Lirico-Leggiero tenor
The male equivalent of a lyric coloratura, this voice is a light lyric instrument, is very agile and is able to perform difficult passages of fioritura. The Lirico-Leggiero tenor has a range of approximately the C one octave below middle C (C3) to the D above tenor C (D5), with a few leggiero tenors being able to sing F5 and even higher while maintaining quality to the sound. Similarly, the lirico-leggero may be able to sing a little lower than the C3. The voice is the highest operatic tenor voice and is sometimes referred to as "tenore di grazia". This voice is utilized frequently in the operas of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti and the highest Baroque repertoire for tenors.
Lirico-Leggiero Tenor Roles In Opera & Operettas:[2]
Count Almaviva, Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini)
Belmonte, The Abduction from the Seraglio (Mozart)
Ernesto, Don Pasquale (Donizetti)
Ferrando, Così fan tutte (Mozart)
Lindoro, L'italiana in Algeri (Rossini)
Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni (Mozart)
Don Ramiro, La Cenerentola (Rossini)
Tonio, La Fille du Régiment (Donizetti)
Lirico-Leggiero Tenor Singers:
John Aler
Luigi Alva
Ian Bostridge
Rockwell Blake
Lawrence Brownlee
Richard Croft
Juan Diego Flórez
Topi Lehtipuu
William Matteuzzi
Francesco Meli
Peter Schreier
Tito Schipa
Léopold Simoneau
Ferruccio Tagliavini
Cesare Valletti
[edit] Lyric tenor
A warm graceful voice with a bright, full timbre that is strong but not heavy and can be heard over an orchestra. Lyric tenors have a range from approximately the C one octave below middle C (C3) to the D one octave above middle C (D5) with some able to sing up to E♭5 and higher. Similarly, their lower range may extend a few notes below the C3. There are many vocal shades to the lyric tenor group, repertoire should be selected according to the weight, colors, and abilities of the voice.
Lyric Tenor Roles In Opera & Operettas:[2]
Alfredo, La traviata (Giuseppe Verdi)
Arturo, I Puritani (Vincenzo Bellini)
Chevalier, Dialogues des Carmélites (Francis Poulenc)
David, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Richard Wagner)
Il Duca di Mantova, Rigoletto (Giuseppe Verdi)
Edgardo, Lucia di Lammermoor (Gaetano Donizetti)
Elvino, La Sonnambula (Bellini)
Faust, Faust (Charles Gounod)
Fenton, Falstaff (Giuseppe Verdi)
Hoffmann, The Tales of Hoffmann (Offenbach)
Lensky, Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky)
Oronte, I Lombardi alla prima crociata (Giuseppe Verdi)
Pinkerton, Madama Butterfly (Giacomo Puccini)
Rinuccio, Gianni Schicchi (Giacomo Puccini)
Rodolfo, La Bohème (Puccini)
Roméo, Roméo et Juliette (Gounod)
Tamino, Die Zauberflöte (Mozart)
Werther, Werther (Jules Massenet)
Wilhelm Meister, Mignon (Ambroise Thomas)
Guillaume Tell, Arnold (Giacchino Rossini)
Lyric Tenor Singers:
Nazareno Antinori
Roberto Alagna
Marcelo Álvarez
Giacomo Aragall
Piotr Beczała
Evgeny Belyaev
Jussi Björling
Joseph Calleja
José Carreras
Richard Croft
Richard Crooks
Giuseppe di Stefano
Gerald English
Salvatore Fisichella
Miguel Fleta
Luigi Marini
Beniamino Gigli
Nicolai Gedda
Jerry Hadley
Pyotr Slovtsov
Tibor Kelen
Sergei Lemeshev
John McCormack
Francesco Marconi
Chris Merritt
Luciano Pavarotti
Jan Peerce
Alfred Piccaver
Jacques Pottier
Dmitri Smirnov
Leonid Sobinov
Richard Tauber
Joseph Schmidt
Robert Swensen
Alain Vanzo
Ramón Vargas
Fernando del Valle
Rolando Villazón
Gösta Winbergh
Fritz Wunderlich
Gustavo Zamora
Rok Krajnc
[edit] Spinto tenor
This voice has the brightness and height of a lyric tenor, but with a heavier vocal weight enabling the voice to be "pushed" to dramatic climaxes with less strain than the lighter-voice counterparts. (They are also known as "lyric-dramatic" tenors.) This fach is divided into lirico-spinto and drammatico-spinto, though it is an old-school Italian tradition to do so and Spinto tenors today are simply labeled "Spinto". Spinto tenors have a darker timbre than a lyric tenor, without having a vocal color as dark as a dramatic tenor. However, other spinto tenors, such as Carlo Bergonzi have brightly colored and lyrical sounding voices, but are nevertheless able to perform spinto roles due to large vocal size or high volume [2]. Spinto tenors have a wide range of flexibility within the fach system being able to perform such roles as Radames in Aida and Don Alvaro in La forza del destino as well as lighter roles such as the Duca in Rigoletto and Werther. The German equivalent of the Spinto fach is the Jugendlicher Heldentenor and encompasses many of the Dramatic tenor roles as well as some Wagner roles such as Lohengrin and Siegmund. The difference is often the depth and metal in the voice where some lyric tenors age or push their way into singing as a Spinto giving them a lighter tone and Jugendlicher Heldentenors tend to be either young heldentenors or true lyric dramatic voices giving them a dark dramatic tenor like tone. Spinto tenors have a range from approximately the C one octave below middle C (C3) to the C one octave above middle C (C5), and, like the lyric tenors, they are often capable of reaching D5 and sometimes higher. Similarly, their lower range may extend a few notes below the C3.[2]
Spinto Tenor Roles In Opera & Operettas:[2]
Andrea Chénier, Andrea Chénier (Umberto Giordano)
Canio, Pagliacci (Leoncavallo)
Des Grieux, Manon Lescaut (Puccini)
Don Carlo, Don Carlo (Verdi)
Don José, Carmen (Bizet)
Erik, Der Fliegende Holländer (Wagner)
Ernani, Ernani (Verdi)
Hermann, Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky)
Idomeneo, Idomeneo (Mozart)
Macduff, Macbeth (opera) (Verdi)
Manrico, Il trovatore (Verdi)
Mario Cavaradossi, Tosca (Puccini)
Maurizio, Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea)
Max, Der Freischütz (Carl Maria von Weber)
Pollione Norma (Bellini)
Stiffelio Stiffelio (Verdi)
Riccardo, Un ballo in maschera (Verdi)
Turiddu, Cavalleria rusticana (Pietro Mascagni)
Spinto Tenor Singers:
Carlo Bergonzi
Beniamino Gigli
Franco Corelli
Plácido Domingo
Giuseppe Giacomini
Jonas Kaufmann
Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
Francesco Merli
Giovanni Martinelli
Aureliano Pertile
Helge Rosvaenge
Georges Thill
Richard Tucker
[edit] Dramatic tenor
Also "tenore di forza" or "robusto" – a rich, emotive, ringing and very powerful, clarion heroic tenor. The dramatic tenor has an approximate range from the C one octave below middle C (C3) to the C one octave above middle C (C5).[2] Many successful dramatic tenors have historically avoided the coveted high C in performance. Their lower range tends to extend into the baritone tessitura or, a few notes below the C3.
