Angelo Mercuriali (Tenor) (Ferrara, 17 ottobre 1909 – Milano, 17 dicembre 1999)

He was a nephew of the baritone Napoleone  Gandini. He was trained by the pedagogues Zoli in Bologna, then A. Malagodi in Cesena and Ghislanzoni in Milan. On 23. 12. 1932 he made his debut at the Teatro Verdi in Ferrara as Lord Arturo in ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’ by  Gaetano Donizetti. After the Second World War he specialized in comprimario and Buffo parts and now belonged to the stars of La Scala in Milano, where he appeared for the first time in R. Zandonai’s opera ‘’Conchita’’. Probably he retired from the stage in 1969. Totally he appeared in 254 parts in 197 operas.

Chronology of some appearances

1932 Ferrara Teatro Verdi  Lucia di Lammermoor (Lord Arturo)

1940 Milano La Scala La donna senz'ombra (apparizione d'un ragazzo)

1940 Milano La Scala La Rondine (Gobin)

1940 Milano La Scala Fidelio (Giacchino)

1952 Venezia Teatro alla Fenice Manon Lescaut (Edmondo)

1952 Venezia Teatro alla Fenice I Quatro Rusteghi (Conte Riccardo)

1953 Milano La Scala Cagliostro  (2°carceriere)

1955 Milano la Scala David (Sciama/Isoboam)

1956 Milano La Scala Troilo e Cressida (1°sacerdote)

1956 Milano La Scala Boris Godunov (Boiardo)

1958 Milano La Scala Adriana Lecouvreur (Poisson)

1960 Milano La Scala Andrea Chenier (Abate)

RECORDING FOR SALE 

La Voce del Padrone, Milano 1945
Campane di Pace (Dino Olivieri) AV 663

Gregorio Melnik (Bass) (Kishinev, Moldova 11 (23.) 11. 1882 - Bucharest, Romania 23. 5. 1968)

From 1907 to 1912 he studied at the College of Music and Drama in Moscow. Later he went to Italy and perfected his vocal technique in Milano (1919-1921).  By advice of  Feodor Chaliapin he made his debut at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow (1912). Since 1934 lived in Romania. His repertoire included Marcel in ''Gli Ugonotti'', Gremin in ''Eugenio Onegin'', Mefistofele in ''Faust'', Sparafucile in ''Rigoletto'', Don Basilio in ''Il Barbiere di Siviglia'' and Ramfis in ''Aida''.

Chronology of some appearances

1912 Moscow Bolshoi Theater
1912-1916 Odessa Opera

1916-1918 Petrograd Theater of Musical Drama
1923 Milano La Scala Barbiere di Siviglia (Don Basilio)
1925 Brescia Grande Gli Ugonotti (Nevers)
1926 Amsterdam Opera Ernani (Silva)
1929 Parma Politeama Reinach Barbiere di Siviglia (Don Basilio)
1930 Torino Teatro Regio Il vascello fantasma (Dalando)

1935 Parma Teatro Regio Rigoletto (Sparafucile)
1935 Parma Teatro Regio Lohengrin (Enrico)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Metropol
Lakme (Delibes): Stances de Nilakanta 20195

Michael Gitowsky (Bass) (Poltava, Ukraine 28. 12. 1887 - ? 1939)

                                                                       Boris

First he studied at the cadet school in Orel, then graduated from the military academy in Moscow and became an officer. He received his first singing lessons from Pierre Copola in Oslo, since 1919 he was a student of August Iffert in Dresden, with Lapierre and Waldemar Bernhardt he studied in Paris and finally he completed his education under Vittorio Vanza in Milan. He made his debut in 1923 in Germany as a concert singer. Since 1936 he appeared In Germany under the stage name Michael von Roggen. At the Berlin Staatsoper he sang among other things in the premiere of the opera ‘’Rembrandt van Rijn’’ by Paul von Klenau (23. 1. 1937). Till 1946 he appeared in opera performances and concerts. Later he lived in Berlin.

Chronology of some appearances

1924-1925 Hamburg Stadttheater

1925-1926 North German broadcasting company (Norag)

1926-1927 Leipzig Neuen Theater

1928-1930’s Paris Russian Opera

1937-1943 Berlin Staatsoper

1937-1939 Bayreuth festival  

 

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Homocord, Berlin 1928-10?
Simon Boccanegra (Verdi): A te l'estremo addio 4-8917 52503
Don Carlo (Verdi): Ella giammai m'amo! 4-8917 52504
Juive (Halévy): Wenn ew'ger Hass 4-8926 52505-I


Homocord, Berlin 1929-06-27
Boris Godounov (Moussorgsky): Monolog des Boris (Ru) 4-9027 H-M532D
Boris Godounov (Moussorgsky): Monolog des Pimen (Ru) 4-9027 H-M533D

Giuseppina Zinetti (Contralto) (Ferrara, Italia 1884 † Milano, Italia 31. 1. 1973)

She studied singing under Oreste Poli in Milan she made her debut in 1913 at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo as Flora/Annina in ‘’Traviata’’ of G. Verdi. After her retirement (1936) she taught singing in Milano. Her daughter Lina Zinetti had a successful career as an opera singer.

