Description

ORESTE BENEDETTI (PISA, 19 DECEMBER, 1872 – NOVARA, 26 DECEMBER, 1917)

 

 

 

 

He first worked in a ceramic factory in Pisa. Natale Titta, the father of the famous baritone Titta Ruffo, recognized the talent of the young worker and helped secure his admission to the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Oreste Benedetti remained a close friend of Titta Ruffo and his family throughout his career.

He made his debut as a comprimario at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna in 1892. His first major debut came in 1894 as Count di Luna in Il Trovatore at the Teatro Quirino in Rome. He then appeared with great success at the Teatro Regio in Rovigo, the Teatro Manzoni in Rome, and the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia.

In 1897, he made guest appearances at the opera house in Buenos Aires. In 1898, at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, he took part in Gounod’s Faust. In 1899, he performed at the Teatro Regio in Parma in Perosi’s oratorio La risurrezione di Lazzaro.

During the following years, he enjoyed a successful career at major Italian opera houses, including the Teatro Regio in Parma (1900), the Teatro Comunale in Bologna (1908–09), the Teatro Comunale in Treviso (1908), and the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari (1906). In 1914, he returned to his hometown, singing at the Teatro Politeama in Pisa. His final appearance was as Rigoletto at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in 1915.

His career was prematurely interrupted by a severe illness that recurred several times, ultimately leading to his untimely death at the age of 45.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1892 Bologna Teatro Comunale Flora MacDonald di J. Urich (Sullivan)

1894 Roma Teatro Quirino Trovatore (Conte)

1896 Reggio Emilia Teatro Municipale Africana (Nelusko)

1898 Roma Teatro Costanzi Faust (Valentino)

1901 Firenze Arena Nazionale Traviata (Germont)

1903 Teodossia Teatro Nazionale Carmen (Escamillo)

1905 Alessandria d’Egitto Teatro Alhambra Boheme (Marcello)

1907 Torino Teatro Regio Aida (Amonasro)

1909 Torino Teatro Regio Gioconda (Barnaba)

1911 Cairo Teatro Khediviale Rhea di S. Samara (Guerca)

1914 Firenze Teatro Verdi Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1915 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

 

 

GIOVANNI BARATTO (VERCELLI, 1882 – ? 1934)

 

 

 

To support his studies, he worked as an electrician. In 1908, he made his debut at the Teatro Sociale in Biella in Ernani. In 1910, he was engaged by the impresario Gonzales for a tour in Russia and the Far East, remaining away from Italy for more than a year.

He became one of the first specialists in the role of Rance in La fanciulla del West, performing it in 1913 at the Teatro Sociale in Como and in 1914 at the Teatro Bellini in Catania. During his military service, he appeared in numerous concerts for the benefit of the troops.

In 1922, he took part in the premiere of Glauco by A. Franchetti at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. In 1924, he sang again at the Teatro Sociale in Como in the premiere of Severo Torelli by Bottacchiari.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1908: Debut in Biella (Ernani)

1909–1912: Tours in Northern Italy (Ballo, Trovatore, Rigoletto, Carmen)

1913–1915: Success in Como, Catania, Naples (Fanciulla del West, Andrea Chénier, Aida)

1916–1919: Leading baritone in Torino and tours to Genova, Brescia, Udine, Cairo

1920–1922: International appearances in Lisbon, Venice, Trieste, Verona; premieres in Naples

1923–1926: Performances in Milan, Como, Florence, Padova, Mantova, Torino, Vercelli

 

 

AMLETO BARBIERI (MEZZANA, PISA 1883 – NEW YORK, 1957)

 

 

 

He was the son of the well-known baritone Emilio Barbieri (1848–1899), who arranged for him to study singing under the distinguished baritone Lelio Casini in Milan. In 1905, he made his first appearance at the Teatro Politeama in Pisa as Renato in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera. He then sang in various provincial Italian theaters, including the Teatro La Fenice in Venice (1911), the Teatro Verdi in Padua (1914), and once again at the Teatro Politeama in Pisa (1915).

On April 2, 1914, he performed at La Scala in the premiere of Franco Alfano’s opera L’Ombra di Don Giovanni, singing the role of Rinuccio, with Tina Poli Randaccio and Edward Johnson in the other leading parts.

