Forgotten Opera Singers

Forgotten Opera Singers

Nov 22, 2011

Franco Lo Giudice (Tenor) (Paterno 1893 - Catania 1990)





He was the older brother of the tenor Silvio Costa Lo Giudice (1895-1982) and a distant cousin of Portuguese soprano Maria Giudice. He decided to become a singer, after he had heard records of  Enrico Caruso. He studied with Benjamino Carelli in Naples and with Adernò in Catania; he took vocal lessons also from Luigi Lucenti and Di Cagno in Milan which was interrupted in 1914 by his military service in the First World War. As a soldier he gave during the First World War concerts for Italian front-line soldiers. In 1919 he made his stage debut as Gastone in ‘’La traviata’’ at the Politeama of Livorno. In 1920 he sang Dick Johnson in Giacomo Puccini's ‘’La fanciulla del West’’ at the Teatro Verdi in Tortona, In 1922 he had big success at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome in the title role of Giordanos ‘’Andrea Chénier’’. Since 1925 he often sang at La Scala, where he made his debut as Giosta Berling in the world premiere of Zandonai's ‘’I cavalieri di Ekebù’’ under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. In 1926 he alternated in the role of Prince Calàf with tenor Miguel Fleta in the original production of Puccini's ‘’Turandot’’. At La Scala he also sang as Dick Johnson in Puccini’s ‘’La Fanciulla del West’’, as Hagenbach  in ‘’La Wally’’ of Catalani, as Avito in Montemezzi’s ‘’Amore dei tre Re’’ and as Gianetto in ‘’La cena delle beffe’’ of Giordano. In 1926 he sang at the festival in the arena of Verona. On 4. 2. 1928 he appeared at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in the premiere of the opera ‘’Giuliano’’ of Zandonai. He appeared till the 1930s at La Scala and was to be heard during the following ten years still often in stages in the Italian province. Later as a professor he taught at the conservatory of Catania.

Chronology of some appearances

1914 Palermo Teatro Biondo Pagliacci (Peppe)
1919 Livorno Politeama Traviata (Alfredo)
1920 Torino Teatro Verdi Andrea Chenier (Chenier)
1921 Venezia Teatro Malibran Ruy Blas (Ruy Blas)
1922 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Andrea Chenier (Chenier)
1923 Livorno Teatro Rossini Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)
1924 Bergamo Teatro delle Societа Fanciulla del West (Johnson)
1925 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Giulietta e Romeo di R.Zandonai (Romeo)
1926 Torino Teatro Regio La Cena Delle Beffe (Giannetto)
1927 Piacenza Teatro Municipale Turandot (Calaf)
1928 Mantova Teatro Sociale Francesca da Rimini (Paolo)
1930 Modena Teatro Municipale Wally (Hagenbach)
1931 Palermo Teatro Massimo Francesca da Rimini (Paolo)
1932 Milano Teatro La Scala La Notte di Zoraima di I.Montemezzi (Muscar)
1933 Rovigo Teatro Sociale Carmen (Don Josи)
1934 Novara Teatro Coccia La Cena Delle Beffe (Giannetto)
1935 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice I Capuleti e i Montecchi di V.Bellini
1936 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Il Piccolo Marat (Marat)
1937 Palermo Teatro Massimo I Vespri Siciliani (Arrigo)
1938 Parma Teatro Regio Fiorella di I.Brancucci (Eugenio di Beauharnais)
1939 Sanremo Teatro del Casino Turandot (Calaf)

  
RECORDINGS FOR SALE


 






Pathe, Milano
Andrea Chenier (Giordano): Un di all'azzurro spazio P1 10364, 86828
Andrea Chenier (Giordano): Un di all'azzurro spazio P2 10364 86829
Loreley (Catalani): Infranto ogni altro vincolo 10365 86830
Lodoletta (Mascagni): Ah! Ritrovarla nella sua capanna  10366 86332
Piccolo Marat (Mascagni): Comprendi quel che ho fatto with Anna Sassone-Soster 12589 86834
Piccolo Marat (Mascagni):  Avrai nella mia mamma with Anna Sassone-Soster12589 86835
Piccolo Marat (Mascagni):  E' l'alba 10366
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): No, pagliaccio non son 10367 86850
Trovatore (Verdi): Deserto sulla trerra 10367 86851
La Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Or son sei mesi 86831

HMV, Milano 1924-12-11
Nerone (Mascagni): Queste ad un lido fatal DB819 2-052271

HMV, Milano 1924-12-13
Nerone (Mascagni): Oh come viene a errar DB820 2-052272
Nerone (Boito): Scendi, scendi DB820 2-052273

Columbia, Milano
Come le rose Lama  (Genise) GQ 7214 WB9721
Sei tu l'amore GQ2072 B5390
Oggo lo so (Redi-Nisa) GQ7214 B9720
La canzone del cuore  (Redi-Morini) GQ7215 B9722
Amore, amore (Redi-Morini) GQ7215 B9723


No comments:

Post a Comment