Greatest Opera Singers

Greatest Opera Singers

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Augusto Beuf (Baritone) (Palermo 1887 - Verona 1969)




As a boy he took part in an opera tour of a troupe and performed in operas ‘’Il Barbiere di Siviglia’’ and ‘’Don Pasquale’’. Then he studied violoncello in the Liceo musicale of Palermo and became a cellist in the orchestra of the Teatro Massimo, Palermo. He began his career without real song study. He travelled around with an Italian operetta troupe, the Compagnia Lombardo, Egypt. In Cairo impresario Castellani obliged him for a Greece tour and Balkan tour of his opera society. He made his opera debut in 1908 at the Teatro Comunale of Modica in ‘’Rigoletto’’. In 1913 he guested at the Teatro Biondo, Palermo as Alfio in ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’, in 1914 in Corfu as a Germont in ‘’La Traviata’’. During the First World War he served as a soldier in the Italian army. In the 1917-18 season he studied under the famous Antonio Cotogni in Rome whose last pupil he was. Then in 1918 he appeared again on the stage, namely at the Teatro Carcano in Milan. He had his first big success soon afterwards in 1920 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome where he completed his education with Alfredo Martini. He sang at the Teatro Costanzi in 1920 as Alfio in ‘’Cavalleri rusticana’’ and on 2. 5. 1921 the role of Capitano in the premiere of Mascagni’s opera ‘’Il piccolo Marat’’. During the 1920’s he made guest appearances at La Scala, Milan. In addition he sang a lot in South America, thus in 1927 at the Teatro Colցn, Buenos Aires in ‘’Tosca’’ and ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’. In the 1931-34 seasons he was a member of the Chicago Opera. Since 1934 he also took over bass parts and Wagner's roles; thus he appeared at La Scala as Hans Sachs. In 1935 he guested in Florence in the premiere of the opera ‘’L'Orseolo’’ of  Pizzetti, in 1939 he appeared at La Scala in the premiere of  E. Wolf Ferrari’s  ‘’La Dama Boba’’, likewise in 1939 at the opera house of Rome in ‘’Monte Ivnor’’ of Lodovico Rocca. From 1938-48 he undertook concert tours all over the world, often together with the Toti dal Monte with whom he appeared in Paris and Brussels, in Germany and in Switzerland. During the Second World War he guested in Berlin. In 1946 he appeared only on the English television. In 1953 he sang at La Scala in the premiere of Pizzetti’s opera ‘’ Cagliostro’’.

Chronology of some appearances

1910 Siracusa Teatro Comunale Pagliacci (Silvio)
1917 Roma Teatro Valle Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)
1920 Palermo Teatro Massimo Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)
1923 Firenze Teatro Verdi  Falstaff (Ford)
1927 Rio de Janeiro Teatro Municipal Tosca (Scarpia)
1930 Catania Teatro Bellini  Lucia Di Lammermoor (Enrico)
1933 Alessandria Teatro Municipale Otello (Jago)
1936 Milano Teatro La Scala Orseolo di I.Pizzetti (Alvise)
1941Asti  Teatro Alfieri Don Pasquale (Don Pasquale)
1945 Barcellona Teatro Liceo Aida (Ramfis)
1950 Parma Teatro Regio Don Giovanni (Leporello)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE








Columbia, Milano 1926? (ac)
Aida (Verdi): Rivedrai le foreste, pt 1 with Bianca Scacciati D12475 B820
Don Carlo (Verdi): Per me giunto e il di  supremo D 12263  833   
Guillaume Tell (Rossini): Resta immobile D12263 B832


HMV, Milano 1941
Simon Boccanegra (Verdi): Il lacerato spirito  DB5400 BA4372-2 
Don Giovanni (Mozart): La ci darem la mano with Toti dal Monte  DA 5406 BA 4376    
Don Carlo (Verdi): Ella giammai m'amo   DB 5399 2ba4389 
Don Carlo (Verdi): Dormirò sol   DB 5399 2ba4390
Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Crudeli! Perche finora with Toti Dal Monte  DA 5406 OBA 4391     

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Esperanza Clasenti (Soprano) (Havana 1882 - Milano 1935)







Very young she went to Madrid, where in 1896 she studied piano at the Conservatory. She studied singing under Anthony Ponsini and with Melchiorre Vidal in Milan. She made her debut in 1900 at Spalato in ‘’Otello’’. After the withdrawal she devoted her to teaching and spent the last years in the Casa di Riposo G.Verdi in Milan.

 Chronology of some appearances

1900 Spalato Teatro Comunale Otello (Desdemona)
1902 Merida Teatro Municipal Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)
1904 Bari  Teatro Petruzzelli Mignon (Filina) 1904                               
1906    Buenos Ayres Teatro Opera   Wally (Walter)
1908  Modena Teatro Municipale Rigoletto (Gilda)
1910    Buenos Ayres Teatro Opera   Mignon (Filina)
1912 Cremona Teatro Ponchielli Otello (Desdemona)
1914 Mantova Teatro Sociale Otello (Desdemona)
1916 Rio de Janeiro Teatro Municipal Traviata (Violetta)
1918 Verona Teatro Ristori  Rigoletto (Gilda)
1921 Cremona Politeama Verdi Rigoletto (Gilda)
1930 Saint Vincent Teatro del Casino Concert

RECORDINGS FOR SALE








Fonotipia, Milano 1906-01-11
Malaguena (Pagans)   39448 XPh1551
Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti): Ah bel destin with T.  Ferraris 39452  XPh1565

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-01-16
Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Che soave zeffiretto with T.  Ferraris 39453  XPh1567

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-01-24
A Granada (Alvarez)  39456 XPh1582

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-03-06
Mignon (Thomas): Io son Titania 39502 XPh1682      


  
















Almerico Stampanoni (Tenor)





He was active throughout Italy in the 1890s and first decade of the 1900s. In 1890 he appeard at the Teatro Alfieri as Fernando in ‘’Favorita’’. Then he sang in Teramo, Asti and Naples. In 1896 he made guest appearances in Warsaw singing at the Imperail Theatre. Then Stampanoni sang in Buenos Aires (1897) and Odessa (1899). In 1902 he went to Amsterdam and performed at the  Paleis Voor Volksvlijt. Here he appeared as Duca in ‘’Rigoletto’’. Probably he retired from the stage in 1908. His recordings, that he made for APGA are extremely rare.

Chronology of some appearances

1890 Asti  Teatro Alfieri  Fernando (Favorita0
1894 Teramo  Teatro Comunale  Faust (Faust)
1896 Varsavia  Teatro Imperiale Faust (Faust)
1897 Buenos Ayres Opera  Favorita (Fernando)
1899 Odessa  Teatro Municipale Manon (De Grieux)
1901 Bologna Teatro Duse Barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva)
1902 Amsterdam Paleis Voor Volksvlijt Rigoletto (Duca)
1907 Torino Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Favorita (Fernando)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE








APGA Paris, 1906/7
Traviata (Verdi): Un di, felice 35087
Marinari (Rossini) with Gustavo De Bernal Rezky  35098
Pescatori di perle (Bizet): Dal tempio al limitar with Gustavo De Bernal Rezky  35099
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): O sole piu rapido with Gustavo De Bernal Rezky 35100
Carmen (Bizet): Ho nome Escamillo with Gustavo De Bernal Rezky 35101