Antonio Magini-Coletti (Baritone) (Lesi, Ancona 1855 – Rome, Italy 1912)

                                                                Mefistofele

Published details of his early life are scant but sources agree that he studied singing during the 1870s with the distinguished pedagogue Venceslao Persichini at Rome's Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia. (Persichini's other students included the lyric tenor Francesco Marconi and Magini-Coletti's fellow baritones Mattia Battistini, Giuseppe De Luca and Titta Ruffo.) In 1880, Magini-Colleti made his operatic debut at Rome's Teatro Costanzi, as Valentin in Gounod's ‘’Faust’’. He continued to perform regularly at that opera house for the next seven years, in addition to making guest appearances in Venice, Florence, Naples and other Italian cities. In 1887 he joined the roster at La Scala, Milan, remaining there for three seasons and singing a variety of leading baritone roles. Most notably, he appeared as the character Frank in the world premiere of Puccini's second opera, Edgar, in 1889. A year later, he performed his first Count Di Luna in Verdi's ‘’Il trovatore’’ at La Scala. This part became an especial favourite of his, and he reprised it in numerous houses during the remainder of his career. Between 1888 and 1891, Magini-Coletti sang to acclaim in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria and France. He also crossed the Atlantic for a series of operatic engagements in Argentina, receiving further plaudits. In 1891 he joined the stellar roster of singers at the New York Metropolitan Opera, participating to begin with in a two-month North American tour. His first performance with the Met touring company occurred on November 9, in Chicago, as Telramund in Wagner's ‘’Lohengrin’’.  His other roles on the 1891 tour included Hoël in Meyerbeer's ‘’Dinorah’’, Count de Nevers in Meyerbeer's ‘’Les Huguenots’’ and Amonasro in Verdi's ‘’Aida’’ (opposite soprano Lilli Lehmann and tenor Jean de Reszke), not to mention the title part in Mozart's ‘’Don Giovanni’’. On December 14, 1891, Magini-Coletti made a successful debut at the Metropolitan Opera's headquarters in New York City, singing Capulet in Gounod's ‘’Roméo et Juliette’’. He performed numerous roles at that house over the next 12 months, including Count Di Luna, Alfio in Mascagni's ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’, Don Pizarro in Beethoven's ‘’Fidelio’’, Escamillo in Bizet's ‘’Carmen’’ and Figaro in Rossini's ‘’Il barbiere di Siviglia’’, among others. Magini-Coletti left America in 1892. He proceeded to pursue a busy schedule of operatic performances in Italy and other European countries, venturing as far afield as Russia and becoming a frequent guest artist at both the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in Monaco and the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, in London. In 1900, he rejoined the La Scala company, performing numerous roles there for three seasons. Most notably, he appeared in the premiere of Mascagni's ‘’Le maschere’’ in 1901. Also in 1901, he sang at La Scala in a memorial concert held to mark the recent death of Verdi, partnering the heroic tenor Francesco Tamagno in a scene from ‘’La forza del destino’’. The following year, he participated in La Scala's first ever production of Weber's ‘’Euryanthe’’. Magini-Colleti sang often under the baton of Arturo Toscanini, La Scala's principal conductor, during this period. Toscanini was an ardent advocate of Wagner's music and he conducted Magini-Coletti in performances of ‘’Tristan und Isolde’’, ‘’Die Walküre’’ and ‘’Lohengrin’’. These landmark Wagnerian productions often featured Magini-Coletti's La Scala colleague Giuseppe Borgatti - Italy's best heldentenor.

Chronology of some appearances

1885 Sassari  Politeama Barbiere di Siviglia  (Figaro)
1887 Montevideo Teatro Ciblis Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1890 Lisbona Teatro San Carlos Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1890 Cento Teatro Comunale Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1891 Faenza Teatro Comunale Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1891 San Pietroburgo Teatro Panaieff Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio)
1891 Mosca Teatro Korsch Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio)
1892 Pesaro Teatro Rossini Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1893 Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Carmen (Escamilio)
1896 Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Un ballo in maschera (Riccardo)
1896 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1896 Santiago del Cile Teatro Municipal Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1903 Milano Teatro La Scala Ballo in maschera (Riccardo)
1904 Roma Teatro Costanzi Ballo in maschera (Riccardo)
1905 Milano Teatro Lirico Carmen (Escamilio)
1906 Mexico Teatro Arbeu Ballo in maschera (Riccardo)
1906 Venezia Teatro Rossini Ballo in maschera
1907 Venezia  Teatro La Fenice Carmen (Escamilio)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

 

