Description

GUIDO CICCOLINI (ROME, 12 MAY, 1885 – NEPTUNE / NEW JERSEY, 11 MAY, 1963)

 

 

 

 

He studied under the celebrated vocal coach Antonio Cotogni and made his operatic debut in 1907 in Bologna, performing as Alfredo in La Traviata. In 1909, he toured Belgium and Holland with Madame de Restier’s opera troupe and sang Pinkerton in the Dutch premiere of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly in Amsterdam. Guest performances soon followed in England, Ireland, and France, and he achieved significant success in Russia, performing at the Opera Theatres of St. Petersburg, Odessa, and Warsaw.

In 1911, he embarked on a tour of Australia with an opera troupe that included the renowned soprano Nellie Melba. Fascinatingly, he held a ticket for the “RMS Titanic,” still preserved by his family, but missed the voyage due to a scheduling change in his performance commitments. In 1914, he performed at Teatro Lirico in Milan in the Italian premiere of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s I Quattro Rusteghi.

His career in the United States included several appearances at the Opera Theatre of Boston beginning in 1914, a season in Havana in 1915 (notably as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana), and the 1918-19 season in Chicago at the Civic Opera House, where he performed in Rigoletto, La Traviata, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and La Bohème. In 1926, he honored his friend, the famous actor Rudolph Valentino, by singing at his funeral. He retired from the stage in 1922.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1907 Bologna Politeama Azeglio Traviata (Alfredo)

1908 Salerno Teatro Verdi Africana (Vasco)

1909 Parigi Gaite Barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva)

1911 Sidney Her Majestic Faust (Faust)

1918 Chicago Civic Opera House Barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva)

1919 Chicago Civic Opera House Rigoletto (Duca)

1922 New York Teatro Century Tosca (Cavaradossi)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Sextet (w. Verlet, Middleton, Scott, Alcock & Baroni) 82266 5787-A Edison, New York 1917-09-14
2. Luisa Miller (Verdi) Quando le sere unpubl 6397 Edison, New York 1918-10-04
3. Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Amore o grillo (w. Chalmers) 82304 5635-A Edison, New York 1917-06-20
4. Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Ve loi dissi (w. Chalmers) 83038 5245-C Edison, New York 1916-12-28
5. Mamma mia che’ vo sape (Nutile) 83068 4996-C Edison, New York 1916-09-15
6. Manon (Maswsenet) Le rêve 82556 6376-C Edison, New York 1918-09-23
7. Manon Lescaut (Puccini) Donna non vidi mai 82210 6641-A Edison, New York 1919-02-26
8. Marechiare (Tosti) 82552 5189-C Edison, New York 1916-12-04
9. Mefistofele (Boito) Giunto sul passo estremo 2-52787 913ah Gramophone, Milano 1910-11-25
10. Mignon (Thomas) Addio Mignon 2-52705 11303b Gramophone, Milano 1908
11. O sole mio (de Curtis) 83074 5428-H Edison, New York 1917-03-05
12. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Recitar!… Vesti la giubba 82119 4989-C Edison, New York 1916-09-13
13. Pescatori di perle (Bizet) Del tempio al limitar (w. Middleton) 82203 5332-A Edison, New York 1917-01-31
14. Rigoletto (Verdi) Quartet (w. Verlet, Alcock & Middleton) 84001 5629-A Edison, New York 1917-06-18
15. Rigoletto (Verdi) Questa o quella & La donna è mobile unpubl 6386 Edison, New York 1918-09-30
16. Tarantella sincera (de Crescenzo) 82220 7427 Edison, New York 1920-06-28
17. Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan le stelle 82118 5050-A Edison, New York 1916-10-06
18. Tosca (Puccini) Recondita armonia 82131 5183 Edison, New York 1916-11-29
19. Traviata (Verdi) Parigi, o cara (w. Verlet) 82537 3882-C Edison, New York 1915-06-16
20. Trovatore (Verdi) Ah, si ben mio Edison 82200 6635-B Edison, New York 1919-02-24
21. Trovatore (Verdi) Ai nostri monti (w. Heinrich) 82541 3943-A Edison, New York 1915-07-07