Di Stefano was born in Motta Santa Anastasia, a village near Catania, Sicily. He was the only son of a carabiniere turned cobbler and his dressmaker wife. Di Stefano was educated at a Jesuit seminary and briefly contemplated entering the priesthood.
Di Stefano made his operatic debut in 1946 in Reggio Emilia as Des Grieux in Massenet's Manon, the role with which he made his La Scala debut the following year. He made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1948 as the Duke in Rigoletto, and he went to perform regularly in New York for many years. In 1957, Di Stefano made his British debut at the Edinburgh Festival as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore and his Royal Opera House, Covent Garden debut in 1961 as Cavaradossi in Tosca.
As a singer, Di Stefano was admired for his excellent diction, unique timbre, and passionate delivery, and particularly for his sweet silky soft tones. In his Metropolitan radio debut in Faust, he attacked the high C forte and then softened to a pianissimo. Rudolf Bing said this was the most beautiful sound he ever heard come out of a human throat. But the heavier roles that he began to take on were not really suited for a lyric tenor, and by the mid 1960s he had all but ended his operatic career. (Tenor Luciano Pavarotti modeled himself after Di Stefano, and on the 1992 PBS television program Pavarotti and the Italian Tenor, a vocal coach explained that Di Stefano's technique was faulty because he did not use the passagio in his voice as he should have.) In 1973, he accompanied Maria Callas on her final recital tour, an undertaking that was eventually aborted in 1974 due to the vocal shortcomings of both singers. His final operatic role was as the aged emperor in Turandot in July 1992.
In December 2004, Di Stefano was critically injured in his home in Diani, Kenya after a brutal beating by unknown attackers. The retired singer was ambushed in his car with his wife as they prepared to drive from their villa in Diani, a coastal resort near Mombasa on the Indian Ocean. The singer was still unconscious a week after the attack and was fed intravenously, and underwent several operations.
In December 2007, Di Stefano was flown to the San Raffaele clinic at Milan, where he slipped into a coma. He died in his home in Santa Maria Hoè near Milan on 3 March 2008, aged 86.
'O sole mio
Giuseppe di Stefano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
n'aria serena doppo na tempesta!
Pe' ll'aria fresca pare gia' na festa
Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole!
Ma n'atu sole cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
'O sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
'O sole, 'o sole mio
sta 'nfronte a te!
Lùcene 'e llastre d"a fenesta toia;
'na lavannara canta e se ne vanta
e pe' tramente torce, spanne e canta
lùcene 'e llastre d'a fenesta toia.
Ma n'atu sole cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
'O sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
'O sol, 'o sole mio
sta 'nfronte a te,
sta 'nfronte a te!
Quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne,
me vene quase 'na malincunia;
sotto 'a fenesta toia restarria
quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne.
Ma n'atu sole cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
'O sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
'O sol, 'o sole mio
sta 'nfronte a te,
sta 'nfronte a te!
The lyrics of the famous Italian song 'O sole mio' by Giuseppe di Stefano talk about the beauty of a sunny day and the joy it brings after a storm, with the fresh air feeling like a celebration. However, the singer believes that there is another sun that is even more beautiful - the one that shines upon his beloved. The song then shifts to describe the scene of a woman singing and doing laundry by the window, with the shining sun casting light onto the glass panes. Again, the singer emphasizes that the beauty of this scene is surpassed only by the sun shining upon his loved one. The song ends by describing the feeling of melancholy that comes with the setting of the sun, and how the singer wishes to stay under his beloved's window when that happens.
Overall, the song is a tribute to the beauty of the sun and the joy it brings, as well as a declaration of love for the singer's beloved. It contrasts the beauty of the natural world with the beauty of human connection and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole,
What a beautiful day with sunshine,
n'aria serena doppo na tempesta!
The air is clear after a storm!
Pe' ll'aria fresca pare gia' na festa
The fresh air feels like a celebration!
Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole!
What a beautiful day with sunshine!
Ma n'atu sole cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
But another sun is more beautiful, you know.
'O sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
My own sun is in front of you!
'O sole, 'o sole mio
Oh sun, my sun
sta 'nfronte a te,
is in front of you,
sta 'nfronte a te!
is in front of you!
Lùcene 'e llastre d"a fenesta toia;
The panes of your window shine;
'na lavannara canta e se ne vanta
A washerwoman sings and boasts
e pe' tramente torce, spanne e canta
And she twists, spins and sings for a long while.
lùcene 'e llastre d'a fenesta toia.
The panes of your window shine.
Ma n'atu sole cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
But another sun is more beautiful, you know.
'O sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
My own sun is in front of you!
'O sol, 'o sole mio
Oh sun, my sun
sta 'nfronte a te,
is in front of you,
sta 'nfronte a te!
is in front of you!
Quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne,
When night falls and the sun sets,
me vene quase 'na malincunia;
I get almost melancholic;
sotto 'a fenesta toia restarria
I'd stay under your window,
quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne.
When night falls and the sun sets.
Ma n'atu sole cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
But another sun is more beautiful, you know.
'O sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
My own sun is in front of you!
'O sol, 'o sole mio
Oh sun, my sun
sta 'nfronte a te,
is in front of you,
sta 'nfronte a te!
is in front of you!
Contributed by Hunter Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Peter Thomas
He’s really going for it all the way. Love it.
Rossana Vargas
Cada vez canta mejor. Es un ángel de Dios enviado a la tierra
Adrian Munch
Absolutely brilliant !! What a master ! Have not heard anyone equal this rendering and doubt I will, unique. He certainly has the edge on this one . Superb indeed.
Patricia Paape
My favourite Tenor.Love it.Thank you for posting.♫♪ ॐ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪
道
Cannot get enough of this, most beautiful voice, Italian Proud!!!
Jorge Durán Madrigal
Di stefano uno de los mas grandes tenores de todos los tiempos.
Durante muchos años el tenor favorito.
Giuseppe el magnífico.
Markino Markino
La più bella canzone di Napoli interpretata dal grande tenore Giuseppe di Stefano, un abbraccio ai suoi abitanti. Un saluto a mia suocera napoletana doc. Ciao a presto.
Jose P
Bella voz, el mejor de todos. Gracias Pipo!
G S
What a voice!
Yatty Cole-Wilson
Bellisimo! Beautiful in exposition,control and voice.