Description

AUGUSTO SCIPIONI (PENNA SAN GIOVANNI, MACERATA, 1864 – ? 1937)

 

 

 

Augusto Scipioni was an Italian baritone active from the 1890s through the early 1900s, renowned for his skill in both comic and lyric roles. He began appearing on stage in 1890 at the Teatro Condominiale in Matelica, performing Malatesta in Don Pasquale and Antonio in Linda di Chamounix. Over the next decade, he became a regular presence in Italian provincial theaters, gaining recognition for his portrayals of classic baritone roles.

Scipioni excelled in comic parts such as Malatesta in Don Pasquale and Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, while also performing in lyric and dramatic roles including Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore, Schaunard in La Bohème, Alfonso in La Favorita, and Fabrizio in Crispino e la Comare. His versatility allowed him to move seamlessly between opera buffa and romantic repertoire.

He performed in theaters across Italy, including Guastalla, Pisa, Parma, Empoli, Voghera, Novi Ligure, Carrara, Broni, and Forlì, demonstrating a consistent presence on regional stages from the 1890s into the early 1900s. Notable recurring roles were Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Schaunard in La Bohème.

 

LUIGI SIGON

 

 

 

I know that he appeared in Trieste twice as a comprimario – in 1909 at the Anfiteatro Minerva in Tutti in Maschera and in 1919 at the Politeama Rossetti in La Traviata.

Chronology of some appearances

1909 Trieste Anfiteatro Minerva Tutti in Maschera (Abdalà)

1919 Trieste Politeama Rossetti Traviata (Douphol)

 

LUIGI SIRAVO

 

 

 

Luigi Siravo was an Italian baritone renowned for his versatility and longevity, with a career spanning from the late 1910s into the 1940s. He studied in Naples with the teacher Alfredo Conti and made his debut in 1917 at the Teatro Trianon in Salerno as Germont in La Traviata.

Siravo specialized in both lyric and character roles, performing extensively across Italy and in international engagements, covering standard repertoire from Verdi and Puccini to Monteverdi and contemporary works. He quickly became a regular presence in major Italian theaters, including Naples, Rome, Palermo, Bari, Messina, Catania, Brescia, Piacenza, and Rovigo.

He was especially admired for his portrayals of character and comprimario roles, including Don Bartolo (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Tonio (Pagliacci), Schaunard (La Bohème), Melitone (Forza del Destino), and Yamadori (Madama Butterfly), frequently performing multiple roles in the same season. Siravo’s repertoire also included dramatic parts such as Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor), Arbace (Jone), and Gerard (Andrea Chénier), as well as roles in rare or contemporary operas, such as Orfeo by Monteverdi and I Compagnacci by P. Riccitelli.

 He appeared internationally in Lisbon at the Coliseo Recrejos (1930, 1931), performing an extraordinary range of roles including Don Bartolo, Dancairo, Normanno, Schaunard, Rouvel, Angelotti, Isepo, Alessio, Douphol, and De Bretigny, demonstrating remarkable vocal flexibility and reliability in demanding repertory.

Siravo continued performing into the mid-1940s, appearing in theaters such as Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Ancona, Pisa, and Pistoia, often in beloved character roles like Dulcamara (L’Elisir d’Amore), Don Bartolo (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), and Schaunard (La Bohème). His career reflects a dedicated and dependable baritone, equally at home in leading, secondary, and comprimario parts, combining vocal skill, stagecraft, and adaptability over nearly three decades of performance.

 

 

GINO TESSARI (TRIESTE ? – ?)

 

 

 

He studied singing at the Milan Conservatory under the pedagogue A. Giovannini. He made his debut in 1897 at the Teatro Principe Amedeo in Sanremo in Il padrone by D. Bolognesi. In 1901, he sang as a guest at the Teatro Nazionale in Bucharest, appearing in A. Ponchielli’s La Gioconda and La Traviata by G. Verdi. In 1903, he went to Barcelona, where he sang Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida at the Teatro Liceo. During the 1912–1913 season, he performed at the Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires, and the following season he appeared at the Coliseo Recrejos in Lisbon. He likely retired from the stage in 1915 and subsequently began appearing in films.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1896 Milano Conservatorio La Figlia di Jefte di E. Pozzoli (Jefte)

1898 Palermo Teatro Massimo Aida (Amonasro)

1900 Varese Teatro Sociale Faust (Valentino)

1903 Novara Teatro Coccia Germania (Worms)

1905 Cremona Teatro Ponchielli Iris (Kyoto)

1908 Milano Teatro Fossati Il Pipistrello (Compagnia Operette Marchetti)

1911 Desenzano sul Garda Teatro Alberti Manon Lescaut (Lescaut)

1913 Roma Teatro Costanzi Stagione Compagnia di Operette Scognamiglio Caramba

1915 Lisbona   Coliseo Recrejos Stagione Compagnia di Operette Scognamiglio Caramba

 

 

GERMANO STOPPA

 

 

 

In 1897, he appeared in concert at the Milan Conservatory and made only two recordings for G&T.

Chronology of appearance

1897 Milan Conservatory Concert

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Augusto Scipioni Don Pasquale (Donizetti) Via da brava (w. Brambilla & A. Pini-Corsi) 054125 928c G&T, Milano 1905

Augusto Scipioni Don Pasquale (Donizetti) È rimasto là impietrato (w. Brambilla, A. Pini-Corsi & G. Pini-Corsi) 54329 9554b G&T, Milano 1905

Augusto Scipioni Don Pasquale (Donizetti) Cheti cheti, immantinente (w. A. Pini-Corsi) 54330 9556b G&T, Milano 1905

Luigi Sigon Desiderio di vendetta (Cadavia) 3414 Kalliope

Luigi Sigon Trovatore (Verdi) Mira, di acerbe lagrime (w. Taboga) 3453 Kalliope

Luigi Siravo Rigoletto (Verdi) Pari siamo3024 A Geniale

Luigi Siravo Otello (Verdi) Credo 3024 B Geniale

Gino Tessari Roi de Lahore (Massenet) O casto fior 52457 2858b G&T, Milano 1902-11

Gino Tessari Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Un di m’era di gioia 37282 Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1905/1906

Germano Stoppa Traviata (Verdi) Prendi, quest’è l’imagine (w. Trentini & Martinez-Patti) 54256 7045½b G&T, Milano 1905-08

Germano Stoppa Traviata (Verdi) Morrò la mia memoria (w. Trentini) 54258 7044a G&T, Milano 1905-08