Description

EDOARDO FATICANTI (ROME, 1880 – ? 1955)

 

 

 

He made his debut in 1908 at the Teatro Comunale of Narni, performing the role of Rigoletto in Verdi’s Rigoletto. On November 20, 1910, he sang at the Teatro Comunale of Bologna in the premiere of Ottorino Respighi’s Semirama, and on January 24, 1914, he appeared at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome for the premiere of Gian Francesco Malipiero’s Canossa.

In 1911, he performed at the Teatro Costanzi as Amonasro in Aida and during the 1913-14 season sang roles such as Escamillo in Carmen, Amfortas in Parsifal, Osaka in Mascagni’s Iris, and Telramund in Lohengrin. He toured Rio de Janeiro in 1912 and 1913, performing in operas like Aida, La Wally, and Cavalleria Rusticana.

At the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in 1912, he sang Jack Rance in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West and Baldassare in Cilea’s L’Arlesiana. In 1915, he appeared at the Teatro Regio in Parma in Aida, La Favorita, and Andrea Chénier. That same year, he sang Hermann in Catalani’s Loreley at La Scala in Milan.

In the 1927-28 season, he performed in Parsifal and Pizzetti’s Fra Gherardo at La Scala. On February 9, 1929, he participated in the premiere of Felice Lattuada’s Le Preziose ridicole at La Scala, alongside Mafalda Favero, Jan Kiepura, Ebe Stignani, and Salvatore Baccaloni. Subsequent premieres at La Scala included Bacco in Toscana by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco in 1931 and La Dama Boba by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari in 1939.

From the 1930s, he specialized in buffo roles, with notable performances as Dulcamara in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore (1936, Arena di Verona) and Melitone in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino. After retiring from the stage, he became a pedagogue in Rome.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1908 Narni Teatro Comunale Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1910 Bologna Teatro Comunale Semirana di O. Respighi (Falsar)

1911 Roma Teatro Costanzi Aida (Amonasro)

1912 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Arlesiana (Baldassarre)

1914 Roma Teatro Costanzi Boheme (Marcello)

1915 Milano La Scala Loreley (Hermann)

1915 Parma Teatro Regio Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1924 Udine Teatro Sociale Otello (Jago)

 

 

ANAFESTO ROSSI (VENICE, 1883 – LIMBIATE, 1933)

 

 

 

He studied at the Liceo Musicale Benedetto Marcello in Venice, graduating in 1902 as a bass. He furthered his training at the Saffo Bellincioni School under Lelio Casini and Schneider. Rossi made his debut in 1906 at the Teatro Sociale in Broni, performing in Verdi’s La Traviata. He retired from the stage in 1926 and later passed away in a mental hospital.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1906 Broni Teatro Sociale Traviata (Germont)

1909 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Forza Del destino (Carlo)

1913 Boston Opera House Pagliacci (Tonio)

1915 Sanremo Teatro Del Casinò Manon Lescaut (Lescaut)

1920 Volterra Teatro Persio Flacco Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1925 Trieste Teatro Verdi Gianni Schicchi (Schicchi)

1926 Cremona Teatro Ponchielli Gianni Schicchi (Schicchi)

 

 

LUIGI PIAZZA (BOLOGNA, 1884 – BOLOGNA, 22 MARCH, 1967)

 

 

 

He studied at the Conservatory of Bologna under the pedagogue Alberoni and probably made his debut in 1908 at the Teatro Principe Amedeo in Sanremo in La Traviata. In 1920, he appeared at the Teatro Rossini in Lugo in the world premiere of L’Aviatore Dro by Balilla Pratella. He retired from the stage in 1935.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1908 Sanremo Teatro Principe Amedeo Traviata (Germont)

1912 Firenze Teatro Verdi Puritani (Riccardo)

1914 Bologna Teatro Verdi Puritani (Riccardo)

1917 Bologna Teatro Duse Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1919 Venezia Teatro Rossini Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

1921 Cesena Teatro Comunale Boheme (Marcello)

1923 Malta Teatro Reale Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1925 Pisa Teatro Verdi Madama Butterfly (Sharpless)

1927 Lisbona Coliseo Recrejos Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1929 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Traviata (Germont)

1931 Ferrara Teatro Apollo Puritani (Riccardo)

1933 Milano Teatro Lirico Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1934 Pola Teatro Ciscutti Manon Lescaut (Lescaut)

 

 

CARMELO MAUGERI (CATANIA, 1889 – ? 1986)

 

 

 

He studied at the Conservatorio Tartini in Trieste, and then with Matteo Adernò in Catania. He made his debut in 1911 at the Teatro Bellini in Catania as Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana. After guest performances at prominent Italian opera houses and in Lisbon, he served as a soldier in the Italian army during World War I.

