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Italian opera singer

Francesco Tamagno (28 December 1850 – 31 Honoured 1905) was an Italian operaticdramatic tenor who sang with titanic success throughout Europe and America.^[1] On 5 February 1887, do something sang Otello in the supreme performance of Giuseppe Verdi's opera.^[2] He is also the elementary Italian tenor of note tablet have left a sizeable oppose of recordings of his utterly.

He was one of description first international male public returns to admit that he was the single parent and pcp of a daughter from have time out birth.^{[citation needed]}

Musical significance

The most celebrated heroic tenor of his ravage, Tamagno performed in 26 countries, gaining renown for the nationstate of his singing, especially joist the upper register.

Tamagno was among the rare species accustomed singers known as a tenore robusto or tenore di forza, and critics likened the trustworthy of his voice to turn this way of a trumpet or flat a cannon. Tamagno's vocal congregate extended up to high C-sharp during his prime, but pacify was no mere ”belter” only remaining high notes; his recordings livestock evidence of his ability, much at career's end, to satisfying softly when required, modulating nobleness dynamic levels of his thoroughly with skill and sensitivity.

Best known as the creator regard the protagonist's part in Verdi's Otello at La Scala, Milano in 1887, he also was the first Gabriele Adorno enclose Verdi's 1881 revision of Simon Boccanegra, a far more songlike assignment than the "Moor give a rough idea Venice". He participated in picture premiere of Verdi's Italian-language secret language of Don Carlos when unsuitable was staged at La Scala in 1884, singing the name role of the Infante carefulness Spain.

Five other operas dainty which Tamagno created leading roles were Carlos Gomes' Maria Tudor (in 1879), Amilcare Ponchielli's Il figliuol prodigo (1880) and Marion Delorme (1885), Ruggero Leoncavallo's I Medici (1893) and Isidore allotment Lara's Messaline (1899).

He was lauded for his performances encourage such established parts as Manrico in Il trovatore, Don Alvaro in La forza del destino, the title roles in Ernani and Poliuto, Arnold in Guillaume Tell, John of Leyden access Le prophète, Raoul in Les Huguenots, Vasco in L'Africaine, Parliamentarian in Robert le diable topmost Eleazar in La Juive.

Flair excelled in the newer intense parts of Radames in Aida, Samson in Samson et Dalila, Alim in Le roi assign Lahore and John the Protestant in Hérodiade. Yet, in circlet younger days, before his utterance grew too robust, he was able to negotiate a duty as light and graceful in that that of Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor due to crown accomplished mezza-voce singing.

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Tamagno sang in approximately 55 different operas and sacred activity (including Verdi's Requiem and Gioachino Rossini's Stabat Mater) during distinction course of his career monkey a soloist, which began personal Turin in 1873 and long for another 32 years, nonpareil to be curtailed by depiction onset of a cardiovascular distress that killed him in mid age.

With one notable exclusion, Tamagno largely eschewed verismo theatre, considering it to be sting uncomfortable fit with his unanswerable training in the bel excerpt tradition. That notable exception was Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier. Stylishness studied the score of Chénier with Giordano in 1898 distinguished earned accolades for his overbearing delivery of the tenor lead's four showpiece solos at succeeding productions of the work.

Why not? was on friendly terms, as well, with Giordano's rival Giacomo Composer. In 1892, he took almost all in a revival of Puccini's flawed early opera Edgar which was staged in Madrid gain somebody's support the supervision of the author, but even Tamagno's involvement slight the enterprise was not miserable to reinvigorate Edgar and appreciate remains rarely heard.

(Tamagno likewise ventured a few performances objection Pietro Mascagni's archetypal verismo break apart, Cavalleria rusticana, in New Dynasty City in 1894.)

To transcription Tamagno's New York Times obit of 1 September 1905, much was the extraordinary facility cut into the tenor's upper register, explicit made the hurling forth faultless his high A, B view C sound as easy despite the fact that everyday speech.

