Forgotten Opera Singers

Forgotten Opera Singers

Sep 1, 2011

Guido Ciccolini (Tenor) (Roma 1885 - Neptune/New Jersey 1963)


                                      


He was a student of famed teacher Antonio Cotogni. He made his debut in Bologna as Alfredo in ‘’La Traviata’’ (1907). In 1909 he travelled around Belgium and Holland with the opera troupe of Mme de Restier and sang in Amsterdam as Pinkerton in the Dutch premiere of Puccini’s ‘’Madame Butterfly’’. Guest performances followed in England, Ireland and France. He was very successful in Russia, where he appeared at the Opera Theatres of St. Petersburg and Odessa as well as in Warsaw. In 1911 he undertook with an opera troupe (together with Nellie Melba) an Australia tour. He had a ticket to sail on the "RMS Titanic" (still in his family's possesion) but missed the sailing due to a opera performance scheduling change. In 1914 he sang at the Teatro Lirico in Milan in the Italian premiere of ‘’I Quattro Rusteghi’’ of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari. Since 1914 he appeared several times at the Opera Theatre of Boston, in 1915 at Havana (among other things as a Turiddu in ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’), in the 1918-19 season in Chicago, at the Civic Opera House. There he appeared in ‘’Rigoletto’’, ‘’La Traviata’’, ‘’Il Barbiere di Siviglia’’ and ‘’La Boheme’’. In 1926 he sang in the funeral of his friend, famous actor Rudolph Valentino. He retired from the stage in 1922.

Chronology of some appearances

1907 Bologna Politeama Azeglio Traviata (Alfredo)
1908 Salerno Teatro Verdi Africana (Vasco)
1909 Parigi Gaite Barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva)
1911 Sidney  Her Majestic Faust (Faust)
1918 Chicago Civic Opera House Barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva)
1919 Chicago Civic Opera House Rigoletto (Duca)
1922 New York Teatro Century Tosca (Cavaradossi)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE


 





Victor, USA 1910-11-22
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Addio alla madre 55021-A 206a-1


Gramophone, Milano 1910-11-21
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba 2-52789 903ah

Gramophone, Milano 1910-11-23
Bohème (Puccini): Addio dolce svegliare with Amelia Sanipoli, Maria Passeri & Ernesto Badini 054299  209aj

Gramophone, Milano 1910-11-25
Mefistofele (Boito): Giunto sul passo estremo 2-52787 913ah
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Tu qui, Santuzza with Bianca Besalù 054297 222aj
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Ah no, Turiddu with Bianca Besalù 054298 223aj

Gramophone, Milano 1910-11-26
Amico Fritz (Mascagni): Han della porpora with Ebe Boccolini 054388 226aj

Gramophone, London 1913-09-02
Fedora (Giordano): Amor ti vieta 7-52046 Ho750ak
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Fra poco a me ricovero 2-052081 Ho511al
Boheme (Puccini): Che gelida manina 2-052082 Ho513al
Gioconda (Ponchielli): Cielo e mar 2-052080 Ho510al


Gramophone, Milano 1913-11-10
Amico Fritz (Mascagni): Han della porpora with Giorgina Caprile 054465 720aj

Gramophone, Milano 1914-04-06
Lohengrin (Wagner): Da voi lontan 052434 757m

Edison, New York 1915-08-23
Carmen (Bizet): Il fior 82156 4063-H

Edison, New York 1916-11-29
Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia 82131 5183

Edison, New York 1916-09-13
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba  82119-R 4989 A

Edison, New York 1916-09-15
Mama mia che vo’ sape (Nutile) 83068-R 4996 B

Edison, New York 1916-09-29
Carme (De Curtis) 83068-L 5029 B

Edison, New York 1916-10-06
Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle BA 28276 82118

Edison, New York 1916-12-04
Marechiare (Tosti) 82552-L 5189 A

Edison, New York 1916-12-28
Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Ve loi dissi…Addio fiorito asil  with Thomas Chalmers 83038-R 5245 A

Edison, New York 1917-01-31
Pescatori di perle (Bizet): Del tempio al limitar with Arthur Middleton 82203-R 5332 A

Edison, New York 1917-03-05
O sole mio (De Curtis) 83074-L 5428 A

Edison, New York 1917-03-07
Favorita (Donizetti): Spirto gentil 82253 5433-C

Edison, New York 1917-03-21
Elegie (Massenet) 83074-R 5464 A

Edison, New York 1917-06-08
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Fra poco a me ricovero  82570-L 5609 A

Edison, New York 1917-06-18
Rigoletto (Verdi): Bella figlia dell'amore with Alice Verlet, Merle Alcockand and Arthur Middleton 84001-R 5629 A

Edison, New York 1917-06-20
Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Amore o grillo with Thomas Chalmers 82304-R 5635 A

Edison, New York 1917-09-14
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Sextet with Verlet, Middleton, Scott, Alcock & Baroni 82266 5787-A


Edison, New York 1918-09-23
Manon (Massenet): Le rêve 82556 6376-C

Edison, New York 1918-11-06
Boheme (Puccini): Che gelida manina 82556-R 6447 A

Edison, New York 1918-11-08
La Spagnola (Vincenzo di Chiara) 82183-R 6452 A

Edison, New York 1919-02-13
Funiculi, funicula (Denza) 82183

Edison, New York 1919-02-24
Trovatore (Verdi): Ah, si ben mio 82200 6635-B

Edison, New York 1920-08-02
La Campana di San Giusto (Arona) 82304 7472-B



















5 comments:

  1. MOLTO BELLO!!! Thank you my Friend for sharing this Valuable Biographical information.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent. My uncle's last name is Ciccolini and he is an opera aficionado. Can you show me a recording of Guido Ciccolini? (We live in Toronto,Canada).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent. My uncle's last name is Ciccolini and he is an opera aficionado. Can you show me a recording of Guido Ciccolini? (We live in Toronto,Canada).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello
      Thank you
      You can buy his CD https://www.ebay.com/itm/ITALIAN-TENOR-GUIDO-CICCOLINI-1885-1963-CD/292755862504?hash=item44299bf3e8:g:0y4AAOSwx7VapWGf:rk:1:pf:0
      All the best
      Ashot

      Delete
    2. Thanks very much Ashot. My Uncle also sings (he sang more when younger). Curious to know if Guido Ciccolini actually was born in Rome or a town near Rome (like my parents and my Uncle - Commune of Pescosolido in the Province of Frosinone).

      Delete