When the Nazis took over Hungary, Gafni was put
into a concentration camp and condemned to death. He and others in
the camp similarly awaitng death engaged in musical activities, and
Gafni studied voice with one of his fellow-prisoners. The commandant of the
camp was a music lover, and hearing Gafni sing, introduced him to German
Lieder. He also spared Gafni from his ultimate fate, allowing him to survive
the War. Still young, he returned home after the War and money was raised to
send him to Italy to study. His teachers were Riccardo Stracciari and Aureliano
Pertile, two of the finest singers of pre-War Italy. Gafni also received
encouragement from Beniamino Gigli, and began to concertize in Italy. He then
received concert engagements in England, Australia, and South Africa. He
finally came to the United States, where he made his debut at Town Hall with
great success, receiving the common accolade, "the young Caruso". His
greatest claim to fame was in recording the first complete La Juive by Halevy,
sponsored by a Jewish-American organization. Because of a limited operatic
repertoire and technical deficiencies in his singing, he was not offered a
contract with any major opera company, and returned to Hungary about 1960,
where he is believed to have continued his vocal career.
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