Nunzio Rapisardi (Baritone) (Catania 1877 - St. Petersburg 1911)

Young moved with his family first in Palermo and then in Florence. Here, attracted by the theater of prose, he enrolled at the school of acting by Luigi Rasi and participate in the representation of some comedies to Stabile of Florence. Brother of the light sopranos Nunzia Rapisardi and Bianca Morello (maternal surname), he began to study song with the teacher Vannini. In 1898 he made his debut in Florence at Teatro Pagliano as Schaunard in Boheme. He spent the early years studying and singing parts of the same side in theaters nearby. In September 1902, after studying for three months, he made his debut as tenor at Politeama Reinach Parma as Canio in Pagliacci. But the attempt did not last long and he returned to the baritone roles. The success came in 1903 with a splendid success in Rigoletto at the Teatro Rossini in Venice. In 1905 at the Teatro Della Lizza Siena sang in the premiere of Alto Mare of G. Chigi. In 1911 he was engaged for the season by the Imperial Theater Petersburg but came to the Russian border was arrested because he hadn't a passport. Here, wounded his foot during a performance of Aida with a rusty nail, died in the event of a serious infection of tetanus. His funeral was attended among others Sobinof, Figner, Sibiriakoff and Stracciari.

Chronology of some appearances

1898 Firenze Teatro Pagliano Boheme (Schaunard)

1900 Firenze  Teatro Alfieri  Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1902 Firenze  Teatro Verdi  Manon (Lescaut)

1904 Venezia  Teatro Rossini Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1906 Torino Teatro Regio  Loreley (Hermann)

1908 Alessandria d'Egitto Teatro Zizinia Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1910 Parma  Teatro Regio Loreley (Hermann)

1911 Pietroburgo Teatro Imperiale Aida (Amonasro)

 

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Phonodisc, Milano 1908?
Forza del destino (Verdi): Non si plasa with Gino Martinez-Patti  50
Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Eri tu  81
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Largo al factotum 80
Ernani (Verdi) O dei verd'anni miei 115
Hamlet (Thomas) Come il romito fior 123
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Cruda, funesta smania 113

Amleto (Thomas): O vin discaccia la tristezza  122