Zonophone, Milano 1902

Damnation de Faust (Berlioz): Canzone della pulce X-1897

Zonophone, Milano 1903

Rigoletto (Verdi): Pari siamo X-1509

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Largo al factotum X-1538

Gioconda (Ponchielli): Barcarola X-1539

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-10-30

Dinorah (Meyerbeer): Sei vendicata assai 39335 XPh 407

Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti): Vieni la mia vendetta 39369 XPh 406

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-02

Carmen (Bizet): Votre toast  39374 xph 414

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-04

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Dunnque io son with Regina Pinkert 39345 XPh421

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-07

Guglielmo Tell (Rossini): Troncar suoi di with Oreste Luppi and Leon Escalais 39196 XPh 433

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-08

Pescatori di perle (Bizet): Del tempio al limitar  with Alessandro Bonci 29340 XPh 436

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-09

Rigoletto (Verdi): Bella figlia dell’amore with Giannina Lucacewska, Regina Pinkert and Alessandro Bonci 69019 XXXPh 439

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-10

La Danza  (Rossini) 39351 XPh 443

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-11

Non m'ama piu (Tosti) 39375 XPh 2663

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-13

Aida (Verdi): Rivedrai le foreste with Giannina Russ 74002 XXPh 455

Aida (Verdi): Su, dunque! with Giannina Russ 74003 XXPh 456

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-14

Gioconda (Gioconda): Figlia che reggi with Giannina Russ and Armida Parsi-Pettinella 74004 XXPh462

Lakme (Delibes): Lakme, quel ciglio a me si vela 39377 XPh 470

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-17

Musica proibita (Gastaldon) 39389 XPh 471

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-18

Gli Ugonotti (Meyerbeer): Settimino with Leon Escalais, Giuseppe Sala, Oreste Luppi, Ferruccio Corradetti, Angelo Algos, Giovanni Masotti 39370 XPh 473

Rigoletto (Verdi): Figlia!...Mio padre! with Giannina  Russ 39398 XPh 474

Rigoletto (Verdi): Veglia, o donna, questo fiore with Giannina Russ 39399 XPh 475

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-22

Crispino e la Comare (Ricci): Di Pandolfini medico...Puoi tornare al with Oreste Luppi and Ferruccio Corradetti 39396 XPh 481

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-24

Guarany (Gomez): Senza tetto, senza cuna 39387 XPh 488

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-11-29

Bohème (Puccini): C'è Rodolfo with Elisa Petri 39381 XPh496

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-12-13

Rigoletto (Verdi): Signor! Va, non ho niente with Oreste Luppi 39415 Xph 1519

Rigoletto (Verdi): Pari siamo 39434 XPh 1520

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-12-14

Rigoletto (Verdi): Cortigiani, vil razza dannata! 39441 XPh 1527
Rigoletto (Verdi): Miei signori 39442 XPh1528 

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-12-16

Falstaff (Verdi):  Alfin, t'ho colto...Quand'ero paggio with Elisa Petri 39430 XPh 1533

Trovatore (Verdi): Mira, d'acerbe  with Eugenia Burzio 39439 XPh 1535

Trovatore (Verdi): Vivrà, contende il giubilo with Eugenia Burzio 39439 XPh 1535

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-12-18 
Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti): Quella pietà with Oreste Luppi 39403 XPh1541
Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti): La mia figlia with Oreste Luppi 39404 XPh1542

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-07-05

Boheme (Puccini): Entrata di Schaunard...Quadro quarto with Gino Martinez-Patti,  Bonini Francesco  Maria Bonini and Oreste Luppi 39728 XPh 1980

Fonotipia, Milano 1907-10-08

Damnation de Faust (Berlioz):  Su queste rose 92046  XPh 2663

Fonotipia, Milano 1907-10-10

Traviata (Verdi): Di Provenza il mar 92000 XPh 2668

Fonotipia, Milano 1907-10-31

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Cruda, funesta smania 92031 XPh 2503

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-03-14

Otello (Verdi): Credo in un Dio crudel 92216 XPh 3080

Favorita (Donizetti): A tanto amor, Leonora 92217 XPh 3081

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-03-19

Damnation de Faust (Berlioz): C'era una volta 92047 XPh 3095

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-09-22

Faust (Gounod): Tu puoi la spada frangere 92465 XPh 3421

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-09-23

Faust (Gounod): Dio possente, Dio d'amor 92466 XPh 3423

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-10-26

Don Giovanni (Mozart):  La ci darem with Elvira De Hidalgo 92356 XPh3563

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-07-02

Aida (Verdi): Gran Concertato Finale Atto II with Icilio Calleja, Armida Parsi-Pettinella, Lina Pasini-Vitale, Ferruccio Corradetti and Oreste Luppi 69022 XXXPh 4036

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-12-15

Forza del Destino (Verdi): Urna fatale del mio destino 92620 XPh 4230

Maria di Rohan (Donizetti): Bella e di sol vestita 92619 XPh4232