Description

ROBERTO VANNI (MILAN, 1861 – ? 1941)

 

 

 

 

Probably he made his debut in 1885 at the Teatro Comunale in Ferrara as Macduff in Macbeth. From 1889 to 1891, he made guest appearances in Montevideo, performing in Aida, L’Africana, Mefistofele, Rigoletto, and Fra’ Diavolo. In 1893, Vanni sang at the Teatro Doria in Buenos Aires, where he appeared in Ruy Blas, Faust, Falstaff, and Pagliacci.

He toured with Henry Abbey’s Italian Grand Opera Company, starring Patti and Tamagno, during the 1889–1890 season. Vanni was a member of the Metropolitan Opera for seven seasons, making his debut on November 21, 1894, as the Fisherman in William Tell.

In his final Met season (1902–1903), he appeared sixty-eight times, from Roderigo in the opening-night Otello on November 24 to Vogelgesang in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, which closed the tour on April 25 in Pittsburgh. His other roles that season included the Sergeant in Il barbiere di Siviglia, the Messenger in Aida, Gaston in La traviata, Borsa in Rigoletto, a Peasant and a Herald in Le prophète, Alcindoro and Parpignol in La Bohème, De Cossé in Les Huguenots, Remendado in Carmen, Don Riccardo in Ernani, a Servant in Un ballo in maschera, a Priest in The Magic Flute, the Notary in Don Pasquale, and Ruiz in Il trovatore. He was paid $40 per week, earning a total of $880 for the season.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1885 Ferrara Teatro Comunale Macbeth (Macduff)

1889 Montevideo Teatro Ciblis Aida (Messaggero)

1891 Montevideo Teatro Solis Rigoletto (Duca)

1893 Buenos Aires Teatro Doria Ruy Blas (Ruy Blas)

1895 Boston Opera House Pagliacci (Arlecchino)

1897 New York Teatro Metropolitan Ugonotti (Coss¨)

1899 New York Teatro Metropolitan Aida (Messaggero)

1901 New York Teatro Metropolitan Don Pasquale (Notaro)

1903 New York Teatro Metropolitan Ernani (Don Riccardo)

1909 Boston Opera House Lucia di Lammermoor (Normanno)

1910 Chicago Auditorium Faust (Wagner)

 

 

VITTORIO FULLIN (POLA, 1895 – ?)

 

 

 

He studied singing under Mandolini and made his debut at the Politeama of Livorno as Pollione in Norma. In 1925, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Aida, singing the role of Radamès, which he performed there again in 1927. He retired from the stage around 1940.

The new tenor, tall and broad-shouldered, with a powerful voice and confident stage presence, displayed some nervousness at his debut—perhaps the cause of occasional tightness and his tendency to extend the final vowel of the high B-flat in his aria. Nevertheless, his singing was smooth and appealing, revealing a voice of notable volume and musical quality. Later, in the Nile Scene, Mr. Fullin delivered several beautiful phrases and was generally successful with his part, despite slight hoarseness in the upper register. Critics noted that General Manager Gatti-Casazza would likely find him valuable for the varied demands of the Metropolitan Opera repertoire.

 

http://archives.metoperafamily.org

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1921 Livorno Politeama Norma (Pollione)

1923 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

1925 Venezia  Teatro Malibran Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)

1927 New York Teatro Metropolitan Pagliacci (Canio)

1930 Venezia  Teatro Malibran Gioconda (Enzo)

1932 Modena  Teatro Municipale Otello (Otello)

1934 Torino Eiar Pagliacci (Canio)

1938 ‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen Otello (Otello)

 

 

 

LAMBERTO BERGAMINI (PISA, 1885 – MILAN, 1957)

 

 

 

 

He was a pupil of Mario Pieraccini in Milan and made his debut in 1910 in Legnano as Fernando in La Favorita. He then performed at the Teatro Chiabrera in Savona as Ernesto in Don Pasquale. Guest performances followed in various theaters, including the Teatro Politeama Corino in Alba, the Teatro Pacini in Pescia, the Politeama in Piacenza, and the Teatro Mariani in Ravenna.