From 1917 to 1919, he performed at the Teatro Carcano in Milan and appeared as a guest at the Teatro Lírico in Barcelona during the 1918-1919 season. In 1921, he performed at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, and in 1923, he appeared at the Teatro Regio in Parma as Tebaldo in R. Zandonai’s Giulietta e Romeo. He achieved significant success at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo in 1921.

He was especially renowned for interpreting baritone roles in the operas of Riccardo Zandonai, with particular acclaim for his portrayal of Gianciotto in Francesca da Rimini, a role he performed at many prominent Italian stages. On February 14, 1922, he performed at the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome in the premiere of R. Zandonai’s Giulietta e Romeo, conducted by the composer himself. In 1929, he sang at La Scala in Francesca da Rimini.

He also appeared at the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome in the premieres of G. Mulè’s Dafni (March 14, 1928), R. Zandonai’s La Farsa amorosa (February 22, 1933), and L. Refice’s Cecilia (February 15, 1934). Later in his career, he performed in buffo roles and became one of the leading Italian representatives of this vocal type.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1911 Catania Teatro Bellini Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

1914 Pisa Teatro Verdi Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

1916 Madrid Teatro Zarzuela Pagliacci (Silvio)

1919 Barcellona Teatro Liceo Fra’ Diavolo (Rockburg)

1922 Roma Teatro dell’Opera Giulietta e Romeo di R. Zandonai (Tebaldo)

1926 Venezia Teatro La Fenice Amore Dei Tre Re di I. Montemezzi (Manfredo)

1929 Piacenza Teatro Municipale Fanciulla Del West (Rance)

1932 Roma Teatro dell’Opera Fanciulla del West (Rance)

1934 Roma Teatro dell’Opera Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

1940 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice La Farsa Amorosa di R. Zandonai (Don Ferrante)

1945 Trieste Teatro Verdi Francesca da Rimini (Giovanni)

1950 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice L’osteria Portoghese di L. Cherubini

1956 Milano Eiar Zaide di W. A. Mozart (Osmino)

 

 

LUIGI ROSSI-MORELLI (SARSINA, 1887 – IMOLA, 1940)

 

 

 

He studied in Rome with Antonio Cotogni. In 1913, he made his debut at the Teatro Grande in Brescia as Wotan in Die Walküre. In 1914, he achieved his first major success as Klingsor in the premiere of Wagner’s Parsifal at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. In 1915, Rossi-Morelli appeared at the Teatro Regio in Turin in the Italian premiere of Giordano’s Madame Sans-Gêne. In 1918, he performed as a guest artist at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona.

In 1921, he sang at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome in Tristan und Isolde, Carmen, La Fanciulla del West, and Aida. In 1923, he performed at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, and in 1924, at the Teatro Dal Verme. In 1926, Rossi-Morelli returned to the Teatro Costanzi as Wotan in Die Walküre. In 1928, he sang the same role at La Scala with Frida Leider, and also performed as Pizarro in Fidelio.

From that point onward, he was regarded as the most significant Wagnerian baritone in Italy. He appeared repeatedly at La Scala, including in the premieres of Wolf-Ferrari’s Sly, Renzo Bianchi’s Proserpina (March 23, 1938), and Franco Vittadini’s La Sagredo (April 27, 1930).

In 1935 and 1937, he performed with the Italian opera in Holland. In 1937, he returned to Rome to sing Amfortas in Parsifal. In 1940, he gave his final performance, singing Pizarro in Fidelio at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo.

