Description

ANTONIO CORTIS (ALTEA, SPAIN, 12 AUGUST, 1891 – VALENCIA, SPAIN, 2 APRIL, 1952)

 

 

 

 

Cortis was born at sea but his birthplace is often given as Valencia, in which city he spent his infancy. (His name was originally Antonio Monton Corts but he changed it for theatrical purposes.) He studied music at the Royal Conservatory in Madrid and sang in a children’s choir. In 1909, he and his widowed mother moved from Madrid to Barcelona, where he attended the local conservatory. He made his stage debut in 1912 at the Liceo in Barcelona as a comprimario singer, but he gradually worked his way up to major roles at a variety of opera houses in Spainand South America, including the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. On the South American tour of 1917, the young tenor was befriended by the Metropolitan Opera star Enrico Caruso, who encouraged him to pursue his singing career in New York City. Cortis declined Caruso’s offer of help due to personal reasons but he would henceforth model his singing technique on Caruso’s great example. His international career began in earnest with successful appearances in Naples and, more importantly, at Rome’s Teatro Costanzi in 1920, where he signed a three-year contract. He proceeded to sing in Stockholm, Milan, Latin America and Berlin and, most famously, with the esteemed company at the Chicago Civic Opera from 1924 to 1932. His debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, occurred in 1931, as Calaf in Puccini’s Turandot. He appeared often on the Italian opera-house circuit during the early 1930s but success at Milan’s La Scala, with its entrenched roster of popular Italian-born tenors, eluded him. Cortis came to be regarded as one of the best inter-war interpreters of verismo opera. He was particularly praised for his performances of Calaf and of Dick Johnson in Puccini’s La fanciulla del West, while he sang with remarkable ease the strenuous music composed for the tenor voice by Umberto Giordano and Pietro Mascagni. Cortis also undertook Verdi roles, such as the Duke in Rigoletto, which he delivered with impressive skill and style. He chose to spend the final phase of his career in Spain as the Great Depression deeply affected the economies of America and other parts of the world. Although his voice was still in good condition, he withdrew from the operatic stage in the mid-1930s. His decision to retire was influenced by the onset of the Spanish Civil War. He composed some vocal works during this period and founded a school for singers in Valencia in 1940. After World War II, he came out of retirement to appear occasionally in Spanish operas and other works. His health deteriorated in the early 1950s and he died at the age of 60 in Valencia.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1920 Rome Teatro Costanzi Canio (Pagliacci)

1924-1932 Chicago Civic Opera House

1927 Chicago Civic Opera House Loreley (Walter)

1931 London Covent Garden Turandot (Calaf)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Africaine (Meyerbeer) O paradiso DA1154 BF3447 HMV, Milano 1930-09

Alegría del Batallón (Serrano) Canción del soldado DA762 BVE33404 Victor, Camden NJ 1927-09-08

Amico Fritz (Mascagni) Han della porpora… Tutto tace (w. Fumagalli-Riva) P1610 P1610 2-6470 2-6474 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-05, 10-06

Amico Fritz (Mascagni) O amore, o bella luce del core P1597 2-6467 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-04

Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Io non ho amato ancor DA1154 BF3455 HMV, Milano 1930-09-23

Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Io non ho amato P1580 2-6484 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-09

Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Vedi la luce (w. Fumagalli-Riva) P1581 2-6482 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-08

Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Di tu se fedele P1616 2-6478 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-08

Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Forse la soglia… Ma se m’e forza perderti P1596 P1596 2-6464 2-6465 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-04

Bohème (Puccini) Che gelida manina DB1468 CF3453 HMV, Milano 1930-09-23

Bohème (Puccini) Che gelida manina P1634 2-6479 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-08

Bohème (Puccini) Mimì è una civetta DA757 BVE33405 Victor, Camden NJ 1927-09-08

Bohème (Puccini) O soave fanciulla (w. Fumagalli-Riva) P1612 2-6502 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-12

Calabazas (Cortis) DA920 BVE37870 Victor, Camden NJ 1927-03-25

Carmen (Bizet) Il fior DB1363 CM1108 HMV, Milano 1929-09-20

Carmen (Bizet) La tua madre (w. Rosza) DB1749 CF3446 HMV, Milano 1930-09

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) O Lola (Siciliana) DA1277 BM1115 HMV, Milano 1929-09-23

