Brilliant performer left few recordings of his voice
Opera singer Gianni Raimondo, who on his first appearance at La Scala in Milan sang opposite Maria Callas in a production by Luchino Visconti, was born on this day in 1923 in Bologna.
Raimondi's performances were
much admired by opera fans
Raimondi was admired for his brilliant top notes and exquisite phrasing when he performed. Opera fans have been disappointed that more recordings of his performances were not made at the time.
After studying voice in Bologna and Mantua, the tenor made his stage debut at the Teatro Consorziale in Budrio, a small town near Bologna, in 1977 as the Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto. The following year in Bologna he sang the part of Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and was then chosen for the premiere of Il Contrabasso by Valentino Bucchi at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence.
In 1956 he made his La Scala debut opposite Callas in Verdi’s La Traviata and the following year sang opposite Callas again in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena.
He was also successful at La Scala in Rossini’s Mose in Egitto and Semiramide and as Rodolfo in Puccini’s La bohème.
Raimondo made his American debut in 1957 in San Francisco and then took part in La bohème at the Staatsoper in Vienna. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, he then toured with La bohème to Moscow, Monaco and Bavaria.
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| Maria Callas sang opposite Raimondi in several productions |
In the same year he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Edgardo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor singing opposite Mirella Freni. He appeared at La Scala in the same opera in the 1968 to 1969 season and then from 1969 to 1977 Raimondi was engaged in Hamburg by the Staatsoper.
There is a recording of Raimondi in La Traviata with Renata Scotto and of the singer at La Scala performing with Maria Callas in Anna Bolena.
Opera experts say he had a voice of great beauty and that he sang with style and elegance.
He was married to the Italian soprano Gianna Dal Sommo and in later years he gave vocal classes in Budria, the small town where he had made his operatic debut.
In retirement he spent much of his time at his seaside villa in Riccione in Emilia-Romagna.
Raimondi died at his home in Pianoro near Bologna in 2008. His death, at the age of 85, was announced by La Scala.
Travel tip:
Budrio's 14th century town hall - the
Palazzo Municipale on Piazza Filopanti
Budrio, where Raimondi made his operatic debut and later taught singing, is 15 km (nine miles) east of Bologna. It was founded in the 10th century and the Church of San Lorenzo was known to be active by 1146. The church was rebuilt as a castle in the 14th century, of which two towers can still be seen. The town is the birthplace of the ocarina, a musical wind-instrument in terracotta, invented in 1853. Budrio’s Museo dell’ocarina in Viale I Maggio has a large collection of historical items and documents that illustrate the evolution of the instrument.
Travel tip:
Riccione is renowned for its elegant tree-lined
boulevards as well as its wide beaches
Riccione, where Raimondi owned a seaside villa, is a municipality in the province of Rimini on the Adriatic coast. Sometimes called the ‘green pearl of the Adriatic’, its elegant, tree-lined boulevards carry echoes of the town’s tradition as a resort that was a cut above its brasher neighbours. These days it is no less thronged in the high summer months than its big brother Rimini but the Via Ceccarini, with its smart boutiques, attractive cafés and trendy night spots, is still one of the most famous streets on the Adriatic Riviera. Other attractions are the Museo del Territorio, with exhibits reflecting thousands of years of history in the area, and the Castello degli Agolanti, once owned by the most powerful local family, now an exhibition and conference venue.
Also on this day:
1598: The birth of astronomer Giovanni Riccioli
1927: The birth of soprano Graziella Sciutti
1954: The birth of racing driver Riccardo Patrese