Description

VINCENZO BETTONI (MELEGNANO, 1 JULY, 1881 – MILAN, 4 NOVEMBER, 1954)

 

 

 

 

Bettoni made his stage debut in 1902 at the Teatro Sociale of Pinerolo as Silva in Ernani. Over the following decades he established a distinguished career in Italy and abroad, particularly noted for his association with La Scala, Milan, where he was a soloist from 1926 to 1940.

In 1929 he appeared at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Rigoletto. That same year he achieved great success at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, singing Mustafa in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri alongside Conchita Supervia and Nino Ederle, under the direction of Tullio Serafin. The production was repeated the following year at the Opéra Garnier in Paris.

In 1934 Bettoni took part in the world premiere of Louis Rocca’s Il Dibuk at La Scala, singing the role of Reb Ezriel. That same year he was invited to the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, where he sang Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. In 1935 he appeared at Covent Garden, London, performing in L’italiana in Algeri, La Cenerentola, La Bohème, and Un ballo in maschera.

His career also encompassed important premieres: Amadeo Vives’s Los Bohemos and Conrado del Campo y Zabaleta’s work (Madrid, 1920), Franco Alfano’s Madonna Imperia (1927), Jacopo Napoli’s Il malato immaginario (Madrid, 1936), and Felice Lattuada’s La caverna di Salamanca (1942).

Bettoni remained active on stage until around 1950, when he retired after a long and versatile career.

 

Selected Chronology of Appearances

 

1902 Pinerolo, Teatro Sociale – Ernani (Silva)

1905 Venice, Teatro La Fenice – Germania

1910 Cairo, Teatro Khediviale – Andrea Chénier (Roucher)

1913 Chieti, Teatro Marruccino – Mefistofele (Mefistofele)

1915 Bergamo, Teatro Donizetti – La Gioconda (Alvise)

1917 Florence, Teatro Verdi – La Favorita (Baldassarre)

1919 Madrid, Teatro Real – La Gioconda (Alvise)

1921 Santiago de Chile, Teatro Municipal – Stagione

1925 Venice, Teatro La Fenice – Mefistofele (Mefistofele)

1927 Turin, Teatro di Torino – L’italiana in Algeri (Mustafa)

1929 Genoa, Teatro Carlo Felice – Parsifal (Gurnemanz)

1932 Pesaro, Teatro Rossini – Iris (Il Cieco)

1935 Genoa, Teatro Carlo Felice – I Quattro Rusteghi

1937 Florence, Teatro Comunale – Il signor Bruschino

1939 Milan, La Scala – Fidelio (Rocco)

1941 Parma, Teatro Regio – Ghirlino by L. Ferrari Trecate (Cuordisasso)

1944 Como, Teatro Sociale – Don Pasquale (Don Pasquale)

1948 Genoa, Teatro Grattacielo – Ghirlino (Cuordisasso)

1950 Milan, La Scala – I Quattro Rusteghi

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Aida (Verdi) Nume, custode e vindice (w. Tommasini & Toninello) D 5562 41835 Columbia, Milano 1913-1914

Aida (Verdi) O tu che sei d’Osiride (w. Nuñez-Lopez) E2025 41987 Columbia, Milano 1913-1914

Aida (Verdi) Possente Fta (w. Toninello) E1937 41967 Columbia, Milano 1913

Aida (Verdi) Spirto del nume… Radames e deciso il tuo fato (w. Beinat) A1637 41851, 41852 Columbia

Aida (Verdi) Su del Nilo (w. Tommasini Beinat, Baldassare & Remondini) D5560 41836 Columbia, Milano 1913

Ballo in maschera (Verdi) La rivedrò (w. Castellani & chorus) 2-52844 2677ah Gramophone, Milano 1913-02-27

Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Ve’se di notte (w. Barbieri & Battistini) 054449 2812½c Gramophone, Milano 1913-06-03

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) La calunnia 2-0252009 3125c Gramophone, Milano 1917-02-17

Bohème (Puccini) Eccocci… Ebben (w. Giovanelli, Lussardi & Mariani) 054361 02291v Gramophone, Milano 1912-02-17

Cenerentola (Rossini) Signore, una parola (w. Supervia) 120191 XXPh6455 Fonotipia, Milano 1929-02-08

Ernani (Verdi) Uscite!… Vedi come il buon vegliardo (w. Battistini, Barbieri & Tommasini) 054450 2813 ½c Gramophone, Milano 1913-06-03

Faust (Gounod) Allor che lieve ebbrezza (w. Lopez-Nuñes & Bettoni) D4517 42063 Columbia

Faust (Gounod) Dio dell’or (w. chorus) 252140 2890ah Gramophone, Milano 1913-11-11

Faust (Gounod) Dio dell’or E1805 41846 Columbia

Faust (Gounod) Permettereste a me (w. Scalfaro & de Gregorio) 054433 584aj Gramophone, Milano 1913-02-28

Gioconda (Ponchielli) Già ti veggo (w. de Muro, Baldini, R. Janni & chorus) 054477 747m Gramophone, Milano 1914-03-31