Dramatic Tenor Roles In Opera & Operettas:[2]
Calaf, Turandot (Puccini)
Canio, I Pagliacci (Leoncavallo)
Cavaradossi, Tosca (Giacomo Puccini)
Dick Johnson, La fanciulla del West (Giacomo Puccini)
Don Alvaro, La forza del destino (Verdi)
Florestan, Fidelio (Beethoven)
Otello, Otello (Verdi)
Peter Grimes, Peter Grimes (Benjamin Britten)
Radames, Aïda (Verdi)
Samson, Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns)
Dramatic Tenor Singers:
Franco Bonisolli
Enrico Caruso
Giuseppe Giacomini later in career
Mario del Monaco
James McCracken
Aureliano Pertile later in career
Jean de Reszke
Vladimir Rosing
Francesco Tamagno
Ramon Vinay
[edit] Heldentenor
A rich, dark, powerful and dramatic voice. As its name implies, the Heldentenor (English: heroic tenor) vocal fach features in the German romantic operatic repertoire. The Heldentenor is the German equivalent of the tenore drammatico, however with a more baritonal quality: the typical Wagnerian protagonist. The keystone of the heldentenor's repertoire is arguably Wagner's Siegfried, an extremely demanding role requiring a wide vocal range and great power, plus tremendous stamina and acting ability. Often the heldentenor is a baritone who has transitioned to this fach or tenors who have been misidentified as baritones. Therefore the heldentenor voice might or might not have facility up to high B or C. The repertoire, however, rarely calls for such high notes. A Heldentenor is less a true tenor than a baritone with a strong top register. Heldentenor Roles In Operas & Operettas:[2]
Florestan, Fidelio (Beethoven)
Tannhäuser, Tannhäuser (Wagner)
Loge, Das Rheingold (Wagner)
Lohengrin, Lohengrin (Wagner)
Parsifal, Parsifal (Wagner)
Drum Major, Wozzeck (Berg)
Siegfried, Götterdämmerung (Wagner)
Siegfried, Siegfried (Wagner)
Siegmund, Die Walküre (Wagner)
Walter von Stolzing, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner)
Tristan, Tristan und Isolde (Wagner)
Heldentenor Singers:
Bernd Aldenhoff
Giuseppe Borgatti
Karel Burian
Richard Cassilly
Mario del Monaco
Wilhelm Elsner
Stephen Gould
Ben Heppner
Siegfried Jerusalem
James King
Heinrich Knote
Ernst Kraus
Lauritz Melchior
Albert Niemann
Simon O'Neill
Ticho Parly
Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld
Peter Seiffert
Ludwig Suthaus
Set Svanholm
Josef Tichatschek
Jacques Urlus
Jon Vickers
Wolfgang Windgassen
Franz Völker
Ivan Yershov
Jess Thomas
René Kollo
[edit] Tenor buffo or Spieltenor
A tenor with good acting ability, and the ability to create distinct voices for his characters. This voice specializes in smaller comic roles. The range of the tenor buffo is from the C one octave below middle C (C3) to the C one octave above middle C (C5). The tessitura of these parts lies lower than the other tenor roles. These parts are often played by younger tenors who have not yet reached their full vocal potential or older tenors who are beyond their prime singing years. Only rarely will a singer specialize in these roles for an entire career.[2] In French opéra comique, supporting roles requiring a thin voice but good acting are sometimes described as 'trial', after the singer Antoine Trial (1737–1795), examples being in the operas of Ravel and in The Tales of Hoffmann.[11]
Tenor Buffo or Spieltenor Roles in Opera & Operettas:[2]
Count Danilo Danilovitsch, Die Lustige Witwe (Franz Lehár)
Don Basilio, The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart)
Mime, Siegfried (Richard Wagner)
Don Anchise/ Il Podestà, La Finta Giardiniera (Mozart)
Monostatos, The Magic Flute (Mozart)
Pedrillo, The Abduction from the Seraglio (Mozart)
Dr. Blind, Die Fledermaus (Johann Strauss II)
Slender, The Merry Wives of Windsor (opera) (Otto Nicolai)
Kálmán Zsupán, The Gypsy Baron (Johann Strauss II)
The Captain, Wozzeck (Alban Berg)
The Magician, The Consul (Gian-Carlo Menotti)
Beppe, I Pagliacci (Ruggero Leoncavallo)
Frantz, Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Jacques Offenbach)
Spoletta, Tosca (Giacomo Puccini)
Goro, Madama Butterfly (Giacomo Puccini)
Pong, Turandot (Giacomo Puccini)
Gastone, La traviata (Giuseppe Verdi)
Tenor Buffo or Spieltenor singers:
Charles Anthony
Nico Castel
Graham Clark (tenor)
Piero de Palma
Anthony Laciura
Michel Sénéchal
Darren Keith Woods
Heinz Zednik
Renato Ercolani
Gerhard Stolze
[edit] Operetta
Tenor Roles in Operetta: All of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operettas have at least one lead lyric tenor character; other notable roles are:
Candide, (Candide)
Eisenstein, (Die Fledermaus)
Camille, Count de Rosillon, (The Merry Widow)
Prince Karl, (The Student Prince)
Sheikh Red Shadow, (The Desert Song)
Captain Dick, (Naughty Marietta)
[edit] References
Specific references:
1.^ McKinney, James (1994). The Diagnosis and Correction of Vocal Faults. Genovex Music Group. ISBN 978-1565939400.
