As a boy he took part in an opera tour of a
troupe and performed in operas ‘’Il Barbiere di Siviglia’’ and ‘’Don
Pasquale’’. Then he studied violoncello in the Liceo musicale of Palermo and became a cellist in the orchestra of the
Teatro Massimo, Palermo.
He began his career without real song study. He travelled around with an
Italian operetta troupe, the Compagnia Lombardo, Egypt. In Cairo
impresario Castellani obliged him for a Greece tour and Balkan tour of his
opera society. He made his opera debut in 1908 at the Teatro Comunale of Modica
in ‘’Rigoletto’’. In 1913 he guested at the Teatro Biondo, Palermo
as Alfio in ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’, in 1914 in Corfu
as a Germont in ‘’La Traviata’’. During the First World War he served as a
soldier in the Italian army. In the 1917-18 season he studied under the famous
Antonio Cotogni in Rome
whose last pupil he was. Then in 1918 he appeared again on the stage, namely at
the Teatro Carcano in Milan.
He had his first big success soon afterwards in 1920 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome where he completed
his education with Alfredo Martini. He sang at the Teatro Costanzi in 1920 as
Alfio in ‘’Cavalleri rusticana’’ and on 2. 5. 1921 the role of Capitano in the
premiere of Mascagni’s opera ‘’Il piccolo Marat’’. During the 1920’s he made
guest appearances at La Scala, Milan.
In addition he sang a lot in South America, thus in 1927 at the Teatro Colցn, Buenos Aires in ‘’Tosca’’
and ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’. In the 1931-34 seasons he was a member of the
Chicago Opera. Since 1934 he also took over bass parts and Wagner's roles; thus
he appeared at La Scala as Hans Sachs. In 1935 he guested in Florence
in the premiere of the opera ‘’L'Orseolo’’ of
Pizzetti, in 1939 he appeared at La Scala in the premiere of E. Wolf Ferrari’s ‘’La Dama Boba’’, likewise in 1939 at the
opera house of Rome
in ‘’Monte Ivnor’’ of Lodovico Rocca. From 1938-48 he undertook concert tours
all over the world, often together with the Toti dal Monte with whom he
appeared in Paris and Brussels, in Germany and in Switzerland. During the
Second World War he guested in Berlin.
In 1946 he appeared only on the English television. In 1953 he sang at La Scala
in the premiere of Pizzetti’s opera ‘’ Cagliostro’’.
Chronology of some appearances
1910 Siracusa Teatro
Comunale Pagliacci (Silvio)
1917 Roma Teatro Valle Cavalleria Rusticana
(Alfio)
1920 Palermo
Teatro Massimo Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)
1923 Firenze Teatro Verdi Falstaff
(Ford)
1927 Rio de
Janeiro Teatro Municipal Tosca (Scarpia)
1930 Catania
Teatro Bellini Lucia Di Lammermoor
(Enrico)
1933 Alessandria
Teatro Municipale Otello (Jago)
1936 Milano Teatro La Scala Orseolo di
I.Pizzetti (Alvise)
1941Asti
Teatro Alfieri Don Pasquale (Don Pasquale)
1945 Barcellona Teatro Liceo Aida (Ramfis)
1950 Parma
Teatro Regio Don Giovanni (Leporello)
RECORDINGS FOR SALE
Aida (Verdi): Rivedrai le foreste, pt 1 with Bianca Scacciati D12475 B820
Don Carlo (Verdi): Per me giunto e il di supremo D
12263 833
Guillaume Tell (Rossini): Resta immobile D12263 B832
Guillaume Tell (Rossini): Resta immobile D12263 B832
HMV, Milano 1941
Simon Boccanegra (Verdi): Il lacerato spirito DB5400 BA4372-2
Don Giovanni (Mozart): La ci darem la mano with Toti dal Monte DA 5406 BA 4376
Don Carlo (Verdi): Ella giammai m'amo DB 5399 2ba4389
Don Carlo (Verdi): Dormirò sol DB 5399 2ba4390
Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Crudeli! Perche finora with Toti Dal Monte DA 5406 OBA 4391
