Description

VINCENZO GUICCIARDI (NONANTOLA, 1889 – FERRARA, 1965)

 

 

 

He studied singing in Modena and made his debut in 1911 in G. Verdi’s Ernani. In 1913, he again appeared as Don Carlo in Ernani at the Teatro Politeama in Genoa and began a successful career at leading Italian opera houses. His repertoire included Telramund in Lohengrin, Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde, Jochanaan in Salome, the title roles in Guglielmo Tell, Gérard in Andrea Chénier, and Barnaba in La Gioconda. In 1926, he appeared at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo in the premiere of Pizzi’s Ivania. In 1931, he sang at La Scala in the premiere of Montemezzi’s La notte di Zoraima. In 1942, he performed at the Opera of Rome in the Italian premiere of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck. He continued his career after the Second World War, appearing as late as 1951 at the Teatro Grande in Brescia in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West. In 1951, he was appointed professor at the Liceo Frescobaldi in Ferrara.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1911 Modena  Teatro Storchi  Ernani (Carlo)

1914 Modena  Teatro Municipale Ballo in maschera (Renato)

1916 Padova Teatro Garibaldi Traviata (Germont)

1919 Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Aida (Amonasro)

1923 Milano  Teatro Dal Verme Aida (Amonasro)

1926 Brescia Teatro Grande Gioconda (Barnaba)

1929 Novara Teatro Coccia  Guglielmo Tell (Tell)

1933 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Loreley (Hermann)

1937 Como  Teatro Sociale Guglielmo Tell (Tell)

1941 Genova Politeama Genovese Gioconda (Barnaba)

1947 Genova Teatro Grattacielo Fanciulla del West (Rance)

1951 Brescia Teatro Grande Fanciulla del West (Rance)

 

 

AUGUSTO BEUF (PALERMO, 1887 – VERONA, 1969)

 

 

 

First, he studied the violoncello at the Liceo Musicale in Palermo and became a cellist in the orchestra of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. He began his singing career without formal vocal training and initially traveled with an Italian operetta troupe, the Compagnia Lombardo, in Egypt. In Cairo, impresario Castellani arranged for him to join a tour of Greece and the Balkans with his opera company. He made his opera debut in 1908 at the Teatro Comunale of Modica in Rigoletto. In 1913, he performed at the Teatro Biondo in Palermo as Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, and in 1914 in Corfu as Germont in La Traviata. During the First World War, he served as a soldier in the Italian army. In the 1917-18 season, he studied under the famous Antonio Cotogni in Rome, becoming Cotogni’s last pupil. In 1918, he returned to the stage, performing at the Teatro Carcano in Milan. His first significant success came in 1920 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. Here he also completed his education with Alfredo Martini. At the Teatro Costanzi in 1920, he sang Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana and, on May 2, 1921, performed the role of Capitano in the premiere of P. Mascagni’s opera Il piccolo Marat. During the 1920s, he made guest appearances at La Scala, Milan, and also performed extensively in South America, including a 1927 appearance at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires in Tosca and Lucia di Lammermoor. From 1931 to 1934, he was a member of the Chicago Opera. From 1934 onward, he began taking on bass roles and Wagnerian parts, such as Hans Sachs at La Scala. In 1935, he appeared in Florence in the premiere of I. Pizzetti’s opera L’Orseolo, and in 1939, he performed at La Scala in the premiere of E. Wolf-Ferrari’s La Dama Boba. That same year, he appeared at the Rome Opera House in L. Rocca’s Monte Ivnor. From 1938 to 1948, he toured the world in concert, often performing with Toti dal Monte in cities such as Paris, Brussels, and various locations in Germany and Switzerland. During the Second World War, he guested in Berlin. In 1946, he made an appearance on English television. His career continued with a performance at La Scala in the 1953 premiere of I. Pizzetti’s opera Cagliostro.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1910 Siracusa Teatro Comunale Pagliacci (Silvio)

1917 Roma Teatro Valle Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

1920 Palermo Teatro Massimo Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

1923 Firenze Teatro Verdi Falstaff (Ford)

1927 Rio de Janeiro Teatro Municipal Tosca (Scarpia)

1930 Catania Teatro Bellini Lucia Di Lammermoor (Enrico)

1933 Alessandria Teatro Municipale Otello (Jago)

1936 Milano Teatro La Scala Orseolo di I. Pizzetti (Alvise)

1941Asti Teatro Alfieri Don Pasquale (Don Pasquale)

1945 Barcellona Teatro Liceo Aida (Ramfis)

1950 Parma Teatro Regio Don Giovanni (Leporello)

 

 

ARMANDO BORGIOLI (FLORENCE, 19 MARCH, 1898 – MILAN-MODENA TRAIN NEAR CODOGNO, 20 JANUARY, 1945)

 

 

 

He began his career in 1923. In 1925, he sang with great success at the Teatro Carcano in Milan as Amonasro in G. Verdi’s Aida. In 1926, he appeared at the opera in Catania and at the Arena di Verona in Il Trovatore. In 1927, he was engaged by La Scala in Milan (debut role: Alfio in Cavalleria rusticana), where in 1928 he took part in the premiere of La Maddalena by V. Michetti. Until 1944, he appeared at La Scala, and also sang at other leading opera houses across Italy.

From 1931 to 1935, he was a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making his debut in 1932 as Don Carlo in La forza del destino. At the Met, his roles included Count di Luna in Il trovatore, Amonasro in Aida, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Barnaba in A. Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, Gérard in U. Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, Nelusco in G. Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine, and Tonio in Pagliacci.

