Riccardo Stracciari
Encyclopedia
Riccardo Stracciari was a leading Italian baritone
. His repertoire consisted mainly of Italian opera
tic 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.
, Italy, Stracciari first sang in an operetta
chorus during 1894. He then entered the Bologna Conservatory, undertaking vocal studies with Ulisse Masetti. He made his professional debut in 1899, at the Teatro Communale in Bologna, in Pesori's sacred work La risurrezione di Christo. The following year he made his operatic debut as Marcello in Puccini's La bohème
in Rovigo. After appearing in various Italian opera houses, he made his debut at Italy's leading operatic venue, La Scala
, Milan
, in 1904.
Stracciari's career quickly became international, with debuts at the Royal Opera House
in London in 1905, followed by his first appearance at the New York Metropolitan Opera
on December 1, 1906, as Germont in La traviata
. During his two seasons at the Met, his roles included: Ashton, Rigoletto, Amonasro
, Valentin
, Marcello
, Pinkerton, and Di Luna
. He also appeared with the Chicago Opera, the San Francisco Opera
, the Paris Opéra
, the Teatro Real
in Madrid and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Stracciari performed widely, too, in his native Italy and retired from the stage in 1944. He is above all associated with Rossini's great comic creation Figaro, in Il barbiere di Siviglia, which he sang an estimated 1000 times, and Rigoletto
, in Verdi's tragic opera of the same name. He made complete recordings of these two works in 1928, opposite Mercedes Capsir
and Dino Borgioli
. Both of these recordings are of particular historical value as illustrations of Italian singing styles of that period.
Stracciari sang in an era that was rich in outstanding operatic voices. But despite the high quality of the competition which he faced from rival singers, he is still widely considered to have been one of the finest Italian baritones of 20th century, owing to the beauty of his voice during its peak period, his imposing interpretive style and his first-rate vocal technique. America's foremost soprano of the post World War I
-era, Rosa Ponselle
, was an enthusiastic admirer of Stracciari's singing.
He was also became a distinguished teacher at the music conservatories of Naples and Rome. Among his most notable students were Raffaele Arié
, Paolo Silveri
, Giulio Fioravanti
, Zdeněk Otava
, and Boris Christoff
. He died in Rome aged 80.
and Columbia Records
before, during and after World War One, he participated in the production of two complete opera recordings which have been reissued on CD. The details of them are as follows:
Riccardo Stracciari (Rigoletto); Mercedes Capsir (Gilda); Dino Borgioli (Mantua); Ernesto Dominici (Sparafucile); Anna Masetti Bassi (Maddalena); Diulio Baronte (Monterone); Aristide Baracchi (Marullo); Ida Mannarini (Giovanna/Contessa). (La Scala Milan soloists chorus and orchestra.) Conductor: Lorenzo Molajoli
; Chorus Master: Vittore Veneziani. (Columbia records
, 30 sides, C-GQX 10028-42.)
Riccardo Stracciari (Figaro); Mercedes Capsir (Rosina); Dino Borgioli (Almaviva); Vincenzo Bettoni (Basilio); Salvatore Baccaloni
(Bartolo); Cesira Ferrari (Berta); Attilio Bordonali (Fiorello); Aristide Baracchi (Ufficiale). (La Scala Milan soloists chorus and orchestra.) Conductor: Lorenzo Molajoli; Chorus Master: Vittore Veneziani. (Columbia Records, 31 sides, D14564-79.)
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
. His repertoire consisted mainly of Italian 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...
tic 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 BolognaBologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, Italy, Stracciari first sang in an operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
chorus during 1894. He then entered the Bologna Conservatory, undertaking vocal studies with Ulisse Masetti. He made his professional debut in 1899, at the Teatro Communale in Bologna, in Pesori's sacred work La risurrezione di Christo. The following year he made his operatic debut as Marcello in Puccini's 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...
in Rovigo. After appearing in various Italian opera houses, he made his debut at Italy's leading operatic venue, 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...
, 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 ,...
, in 1904.
Stracciari's career quickly became international, with debuts 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 in 1905, followed by his first appearance at the New York 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...
on December 1, 1906, as Germont in La traviata
La 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...
. During his two seasons at the Met, his roles included: Ashton, Rigoletto, Amonasro
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
, Valentin
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
, Marcello
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...
, Pinkerton, and Di Luna
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
. He also appeared with the Chicago Opera, 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...
, the Paris Opéra
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...
