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