Italian tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini who was a major figure of the bel canto era romantic style of opera singing. the principal opera house of Milan, Italy. He sang in most of the worlds great houses before making a belated debut at the Met in 1984. A mezzo-soprano (meaning "medium" or "middle" "soprano" in Italian) is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. Horne got her start singing in the Los Angeles area, performing background in television sitcoms. He first appeared there in the season 0f 1907-08. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. Her debut was in Switzerland in 1956, where, interestingly, she was also a substitute. Over her career as an opera vocalist, shes given many excellent performances in operas like The Marriage Of Figaro, Tosca, and Parsifal. Shes sung in opera houses around the world and even recorded a performance of West Side Story where she played Maria with fellow opera singer Jos Carreras. (1915-2006) Soprano (Lyric) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (1915 - 2006) & Gerald Moore (1899 - 1987) Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was one of the greatest opera singers that lived to recording age. Remember that the famous bass singers mentioned above are testaments to the fact that if you have a thunderous bass voice, you can also carve a niche for yourself in the operatic world. [2] Far from being regarded as an elitist art form, opera has been an integral part of Italian American culture across all social classes. Our list of the most renowned opera singers includes men and women from all over the world America, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Greece, New Zealand, and Wales. He first won the International Vocal Competitions Grand Prix in Paris. The daughter of renowned film composer Giovanni Fusco, she made her musical debut with Verdi's Rigoletto at Teatro Margherita. He spent the last years of his career and life in New York City, singing many roles at the Metropolitan Opera and recording for the Victor Talking Machine Company. By 1897 when he auditioned for Puccini, the composer asked him: "Who sent you to me? Born into a signing family in Sweden, Jussi Bjorling was one of the most popular opera singers during the years leading up to World War II. In 1958, he debuted at La Scala, taking George Frederic Handels Hercules role. Pavarotti was one of the famous tenors from the mega-group the Three Tenors (along with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras) who performed at the 1990 World Cup final and then in concerts in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Italian operatic mezzo-soprano Faustina Bordoni was a prima donna of the 18th century. OK, thats 10. Not only did Norman sing operatic roles, but she also performed oratorios, orchestral works, and art songs. Five singers that have a bass voice are: Lance Bass Scott McCreery Johnny Cash Brad Roberts Barry White What are the different types of opera singers? Other awards include the Rossini d'oro, the Bellini d'oro, the Tamango Prize, the Premio Aureliano Pertile, and the L'Opera award for his 2001 performance at La Scala in La Sonnambula . One of his specialties was all four villains from Offenbachs Tales of Hoffmann. She is known for playing the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro and Mimi in La Boheme. Liams lifelong love for music makes his role at Music Grotto such a rewarding one. Italian libretti remained dominant in the classical period as well, for . Born in Barcelona, Spain, he has built an amazing repertoire of songs, including over 60 roles that hes performed in countries around the world. Asheville, North Carolina, United States258 followers 255 connections. She came to the United States in 1950 and performed the title role in Aida with the San Francisco Opera. She eventually had on-camera roles in the TV version of The Odd Couple and sang on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. But there have been some famous mezzo-sopranos and a few baritones and bases that have wowed the world over with their voices and technique. He began singing opera at the very young age of 11. One of them was as Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. A un dottor della mia sorte is from the 1st act. BecomeSingers is reader-supported. Here are the 25 best opera singers of all time: 1. This orthodoxy was designed with rigid rules: Top singers got four or five arias, at least one in each act. Some of his memorable performances include Don Geronio in Il Turco in Italia, Figaro in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia (at the Metropolitan Opera with Bruno Campanella & at the Arena di Verona with Claudio Scimone), Don Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (at la Scala with Riccardo Chailly), Fra Melito in La forza del destino (at the National Moreover, as the deepest mans voice, it sounds very manly. Unfortunately, she was involved in a controversy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which threw her career into some turmoil. Apart from performing legendary venues such as La Scala, he also performed at the Vienna State Opera and on Broadway. If you have a different one post it in the comments section below. Pages in category "Italian opera singers" The following 78 pages are in this category, out of 78 total. Italian