Renato Capecchi Italian operatic baritone Date of Birth: 06.11.1923 Country: Italy

Biography of Renato Capecchi

Renato Capecchi was an Italian opera baritone, actor, and opera director. He was born in Cairo in 1923. Capecchi gained recognition for his performances as an opera baritone, actor, and opera director. He appeared in notable productions such as the Italian premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich's opera "The Nose" and Sergei Prokofiev's "War and Peace." Among his world premieres were Gian Francesco Malipiero's "S La Donna E Mobile," Giorgio Federico Ghedini's "Billy Budd and Lord Inferno," and Sylvano Bussotti's "L'ispirazione," in which Capecchi also sang. In 1951, he made his debut at the renowned New York Metropolitan Opera, where he performed the role of Germont in Giuseppe Verdi's "La traviata."

Interestingly, Capecchi consistently sang leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera until 1954. He then embarked on a period of performances in Europe, and later in the 1970s, he returned to the famous New York opera. During this time, Capecchi specialized in comedic roles, but also performed dramatic roles in Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" and "La bohème." In 1985, he appeared in Gaetano Donizetti's "The Daughter of the Regiment" at the New York City Opera, and in 1978, Capecchi could be heard in the Italian production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Così fan tutte." He also performed at the San Francisco Opera and in Saratoga, California in the United States.

Recordings of Renato Capecchi's original voice have been preserved to this day. It is known that he taught at the Manhattan School of Music for many years. Renato Capecchi passed away on June 30, 1998, in Milan.