Franco De Fregorio (Tenor) (Palermo 1875 - ?)

 

                                                               Des Grieux

He began his career in italian provincial theaters where he sang during the first decade of the 20th century. In 1908 he appeared at the Teatro Nazionale in Rome as Edgardo in Donizetti’s ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’. In the next year, he performed at the Teatro Rossi in Pisa as Fra Diavolo in D. Auber’s opera of the same name. In 1911 De Gregorio guested during a season at the Italian opera in Holland. From 1915 to 1920 he traveled with smaller opera troops through North America. In 1919 he sang with the San Carlo Opera Company in New York as Turiddu in Mascagni’s ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’, while soprano Rose Ponselle appeared as Santuzza. Probably after finishing his career, De Gregorio taught in USA.

Chronology of some appearances

1897 Aja Het Gebow Lucia di Lammermoor (Edgardo)
1900 Garlasco Teatro Martinetti Faust (Faust)
1903 Odessa Teatro Municipale Rigoletto (Duca)
1905 Aja Het Gebow Manon Lescaut (De Grieux)
1906 Salerno Teatro Verdi Rigoletto (Duca)
1908 Firenze Politeama Nazionale Manon (De Grieux)
1910 Arezzo Teatro Petrarca Manon (De Grieux)
1912 Melbourne Her Majestic's Rigoletto (Duca)
1917 Bogotа  Teatro Olimpia Stagione
1919 Quebec Auditorium Faust (Faust)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Favorite
Gioconda (Ponchielli) Cielo e mar  42046

Beka, Milano? 1908/1909

Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia 42080

Aida (Verdi): Celeste Aida 42379
Gioconda (Ponchielli): Cielo e mar 42046

Victor, USA 1910-04-15

Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle 45017 156ah

Gioconda (Ponchielli): Cielo e mar 45027-B

Victor, USA 1910-04-16

Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Tra voi belle 45015 168ah

Victor, USA 1910-04-23
Bohème (Puccini): Sono andati with Maria Bronzoni 45013-A

Gramophone, Milano 1910-12-09

Zazа (Leoncavallo): E un riso gentil 2-52790 945ah

Gramophone, Milano 1910-12-14

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola (Siciliana) 2-52806 964ah

Victor, USA 1910-12-17

Gioconda (Ponchielli): Già ti veggo with Ernesto Badini and Fanny Lotti 55019-A

Victor, USA 1913-03-08

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): T'allontana sciagurato with Malvina Pereira, Giuseppe Maggi and Vincenzo Bettoni 68454 610aj

Victor, USA 1913-03-19

Boheme (Puccini): Mimi e  una civetta with Noemi Casini and Paolo Ferretti 68453 650aj

Gramophone, Milano 1913-03-19
Trovatore (Verdi): Di quella pira 059250 647aj

De Gregorio by Stampanoni