1873–1921 Italian tenor Caruso’s first great success was in L’elisir d’amore at La Scala in 1901, followed by his Covent Garden (1902) and Metropolitan Opera (1903) debuts in Rigoletto. He sang regularly at the Metropolitan thereafter, mainly in Verdi and Puccini, and also sang the French repertory including Faust, Manon and Samson et Dalila. He is considered ...
1873–1921, Italian Tenor Caruso’s first singing experiences came in local churches. Through mixed experiences of public performance, Caruso slowly came to master his voice and from his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1903, his fame was assured. Caruso’s voice mixed the burnished colour of a baritone with the sheen of a tenor. He developed ...
(Trumpet, b. 1939) Raised in Turin, Italy and taught piano by his conservatory-graduate mother, Rava began playing traditional jazz on trombone as a teenager but, inspired by Miles Davis, switched to trumpet. He worked with expatriate American jazzmen in Rome and travelled throughout Europe and around South America and New York. Through broad perspective and international ...
1820–89, Italian Enrico Tamberlik, the Italian tenor, made his debut in Naples in 1841, as Enrico Danieli, singing Tebaldo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Bellini’s Romeo and Juliet opera. Afterwards, while at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, he took the surname Tamberlik and retained it for engagements in London, St ...
1866–1950, Italian It was the intention of Francesco Cilea’s father that his son should enter the legal profession. It was not to be, however, and under the tutelage of Paolo Serrao, Beniamino Cesi and Giuseppe Martucci at the Naples Conservatory, he quickly made a name for himself. His first opera, Gina (1889), was performed during ...
(Ja’-ko’mo Poot-che’-ne) 1858–1924 Italian composer Puccini wrote 12 operas, three of which rank among the most popular in the world: La bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. The composer came from a long line of musicians. His great-great-grandfather, the first Giacomo Puccini (1712–81), was organist and choirmaster at the cathedral of S Martino in the Tuscan town of Lucca. His ...
1923–77 American soprano Callas left the US for Greece in 1937, and made her debut as Tosca in Athens in 1942. Her early post-war repertory included Wagner’s Brünnhilde and Isolde, but under the guidance of Serafin she concentrated on the Italian repertory. She was a singing actress of great power who made an indelible impression as Bellini’s Norma, ...
1856–1928, Italian Battistini was gifted with a beautiful baritone voice and after only a short period of study was given the opportunity to take on the leading role in Gaetano Donizetti’s (1797–1848) La favorite in 1878. Such was his success that Battistini embarked immediately on a busy schedule. His liquid, agile, high voice was ideally suited for the ...
1897–1981, American Soprano Ponselle’s auspicious debut took place in 1918 at the Met, as Leonore in La forza del destino with Enrico Caruso. That season, she sang 23 times, mainly in leading roles, and often with Caruso. Ponselle was soon the Met’s leading Italian dramatic soprano, with a dark, ringing, sonorous sound not ...
The advent of recordings certainly made opera accessible to many more people than ever before, and Enrico Caruso (1873–1921) was single-handedly responsible for the proliferation of his art via this medium. By the end of his life, he had made over 250 recordings. When the film world finally developed talkies, opera once again stepped to the fore, ...
While writing Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti observed a common custom of the 1830s; tailoring his music to the voices of the original cast. For example, Fanny Tacchinardi-Persiani (1812–67), who created the role of Lucia, was technically brilliant and Donizetti’s writing reflected her outstanding abilities. Matching music to performers was a shrewd move: the formula increased the popularity of ...
1890–1957, Italian Caruso’s successor at the Met, Gigli possessed a lighter but sweeter voice, and with the advent of recording he actually became more popular than his predecessor. Rodolfo in La bohème and Nemorino in Don Pasquale were perfect for his effortless tone. Gigli’s association with the Met began in 1920 but, due to a salary dispute ...
1810–49, German Although Otto Nicolai was born in Kaliningrad, northwest of Moscow, he is classed as a German composer. Between 1833 and 1836, Nicolai was organist at the Prussian Chapel in Rome where he became fascinated with opera. His first work for the opera stage, Enrico II (‘Henry II’, 1839) was enthusiastically received in Trieste. Best ...
(Various saxophones, b. 1971) A Chicago native, Chris Potter emerged professionally in bebop trumpeter Red Rodney’s combo, before moving on to featured roles in the Mingus Big Band and bassist Dave Holland’s quintet and big band. Potter became the youngest musician to win Denmark’s prestigious and financially valuable Jazzpar Prize in 2000. Personally self-effacing, Potter is a ...
(Trumpet, b. 1963) Dave Douglas spans musical abstraction and gutsiness in acclaimed albums and a busy, international touring schedule. After attending Berklee School of Music, New England Conservatory and New York University, he studied with classical trumpeter Carmine Caruso and toured with Horace Silver. He has recorded for a variety of small labels, as well as ...
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