Forgotten Opera Singers

Forgotten Opera Singers

Feb 23, 2025

ITALIAN BARITONE GIUSEPPE MONTANELLI (1879-1963) CDR

 



GIUSEPPE MONTANELLI (FUCECCHIO, 1879 – ? 1963)



 


Likely made his debut in 1905 at the Teatro Salvini in Empoli, performing the role of Hanezò in Amico Fritz. Over the next two decades, he enjoyed a prolific operatic career, performing leading baritone roles across Italy and internationally. Early notable performances include Valentino in Faust and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor (1906), Amonasro in Aida (1909), and Rigoletto in Rigoletto (1910).

He gained acclaim for his versatility, excelling in dramatic and comedic roles, such as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Tonio in Pagliacci, and Scarpia in Tosca. Highlights of his career include appearances at Teatro La Scala in Milan (1916), where he performed in Aida and Isabeau, and international tours in Havana, Mexico City (1920), and Buenos Aires (1926–1927).

His repertoire spanned classics like La Bohème (Marcello), Carmen (Escamillo), and Andrea Chénier (Gérard) to lesser-known works such as Smareglia’s La Falena and Camussi’s Le du Barry. Later in his career, he frequently performed Isabeau (Re Raimondo) and comic roles like Dulcamara in L’Elisir d’Amore.

He remained active into the 1930s, transitioning into character roles such as Melitone in La Forza del Destino. His long and distinguished career left an indelible mark on Italian opera stages and beyond.

 


TRACKLIST



Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo performed in Italian

Conductor Carlo Sabajno – 1917(STU)

Orchestra – Nuova Orchestra del «Grammofono»

Chorus – Teatro alla Scala

Canio – Luigi Bolis

Nedda – Annita Conti

Tonio – Giuseppe Montanelli

Beppe – Augusto Prat

Silvio – Ernesto Badini

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Black Disc; – Società Nazionale del Grammofono «La Voce del Padrone» S 5522, S 5524, S 5526,; S 5528, S 5530, S 5532, S 5534, S 5536 {8x12in-78s}, R 5535, R 5537 {2x10in-78s} (1918)ª

Compact Disc; – Mike Richter – Audio Encyclopedia 301 (From Which We Came – CD-ROM) (1999)ª

ª(year of issue or re-issue)

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Recordings of Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo are surveyed in the following publications:-

High Fidelity November 1962 p.53; HARRIS p.209; Opera on Record p.547; CELLETTI p.359; MARINELLI p.333; Opera on CD (1) p.114 (2) p.126 (3) p.141; L’Avant Scène Opéra No.50 p.136; MET p.209; MET(VID) p.119; PENGUIN p.184; Opera on Video p.192; GIUDICI p.325 (2) p.562; Répertoire No.101 avril 1997 p.9; American Record Guide September/October 2000 Vol.63 No.5 pp.73-83; Gramophone March 2008 p.48

Comments:- The 78s are listed in the catalogue of the Società Nazionale del Grammofono dated settembre 1918


ITALIAN BARITONE GIUSEPPE MONTANELLI (1879-1963) CDR

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