Gigli, Alida Valli, Paul Hörbiger; Luigi Ricci, conductor. In Italian, with non-optional English subtitles (1942). 85m. B&W. The booklet is full of rare photos.
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RIVETING! The best plot of any Gigli movie.
Paul Hörbiger movingly portrays the real-life Canio on whom the opera was based. In the opera’s premiere, Gigli is the Canio. To express the drama, he colors his voice far more than any other Canio on film or record. The film includes nearly the entire role.
In Ridi Pagliaccio Gigli’s voice is more mature–and more appropriate for the part–than in his 1934 recording. On the recording he is colder and less detailed interpretively. It was made before he had stage experience with the role, whereas the film dates from 1942, when he was appearing as Canio at the Rome Opera. In the 1934 recording he gives priority to sonority. In Ridi Pagliaccio he gives priority to emotion.
Before this film Gigli was a lyric tenor who frequently sang dramatic-tenor roles. With this film his voice became a dramatic tenor although he retained his ability to sing sweetly.
He is particularly impassioned in the opera’s final five minutes.
Gigli’s mezza voce remained ravishing to the end of his career. In Ridi Pagliaccio he purrs “Prendi: l’anel ti dono,” from Sonnambula, with surpassing sweetness.
For a review of this title by the Wall Street Journal click here.