Renato Zanelli
ChileBiography of Renato Zanelli
Renato Zanelli, a Chilean opera baritone later turned tenor, was born in 1892 in the major Chilean city of Valparaiso. He was born into a family with Italian roots on his father's side. Zanelli received his education in Switzerland and Italy before returning to Chile, where he worked at his father's factory. It was during this time that his exceptional voice was discovered. He began studying music in Santiago and made his debut as a baritone in 1916, portraying the character of Valentin in Charles Gounod's opera "Faust." Zanelli's repertoire expanded to include other baritone roles such as Tonio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci," Count di Luna in Giuseppe Verdi's "Il trovatore," and Renato in Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera."
In 1919, Zanelli arrived in New York and performed at the renowned Metropolitan Opera as Amonasro in "Aida." He remained with the Metropolitan Opera until 1923, singing numerous baritone roles alongside respected artists such as Enrico Caruso, with whom he performed in "Pagliacci." In 1924, Zanelli made his debut as a tenor in Naples, portraying Alfredo in Verdi's "La Traviata" and later singing the role of Raoul in Giacomo Meyerbeer's "Les Huguenots" at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. His final appearance as a baritone was a concert in a New York park.
In 1925, Zanelli added tenor roles from "Il trovatore," "Tosca," and "Norma" to his repertoire. He presented his first "Otello" on November 3, 1925, in Turin. In 1926, he performed in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, portraying Canio in "Pagliacci" and the lead role in Arrigo Boito's "Nerone." Later that year, Zanelli sang the main roles in "Lohengrin" and "Mefistofele" at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan.
In 1927, Zanelli performed "Otello" in Egypt, and this role is considered his most successful throughout his career. He achieved great success in 1928 at Covent Garden, establishing himself as an international opera star. Afterward, he returned to Chile as a renowned singer.
During the 1929-1930 season, Zanelli worked at the Teatro Reale dell'Opera in Rome, appearing in "La Walkiria" and "Tristano e Isotta." He made his debut at Milan's celebrated La Scala in 1930 and returned to this stage multiple times. However, he never had the opportunity to perform his most famous character, Otello, at La Scala.
In the early summer of 1933, Zanelli returned to South America to sing at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, performing in operas such as "Debora e Jaele," "Andrea Chénier," "Tosca," "Il trovatore," "Pagliacci," "Mefistofele," and "Aida."
In October 1933, Zanelli sang Otello for the last time in Santiago. In 1934, he arrived in the United States intending to work there; however, his plans were disrupted by illness. It is said that he could be heard on the radio and in concerts during this time, but there is no specific information about his activities during that period.
Zanelli eventually returned to Chile and passed away on March 25, 1935, after undergoing surgery, just one week before his 43rd birthday.
