The Original Great Tenors

~ Release by Various Artists (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Annotation

recordings sound like transfers from early phonograph (78rpm) records

Annotation last modified on 2026-06-13 16:26 UTC.

Tracklist

1▼CD
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1O Sole Mio
tenor vocals:
Enrico Caruso (tenor)
recording of:
’O sole mio (in 1916)
lyricist:
Giovanni Capurro (in 1898)
composer:
Eduardo Di Capua (in 1898) and Alfredo Mazzucchi (Italian composer, known for “’O sole mio”) (in 1898)
publisher:
Bideri CEVEL, Domaine public (refers to works that are in the public domain) and Gennarelli Casa Editrice
Enrico Caruso3:23
2Le Donna E Mobile
tenor vocals:
Enrico Caruso (tenor)
recording of:
Rigoletto: Atto III. “La donna è mobile” (Duca)
composer:
Giuseppe Verdi (Italian opera composer) (until 1851-03-11)
librettist:
Francesco Maria Piave (until 1851-03-11)
part of:
Rigoletto: Atto III
Enrico Caruso2:14
3E Lucevan Le Stella
tenor vocals:
Enrico Caruso (tenor)
recording of:
Tosca: Atto III. “E lucevan le stelle” (Cavaradossi)
composer:
Giacomo Puccini (Italian composer) (from 1896 until 1899)
librettist:
Giuseppe Giacosa (from 1896 until 1899) and Luigi Illica (from 1896 until 1899)
part of:
Tosca: Atto III (Tosca: Act III)
Enrico Caruso2:23
4Santa Lucia
tenor vocals:
Enrico Caruso (tenor)
recording of:
Santa Lucia (Italian version) (in 1916)
lyricist and composer:
Teodoro Cottrau (composer)
translator:
Enrico Cossovich (Italian poet) (in 1849)
translated version of:
Santa Lucia (original traditional Neapolitan song)
Enrico Caruso4:03
5La Fleurque Tu M’avais Jetée
Enrico Caruso3:54
6Celeste Aida
tenor vocals:
Enrico Caruso (tenor)
partial recording of:
Aida: Atto I, scena 1. Recitativo “Se quel guerriero io fossi!” … Romanza “Celeste Aida” (Radamès)
composer:
Giuseppe Verdi (Italian opera composer) (in 1871)
librettist:
Antonio Ghislanzoni (in 1870)
part of:
Aida: Atto I
recording of:
Aida: Atto I, scena 1. Recitativo “Se quel guerriero io fossi!” … Romanza “Celeste Aida” (Radamès)
composer:
Giuseppe Verdi (Italian opera composer) (in 1871)
librettist:
Antonio Ghislanzoni (in 1870)
part of:
Aida: Atto I
Enrico Caruso3:29
7Ach So Fromm (In Italian)
tenor vocals:
Enrico Caruso (tenor)
recording of:
Martha: Atto III. “M’apparì tutt’amor” (Lionel)
composer:
Friedrich von Flotow (composer) (in 1849)
librettist:
Friedrich Wilhelm Riese
translated version of:
Martha: Akt III. „Ach! so fromm, ach! so traut“ (Lyonel)
Enrico Caruso3:48
8Noche Feliz
tenor vocals:
Enrico Caruso (tenor)
recording of:
Noche feliz
composer:
Guillermo Posadas (Mexican composer)
Enrico Caruso2:26
9Ave Maria
tenor vocals:
Beniamino Gigli (tenor)
recording of:
Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod)
lyricist:
[anonymous] (special purpose artist)
composer:
Johann Sebastian Bach (German Baroque period composer & musician) and Charles Gounod (French composer) (in 1853)
is based on:
Méditation sur le Premier Prélude de Piano de S. Bach
is based on:
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude and Fugue no. 1 in C major, BWV 846: Prelude
Beniamino Gigli2:50
10Je Crois Entendre Encore
recorded in:
London (Greater London), England, United Kingdom (in 1931)
