Giuseppe Danise (Baritone) (Naples 1883 - New York 1963)

He studied singing under the pedagogues Luigi Colonnesi and Abramo Petillo in Naples and made his debut in 1906 at the Teatro Bellini in Naples as Alfio in ‘’Cavalleria Rusticana’’. He was very successful in 1913 at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo in P. Mascagni’s ‘’Isabeau’’ and ‘’La Bohème’’ of R. Leoncavallo. The same year he sang at the  Verdi centennial celebrations at the Teatro Regio in Parma as Posa in ‘’Don Carlo’’ and in the first festival at the Arena di Verona in the role of Amonasro in G. Verdi’s ‘’Aida’’. In 1915 he performed at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome in the premiere of the opera ‘’Una Tragedia Fiorentina’’ of Mario Mariotti. Since 1915 he guested almost annually at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. In the 1915-1917 seasons he appeared with great success at the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, among other things sang there in 1915 in the premières of A. Borodin’s ‘’Prince Igor’’ (in the title role, the same time his debut at the Teatro  Alla Scala), R. Zandonai’s ‘’Francesca da Rimini’’ (1916), V. De Sabata’s ‘’Macigno’’ (1917). In 1918 he took part at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome in the premiere of the opera ‘’Maria di Magdala’’ by Vincenzo Michetti. In 1920 he joined to the ensamble of the Metropolitan Opera in New York (beginning role: Amonasro in ‘’Aida’’), where he remained till 1932, and where he sang in 1921 in the première of U. Giordano’s ‘’Andrea Chénier’’. In 1922 he appeared there in the premières of E. Lalos ‘’Le roi d'Ys’’ and A. Catalani’s ‘’Loreley’’, R.  Laparra’s ‘’La Habanéra’’ (1924). In 1932 when the management of the Metropolitan Opera shortened the fees of the soloists as a result of the economic crisis, he revoked his contract with the Metropolitan Opera. In the 1922-1931 he appeared at the Ravinia Summer Opera near Chicago. Since 1932 he sang again with success at the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, now among other things as Scarpia in ‘’Tosca’’ and as Alfonso in G. Donizetti’s ‘’La Favorita’’. In 1933 at the Teatro Regio in Turin he sang the role of Telramund in R. Wagner’s ‘’Lohengrin’’ under Max von Schillings. The same year at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo he performed in G. Puccini’s ‘’Tosca’’. In 1935 at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genua he sang in G. Donizetti’s  ‘’La Favorita’’. In the 1935-1937 seasons he appeared at the Opera House in Rio de Janeiro in ‘’Tosca’’, Rigoletto’’ and ‘’Francesca da Rimini’’ by R. Zandonai, last as Germont in G. Verdi’s ‘’Traviata’’ (together with Bidu Sayão). After the Second World War he went again to North America. In 1947 he married the Brazilian soprano Bidu Sayão and lived temporarily in Brazil, then in New York. He was among other things the teacher of Regina Resnik. 

Chronology of some appearances

Carlo Gérard 3/1/1921, Valentin 4/12/1921, Lord Enrico Asthon 11/29/1921, Don Carlo 12/13/1921, Karnac 1/10/1922, Carlo Gérard 3/21/1922, Herrmann 12/26/1922, Rigoletto 2/6/1923, Nélusko 4/17/1923, David 11/27/1923, Nélusko 1/22/1924, Ramón 3/4/1924, Guillaume Tell 3/25/1924, Giorgio Germont 4/1/1924, Barnaba 12/9/1924, Carlo Gérard 1/20/1925, Marcello 2/24/1925, Rivegas 3/24/1925, Amonasro 4/14/1925, Nélusko 12/1/1925, Amonasro 12/15/1925, Figaro 1/12/1926, Rafaele 1/19/1926, Barnaba 3/23/1926, Nélusko 11/9/1926, Rigoletto 1/18/1927, Barnaba 11/1/1927, Amonasro 11/22/1927, Marcello 11/29/1927, Valentin 1/17/1928, Rigoletto 3/20/1928, Carlo Gérard 10/30/1928, Don Carlo 12/11/1928, Tonio 12/18/1928, Amonasro 2/12/1929, Lord Enrico Asthon 1/7/1930, Amonasro 4/1/1930, Tonio 4/8/1930, Barnaba 10/28/1930, Jack Rance 11/4/1930, Guillaume Tell 4/7/1931, Tonio 12/8/1931 (in Filadelfia)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone, Milano 1916
Rigoletto (Verdi): with Carlo Broccardi, Ayres Borghi-Zerni and Vincenzo Bettoni

Brunswick, New York 1921-04?
Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Nemico della patria! 50004 X5447
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Largo al factotum 50013 X5450
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Prologo 50006 X5325
Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Eri tu 30012 X5355

Brunswick, New York 1922-01?
Ernani (Verdi): O de' verd'anni miei 50013 X7264

Brunswick, New York 1922-03?
Hérodiade (Massenet): Vison fugitive 15045 7613

Brunswick, New York 1922-04?
Forza del destino (Verdi): Urna fatale 15045 7808

Brunswick, New York 1922-10?
Voi ed io (de Curtis) 10108 8995

Brunswick, New York 1925-03-11
Pietà Signore! (Stradella) 30109 X15120