Franco Tafuro (Tenor) (Lecce 1891 - ? 1943)

He studied singing in Lecce under the pedagogue Alceste Geranda and made his debut in 1912 at the Teatro Biondo in Palermo in ‘’Ruy Blas’’ and during the following twenty years had a significant career primarily at the leading Italian theaters. From 1921 to 1934 almost annually he appeared at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari; in 1924 he made guest appearance at the Teatro Municipal in San Paolo, Brazil. In the 1924 he sang at the Teatro Alla Scala as Faust in ‘’Mefistofele’’ by A. Boito. In 1930 he again performed at the Teatro Alla Scala. This time as Turiddu in P. Mascagni’s ‘’Cavalleria Rusticana’’, in 1937 as Riccardo in G. Verdi’s ‘’Ballo in maschera’’ and as an Amenofi in ‘’Mosè’’ by G. Rossini (opposite Tancredi Pasero, Lina Pagliughi and Gina Cigna). At the Teatro Dell'Opera in Rome he appeared in 1928 as Dimitri in ‘’Risurrezione’’ of  F. Alfano and in 1929 asOsaka in P. Mascagni’s ‘’Iris’’. In 1934 at the Teatro Regio in Parma he sang the role of Gherardo in ‘’Fra Gherardo’’ by I. Pizzetti . At Teatro Verdi in Pisa he sang in 1937 in the contemporary opera ‘’Maristella’’ of G. Pietri. His stage repertoire included Radames in ‘’Aida’’, Edgardo in ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’ by G.  Donizetti, De Grieux in G. Puccini’s ‘’Manon Lescaut’’, Dick Johnson in ‘’Fanciulla del West’’ and Alfredo in ‘’La Traviata’’. He died during the Second World War. In 1930 he made 3 records or Excelsius.

Chronology of some appearances

1912 Palermo Teatro Biondo Ruy Blas (Ruy Blas)

1924 San Paolo Teatro Municipal Rigoletto (Duca)

1924 Milano Teatro Alla Scala Mefistofele (Faust)

1928 Rome Teatro Dell'Opera Risurrezione (Dimitri)

1930 Milano Teatro Alla Scala Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)

1937 Milano Teatro Alla Scala Un ballo in maschera (Riccardo)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Excelsius Record, Milano 1930

Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Pazzo io son 25M/1031 M 7234
Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Improvviso, pt 1 M7231 25M/1208
Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Improvviso, pt 2 M7231 25M/1209