Giuseppe Valdengo Italian opera singer, baritone Date of Birth: 24.05.1914 Country: Italy

Italian Operatic Baritone, Giuseppe Valdengo

Giuseppe Valdengo was born on May 24, 1914, in Turin, Italy. He initially studied the cello and the oboe before transitioning to vocal training. Valdengo made his operatic debut as Figaro in Rossini's "Il barbiere di Siviglia" at the Teatro Regio di Parma in 1936. Shortly after, he appeared for the first time at Milan's La Scala, performing the role of Germont in Verdi's "La traviata."

In 1939, Valdengo was called to military service, forcing him to put his opera career on hold for three years. He resumed his operatic career in 1942 with a performance in Puccini's "La bohème" in Parma.

Valdengo made his American debut at the New York City Opera in 1946, portraying Sharpless in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly." He continued to collaborate with the New York City Opera throughout the spring of 1948, taking on leading roles in operas such as Verdi's "Rigoletto," Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci," Bizet's "Carmen," and "La traviata." From 1946 to 1948, Valdengo also regularly performed with the Philadelphia Opera Company, singing the roles of Amonasro in Verdi's "Aida," Count di Luna in "Il trovatore," Valentin in Charles Gounod's "Faust," and the title role in "Rigoletto."

In September 1947, he made his debut at the San Francisco Opera as Valentin. On December 19, 1947, Valdengo took the stage at the Metropolitan Opera, where he continued to work for seven seasons, portraying various roles such as Amonasro, Sergeant Belcore in Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore," Figaro in "Il barbiere di Siviglia," Lescaut in Puccini's "Manon Lescaut," Paolo Albiani in Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra," and more. His last performance at the Metropolitan Opera took place on January 27, 1954, when he shared the stage with Jean Fenn and Jan Peerce, performing the roles of Germont in "La traviata."

During the 1950s, Valdengo primarily performed at European opera houses, often portraying baritone roles in Verdi's operas. His notable performances in the mid-1950s include the roles of Rigoletto at the Paris Opera and Rambo in Rossini's "Le comte Ory" at the Glyndebourne Festival. He later returned to the Glyndebourne Festival, singing leading roles in Mozart's "Don Giovanni." Valdengo also performed as Captain Balstrode in Benjamin Britten's "Peter Grimes" at the Rome Opera and the protagonist in Borodin's "Prince Igor" at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna. He also appeared in other American opera houses.

In 1953, Valdengo first collaborated with the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company, portraying Iago in Verdi's "Otello." He continued to work with them in the following years, playing Sharpless in "Madama Butterfly" in 1954 and 1959, Valentin in "Faust" in 1955 and 1959, and Enrico in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" in 1959. He retired from the stage in 1966 and focused on teaching in Turin. Valdengo published his autobiography, "Ho cantato con Toscanini," in 1962. He passed away on October 3, 2007, in Aosta.

Notably, Valdengo is best remembered for his broadcast performances on NBC Radio, including his portrayal of Iago in "Otello" in 1947, Amonasro in "Aida" in 1949, and Falstaff in Verdi's opera in 1950. All three performances were concert versions conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The broadcast of "Aida" with Toscanini and Valdengo was not only aired on the radio but also televised, making it one of the first examples of such simultaneous broadcasting. It was later released on VHS and DVD. Additionally, Valdengo appeared in one film, the MGM musical biopic "The Great Caruso" in 1951, starring Mario Lanza.