His real name was
Francisco Izal y Delgado. Young he emigrated to Argentina, where in 1917 he
made his debut at the Teatro Marconi in Buenos Ayres. Here he appeared in 1918 at
the Teatro Colón among other things in parts like Silvio in ‘’Pagliacci’’,
Morales in ‘’Carmen’’, Monterone in ‘’Rigoletto’’ and Silvano in ‘’Ballo in
maschera’’. Two years later he sang principal roles at the Italian provincial
operatic stages and in 1920 at the Teatro La Fenice in Venezia sang with great
success. Here he sang in Catalani’s ‘’Loreley’’. In 1924 he guested in Tripoli as Rigoletto.
Since 1925 he undertook a vast East tour with an Italian traveling opera
society and visited afterwards Singapore, Java and Thailand. He retired from
the stage in 1934.
Chronology of some
appearances
1917 Buenos Ayres Teatro
Marconi
1918 Buenos Ayres Teatro
Colón
1920 Venezia Teatro La
Fenice
1924 Tripoli Teatro
Miramare
1926 Novara Teatro Coccia
1927 Buenos Ayres
Teatro Coliseo
1931 Melbourne His
Majesty's
1934 Sidney Australian
Broadcasting
RECORDINGS FOR SALE
Pathé, Milano 1922?
Rigoletto (Verdi): Pari siamo 10338 86765
Rigoletto (Verdi): Sì, vendetta with Anna Sassone-Soster 12585 86772
Rigoletto (Verdi): Deh, non parlare with Anna Sassone-Soster 12584 86774
Rigoletto (Verdi): Lassù in cielo with Anna Sassone-Soster 12585 86773
Rigoletto (Verdi): Piangi, fanciulla with Anna Sassone-Soster 12584 86775
Carmen (Bizet): Strofe del toreador 10338 86776
Pathé, Milano 1923?
Rigoletto (Verdi): Cortigiani vil razza dannata 10380 86947
Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Nemico della patria 10381 86950
Ernani (Verdi): O dei verd'anni miei 10381 86949
Pathé, Milano 1924?
Nerone (Boito): Benedizion! with Lina Lanza 12612 84850
Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Eri tu 10400 84852
Nerone (Boito): Vivete in pace 10399 84853
Gioconda (Ponchielli): Pescatore, affonda l'esca 10399 84854
Dear Ashot,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Martin Cooke and I recently found your entry re the Spanish Baritone Franco Izal. He was a very fine baritone and the teacher of my mother in the 1940s in Sydney Australia. His wife was the noted Australian contralto Evelyn Hall de Izal who was my singing teacher from 1973 until her death in 1980. Thank you for this information and I would like to purchase of CD of his performances if possible. Greetings from Munich.