Riccardo Stracciari (Baritone) (Casalecchio di Reno 1875 – Rome 1955)

First he sang in an operetta chorus during 1894. He then entered the Bologna Conservatory, undertaking vocal studies with Ulisse Masetti. He made his professional debut in 1899, at the Teatro Communale in Bologna, in Pesori's sacred work La risurrezione di Christo. The following year he made his operatic debut as Marcello in Puccini's La bohème in Rovigo. After appearing in various Italian opera houses, he made his debut at Italy's leading operatic venue, La Scala, Milan, in 1904. Stracciari's career quickly became international, with debuts at the Royal Opera House in London in 1905, followed by his first appearance at the New York Metropolitan Opera on December 1, 1906, as Germont in La traviata. During his two seasons at the Met, his roles included: Ashton, Rigoletto, Amonasro, Valentin, Marcello, Pinkerton, and Di Luna. He also appeared with the Chicago Opera, the San Francisco Opera, the Paris Opéra, the Teatro Real in Madrid and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Stracciari performed widely, too, in his native Italy and retired from the stage in 1944. He is above all associated with Rossini's great comic creation Figaro, in Il barbiere di Siviglia, which he sang an estimated 1000 times, and Rigoletto, in Verdi's tragic opera of the same name. Stracciari sang in an era that was rich in outstanding operatic voices. But despite the high quality of the competition which he faced from rival singers, he is still widely considered to have been one of the finest Italian baritones of 20th century, owing to the beauty of his voice during its peak period, his imposing interpretive style and his first-rate vocal technique. He was also became a distinguished teacher at the music conservatories of Naples and Rome. Among his most notable students were Raffaele Arié, Paolo Silveri, Giulio Fioravanti, Zdeněk Otava, and Boris Christoff.

Chronology of some appearances

1899 Bologna Teatro Del Corso Boheme (Marcello)
1900 Mantova Teatro Andreani Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1901 Santiago del Cile Teatro Municipal Tosca (Scarpia)
1902 Bologna Politeama D'Azeglio Andrea Chenier (Gerard)
1902 Trieste Politeama Rossetti Rigoletto (Rigoletto)
1903 Lisbona Teatro San Carlos  Andrea Chenier (Gerard)
1903 Lisbona Teatro San Carlos  Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet)
1903 Firenze Teatro della Pergola  Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet)
1903 Bologna Teatro Comunale  Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet)
1904 Santiago del Cile Teatro Municipal Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1905 Roma  Teatro Costanzi Amica (Rinaldo)
1905 Brescia Teatro Grande Amica (Rinaldo)
1907 Trieste  Politeama Rossetti Ballo in maschera (Renato)
1908 Milano Teatro La Scala Andrea Chenier (Gerard)
1910 Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Andrea Chenier (Gerard)
1910 Montevideo  Teatro Solis Ballo in maschera (Renato)
1916 Milano Teatro La Scala Andrea Chenier (Gerard)
1932 Genova  Teatro Carlo Felice  Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet)
1932 Sanremo Teatro del Casinô Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet)
1932 Bologna  Teatro Duse Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet)
1935 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice  Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

 

Fonotipia, Milano 1904-12

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Cruda funesta smania 39058 XPh 1811

Rigoletto (Verdi): Deh non parlare al misero 9004 00Ph128

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-04

Germania (Franchetti): Ferito, prigionier 39159 XPh 192

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-02-19

Traviata (Verdi): Pura siccome un angelo with Rosina Storchio Unpubl. XPh1625

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-04-20
Traviata (Verdi): Di Provenza il mar 39625 XPh1810

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-04-22

Due Foscari (Verdi):  O vecchio cor 39626  XPh 1816

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-01-15

Faust (Gounod):  Che fate qui, signori? with Edoardo Garbin and Nazzareno De Angelis 74122 XXPh 3762

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-02-05
Faust (Gounod): Stammi ad udire (Morte di Valentino) 92457 XPh3767

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-02-08

Favorita (Donizetti):  Vien, Leonora, a' piedi tuoi 92428 XPh 3770

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-02-12
Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Un dì m'era di gioia  92624 XPh3774
Favorita (Donizetti):  A tanto amor 92429  XPh  3776
Tannhäuser (Wagner): O tu bell'astro 92459 XPh3777

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-02-17
Traviata (Verdi): Di Provenza il mar 92458 XPh3792

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-02-22

Gioconda (Ponchielli): Gia ti veggo with Giuseppe Armanini, Ester Mazzoleni and Nazzareno de Angelis 69021 XXXPh 3801

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-04-17

Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Eri tu che macchiavi 92621 XPh 3825

Trovatore (Verdi): Il balen 92622 XPh3826

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-04-22

Zaza (Leoncavallo): Zaza piccola zingara 74171 XPh 3840

Bohème (Leoncavallo): Oh, qual beltade s'offre al guardo mio!...Bella dama, da questi millionari with Ferruccio Corradetti 92626 Xph3843

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-04-23

Vespri Siciliani (Verdi): In braccie alle dovizie 92623 XPh 3849

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-03-04

Don Carlo (Verdi): Per me giunto 69156 XPh 4998

Tosca (Puccini): Ha più forte sapore 69157 XPh 4997

Ernani (Verdi):  Lo vedremo veglio audace  69154  XPh 4999

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-03-05

Don Carlo (Verdi): O Carlo, ascolta 74186 XXPh 5002

Tosca (Puccini): Già, mi dicon venal 69158 XXPh 5003

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Largo al factotum 74183   XXPh 5001

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-06-06

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Si può? Si può? 74184 XXPh5081

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-06-08

Barbiere  di Siviglia (Rossini): Ah! Che, d’amore with Fernando Carpi 74189/90 XXPh 5082/83

Barbiere  di Siviglia (Rossini): All'idea di quel metallo with Fernando Carpi 74190 XXPh5083