Forgotten Opera Singers

Forgotten Opera Singers

Dec 14, 2017

Jean Bourbon (Baritone) (1875-1948)





He studied singing at the Conservatoire National de Paris under Lhérie and Melchissèdec and made his debut 1901 at the Paris Opéra-Comique as Richard in the premiere of ‘’L'Ouragan’’ by Alfred Bruneau. In 1902 he appeared there also in the premiere of ‘’La Carmélite’’ by R. Hahn. Since 1904 he was a solist of the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, where he had a huge success till 1910. He made appearances in the Brussels premières of the operas ‘’Le Jongleur de Notre Dame’’ (1904), ‘’Pelléas et Mélisande’’ of Debussy (1907, as Golo), ‘’Le Chemineau’’ of  Xavier Leroux (1908) and ‘’Monna Vanna’’ by Henri Février (1909, as Guido Colonna). On 22. 11. 1919 he participated in the premiere of the opera ‘’Taras Bulba’’of Marcel Samuel-Rousseau (Théâtre Lyrique de Vaudeville, Paris). In 1912 he appeared at La Scala as Ramon in the opera ’’La Habanera’’ of  R. Laparra. He achieved great success also during of guest performances at the Covent Garden in London: In 1909 as Golo in the English première of ‘’Pelléas et Mélisande’’ and as Valentin in C. Gounod’s ‘’Faust’’.  In 1910 he sang also in the première of the opera ‘’La Habanéra’’  by Raoul Laparra. At the Opéra de Monte-Carlo he performed as Figaro in ‘’Il Barbiere di Siviglia’’, Escamillo in ‘’Carmen’’, Hérode in ‘’Hérodiade’’ , Wolfram in ‘’Tannhäuser’’. On 4. 3. 1913 he sang there in the premiere of the opera ‘’Pénélope’’ of Gabriel Fauré as Eumée. On 21. 3. 1914 he appeared in the premiere of Messager’s ‘’Béatrice’’. In 1911 he participated in the première of the opera ‘’Ivan le Terrible’’ of Raoul Gunsbourg (Théâtre Lyrique de la Gaîté, Paris). In 1914 he sang at the Paris Grand Opéra the part of Guido in ‘’Monna Vanna’’ and also performed in ‘’Les Burgraves’’of Léo Sachs. In 1921 he appeared in Rio de Janeiro as Clavaroche in ‘’Fortunio’’ of A. Messager. In 1929 he was a member of the cast in Strasbourg in performances of the Nibelungenrings (as Alberich). By the end of his career he was active in Southern French operatic stages.

Chronology of some appearances

1901 Paris Opéra-Comique L'Ouragan (Richard)
1902 Paris Opéra-Comique La Carmélite
1904 Brussels Théâtre de la Monnaie  Le Jongleur de Notre Dame
1907 Brussels Théâtre de la Monnaie Pelléas et Mélisande
1908 Brussels Théâtre de la Monnaie Le Chemineau
1909 Brussels Théâtre de la Monnaie Monna Vanna
1909 London Covent Garden Pelléas et Mélisande
1910 London Covent Garden La Habanera (Ramon)
1911 Paris Théâtre Lyrique de la Gaîté Ivan le Terrible
1912 Milano La Scala La Habanera (Ramon)
1913 Opéra de Monte-Carlo  Pénélope
1914 Opéra de Monte-Carlo  Béatrice
1919 Paris Théâtre Lyrique de Vaudeville

Dec 10, 2017

Marcello Barberis (Tenor)



                                         1922 Trento  Teatro Gustavo Modena Rigoletto (Duca)

Adele Botti (Soprano)




Chronology of some appearances

1899 Buenos Ayres  Politeama Argentino Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza)
1900  Buenos Ayres  Politeama Argentino  Boheme (Mimi)
1900  Buenos Ayres  Teatro San Martin Ugonotti  (Valentina)
1901 Codogno  Sociale Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1902 Portogruaro Teatro Sociale Ernani (Elvira)
1902 Valencia  Teatro Apollo Trovatore (Leonora)
1903 Bucarest Teatro Nazionale Ernani (Elvira)
1903 Costantinopoli  Teatro Concordia  Trovatore (Leonora)
1904 Forlì  Teatro Comunale Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza)
1908 La Valletta/Malta  Teatro Reale Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza)
1908 Napoli  Teatro Bellini  Trovatore (Leonora)
1910 Bucarest  Teatro Nazionale Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza)

