Matteo Manuguerra

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Matteo Manuguerra (born October 5, 1924 - died July 25, 1998) was a Tunisian-born French baritone, one of the leading Verdi baritones of the 1970s.

[edit] Life and career

Manuguerra was born in Tunis, Tunisia, to italian parents, who later moved to Argentina. He came late to music, starting his vocal study at the age of 35, as the Buenos Aires Conservatory, with Umberto Landi. He made his debut as a tenor, in Mozart 's Requiem. He settled in France in 1961, and after new studies, made his debut the following year as a baritone in the role of Valentin in Faust, at the Opéra de Lyon where he was to remain for three years.

Manuguerra made his Paris Opera debut in 1966, as Rigoletto. He appeared throughout France, and sang regularly on radio broadcast particularly in Verdi operas such as, Nabucco, Ernani, I masnadieri, Luisa Miller, as well as in Vespri siciliani and Don Carlo, in their original french versions.

After singing widely in Europe, Manuguerra made his American debut in 1968, as Gérard in Andrea Chenier, in Seattle. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut on January 11, 1971, as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, other roles included Barnaba in La Gioconda, Carlo in Forza del destino, Amonasro in Aida, Alfio in Cavalleria rusticana, etc. He also appeared in San Francisco and Dallas.

Manuguerra had a rich and supple voice enabling him to excel in both belcanto and verismo repertoire, with Verdi being always at the core, which his impressive discography clearly demonstrates.

Matteo Manuguerra enjoyed a long career and was still active when he died suddenly of a heart attack, on July 25, 1998, in Montpellier, France.

[edit] Studio recordings

  • Rossini - Le barbier de Séville - Jean-Pierre Marty - EMI - 1974
  • Bellini - I Puritani - Riccardo Muti - EMI - 1979
  • Verdi - Nabucco - Riccardo Muti - EMI - 1977-78
  • Verdi - I Masnadieri - Richard Bonynge - DECCA/LONDON - 1979
  • Verdi - La Battaglia di Legnano - Lamberto Gardelli - PHILLIPS - 1977
  • Verdi - Stiffelio - Lamberto Gardelli - PHILLIPS - 1979
  • Verdi - La Traviata - Richard Bonynge - DECCA/LONDON - 1979
  • Massenet - Werther - Michel Plasson - EMI - 1979
  • Mascagni - Cavalleria rusticana - Riccardo Muti - EMI - 1979
  • Puccini - La Bohème - James Levine - EMI - 1979
  • Puccini - Tosca - Mstislav Rostropovich - DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON - 1976
  • Montemezzi - Francesca da Rimini - Maurizio Arena - BALKATON - 1987

[edit] Sources

  • Alain Pâris, Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l'interpretation musicale au XX siècle (2 vols), Ed. Robert Laffont (Bouquins, Paris 1982, 4th Edn. 1995, 5th Edn 2004). ISBN 2-221-06660-X
  • D. Hamilton (ed.),The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to the World of Opera (Simon and Schuster, New York 1987). ISBN 0-671-16732-X
  • Roland Mancini and Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, (orig. H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack, French edition), Guide de l’opéra, Les indispensables de la musique (Fayard, 1995). ISBN 2-213-01563-6