Giulio Gatti-Casazza

Giulio Gatti-Casazza.

Giulio Gatti-Casazza (3 February 1869 – 2 September 1940) was an Italian opera manager. He was general manager of La Scala in Milan, Italy (1898-1908) and later the Metropolitan Opera in New York City (1908-1935).

Life and career

Gatti-Casazza was born at Udine, in northeastern Italy, and in 1893 succeeded his father as manager of the municipal theatre in Ferrara. He was manager of La Scala from 1898 to 1908, before his move to New York City. He was head of the Metropolitan Opera from 1908 to 1935.^[1] Under his leadership the Metropolitan enjoyed a prolonged era of artistic innovation and musical excellence. He brought with him conductor Arturo Toscanini, who led the company in performances of Verdi, Wagner and others that set standards for the company for decades to come. The Viennese composer Gustav Mahler also was a Met conductor during Gatti-Casazza's first two seasons and in later years conductors Tullio Serafin and Artur Bodanzky led the company in the Italian and German repertories respectively.

Thanks to Gatti-Casazza's artistic and organizational skill the Metropolitan attracted the best singers and conductors, and, on 10 December 1910, hosted its first World premiere, "La Fanciulla del West" by Giacomo Puccini.

Gatti-Casazza's last week at the Met (22–29 March 1935)

Many noted singers of the era appeared at the Met under Gatti-Casazza's leadership, including Rosa Ponselle, Emmy Destinn, Frances Alda, Amelita Galli-Curci, Lily Pons; Enrico Caruso, Jacques Urlus, Giovanni Martinelli, Beniamino Gigli, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, and Lauritz Melchior.^[1]

For his accomplishments Gatti-Casazza was one of the first Italians (and the first Italian living in the United States) to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine. He was on the weekly's cover twice; on 5 November 1923, and again on 1 November 1926.^[2]

In 1910, h e married the soprano Frances Alda; they divorced in 1928 and he married the dancer Rosina Galli. He retired in 1935 and spent the last years of his life in his native Italy. He died in 1940 in Ferrara.

See also

• List of people on the cover of Time Magazine: 1920s - 5 November 1923 and 1 November 1926

References

Sources

• Giulio Gatti-Casazza - Memories of the Opera (1941; autobiography)
• Gabriel, Gilbert W. [writing as Golly-Wogg], "Maestrissimo!" The New Yorker 1/1 (21 February 1925): 9-10 (profile)
• Meyer, Martin (1983). The Met: One Hundred Years of Grand Opera. New York City: Simon & Schuster.

External links

• Profile, niaf.org