Chronology of some appearances

1913 Palermo Teatro Massimo Traviata (Flora/Annina)

1913 Buenos Aires Teatro Colon Rigoletto (Contessa)

1913 Buenos Aires Teatro Colon Traviata (Flora)

1913 Buenos Aires Teatro Colon Feuersnot (Ursula)

1913 Milano Dal Verme Traviata (Flora)

1914 Buenos Aires Teatro Colon Parsifal (Page)

1914 Buenos Aires Teatro Colon Oberon (Puck)

1914 Buenos Aires Teatro Colon Faust (Marthe)

1916 Roma Teatro Costanzi Manon Lescaut (musico)

1916 Roma Teatro Costanzi Madama Butterfly (Suzuki)

1917 Roma Teatro Costanzi Trovatore (Azucena)

1918 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Mignon (Mignon)

1920 Trieste Teatro Verdi Aida (Amneris)

1920 Verona Arena Aida (Amneris)

1921 Trieste Teatro Verdi Samson et Dalila (Dalila)

1922 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Trovatore (Azucena)

1923 Roma Teatro Costanzi Aida (Amneris)

1923 Roma Teatro Costanzi La dannazione di Faust (Margherita/voce celeste)

1924 Milano La Scala Carmen (Carmen)

1926 Milano La Scala Aida (Amneris)

1926 Milano La Scala Carmen (Carmen)

1927 Milano La Scala Carmen (Carmen)

1927 Venice Teatro La Fenice L'Italiana in Algeri (Isabella)

1930 Roma Teatro Reale Matrimonio Segreto (Fidelma)

1936 Turin Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Suor Angelica (Principessa)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE 

Columbia, Milano 1925? (ac)
Mignon (Thomas): Connais-tu le pays? (It) D12479  B791
Favorite (Donizetti): O mio Fernando D12479 B792

Columbia, Milano 1929-10/11
Orphée et Eurydice (Gluck): Mille pene D12318 WB2815

Columbia, Milano 1929-11-29
Trovatore (Verdi): Stride la vampa D12320 WB2878
Orphée et Eurydice (Gluck): Deh placatevi con me D12318 WB2876

Emilio Cabello (Baritone) (Spain 1870 ? - ?)

                                                                     Escamillo

Chronology of some appearances

1900 Alicante De Variedades  Aida (Amonasro)

1900 Almeria De Variedades  Boheme (Schaunard)

1900 Murcia Principal Aida (Amonasro)

1900 Murcia Principal Boheme (Schaunard)

1900 Granada Isabela  Catolica  Aida (Amonasro)

1900 Granada Isabela  Boheme (Schaunard)

1900 Madrid Buen Retiro Boheme (Schaunard)

1900 Madrid Buen Retiro Carmen (Escamillo)

1900 Cartagena Circo Carmen (Escamillo)

1901 Lisbona  Coliseo  Recrejos Aida (Amonasro)

1901 Lisbona  Coliseo  Recrejos Boheme (Schaunard)

1901 Lisbona  Coliseo  Recrejos Ballo in maschera (Renato)

1901 Lisbona  Coliseo  Recrejos Carmen (Escamillo)

1904 Valencia Principal  Africana (Nelusko)

1904 Valencia Principal  Aida (Amonasro)

1904 Valencia Principal Boheme (Schaunard)

1904 Valencia Principal Carmen (Escamillo)

1905 Madrid Reale Aida (Amonasro)

1905 Lisbona  Coliseo  Recrejos Ballo in maschera (Renato)

RECORDING FOR SALE 

Edison cylinders, Spain? 1903/1904

Gran Via (Chueca-Valverde): Cab, de gracia 12548

Lina Pagliughi (Soprano) (Brooklyn, New York May 27, 1907 - Rome, Italy October 2, 1980)

She studied singing in Milan under Gaetano Bavagnoli and made her debut in 1927 at the Teatro Nazionale in Milan as Gilda in ‘’Rigoletto’’. The same year she married tenor Primo Montanari (1895-1972). 

Chronology of some appearances

1927 Milano Teatro Nazionale Rigoletto (Gilda)

1931 Montecarlo Théâtre du Casino Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)

1931 Montecarlo Théâtre du Casino Rigoletto (Gilda)

1938 Parma Teatro Regio Rigoletto (Gilda)

1947 Milano La Scala Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)

 RECORDINGS FOR SALE

HMV, Milano 1931 
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Splendon le sacre faci C2909 2M352
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Spargi d'amaro pianto C2909 2M353

Parlophone, Torino 1932 - 1934
 Clo Clo (Lehár): Canto del cuore GP91960 151374
Clo Clo (Lehár): Il mondo gira intorno all'amore GP91960 151375

Parlophone, Torino 1934-06-22 
Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti): Da quel di che t'incontrai, pt 1 with Franco Perulli
Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti): Da quel di che t'incontrai, pt 2 with Franco Perulli
Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti): A consolarmi affrettati with Rita Monticone PP60012 2-84613

Parlophone, Torino 1935-12-29 
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Una voce poco fà PP60000 2-84629
Don Pasquale (Donizetti): Quel guardo... So anch'io PP60000 2-84632

Parlophone, Torino 1936-11-21 
Coq d'Or (Rimsky-Korsakov): Aria della Regina (Hymn to the Sun) PE55 2-84650

Parlophone, Torino 1936-11-26?
 Così fan tutte (Mozart): Come scoglio PE57 2-84653

Cetra, Torino 1938-11-29 
Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet): Siccome un dì CC2103 2-70189

Cetra, Torino 1938/1939
 Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Giunse alfine il momento... Deh vieni non tardar  TI7001 50107
Don Giovanni (Mozart): Batti, batti   TI7001 50108
Lakmé (Delibes): Bell song, pt 1 TI7002 50109
Lakmé (Delibes): Bell song, pt 2 TI7002 50110
Elisir d'amore (Donizetti): Prendi, per me si libero TI7003 50111


Cetra, Torino 1941-10? 
Guarany (Gomez): C'era una volta un principe CB20287 2-70631

Cetra, Torino 1942-07? 
Carmen (Bizet): Air de Micaëla BB25110 2-70765
Semiramide (Rossini): Bel raggio lusinghier BB25110 2-70766