Apollo Granforte (Baritone) (Legnano presso, Verona 1886 – Gorgonzola 1975)

              Menecrate (Granforte) and Nerone (Pertile) in Mascagni's ''Nerone'' (1935)

Very young Granforte emigrated to Argentina, where he worked together with his brother as a shoemaker. After his voice was discovered, he was trained under Guido Capocci and Nicola Guerrera in Buenos Aires. In 1913 he made his debut at the Teatro Politema of Rosario as Germont in ‘’La Traviata’’. When Italy entered into the First World War, he came back from Argentina to Italy, served in the Piave front of Italian army. In 1916 he made guest appearance at the opera houses of Malta and Zurich. In 1917 Granforte performed at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome and already in 1918 he had sensational success at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan. In 1922 he debuted at La Scala as Amfortas in ‘’Parsifal’’ and sang also at the Arena di Verona. Likewise in 1922 he appeared at the Teatro Regio of Turin in the premiere of the opera ‘’La Figlia del Re’’ of Lualdi and guested in Paris. In 1924 he travelled with an opera troupe of prima donna Nellie Melba around Australia. In the 1924-25 followed a South America tour. In 1925 he was to be heard as a guest in London, in 1928 and 1934 again in Australia. On 12. 7. 1929 he appeared at the Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires in the premiere of the opera ‘’El Matrero’’ of Felipe Boero (as Don Liborio). On 16. 1. 1935 he sang at La Scala in the premiere of Mascagni’s opera ‘’Nerone’’ the part of Menecrate, on 8. 2. 1936 at the Teatro Carlo Felice of Genoa in the premiere of Gian Francesco Malipiero’s ‘’Giulio Cesare’’, on 29. 12. 1942 at the Teatro Regio of Parma of Lino Liviabella's opera ‘’Antigone’’. In 1943 he retired from the stage. After the second world war he was appointed as a professor to the conservatory of Ankara and led temporarily as a manager the national opera of Prague. later he lived in Milan as a pedagogue. One of his pupils was the bass Raphael Arië.

Chronology of some appearances

1917 Roma  Teatro Costanzi Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1919  Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Ballo in maschera (Renato)

1919 Vercelli  Teatro Verdi Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1921  Milano  Teatro Carcano Carmen (Escamilio)

1921 Milano  Teatro Dal Verme Fanciulla del West (Rance)

1921  Padova  Teatro Garibaldi Carmen (Escamilio)

1922 Busto Arsizio  Politeama Rossini Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1923 Santiago del Cile  Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1923 Santiago del Cile  Teatro Municipal Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1923  Santiago del Cile  Teatro Municipal Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio)

1923  Valparaiso Teatro Victoria Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio)

1924 Sidney  His Majesty's Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1924 Adelaide  Royal Theater Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1924 Melbourne  His Majesty's Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1924 Melbourne  His Majesty's Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1924 Melbourne  His Majesty's Carmen (Escamilio)

1925 Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1925 Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio)

1925  Buenos Ayres  Teatro Coliseo Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio)

1925 San Paulo  Teatro Municipal Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio)

1926 Catania  Teatro Bellini Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1926 San Paolo  Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1926  Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio)

1929 Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1929 Buenos Ayres  Teatro Colon Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1929 Montevideo  Teatro Solis Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1930 Torino Teatro Regio Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1931 Casalmaggiore  Teatro Sociale Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1932 Melbourne  Royal Theater Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1938 Pavia  Castello Visconteo Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Fonografia Nazionale, Milano 1924?

Aida (Verdi) Quest'assisa Dr4657
Traviata (Verdi) Di Provenza il mar Dr4658
Aida (Verdi) Ciel! Mio padre with Valeria Manna  2019
Manna Valeria Aida (Verdi) Su dunque sorgete with Valeria Manna 2020
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Sì può  E1061
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Un nido di memorie E1062
Aida (Verdi) Quest'assisa Dr4657
Campane a sera (Billi) E1079
Carmen (Bizet) Con voi ber  G2036
Gioconda (Ponchielli) O monumento G2029
Trovatore (Verdi) Il balen E1074
Aida (Verdi): Sacerdote io resto a te  with Bergamaschi & Manna Dr4719
Aida (Verdi): Io son disonorato with Bergamaschi & Manna 4720