Cena delle Beffe (Giordano) Ah, che tormento DA919 BVE37873 Victor, Camden NJ 1927-03-28

Cena delle Beffe (Giordano) Mi svesti DA919 BVE37869 Victor, Camden NJ 1927-03-28

Doña Francisquita (Vives) Mujer fatal DB901 CVE33400 Victor, Camden NJ 1925-09-03

El Dictador (Millán Picazo) Canción de la carta DB901 CVE33401 Victor, Camden NJ 1925-09-03

El Dormiró Azul (Arrieta) Jota 2-62226 s20123u Gramophone, Barcelona 1918-09

El Tropezón (Mojica-Cortis) DA920 BVE37871 Victor, Camden NJ 1927-03-25

El Trust de los Tenorios (Serrano) Te quiero 2-62223, s20121u Gramophone, Barcelona 1918-09

Fanciulla del West (Puccini) Or son sei mesi P1579 2-6469 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-05

Faust (Gounod) Salve dimora DB1468 CF3473 HMV, Milano 1930-09-2628

Favorita (Donizetti) Una vergine DA757 BVE33406 Victor, Camden NJ 1927-09-08

Favorita (Donizetti) Una vergine P1616 2-6472 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-05

Gianni Schicchi (Puccini) Avete torto P1598 2-6486 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-09

Gioconda (Ponchielli) Vedrem fra poco tramontar (w. Toniolo) P1605 2-6488 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-10

Iris (Mascagni) Apri la tua finestra DA1076 BM1122 HMV, Milano 1929-09-25

Jugar con fuego (Barbieri) La vi por vez primera (Romanza) 2-62224 s20122u Gramophone, Barcelona 1918-09

La Llama (Usandinaga) Duo, act 3 (w. Albertini) 064194 03194v Gramophone, Barcelona 1918-03-28

La Llama (Usandizaga) Duo, act 1 (w. Albertini) 064193 03193v Gramophone, Barcelona 1918-03-28

La Llama (Usandizaga) Romanza, act 3 062075 03192v Gramophone, Barcelona 1918-03-28

Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Io t’ho ghermita (w. Fumagalli-Riva) P1581 2-6475 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-06

Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Non so, non so (w. de Franceschi) P1581 2-6507 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-15

Manon (Massenet) Ah, dispar, vision DB1363 CM1111 HMV, Milano 1929-09-23

Mi pobre reja (Tabujo) unpubl BVE37872 Victor, Camden NJ 1927-03-25

Mirame asi (de Fuentes) test, unpubl Trial-02 Victor, New York 1925-03-20

Otello (Verdi) Si pel ciel (w. de Franceschi) P1609 2-6498 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-12

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) O Colombina 9-52010 s20113u Gramophone, Barcelona 1918-08-22

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba 9-52009 s20120u Gramophone, Barcelona 1918-09

Rigoletto (Verdi) Ella mi fu rapita… Parmi veder le lagrime DA1152 BF3445 DA1152 BF3449 HMV, Milano 1930-09

Rigoletto (Verdi) La donna è mobile DA1153 BF3472 HMV, Milano 1930-09-2628

Rigoletto (Verdi) Questa o quella DA1153 BF3448 HMV, Milano 1930-09

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns) S’apre per te (w. Toniolo) P1606 2-6505 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-13

Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan le stelle DA1074 BM1102 HMV, Milano 1929-09-19

Tosca (Puccini) Recondita armonia DA1074 BM1101 HMV, Milano 1929-09-19

Tosca (Puccini) Selections test, unpubl Trial-01 Victor, New York 1925-03-20

Trovatore (Verdi) Ah si ben mio DA1155 BF3466 HMV, Milano 1930-09-2526

Trovatore (Verdi) Di quella pira (w. chorus) DA1155 BF3467 HMV, Milano 1930-09-2526

Turandot (Puccini) Nessun dorma DA1075 BM1103 HMV, Milano 1929-09-19

Turandot (Puccini) Non piangere, Liù DA1075 BM1110 HMV, Milano 1929-09-23

Una Vieja (Gaztambide) Un español que vien (Cavatina) DA762 BVE33403 Victor, Camden NJ 1925-09-04

Werther (Massenet) Ah, non mi ridestar DA1076 BM1107 HMV, Milano 1929-09-20

Werther (Massenet) O natura di gracia piena P1579 2-6477 Parlophon, Berlin 1923-10-08