Apri la tua finestra

On September 2, 1964, legendary Italian tenor Tito Schipa (1888-1965) was coaxed back before the microphone one last time. This final recording session, for which the tenor was paid the paltry sum of fifty dollars, yielded a group of seven Italian songs and operatic arias, none of which had ever been recorded commercially by Schipa during his career. The following recording of "Apri la tua finestra" from Mascagni's opera Iris, reveals that the 76 year old tenor's artistry and charm remained intact, despite greatly diminished vocal resources.