2.^ a b c d e f g h i j k Boldrey, Richard (1994). Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias. Caldwell Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1877761645.
3.^ Stark, James (2003). Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0802086143.
4.^ a b Smith, Brenda (2005). Choral Pedagogy. Plural Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-1597560436.
5.^ Shortage of tenors acknowledged (but blamed on cultural discouragement)
6.^ Joseph Callega interview: mentions shortage of tenors
7.^ The disciplines of vocal pedagogy By Karen Sell: mentions shortage of tenors
8.^ Averill, Gage (2003). Four Parts, No Waiting: A Social History of American Barbershop Harmony. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195116724.
9.^ Cantwell, Robert (2002). Bluegrass Breakdown: The Making of the Old Southern Sound. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0252071171.
10.^ Appelman, D. Ralph (1986). The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0253203786.
11.^ Cotte RJV. Trial, French family of musicians. In: The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Macmillan, London and New York, 1997.
General references:
David Fallows, Owen Jander. Tenor, Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy, grovemusic.com (subscription required)
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Vol 6, track 6, "Apri la tua finestra"
The proof that Mascagni could compose for other than 'tenore di forza'! Sublime, and tender!
Vol 6, track 4, "Spirto gentil" -- a bel canto masterpiece
by Donizetti. I would have liked some Bellini, too, though.
Vol 5, track 4 "Salve, dimora, casta e pura" -- the best tenor aria coming from France!
And lovely to have it recorded by Gigli!
Vol 4, track 8, "Mi par l'udire ancora" -- rec. Caruso
And Bizet's OTHER masterpiece! (cfr. "Il fior")
Vol 4, track 7, Un di all'azurro spazio
A very difficult aria -- They should have included the OTHER one -- un bel di di maggio.
Vol 4, track 6, "Ah, la paterna mano" rec. by Caruso
And the masterpiece in "Macbeth". Cfr. beautiful chorus: "Patria opressa"
Vol 4, track 5, "Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano" -- Caruso's role EVER
And nobody can sing it like HE did!
Vol 4, track 3, "Quando le sere al placido"
The unforgettable (you can forget about the rest) bit in "Luisa Miller".
Vol 3, track 7, "Recondita aromina di belleze diverse"
For some, a better aria than "E lucevan le stelle".
Vol 2, track 8, "M'appari tutt'amor"
The only piece by Flotow. Caruso loved this -- and it showed him, back in Naples, the year of his death, that he could still SING!
Vol 2, track 7, "Dio, mi potevi scagliar tutti a mali" (Otello)
Role created by Tamagno, and the only man who could sing this well! (Just teasing!)
Vol 2, track 6, "E lucevan le stelle"
Some people forget the extravagantly beautiful instrumental music that precedes this, the best opera aria of all time!
Vol 2, track 5, "Il fior che avevi me giatato"
A gem --! No wonder the thing was sung at Covent Garden in Italian!
Vol 2, track 4, "E la solita storia del pastore" role created by Caruso -- and a gem
Why is this so great? Surely the violin arrangement. Just to have the tenor ending the first stanza, "di lei il dolce sembiante" and the violins starting is so moving!
Vol 2, track 3, "Ecco, ridente in cielo" -- the only Rossini
The only Rossini in the 6-volume compilation. And there's NO BELLINI, so don't complain!
Vol 2, track 2, "Nessun dorma"
Yes -- what kind of a tenor should sing this? Di grazia! I dislike 'heroic' renditions of this!
Vol 2, track 1, "Cielo e mare" -- the masterpiece by Ponchielli
This is a gem -- The fact that the opera includes the Dance of the Hours helps!
Vol 1, track 7, "Ah, non mi ridestar" -- last track of first volume
This shows Massenet at his best. It is, also, the ONLY bit by this French composer that the Geneva, rightly, cared to compile!
Vol 1, track 6, "Celeste Aida"
Caruso has historical recordings of the two other arias from this opera by Verdi, which are MORE typically Italian!
Vol 1, track 5, "Addio fiorito asil"
There is a further Puccini compilation that has the other bits by Pinkerton. Notably the 'vagabondo' aria which I see why some may think better than THIS piece.
Vol 1, track 4 -- the three-part tour de force de Edgardo "Tombe degli avi miei"
This includes the hardly excerpted cabaletta, Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali.
Vol 1, track 2, "Sogno soave e casto"
The only bit from "Don Pasquale" in the 6-CD set. The chorus bit is also very good ("Opera choruses") as well as the duet with the soprano, of course.
Vol 1, track 2, "Tra voi, belle, brune e bionde"
This is the second track. It's from "Manon Lescaut". It is a later interpolation, or rather an inclusion of something Puccini had written before the opera.
