Ernesto Badini

Ernesto Badini (born San Colombano al Lambro, 14 September 1876; died Milan, 6 July 1937) was an Italian opera singer that sang in the baritone range.[1] He was trained at Milan Conservatory and made his debut as Matteo (in Frà Diavolo) at Lodi's Teatro Gaffurio in 1896. Badini was a regular performer at Milan's La Scala and achieved his greatest success in the comic role of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.

Biography

In Il Signor Bruschino (Rossini), he was said with a generally "excellent cast" to have "co-operated with a will".[2] At Covent Garden: he portrayed Marcello in Boheme (Puccini): "[not] particularly well-suited for [this part]"[3] He also worked in South America and Salzburg.

His voice was described as "serviceable rather than rich":[4] whilst his acting ability demonstrated "an assured style and economy of gesture"[4]

First Performances

He participated in several first performances, as follows:

Puccini: Gianni Schicchi (premieres at Milan and Covent Garden). "... a delightful picture of Schicchi, entering fully into the spirit of the piece"[5]

Mascagni: Il piccolo Marat (world)

Mascagni: Pinotta (world)[6]

Giordano's La cena delle beffe (world)

Wolf-Ferrari's Sly (world).

Recordings

Il barbiere di Siviglia Complete recording 1919, conductor Carlo Sabajno. Figaro. See: Carlo Sabajno, Wikipedia, Discography: • 1919 Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia – Ernesto Badini, Malvina Pereira, Edoardo Taliani; Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, Milan. Gramophone Company. Don Pasquale: Badini participated in the first complete recording. This performance showed him as "A one-time lyric baritone graduated into a superb buffo".[7] "Badini speaks as much as he sings-- but what a difference when he does sing, and in the tonal solidity of the speaking too". ([8])

Several excerpts discs were also created on the following labels:

Columbia Graphophone Company

1925: excerpts: Gianni Schicchi, Magic Flute

Victor Talking Machine Company

cat 45035 Otello, Barbiere excerpts

References

  1. ↑ J.B. Steane. The New Grove Dictionary of Opera
  2. ↑ The Musical Times, 1 July 1917, p 321
  3. ↑ The Musical Times, 1 June 1920, p394
  4. 1 2 J.B. Steane. The New Grove Dictionary of Opera
  5. ↑ The Musical Times, 1 August 1920, pp547-8
  6. ↑ New York Times, 24 March 1932, p24
  7. ↑ New York Times, 18 November 1956, p393
  8. ↑ New York Times, 17 February 1985, p H28


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