Aldo Bertocci (Tenor) (Turin, Italia 9 May 1915 – Cassano Valcuvia, Italia 2 May 2004)

He studied singing in his hometown Turin, where he was a pupil of maestro Beltramo and Anna Maria Nobile. In 1943 he won a song competition in Alessandria. In 1944 his stage debut took place in Turin. He appeared in the post-war period at Italian provincial operatic stages as Duke in ‘’Rigoletto’’, Alfredo in ‘’La Traviata’’, Rodolfo in ‘’La Bohème’’, Cavaradossi in ‘’Tosca’’, Rinuccio in ‘’Gianni Schicchi’’ and Edgardo in ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’. He performed also in operas of contemporary composers like Paul Hindemith, Ildebrando Pizzetti, Gian Francesco Malipiero, Carl Orff, Luigi Dallapiccola, Alfredo Casella, Igor Strawinsky and Lodovico Rocca. In 1953 he appeared for the first time at La Scala in Milano, namely as Dimitri in ‘’Boris Godunov’’ (1956). Here he appeared on 24. 1. 1953 in the premiere of the opera ‘’Cagliostro’’ of I. Pizzetti (which was repeated in a broadcasting Turin RAI), in 1954 in M.Peragallo’s ‘’La Gita in Campagna’’, on 10. 1. 1957 in Felice Lattuada’s ‘’Caino’’. A narrow connection continued between the artist and La Scala, where he was to be heard all together during 16 seasons. In 1958 he sang there in the premiere of the opera ‘’L'Assassinio nella Cattedrale’’ by I. Pizzetti, in 1966 at the Piccola Scala in Flavio Testi’s ‘’Albergo dei Poveri’’. By the end of his career he added to his repertoire Otello of G. Verdi, which he sang at many famous Italian and European operatic stages. At the Vienna State he guested in 1959 as Riccardo in G. Verdi’s ‘’Un Ballo in maschera’’. At the Roma Opera he appeared in 1970 as Robespierre in ‘’Dantons Tod’’ by G. von Einem.

Chronology of some appearances

1947 Torino Teatro Carignano Gianni Schicchi (Rinuccio)

1953 Milano La Scala Cagliostro  (sentinella)

1956 Milano La Scala Boris Godunov (Vassili Sciuiskij)

1957 Milano La Scala Caino (Abele)

1962 Firenze Teatro Comunale Il Dibuk (messaggero)

1969  Torino Teatro Nuovo Kovancina (scrivano/confidente)

1970 Venezia Teatro alla Fenice Don Tartufo Bacchettone (Valerio)

1971 Milano La Scala Kovancina (scrivano)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Musical Masterpiece Society ‎– MMS-2157
Aida (Verdi): Se quel guerrier io fossi!...Celeste Aida
Aida (Verdi): Pur ti riveggo with Anna de Cavalieri
Aida (Verdi) Nel fiero anelito with Anna de Cavalieri
Aida (Verdi): Fuggiam gli ardori inospiti with Anna de Cavalieri
Aida (Verdi): Già i Sacerdoti adunansi with Anna de Cavalieri
Aida (Verdi): Nume, custode e vindice  Paolo Dari
Aida (Verdi): La fatal pietra with Anna de Cavalieri