ITALIAN TENOR NICOLA ZEROLA (1876-1936) CDR

 

NICOLA ZEROLA (NAPLES, 1876 – NEW YORK, 21 JULY, 1936)

 

 

His debut was in Trieste, 1898, and he was heard in various European theaters. In 1907 he first visited the U.S. and in 1908 appeared for a season with the Manhattan Opera. 1910-11 he was with the Philadelphia-Chicago Opera and 1911-12 with Hammerstein’s London Opera House. At the Metropolitan Opera he appeared during the season of 1920-21 in a Sunday night concert and as Canio, and, finally, a gala testimonial concert for Andreas Dippel. More than twenty celebrities in addition to Zerola were featured that evening, including Lydia Lipkowska, Riccardo Stracciari, Ellen Beach Yaw, Alice Nielsen, Margaret Matzenauer and Nellie and Sara Kouns. Zerola subsequently appeared with various smaller New York City companies. His voice was often compared to that of Tamagno in dramatic intensity. One of his last performances seems to have been at Carnegie Hall in a benefit evening in the late 1920s featuring the first act of the opera Vanna by Salvatore Virzi, a member of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus. Conductor Giuseppe Creatore refused to direct the second act, supposedly as a result of insufficient rehearsals.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1900 Trapani Teatro Garibaldi Boheme (Rodolfo)

1901 Forlм Teatro Comunale Boheme (Rodolfo)

1902 La Valletta/Malta Teatro Reale Boheme (Rodolfo)

1902 La Valletta/Malta Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)

1904 Empoli Arena Borsellini Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

1905 Liegi Opera Ernani (Ernani)

1905 Barcellona Teatro Novedades Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

1905 Amsterdam Paleis Voor Volksvlijt Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

1905 Amsterdam Paleis Voor Volksvlijt Ernani (Ernani)

1906 Cremona Politeama Verdi Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

1908 Havana Teatro Tacon Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

1911 Chicago Civic Opera House Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

1912 Budapest Volgsopera Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

1919 Salerno Teatro Verdi Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Zerola made only 15 published recordings (1909-1911)

1. Trovatore (Verdi): Perigliarti ancor languente with Carolina Pietracewska 54410 13159b Gramophone, Milano 1909-04-29

2. Otello (Verdi): Niun mi tema 74217 C8302 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-11-01

3. Trovatore (Verdi): Di quella pira 87045 B8304 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-11-01

4. Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Di tu se fedele 87036 B8337 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-11-01

5. Ballo in maschera (Verdi): La rivedrà nell’estasi 87037 B8338 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-11-01

6. Otello (Verdi): Ora e per sempre addio 64168 B8390 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-11-19

7. Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Un di all’azzurro 88243 C8391 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-11-19

8. Trovatore (Verdi): Deserto sulla terra 64172 B8389 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-12-17

9. Aida (Verdi): La fatal pietra…Morir, si pura e bella 74225 C8493 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-12-17

10. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba 64169 B8682 Victor, Camden NJ 1910-03-03

11. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saens): Figli miei v’arrestate 64173 B8492 Victor, Camden NJ 1910-03-03

12. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Un tal gioco 64206 B10038 Victor, Camden NJ 1911-03-10

13. L’alba nascente (Parelli) 64207 B10037 Victor, Camden NJ 1911-03-10

14. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): No, Pagliaccio non son 74247 C10039 Victor, Camden NJ 1911-03-10

ITALIAN TENOR NICOLA ZEROLA (1876-1936) CDR

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