composer, pianist, dou. Robert was born in Brooklyn and was the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland. Between 1800 and 1914, Italian and German opera developed in different ways and became distinctly unique styles of opera. Before his 20th birthday, Bjorling had his debut at the Royal Swedish Opera. His career at the Met was strange. He was rumored to be Benito Mussolinis favorite and recorded Giovinezza, an anthem of fascism in 1937. Ezio Pinza was an Italian opera singer best remembered for his rich and sonorous voice. Although Jos is from Spain, some of his most famous roles come from Italian operas by composers like Donizetti, Puccini, and Verdi. Starting her stage career with Sestri Levante, she later performed at iconic venues such as La Scala and the San Francisco Opera. She has performed at major American and European opera houses, such as the Metropolitan Opera and the Royal Opera House. She had also performed in Paris, Munich, and Vienna, among other cities. He sang in Russian, everyone else in Italian. Interestingly, her first major international performance came when she was a substitute for another performer at Carnegie Hall. In 1974, Pape received his early formal education in music until 1981 under Dresdner Kreuzchor. What about Jerome Hines? The basses discussed below are those who I think were among the best of the past century. She, however, died in poverty. Tebaldi was particularly successful in the years after World War II, both in Italy and internationally. Then, he started his international career in the opera Boris Godunov in 1959 at La Scala. Besides, you can even land a role in opera and become famous. The Contenders 11 Mario Del Monaco 12 Boris Christoff Boris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer, widely considered to have been one of the greatest basses of the 20th century. She has won three Grammy Awards and performed several times at Carnegie Hall. 1. His voice carried a deep and warm timbre that was resonant and wide-ranging in its lower register. She retired at 36 to focus on her family. Beniamino Gigli was an Italian opera singer who is counted among the best tenors of his generation. She was a leading performer at all the worlds major opera theaters, including La Scala and the Met. He was known as the King of the High Cs for his ability to reach the high note with precision and confidence. In her expansive career spanning almost five-decades, Olivero garnered acclaim appearing in opera houses across Italy and around the world including in the US and Europe. He sang at the significant world opera houses that included Bayreuth Festival and Metropolitan. Liam is also the founding member of Music Grotto and is passionate in disseminating editorial content to its readers. Most of his performances were for Vincenzo Bellinis operas. In 2001, Milnes and his wife opened a non-profit organization to train young singers. Cecilia Bartoli is an Italian opera singer and recitalist. She was 17 when she made her debut with Zelmira. She began her career quite early and was only three years old when she started performing on the radio. Soon after the war, his career took off as he successfully sang in Nabucco in Venice, followed by many engagements later at La Scala, Milan. Fleming is one of the greatest sopranos of our time and captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence. Italian operatic soprano Cecilia Fusco is remembered for her performances at Milans La Scala. She began learning music at a young age and excelled at the piano and organ. Diana Damrau is a German soprano who was very popular in her home country at the start of her career. This is a professional review website. Six of the best King's Singers recordings; The top 5 tenors of all time 5. Given a chance, you would have exchanged it for the voice of the likes of Michael Jackson or Freddie Mercury. After building her reputation as a performer, her work eventually brought her to a position as the artistic director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival. It has offices in Tampa Bay, Florida, and New York City. This performance is from the Mets 1990 run. Dvork Rusalka Rene Fleming, Ben Heppner, Eva Urbanov; Ivn Kusnjer, CPO/Mackerras Decca 4663562 Luscious and lachrymose, Fleming makes Dvork's tragic mermaid her own. He rapidly became one of the worlds leading basses, but despite becoming an American citizen in 1931 he did not appear at the Met until 1940. His life was troubled, but he channeled his inner demons into impersonations of the greatest power. 