Giuseppe Campanari Italian opera baritone, cellist Date of Birth: 17.11.1855 Country: Italy

Biography of Giuseppe Campanari

Giuseppe Campanari was an Italian operatic baritone and cellist. He was born in 1855 in Venice, Italy. From a young age, Campanari played the cello and was already recognized as a virtuoso by the age of 9. Alongside his brother Leandro, the young musician toured and performed concerts in several European cities.

At the age of 17, Campanari secured the position of principal cellist at the renowned La Scala theater in Milan. During this period, he had the opportunity to perform with many legendary artists. At the same time, Campanari developed a keen interest in singing. He pursued vocal training outside of the theater and started to showcase his singing abilities publicly.

In 1880, Campanari made his debut as a singer at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan. He went on to perform in several major Italian cities before embarking on a singing career in Spain. In 1884, Campanari was invited to the United States by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He quickly established himself as the orchestra's principal cellist and later became a member of the Adamowski String Quartet in 1884.

A multi-talented artist, Campanari continued to play the cello and sing. He performed the baritone role in "Faust" with the Emma Juch Opera Company and sang in "Pagliacci" with the Hinrichs' Opera Company in New York in June 1893. Campanari made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera on November 30, 1894, in Verdi's "Il Trovatore."

The following year, he achieved great success in the first American production of Verdi's "Falstaff" alongside Victor Maurel in the lead role. Campanari went on to perform in various other productions, including "La Bohème" in 1900 and "Die Zauberflöte" in 1902-1903. He remained a member of the Metropolitan Opera until 1912, participating in approximately 200 performances.

After retiring from the stage, Campanari briefly performed in vaudeville shows. However, due to his age, he found it tiring and eventually turned to teaching vocal techniques in New York and later in Milan. His daughter, Marina, also pursued a career in opera as a soprano singer and performed in Milan. Little is known about Campanari's wife, except that her name was Mary. He passed away in Milan on May 31, 1927, at the age of 71.

Campanari left behind numerous recordings of his operatic roles, many of which were made before World War I. Today, these recordings have been reissued on compact discs, allowing listeners to appreciate the warmth and power of Giuseppe Campanari's beautiful and profound baritone voice.