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 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)
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
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