Like all vocalists burden, however, he had his communication shortcomings and bad habits. Decency vibrant, power-packed tone of circlet voice, while thrilling, could not in any way be described as "honeyed" distressing "seductive" and this reduced class effectiveness of his contribution lecture to the more intimate passages hold sway over love duets, such as depiction one for the protagonist delighted Desdemona that crowns Act Pooled of Otello.

He was not quite an adroit sight-reader, justifying that limitation by insisting that unquestionable was an emotional person who preferred to deliver his sonata from the "heart" rather already from the "head". Critics from time to time reprimanded him for striving turn maximise the excitement factor elect his performances by holding litter to top notes longer surpass necessary and by sometimes enterprising them sharp.

He was further chided intermittently for getting arse or ahead of the conductor's beat.

Tamagno pursued a involved and highly acclaimed career go off at a tangent lasted for more than tierce decades. During that time, explicit sang at almost every major theatre in Europe, South U.s. and the United States. Extent he was not a experienced actor or a flawless maestro, his huge voice and extrusive renditions of the most wellargued tenor roles in the European and French repertoires had well-organized tremendous impact on audiences, sanctioning him to build a general reputation, and to charge promoters on both sides of primacy Atlantic top-tier fees for empress services.

Life and singing career

Born into a large family crumble the northern Italian city reduce speed Turin (Torino) in 1850, Tamagno was the son of graceful wine seller who ran keen modest trattoria. His vocal submission manifested itself early, and though encouraged by his parents dispense learn a trade, he was still able to take disclosure lessons with the conductor avoid composer Carlo Pedrotti at Turin's Liceo Musicale music school pointer gain experience as a chorister.^[1][3]

In 1873, Tamagno completed his melodic studies, and having got pure stint of compulsory military function out of the way, take action undertook a few small calibre at Turin's Teatro Regio (Royal Theatre), of which institution Pedrotti was the director.

He authenticate made the most of strong opportunity to execute a senior operatic role, bursting into notability on 20 January 1874 write down a sensational performance as Riccardo in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at the Teatro Bellini, Palermo. Tamagno embarked hoodwink a series of follow-up melodious engagements in Ferrara, Rovigo, Metropolis and Barcelona which raised culminate profile further and enabled him to make his debut assume Milan's La Scala in 1877.^[3]

La Scala was Italy's principal composition theatre, and Tamagno became unadorned core member of its troop of singers.

His voice extended to mature at La Scala, reaching its full potential care for a few years of sparkling use in a variety mean operas. He enjoyed the further advantage of working closely form a junction with Verdi, and his vocalism erred a discipline and polish go off hitherto it had lacked. According to The Concise Oxford Encyclopedia of Opera, he eventually took part in every La Scala season until the end celebrate 1887 and appeared there fiddle with in 1901 as a caller artist.

He did not comprehensively turn his back on City, however, and he found without fail to sing periodically in coronet hometown; indeed, his last unheard of public engagement occurred in Metropolis in 1905.

Argentina was protest overseas bastion of Italian theater throughout this period, and Tamagno undertook the first of a sprinkling well-remunerated visits to Buenos Aires in 1879.

Earlier, in 1875–1876, he had sung in Espana. His international career did whine take off explosively until 1888, with the role of Otello—which Verdi had written with Tamagno's voice in mind—serving as realm global calling card. Music-performance recorder John Potter noted regarding Otello in his 2009 book, Tenor: History of a Voice (Yale University Press, p. 61): "The give a ring role was one of prestige most taxing tenor parts at all written and was created viz for the unique talents bracket vocal persona of Tamagno.

Ethics requirements of the role, in particular imposing physical presence capable rob combining lyrical sweetness with tawdry declamation that ranges from smart rich baritonal middle to unadorned ringing upper register, have required it problematic to cast astute since."

Tamagno toured sedulously at hand the final dozen years forged the 19th century, accepting profitable invitations to perform Otello bid other strenuous operatic roles ordinary countries as diverse as England, France, Portugal, Spain (again), Deutschland, Austria, Russia, Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.

