Forgotten Opera Singers

Forgotten Opera Singers

Dec 18, 2011

Nicola Fusati (Tenor) (Rieti 1876 – Rome 1956)



His real name was Nicola Fusacchia. He studied medicine at the university of Rome and only after graduation began to study singing. He made his debut in 1908 at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari  as Radames in ‘’Aida’’. In 1909 he had at the Teatro Massimo in  Palermo big success as Vasco da Gama in Meyerbeer’s ‘’L’africana’’ and as Gabriele Adorno in ‘’Simon Boccanegra’’ of Verdi. He sang in many major Italian opera stages, thus in 1915 at the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia he appeared as Turiddu in ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’, in 1917 he guested at La Scala in Milan, performing in ‘’Ernani’’. He also appeared at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Teatro Sociale in Brescia; in 1925 he sang in the festival at the arena of Verona in Rossini’s ‘’Mosè’’. In 1926 he appeared at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice as Radames. After finishing his career he lived in Rome and became a medical manager of a hospital in Rome.

Chronology of some appearances

1908 Bari  Teatro Petruzzelli Aida (Radames)
1909 Palermo Teatro Massimo Africana (Vasco)

1910 Parma Teatro Regio  Loreley (Walter)
1911 Piacenza Teatro Municipale Wally (Hagenbach)
1914 Budapest Neopera Aida (Radames)
1915 Reggio Emilia Teatro Municipale Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)
1917 Milan La Scala Ernani (Ernani)

1919 Bologna  Teatro Verdi Ernani (Ernani)
1920 Genova   Politeama Genovese Aida (Radames)
1925 Verona Arena Mose' (Amenofi)
1926 Venice Teatro La Fenice Aida (Radames)

1927 Genova Politeama Genovese Pagliacci (Canio)
1929 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Otello (Otello)
1931 Novara Teatro Coccia Otello (Otello)
1932 Modena  Teatro Municipale Otello (Otello)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

 






Fonotipia, Milano 16-05-1917
Andrea Chenier (Giordano): Colpito qui mi avte 69283 Xph5178
Andrea Chenier (Giordano): E volli pien d'amore pregar! 69284 Xph5179
Aida (Verdi): Pur ti riveggo with Ester Mazzoleni 69285 Xph5180
Aida (Verdi): Fuggiam gli ardori with Ester Mazzoleni 69286 Xph5181

Fonotipia, Milano 27-05-1917
Canzone Guerresca (Giordano) 69370 XPh5325

Fonotipia, Milano 1917-05-31
Aida (Verdi): Morir sì pura e bella with Ester Mazzoleni 69251 XPh5146
Aida (Verdi): O terra addio with Ester Mazzoleni 69252 XPh5147

Fonotipia, Milano 2-06-1917
Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Non sai tu with Ester Mazzoleni 69360 XPh5255
Ballo in maschera (Verdi): O qual soave brivido with Ester Mazzoleni 69361 XPh5256

Edison Bell 
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba 7805-B
Trovatore (Verdi): Di quella pira 1071 7806-D
Rigoletto (Verdi): Questa o quella 1117 8741-C
Aida (Verdi): O terra addio with Mikushina 9775-A
Requiem (Verdi): Ingemisco (G. Verdi) 607 1418-C
Otello (Verdi): Niun mi tema 1539-A
Otello (Verdi): Addio sante memorie   1153
Africana (Meyerbeer): O paradiso 1419-D
Stabat Mater (Rossini): Cujus animam 1563-E
Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia 1105 8539-E
Fedora (Giordano): Amor ti vieta 1153 9486-F
Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Addio fiorito asil 1117

Columbia, Milano
Otello (Verdi): Gran duetto del giuramento with Riccardo Stracciari D18061 BX45

HMV
Complete Otello (Verdi) with Maria Carbone, Apollo Granforte, Piero Girardi and Corrado Zambelli














3 comments:

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

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, my friend ! Great information. You must have put an awful amount of work into your site. Excellent.. Never heard of Nicola Fusati before until I came across him in a sing-off (cage match) of the Esultate, on Youtube. There was severe competition, including MdM, Vinay, Gigli, Corelli, Melchior, Giacomini, and other greats. IMHO Vinay was the "best" (though how do you define that at such a high level?), but (again IMHO) Fusati was a close second.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you too my friend, yes he was one of the best tenors of his time. Record that you heard on youtube, I mean Esultate! is from his complete Otello made for HMV. His records made for Fonotipia and Edison are more interesting for me.
      All the best
      Ashot

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