Description

FERNANDO AUTORI (CALATAFIMI, 1884 – FIRENZE, 3 OCTOBER, 1937)

 

 

 

He initially studied medicine but then wanted to become a painter. Ultimately, he chose to pursue singing and studied under Antonio Cantelli in Palermo. He made his operatic debut in 1908 at the Teatro Bellini in Naples. In 1913, he performed at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, where he appeared as the King in Mascagni’s Isabeau. He returned to sing at this theater in 1916 and 1919 with great success.

After guest performances at the Teatro Carcano and Teatro Dal Verme in Milan, he made his debut at La Scala in Milan in 1924, singing Geronte in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. He remained at La Scala until 1936, performing in several important premieres, including Giordano’s La cena delle beffe (December 20, 1924), Zandonai’s I Cavalieri di Ekebù (March 7, 1925), Franco Vittadini’s La Sagredo (April 27, 1930), Gino Robbiani’s Guido del Popolo (March 25, 1933), and Wolf-Ferrari’s Il Campiello (February 12, 1936).

In 1927, at the Teatro Argentina in Rome, he appeared in the premiere of R. Pick-Mangiagalli’s Basi e Bote. From 1924 to 1933, he made guest appearances at Covent Garden in London, where he sang Timur in the English premiere of Puccini’s Turandot in 1927. He also performed in Vienna, Copenhagen, Monte Carlo, Oslo, The Hague, Barcelona, and other major venues. He retired from the stage in 1941. Like Enrico Caruso, he was also a talented caricaturist.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1908 Napoli Teatro Bellini Forza Del Destino (Guardiano)

1912 Pistoia Teatro Manzoni   Fedora (Cirillo)

1916 Palermo Teatro Massimo Fanciulla del West (Wallace)

1920 Lugano Teatro Apollo Barbiere di Siviglia (Don Basilio)

1922 Palermo Teatro Biondo Forza del destino (Guardiano)

1924 Milano Teatro La Scala Debora E Jaele di I. Pizzetti (Hever)

1926 Venezia Teatro La Fenice Ugonotti (Saint-Bris)

1928 Catania Teatro Bellini Don Chisciotte (Don Chisciotte)

1931 Barcellona Teatro Liceo Don Giovanni (Leporello)

1933 Torino Teatro Regio Don Chisciotte di J. Massenet (Don Chisciotte)

1936 Milano Teatro La Scala Gioconda (Alvise)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Boris Godounov (Moussorgsky): Canzone di Varlaam 10422 88181 Pathè, Milano 1925?
2. Mefistofele (Boito): Son lo spirito 20020 1926 Parlophone
3. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): La calunnia 120059 XXPh5813 Fonotipia, Milano 1927-01-11
4. Trovatore (Verdi): Abbietta zingara 120059 XXPh5814 Fonotipia, Milano 1927-01-11
5. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): La calunnia B3005 Fonotecnica
6. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): La calunnia C1842 32-1003 HMV, London 1929-11-20
7. Faust (Gounod): Tu che fai l’addormentata C1842 32-1004 HMV, London 1929-11-2
8. Casanova (Benatzky): Barcarola & Se il cuor ti vuol baciar T-153 m142 Durium
9. Faust (Gounod): Sérénade de Méphisto 20020 1926 Parlophone
10. Guillaume Tell (Rossini): Troncar i suoi dì (w. Alessandroni & Cartica) 33017 US Everlasting cylinders, USA 1906?
11. Forza del destino (Verdi): Del mondo i disinganni (w. Fiori) 3076 Fonotecnica