Vol 1, track 1, "Una furtiva lagrima"
What follows is an analysis of each track in the best compilation so far, the six-volume series by Genova. "Tenore"
Osborne -- the great theorist
I am pleased to have been introduced to the work of Osborne via Prof. Conrad. I refer to
Osborne, Conrad L.
(1973).
'The Evolution of the Tenor Voice from Handel to the Present'
Musical Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 3 (July), pp. 3-8+
Excellent!
Osborne, Conrad L.
(1973).
'The Evolution of the Tenor Voice from Handel to the Present'
Musical Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 3 (July), pp. 3-8+
Excellent!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tenors A to Z: MERLI
Born in Milano, Francesco Merli received his vocal education in his natal city under the pedagogues Negrini and Borghi.
After having come second in a tenor singing contest in Parma in 1914, where the winner was the young Beniamino Gigli, he rose to a certain fame and made his operatic debut the very same year in Milano as Elisero in Rossini's Mosè in Egitto.
This was followed by appearances at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, where he amongst other roles appeared in the world premiere of the Argentinean opera "Huemac" by Pascual de Rogatis.
He visited Buenos Aires regularly between the years of 1920-32.
His La Scala debut came in 1916 as Alvaro in Spontini's "Fernando Cortez," and he enjoyed particular success with his Walther auf Stolzing in Wagner's "Meistersingern" in 1922. Merli remained with La Scala until 1946 where he was much admired by Toscanini, appearing as Lohengrin, Calaf, Des Grieux, Dimitrij in Mussorgskij's Boris Godunov, Radames, Turiddu, Manrico, Vassilij in "Siberia" by Giordano, Canio, Florestan in Beethoven's "Fidelio" and from 1935 the title hero in "Otello."
In 1926 he was Calaf in the premiere performance of Turandot at the opera of Roma, and at the premiere performance in 1927 at Covent Garden in London. In the years of 1926-27 and 1930 he appeared at the Covent Garden in London as Faust in Boito's "Mefistofele," as Calaf, as Enzo in Ponchielli's "La Gioconda," as Gennaro in "I Gioielli della Madonna" by Wolf Ferrari, as Dimitrij in "Boris Godunov" and as Des Grieux.
Merli also took part in the world premieres of Respighi's "Belfagor" (La Scala, 26 April 1923) and Bruno Barilli's "Emiral" (Teatro Costanzi di Roma, 1924).
1924 and 1930-36 he sang at the festivals of the Arena DI Verona, and in 1928 he participated in a tour of Australia with the Melba Williamson Company, which had engaged the great Prima Donna Nellie Melba. During his short engagement with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he made his debut in 1932 as Radames, he sang Edgardo in "Lucia Di Lammermoor," Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly" and Gabriele Adorno in "Simon Boccanegra." He interupted his engagement with the Met due to acute illness, and returned to Italy only after one month.
In 1935 he performed at the Grand Opira Paris as Pollione in "Norma," followed by appearances at the opera of Köbenhavn [Copenhagen] and at the Thibtre of Champs Ilysies Paris, and toured with the opera company Carro Di Tespi in Belgium.
He was active on stage in Italy until 1950 when he retired from the scene and commenced as a pedagogue in Milano.
He died in Milano, on 12 December 1976.
After having come second in a tenor singing contest in Parma in 1914, where the winner was the young Beniamino Gigli, he rose to a certain fame and made his operatic debut the very same year in Milano as Elisero in Rossini's Mosè in Egitto.
This was followed by appearances at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, where he amongst other roles appeared in the world premiere of the Argentinean opera "Huemac" by Pascual de Rogatis.
He visited Buenos Aires regularly between the years of 1920-32.
His La Scala debut came in 1916 as Alvaro in Spontini's "Fernando Cortez," and he enjoyed particular success with his Walther auf Stolzing in Wagner's "Meistersingern" in 1922. Merli remained with La Scala until 1946 where he was much admired by Toscanini, appearing as Lohengrin, Calaf, Des Grieux, Dimitrij in Mussorgskij's Boris Godunov, Radames, Turiddu, Manrico, Vassilij in "Siberia" by Giordano, Canio, Florestan in Beethoven's "Fidelio" and from 1935 the title hero in "Otello."
In 1926 he was Calaf in the premiere performance of Turandot at the opera of Roma, and at the premiere performance in 1927 at Covent Garden in London. In the years of 1926-27 and 1930 he appeared at the Covent Garden in London as Faust in Boito's "Mefistofele," as Calaf, as Enzo in Ponchielli's "La Gioconda," as Gennaro in "I Gioielli della Madonna" by Wolf Ferrari, as Dimitrij in "Boris Godunov" and as Des Grieux.
Merli also took part in the world premieres of Respighi's "Belfagor" (La Scala, 26 April 1923) and Bruno Barilli's "Emiral" (Teatro Costanzi di Roma, 1924).
1924 and 1930-36 he sang at the festivals of the Arena DI Verona, and in 1928 he participated in a tour of Australia with the Melba Williamson Company, which had engaged the great Prima Donna Nellie Melba. During his short engagement with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he made his debut in 1932 as Radames, he sang Edgardo in "Lucia Di Lammermoor," Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly" and Gabriele Adorno in "Simon Boccanegra." He interupted his engagement with the Met due to acute illness, and returned to Italy only after one month.
In 1935 he performed at the Grand Opira Paris as Pollione in "Norma," followed by appearances at the opera of Köbenhavn [Copenhagen] and at the Thibtre of Champs Ilysies Paris, and toured with the opera company Carro Di Tespi in Belgium.
He was active on stage in Italy until 1950 when he retired from the scene and commenced as a pedagogue in Milano.
He died in Milano, on 12 December 1976.
Tenors A to Z: PERTILE
Pertile came to be Toscanini's preferred tenor at La Scala during the 20's, and was probably the most loved and famed tenor within Italy during this era, having abandoned the country all Caruso's successors, such as Gigli, Martinelli and Lauri-Volpi.