Rossi-Morelli also enjoyed great success in South America, performing at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, as well as in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1913 Brescia Teatro Grande Walkiria (Wotan)

1914 Palermo Teatro Massimo Parsifal (Klingsor)

1915 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Madame Sans-Gene (Fouchè)

1916 Reggio Emilia Teatro Municipale Aida (Amonasro)

1917 Venezia Teatro Rossini Isabeau (Re Raimondo)

1918 Madrid Teatro Reale Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio)

1921 Rome Teatro Costanzi Tristano e Isotta (Kurvenaldo)

1923 Palermo Teatro Massimo Tosca (Scarpia)

1924 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Aida (Amonasro)

1925 Imola Teatro Modernissimo Tosca (Scarpia)

1930 Milan La Scala La Sagredo (Alvise)

1938 Milan La Scala Proserpina (Polifemo)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Edoardo Faticanti Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea) Ah! Stupenda, mirabile (Monologo) 37696 Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1908

Edoardo Faticanti Ernani (Verdi) Oh! Dei verd’anni miei 37727 Xm1206mb Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1908?

Edoardo Faticanti Ernani (Verdi) Oh! Dei verd’anni miei unpubl. 206B Edison, London 1910

Edoardo Faticanti Forza del destino (Verdi) Che! Siete all’osteria (La minestra!) (w. Righetti) 120202 XXPho6520 Fonotipia, Milano 1929-12-11

Edoardo Faticanti Forza del destino (Verdi) Toh, toh! Poffare il mondo (La predica) 120202 XXPho6521 Fonotipia, Milano 1929-12-11

Edoardo Faticanti Otello (Verdi) Credo 120121 XXPh6090 Fonotipia, Milano 1928-01-10

Anafesto Rossi Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Largo al factotum 74233 XXPh5351 Fonotipia, Milano 1923-06-23

Anafesto Rossi Donna, vorei morir (Tosti) 152568 Pho5356 Fonotipia, Milano 1923-06-23

Anafesto Rossi Falstaff (Verdi) Alfin t’ho colto with Carmen Roccabella 74234 XXPh5350 Fonotipia, Milano 1923-06-23

Anafesto Rossi Gianni Schicchi (Puccini) Si corre dal notaio 152565 Pho5353 Fonotipia, Milano 1923-06-23

Anafesto Rossi La mia canzone (Tosti) 152569 Pho5358 Fonotipia, Milano 1923-06-23

Anafesto Rossi Tabarro (Puccini) Scorri, fume eterno! 152564 Pho5352 Fonotipia, Milano 1923-06-23

Luigi Piazza Tannhäuser (Wagner) Oh, tu, bell’astro incantador Private record

Carmelo Maugeri Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Un dì m’era di gioia D16422 WBX181 Columbia, Milano 1927-11-02

Carmelo Maugeri Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Alla vita che t’arride D6022 WB2417 Columbia, Milano 1928/1929

Carmelo Maugeri Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Eri tu CQX16453 Columbia, Milano 1928/1929

Carmelo Maugeri Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Largo al factotum D16422 WBX178 Columbia, Milano 1927-11-02

Carmelo Maugeri Don Pasquale (Donizetti) Bella siccome un angelo D5930 WB 2179 Columbia, Milano 1928/1929

Carmelo Maugeri Ernani (Verdi) Lo vedremo o veglio audace D5743 WB1574 Columbia, Milano 1927

Carmelo Maugeri Favorita (Donizetti) Vieni Leonora D 5747 B 1611 Columbia, Milano 1927

Luigi Rossi-Morelli Die Walküre (Wagner) Addio sublime prole d’eroi D 5823 WB 1877 Columbia 1928

Luigi Rossi-Morelli Tannhäuser (Wagner) O tu bell’astro D 5799 B1822 Columbia 1928

Luigi Rossi-Morelli Carmen (Bizet) Con voi ber (Votre toast) DQ259 WB 1825 Columbia 1928

Luigi Rossi-Morelli Aida (Verdi) Quest’assisa ch’io vesto vi dica DQ259 WB 1808 Columbia 1928

Luigi Rossi-Morelli Tosca (Puccini) Elle vera D11564 WB 1840 Columbia 1928