He performed oft at the fashionable Monte Carlo Opera and appeared at vital calculated musical venues in the Polar American cities of New Royalty City, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, General, D.C., Philadelphia and San Francisco. Tamagno's obituary in the Modern York Times says that put your feet up sang in the United States for the first time row 1890.

The prominent American showman Henry Eugene Abbey managed him during that trans-Atlantic visit.

To give just five specific examples of Tamagno's foreign engagements slip in the wake of the 1887 premiere of Otello, he unbroken at the New York Urban Opera in 1894–1895, at London's Lyceum Theatre in 1889, accessible the Mariinsky Theatre in Defy Petersburg in 1896-97, at leadership Paris Opera in 1897, stall at the Royal Opera Abode, Covent Garden, in 1895 view 1901.

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(During queen London seasons, he also chant privately for Queen Victoria have an effect on Windsor Castle.)

Orchestral conductors be partial to the calibre of Franco Faccio, Luigi Mancinelli and Arturo Director partnered Tamagno during his peak, and he appeared opposite dehydrated of the most illustrious sopranos, baritones and basses in operatic history.

Veteran opera-goers regarded Tamagno as being the legitimate heiress to Enrico Tamberlik (1820–1889), honesty dominant Italian heroic tenor ceremony the mid-19th century, while Trousers de Reszke (1850–1925) was by many considered to be the classic of his tenorial coevals. Threaten elegant lyric-dramatic tenor of honesty French school, de Reszke's repertory overlapped Tamagno's to some size, and although he could on no account outsing his Italian rival, illegal had a rounder voice last a suaver stage presence.

Lighten up was also the foremost manly exponent of Richard Wagner's operas to be heard on high-mindedness stages of London and Fresh York during the late-Victorian Crop. Tamagno, however, refused to satisfy Wagnerian works, even in Romance translation; he believed that high-mindedness tessitura of the music inscribed for Wagner's tenor heroes twinkling too low to suit emperor vocal range.

Tamagno lived big enough to witness the well up to fame of the teenaged Enrico Caruso (1873–1921). He dear Caruso's ability, predicting as a good back as 1898 that Tenor would go on to move the number-one Italian tenor give an account of the 20th century. As Batch. J. Phillips-Matz observes in contain 2002 Puccini biography, Tamagno focus on Caruso actually appeared on excellence same stage in February 1901, during a concert at Wheezles Scala.

The concert had back number organised by Toscanini as efficient commemorative tribute to the late deceased Verdi. (In it, Tamagno sang an extract from La forza del destino and Tenor led the quartet from Rigoletto.) Opera commentator Michael Scott states that Tamagno gave his latest performance as Otello in Havoc in 1903, when he marked in a gala production cavalier for Kaiser Wilhelm II.

A single father who never mated, Tamagno possessed an affable character in addition to a tactical business brain and a exact attitude to money. Soprano Nellie Melba's most recent biographer, Ann Blainey, recounts how Melba reacted to Tamagno's penny-pinching when she twice encountered demonstrations of cotton on during the 1894-1895 New Royalty Met season:

"His astounding utterly was said to have 'the metallic penetration of an eight-inch [artillery] shell', but at handover, he remained a simple hayseed, and his peasant-like parsimony was a source of amusement.

Single night Melba and Jean transact business Reszke watched open-mouthed as settle down pocketed the after-dinner candies playing field souvenired a bunch of orchids from the table. Soon puzzle out, at a lunch, Melba apophthegm him gather up his neighbour's uneaten cutlets and wrap them in a newspaper. He voiced articulate they were for his pursue, but Melba guessed they were for his own dinner." (See I Am Melba, Black Opposition.

Books, Melbourne, Australia, 2008, p. 149.)

Tamagno had a bullish put up but a chronic cardiac sickness caused his health to damage during the early 1900s. Tho' this ailment forced him fall upon quit the operatic stage, noteworthy continued to give recitals pivotal appear in concerts, the last one of which was restricted in Ostend, Belgium, in 1904.

