Description

ROMANO RASPONI (ROMA, 1878 – ?)

 

 

 

He probably made his debut in 1902 at the Teatro Sociale in Cittadella as Marcello in La Bohème.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1902 Cittadella Teatro Sociale Boheme (Marcello)

1903 Alessandria  Teatro Finzi Lohengrin (Araldo)

1905 Udine Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Faust (Valentino)

1906 Ascoli Piceno Teatro Ventidio Basso Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1908 Milano Teatro La Scala Cristoforo Colombo (Romeo)

1909 Foligno Teatro Piermarini Tosca (Scarpia)

1910 Milano Teatro La Scala Sansone e Dalila (Grande Sacerdote)

1911 Palermo  Teatro Massimo Aida (Amonasro)

1912 Buenos Ayres Teatro Colon Manon (Lescaut)

1914 Cremona  Teatro Ponchielli Tosca (Scarpia)

1917 Lucca Teatro Del Giglio Boheme (Marcello)

1919 Roma  Teatro Costanzi  Madama Butterfly (Sharpless)

1921 Livorno Teatro Avvalorati Amico Fritz (David)

1926 Buenos Ayres Teatro Colon Carmen (Morales)

1931 Roma Eiar Manon Lescaut (Lescaut)

1935 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Adriana Lecouvreur (Principe)

1940 Roma Eiar Fedora (Lorek/Borov)

 

 

GAETANO PRUDENZA

 

 

 

Probably he made his debut in 1907 at the Teatro Regina Margherita in Caltanisetta in U. Giordano’s Fedora.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1907 Caltanisetta Teatro Regina Margherita Fedora (De Siriex)

1908 Salerno Teatro Verdi Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet)

1909 Napoli Teatro Bellini Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet)

1910 Alessandria d’Egitto Teatro Parisiana Carmen (Escamillo)

1912 Venezia Teatro Malibran Compagnia Operette citta’ di Milano

1914 Buenos Ayres Teatro Coliseo Compagnia operette citta’ di Milano

1919 Firenze Politeama Fiorentino Fanciulla del West (Rance)

1920 Palermo Teatro Nazionale Carmen (Escamillo)

 

 

TULLIO QUERCIA (BUENOS AYRES, 1878 – ? 1950)

 

 

 

He made his debut in 1901 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in Carmen. He retired from the stage in 1913 and returned to Buenos Aires, where he devoted himself to teaching; among his pupils was the tenor Pedro Mirassou. He made only six recordings for Gramophone.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

 1901 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Boheme (Marcello)

 1902 Torino Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Faust (Valentino)

 1903 Salsomaggiore  Teatro Ferrario  Don Pasquale (Malatesta)

 1905 Como Teatro Sociale Iris (Kyoto)

 1907 Ferrara Teatro Comunale Faust (Valentino)

 1909 Livorno Teatro Goldoni Pescatori di Perle (Nourrabad)

 1911 Brescia Teatro Grande Lohengrin (Tetralmondo)

 1912 Lisbona Teatro San Carlos Ugonotti (Nevers)

 

 

SILVIO RAMBALDELLI (VERONA ? – ?)

 

 

 

He studied singing under the pedagogue Camozzini. He probably made his debut in 1901 at the Teatro For Ever in Modena as Rodolfo in La Sonnambula.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1901 Modena Teatro For Ever Sonnambula (Rodolfo)

1903 Cuneo Teatro Civico Trovatore (Conte)

1905 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Carmen (Dancairo)

1906 Rimini Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Romeo et Juliette di C. Gounod

1908 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Andrea Chenier (Mathieu)

1910 Livorno Teatro Goldoni Andrea Chenier (Mathieu)

1913 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Tannhauser (Biterolf/Reinmare)

1914 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Gioconda (Zuane/Cantore)

 

 

NUNZIO RAPISARDI (CATANIA, 1877 – ST. PETERSBURG, 5 MAY, 1911)

 

 

 

Young, originally from Palermo, moved with his family to Florence, where his interest in theater initially drew him toward acting. He enrolled in Luigi Rasi’s acting school and participated in several comedies at the Stabile theater in Florence. Coming from a musically talented family, with his sisters Nunzia Rapisardi and Bianca Morello (both sopranos), he eventually shifted his focus to singing. He began vocal training with Maestro Vannini and made his operatic debut as a baritone in 1898, singing Schaunard in La Bohème at the Teatro Pagliano in Florence.

