Aroldo Lindi (Tenor) (Tuna, Vimmerby 1888 – San Francisco 1944)

Don Jose

Canio 

His real name was Gustav Harald Lindau. He studied in Italy and adopting the stage name Aroldo Lindi made his debut in 1923 at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan. In 1925 he sang at the Teatro Regio in Parma, in 1926 at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa as Radames in ‘’Aida’’, his star role. He also appeared at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome and in 1925 and 1929 guested at Covent Garden in London. At the Chicago Opera he performed in the 1926-27 season in ‘’Aida’’, ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’ and ‘’Il Trovatore’’. In that time he sang also in San Francisco Opera as Manrico in ‘’Il Trovatore’’. Lindi made guest apperances also in Venice (Teatro La Fenice), Barcelona (Teatro Liceo), Monte Carlo, Cairo, Stockholm and Paris where at the Grand Opéra he appeared in 1930 as Radames in ‘’Aida’’. He later was the star tenor touring with the Fortune Gallo's San Carlo Opera Company during the 1930s until his death. Lindi died in 1944 at age 55 on stage in San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, during a performance of ‘’Pagliacci’’, singing Vesti la giubba.

"Aroldo Lindi was a great dramatic tenor, with a resounding B flat, and could sing anybody under the table. He was terrific. We were on tour in Canada and he had a heart attack in Winnepeg. The company went on to Portland, where he did a Carmen with me there. That was his first since his heart attack. He sang a beautiful performance. On to San Francisco, he was to do Pagliacci that night. He called me the night before and said ' Coe, could you please go up into the audience and let me know how my voice sounds,' I did and then went backstage as he was beginning the aria. From a chair in the wings, I heard Lindi doing the Ridi Pagliacci, 'in..fronto'... he was holding that note and I thought he was trying some new business. And the poor man, he wasn’t, he was dying. And he was holding that note. In desparation, I ran up on stage. I saw his knees buckle, and I went on stage in my fur cape and gardenias, and by then, somebody had begun to ring down the curtain. As he sang this aria, the note was being held, until he died, right in my arms. I'll never forget the expression on his face, when his soul left his body. He turned back forty years, a young man of twenty. It was unbelieveable. Very chilling, very chilling. A beautiful death for a singer...singing his favorite aria...holding his favorite note. " Coe Glade, mezzo-s., during VRCS interview, Chicago.

Chronology of some appearances

Philadelphia Opera House

Aida (Radamès) 10/16/1930

Pagliacci (Canio) 10/30/1930, 3/10/1932

Carmen (Don José)  4/7/1932

Aida (Radamès)  4/14/1932

Pagliacci (Canio) 8/7/1933, 8/20/1933

Carmen (Don José) 8/23/1933

Aida (Radamès)  8/26/1933

Pagliacci (Canio)  8/30/1933

La Forza del destino (Don Alvaro) 8/31/1933

Pagliacci (Canio)  9/6/1933

Il Trovatore (Manrico) 9/8/1933, 7/27/1935

Aida (Radamès) 1/29/1941

Il Trovatore (Manrico) 2/1/1941

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Columbia, Milano 1925?

Aida (Verdi): Celeste Aida D1519  B479

Carmen (Bizet): Il fior  D12463 B484

Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle  B486 D1518

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba  D12707 B494

Forza del destino (Verdi): O tu che in seno B496 D1519

Columbia, London 1926-06-18

Otello (Verdi): Ora e per sempre addio  52803-D BX 199

Columbia, London 1926-06-23

Carmen (Bizet): Il fior  L1816 WAX1682

Columbia, London 1926-06

Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle  185-M  WA3485

Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia  185-M  WA3486

Columbia, Milano 1927-11-15

Trovatore (Verdi): Ah, si ben mio  52804-D BX198

Columbia, Milano 1927-12

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): No, Pagliaccio non son D12568 WB1704

Trovatore (Verdi): Di quella pira  D12568 WB1710

Columbia, Milano 1927-11-18

Africana (Meyerbeer): O paradiso GQX10235 BX201

Otello (Verdi): Dio! Mi potevi scagliar  7118-M BX202

Columbia, Milano 1927-11-16

Otello (Verdi): Niun mi tema  BX200 52804-D

Columbia, Milano 1927-12 or 1928-01

Andrea Chenier (Giordano): Colpito qui m'avete GQ7083 WB1751

Andrea Chenier (Giordano): E volli pien d'amore pregar GQ7083 WB1752

Columbia, Milano 1928-05-18

Andrea Chenier (Giordano): Si, fui soldato  GQ7139 WB2003

Columbia, Milano 1929-06?

Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Or son sei mesi GQ7123 WB2661 

Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Ch'ella mi creda GQ7123 WB2658