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This anthology, issued exactly 50 years after the great tenor's death, provides a powerfully involving complete portrait of Giovanni Martinelli, a great favorite for years at the Metropolitan where audiences saw him as the heir to the legend of Caruso, with his renowned breath control and sheen. The most striking features of his approach are his seemingly endless breath control and his slight emphasis upon consonants, increasing the clarity and precision of the words. Born in 1885, Giovanni Martinelli studied with Giuseppe Mandolini in Milan and made his professional debut at the Teatro dal Verne as Ernani in 1910. His debut at the Metropolitan Opera took place in 1913 as Rodolfo in La Boheme. He was a Met mainstay for 32 seasons, earning him the nickname 'The Lion of the Met.'