Franco Lo Giudice
Encyclopedia
Franco Lo Giudice was an Italian
tenor
who had a successful international opera career during the first half of the twentieth century. He was an important exponent of the works of Riccardo Zandonai
, notably starring in the world premieres of his operas I cavalieri di Ekebù
(1925) and Giuliano (1928). His voice is preserved on a number of recordings made with the HMV, Parlophone
, and Pathé
record labels. Music critic Alan Blyth
described him as a "fiery, strong tenor" who "excelled in verismo
parts."
, Lo Giudice was the older brother of tenor Silvio Costa Lo Giudice and a distant cousin of Portuguese soprano
Maria Giudice. He studied singing with Beniamino Carelli
at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella in Naples
, Matteo Aderno in Catania, and with Antonio Savastano, Luigi Lucenti, and Luigi Di Cagno in Milan
. His studies were interrupted in 1914 when he was drafted into the Italian Army
following the outbreak of World War I
. His first public performances were given during the war, singing in concerts for Italian soldiers. He served in the military for the duration of the war, and then continued with further opera studies at its conclusion in 1918.
at the opera house in Livorno
. In 1920 he sang Dick Johnson in Giacomo Puccini
's La fanciulla del West
at the opera house
in Tortona
. In 1922 he made his first appearance at the Teatro di San Carlo
as Prince Vasiliy Ivanovich Shuysky in the Naples premiere of Boris Godunov
with Sigismondo Zalewsky in the title role. That same year he had a major triumph at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome
singing the title role in Umberto Giordano
's Andrea Chénier
. He made a number of appearances at the Anfiteatro Gangi in Catania
in 1922-1923, including Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor
, Gastone, and Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana
. In 1924 he made his debut at the Teatro Regio in Turin
as Romeo in Riccardo Zandonai
's Giulietta e Romeo opposite Hina Spani
as Giulietta. He returned to that house several times through 1935, singing such roles as Giannetto Malaspini in La cena delle beffe
and Pollione in Norma
among others.
On 7 March 1925 Lo Giudice made his debut at La Scala
as Giosta Berling in the world premiere of Zandonai's I cavalieri di Ekebù
under the baton of Arturo Toscanini
. Toscanini was quite taken with his performance and Lo Giudice was contracted by him frequently for performances at La Scala through the mid 1930s. In 1926 he alternated in the role of Prince Calàf with tenor Miguel Fleta
in the original production of Puccini's Turandot
, although Fleta had the honor of singing the part for the opera's opening night. Other roles he portrayed at La Scala included Avito in L'amore dei tre re
, Dick Johnson, Giannetto Malaspini, and Giuseppe Hagenbach in La Wally
among others.
Lo Giudice made his first appearance at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna
on 21 November 1925 as Giannetto Malaspini to Carmen Melis
's Ginerva and Salvatore Baccaloni
's Tornaquinci. He returned to that house in 1927 to portray Mateo in Zandonai's Conchita
and again in 1928 to sing Dick Johnson to Iva Pacetti
's Minnie. In 1926 he made his debut at the Arena di Verona Festival
and in 1927 he sang Prince Calàf to Elena Barrigar's Turandot for his first appearance at the Teatro Regio in Parma
. He returned to Parma in 1930 to sing Calàf to Patrizia Toldi's Turandot and again in 1938 to portray Eugenio Beauharnais in Italo Brancucci
's Fiorella.
Lo Giudice returned to the Teatro di San Carlo in 1927 to sing the title role in Arrigo Boito
's Nerone
with Elena Barrigar as Asteria. He sang again at that house on 4 February 1928 when he portrayed the title role in the world premiere of Zandonai's Giuliano. The following 14 March he made his first appearance at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
singing the title role in the world premiere of Giuseppe Mulè
's Dafni. He sang several roles at the Rome opera house through 1930, including Giuliano and Calàf. He also made his first appearance at the Teatro Donizetti
in Bergamo
in 1928 as Des Grieux in Puccini's Manon Lescaut
.
