Description

JOSEPH KASCHMANN, KNOWN ALSO AS GIUSEPPE KASCHMANN AND JOSIP KAŠMAN (LUSSINPICCOLO (PRESENT-DAY MALI LOŠINJ, CROATIA), 14 JULY, 1850 – ROME, ITALY, 11 FEBRUARY, 1925)

He first studied law at the University of Padua before turning to singing, which he studied under Alberto Giovanni in Udine. He made his operatic debut in 1869 at the Zagreb Opera House and, the following year, performed the title role in Ivan Zajc’s opera Mislav at the inauguration of the new opera house. In 1876, he appeared at the Teatro Regio in Turin as Alfonso in Donizetti’s La Favorita.

From 1879 to 1882, he achieved significant success with guest performances in Spain and Portugal, particularly at the Teatro Real in Madrid and the Teatro San Carlos in Lisbon. In Italy, he gained acclaim beginning in 1878 at La Scala in Milan, where he participated in the premiere of Carlos Gomes’ opera Maria Tudor in 1879, as well as at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome and other major theaters.

In 1883, he joined the inaugural season of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, debuting as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor. Though he initially stayed for only one season, he later returned for the 1895–96 season, performing in 12 different roles across 43 performances, including Don Giovanni, Valentin in Gounod’s Faust, and Kurwenal in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.

He made guest appearances at many prestigious venues, including Covent Garden in London, the Court Opera in St. Petersburg, and the operas of Warsaw, Monte Carlo, Cairo, Buenos Aires (Teatro Colón), and Rio de Janeiro. At the Bayreuth Festival in 1892 and 1894, he performed as Wolfram in Tannhäuser and Amfortas in Parsifal. On October 6, 1892, he sang the title role in the world premiere of Alberto Franchetti’s Cristoforo Colombo at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, an opera commissioned to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America.

As he aged, he transitioned to buffo roles and found notable success as Don Pasquale in Donizetti’s opera and as Bartolo in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. At nearly 70 years old, he bid farewell to the stage in 1922 at the Teatro Quirino in Rome, performing in Cimarosa’s Astuzie femminili. He then settled in Rome, where he worked as a voice teacher, mentoring singers such as the renowned bass Salvatore Baccaloni.

His baritone voice was celebrated for its richness, flexibility, and power, excelling in both the classical and Wagnerian repertoire, as well as later in comedic roles.

Chronology of some appearances

1876 Venezia Teatro Rossini Gioconda (Barnaba)

1879 Bilbao Teatro Principal Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

TRACKLIST

1. Don Carlo (Verdi) Carlo che solo 052031 Con696 G&T, Milano 1903
2. Ernani (Verdi) O dei verd’anni miei 052032 Con697 G&T, Milano 1903
3. Amleto (Thomas) O vin, discaccia la tristezza 052036 Con704 G&T, Milano 1903
4. Medici (Leoncavallo) Serenata 052037 Con705 G&T, Milano 1903
5. Otello (Verdi) Credo 052038 Con706 G&T, Milano 1903
6. Dinorah (Meyerbeer) Sei vendicata assai Edison, unpubl., 428-A, 2 November 1910, London
7. Otello (Verdi) Credo Edison, unpubl., 423-A 31 October 1910, London
8. Extase (Salomon) Edison, unpubl., 426-B 2 November 1910, London