Description

MARIO LAURENTI (VERONA, ITALY, 1890 – NEW YORK, USA, 7 MARCH, 1922)

His real name was Luigi Cavadani. He was sent to the engineer’s study to Germany. His voice was discovered in Dresden and he began here to study singing. In 1914 he came to North America and joined to the choir of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Here in 1916 he made his debut as comprimario in G. Puccini’s ”Manon Lescaut”. During six years he sang in this opera house. In the 1920-21 season he appeared with the Scotti Opera Company and sang among other things the role of Sharpless in ”Madama Butterfly”, Valentin in ”Faust” of C. Gounod, Silvio in ”Pagliacci” and Enrico in ”Lucia di Lammermoor”. In 1919 he took part at the Metropolitan Opera in the premiere of the opera ”L’Oiseau blue” by Albert Wolff. In 1921 he performed there in the première of the opera “Die tote Stadt” by Korngold in the part of Fritz as a partner of Maria Jeritza, in 1921 in U. Giordano’s ”Andrea Chénier”, in 1922 in ”Snegourotchka” of Rimsky-Korssakov. His last appearance at the Metropolitan Opera occurred on 20. 2. 1922 as Fléville in ”Andrea Chénier”. Two weeks later he died of a meningitis after a Pneumonie.

On March 7th, 1922, the New York Times published the following: “MARIO LAURENTI DYING: Young Metropolitan Baritone Suffers from Spinal Meningitis: The young Metropolitan baritone was critically ill last night at the Eye and Ear Hospital where he had been taken from treatment for abscess of the ear following a cold caught on a concert tour up-State. Spinal meningitis developed yesterday and the physicians hold out little hope for Mr. Laurenti’s life.”

He died that same day–on March 7th, 1922–in New York City.

TRACKLIST

1. My dreams (Tosti) 82173 6773-C Edison, New York 1919-05-07
2. Otello (Verdi) Credo Edison 82558 6484-A
3. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Silvio! A Quest’ora (w. Muzio) Edison 82247 856-C
4. Rigoletto (Verdi) Cortigiani, vil razza dannata Edison 29035 6481-C
5. Sognai (Schira) Edison 82244 7962-C
6. Stabat Mater (Rossini) Fac ut portem Edison 82160 6657-B
7. Sulla laguna (Buzzi-Peccia) Edison 80751 6797-B
8. Thaïs (Massenet) Voilà donc la terrible cité Edison 82235 7740-C
9. Torna a Surriento (de Curtis) 82190 6806 Edison, New York 1919-05-26
10. Tre giorni son che Nina (Pergolesi) Edison 29077 7714-C
11. Vision vénitienne (Brogi) 82254 7713-C Edison, New York 1921-01-03
12. Zauberflöte (Mozart) Là dove prende (w. Rappold) Edison 82242 7728-C
13. Ernani (Verdi) Grand Dio unpubl 8029 Edison, New York 1921-05-27
14. Favorita (Donizetti) In questo suolo (w. Lazzari) 82183 6617-A Edison, New York 1919-02-10
15. Povera mamma! (Tosti) 82213 7479-C Edison, New York 1920-08-05