Ettore Bastianini Italian singer (baritone) Country: Italy

Biography of Ettore Bastianini

Ettore Bastianini (1922-1967) was an Italian singer, specifically a baritone. Born in Siena, he studied under Gaetano Vanni. He began his singing career as a bass, making his debut in 1945 in Ravenna in the role of Colline in Puccini's "La Boheme". For six years, he performed bass roles such as Don Basilio in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", Sparafucile in Verdi's "Rigoletto", Timur in Puccini's "Turandot", and others. From 1948, Bastianini performed at La Scala. In 1952, he made his debut as a baritone in the role of Germont in Bologna. From 1952, he frequently performed at the "Florentine Musical May" festival in Russian repertoire roles such as Tomsky, Yeletsky, Mazeppa, and Andrei Bolkonsky. In 1953, he debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in the role of Germont. He performed Eugene Onegin at La Scala in 1954 and appeared with Maria Callas in Bellini's "I Puritani" in 1958. From 1962, he sang at Covent Garden and also performed at the Salzburg Festival and the Arena di Verona. Bastianini's voice was described by critics as "fiery" and "a voice of bronze and velvet" - a vibrant, rich baritone, clear in the upper register, and thick and resonant in the bass. He was a superb interpreter of Verdi's dramatic roles, including Count di Luna in "Il Trovatore", Renato in "Un Ballo in Maschera", Don Carlo in "La Forza del Destino", and Rodrigo in "Don Carlo". He also excelled in operas by verismo composers. Among his roles were Figaro, Barnaba in Ponchielli's "La Gioconda", Gerard in Giordano's "Andrea Chenier", Escamillo, and others. In 1963, Bastianini was diagnosed with an incurable illness, but he continued performing until 1965. His last role was Rodrigo at the Metropolitan Opera. Ettore Bastianini was one of the outstanding singers of the mid-20th century. Some of his notable recordings include the role of Figaro conducted by Erede for Decca, Rodrigo conducted by Karajan for Deutsche Grammophon, and Gerard conducted by Gavazzeni for Decca.