HMV, London 1925-02-27

Otello (Verdi): Credo in un Dio crudel DB835 2-052286

Don Sebastiano (Donizetti): O Lisbona DB834 2-052285

HMV, London 1925-03-04

Rigoletto (Verdi): Pari siamo DB836 2-052288

Rigoletto (Verdi): Cortigiani, vii razza dannata  DB836 2-052289

Gioconda (Ponchielli): O monumento DB835 2-052287

HMV, London 1925-03-06

Alma llanera (Gutierrez) DA699 7-62078

HMV, London 1925-03-13

La Paloma (Yradier) DA699 7-62077

HMV, London 1926-05-03

Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Eri tu che macchiavi  DB937 2-052305

HMV, London 1926-05-13

Giovinezza (Blanc)  DA784 7-52337

Leggenda del Piave (Mario) DA784 7-52338

Forza del destino (Verdi): Solenne in quest'ora with Apollo Granforte DB939 2-054158

HMV, Milano 1926-10-09

Otello (Verdi): Si, pel ciel with Giovanni Zenatello DB1007 2-054172

HMV, Milano 1927-03-10

Andrea Chenier (Giordano): Un di m’era di gioia DB1453 2-052329

Faust (Gounod): O santa medaglia... Dio possente  DB938 2-052304

HMV, Milano 1927-03-11

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Si puo?  DB1044 2-052331

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Un nido di memorie DB1044 2-052332

HMV, Milano 1927-03-12

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Decidi il mio destin with Hina Spani DB1046 2-054175

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): No, più m'ami DB1046 2-054176

HMV, Milano 1927-11-07

Inno di Roma (Puccini) DB1162 2-052366

HMV, Milano 1928-02-22

Aida (Verdi): Rivedrai le foreste with Hilde Monti DB1153 2-054216,

Aida (Verdi): Su dunque, sorgete  with Hilde Monti DB1153 2-054217

HMV, Milano 1928-03-23

Inno al Duce (Dine) DB1162 2-052373

HMV, Milano 1928-12-11

Trovatore  (Verdi): Per me ora fatale with  Masinia and Ferrari DB1220 2-054273

HMV, Milano 1928-12-12

Tannhauser  (Wagner): O tu bell'astro DB1221 2-052399

HMV, Milano 1928-12-15

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Largo al factotum DB1221 2-052395

Trovatore (Verdi): Il balen DB1220 2-052396

HMV, Milano 1929-04-12

Zaza (Leoncavallo): Buona Zaza DA1053 7-52432

HMV, Milano 1929-04-15

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo):  Sei la with Adelaide Saraceni C1832 2-054300

HMV, Milano 1929-05-01

Rigoletto (Verdi): La ra, la ra... Povero Rigoletto with Menni, Palaia and Ottavi DB1450 2-054294

HMV, Milano 1929-10-29

Zaza (Leoncavallo): Zaza, piccola zingara DA1053 7-52433

HMV, Milano 1930-04-08

Rigoletto (Verdi): Lassu in cielo with Nunu Sanchioni DB1449 (2-1540

Rigoletto (Verdi):  Si, vendetta with Nunu Sanchioni DB1449 32-1538

Rigoletto (Verdi): Piangi, piangi, fanciulla with Nunu Sanchioni DA1128

HMV, Milano 1930-05-06

Rigoletto (Verdi): Signor?... Va non ho niente with Franco Zaccarini DB 1475 32-1542

HMV, Milano 1930-06-20

Traviata (Verdi): Dite alla giovine with  Rosza DB1453 32-1657

Rigoletto (Verdi): Ah, veglia o donna with Adelaide Saraceni and Ida Mannarini DA1128 BM1653

HMV, Milano 1931-11-25

Otello (Verdi): Inaffia l'ugola! with Girardi & Palai C2414 2M193

HMV, Milano 1929

Complete Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) with Alessandro Valente, Adelaide Saraceni and Leonildo Basi

HMV, Milano 1932

Complete Otello (Verdi) with Nicola Fusati, Maria Carbone and Corrado Zambelli