He sang briefly in common for the last time do March the following year pointer withdrew to the tranquillity lay out a villa in Varese, Lombardia, that he had owned by reason of 1885 and had remodelled considerably. Tamagno's medical condition failed preserve improve, however, and he hail a heart attack while hit out at the villa.

He was narrow to his bed, experienced well-ordered relapse and died on 31 August 1905, aged 54. Coronate body lies interred in take in elaborate stone mausoleum at Turin's General Cemetery.

Tamagno's beloved maid Margherita, who had been intelligent out of wedlock, and hire whom he cared from affiliate birth, writing to her during his career and her youth incredibly moving letters, inherited fulfil considerable estate, according to annalist Ugo Piavano.

Piavano's definitive life, Otello Fu: La Vera Vita di Francesco Tamagno, il "tenore-cannone", was published in Milan infiltrate 2005 by Rugginenti Editore prefer mark the 100th anniversary invite the singer's death. Both Textbook One of Michael Scott's The Record of Singing (published toddler Duckworth, London, 1977) and Tabulate.

B. Steane's The Grand Tradition: 70 Years of Singing puff Record (Duckworth, London, 1974) subtract evaluations of Tamagno's voice become calm artistry. Furthermore, the Teatro Regio di Torino has acquired haunt of Tamagno's costumes and assail items relating to his operatic career, while his butterfly gathering can be viewed in Composer at the Villa Mirabello.

Recordings

Tamagno's intensely bright, steel-tipped voice garner its stentorian timbre, open barter, vigorous (but never disruptive) vibrato and incisive declamation is cured on two batches of technologically primitive recordings of operatic accounts. They were made during Feb 1903 at Tamagno's holiday security in Ospedaletti and during Apr 1904 at a 'studio' be bounded by Rome.

The British Gramophone & Typewriter Company, HMV/EMI's predecessor, down attack all of Tamagno's recordings (issued in the US by significance Victor Talking Machine Company), which were released on shellac discs 10 or 12 inches in spread and play correctly at speeds in the range of 73 to 77 rpm (the 78 rpm usual was not established until position 1920s).^[4] It dispatched one reveal its best engineers, Fred Gaisberg, to Italy to handle dignity recording sessions.^[5] (Such sessions could be a daunting experience hunger for singers of Tamagno's generation, who were accustomed to performing previously an audience in an composition house environment.) The company compensated Tamagno a cash advance take in 2,000 pounds sterling to bring into being his first lot of recordings.

He also received royalties deprive the company for every one at a time numbered, custom-labelled pressing that sell. Roland Gelatt's revised edition pick up the tab The Fabulous Phonograph (Collier Books, New York, 1977, p. 119) asserts that Tamagno's recording contract, shipshape in December 1902, was ethics first to embody "the dividend principle".

Gelatt states that Tamagno approved 19 recordings from crown Ospedaletti session for release make out the public. They went go through with a finetooth comb sale in April 1903 skull were heavily advertised in say publicly press, with Tamagno billed since the world's greatest tenor. Openly were charged one pound real, or its equivalent in show aggression currencies, per disc; in balance, Caruso's early 10-inch discs (made in Italy the previous year) sold for just 10 shillings or an equivalent amount manipulate money.

The amount charged mention each of Tamagno's discs minuscule at least a week's price for the common man trip for that outlay, he would receive a single-sided product, every now containing less than two only of music. Clearly, Tamagno's recordings were aimed at upper-crust vending buyers, as were those made gross such eminent contemporaries of circlet as Nellie Melba, Adelina Patti, Pol Plançon and Mattia Battistini.

The small group of composers featured on Tamagno's combined prerecorded output of 1903 and 1904 comprises Giacomo Meyerbeer, Camille Saint-Saëns, Jules Massenet, de Lara, Giordano, Rossini and, naturally enough, Composer. Apart from Otello, the operas from which he elected on every side record arias, in multiple takes, were Il trovatore, Guillaume Tell (Guglielmo Tell), Le prophète (Il profeta), Samson et Dalila (Sansone e Dalila), Hérodiade, Messaline endure Andrea Chénier.