Pertile thus came to symbolize a La Scala in opposition to the Italianesque Metropolitan Opera of New York.
Unlike his contemporaries, Pertile had no extensive collaboration with the Met in New York, neither with any other major opera company outside Italy.
His popularity within Italy, however, made him the chosen tenor for creating Nerone for Boito at La Scala (1 May 1923) and Sly for Wolf- Ferrari also at La Scala (29 December 1927).
Here he was often praised for his musical intelligence and his skilfull use of a huge, metallic but not considerably beautiful voice.
His impressive stamina and vocal reserve allowed him to excel in roles such as Lohengrin, Andrea Chenier and Otello.
Pertile thus came to symbolize a La Scala in opposition to the Italianesque Metropolitan Opera of New York.
Unlike his contemporaries, Pertile had no extensive collaboration with the Met in New York, neither with any other major opera company outside Italy.
His popularity within Italy, however, made him the chosen tenor for creating Nerone for Boito at La Scala (1 May 1923) and Sly for Wolf- Ferrari also at La Scala (29 December 1927).
Here he was often praised for his musical intelligence and his skilfull use of a huge, metallic but not considerably beautiful voice.
His impressive stamina and vocal reserve allowed him to excel in roles such as Lohengrin, Andrea Chenier and Otello.
Tenors A to Z (Zenatello): ZENATELLO
Zenatello showed musical promise from a young age.
His singing teacher in Verona originally tried to train him as a baritone, but he never felt comfortable in this range and later switched to the higher tenor register.
Nonetheless, it was as a baritone that he made his professional debut at Belluno in 1898.
His tenor debut (as Canio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci) did not come until the following year, at Naples.
Zenatello's operatic career gained momentum during the early years of the 20th century.
On February 17, 1904, he created the role of Pinkerton in the world premiere of Puccini's Madama Butterfly at La Scala, Milan.
La Scala was Italy's leading opera house, and he remained a member of its company of singers until 1907.
He also sang at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, in 1905-06, 1908-09 and 1926; at the Manhattan Opera House in 1907-1910; and with the New York Metropolitan Opera company, on tour, replacing Enrico Caruso, in 1909.
He sang often, too, in South America and Mexico and various cities of Continental Europe.
Zenatello's voice had matured into that of a clarion-voiced dramatic tenor during his La Scala years, and he succeeded Francesco Tamagno (1850-1905) as the world's greatest exponent of Giuseppe Verdi's Otello. He performed this extremely taxing role more than 300 times during his career and recorded highly acclaimed extracts from the work.
After a final stage appearance (in New York City) in 1933, Zenatello retired from opera and taught singing. Lily Pons was one of his pupils. As to his private life, he lived with the Spanish mezzo-soprano Maria Gay from 1906 until her death in 1943. They were often described as husband and wife although they may never have actually married.
In 1913, Zenatello was instrumental in having the Verona Arena, built originally by the ancient Romans, restored and turned into a world famous open-air venue for opera performances. That same year the arena was used to mount a grand production of Aida, marking the centenary of Verdi's birth. In 1947, Zenatello arranged for a promising young soprano named Maria Callas to appear at the arena's Summer Festival in Amilcare Ponchielli's operatic masterpiece, La Gioconda. This appearance would give Callas' career an invaluable kick-along in Italy and help set her on the path to future stardom.
Zenatello died in New York City in 1949, aged 73.
His singing teacher in Verona originally tried to train him as a baritone, but he never felt comfortable in this range and later switched to the higher tenor register.
Nonetheless, it was as a baritone that he made his professional debut at Belluno in 1898.
His tenor debut (as Canio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci) did not come until the following year, at Naples.
Zenatello's operatic career gained momentum during the early years of the 20th century.
On February 17, 1904, he created the role of Pinkerton in the world premiere of Puccini's Madama Butterfly at La Scala, Milan.
La Scala was Italy's leading opera house, and he remained a member of its company of singers until 1907.
He also sang at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, in 1905-06, 1908-09 and 1926; at the Manhattan Opera House in 1907-1910; and with the New York Metropolitan Opera company, on tour, replacing Enrico Caruso, in 1909.
He sang often, too, in South America and Mexico and various cities of Continental Europe.
Zenatello's voice had matured into that of a clarion-voiced dramatic tenor during his La Scala years, and he succeeded Francesco Tamagno (1850-1905) as the world's greatest exponent of Giuseppe Verdi's Otello. He performed this extremely taxing role more than 300 times during his career and recorded highly acclaimed extracts from the work.
After a final stage appearance (in New York City) in 1933, Zenatello retired from opera and taught singing. Lily Pons was one of his pupils. As to his private life, he lived with the Spanish mezzo-soprano Maria Gay from 1906 until her death in 1943. They were often described as husband and wife although they may never have actually married.
In 1913, Zenatello was instrumental in having the Verona Arena, built originally by the ancient Romans, restored and turned into a world famous open-air venue for opera performances. That same year the arena was used to mount a grand production of Aida, marking the centenary of Verdi's birth. In 1947, Zenatello arranged for a promising young soprano named Maria Callas to appear at the arena's Summer Festival in Amilcare Ponchielli's operatic masterpiece, La Gioconda. This appearance would give Callas' career an invaluable kick-along in Italy and help set her on the path to future stardom.
Zenatello died in New York City in 1949, aged 73.
Barker and his father -- my appreciation
Gerald Rhys Barker.
The material "Tenors A to Z" comes, mostly from G. R. Barker's father's notes. I shall try to add material from "Great tenors" and Enzo Valenti-Ferro and stuff.
The material "Tenors A to Z" comes, mostly from G. R. Barker's father's notes. I shall try to add material from "Great tenors" and Enzo Valenti-Ferro and stuff.