The early years of his career were marked by continued study and performances in smaller venues, primarily in secondary roles. In September 1902, after a brief period of intense study, he attempted a switch to tenor, debuting in the role of Canio in Pagliacci at the Politeama Reinach in Parma. However, the tenor transition was short-lived, and he quickly returned to his baritone repertoire, where he found true success.

In 1903, his breakthrough came with a highly acclaimed performance of Rigoletto at the Teatro Rossini in Venice, establishing him as a rising baritone. He continued to gain recognition, and in 1905, he sang in the premiere of Alto Mare by G. Chigi at the Teatro Della Lizza in Siena.

In 1911, he was engaged to perform at the prestigious Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. However, upon reaching the Russian border, he was arrested for not possessing a passport. After resolving this issue, he proceeded with his performances. Unfortunately, during a production of Aida, he suffered a severe injury when a rusty nail punctured his foot. The wound became infected, leading to a fatal case of tetanus. His tragic death cut short a promising career, and his funeral was attended by prominent figures of the opera world, including Sobinov, Figner, Sibiriakov, and Stracciari.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1898 Firenze Teatro Pagliano Boheme (Schaunard)

1900 Firenze Teatro Alfieri Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1902 Firenze Teatro Verdi Manon (Lescaut)

1904 Venezia Teatro Rossini Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1906 Torino Teatro Regio Loreley (Hermann)

1908 Alessandria d’Egitto Teatro Zizinia Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1910 Parma Teatro Regio Loreley (Hermann)

1911 Pietroburgo Teatro Imperiale Aida (Amonasro)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Romano Rasponi Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet): Del tempio al limitar (w. Giorgini) 86263 Pathé, Milano 1912

Romano Rasponi Forza del destino (Verdi): Solenne in quest’ora (w. Giorgini) 86275 Pathé, Milano 1912

Romano Rasponi Favorita (Donizetti): Ah, l’alto ardor (w. Magliulo) 86278 Pathé, Milano 1912

Gaetano Prudenza La Principessa Della Czarda (E. Kalman): Spesso Il Cuore Si Innamora (w. Butti) X110469 XM 1900 MP-5 Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1910/1912

Gaetano Prudenza La Principessa Della Czarda (E. Kalman): Canzone di Boni X110470 XM1903 MP-5 Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1910/1912

Gaetano Prudenza Soldato ignoto (Mario) 83135 Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1910/1912

Gaetano Prudenza Boheme (Puccini): Quartetto p.I° (w. Strazza, Meroni, Medosi) 110085 XM 1391 Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1910/1912

Gaetano Prudenza Boheme (Puccini): Quando men vò (w. Strazza, Meroni, Sarzanini & Medosi) 110001 Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1910/1912

Gaetano Prudenza Boheme (Puccini): Mimi e tanto malata (w. Strazza & Sarzanini) 110083 XM 1379 Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1910/1912

Gaetano Prudenza Boheme (Puccini): O buon Marcello (w. Sarzanini) 110082 Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1910/1912

Tullio Quercia Aida (Verdi) Quest’assisa 52389 2803b Gramophone, Milano 1902-11

Tullio Quercia Bohème (Puccini) Ah Mimi tu più non torni (w. Ventura) 54043 Con131 Gramophone, Milano 1903-10?

Tullio Quercia Carmen (Bizet) Duetto Don Jose-Escamillo, act 2 (w. Ventura) 054002 Con515 Gramophone, Milano 1903-10?

Tullio Quercia Faust (Gounod) Che fate qui Signor (w. Ventura & Sorgi) 054009 Con501 Gramophone, Milano 1903-10?

Tullio Quercia Gioconda (Ponchielli) Enzo Grimaldo (w. Ventura) 054004 Con526R Gramophone, Milano 1903-10?

Silvio Rambaldelli Forza del destino (Verdi): La predica di Melitone 1-35590 Favorite

Nunzio Rapisardi Forza del destino (Verdi): Non si plasa (w. Martinez-Patti) 50 Phonodisc Mondial, Milano 1908?

Nunzio Rapisardi Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Eri tu 81 Phonodisc Mondial, Milano 1908?

Nunzio Rapisardi Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Largo al factotum 80 Phonodisc Mondial, Milano 1908?

Nunzio Rapisardi Ernani (Verdi) O dei verd’anni miei 115 Phonodisc Mondial, Milano 1908?

Nunzio Rapisardi Hamlet (Thomas) Come il romito fior 123 Phonodisc Mondial, Milano 1908?

Nunzio Rapisardi Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Cruda, funesta smania 113 Phonodisc Mondial, Milano 1908?

Nunzio Rapisardi Amleto (Thomas): O vin discaccia la tristezza 122 Phonodisc Mondial, Milano 1908?