Description

ALFREDO GANDOLFI (TURIN, ITALY, 18 MAY, 1885 – NEW YORK, USA, JUNE 9, 1963)

 

 

 

 

He was a student of Chiarina Fino-Savio in Turin. His stage debut took place in 1911 at the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele in his hometown of Turin as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor. There he also appeared in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut (1913). In 1914 he participated in the Italian premiere of Parsifal at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, singing Amfortas opposite Giuseppe Borgatti and Elena Rakowska. He also sang this role the same year at the Teatro Regio in Turin, the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, and at La Scala in Milan.

In 1916 he took part in the memorable performances of Cavalieri’s baroque work La Rappresentazione di Anima e di Corpo at the Liceo Musicale in Turin. In 1923 he achieved great success in a guest appearance at the Cairo Opera.

His later career largely unfolded in North America. He performed at the San Francisco Opera in 1923 and again during the 1932–1936 seasons. There, in 1932, he sang Scarpia in Tosca with Claudia Muzio and Dino Borgioli in the opening performance of the newly built opera house. He also appeared as a guest at the Chicago Opera.

From 1929 to 1936 he was a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making his debut as the Sergeant in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. At the Met he was primarily cast in buffo and comprimario roles. His repertoire included Fra Melitone in La Forza del Destino, Fléville in Andrea Chénier, Baron Douphol in La Traviata, and many others. He also took part in the world premiere of Deems Taylor’s opera Peter Ibbetson at the Metropolitan Opera on February 7, 1931. Altogether, he appeared in 38 different roles at the Metropolitan, performing in over 800 productions.

He later devoted himself to teaching in New York.

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Ernani (Verdi): O sommo Carlo (w. Bartolomasi & Ballin) 2-0254082 3415c Gramophone, Milano 1919-05-02

L’ grill’ e la fürmia (-) (in Piedmontese) 79473 BVE39621-2 Victor, New York 1927-07-01

Me ommetin (Il maritino) 79473 BVE39622-1 Victor, New York 1927-07-01

 

Rigoletto – Lawrence Tibbett

Gilda – Lily Pons

Duca – Frederick Jagel

Maddalena – Helen Olheim

Sparafucile – Virgilio Lazzari

Monterone – Alfredo Gandolfi

Borsa – Giordano Paltrinieri

Marullo – George Cehanovsky

Ceprano – Hubert Raidich

Contessa – Charlotte Symons

Giovanna – Thelma Votipka

paggio – Paolina Tomisani

Metropolitan Opera House

Direttore – Ettore Panizza

28.12.1935, broadcast

 

Simon Boccanegra, Verdi. 16. 02. 1935

Simon Boccanegra – Lawrence Tibbett

Amelia – Elisabeth Rethberg

Gabriele Adorno – Giovanni Martinelli

Jacopo Fiesco – Ezio Pinza

Paolo Albiani – Alfredo Gandolfi

Pietro – Louis D’Angelo

Maid – Pearl Besuner

Captain – Giordano Paltrinieri

Direttore d’orchestra – Ettore Panizza

Orchestra e coro del Metropolitan Opera House

Broadcast 16. 02. 1935

 

Giacomo Puccini Tosca Atto Primo

War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

October 15, 1932

Floria Tosca – Claudia Muzio

Mario Cavaradossi – Dino Borgioli

Il barone Scarpia – Alfredo Gandolfi

Il Sagristano – Louis D’ Angelo

Cesare Angelotti – Marsden Argall

Spoletta – Marek Windheim

Conductor Gaetano Merola

Orchestra – San Francisco Opera

Chorus – San Francisco Opera