慷慨 has two distinct meanings: 'generous' (慷慨大方, giving freely with money or resources) and 'impassioned' (慷慨激昂, speaking with fervor). The second usage is more literary and formal.
history
The idiom 慷慨悲歌 (kāngkǎi bēigē) comes from the story of Jing Ke (荆轲), who sang a mournful song before his assassination attempt on the King of Qin. It describes someone passionately singing a tragic song.
