Eugenio Fernandi

Eugenio Fernandi

Italian opera singer, spinto tenor
Country: USA

Content:
  1. Biography of Eugenio Fernandi
  2. Operatic career
  3. Later years and death

Biography of Eugenio Fernandi

Italian opera singer, spinto tenor

Eugenio Fernandi was born in 1922 in Pisa and grew up in Turin. He began his singing lessons in Turin with Aureliano Pertile, one of the most famous Italian spinto tenors. Fernandi later enrolled in the opera school of the renowned La Scala theater in Milan, where he perfected his voice and made his first appearances on the big stage, initially with small roles.

Eugenio Fernandi

Operatic career

In 1954, Fernandi landed his first significant role in Virgilio Mortari's opera "La figlia di diavolo". This was followed by a series of operas, including "Rigoletto", "Madama Butterfly", and many others. Soon, Fernandi could be heard performing at esteemed theaters such as La Fenice in Venice and Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

Eugenio Fernandi

In 1957, Fernandi made his debut at the Vienna State Opera as Cavaradossi in "Tosca". He later appeared as Don Carlos at the Salzburg Festival in 1958 and 1960. At the renowned Metropolitan Opera in the United States, Fernandi debuted as Pinkerton in "Madame Butterfly" and became the leading tenor of the opera house from February 1958. His debut performance in the same year received high praise, with "Time Magazine" hailing him as perhaps the best performer of the role of Pinkerton on the Metropolitan Opera stage.

Eugenio Fernandi

From 1958 to 1971, Fernandi remained with the American opera theater, completing eight seasons at the Metropolitan Opera where he portrayed 13 different characters, including Cavaradossi, Edgardo, Enzo, Ismaele, Arrigo, and many others. Unfortunately, Fernandi's voice is not extensively represented on sound recordings. His official recordings are limited to the 1957 production of "Turandot", where he sang alongside the famous Maria Callas and the equally renowned Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. However, in recent years, several concert recordings of Fernandi have surfaced, including "Lucia di Lammermoor", where he once again sings with Callas.

Eugenio Fernandi

Later years and death

Eugenio Fernandi passed away on August 8, 1991, at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota due to complications following surgery. Interestingly, many sources at the time mistakenly reported the date of the great opera singer's death as August 15 or 18. However, these dates only represent when the news of his death reached the East Coast. It was during this time that newspapers truly began to praise Fernandi.

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