His father Lodovico Giraud (1846–82), was a famous tenor. He studied in Parma and made his début as Lohengrin at Vercelli in 1891. His success was rapid and the following year he created Canio in ‘’Pagliacci’’ at the Teatro Dal Verme, Milan. Unlike Fernando Valero, who created Turiddu in ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’, Giraud was not invited to sing the part throughout the world, and when engaged at Monte Carlo in 1897 it was only to sing Cassio to Tamagno's Otello. Otherwise, appearances abroad were limited to Spain, Portugal and South America. In Italy his reputation as a Wagnerian tenor grew steadily, and in 1907 he sang Siegfried in the première at La Scala of ‘’Götterdämmerung’’, under Arturo Toscanini. Later in the same season he was also Italy's first Pelléas. Other premières included Vincenzo Tommasini's ‘’Medea’’ (1906, Trieste) and Stefano Donaudy's ‘’Sperduti nel buio’’ (1907, Palermo). His few recordings, which include some Wagner but nothing of Pagliacci, show a strong, vibrant voice used with imagination and skill, though with a limited upper range.
Chronology of some appearances
1900 Teatro alla Fenice Venezia "Iris" with Fausta Labia (Iris), Maria Leonardi (geisha), Giuseppe La Puma (Kyoto), Fancesco Fabbri Boesmi (cieco) and Pio Rosa (merciaiolo/cenciaiolo).
1904 Teatro Costanzi Roma "Lohengrin" with Amelia Karola (Elsa), Elisa Bruno (Ortruda), Antonio Magini-Coletti (Federico di Telramondo) and Luigi Rossato (Enrico l'Uccellatore).
RECORDINGS FOR SALE
G&T, Milano 1904-04
Tannhauser (Wagner): Sia lode a te 52047 2190h
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Nel verno al pie 52048 2191h
Oblio (Tosti) 52049 2192h
Ancora (Tosti) 052067 271i
Carmen (Bizet): Il fior 052069 272i
Luisa Miller (Verdi): Quando le sere al placido 052070 273i
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Appena il mite aprile 052071 274i
Gramophone, Milano 1916-03-16
Invano (Tosti) 7-52085 R3847
Gramophone, Milano 1916-03-18
Primavera (Tosti) R3849 7-52089
Serenata (Rimpianto) (Toselli) 7-52091 R3851
Serenata (Rimpianto) (Toselli) 7-52091 R3851
Gramophone, Milano 1916-04-01
Ave Maria (Grigolata) 7-52090 R3851
Non m'ama più (Tosti) 7-52086 R3847
Ave Maria (Grigolata) 7-52090 R3851
Non m'ama più (Tosti) 7-52086 R3847
MOLTO BELLO!!! Thank you my Friend for sharing this Valuable Biographical information.
ReplyDeleteQuite interesting ! Actually I knew that Fiorello Giraud had some success in Italy at the time singing Wagner and creating the role of Cassio .He was the grand father of my wife 'mother who told me all that .
ReplyDeleteI did not know that some recording could exist ! My wife was really "commossa "hearing that voice !
Hello. Thank you for your comment. Yes, in 1904 and from 1916 to 1917 Fiorello Giraud made records (operatic and songs) for Gramophone.
DeleteAll the best
Ashot