Tenors A to Z: Bonci
Alessandro Bonci was an Italian lyric tenor known for his association with the bel canto repertoire.
A native of Cesena, Romagna, Bonci started out as an apprentice shoemaker.
Luckily he secured a music scholarship to the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro, working for five years with Carlo Pedrotti and Felice Coen.
He also had private singing lessons in Paris with the retired baritone Enrico Delle Sedie.
Bonci made his debut in Parma in 1896, singing the role of "Fenton" in Verdi's "Falstaff" at the Teatro Regio.
Such was his success that before the end of his first season he was engaged to sing at La Scala, Milan, where he debuted in Bellini's "I Puritani."
Appearances elsewhere in Europe followed, including at London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He first sang at Covent Garden in 1900 and he would return there in 1903 and 1907-08.
On December 3, 1906, Bonci made his American debut with the Manhattan Opera Company in New York City; again the opera was I Puritani. He stayed two seasons with the company, becoming a popular competitor to Enrico Caruso, who was the rival Metropolitan Opera's major drawcard.
Bonci himself joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1908 and, in 1914, the Chicago Opera.
He also made a transcontinental tour of America in 1910-11, giving song recitals.
Bonci served in the Italian army during World War I, returning to America to tour for three seasons after the end of the conflict.
He appeared again at the Metropolitan Opera, and sang in Chicago during the 1920-21 season.
In 1922 and 1923 he served as the principal tenor of the Teatro Costanzi in Rome and conducted master classes across the United States the following year.
After 1925, Bonci entered into partial retirement, devoting himself primarily to teaching in Milan.
He still sang occasionally in public as late as 1935, however, and died in Viserba, Rimini, in 1940, at the age of 70.
Bonci's voice was captured on disc by the Fonotipia, Edison and Columbia companies.
RECORDINGS:
His first records were made in 1905 and his last in 1926.
On them, he is heard to best advantage in operatic arias by Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti and Gluck, but he was also renowned for his Rodolfo in Puccini's La boheme, his Riccardo in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera and his Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto.
Bonci was a small man and his voice was not overly large, either; but it was sweet-toned, stylish and supple, with excellent high notes.
A native of Cesena, Romagna, Bonci started out as an apprentice shoemaker.
Luckily he secured a music scholarship to the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro, working for five years with Carlo Pedrotti and Felice Coen.
He also had private singing lessons in Paris with the retired baritone Enrico Delle Sedie.
Bonci made his debut in Parma in 1896, singing the role of "Fenton" in Verdi's "Falstaff" at the Teatro Regio.
Such was his success that before the end of his first season he was engaged to sing at La Scala, Milan, where he debuted in Bellini's "I Puritani."
Appearances elsewhere in Europe followed, including at London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He first sang at Covent Garden in 1900 and he would return there in 1903 and 1907-08.
On December 3, 1906, Bonci made his American debut with the Manhattan Opera Company in New York City; again the opera was I Puritani. He stayed two seasons with the company, becoming a popular competitor to Enrico Caruso, who was the rival Metropolitan Opera's major drawcard.
Bonci himself joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1908 and, in 1914, the Chicago Opera.
He also made a transcontinental tour of America in 1910-11, giving song recitals.
Bonci served in the Italian army during World War I, returning to America to tour for three seasons after the end of the conflict.
He appeared again at the Metropolitan Opera, and sang in Chicago during the 1920-21 season.
In 1922 and 1923 he served as the principal tenor of the Teatro Costanzi in Rome and conducted master classes across the United States the following year.
After 1925, Bonci entered into partial retirement, devoting himself primarily to teaching in Milan.
He still sang occasionally in public as late as 1935, however, and died in Viserba, Rimini, in 1940, at the age of 70.
Bonci's voice was captured on disc by the Fonotipia, Edison and Columbia companies.
RECORDINGS:
His first records were made in 1905 and his last in 1926.
On them, he is heard to best advantage in operatic arias by Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti and Gluck, but he was also renowned for his Rodolfo in Puccini's La boheme, his Riccardo in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera and his Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto.
Bonci was a small man and his voice was not overly large, either; but it was sweet-toned, stylish and supple, with excellent high notes.
Tenors A to Z: Battistini
By the time Battistini began his career at the age of twenty-two, he had already familiarised himself, through extensive study with the famous Persechini, with a considerable portion of the baritone repertoire, including principal roles in La Favorita, Aida, Don Carlos, Un Ballo in Maschera, Rigoletto, Luisa Miller, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Traviata, Don Sebastiano, La Forza del Destino, as well as Ruy Blas by Marchetti, Jone by Errico Petrella, and Giovanna di Guzman (the first version of I Vespri Siciliani).
Blessed with uncommon physical strength Battistini was known to give as many as thirty-four encores after a full recital.
He was able to perform every night of the week, and found little difficulty in tackling different roles on consecutive days.
The ardency of his devoted fans was such that they would tend to him, reverently wiping his brow, or, if deprived of his actual presence, would break shop windows so as to steal a photograph of him.
The Tsar of Russia, who only received the most elite in St. Petersburg, welcomed Battistini back for twenty-six winters, until war and revolution swept the land.
The Americas were also keen to witness the artistry of the last Divo, but were to be less rewarded: although he visited South America early in his career, the experience of a violent sea storm led to his vowing never to cross the Atlantic again.
He kept to his word, despite the blank cheques, extravagant promises and multifarious offers from opera companies in the United States.
He did, however, travel widely within Europe, and conquered his fear of the sea many times to visit England.
Blessed with uncommon physical strength Battistini was known to give as many as thirty-four encores after a full recital.
He was able to perform every night of the week, and found little difficulty in tackling different roles on consecutive days.
The ardency of his devoted fans was such that they would tend to him, reverently wiping his brow, or, if deprived of his actual presence, would break shop windows so as to steal a photograph of him.
