Dino Borgioli
Encyclopedia
Dino Borgioli was an Italian lyric tenor
. Praised by critics for his musicianship, he was particularly associated with roles in opera
s composed by Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti.
, at the Teatro Corso in Milan. He then sang the role of Fernand in La Favorite
at the Teatro Dal Verme
, before making his La Scala
debut in 1918 as Ernesto in Don Pasquale
.
In 1924, he was the lead tenor in the Melba-Williamson Grand Opera tour of Australia, opening the Sydney season opposite Melba in La Boheme.
On the international scene, Borgioli debuted at the Royal Opera House
in London, as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor
, opposite Toti dal Monte
in 1925—and at the Glyndebourne Festival where he sang as Ottavio in Don Giovanni
, and as Ernesto. He also appeared in Paris, at both the Opéra-Comique
and the Palais Garnier
, as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Ramiro in La Cenerentola
, Il Duci in Rigoletto
, Ottavio, Edgardo and des Grieux in Manon
.
The role of Cavaradossi in Tosca
was his debut role for both the San Francisco Opera
in 1932, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago
in 1933. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera
in New York City on December 31, 1934, as Rodolfo in La bohème
. Borgioli appeared there for one season only: his other roles were Ottavio and des Grieux (Massenet).
Borgioli made a number of gramophone record
s which confirm the attractiveness of his lyric voice and the elegance of his phrasing. These qualities can be discerned in two famous complete recordings of Il barbiere di Siviglia and Rigoletto which he made in 1928, opposite the baritone Riccardo Stracciari
. Nonetheless, he was still overshadowed in the theatre and on disc by another stylish tenore di grazia
of his era in Tito Schipa
.
In 1949, Borgioli became director of vocal studies at the New Opera Company of London, where he directed stage productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia and La bohème. He died in Florence, aged 69.
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
. Praised by critics for his musicianship, he was particularly associated with roles in opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s composed by Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti.
Life and career
Dino Borgioli studied with Eugenio Giachetti in Florence, and made his operatic debut in 1914, as Arturo in I puritaniI puritani
I puritani is an opera in three acts by Vincenzo Bellini. It was his last opera. Its libretto is by Count Carlo Pepoli, based on Têtes rondes et Cavaliers by Jacques-François Ancelot and Joseph Xavier Saintine, which is in turn based on Walter Scott's novel Old Mortality. It was first produced at...
, at the Teatro Corso in Milan. He then sang the role of Fernand in La Favorite
La favorite
La favorite is an opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d'Arnaud...
at the Teatro Dal Verme
Teatro Dal Verme
The Teatro Dal Verme is a theatre in Milan, Italy located on the Via San Giovanni sul Muro, on the site of the former private theatre the Politeama Ciniselli. It was designed by Giuseppe Pestagalli to a commission from Count Francesco Dal Verme, and was used primarily for plays and opera...
, before making his La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
debut in 1918 as Ernesto in Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The librettist Giovanni Ruffini wrote the Italian language libretto after Angelo Anelli's libretto for Stefano Pavesi's Ser Marcantonio ....
.
In 1924, he was the lead tenor in the Melba-Williamson Grand Opera tour of Australia, opening the Sydney season opposite Melba in La Boheme.
On the international scene, Borgioli debuted at the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
in London, as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor....
, opposite Toti dal Monte
Toti Dal Monte
Antonietta Meneghel , better known by her stage name Toti Dal Monte, was a celebrated Italian operatic soprano with a sweet and limpid lyric voice. She was a favourite artist of the celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini...
in 1925—and at the Glyndebourne Festival where he sang as Ottavio in Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, and as Ernesto. He also appeared in Paris, at both the Opéra-Comique
Opéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
and the Palais Garnier
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
, as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Ramiro in La Cenerentola
La Cenerentola
La Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the fairy tale Cinderella...
, Il Duci in Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
, Ottavio, Edgardo and des Grieux in Manon
Manon
Manon is an opéra comique in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost...
.
The role of Cavaradossi in Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
was his debut role for both the San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
in 1932, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1952, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicolà Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria Callas's American debut in Norma...
in 1933. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in New York City on December 31, 1934, as Rodolfo in La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
. Borgioli appeared there for one season only: his other roles were Ottavio and des Grieux (Massenet).
Borgioli made a number of gramophone record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s which confirm the attractiveness of his lyric voice and the elegance of his phrasing. These qualities can be discerned in two famous complete recordings of Il barbiere di Siviglia and Rigoletto which he made in 1928, opposite the baritone Riccardo Stracciari
Riccardo Stracciari
Riccardo Stracciari was a leading Italian baritone. His repertoire consisted mainly of Italian operatic works, with Rossini's Figaro and Verdi's Rigoletto becoming his signature roles during a long and distinguished career which stretched from 1899 to 1944.- Life and career :Born near Bologna,...
. Nonetheless, he was still overshadowed in the theatre and on disc by another stylish tenore di grazia
Tenore di grazia
Leggiero Tenor, also called tenor leggiero or tenore di grazia, is a lightweight, flexible tenor type of voice. The tenor roles written in the early 19th century Italian operas are invariably leggiero tenor roles, especially those by Rossini such as Lindoro in L'italiana in Algeri, Don Ramiro in La...
of his era in Tito Schipa
Tito Schipa
Tito Schipa was an Italian tenor. He is considered one of the finest tenori di grazia in operatic history...
.
In 1949, Borgioli became director of vocal studies at the New Opera Company of London, where he directed stage productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia and La bohème. He died in Florence, aged 69.
Sources
- D. Hamilton (ed.),The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to the World of Opera (Simon and Schuster, New York 1987). ISBN 0-671-16732-X
- Roland Mancini and Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, (orig. H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack, French edition), Guide de l’opéra, Les indispensables de la musique (Fayard, 1995). ISBN 2-213-01563-6
- Bob Rideout, "Dino Borgioli" (in "Étude" n°15, October-November-December 2000, pp. 3–9, Journal of Association internationale de chant lyrique "Titta Ruffo",Prof. Jean-Pierre Mouchon, ed., Marseilles, France).
- Tom Kaufman, "Dino Borgioli: Chronology" (in ibid., n°15, October-November-December 2000, pp. 10–25, Journal of Association internationale de chant lyrique "Titta Ruffo", Prof. Jean-Pierre Mouchon, ed., Marseilles, France).
- Katherine Brisbane (ed.), "Entertaining Australia : an illustrated history" (Sydney : Currency Press, 1991). ISBN 0-868-19286-4 ; 0-868-19367-4 (pbk.)