2 Johnny Cash John R. "Johnny" Cash (1932-2003) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and author, who was widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 90 million records worldwide. The beloved singer was also famous for her engrossing acting ability, which some suggested often overshadowed her vocal talents. Thus, as a vocal actor, he could easily bring in a dignified air to his roles. Admired for his bass voice, he had a successful career in London and Paris, too, playing Geronimo in Il matrimonio segreto. She is best known for her interpretations of the music of Bellini, Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known Baroque and Classical music. This list may not reflect recent changes. Natalie Dessay Anna Netrebko is a Russian opera singer whose career began as a janitor but eventually transformed into an opera career after she attended free rehearsals at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. Bjorling sang for the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Chicago Opera numerous times between 1938 and 1941. I would certainly include Robert Lloyd and Ferruccio Furlanetto among the great ones, as well as Josef Greindl, Gottlob Frick, John Tomlinson, Matti Salminen Wagner also wrote amazing roles for bass. Over the course of his career, Pinza also performed at the Royal Opera House, San Francisco Opera, and La Scala. Born in Naples, Italy, he was just 22 when he made his opera debut. It was for being a featured performer on the Lord Of The Rings soundtrack. Italian opera singer Luigi Lablache is remembered for his performance as Leporello in Mozarts Don Giovanni. Nicolai Ghiaurov 1929-2004) was another great Bulgarian bass. He also made appearances in more than 20 movies after the war years. He also served as music director for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Cecilia Bartolis fame extends beyond the opera world, and shes won several Grammy Awards in the category of Best Classical Vocal Performance. Pasta is credited with originating iconic roles, such as Donizetti's Anna Bolena, Bellini's Amina in La sonnambula, and the title role in Norma. She had a prolific career and performed all around North America and Europe. He started performing in the late 1950s and has played a role in at least 150 different operas during his career. He also played Boltos Mefistofele and Colline in La bohme, and many more. She grew up listening to opera as a child, then began singing it in her teens and early 20s. He was the opera partner of popular soprano Giulia Grisi. At 16, her professional stage debut occurred singing Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. He studied in Stockholm and Lahti, and soon, in 1960, made his operatic debut in Helsinki, singing the role of Sparafucile. Ildebrando D'Arcangelo Italian opera singer Overview: Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (born 14 December 1969) is an Italian opera singer. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the roles of Falstaff and Iago. He also played this role at La Scala under Soltis direction in Milan. A Luigia Abbadia Ester Adaberto Simone Alaimo Marietta Alboni Domenico Annibali Vincenza Armani B Girolamo Bacchini Carolina Bassi Andrea Bellini (singer) Michele Benedetti (bass) Francesco Benucci A quick guide to Verdi's Requiem. He was only 12 when he worked as a musician at the Riccardi Theatre and later gained immense fame in Europe. I saw him in the title role of Falstaff under Bernstein that was too much of a stretch for him, though he did do it 10 times with the company. Yet, there are very few pure bass singers in the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Operatic_basses&oldid=1051288938, Template Category TOC via CatAutoTOC on category with 201300 pages, CatAutoTOC generates standard Category TOC, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 October 2021, at 16:06. He died on October 16, 1982 in Mestre, Venice, Veneto, Italy. When Jessye Norman died last year, New York's Met Opera called her "one of the great sopranos of the past half-century". Robert Merrill was a baritone who performed with the Metropolitan Opera for more than two decades. She was born in New York City, raised in Greece, and began singing Italian opera in her late teens. She was known for her coloratura vocal quality and range. Italian soprano who soared to fame in the 1950s and 1960s with her performances at Milans iconic La Scala. He went toLondonin 1731 and joined Handel's opera company where he performed and created many roles in Handel's works. In 1969, she was given a contract with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and her first role was in Tannhuser as Elisabeth. Italian soprano Eugenia Ratti is remembered for her soubrette roles, primarily in interpretations of Cimarosa and Mozart. Her professional debut came years later, in 1987, when she was 21, and she would eventually become one of the best opera singers of all time. Mirella Freni was an Italian operatic soprano who appeared at famous international opera houses over the course of her career, which spanned 50 years. One of his most popular roles was the title role in Don Giovanni, which is common for people who sing in his octave. If you're searching for a particular famous opera singer from Italy, then use the "search" function to find who you're looking for. This greatest male opera singers list . It was no different than her first foray into the opera world. Hines got a stentorian voice type that made him a perfect choice for roles like Sarastro of Magic Flute, Mephistopheles of Faust, Ramfis of Aida, King Mark of Tristan und Isolde, and many more. A year later, Sills first opera was sung in Philadelphia. You missed one of the greatest Bass singers of all time. His obituary said it all thathe commanded an excellent vocal instrument characterized by a certain warmth and darkness. The character is the lovestruck Nemorino, and this opera song has been sung by many of the greats, including Luciano Pavarotti. Learn More. His bass voice has that full resonant low with very-low notes and came with a very relaxed vibrato. After his retirement, Carlo Bergonzi