Panis Angelicus
Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 – 29 October 2003) was an Italian tenor active… Read Full Bio ↴Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 – 29 October 2003) was an Italian tenor active in opera from the 1950s to 1976. He was noted for his charismatic stage presence and physical attractiveness as well as his powerful voice. Throughout the 1960's, Corelli's position as one of the greatest Italian tenors in the world was secure. With his unusually dark vocal color and baritonal lower range he infused even the warhorses of Neapolitan songs like 'O Sole Mio' with freshness and authenticity, while his huge and electrifying top notes moved audiences to roaring delirium. He was a galvanic stage animal, and a very handsome man. In Italy, he was called "Golden Thighs." Every Corelli performance was a little like a bullfight. Despite his virile, heroic stage presence, Corelli suffered from terrible stage fright. Corelli retired from the stage in 1976 at the young age of 55. At the time, there was much regret that he had never undertaken the role which many believed would have been his greatest, Verdi's "Otello," which he was rumored to be preparing. In light of his crippling stage fright, the huge demands of this role may have scared him into retirement a little early, but by the mid-70's the voice was in decline, no longer backed by the sheer animal strength that had, in a sense, created it. Fortunately Corelli left many commercial recordings and many more live ones. Among the greatest are the title part in Donizetti's "Poliuto", several "Trovatore" performances, and, with Tito Gobbi, a wonderful performance of Puccini's wild-west opera, "La Fanciulla del West". In purely vocal terms--and in terms of his tremendously exciting stage presence--he has not been equalled by any tenor.

Panis Angelicus
Franco Corelli Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Panis Angelicus
Panis angelicus
Fit panis hominum
Dat panis coelicus
Figuris terminum
O res mirabilis!
Manducat Dominum
Pauper, pauper
Servus et humilis
Pauper, pauper
Servus et humilis

Panis angelicus
Fit panis hominum
Dat panis coelicus
Figuris terminum
O res mirabilis
Manducat Dominum
Pauper, pauper
Servus et humilis




Pauper, pauper
Servus, servus et humilis

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Franco Corelli's song "Panis Angelicus" convey messages of faith and humility. The song starts by acknowledging the holy nature of bread (panis angelicus) which feeds angels and humans. The second line emphasizes that this bread sustains the human race, suggesting that it is essential to our survival. The third line talks about the celestial origin of this bread, implying that it is a gift from the heavens. The final line of this stanza talks about how this bread is limited in form, which can be interpreted to suggest that its true form is ineffable.


The second stanza starts by referring to the wonder of this bread which is now consumed by the Lord. It emphasizes the importance of humility by stating that this Lord is consumed by the poor and humble servants. The fact that this bread is consumed by the poor and humble people can be seen as a symbol of the Lord's compassion and love for his followers.


Overall, the lyrics of "Panis Angelicus" convey a sense of humility and gratitude towards God for providing bread as a means of sustenance, and a reminder of the importance of staying humble in the presence of the Lord.


Line by Line Meaning

Panis angelicus
Bread of angels


Fit panis hominum
Becomes the bread of mankind


Dat panis coelicus
Gives the heavenly bread


Figuris terminum
Through symbols terminated


O res mirabilis!
Oh, miraculous thing!


Manducat Dominum
That consumes the Lord


Pauper, pauper
The poor, the poor


Servus et humilis
The servant and meek


Pauper, pauper
The poor, the poor


Servus, servus et humilis
The servant, the servant and meek




Writer(s): Franck

Contributed by Alexandra I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@mariagraziagottardelli551

Ho pianto di commozione nel sentire questa voce angelica.Corelli sei il mio mito

@user-fx8so8yh9p

Ангел во плоти

@redkovboy

Ben de ağladım. 😥

@csnvinnie

Corelli had formidable vocal power, but what is often overlooked is his ability to sing pianissimo. I have not heard anyone sing softly with the same intensity as Corelli.

@r.crompton2286

csnvinnie Agree. I compare Corelli with del Monaco in terms of vocal power though the edge is with del Monaco. Yet it's clear when comparing how the two sang Panis Angelicus, that Corelli marries intensity with softness much better than del Monaco.

@Nangis123

@csnvinnie If you think Corelli's pianissimi are the last word , you have listened only to his and no one else's. Plenty of other singers who could do better pianissimi than Corelli , meaning better supported , his sound dry and hollow in the last half of his career but good in the first. The fact he put them in everything and hold them for far too long didn't improve things , you don't improve quality by piling on in quantity , when something doesn't sound good you don't want to hear it longer or more often.

@lucianozanella5833

Voce straordinaria di tenore lirico spinto, dotato di un inconfondibile pathos, che lo eleva ad un fraseggio straripante di dolcezza.

@bonanzajoe

43 years old and still had the voice of a youth. Such a wonderful rendition.

@dawnadriennetaylor970

43 is barely the beginning for an opera singer! Younger isn't better.

@joshuafurtado-mendes9327

@@dawnadriennetaylor97043 is not the beginning lmao. 40s are when most tenors enter their prime

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