Description

LORENZO OGGERO (SOMMARIA DI BOSCO RUNCO, CUNEO, 1879 – ?)

 

 

 

He made his debut in 1908 at the Teatro Cavour in Porto Maurizio in Cavalleria Rusticana. A year later, he moved to the United States, where he was engaged by the Boston Opera Company, marking the start of his international career.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1908 Porto Maurizio Teatro Cavour Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)

1909 Boston Civic Opera House Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)

1911 Brà Politeama Boglione Boheme (Rodolfo)

 

SANTELLO GRASSI

 

 

 

He likely made his debut in 1905 at the Teatro Metastasio as Alfredo in La Traviata. Although he appeared primarily on Italian provincial stages, he also performed abroad in cities such as Lisbon, Valencia, and São Paulo.

He retired from the stage in 1922, leaving behind a career that spanned both domestic and international performances.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1905 Prato Teatro Metastasio Traviata (Alfredo)

1907 Udine Teatro Minerva Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)

1909 Bergamo Teatro Nuovo Gara Antica di M. Tarenghi

1914 Messina Teatro Mastroieni Rigoletto (Duca)

1916 Lisbona Coliseo Recrejos Le Maschere (Florindo)

1917 Valencia Teatro Principal Le Maschere (Florindo)

1922 Viterbo Teatro Unione Pagliacci (Canio)

 

 

FAUSTO CAVALLINI (CASTELDELBOSCO, PISA 1885 – CASCINA, PISA, 1952)

 

 

 

He made his earliest known appearances in 1906 at the Politeama in Pisa, where he sang Arlecchino in Pagliacci. Over the following years, he established himself as a lyric tenor of notable versatility, performing leading roles in the Italian repertoire. In 1908, he appeared as Gounod’s Faust at the Politeama Sampierdarenese in Sampierdarena and in 1909 sang both Arturo in I Puritani and Alfredo in La Traviata at the Teatro Comunale in Trani.

During the next decade, Cavallini’s activity was largely centered in provincial Italian theatres. He was heard as Fernando in La Favorita, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Duca in Rigoletto, Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Arturo in I Puritani—roles that became closely associated with him. Appearances followed in Siracusa, Napoli (Teatro Mercadante, 1911), Padova, Como, Foiano della Chiana, and Catania, among others. His repertoire also included Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu), Thaïs (Nicia), La bohème (Rodolfo), and Faust (Faust).

After World War I, Cavallini expanded his career internationally. In 1921, he appeared in New York at the Teatro Mason in Il barbiere di Siviglia and in concert, later performing in Los Angeles (1922) and for American radio broadcasts. In 1923, he sang Elvino in La sonnambula at the Teatro Colón in Costa Rica and appeared again in New York as Duca (Rigoletto) and Faust.

His South American engagements included performances at the Teatro Colón in Bogotá (1924, as Alfredo in La Traviata), while in Italy he continued to appear in important venues such as the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari (Lucia di Lammermoor), the Teatro Guidi in Pavia (Faust), and the Teatro Metastasio in Prato (La bohème).

Throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s, Cavallini remained active across Italian theatres—in Milan, Ravenna, Foggia, Catania, and Genoa—where he was repeatedly heard as Almaviva, Edgardo, Rodolfo, and Alfredo, confirming his specialization in the light lyric tenor repertoire.

 

 

ARTURO GERVASI (VIGNANELLO, 8 JULY, 1889 – SORIANO NEL CIMINO, 19 MARCH, 1984)

 

 

 

Arturo Gervasi was an Italian tenor active during the 1920s, known for his performances in the leading lyric and dramatic roles of the Italian repertoire.

He appeared in 1924 at the Teatro Quirino in Rome, where he sang two of his signature roles — Rodolfo in La Bohème and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor. The following year, he took part in the opera season at the Teatro Rendano in Cosenza and appeared at the Politeama Chiarella in Turin as Alfredo in La Traviata.

In 1926, Gervasi performed at the Teatro Carcano in Milan as Enzo in Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, a role requiring both lyrical expression and heroic intensity. During the same period, he was heard at the Teatro Balbo in Turin, where he sang Rodolfo in La Bohème and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.

His career continued in 1927 with performances of La Gioconda at the Teatro Sociale in Biella and participation in the opera season at the Teatro Adriano in Rome.

 

 

ATTILIO BAGGIORE (CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 1897 – 1963 ?)

 

 

 

First, he studied singing in Chicago under William Clair Hall, and later went to Europe, where he took lessons from Sabastini. He made his debut at the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome. In the United States, he gave several recitals. He recorded only two unpublished duets with Luisa Tetrazzini.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1924 Roma Teatro Costanzi Rigoletto (Duca)

1925 Palermo Teatro Nazionale Rigoletto (Duca)

1926 Bari Teatro Piccinni Werther (Werther)

1928 Bari Teatro Piccinni Adriana Lecouvreur (Maurizio)

1929 Firenze Teatro Comunale Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1930 Roma Teatro dell’Opera Tosca (Cavaradossi)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Lorenzo Oggero Favorita (Donizetti): Spirto gentil J. 470 Lyrophon, Milano 1911/1912?

Lorenzo Oggero Faust (Gounod): Salve dimora J. 477 Lyrophon, Milano 1911/1912?

Lorenzo Oggero Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna è mobile J. 478 Lyrophon, Milano 1911/1912?

Lorenzo Oggero Favorita (Donizetti): Una vergine J. 484 Lyrophon, Milano 1911/1912?

Lorenzo Oggero Rigoletto (Verdi): Bella figlia dell’amore (w. Cassani, Garroni & Omodei) J. 544 Lyrophon, Milano 1911/1912?

Santello Grassi Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna è mobile 4330 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1905?

Santello Grassi Traviata (Verdi): De’ miei bollenti spiriti 4331 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1905?

Santello Grassi Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Donna non vidi mai 4334 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1905?

Santello Grassi Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): No, no, Turiddu (w. Brussa) 4335 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1905?

Santello Grassi Tosca (Puccini): O dolci mani (w. Brussa) 4336 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1905?

Fausto Cavallini La danza (Rossini) 10080 A Gennett

Fausto Cavallini L’ultima canzone (Tosti) 10080 B Gennett

Arturo Gervasi Fanciulla del West (Puccini) Ch’ella mi creda R 5313 7-252559 HMV

Arturo Gervasi Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) O Colombina HN 778 7-252570 HMV

Attilio Baggiore Piccolo Amore (Lama) with Luisa Tetrazzini Unpubl Bb1809 HMV, London 1922-09-11