tenor vocals:
Beniamino Gigli (tenor) (in 1931)
conductor:
Eugene Goossens (Sir Eugene Goossens, composer and conductor, third of the Eugène Goossens dynasty)
recording of:
I pescatori di perle: Atto I. "Mi par d'udir ancor" (in 1931)
composer:
Georges Bizet (French composer)
translated version of:
Les Pêcheurs de perles : Acte I. No. 4 Romance « Je crois entendre encore » (Nadir)
part of:
I pescatori di perle
Beniamino Gigli3:47
11Mama
tenor vocals:
Beniamino Gigli (tenor)
recording of:
Mamma
lyricist:
Bixio Cherubini (in 1940)
composer:
Cesare Andrea Bixio (in 1940)
Beniamino Gigli3:35
12Che Gelida Manina
tenor vocals:
Beniamino Gigli (tenor)
conductor:
Eugene Goossens (Sir Eugene Goossens, composer and conductor, third of the Eugène Goossens dynasty)
recording of:
La bohème: Atto I, no. 6. “Che gelida manina!” (Rodolfo)
composer:
Giacomo Puccini (Italian composer) (in 1896)
librettist:
Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
part of:
La bohème: Atto I. In soffitta (La bohème: Act I, Puccini)
Beniamino Gigli4:19
13Mattinata
Beniamino Gigli2:14
14La Danza
Beniamino Gigli3:04
15Di Quella Pira
tenor vocals:
Jussi Björling (tenor)
recording of:
Il trovatore: Atto III, scena 2. “Di quella pira l’orrendo foco” (Manrico, Leonora, Ruiz, armed men)
composer:
Giuseppe Verdi (Italian opera composer) (in 1853)
librettist:
Salvadore Cammarano (Italian librettist) (in 1853)
part of:
Il trovatore: Atto III. Il figlio della zingara
Jussi Björling1:39
16Ideale
producer:
Inger Forsblom and Lars Tocklin
tenor vocals:
Jussi Björling (tenor) (in 1937)
conductor:
Nils Grevillius (Swedish conductor and violinist) (in 1937)
recording of:
Ideale
lyricist:
Carmelo Errico
composer:
Francesco Paolo Tosti (Paolo Tosti, composer) (in 1882)
Jussi Björling3:21
17Ich Hab’ Kein Geld
tenor vocals:
Jussi Björling (tenor)
recording of:
Der Bettelstudent: Akt III. Couplet Symon: „Ich hab’ kein Geld, bin vogelfrei“
composer:
Carl Millöcker (composer)
part of:
Der Bettelstudent
Jussi Björling1:40
18Au Mont Ida
producer:
Lars Tocklin
tenor vocals:
Jussi Björling (tenor)
conductor:
Nils Grevillius (Swedish conductor and violinist)
recording of:
La Belle Hélène : Acte I. “Uti en skog på berget Ida” (Pâris entresang, swedish lyrics)
composer:
Jacques Offenbach (German-French composer, cellist and impresario)
librettist:
Ludovic Halévy (French librettist) and Henri Meilhac
translated version of:
La Belle Hélène : Acte I, Scène 7. Jugement de Pâris « Au mont Ida, trois déesses » (Pâris)
Jussi Björling3:20
19Ch’ella Mi Credo Libero
tenor vocals:
Jussi Björling (tenor)
conductor:
Nils Grevillius (Swedish conductor and violinist)
recording of:
La fanciulla del West: Atto III. “Ch’ella mi creda libero e lontano” (Johnson, Rance)
composer:
Giacomo Puccini (Italian composer) (in 1910)
librettist:
Guelfo Civinini (Italian librettist) and Carlo Zangarini
part of:
La fanciulla del West: Atto III
Jussi Björling2:24
20Song of India
Jussi Björling3:12
21Vesti La Guibba
Jussi Björling2:51

Credits

Release

liner notes:Neil Kellas
copyrighted (©) by:Delta Music Ltd. (@ Beckenham, Kent BR3 1QZ; UK subsidiary of Delta Music GmbH) (in 1997)
Discogs:https://www.discogs.com/release/12019585 [info]
ASIN:UK: B00002ML7T [info]