Disc One
1 I PURITANI, Bellini, A te o cara 3.28
Rec: 19 October 1905 Matrix: XPh 394-2 Fonotipia Cat: 39084
2 LA FAVORITE, Donizetti, Una vergine, un angiol di Dio 3.10
Rec: Feb.1905 Matrix: XPh 189 Fonotipia Cat: 39111
3 LA FAVORITE, Donizetti, Spirto gentil 3.45
Rec: 19 October 1905 Matrix: XPh 393 Fonotipia Cat: 39338
4 DON PASQUALE, Donizetti, Cercherò lontana terra 2.23
Rec: 17 October 1907 Matrix: XPh 2696 Fonotipia Cat: 92101
5 DON PASQUALE, Donizetti, Tornami a dir 3.37
with Regina Pinkert, soprano
Rec: 8 November.1905 Matrix: XPh 438 Fonotipia Cat: 39341
6 LUCREZIA BORGIA, Donizetti, Di pescatore ignobile 2.56
Rec: 18 May 1906 Matrix: XPh 1888 Fonotipia Cat: 39673
7 LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Donizetti, Tombe degli avi ... Fra poco a me ricovero 6.16
Rec: 5 July 1906 Matrix: XPh 1982/3 Fonotipia Cat: 39693/4
8 LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Donizetti, Tu che a Dio 2.51
Rec: 5 July 1906 Matrix: XPh 1984 Fonotipia Cat: 39697
9 L’ELISIR D’AMORE, Donizetti, Una furtive lagrima 4.01
Rec: Feb.1905 Matrix: XPh 153 Fonotipia Cat: 39083
10 IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, Rossini, Voi dovreste ... Numero quindici 6.25
with Ferruccio Corradetti, baritone
Rec: 10 November 1905 Matrix: XPh 440/441 Fonotipia Cat: 39336/7
11 PARIDE ED ELENA, Gluck, O del mio dolce ardor 3.24
Rec: 16 June 1905 Matrix: XPh 308 Fonotipia Cat: 39241
12 PARIDE ED ELENA, Gluck, Spiagge amate 2.56
Rec: Feb.1905 Matrix: XPh 178 Fonotipia Cat: 39127
13 L’AFRICAINE, Meyerbeer, O Paradiso 3.14
Rec: 19 October 1905 Matrix: XPh 395 Fonotipia Cat: 39339
14 MIGNON, Thomas, Addio Mignon 3.38
Rec: Feb.1905 Matrix: XPh 168 Fonotipia Cat: 39079
15 MIGNON, Thomas, Ah, non credevi tu 4.20
Rec: Feb.1905 Matrix: XXXPh 158 Fonotipia Cat: 69007
16 MARTHA, Flotow, M’apparì tutto amor 2.48
Rec: 19 May 1906 Matrix: XPh 1890 Fonotipia Cat: 39674
17 FAUST, Gounod, Salve dimora 4.24
Rec: 22 May 1906 Matrix: XXPh 1894 Fonotipia Cat: 74006
18 WERTHER, Massenet, Ah non mi ridestar 2.38
Rec: 9 July 1906 Matrix: XPh 1993 Fonotipia Cat: 39698
Disc Two
1 RIGOLETTO, Verdi, Questa o quella 2.26
Rec: 16 June 1905 Matrix: XPh 303 Fonotipia Cat: 39239
2 RIGOLETTO, Verdi, La donna è mobile 2.34
Rec: 3 October 1905 Matrix: XPh 363 Fonotipia Cat: 39081
3 RIGOLETTO, Verdi, Bella figlia dell’amore 4.59
with Regina Pinkert, Giannina Lucacewska, mezzo-soprano, Antonio Magini-Coletti, baritone
Rec: 9 November 1905 Matrix: XXXPh 439 Fonotipia Cat: 69019
4 AIDA, Verdi, Celeste Aida 3.21
Rec: 5 July 1906 Matrix: XPh 1985 Fonotipia Cat: 39695
5 LUISA MILLER, Verdi, Ah fede negar ... Quando le sere al placido 5.21
Rec: 7 July 1906 Matrix: XPh 1990/89 Fonotipia Cat: 39691/2
6 LA TRAVIATA, Verdi, De’miei bollenti spiriti 2.12
Rec: 7 November 1906 Matrix: XPh 2220 Fonotipia Cat: 62130
7 MEFISTOFELE, Boito, Giunto sul passo estremo 4.01
Rec: Feb.1905 Matrix: XPh 154 Fonotipia Cat: 39080
8 LA BOHÈME, Puccini, Che gelida manina 4.06
Rec: 3 October 1905 Matrix: XXPh 366 Fonotipia Cat: 74000
9 FEDORA, Giordano, Amor ti vieta 2.06
Rec: 7 July 1906 Matrix: XPh 1988 Fonotipia Cat: 39696
10 ANDREA CHENIER, Giordano, Un di all’azzuro spazio 2.42
Rec: 17 October 1907 Matrix: XPh 2697 Fonotipia Cat: 92102
11 ZAZA, Leoncavallo, Mai più Zaza 2.40
Accompanied by the composer
Rec: 16 October 1907 Matrix: XPh 2694 Fonotipia Cat: 62300
12 Leoncavallo, Vieni amor mio 2.18
Accompanied by the composer
Rec: 16 October 1907 Matrix: XPh 2693 Fonotipia Cat: 62301
13 Giordani, Caro mio ben 3.06
Rec: Feb.1905 Matrix: XPh 176 Fonotipia Cat: 39128
14 Mozart, La Violetta (Das Veilchen K 476) 3.30
Rec: 14 June 1905 Matrix: XPh 302 Fonotipia Cat: 39242
15 Ciampi, Tre giorni son che Nina 2.57
Rec: 16 June 1905 Matrix: XPh 305 Fonotipia Cat: 39292
16 Parisotti (attrib. Pergolesi), Si tu m’ami 4.22
Rec: 14 June 1905 Matrix: XXXPh 301 Fonotipia Cat: 69018
17 LALLA ROOKH, Clay, I’ll sing thee songs of Araby 3.00
Rec: 16 June 1905 Matrix: XPh 311 Fonotipia Cat: 39248
Alessandro Bonci was active at the end of the 19th century, a period euphemistically referred to as the ‘Golden Age’. He belonged to a distinguished group of tenori di grazia, held to be the epitome of the ‘Bel Canto’ style of singing, which included Fernando De Lucia, Giuseppe Anselmi, Fernando Carpi, Giuseppe Krismer, Carlo Dani, Manfredi Polverosi and Elvino Ventura. For both audiences and singers of this generation priority was given to elegance of declamation combined with an ease of vocal emission and fine control of dynamics.
