Antonio Scotti Italian opera singer, baritone. Date of Birth: 25.01.1866 Country: Italy

Biography of Antonio Scotti

Antonio Scotti was an Italian opera singer, known for his baritone voice. He performed on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York for 33 seasons and also gained experience working at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London and La Scala in Milan.

Born in Naples, Italy, Antonio's parents had envisioned a career in priesthood for him, but he chose to pursue a career in opera singing. He received his initial training from Esther Trifari-Paganini and Vincenzo Lombardi.

Scotti made his debut, most likely at Malta's Theatre Royal, in 1889, where he played the role of Amonasro in Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Aida". His debut was successful, and he continued to perform on various Italian stages. His popularity grew, and he soon started receiving invitations to perform internationally. He had the opportunity to sing on the stages of theaters in Spain, Portugal, Russia, and South America.

In 1898, Scotti made his debut at Milan's famous La Scala, where he portrayed the character of Hans Sachs in Richard Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg". Interestingly, despite this early encounter, he did not have many opportunities to perform Wagner's works throughout his career.

A year later, in 1899, Scotti arrived in America and made his first appearance on the stage of the Chicago Opera. On December 27th of the same year, he sang the lead role in Mozart's "Don Giovanni" at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His singing was well-received by the audience, and he was praised for his elegant performances of bel canto works by Gaetano Donizetti and the sophistication he brought to Verdi's compositions. In the same year, he also made his debut at Covent Garden in London, once again performing in "Don Giovanni". Scotti subsequently visited London several times before the outbreak of World War I.

In 1901, Scotti became the first singer in America to perform the role of Baron Scarpia in Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" at the Metropolitan Opera. This production was not the only American premiere in which Scotti participated. He also received roles in Francesco Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur", Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's "Le donne curiose", Umberto Giordano's "Fedora", Franco Leoni's "L'Oracolo", and Isidore de Lara's "Messaline".

Scotti continued performing at Covent Garden until 1910, during which time he became the first London Scarpia and the first Sharpless in Giacomo Puccini's "Madama Butterfly".

In 1919, Antonio Scotti formed his own opera company called the Scotti Opera Company. For several seasons, the group successfully toured the United States. However, by the 1930s, Scotti's voice had weakened considerably. Despite this, he continued to be a part of the Metropolitan Opera Company, showcasing his exceptional acting skills. He made his final appearance on the Metropolitan Opera stage in 1933, performing the role of Chim-Fen in "L'Oracolo".

After retiring, Scotti returned to Italy and passed away in Naples in 1936.