On the internationsal stage, Lo Giudice performed in opera houses in Hungary, Brazil, and Chile during the 1920s and early 1930s. In 1925 he performed at the Royal Opera, London
as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly
. He remained active in Italian opera houses up into the mid 1940s. One of his last performances was a portrayal of Andrea Chénier at the Teatro Verdi
in Florence
in 1944 with Iris Ferriani as Maddalena. After retiring from the stage he taught singing at the Istituto Musicale Vincenzo Bellini in Catania. He died in Catania at the age of 97.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
tenor
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...
who had a successful international opera career during the first half of the twentieth century. He was an important exponent of the works of Riccardo Zandonai
Riccardo Zandonai
Riccardo Zandonai was an Italian composer.-Biography:Zandonai was born in Borgo Sacco, Rovereto, then part of Austria–Hungary....
, notably starring in the world premieres of his operas I cavalieri di Ekebù
I cavalieri di Ekebù
I Cavalieri di Ekebù is an opera composed by Riccardo Zandonai to an Italian libretto by Arturo Rossato. The opera is based on Gösta Berlings Saga by Nobel laureate Selma Lagerlöf. It was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy on 7 March 1925.-Roles:-Sources:**...
(1925) and Giuliano (1928). His voice is preserved on a number of recordings made with the HMV, Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
, and Pathé
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
record labels. Music critic Alan Blyth
Alan Blyth
Geoffrey Alan Blyth was an English music critic, author, and musicologist who was particularly known for his writings within the field of opera. He graduated from the Rugby School before attending the University of Oxford where he studied with Jack Westrup...
described him as a "fiery, strong tenor" who "excelled in verismo
Verismo
Verismo was an Italian literary movement which peaked between approximately 1875 and the early 1900s....
parts."
Early life and education
Born in PaternòPaternò
Paternò is a town and comune in the Province of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy.-History:The site of Paternò was settled before 3500 BCE. Its inhabitants were probably the Sicani, although it was located in mainly Sicel territory; its initial name was Inessa. The modern name derives form the Greek...
, Lo Giudice was the older brother of tenor Silvio Costa Lo Giudice and a distant cousin of Portuguese soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Maria Giudice. He studied singing with Beniamino Carelli
Beniamino Carelli
Beniamino Carelli was a celebrated Italian singing teacher and composer.Carelli was born and died in Naples, where he spent many years teaching at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella...
at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Matteo Aderno in Catania, and with Antonio Savastano, Luigi Lucenti, and Luigi Di Cagno in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. His studies were interrupted in 1914 when he was drafted into the Italian Army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
following the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. His first public performances were given during the war, singing in concerts for Italian soldiers. He served in the military for the duration of the war, and then continued with further opera studies at its conclusion in 1918.
Career
Lo Giudice made his operatic debut in 1919 as Gastone in La traviataLa traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
at the opera house in Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
. In 1920 he sang Dick Johnson in Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
's La fanciulla del West
La fanciulla del West
La fanciulla del West is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini, based on the play The Girl of the Golden West by the American author David Belasco. Its highly-publicised premiere occurred in New York City in 1910...
at the opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
in Tortona
Tortona
Tortona is a comune of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines.-History:...
. In 1922 he made his first appearance at the Teatro di San Carlo
Teatro di San Carlo
The Real Teatro di San Carlo is an opera house in Naples, Italy. It is the oldest continuously active such venue in Europe.Founded by the Bourbon Charles VII of Naples of the Spanish branch of the dynasty, the theatre was inaugurated on 4 November 1737 — the king's name day — with a performance...
as Prince Vasiliy Ivanovich Shuysky in the Naples premiere of Boris Godunov
Boris Godunov (opera)
Boris Godunov is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky . The work was composed between 1868 and 1873 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is Mussorgsky's only completed opera and is considered his masterpiece. Its subjects are the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who reigned as Tsar during the Time of Troubles,...
with Sigismondo Zalewsky in the title role. That same year he had a major triumph at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
singing the title role in Umberto Giordano
Umberto Giordano
Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano was an Italian composer, mainly of operas.He was born in Foggia in Puglia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Serrao at the Conservatoire of Naples...
's Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier is a verismo opera in four acts by the composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier , who was executed during the French Revolution....
