Mario Basiola
ItalyBiography of Mario Basiola
Mario Basiola was an Italian opera singer, a baritone, who was born on July 12, 1892, in Annicco, a small town in the north of Italy, near Cremona. He completed his education at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia, where he was a student of the famous baritone and teacher Antonio Cotogni. In 1918, Basiola made his debut in Rome in Verdi's "La Traviata". He then performed in Barcelona and Florence before spending several years in the United States.
International Career
Basiola's international career began in 1923, thanks to his wide repertoire accumulated over the years. He joined the opera company of the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples for three seasons and then performed at the oldest music festival, the Ravinia Festival, in Ravinia Park, Chicago, for the next seven seasons. From 1925 to 1932, Basiola sang at the Metropolitan Opera, where his repertoire expanded to include roles such as Amonasro in "Aida", Alfio in "Cavalleria Rusticana", Carlo Gérard in "Andrea Chénier", Giorgio Germont in "La Traviata", Escamillo in "Carmen", Barnaba in "La Gioconda", and the Venetian Guest in Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sadko".
Later Years
After 1935, he returned to Milan to sing at La Scala and also performed several times at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. In 1939, Basiola was invited to perform at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, but his performances there were not particularly successful. In 1952, Mario Basiola opened his own vocal school in Milan. His son, also named Mario, was also a popular baritone singer. Mario Basiola passed away in his hometown of Annicco on January 3, 1965, at the age of 72.
Success and Technique
Basiola achieved considerable success as an interpreter of baritone roles in major Italian opera works such as "Rigoletto", "Aida", "Il trovatore", "Falstaff", "Tosca", "Cavalleria Rusticana", and "Pagliacci". In Italy, he also stood out for his participation in revivals of almost forgotten operas, such as Bellini's "Il pirata" and "La straniera", and Ponchielli's "Il figliuol prodigo". His recordings prove that Basiola was a singer with impeccable technique based on the principles of the 19th-century classical school: a rich tone, perfect legato, and excellent breath control. His old-school training is also evident in his ideal diction, flexibility, and agility. Italian tenor Giacomo Lauri-Volpi mentioned that Basiola studied his roles note by note, breath by breath, word by word, and gesture by gesture, adopting this method from his teacher Cotogni, which sometimes made it difficult for him to find his own individuality in each role. However, it is challenging to agree with the famous tenor, especially after listening to his performances of arias such as "Largo al factotum" from "Il barbiere di Siviglia" and "A tanto amor" from "La Favorita", which create the impression that Mario Basiola, a great artist, was one of the most distinctive baritones of the 20th century in terms of individuality - and unfortunately one of the most underestimated.