worked as a mentor for many other popular tenors like Berle Sanford Rosenberg, Giuliano Ciannella, Vincenzo La Scola, and Fernando del Valle among others. He sang 879 times with the company. She played a shepherd boy in the performance. Monteverdi was born in Cremona, northern Italy and was a violinist, choirmaster and priest. He did not have a very thunderous voice despite his great basses voice, though his voice is sufficient to take the most demanding roles. The range of bass usually goes from the second F just below the middle C up to the E just above the middle C. If you have the voice range like that, you can comfortably sing songs within this range. Bravi!!! Robert Easton (bass) Arthur Eisen Richrd Erds Dezs Ernster John Rhys Evans F Tijl Faveyts Arthur Fear Carlos Feller Giuseppe Fioravanti Allan James Foley Norman Foster (bass) Tugomir Franc David Franklin (broadcaster) Giuseppe Frezzolini Ferruccio Furlanetto G Filippo Galli (bass) Ruggero Galli Vincenzo Galli Eric Garrett Carlton Gauld He could bring a mixture of gentleness and grandeur to his roles. He also had a cavernous and heavy dark voice characterized by an expansive upper register. "Lonely House" from Kurt Weill's "Street Scene" Weill's music may be challenging to learn, but this haunting aria suits a young singer's voice. He was also an imposing figure on stage standing at 66. He works closely with journalists and other staff to format and publish music content for the Music Grotto website. At present, Pape is still active in the operatic scene. Italiancoloratura soprano Amelita Galli-Curciwas a celebrated operatic-singer of the 20th-century whose recordings sold in great numbers. Renata Tebaldi grew up in Italy and started singing while in her teens. As a newly minted singer, she even scored a ten-year contract to sing in Paris before she ever became one of the most famous opera singers. He then sometimes stayed with his grandmother, who opened him to music, his maternal grandfather, being an operetta tenor. Initially a bank teller, he made his stage debut with Verdis Rigoletto. He had 95 roles in his repertoire. Thanks for the recordings. tenor. Cecilia Bartoli, Cavaliere OMRI (Italian: [tetilja bartoli]; born 4 June 1966) is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. Apart from her opera performances, Ricciarelli has also appeared in many films; she is best known for her portrayal of Desdemona in the 1986 film adaptation of Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi's Otello. [] occasional articles forHigh Fidelity, I interviewedrenowned Ukranian-American basso Alexander Kipnis about his career and the singers and conductors he performed with. During this year, he made his operatic debut in Sofia, as he played Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville in Sofia. During his career, he sang more than 50 different roles, including six Puccini operas and more than a dozen operas by Verdi. Jussi Bjrling (1911-1960) Bjrling's beautiful tone and effortless technique contributed to his reputation as a paragon of the art of singing during an illustrious international career. Her Met debut came in 1975, some 30 years after turning pro. After a year, he made his Italian operatic debut in Teatro Comunale Bologna. Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia. Ezio Pinza was an Italian opera singer best remembered for his rich and sonorous voice. Kiri Te Kanawa began her career in the late 1960s in London after moving from her home country of New Zealand. I was surprised to not see Neri, Tozzi and Hines, but, just my opinion. He was born on April 11, 1938. Ranker.com 457k followers More information Luciano. He also made numerous television appearances. He could summon up a most haunting quality to give you chills. Born in Pennsylvania, Fleming has won four Grammy Awards for her singing career, as well as the National Medal of Arts. But, between 1914 and 1920, Gigli made his debut at opera houses throughout Italy, including Las Scala, Palermo, Naples, and Rome. And Chinese singers are indeed making inroads into the European and American scenes. A coloratura mezzo-soprano, Bartoli is renowned for her interpretations of the works of popular composers like Mozart, Bellini, Handel, and Vivaldi. Julio Jos Iglesias de la Cueva was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1943. He was an American operatic basses, who frequently performed from 1946 to 1987 at the Metropolitan Opera. For approximately 25 years, Robert Merrill was one of the Metropolitan Operas resident baritones and provided the vocal work on dozens of roles. He made nearly 250 recordings in the early 1900s. Maria Callas studied music from a very early age after moving to Greece with her mother. One of her most famous collaborations was in the role of Maria in a recorded version of West Side Story, alongside Jose Carreras. 3 He played various roles like those of Mussorgsky and Verdi. He gave 23 performances and then vanished until 1921, several months after the death of Enrico Caruso, when he reappeared in the title role ofBoris Godunov. Plishka Cesare Siepi, Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin [bass] 1873 - 1938. Talvela took primary school teaching and worked for three years as a primary school teacher. Meyerbeer was born to a Jewish family in Tasdorf, near Berlin, Germany with the name Jacob Liebmann Beer.