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Tito SchipaSinger
Date of Birth: 02.01.1889
Country: ![]() |
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Biography of Tito Schipa
Tito Schipa was an Italian singer, one of the famous tenors of the first half of the 20th century. As a concert singer, Schipa primarily performed popular Spanish and Italian folk songs. He was considered one of the best performers of Neapolitan songs. After his death, Schipa's recordings were constantly included in all the anthologies of Neapolitan songs released abroad. He made numerous recordings on gramophone records, including a complete recording of the opera "Don Pasquale" in which he participated. Schipa's name remains among the most renowned tenors of the first half of the 20th century.
Early Life and Education
Tito Schipa was born on January 2, 1889, in Lecce, Italy. He developed a passion for singing from a young age and began singing in a church choir at the age of seven. Opera troupes often visited Lecce and recruited children for temporary choirs, and young Tito was a regular participant in their performances. One day, his singing was heard by a bishop, who invited Schipa to attend a seminary where he could pursue his musical education. In the seminary, Schipa started studying singing with a local amateur singer, A. Gerunda, and soon became a student at the conservatory in Lecce, where he attended classes in piano, music theory, and composition.
Later, Schipa studied singing in Milan with the prominent vocal pedagogue E. Piccoli. Piccoli helped his student make his debut in 1910 on the opera stage in the city of Vercelli, performing the role of Alfredo in Verdi's opera "La Traviata." Shortly after, Tito moved to the capital of Italy, where his performances at the Costanzi Theatre brought him great success and opened doors to major national and international theaters. In 1913, Schipa crossed the ocean and performed in Argentina and Brazil. Upon returning home, he sang again at the Costanzi Theatre, and later at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. In 1915, the singer made his debut at La Scala in Milan, performing the role of Vladimir Igorevich in Borodin's opera "Prince Igor" and later singing the role of Des Grieux in Massenet's "Manon." In 1917, he sang the role of Ruggero in the premiere of Puccini's opera "La Rondine" in Monte Carlo. Schipa performed with great success in Madrid and Lisbon on multiple occasions.
International Career and Later Life
In 1919, Tito Schipa moved to the United States and became one of the leading soloists at the Chicago Opera Theatre, where he performed from 1920 to 1932. However, he frequently toured Europe and other cities in America during this time. Starting from 1929, Schipa periodically performed at La Scala. During these trips, the artist collaborated with renowned musicians, performed in productions conducted by leading conductors, and often shared the stage with the most famous vocalists of the time. He frequently partnered with the renowned soprano A. Galli-Curci. Schipa had the privilege of singing alongside F.I. Shalyapin twice, in Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville" at La Scala in 1928 and at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires in 1930. These encounters left an indelible mark in Tito Schipa's memory. He later wrote, "In my lifetime, I have met many outstanding individuals, great and talented, but Fyodor Shalyapin stands above them like Mont Blanc. He possessed rare qualities of a great and wise artist, both in opera and drama. Not every century gives the world such a person."
In the 1930s, Schipa reached the peak of his fame. He received an invitation to the Metropolitan Opera, where he made his successful debut in Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" in 1932, becoming a worthy successor to the renowned Beniamino Gigli, who had recently left the theater. In New York, the artist performed until 1935. He also sang at the Metropolitan Opera during the 1940-41 season. After World War II, Schipa performed in Italy and many cities around the world. In 1955, he retired from the opera stage but continued as a concert performer. He dedicated much of his time to community music activities, passing on his experience and expertise to young singers. Schipa also led vocal classes in various European cities.
In 1957, the singer toured the USSR, performing in Moscow, Leningrad, and Riga. During the same visit, he served as the chairperson of the jury for the vocalists' competition at the VI World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow. In 1962, he conducted a farewell concert tour in the United States. Tito Schipa passed away on December 16, 1965, in New York.
Notable Italian musicologist Cheletti, who wrote the preface to Schipa's memoirs published in Rome in 1961, stated that the singer played a significant role in the history of Italian opera, influencing the tastes of the audience and the creativity of his fellow performers with his artistry. Cheletti noted that in the 1920s, Schipa was ahead of the audience's demands, abandoning banal sound effects and being renowned for his beautiful simplicity of vocal expression and careful treatment of the text. If bel canto is considered organic singing, then Schipa is its ideal representative, according to Cheletti.
Schipa's repertoire was determined by the nature of his voice, a soft lyrical tenor. His interests mainly revolved around operas by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and some roles in Verdi's operas. A highly skilled artist with extraordinary musicality, superb technique, and actor's temperament, Schipa created a gallery of vivid musical and stage characters. Among his best creations were Almaviva in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville," Edgar in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," Nemorino in Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore," Elvino in Bellini's "La Sonnambula," the Duke in Verdi's "Rigoletto," and Alfredo in Verdi's "La Traviata." Schipa was also known as an excellent interpreter of roles in operas by French composers. Some of his greatest accomplishments include the roles of De Grieux and Werther in operas by J. Massenet and Gerald in L. Delibes' "Lakmé." As an artist of high musical culture, Schipa also created unforgettable vocal portraits in operas by W.A. Mozart.
In addition to his operatic career, Tito Schipa excelled as a concert performer, specializing in Spanish and Italian folk songs. He was considered one of the finest interpreters of Neapolitan songs. After his death, his recordings were continually included in all the internationally released anthologies of Neapolitan songs. Schipa also made numerous recordings on gramophone records, including a complete recording of the opera "Don Pasquale."
The artist also demonstrated his high skill by appearing in multiple musical films. One of such films, "Beloved Arias," was shown in our country.
Schipa gained recognition as a composer as well. He composed choral and piano works, as well as songs. One of his major compositions is a mass. In 1929, he wrote the operetta "Princess Liana," which premiered in Rome in 1935.