He achieved great success in South America, particularly at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and at the Opera of Rio de Janeiro, where he appeared in the 1936–1937 season, as well as from 1940 to 1941.

In 1927, he made a guest appearance at Covent Garden in London, singing in Il trovatore. In 1928, he performed there in P. Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Verdi’s Aida. In 1933, he again appeared at Covent Garden in Aida and La bohème, and in 1937 he sang Orest in Iphigénie en Tauride.

He appeared at the Arena di Verona in Rigoletto (1928), L’Africaine (1932), Il trovatore (1933), La Gioconda (1934), Lucia di Lammermoor (1938), and Tannhäuser (1938). At the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, he sang in Loreley (1930), Il tabarro (1939), Andrea Chénier, and I vespri siciliani. At the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, he appeared in Lohengrin (1926), Il trovatore, La Wally (1931), Aida (1936), Simon Boccanegra (1938), Tannhäuser, and Rigoletto (1939). At the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, he sang in Un ballo in maschera (1935) and Il trovatore (1939).

He was killed in an air raid while traveling by train from Milan to Modena.

 

 

DARIO ZANI (MANTOVA, 1882 – ?)

 

 

 

His name began appearing in small opera houses across the Italian provinces around 1909. In 1919, he sang the role of Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida at the Teatro Lirico in Milan during a gala performance honoring U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. In 1920, he performed as Giannotto in Mascagni’s Lodoletta at the Teatro Politeama Genovese in Genoa. Later, he became associated with the Teatro dei Piccoli, where he worked both as a singer and director in opera performances on the doll stage. With this puppet theater, he toured internationally, traveling to the United States in 1933, where he performed in various New York theaters as a member of the Teatro dei Piccoli. He retired in the 1950s.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1909 Lublino Teatro Nazionale Traviata (Germont)

1911 San Paolo Teatro San Josè Boheme (Schaunard)

1913 San Paolo Teatro San Josè Carmen (Escamillo)

1915 Milano Teatro Carcano Traviata (Germont)

1918 Milano Teatro Carcano Fanciulla del West (Rance)

1920 Genova Politeama Genovese Aida (Amonasro)

1922 Venezia Teatro Malibran Forza del destino (Carlo)

1924 Lucca Teatro del Giglio Tosca (Scarpia)

1926 La Valletta/Malta Teatro Reale Ernani (Carlo)

1928 Chiavari Teatro Cantero Trovatore (Conte)

1930 Chiavari Teatro Verdi Tosca (Scarpia)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Vincenzo Guicciardi Andrea Chenier (Giordano) Nemico della patriaH 85217 Homocord

Vincenzo Guicciardi Ernani (Verdi) Oh! Dei verd’anni miei H 85212 Homocord

Vincenzo Guicciardi Guglielmo Tell (Rossini) Resta immobile 6625 H 85219 Homocord

Vincenzo Guicciardi Traviata (Verdi) Di Provenza il mar H 85215 Homocord

Augusto Beuf Aida (Verdi) Rivedrai le foreste (w. Scacciati) D12475 B820 Columbia, Milano 1926 (ac)

Augusto Beuf Don Carlo (Verdi) Per me giunto e il di supremo D 12263 833 Columbia, Milano 1926 (ac)

Augusto Beuf Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Resta immobile D12263 B832 Columbia, Milano 1926 (ac)

Augusto Beuf Simon Boccanegra (Verdi) Il lacerato spirito DB5400 BA4372-2 HMV, Milano 1941

Augusto Beuf Don Giovanni (Mozart) La ci darem la mano (w. dal Monte) DA 5406 BA 4376 HMV, Milano 1941

Augusto Beuf Don Carlo (Verdi) Ella giammai m’amo… Dormirò sol DB 5399 2ba4389, DB 5399 2ba4390 HMV, Milano 1941

Armando Borgioli Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prologo, pt 1 5248 WB1843 Columbia, Milano 1928-03

Armando Borgioli Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prologo, pt 2 pt 2 5248 WB1844 Columbia, Milano 1928-03

Martino Grossi Don Giovanni (Mozart) Deh vieni alla finestra 2117 Homokord

Gioconda (Ponchielli) Enzo Grimaldo (w. Gigli) 2-054084 3331c Gramophone, Milano 1918-11-21

Dario Zani Tosca (Puccini) 14) Tosca è un buon falco (w. Bettoni) 2-0252010 3235c Gramophone, Milano 1918-06-11

Dario Zani Tosca (Puccini) 15) Hai più forte sapore (w. Broccardi, Plinio, Carnevali & chorus) 2-0254072 3245c

Dario Zani Tosca (Puccini) 16) V’è noto che un prigione (w. Broccardi, Remondini, Plinio & chorus) 7-254068 20117b Gramophone, Milano 1918-06-15

Dario Zani Tosca (Puccini) 18) Ed or fra noi parliamo (w. Broccardi, Remondini & Bettoni) 2-0254073 3212c Gramophone, Milano 1918-06-04

Dario Zani Tosca (Puccini) 19) Orsù, Tosca parlate (w. Broccardi, Remondini, Plinio & Carnevali) 2-0254074 3257c Gramophone, Milano 1918-06-20

Dario Zani Tosca (Puccini) Dov’e’ dunque Angelotti (w. Broccardi, Remondini & Plinio) 7-254069 20130b Gramophone, Milano 19-6-18