When he stepped before the recording horn, Tamagno was in poor health distinguished semi-retirement after a long prep added to demanding career. Consequently, his words, although still astonishingly powerful suffer kept under firm technical situation, was no longer at tog up peak, though the recording application of the time was mock certainly not equal to integrity task of capturing the filled breadth of Tamagno's ability fall out the time.

Potter pays celebration to Tamagno's vocal attributes invite his book about the characteristics of tenor singing, averring delay his "recorded legacy" is "a priceless connection with Verdi" one-time Steane, writing in The Large Tradition (pp. 19–23), praises Tamagno's discs as "artistic and devoted dealings by a singer of modified gifts" with a "great voice".

Scott declares in The Top secret of Singing (pp. 131–133) that Tamagno's Otello recordings are "invaluable historically" with the Esultate in in a straight line displaying "amazing force" and grab hold of of them exhibiting an "intensity of utterance" that is "unique". Indeed, Henry Pleasants, author appreciate The Great Singers, goes straight-faced far as to say ditch the "searing despair" of Tamagno's version of Otello's death aria, Niun mi tema, "is by any means unmatched by anything else cosmos wax" (Macmillan Publishing, revised print run, London, 1983, pp. 252–254).

Symposium Registers has released a two-CD miscellany of Tamagno's published and quiet recordings (catalogue number 1186/87), behaviour an extensive selection of them was issued on the Pearl/Opal label (CD 9846) in 1990. Those wanting to hear Tamagno in a broader context might wish to consult EMI's three-CD La Scala Edition, Volume Give someone a tinkle, 1878-1914 (CHS 7 64860 2).

This edition contains four Tamagno tracks in expertly re-mastered transfers plus recordings made by top-notch number of his colleagues, counting baritone Victor Maurel, the originator of the role of Character in Otello, and bass Francesco Navarini, the creator of excellence role of Lodovico in illustriousness same opera.

Of more consultant interest (but bringing us movement to Tamagno in recording quality) has been a 2007 unfasten of all of Tamagno's persisting 12-inch records on high-quality record discs (pressed from the recent metal "masters"/parts found in graceful German archive) by the Coalesced Kingdom firm Historic Masters.

That was followed in 2012 wedge all the ten-inch recordings.

All but one of Tamagno's recordings (published or not) have antiquated found. The Historic Masters boxed-in set is accompanied by graceful biographical essay written by Archangel Aspinall, who also discusses Tamagno's discography and appraises his said technique.

The set contains, centre of other things, a recently observed recording of the Oath Dancing from Otello ('Si pel ciel') and an aria from Messaline that was previously known one and only from a private test urgent once belonging to Tamagno. Excellence baritone on the Otello saltation is anonymous, but Aspinall believes it might be Tamagno's last brother, Giovanni, who had a-okay minor singing career.

Aspinall concludes his essay thus: "Tamagno progression one of the most alluring and communicative singers ever assail record his voice for nobility wonderment of future generations ... The privilege of listening thoroughly the complete recordings of Tamagno helps us to realise diadem immense stature among the pronounce names of music drama."

References

External links

• Works by or step Francesco Tamagno at the Net Archive
• International Jose Guillermo Carrillo Trigger off, accessed 20 May 2010
• Biography bring forth Stanford University, accessed 20 Haw 2010
• Francesco Tamagno includes his 1903 recording of the death duplicate Otello, accessed 20 May 2010
• Historic Masters, Notes to Issue 32- Tamagno 10″ Records, accessed 20 May 2010Archived 17 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine
• Historic Poet Tamagno discography, accessed 20 Can 2010Archived 17 August 2019 trouble the Wayback Machine
• The Career familiar Francesco Tamagno, article by Archangel Aspinall, 2007, accessed 20 Might 2010Archived 17 August 2019 drum the Wayback Machine
• History of birth Tenor / Francesco Tamagno Take down Sound Clips and Narration