Giovanni Martinelli - Cielo e mar (Live)

Golden Age tenor Giovanni Martinelli (1885-1969) sings Enzo's aria "Cielo e mar" from Ponchielli's opera La Gioconda. This was recorded during a 1939 performance.

[@ronaldgoff7499]

one of the greats from early 20th century

[@photo161]

one of the greats indeed through the mid-20th Century.

[@josemuso1]

El mejor "Cielo e mar", en lo expresivo, en los ligados, las tonaliddades, en fin,,,,,JRT

[@ciroalb3]

much better sound than I've heard on this before. His Edison version was pretty good

[@thomasrexdale3706]

This was only a short while before he was to sing Tristan to Flagstads Isolde Not a Wagnerian style in any sense he did have basic thrust of voice to pull it off in l970 ai was the chorus at the Met when Jess Thomas sang Tristan with Birgit Nellson--by the time of the big duet all he could do was bark as Nillson went from strenght to strength in the manner of Flagstand and Melchoir but then Thomas was way over his head to begin with.

[@ciroalb3]

If you listen to Martinelli's last Otello in Philadelphia, he had no voice at all after Act II must have been about '48?

[@shicoff1398]

@@ciroalb3 He was in his 60's by then, he sang the role a little too long into his later years, the Philly Otello is from 1948, and he was born in 1884, so he was in his 60s, he died in 1969 at age 84 but in his day was a great Otello and a very great tenor .

[@ciociosan]

Huh?

[@ronaldgoff7499]

who has high ntes like that today ?

[@LazlosPlane]

Is it me, or does Martinelli hear sound often flat and lacking wind?

[@hanslick3375]

It's either you or the quality of the recording/transfer

[@shicoff1398]

@@hanslick3375 It's the rec. most likely not the singer.

[@hanslick3375]

​@@shicoff1398 that's exactly what I said. To be exact, it's the transfer or even more exact, the reproduction of the recording. It seems that the playback speed fluctuates slightly at times, which results in pitch fluctuations. I can't hear a single instance where Martinelli is anywhere near out of breath.

[@shicoff1398]

@@hanslick3375 He wasn't!

[@hanslick3375]

@@shicoff1398 yes. He had plenty of breath. I've been agreeing with you the whole time. I'm not sure you're responding to the right comment 😉

[@ilecier]

Beautiful, strong voice. Better high notes than Caruso.