Alessandro Dolci (Tenor) (Bergamo 1888 (1890?) – Bergamo 1954)

                                                                Pollione

He studied singing under V. Baccanelli in Bergamo and with D. Lari in Milan. Probably he made his debut in 1912. In the 1914-15 season Dolci made guest appearances at the Teatro Fenice in Venice. In 1915 he was heard at the Teatro Comunale of Bolognaas Amenofi in ‘’Mosè in Egitto’’ of Rossini. In this opera house he also appeared in 1918 as Radames in ‘’Aida’’, in 1927 as Dimitri in ‘’Boris Godunov’’ and as Herodes in ‘’Salome’’ of  R. Strauss. In 1916 he appeared at La Scala singing the role of Radames in ‘’Aida’’. In 1918 he once more appeared at La Scala as Elisero in ‘’Mosè in Egitto’’ of Rossini. From 1923-32 he was to be found regularly at La Scala, where he also appeared in the premiere of the opera ‘’Debora e of Jaele’’ of I. Pizzetti (16. 12. 1922 under the direction of A. Toscanini) and in 1926 in the Italian première of Mussorgsky’s ‘’Khovantchina’’. In the 1918-19 season he was engaged by the Chicago Opera . In the 1919-20 season he sang at the Lexington Theatre of New York in ‘’Loreley’’. In 1919 he appeared at Covent Garden in London. In 1920 he sang at Arena di Verona in Verdi’s ‘’Aida’’. In 1918 (première of Puccini’s ‘’La Rondine’’), 1930 (‘’Debora e Jaele’’) and in 1938 (Italian première ‘’Macbeth’’ of E. Bloch) he guested at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. In 1936 he sang at the Teatro Carlo Felice of Genoain the premiere of Gian Francesco Malipiero's opera ‘’Giulio Cesare’’. In 1925 he appeared at the Teatro Regio of Turin in the Italian première of Richard Strauss’s ‘’Ariadne auf Naxos’’ appearing as Bacchus. In 1931 he sang at the Teatro Comunale in Florence the  role of Pollione in ‘’Norma’’, in 1933 the Ismaele in ‘’Nabucco’’ and the Licinio in ‘’La Vestale’’ of Spontini (which he also sang in 1933 in the Maggio musicale Florence opposite Rose Ponselle). Later he worked as a  pedagogue in Bergamo.

Chronology of some appearances

1913 Casale Monferrato  Teatro Sociale Loreley (Walter)

1914 Pescara  Politeama Michetti Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1914 Montagnana  Teatro Sociale Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1915  Padova  Teatro Verdi Ballo in maschera (Riccardo)

1915  Roma  Teatro Quirino Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1915  Bergamo  Teatro Donizetti Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1915  Genova  Politeama Genovese Fanciulla del West (Dick Johnson)

1915 Genova  Politeama Genovese Gioconda (Enzo)

1915  Venezia  Teatro La Fenice Gioconda (Enzo)

1915  Firenze  Teatro Della Pergola Gioconda (Enzo)

1916 Palermo  Teatro Massimo Fanciulla del West (Dick Johnson)

1916 Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Lirico Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1916 San Paulo  Teatro San Jos¨ Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1916 Buenos Ayres  Teatro Coliseo Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1917  Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1917 Torino  Politeama Chiarella Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1917 San Pellegrino Terme  Kursaal Fanciulla del West (Dick Johnson)

1917 Bergamo  Teatro Donizetti Loreley (Walter)

1917 Bari  Teatro Petruzzelli Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)

1918 Roma  Teatro Costanzi Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1918 Chicago  Civic Opera House Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1918 Chicago  Civic Opera House Gioconda (Enzo)

1919  Citta  delMessico  Teatro Esperanza Iris Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1919 Citta  del Messico  Teatro Esperanza Iris Barbiere di Siviglia

(Almaviva)

1919 Citta  del Messico  Teatro Esperanza Iris Norma (Pollion)

1919  Londra  Covent Garden Barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva)

1919  Londra  Covent Garden Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)

1919  Chicago  Civic Opera House Loreley (Walter)

1919  Chicago  Civic Opera House Norma (Pollion)

1919  New York  Teatro Lexington Loreley (Walter)

1919 Bergamo  Teatro Donizetti Fanciulla del West (Dick Johnson)

1920 Bergamo  Teatro Donizetti Loreley (Walter)

1920 Ravenna  Teatro Alighieri Fanciulla del West (Dick Johnson)

1920 Trieste  Politeama Rossetti Norma (Pollion)

1920 Boston  Opera House Gioconda (Enzo)

1921 Venezia  Teatro La Fenice Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1921 Roma  Teatro Adriano Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1922  Bergamo  Teatro delle Societ  Gioconda (Enzo)

1931  Firenze  Teatro Della Pergola Norma (Pollion)

1932  Roma  Teatro dell'Opera Norma (Pollion)

1934 Bergamo  Teatro Nuovo Barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva)

1936 Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-03-01

Parisina (Mascagni):  Commessa fu la mia colpa with Francisca Solari 69143XPh5056  

Parisina (Mascagni):  E disse in cuore Isotta with Francisca Solari 69144 XPh5057

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-04-18

Parisina (Mascagni):  Or voi composto m'avereste nella bara with Francesca Solari 69138  XPh5044            

Parisina (Mascagni):  Vittoria! Sia laudata la Regina del cielo! with Francisca Solari  69137  XPh5045        

Parisina (Mascagni):  Se pietа ho di voi with Francesca Solari  69140 XPh5046

Parisina (Mascagni):  Le grida e il clamore with Francesca Solari  69141 XPh5047

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-04-26

Parisina (Mascagni):  Vogliate qui sedere with Francisca Solari  69139 XPh5063      

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-04-21

Parisina (Mascagni):  Stanno in mucchio fra i lauri with Francesca Solari 69142 XPh5048

Parisina (Mascagni):  Ah, serra ancora with Francisca Solari  74182  XPh5049       

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-04-22

Parisina (Mascagni):  Merce, Maria! Merce, Vergine santa! with Francisca Solari 74181 XXPh5052       

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-04-23

Parisina (Mascagni):  O tristo, tristo with Laura Del Lungo  69131  XPh5053

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-04-24

Parisina (Mascagni):  Hai tu veduto a dentro with Francesca Solari  69148XPh5058

Parisina (Mascagni):  Ah com'e bella with Francesca Solari  69147 XPh5057           

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-04-25

Parisina (Mascagni):  Giungesti in punto with Laura Del Lungo 74180 XPh5060

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-04-26

Parisina (Mascagni):  Meglio campar la vita in arme 69133 XPh5061     

Fonotipia, Milano 1914-04-29

Parisina (Mascagni):  O fiore di mia vita with Laura Del Lungo 74179 XXPh5059