. He made a number of appearances at the Anfiteatro Gangi in Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
in 1922-1923, including 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....
, Gastone, and Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
. In 1924 he made his debut at the Teatro Regio in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
as Romeo in Riccardo Zandonai
Riccardo Zandonai
Riccardo Zandonai was an Italian composer.-Biography:Zandonai was born in Borgo Sacco, Rovereto, then part of Austria–Hungary....
's Giulietta e Romeo opposite Hina Spani
Hina Spani
Hina Spani was an Argentine soprano. Her real name was Higinia Tuñón and she enjoyed a major opera career centred on Italy during the 1920s and '30s.- Overview :...
as Giulietta. He returned to that house several times through 1935, singing such roles as Giannetto Malaspini in La cena delle beffe
La cena delle beffe
La cena delle beffe is an opera in four acts composed by Umberto Giordano to an Italian libretto by Sem Benelli adapted from his play of the same name...
and Pollione in Norma
Norma (opera)
Norma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet. First produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831, it is generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the bel canto tradition...
among others.
On 7 March 1925 Lo Giudice made his debut at 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...
as Giosta Berling in the world premiere of Zandonai's I cavalieri di Ekebù
I cavalieri di Ekebù
I Cavalieri di Ekebù is an opera composed by Riccardo Zandonai to an Italian libretto by Arturo Rossato. The opera is based on Gösta Berlings Saga by Nobel laureate Selma Lagerlöf. It was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy on 7 March 1925.-Roles:-Sources:**...
under the baton of Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
. Toscanini was quite taken with his performance and Lo Giudice was contracted by him frequently for performances at La Scala through the mid 1930s. In 1926 he alternated in the role of Prince Calàf with tenor Miguel Fleta
Miguel Fleta
Miguel Burró Fleta was a Spanish operatic tenor....
in the original production of Puccini's Turandot
Turandot
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...
, although Fleta had the honor of singing the part for the opera's opening night. Other roles he portrayed at La Scala included Avito in L'amore dei tre re
L'amore dei tre re
L'amore dei tre re is an opera in three acts by Italo Montemezzi. Its Italian-language libretto was written by playwright Sem Benelli who based it on his own play of the same title.-Performance history:...
, Dick Johnson, Giannetto Malaspini, and Giuseppe Hagenbach in La Wally
La Wally
La Wally is a four-act opera by Alfredo Catalani, composed on a libretto by Luigi Illica, and first performed at La Scala, Milan on 20 January 1892....
among others.
Lo Giudice made his first appearance at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Teatro Comunale di Bologna
The Teatro Comunale di Bologna is an opera house in Bologna, Italy, and is one of the most important opera venues in Italy. Typically, it presents eight operas with six performances during its November to April season....
on 21 November 1925 as Giannetto Malaspini to Carmen Melis
Carmen Melis
Carmen Melis was an Italian operatic soprano who had a major international career during the first four decades of the 20th century. She was known, above all, as a verismo soprano, and was one of the most interesting singing actresses of the early 20th century...
's Ginerva and Salvatore Baccaloni
Salvatore Baccaloni
Salvatore Baccaloni was an Italian operatic bass, often regarded as the greatest buffo artist of the 20th century.- Life and career :Baccaloni was born in Rome...
's Tornaquinci. He returned to that house in 1927 to portray Mateo in Zandonai's Conchita
Conchita (opera)
Conchita is an opera in four acts and six scenes by composer Riccardo Zandonai. The work uses an Italian language libretto by Maurizio Vaucaire and Carlo Zangarini which is based on Pierre Louÿs's 1898 novel La femme et le pantin...
and again in 1928 to sing Dick Johnson to Iva Pacetti
Iva Pacetti
Iva Pacetti was an Italian operatic soprano who had an active international career from 1920-1947. Trained in Florence and Milan, she made her professional opera debut in her native city at the age of 21 as the title heroine in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida at the Teatro Metastasio...