From 1916 to 1918, he appeared with great success at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, performing in operas such as Mignon, Il barbiere di Siviglia, and La Bohème. In 1918, he sang the role of Werther at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari.

Bergamini also enjoyed an international career. In 1919, he performed at the Teatro Coliseo in Monte Carlo in Falstaff. In 1925, he appeared at the opera house in Rio de Janeiro in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as in São Paulo in Monna Vanna. He also guested in Athens, where he sang in Rigoletto.

By the late 1920s, Bergamini transitioned to performing comprimario roles. He retired in 1936 and later settled in Milan.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1910 Legnago Politeama Salieri Favorita (Fernando)

1911 Savona Teatro Chiabrera Don Pasquale (Ernesto)

1916 Rome Teatro Costanzi Favorita (Fernando)

1917 Rome Teatro Costanzi Mignon (Guglielmo)

1918 Rome Teatro Costanzi Alfredo (Traviata)

1919 Athens Teatro Odeon Duke (Rigoletto)

1919 Monte Carlo Teatro del Casinò Fenton (Falstaff)

1919 Monte Carlo Teatro Coliseo Duke (Rigoletto)

1925 São Paolo Teatro Municipal Borso (Monna Vanna)

 

 

 

PIETRO MEDICI (SASSUOLO, MODENA, 1914 – GENOVA, 1992)

 

 

 

 

He was a pupil of Emilio Piccoli in Milan, the teacher of the famous tenor Tito Schipa. His stage debut took place in 1937 at the Teatro Carani in Sassuolo as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, with Lina Pagliughi in the title role. During the following years, and after the end of the Second World War, he enjoyed a significant career on the principal provincial opera stages of Italy, performing as a lyric tenor.

He was especially admired in roles such as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Fenton in Falstaff, the Duke in Rigoletto, Fernando in La favorita, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor. He also appeared as a guest artist in Switzerland, the Netherlands (1947), France, Spain, and Belgium, and had a notable career as a concert singer. He retired from the stage in 1952.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1937 Torino Teatro Alfieri Barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva)

1937 Sassuolo Teatro Carani Sonnambula (Elvino)

1938 Prato Teatro Metastasio Don Pasquale (Ernesto)

1940 Pistoia  Politeama Mabellini Traviata (Alfredo)

1940 Pistoia  Politeama Mabellini Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1940 Sassuolo  Teatro Carani Traviata (Alfredo)

1940 Sassuolo  Teatro Carani Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1940 Ancona  Teatro delle Muse Rigoletto (Duke)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Roberto Vanni Otello (Verdi): Esultate & Sante memorie 1 Bettini cylinders, New York 1899?

Roberto Vanni Non e ver (Mattei) 1231 Columbia, New York 1903

Vittorio Fullin Ernani (Verdi): Qual rumore with Giuseppe Nessi, Giulio Fregosi, Aristide Baracchi, Antonio Righetti, Tina Poli-Randaccio and Ida Mannarini 120071 XXPh6061 Fonotipia, Milano 1927-10-18

Vittorio Fullin Ernani (Verdi): O sommo Carlo w with Giuseppe Nessi, Giulio Fregosi, Aristide Baracchi, Antonio Righetti, Tina Poli-Randaccio and Ida Mannarini 120071 XXPh6062 Fonotipia, Milano 1927-10-18

Vittorio Fullin Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba 168145 Pho6093 Fonotipia, Milano 1928-01-10

Mefistofele (Boito): Dai campi, dai prati R 5503 7-252122 Gramophone, Milano 1918-07-01

Lamberto Bergamini Mefistofele (Boito): Giunto sul passo estremo R 5503 7-252123 Gramophone, Milano 1918-07-01

Lamberto Bergamini Traviata (Verdi): Libiam, libiamo (w. Pareto & chorus) 2-054081 3280c Gramophone, Milano 1918-07-06

Lamberto Bergamini Rigoletto (Verdi): E il sol dell’anima (w. Pareto) 2-054079 DB563 Gramophone, Milano 1918-07-09

Enzo Stampa Trovatore (Verdi): Di quella pira 42033 Beka, Milano, March 1909

Pietro Medici Rosariolita (Brugnoli) Fonotecnica

Pietro Medici Desiderio (Brugnoli) Fonotecnica