, the Teatro Real
Teatro Real
The Teatro Real or simply El Real , is a major opera house located in Madrid, Spain.-History:...
in Madrid and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Stracciari performed widely, too, in his native Italy and retired from the stage in 1944. He is above all associated with Rossini's great comic creation Figaro, in Il barbiere di Siviglia, which he sang an estimated 1000 times, and 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...
, in Verdi's tragic opera of the same name. He made complete recordings of these two works in 1928, opposite Mercedes Capsir
Mercedes Capsir
Mercedes Capsir was a Catalan Spanish opera singer, a high coloratura soprano, particularly associated with light Italian roles, such as Lucia and Gilda.- Life and career :...
and Dino Borgioli
Dino Borgioli
Dino Borgioli was an Italian lyric tenor. Praised by critics for his musicianship, he was particularly associated with roles in operas composed by Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti....
. Both of these recordings are of particular historical value as illustrations of Italian singing styles of that period.
Stracciari sang in an era that was rich in outstanding operatic voices. But despite the high quality of the competition which he faced from rival singers, he is still widely considered to have been one of the finest Italian baritones of 20th century, owing to the beauty of his voice during its peak period, his imposing interpretive style and his first-rate vocal technique. America's foremost soprano of the post 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...
-era, Rosa Ponselle
Rosa Ponselle
Rosa Ponselle , was an American operatic soprano with a large, opulent voice. She sang mainly at the New York Metropolitan Opera and is generally considered by music critics to have been one of the greatest sopranos of the past 100 years.-Early life:She was born Rosa Ponzillo on January 22, 1897,...
, was an enthusiastic admirer of Stracciari's singing.
He was also became a distinguished teacher at the music conservatories of Naples and Rome. Among his most notable students were Raffaele Arié
Raffaele Arié
Raffaele Arié was a Bulgarian bass, particularly associated with the Italian and Russian repertories....
, Paolo Silveri
Paolo Silveri
Paolo Silveri was an Italian baritone, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, one of the finest Verdi baritones of his time....
, Giulio Fioravanti
Giulio Fioravanti
Giulio Fioravanti was an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with the Italian repertory....
, Zdeněk Otava
Zdeněk Otava
Zdeněk Otava was a Czech operatic baritone who had a length career at the Prague National Theatre that spanned more than four decades...
, and Boris Christoff
Boris Christoff
Boris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer...
. He died in Rome aged 80.
Recordings/Discography
In addition to the numerous recordings of duets and individual arias which Stracciari made for Fonotipia RecordsFonotipia Records
Fonotipia Records, or Dischi Fonotipia, was an Italian gramophone record label established in 1904 with a charter to record the art of leading opera singers and some other celebrity musicians, chiefly violinists. Fonotipia continued to operate into the electrical recording era, which commenced in...
and Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
before, during and after World War One, he participated in the production of two complete opera recordings which have been reissued on CD. The details of them are as follows:
- Verdi, Rigoletto:
Riccardo Stracciari (Rigoletto); Mercedes Capsir (Gilda); Dino Borgioli (Mantua); Ernesto Dominici (Sparafucile); Anna Masetti Bassi (Maddalena); Diulio Baronte (Monterone); Aristide Baracchi (Marullo); Ida Mannarini (Giovanna/Contessa). (La Scala Milan soloists chorus and orchestra.) Conductor: Lorenzo Molajoli
Lorenzo Molajoli
Lorenzo Molajoli was an Italian opera conductor who was active in recording during the 1920s and 30s.The facts surrounding the career of the conductor Lorenzo Molajoli are obscure. He was born in Rome in 1868 and studied there at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia...
; Chorus Master: Vittore Veneziani. (Columbia records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, 30 sides, C-GQX 10028-42.)
- Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia:
Riccardo Stracciari (Figaro); Mercedes Capsir (Rosina); Dino Borgioli (Almaviva); Vincenzo Bettoni (Basilio); 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...
(Bartolo); Cesira Ferrari (Berta); Attilio Bordonali (Fiorello); Aristide Baracchi (Ufficiale). (La Scala Milan soloists chorus and orchestra.) Conductor: Lorenzo Molajoli; Chorus Master: Vittore Veneziani. (Columbia Records, 31 sides, D14564-79.)
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, (French edition of work by H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack), Guide de l’opéra, Les indispensables de la musique (Fayard, 1995). ISBN 2-213-01563-6
- R. D. Darrell, The Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia of Recorded Music (New York 1936).
- M. Scott, The Record of Singing, Volume 2, (Duckworth, London, 1977)