Amalia Colombo (Mezzo-Soprano)




Chronology of some appearances

1904 Firenze  Teatro Della Pergola Rigoletto  (Maddalena)
1910  Caracas - Teatro Municipal  Rigoletto (Maddalena)
1911  Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal  Amica (Margherita)
1911  Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal  Cavalleria Rusticana (Lola)
1911 Montevideo  Teatro  Solis  Amica (Margherita)
1911 Montevideo  Teatro  Solis  Cavalleria Rusticana (Lola)
1911 Rosario di Santa Fè  Teatro Coliseo  Amica (Margherita)
1911 Rosario di Santa Fè  Teatro Coliseo  Cavalleria Rusticana (Lola)
1911 San Paulo  Teatro Colombo  Amica (Margherita)
1911 San Paulo  Teatro Colombo  Cavalleria Rusticana (Lola)
1911 Buenos Ayres  Teatro Coliseo Cavalleria Rusticana (Lola)
1911 Santiago del Cile  Teatro Municipal  Cavalleria Rusticana (Lola)
1911 Valparaiso  Teatro Victoria Cavalleria Rusticana (Lola)

Dec 7, 2017

Emma Decima (Soprano)




Chronology of some appearances

1895 Pisa  Politeama Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza)
1895 Vicenza  Teatro Eretenio Pagliacci (Nedda)
1898 Casalmaggiore  Teatro Sociale Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza)
1899 Venezia  Teatro Rossini Rigoletto (Gilda)
1900 Badia Polesine Politeama Piana Boheme (Mimi)
1900 Carrara Politeama Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza)
1905 Monza Teatro Sociale Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)
1905 Siena  Teatro Dei Rinnovati Trovatore (Leonora)
1908 Trani  Teatro Comunale Trovatore (Leonora)
1911 Comacchio  Teatro Sociale Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)
1914 Garlasco Teatro Martinetti  (Ulrica)

Dec 2, 2017

Galileo Gasparri (Tenor) (Florence, Italy 1875 - ?)




His full name was Galileo Ainor Gasparri. He made his debut very young (1892). He spent his career mostly at the provincial Italian operatic stages. He made successful guest appearances in Sydney and Kiev. His wife was the legendary French soprano Emma Calvé. He retired from the stage in 1910. Gasparri never made records.

Chronology of some appearances


1893 Bergamo  Politeama Civoli Ballo in maschera (Riccardo)
1903 Napoli  Teatro Verdi Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)
1904 Grosseto  Teatro Degli Industri Boheme (Rodolfo)
1904 Lanciano  Teatro Fenaroli Pagliacci (Canio)
1905 Rimini  Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Boheme (Rodolfo)
1905 Cuneo  Teatro Toselli Rigoletto (Duca)
1905 Cuneo  Teatro Toselli Mefistofele (Faust)
1905 Torino  Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Rigoletto (Duca)
1906 Kiev  Teatro Solodownikoff Rigoletto (Duca)
1906 Salerno  Teatro Verdi Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1906 Casale Monferrato  Politeama Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1907 Fermo  Teatro Dell'Aquila Boheme (Rodolfo)
1907 Riva del Garda  Politeama Perini Pagliacci (Canio)
1907 Massa  Teatro Guglielmi Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1907 Rovereto  Teatro Sociale Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1908 Rovigo  Teatro Sociale Boheme (Rodolfo)
1908 Rovigo  Teatro Sociale Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1908 Bergamo  Teatro Sociale Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1908 Biella  Teatro Sociale Mefistofele (Faust)
1908 Suzzara  Teatro Sociale Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1909 Pistoia  Politeama Mabellini Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)
1909 Cremona  Teatro Ponchielli Loreley (Walter)
1909 Savona  Teatro Chiabrera Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1909 La Spezia Politeama Duca di Genova Tosca (Cavaradossi)