Description

BERNARDO DE MURO (TEMPIO PAUSANIO, SARDINIA, 3 NOVEMBER, 1881 – ROME, 27 OCTOBER, 1955)

 

 

 

 

He received his education at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome under Alfredo Martino. He made his debut in 1910 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. After another successful appearance at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, he performed at La Scala in 1912. That same year, he sang in the Italian (and European) premiere of Pietro Mascagni’s Isabeau. He subsequently achieved great success at La Scala in Giuseppe Verdi’s Don Carlo and in the 1912 premiere of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Maid of Pskov alongside the famous Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin.

Guest performances followed at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, Teatro Regio in Parma, Teatro Dal Verme in Milan, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, and in cities such as Naples, Turin, Trieste, Madrid, and Barcelona. In 1915, he performed at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and in 1928, he appeared in Havana, as well as in Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo. During the 1920s, he was married to the American soprano Barbara Wait and primarily sang in North America, mostly with smaller opera companies such as the San Carlo Opera Company. In 1933, he performed at the New York Hippodrome in Il Trovatore and Andrea Chénier. During the 1930s, he continued to perform regularly in Italian opera houses, including at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna in 1934 and at the Caracalla Therme Festival in Rome in 1938 (as Folco).

His final appearance took place in 1944 at the New York Academy of Music as Radames, with Herva Nelli as Aida. After retiring in 1943, he worked as a pedagogue in New York but later returned to Rome, where he lived until his death. In 1956, he published an autobiography titled Quando ero Folco.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1910 Roma  Teatro Costanzi Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)

1911  Bari  Teatro Petruzzelli Carmen (Jose)

1911  Bari  Teatro Petruzzelli Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)

1911  Lecce  Politeama Greco Carmen (Jose)

1912 Faenza  Teatro Masini Carmen (Jose)

1912  Venezia  Teatro La Fenice Carmen (Jose)

1912 Milano  Teatro alla Scala Don Carlo (Carlo)

1913  Firenze  Politeama Fiorentino Carmen (Jose)

1913   Milano  Teatro La Scala Carmen (Jose)

1913   Milano  Teatro La Scala Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)

1913 Buenos Ayres Teatro Coliseo Carmen (Jose)

1913 Buenos Ayres  Teatro Coliseo Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)

1913   Montevideo  Teatro Solis Carmen (Jose)

1913 Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal Carmen (Jose)

1913 Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)

1913  Barcellona  Teatro Liceo  Carmen (Jose)

1913 Roma  Teatro Costanzi Carmen (Jose)

1913 Trieste  Teatro Verdi Carmen (Jose)

1915  Buenos Ayres  Teatro Colon Carmen (Jose)

1915 Rio de Janeiro Teatro Municipal Carmen (Jose)

1915   San Paolo  Teatro Municipal Carmen (Jose)

1915 Roma Teatro Costanzi Fanciulla del West (Dick Johnson)

1916   Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Carmen (Jose)

1917  Barcellona  Teatro Liceo Carmen (Jose)

1918 Barcellona  Teatro Liceo Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1918  Genova  Politeama Genovese Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1918  Madrid  Teatro Reale Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1918 Madrid  Teatro Reale Carmen (Jose)

1918 Valencia  Teatro Principal Carmen (Jose)

1918  Madrid  Teatro Reale Carmen (Jose)

1919 Pesaro  Teatro Rossini Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1919  Faenza  Teatro Masini Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1919  Firenze Teatro Verdi Andrea Chenier (Chenier)

1920 Genova  Politeama Genovese Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1920 Roma  Teatro Costanzi Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1920 Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1920  Buenos Ayres  Teatro Coliseo Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1921 Havana  Teatro Nacional Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1921 Genova Polietama Genovese Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1921 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Boheme (Rodolfo)

1922 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1922 Torino  Teatro Regio Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1922 Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1922  Firenze  Teatro Della Pergola Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1922  Montevarchi  Arena Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1923  Bologna  Teatro Comunale Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1923   Livorno  Teatro Goldoni Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1924  Roma Teatro Costanzi Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1926   Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1926  Rio de Janeiro  Teatro Municipal Boheme (Rodolfo)

1930 Genova Politeama Genovese Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1930  Lucca Teatro Del Giglio Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1930 Palermo Politeama Garibaldi Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1931 La Spezia  Politeama Duca di Genova Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1931 Philadelphia  Teatro Metropolitan Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

1933  Bologna Teatro Duse Andrea Chenier  (Chenier)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Africaine (Meyerbeer) O Paradiso 052342, 02361v Gramophone, Milano 1912-03-12
2. Aida (Verdi) Di lei non più (w. Gramegna) 2-054126 CE432-3 HMV, Milano 1922-05-20
3. Aida (Verdi) Pur ti riveggo… Fuggiam gli ardori… Sì, fuggiam (w. Gramegna, Vigano & Baracchi) 7-54023 2-054127 2-054128 BE434-1 CE435-1 CE436-1 HMV, Milano 1922-05-24
4. Alla Madre (G de Muro) 2-052148 3188c Gramophone, Milano 1917-05-23
5. Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Come un bel dì di maggio 7-52154 4317ah Gramophone, Milano 1919-05-17
6. Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Io non ho amato ancor 2-052237 CE977-2 HMV, Milano 1923-02-10
7. Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Ora soave (w. Oltrabella) 7-54026 BE978-2 HMV, Milano 1923-02-12
8. Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Sì, fui soldato 2-052122 3176c Gramophone, Milano 1917-05-02
9. Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Un dì all’azzurro 2-052174 3186c Gramophone, Milano 1917-05-23
10. Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Un dì all’azzurro 052338 02323½v Gramophone, Milano 1912-03-01
11. Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Vicino a te… Vedi La luce incerta (w. Oltrabella) 7-54027, 2-054134, BE979-2, CE980-1 HMV, Milano 1923-02-12
12. Carmen (Bizet) Ho nome Escamillo (w. Janni) 2-054056, 743m Gramophone, Milano 1914-03-30
13. Carmen (Bizet) Il fior 2-052173, 3185c Gramophone, Milano 1917-05-19
14. Carmen (Bizet) Il fior 6891 CVE43751-6 Victor, USA 1928-05-02
15. Carmen (Bizet) Il fior 052343, 02366v Gramophone, Milano 1912-03-13
16. Don Carlo (Verdi) Io t’ho perduto 052429 744m Gramophone, Milano 1914-03-30
17. Fanciulla del West (Puccini) Ch’ella mi creda 7-52153 4316-2ah Gramophone, Milano 1919-05-17
18. Fanciulla del West (Puccini) Ch’ella mi creda 1331 BVE43755-3 Victor, USA 1928-04-27
19. Fanciulla del West (Puccini) Or son sei mesi 1331 BVE43756-2 Victor, USA 1928-04-27
20. Fanciulla del West (Puccini) Sono Ramerrez 2-052176 1056-2aj Gramophone, Milano 1919-05-17
21. Gioconda (Ponchielli) Già ti veggo (w. Baldini, Janni, Bettoni & chorus) 054477 747m Gramophone, Milano 1914-03-31