in te ravviso il sogno
ch’io vorrei sempre sognar!
MIMÌ
(Ah, tu sol comandi, amor!… )
RODOLFO
Fremon già nell’anima
le dolcezze estreme.
MIMÌ
(Tu sol comandi, amore!)
RODOLFO
Fremon nell’anima
dolcezze estreme, ecc.
Nel bacio freme amor!
MIMÌ
(Oh! come dolci scendono
le sue lusinghe al core…
Tu sol comandi, amor!)
(Rodolfo la bacia.)
No, per pietà!
RODOLFO
Sei mia!
MIMÌ
V’aspettan gli amici…
RODOLFO
Già mi mandi via?
MIMÌ
Vorrei dir…ma non oso.
RODOLFO
Di’.
MIMÌ
Se venissi con voi?
RODOLFO
Che? Mimì!
Sarebbe così dolce restar qui.
C’è freddo fuori.
MIMÌ
Vi starò vicina!
RODOLFO
E al ritorno?
MIMÌ
Curioso!
RODOLFO
Dammi il braccio, o mia piccina…
MIMÌ
Obbedisco, signor!
RODOLFO
Che m’ami…di’…
MIMÌ
Io t’amo.
RODOLFO e MIMÌ
(mentre escono)
Amor! Amor! Amor!
Puccini, La Bohème, “Oh, lovely girl”
RODOLFO
Oh! lovely girl! Oh, sweet face
bathed in the soft moonlight.
I see in you the dream
I’d dream forever!
MIMÌ
(Ah! Love, you rule alone!…)
RODOLFO
Already I taste in spirit
the heights of tenderness!
MIMÌ
(You rule alone, o Love!)
RODOLFO
Already I taste in spirit
the heights of tenderness!
Love trembles in our kiss!
MIMÌ
(How sweet his praises
enter my heart…
Love, you alone rule!)
(Rodolfo kisses her.)
No, please!
RODOLFO
You’re mine!
MIMÌ
Your friends are waiting.
RODOLFO
You send me away already?
MIMÌ
I daren’t say what I’d like…
RODOLFO
Tell me.
MIMÌ
If I came with you?
RODOLFO
What? Mimì!
It would be so fine to stay here.
Outside it’s cold.
MIMÌ
I’d be near you!
RODOLFO
And when we come back?
MIMÌ
Who knows?
RODOLFO
Give me your arm, my dear…
MIMÌ
Your servant, sir…
RODOLFO
Tell me you love me!
MIMÌ
I love you.
RODOLFO and MIMÌ
(as they go out)
Beloved! My love! My love!
Alessandro Ziliani
June 3, 1906 – February 12, 1977
Alessandro Ziliani was born in Busseto, a small town near La Roncole, which was Giuseppe Verdi’s birth place and where the composer grew up. Ziliani, too, spent his childhood in his hometown before moving to Milan where he studied with the tenor, Alfredo Cecchi, who can be heard on some records from “Odeon”. In 1929 Ziliani’s debut at Milan’s Teatro Dal Verme as Pinkerton in “Madama Butterfly” was such a success that he was invited by HMV only one year later to sing the part of Alfredo together with Anna Rozsa and Luigi Borgonovo in a complete recording of Verdi’s “La traviata” under Carlo Sabajno. In the summer of 1930 the singer undertook a tour in the Netherlands to introduce himself to the Dutch audience – a common procedure for their “Opera ltaliana” seasons – hoping for engagements for the following stagione. Only after a second tour in the summer of 1931 did Ziliani actually appear as a member of the stagione.
1938 marked the year of his North-American debut in San Francisco where he performed with Mafalda Favero and also sang Turiddu in “Cavalleria rusticana” with Stignani and Tagliabue. An opportunity to appear at the Met never presented itself. The singer was a frequent guest in Germany and enjoyed great popularity; he also starred there in the film production “Liebeslied”, which came out in a German as well as an Italian version. Throughout World War II Ziliani made guest appearances in Berlin, Munich and other important opera houses. In 1942 he left HMV and changed to “Telefunken” where he recorded, among others, the duet from “Francesca da Rimini” with Gina Cigna. Ziliani successfully appeared in operetta – rather an exception among Italian singers – and continued being active,as a movie actor. After the War the artist kept on singing for a few years but mainly on Italian stages. A live recording from May 1952 preserves a performance of Gluck’s “Armida” with Maria Callas under the direction of Tullio Serafin. This opera requires no less than four tenors: Ziliani took over the role of Goffredo, his fellow tenors were Francesco Albanese, Gianni Raimondi and Antonio Salvarezza. Ziliani seem to be one of the first “modern” singers in the Thirties who used airplanes to be able to handle their busy schedules. At the same time the Italian critic states that in our time a Ziliani “in forma” would range among the best of the best tenors. Gradually, Ziliani reduced his activities as a singer and founded his own artist management “Alci” (from Alessandro Ziliani). He soon became one of Italy’s most renowned impresarios, and his agency represented many great names in opera. He was an exemplary belcanto singer and he had the genuine lyricism for Puccini and the lighter Verdi operas. The tenor did attempt “Lohengrin” but always resisted the temptation to sing the heavy spinto roles. The top of his voice had a brilliant squillo but at the same time he could produce a soft piano.