Ettore Bastianini

Ettore Bastianini (September 24, 1922–January 25, 1967) was an Italian opera singer who began his professional career as a bass, then earned worldwide acclaim as a baritone, particularly in Verdi roles, before dying of throat cancer at the age of forty-four.

Early training and debut as bass

Born in Siena, he began his public singing career as a boy soprano with that city’s Coro della Metropolitana, performing at such events as the annual Palio. His teacher was Gaetano Vanni. After serving in the Italian Air Force toward the end of World War II, Bastianini began his professional career. On January 28, 1945, he made his debut as a soloist in a concert at the Teatro Rex in Siena, singing the bass arias "Vecchia zimarra" from Puccini’s "La bohème" and "La Calunnia" from Rossini’s "Il barbiere di Siviglia". In November of that year, he made his operatic debut as Colline in "La bohème" at Ravenna.

On April 24, 1948, Bastianini made his La Scala debut as Teiresias in Stravinsky’s "Oedipus Rex". For the next three years he sang in a variety of bass roles throughout Italy, as well as in Cairo, Alexandria, and Caracas. In April 1951, at Turin’s Teatro Alfieri, he sang his last performance as a bass, in the same role with which he had begun his operatic career–Colline. Believing that his voice was suited to the baritone repertoire, and encouraged by his teacher, Luciano Bettarini, Bastianini left the stage for seven months to work on his technique.

Debut as baritone

He made his debut as a baritone on January 17, 1952, in Siena, as Germont in Verdi’s "La traviata". His performance was not well received, and he left the stage again for a period of intense vocal exercise to secure the top of his voice. Upon his return, he performed as Rigoletto in Siena and as Amonasro in Pescara and scored a particular triumph in his return to the role of Germont in Bologna.

Bastianini made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Germont on December 5, 1953, opposite Licia Albanese and Richard Tucker. On May 10, 1954, he made his debut as a baritone at La Scala, as Eugene Onegin opposite Renata Tebaldi.

On May 28, 1955, Bastianini appeared opposite Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano in La Scala’s legendary production of "La traviata", designed by Luchino Visconti and conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini.

Illness

Later, his singing career was severely affected by throat cancer (according to some critics, his voice became drier and lacked body). He didn't tell anyone but his family and some very close friends. Despite his illness, he went on singing, and was eventually booed at the Met after a performance of "Tosca" (singing Scarpia). His last operatic appearance was in Verdi's "Don Carlo" (as Posa) at the Met on 11 December 1965. He died on 25 January, 1967 and was buried in Siena. There is a street named after him.

Recordings

His studio recordings were made mainly for Decca Records, and they reflect his basically rich and expressive voice truthfully. Unfortunately some of them are currently withdrawn. Here is a selection of his recordings:

* G. Donizetti: "La favorita" with Giulietta Simionato, Jerome Hines, Gianni Poggi. Alberto Erede (cond.) Maggio Musicale Fiorentino 1955. (Decca)

* G.Donizetti: "Poliuto" with Maria Callas, Franco Corelli. Antonino Votto (cond.) Live from Scala, 1960. (EMI)

* U.Giordano: "Andrea Chénier" with Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco. Gianandrea Gavazzeni (cond.) 1957. (Decca)

* P.Mascagni: "Cavalleria rusticana" with Renata Tebaldi, Jussi Bjoerling. Alberto Erede (cond.) 1957. (Decca)

* A.Ponchielli: "La Gioconda" with Anita Cerquetti (her only complete opera recording in studio), Giulietta Simionato, Mario del Monaco. Gianandrea Gavazzeni (cond.) 1957. (Decca)

* G.Puccini: "La bohème" with Renata Tebaldi, Carlo Bergonzi, Gianna d'Angelo, Cesare Siepi. Tullio Serafin (cond.) 1958. (Decca)

* G.Rossini: "Il barbiere di Siviglia" with Giulietta Simionato, Cesare Siepi, Fernando Corena. Alberto Erede (cond.) 1956. (Decca)

* Verdi: "Don Carlo" with Sena Jurinac, Giulietta Simionato, Eugenio Fernandi, Cesare Siepi. Herbert von Karajan (cond.) Live in Salzburg. 1958. (DG)

* Verdi: "Ernani" with Anita Cerquetti, Mario del Monaco, Boris Christoff. Dimitri Mitropoulos (cond.) Live in Florence. 1957. (Bel Canto)

* Verdi: "La forza del destino" with Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Giulietta Simionato, Cesare Siepi. Francesco Molinari Pradelli (cond.) 1959. (Decca)

Apart from these, there is a 'live' album of his concert in Chicago with Renata Tebaldi and Giulietta Simionato, conducted by Sir Georg Solti and issued by Decca. When Herbert von Karajan recorded J. Strauss's "Die Fledermaus" for Decca, he was also invited to sing in the Gala scene. The song he chose, "Anything you can do, I can do better" from Berlin's musical "Annie Gets Your Gun", was the only non-Italian piece he ever recorded.

External links

* [http://chalosse.free.fr/masterpieces/step-one/bastianini.htm Opera Voices: Bob Rideout's Biographies]
* [http://members.tripod.com/~davidmacchi/storiabasting.html]
* http://www.ettorebastianini.com