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Cesare VallettiItalian opera tenor
Date of Birth: 18.12.1922
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Biography of Cesare Valletti
Cesare Valletti, the Italian opera tenor, officially retired in 1967 but returned in 1968 to perform at the Caramoor Festival in New York. It was there that he sang his last operatic role, Nero in Claudio Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea".
Early Life and Career
Cesare Valletti was born in Rome, Italy in 1922. In Rome, he took private music lessons from the renowned tenor Tito Schipa. His professional debut on the opera stage came in 1947, when he played the role of Alfredo in Giuseppe Verdi's "La traviata".
Valletti gained fame in 1950 when he performed in "Il turco in Italia" alongside the celebrated Maria Callas in Rome. That same year, he made his debut at the famous La Scala theater in Milan, performing in Verdi's "Falstaff". He also appeared in Covent Garden with the same opera, quickly gaining recognition from opera critics and the interested public.
In 1951, Valletti performed in "La traviata" in Mexico City, once again alongside Callas. He made multiple appearances at La Scala and Covent Garden, and in 1953, he made his American debut, singing the lead role in Jules Massenet's "Werther" at the San Francisco Opera. Later that same year, Valletti performed at the renowned Metropolitan Opera, playing the role of Ottavio in "Don Giovanni". Throughout his career, Valletti performed various roles at the Metropolitan Opera, including Tamino, Almaviva, Nemorino, Ernesto, Alfredo, and de Grie, among many other well-known classical opera parts.
Career Setback and Later Life
Valletti's career at the Metropolitan Opera abruptly ended in 1960 when Rudolf Bing, the manager, replaced him without any apparent reason or explanation, even after the dress rehearsal for the opera "L'elisir d'amore" had already taken place. Feeling slighted, Valletti left the Metropolitan Opera and never performed there again, despite numerous offers. He returned to Italy, where he enjoyed particular popularity at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival in Florence.
After retiring officially in 1967, Valletti made a comeback in 1968 at the Caramoor Festival in New York, where he sang his final operatic role as Nero in Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea". Following his retirement, Valletti enthusiastically engaged in business ventures with his son-in-law.
It is known that Valletti was married to Nicoletta Braibanti, the granddaughter of the famous Italian composer Ildebrando Pizzetti. Cesare Valletti passed away from a heart attack in Genoa, Italy while undergoing treatment for liver cancer.
Valletti's voice can still be heard on recordings from live performances, including operas like "La sonnambula" and "La traviata" with Maria Callas.