The Tsar of Russia, who only received the most elite in St. Petersburg, welcomed Battistini back for twenty-six winters, until war and revolution swept the land.
The Americas were also keen to witness the artistry of the last Divo, but were to be less rewarded: although he visited South America early in his career, the experience of a violent sea storm led to his vowing never to cross the Atlantic again.
He kept to his word, despite the blank cheques, extravagant promises and multifarious offers from opera companies in the United States.
He did, however, travel widely within Europe, and conquered his fear of the sea many times to visit England.
Tenors A to Z: Amedeo Bassi
Amedeo Bassi was born in Montespertoli (near Firenze) on the 26th of July of 1872, studied singing with the Marchese Corrado Pavesi, and made his debut in Castelfiorentino in the opera "Ruy Blas" by Filippo Marchetti (1897).
The month of his debut must be either October or early November.
In November he sang at the Arena (Florence) in "Rigoletto" and "Lucrezia Borgia".
In 1898 and 1899 he sang mostly in the provinces, mostly in lyric roles such as Des Grieux in "Manon," "Faust," the Duke in "Rigoletto" and Rodolfo in "La Boheme".
He was heard in Ravenna, Firenze, Livorno, Bologna, Pisa and Lecce.
Two rather unusual titles were the local première of "Nemea" (by Coop) and "La Resurrezione di Lazaro" (by Lorenzo Perosi), both at the Teatro Pagliano in Firenze.
Conductor/composer Mancinelli was so pleased with his performances that he chose him for the local première of his opera "Ero e Leandro" at the San Carlo in Naples (1900, March 9). The world première had been in Madrid in 1897).
He also appeared in "La Boheme" (4 March) with Lina Cavalieri.
Like Caruso he was one of the first performers of the rol of Cavaradossi in "Tosca".
In Genoa (Politeama, October 1900) he had to sing five times the third act aria (E lucevan le stelle).
He also sang in "La Boheme" and in the world première of "Medio Evo Latino" (November 17) an opera by the Argentinian composer/conductor Ettore Panizza.
The month of his debut must be either October or early November.
In November he sang at the Arena (Florence) in "Rigoletto" and "Lucrezia Borgia".
In 1898 and 1899 he sang mostly in the provinces, mostly in lyric roles such as Des Grieux in "Manon," "Faust," the Duke in "Rigoletto" and Rodolfo in "La Boheme".
He was heard in Ravenna, Firenze, Livorno, Bologna, Pisa and Lecce.
Two rather unusual titles were the local première of "Nemea" (by Coop) and "La Resurrezione di Lazaro" (by Lorenzo Perosi), both at the Teatro Pagliano in Firenze.
Conductor/composer Mancinelli was so pleased with his performances that he chose him for the local première of his opera "Ero e Leandro" at the San Carlo in Naples (1900, March 9). The world première had been in Madrid in 1897).
He also appeared in "La Boheme" (4 March) with Lina Cavalieri.
Like Caruso he was one of the first performers of the rol of Cavaradossi in "Tosca".
In Genoa (Politeama, October 1900) he had to sing five times the third act aria (E lucevan le stelle).
He also sang in "La Boheme" and in the world première of "Medio Evo Latino" (November 17) an opera by the Argentinian composer/conductor Ettore Panizza.
Tenors A to Z: ANSELMI
Giuseppe Anselmi was born November 16, 1876, in Nicolosi, and died on May 27, 1929, in Zoagli. He came from the Catania area on the east coast of Sicily.
He studied violin and piano at the Napoli Conservatory as a teenager, and then joined an operetta troupe with which he toured Italy and the Middle East.
Ricordi allegedly heard him and advised him to undergo vocal instruction with Mancinelli, one of Italy's leading conductors.
DEBUT:
According to some sources, Anselmi's first appearance on stage in an operatic role happened as early as 1896, when he sang Turiddu in Greece.
His Italian operatic debut took place in Genoa in 1900 and his career took off quickly from there.
He appeared initially at the Teatro San Carlo, Napoli, in late December of that year and, in 1901, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.
Engagements at La Scala, Milan, and the Monte Carlo Opera ensued in 1904 and 1908 respectively.
He was much admired at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and also sang in Brussels, Berlin and Vienna prior to World War I.
His greatest triumphs, however, occurred in the cities of St Petersburg, Warsaw and, in particular, Madrid, where he even eclipsed the famous tenor Enrico Caruso in popularity.
Although his style of singing was not liked at first by the London newspaper critics, he nonetheless became a favorite with audiences in the British capital, and he sang intermittently at Covent Garden until 1909.
Anselmi's operatic career tailed off at the end of World War One.
He spent his remaining years teaching and composing music in Italy.
He also gave the odd concert.
Anselmi died in 1929 of pneumonia at Zoagli in the Italian province of Liguria.
He had retained a deep affection for Madrid and he bequeathed his heart to that city, where it was exhibited inside an urn at the Teatro Real museum.
Commentators often describe Anselmi (and his famous contemporary Alessandro Bonci) as being among the last exponents of the old bel canto method of Italian singing, which was largely supplanted in Italy during the early 1900s by a more forceful mode of vocalism associated with verismo opera.
Anselmi had a sweet-toned if rather throaty and fluttery lyric tenor voice which he employed with memorable grace and elegance.
His upper range extended to a strong high C but his lowest notes were not so secure.
He looked good on stage and was film-star handsome, which made him extremely popular with female opera-goers.
He was noted for his performances as "Almaviva" and "Don Ottavio" but he also excelled in the roles of "Edgardo", "Ernesto" (in Don Pasquale), "Duca di Mantua", Alfredo, Faust, Enzo, Cavaradossi, Loris and Lensky, among others.
He studied violin and piano at the Napoli Conservatory as a teenager, and then joined an operetta troupe with which he toured Italy and the Middle East.