's Minnie. In 1926 he made his debut at the Arena di Verona Festival
Arena di Verona Festival
The Arena di Verona Festival is a summer festival of opera, located in the city of Verona Italy. Since 1936, it has been organized under the auspices of an official body, first the Ente Autonomo Spettacoli Lirici Arena di Verona, , and then, following legislation in 1996 and...
and in 1927 he sang Prince Calàf to Elena Barrigar's Turandot for his first appearance at the Teatro Regio in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
. He returned to Parma in 1930 to sing Calàf to Patrizia Toldi's Turandot and again in 1938 to portray Eugenio Beauharnais in Italo Brancucci
Italo Brancucci
Italo Brancucci was an Italian composer and singing teacher. He taught at the Parma Conservatory for many years. Several of his pupils went on to have major opera careers, including Luigi Infantino, Rinaldo Pelizzoni, Elvina Ramella, Ferruccio Tagliavini, and Renata Tebaldi...
's Fiorella.
Lo Giudice returned to the Teatro di San Carlo in 1927 to sing the title role in Arrigo Boito
Arrigo Boito
Arrigo Boito , aka Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito, pseudonym Tobia Gorrio, was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist and composer, best known today for his libretti, especially those for Giuseppe Verdi's operas Otello and Falstaff, and his own opera Mefistofele...
's Nerone
Nerone (Boito)
Nerone is an opera in four acts composed by Arrigo Boito, to a libretto in Italian written by the composer. The work is a series of scenes from Imperial Rome at the time of Emperor Nero depicting tensions between the Imperial religion and Christianity, and ends with the Great Fire of Rome...
with Elena Barrigar as Asteria. He sang again at that house on 4 February 1928 when he portrayed the title role in the world premiere of Zandonai's Giuliano. The following 14 March he made his first appearance at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat Costanzi Theatre, it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements...
singing the title role in the world premiere of Giuseppe Mulè
Giuseppe Mulè
Giuseppe Mulè was an Italian composer and conductor. His output includes numerous symphonic works and chamber works, incidental music for the stage, 7 operas, 5 film scores, and an oratorio...
's Dafni. He sang several roles at the Rome opera house through 1930, including Giuliano and Calàf. He also made his first appearance at the Teatro Donizetti
Teatro Donizetti
The Teatro Donizetti is an opera house in Bergamo, Italy. Built in the 1780s using a design by architect Giovanni Francesco Lucchini, the theatre was originally referred to as either the Teatro Nuovo or Teatro di Fiera. The first opera to be mounted at the theatre, Giuseppe Sarti's Medonte, re di...
in Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
in 1928 as Des Grieux in Puccini's Manon Lescaut
Manon Lescaut (Puccini)
Manon Lescaut is an opera in four acts by Giacomo Puccini. The story is based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost....
.
On the internationsal stage, Lo Giudice performed in opera houses in Hungary, Brazil, and Chile during the 1920s and early 1930s. In 1925 he performed at the Royal Opera, London
Royal Opera, London
The Royal Opera is an opera company based in central London, resident at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Along with the English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Covent Garden Opera Company, it was known by that title until 1968...
as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly
Madama Butterfly
Madama Butterfly is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Puccini based his opera in part on the short story "Madame Butterfly" by John Luther Long, which was dramatized by David Belasco...
. He remained active in Italian opera houses up into the mid 1940s. One of his last performances was a portrayal of Andrea Chénier at the Teatro Verdi
Teatro Verdi
In Italy there are many theatres dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi:* Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Brindisi* Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Busseto* Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Cesena* Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Florence* Teatro Verdi in Milan aka Teatro del Buratto...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in 1944 with Iris Ferriani as Maddalena. After retiring from the stage he taught singing at the Istituto Musicale Vincenzo Bellini in Catania. He died in Catania at the age of 97.
Sources
- Opera, Volume 42 by George Henry Hubert Lascelles Harewood, page 44
- Opera on record 3 by Alan BlythAlan BlythGeoffrey Alan Blyth was an English music critic, author, and musicologist who was particularly known for his writings within the field of opera. He graduated from the Rugby School before attending the University of Oxford where he studied with Jack Westrup...
, page 124 - Il tenore Franco Lo Giudice: nel centenario della nascita di Riccardo Zandonai by Bruno Cagnoli and Salvatore D. Randazzo