Description

FRANCESCO VALENTINO (NEW YORK, 6. 1. 1907 – FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA, 14. 6. 1991)

 

 

 

Frank Valentino, whose real name was Francis Valentine Dinhaupt, was of German-American descent. After his birth, his family moved to Denver, Colorado. He began his musical education in Denver and then studied in Milan with Emilio Piccoli. Valentino made his debut in 1927 at the Teatro Regio in Parma as Germont in La Traviata.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Valentino was a prominent performer at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and the Arena di Verona. Notable performances included his debut at La Scala in Milan on January 1, 1938, in the premiere of Licinio Refice’s Margherita di Cortona, and his participation in the premiere of Vito Frazzi’s Re Lear on April 29, 1939, at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. He also performed in Luigi Dallapiccola’s Volo di notte on May 18, 1940, and took on the title role in Verdi’s Macbeth at the Glyndebourne Festival.

Valentino appeared at the Italian Opera in Holland during the 1935-1937 seasons and had guest roles at opera houses in Nice, Budapest, and other cities. In 1940, he joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making his debut as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor. He performed with the Met for over twenty years under the name Frank Valentino, earning acclaim for roles such as Marcello in La Bohème, Rigoletto, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Count di Luna in Il Trovatore, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Germont in La Traviata.

In 1952, he performed the title role in Macbeth at the Edinburgh Festival and also had guest appearances at the San Francisco Opera and in Mexico City. After retiring from the stage in 1962, Valentino worked as a pedagogue at the Peabody Conservatory of Music until 1971.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Ernani (Verdi) Lo vedremo o veglio audace Columbia CQ186 WB3406
2. Ernani (Verdi) Oh! de’ verd’anni miei Columbia CQ186 WB3405
3. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prologo Parte I Columbia CQ185 WB3402
4. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prologo Parte II Columbia CQ185 WB3403
5. Rigoletto (Verdi) Cortigiani vil razza dannata Columbia DQ719 WB3384
6. Rigoletto (Verdi) Miei signori perdono Columbia DQ719 WB3387
7. Traviata (Verdi) Di Provenza Columbia DQ718 WB3747
8. Trovatore (Verdi) Il balen Columbia DQ718 WB3739