After the First World War, he left Italy and settled in New York. There, he appeared at the New York Opera House, singing Amonasro in Aida (1921) and Jago in Otello (1922), though he did not achieve the major career that had been anticipated. In 1925, he gave a concert in New York before devoting himself to teaching.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1905 Pisa Politeama Ballo in Maschera (Renato)

1908 Cairo Teatro Abbas Stagione

1911 Venezia Teatro La Fenice Ernani (Carlo)

1913 Padova Teatro Verdi Otello (Jago)

1915 Venezia  Teatro Rossini Favorita (Alfonso)

1917 Pisa Teatro Verdi Gioconda (Barnaba)

1919 Firenze Teatro Verdi Forza del destino (Carlo)

1921 Pisa Circolo Babilonia Concerto

1923 New York Royal Arcadium Concerto

 

LEONILDO BASI

 

 

 

He had a brief career on Italian provincial stages during the 1930s and probably never appeared at La Scala. His name is remembered by record collectors for singing the role of Silvio in Pagliacci, recorded for HMV opposite Adelaide Saraceni and Alessandro Valente.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1929 Merano Teatro Civico Barbiere di Siviglia (Fiorello)

1930 Genova Teatro Paganini Madama Butterfly (Sharpless)

1931 Catania   Arena Imperiale Madama Butterfly (Sharpless)

1932 Castelsangiovanni Teatro Sant’Agnese Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1933 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Turandot (Ping)

1935 Genova Politeama Genovese Boheme (Marcello)

1937 Colorno Villa Franca Lucia di Lammermoor (Enrico)

1940 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

1945 Parma Teatro Regio Madama Butterfly (Sharpless)

 

 

JAGO BELLON (FIRENZE, 1877 – PISA, 1949)

 

 

 

He was trained by the pedagogue Alfredo Torri in Pisa and made his first appearance at the Teatro Politeama in Pisa in 1894, performing the third act of Verdi’s Ernani and the baritone and chorus scene from Arturo Birg’s Evaldo. During the 1895–1898 seasons, he gave concerts in Pisa. His official operatic debut took place in 1898 at the Teatro Politeama in Livorno in La Traviata.

In 1899, he sang Count di Luna in Il Trovatore and Germont in La Traviata at the Teatro Garibaldi in Chioggia. In 1901, he made guest appearances in Milan, Acqui Terme, and Switzerland. In 1902, he appeared at the Teatro Duse in Bologna in Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan, and in 1905 he returned to Pisa to perform in Giordano’s Andrea Chénier.

During the 1909–1910 seasons, he made successful guest appearances in Łódź, Kaunas, Minsk, Baku, and Orenburg. In 1912, he sang at the Teatro Fraschini in Pavia in La Fanciulla del West. From 1917 to 1918, as a member of the Gonzales Opera Company, he performed in Australia.

In the 1931–1933 seasons, he sang various operatic roles for the Italian broadcasting company EIAR in Turin. After retiring, he lived in Pisa. He made only one recording, for Beka.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1894 Pisa Teatro Politeamo Ernani (Scene)

1898 Livorno Teatro Politeama Traviata (Germont)

1899 Chioggia Teatro Garibaldi Trovatore (Count di Luna)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Oreste Benedetti Bohème (Puccini): Ah Mimì, tu più with Aristodemo Giorgini 35017 Edison 4-min cylinders, New York? 1910?

Oreste Benedetti Ballo in Maschera (Verdi): Alzati, là tuo figlio … Eri tu, che macchiavi 754-A Edison Unpubl., London 1911

Oreste Benedetti Gioconda (Ponchielli): Così mantieni il patto with Paola Koralek 760-A Edison, Unpubl., London 1911

Oreste Benedetti Trovatore (Verdi): Infida, qual voce alto! with Carlo Albani and Paola Koralek 761-B Edison, Unpubl., London 1911

Giovanni Baratto Gioconda (Ponchielli): O monumento 7530 BA 22451 Edison 4-min cylinders, Milano 1910

Giovanni Baratto Ernani (Verdi): O dei verd’anni miei 7525 BA 22446 Edison 4-min cylinders, Milano 1910

Giovanni Baratto Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Eri tu 7520 BA 22441 Edison 4-min cylinders, Milano 1910

Giovanni Baratto Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Nemico della patria 1008 Disco Sovrano la Fonitalia

Amleto Barbieri Tannhäuser (Wagner): O tu bell’astro test, Unpub., 44924 Edison cylinders, 1912/1913

Leonildo Basi Don Pasquale (Donizetti): Bella siccome un angelo S 10056 0252008 HMV, Milano 28-11-28

Leonildo Basi Ballo in Maschera (Verdi):  Vè se di notte with Guglielmo Masini, Alide Vane and Giuseppe Borghi S 10050 0254007 HMV, Milano 1928-12-03

Leonildo Basi Boheme (Puccini): Questa è Mimi with Piero Pauli, Nello Palai and Guglielmo Masini DA1204 HMV, Milano 1928-12-03

Jago Belloni Rigoletto (Verdi): Cortigiani vil razza dannata 42296 Beka, Milano