Ricordi allegedly heard him and advised him to undergo vocal instruction with Mancinelli, one of Italy's leading conductors.
DEBUT:
According to some sources, Anselmi's first appearance on stage in an operatic role happened as early as 1896, when he sang Turiddu in Greece.
His Italian operatic debut took place in Genoa in 1900 and his career took off quickly from there.
He appeared initially at the Teatro San Carlo, Napoli, in late December of that year and, in 1901, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.
Engagements at La Scala, Milan, and the Monte Carlo Opera ensued in 1904 and 1908 respectively.
He was much admired at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and also sang in Brussels, Berlin and Vienna prior to World War I.
His greatest triumphs, however, occurred in the cities of St Petersburg, Warsaw and, in particular, Madrid, where he even eclipsed the famous tenor Enrico Caruso in popularity.
Although his style of singing was not liked at first by the London newspaper critics, he nonetheless became a favorite with audiences in the British capital, and he sang intermittently at Covent Garden until 1909.
Anselmi's operatic career tailed off at the end of World War One.
He spent his remaining years teaching and composing music in Italy.
He also gave the odd concert.
Anselmi died in 1929 of pneumonia at Zoagli in the Italian province of Liguria.
He had retained a deep affection for Madrid and he bequeathed his heart to that city, where it was exhibited inside an urn at the Teatro Real museum.
Commentators often describe Anselmi (and his famous contemporary Alessandro Bonci) as being among the last exponents of the old bel canto method of Italian singing, which was largely supplanted in Italy during the early 1900s by a more forceful mode of vocalism associated with verismo opera.
Anselmi had a sweet-toned if rather throaty and fluttery lyric tenor voice which he employed with memorable grace and elegance.
His upper range extended to a strong high C but his lowest notes were not so secure.
He looked good on stage and was film-star handsome, which made him extremely popular with female opera-goers.
He was noted for his performances as "Almaviva" and "Don Ottavio" but he also excelled in the roles of "Edgardo", "Ernesto" (in Don Pasquale), "Duca di Mantua", Alfredo, Faust, Enzo, Cavaradossi, Loris and Lensky, among others.
The voice of gold -- what made Rubini great
Zucker:
"Rubini's contemporaries attributed his success primarily to the infectious joy he took in his own singing."
which SHOULD be enough!
"Rubini's contemporaries attributed his success primarily to the infectious joy he took in his own singing."
which SHOULD be enough!
More books on Rubini
Bruno Cassinelli, Antonio Maltempi and Mario Pozzoni, Rubini. L’uomo e L’artista (Comune di Romano di Lombardia: Cassa Rurale ed Artigiana di Calcio e di Covo, 1996) Vol I – II.
Eugênio Gara, Giovan Battista Rubini nel Centenario della Morte (7 aprile 1794-3 marzo 1854); preface by Francesco Speranza. - Commemorative Conference of 28 October, 1954. (Industrie grafiche Cattaneo, Bergamo 1968).
Pleasants, Henry. "Giovanni Battista Rubini (1794–1854)". Opera Quarterly (10.2): pp. 101–104.
Carlo Traini, Il Cigno di Romano. Giovan Battista Rubini. Re Dei Tenore. (Bérgamo, Committee for the Centenary celebrations 1954).
Zucker, Stefan (February 13, 1982). "Last of a Breed: Giovanni Battista Rubini Ruled as the Paragon of Virtuoso Tenors, King of the High F’s". Opera News.
Eugênio Gara, Giovan Battista Rubini nel Centenario della Morte (7 aprile 1794-3 marzo 1854); preface by Francesco Speranza. - Commemorative Conference of 28 October, 1954. (Industrie grafiche Cattaneo, Bergamo 1968).
Pleasants, Henry. "Giovanni Battista Rubini (1794–1854)". Opera Quarterly (10.2): pp. 101–104.
Carlo Traini, Il Cigno di Romano. Giovan Battista Rubini. Re Dei Tenore. (Bérgamo, Committee for the Centenary celebrations 1954).
Zucker, Stefan (February 13, 1982). "Last of a Breed: Giovanni Battista Rubini Ruled as the Paragon of Virtuoso Tenors, King of the High F’s". Opera News.
Book on Rubini -- how many books does your library have on books ON specific tenors?
There's one on Rubini.
LOCATELLI, Agostino (1844). "Cenni Biografici Sulla Straordinaria Carriera Teatrale Percorsa Da Gio. Battista Rubini Da Romano."
LOCATELLI, Agostino (1844). "Cenni Biografici Sulla Straordinaria Carriera Teatrale Percorsa Da Gio. Battista Rubini Da Romano."
The thing to do: create a role
The thing to do for a tenor (as opposed, say, to a gentleman, or country squire) is to create a role! These days, though, a few tenors would rather keep singing the same role all over again!
---- An example of role-creator: Caruso. Of course, the girls loved him for his "Ridi, pagliaccio". But not me! I love him because he created the roles for:
the problem-'kid' in "L'Arlesiana" -- "e la solita storia del pastore".
the Slav in "Fedora" ('Amor ti vieta') -- which a few biographers of Caruso have as being a 'minor' opera by that genius, Giordano!
the Mexican in "Fanciulla del West". Being a Neapolitan, he had the type! (While people think the role is Dick Johnson, anyone who's heard Caruso's English will realise he was rather, Ramerrez!
---
And my favourite, the student in Frankel-Rothschild (I can use myself to say, "Franchetti"), "Germania".
Genius!
The right photo -- or stuff
Gigli in character.
You see in many compilations of "Great Voices" and such a number of photographs of, say, Gigli with a fedora. Ridiculous! The right photo (or stuff, in the case of Rubini) is to have the tenor -- "in the role".
Welcome to "Il Tenore"!
In this blog, I (and my invited friends) propose to throw some notes on 'the tenor'!
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