The Italian bass Ezio Pinza (18 May 1892 - 9 May 1957) was one of the outstanding opera singers of the first half of the 20th century. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto He spent 22 seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearing in more than 750 performances of 50 operas. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880 is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. He also sang to great acclaim at La Scala, Milan, and at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden. The Teatro alla Scala (or La Scala, as it is known in Milan, Italy, is one of the world's most famous Opera houses The theatre was Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. WikipediaWikiProject Opera --> The Royal Opera House is an Opera house and major performing London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Covent Garden (Pronunciation kɒvʌnt is a district in London, England, located on the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwest
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Biography
Pinza was born in modest circumstances in Rome and grew up in Ravenna. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Ravenna is a City and Comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. He studied at Bologna's Conservatorio Martini. Bologna (boloɲa from Latin Bononia, Bulåggna in Bolognese dialect is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy His operatic debut came in 1914 as Oroveso in Norma in Cremona. Norma is a tragedia lirica or Opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with Libretto by Felice Romani after Norma ossia Cremonese redirects here For the football team see US Cremonese Cremona is a City in northern Italy, situated
After enduring four years of military service during World War I, Pinza appeared at Rome in 1919. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He then sang at Italy's foremost opera house, La Scala, Milan, in February, 1922. The Teatro alla Scala (or La Scala, as it is known in Milan, Italy, is one of the world's most famous Opera houses The theatre was Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. At La Scala, under the direction of the brilliant and exacting conductor Arturo Toscanini, Pinza's career blossomed during the next few seasons. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Arturo Toscanini (ɑrˈturɔ ˌtɔskɑˈnini (March 25 1867 &ndash January Pinza's Met debut occurred in November 1926 in Spontini's La Vestale, with the famed American soprano Rosa Ponselle in the title role. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Gaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini ( 14 November, 1774 &ndash 24 January, 1851) was an Italian Opera Composer See also Marie Sallé, whose stage name was "La Vestale" WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> Rosa Ponselle ( January 22, 1897 &ndash May 25, 1981 In 1929, he sang Don Giovanni, a role with which he was subsequently to become closely identified. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Don Giovanni ( K527; complete title Il dissoluto punito ossia il Don Giovanni, literally "The Rake Punish'd or Don Giovanni He subsequently added the Mozart roles Figaro (in 1940) and Sarastro (in 1942) to his repertoire, as well as a vast number of Italian operatic roles of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Giuseppe Verdi, as well as Modest Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov (sung in Italian). Le nozze di Figaro ossia la folle giornata (Trans The Marriage of Figaro or the Day of Madness) K The Magic Flute (German Die Zauberflöte, K 620 is an Opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini ( November 3, 1801 &ndash September 23, 1835) was a Sicilian Opera Composer Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 &ndash 8 April 1848 was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (Моде́ст Петро́вич Му́соргский Modest Petrovič Musorgskij) ( March 21 March 9 1839 &ndash March Boris Godunov ( Борис Годунов, original Orthography Борисъ Годуновъ, Borís Godunóv) is an Opera by Apart from the Met, Pinza appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1930-1939 and was invited to sing at the Salzburg Festival in 1934-1937 by the celebrated German conductor Bruno Walter. The Salzburg Festival (Salzburger Festspiele is a prominent festival of Music and Drama. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Bruno Walter ( September 15, 1876 &ndash February
Pinza sang again under the baton of Toscanini, this time with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, as the bass soloist in 1935 performances of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active Symphony Orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842 Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. The Missa solemnis in D Major Op 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823 One of these performances was broadcast and preserved on transcription discs; this recording has been issued on LPs and CDs. A gramophone
Pinza's repertoire consisted of some 95 roles. He retired from the Met in 1948 and embarked on a second career in theatre. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In April 1949, he appeared in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific and his operatic, expressive performance of "Some Enchanted Evening" made him a matinee idol and a national celebrity. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Richard Rodgers (1902 &ndash 1979 and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 &ndash 1960 were a well-known American songwriting duo Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. South Pacific is a musical, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by both Hammerstein and Joshua " Some Enchanted Evening " is a Show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. He also appeared in the Broadway production of Fanny in 1954, opposite Florence Henderson. For the movie see Fanny (1961 film. Fanny is a 1954 Broadway musical with book by S Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Florence Agnes Henderson (born February 14, 1934) is an American actress and singer perhaps best known for playing the role of Carol Brady in the Television
Shortly before his death, Pinza completed his memoirs, which were published in 1958 by Rinehart & Co. , Inc. Photos of his career, as well as his family, were included in the book. [1]
Pinza died at age 64 in Stamford, Connecticut. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. His funeral was held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. The Cathedral of St John the Divine, officially the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the City and Diocese of New York, is the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese The City of New York He is interred at Putnam Cemetery, in Greenwich, Connecticut. thumb|300px|The main entrance of Putnam Cemetery Putnam Cemetery is a non-sectarian cemetery located in affluent Fairfield County, Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich ( ˈɡrɛnɪtʃ GREN-itch /ˈɡrɛnɪdʒ/ GREN-idge or /ˈɡrɪnɪdʒ/ GRIN-idge is a district in south-east London,
Being devoid of academic training, Pinza had been unable to sight-read a musical score. He would listen, however, to his part being played on the piano, and having heard it, he could sing it, such was the precision of his ear.
With regard to the lineage of great Italian basses, Pinza followed in the wake of Francesco Navarini and Vitorrio Arimondi, both of whom were at their peak prior to World War One, and Spanish-born Jose Mardones, who sang with the Boston and New York Met companies between 1909 and 1926. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All During the 1920s and '30s, Pinza was confronted with an additional challenge to his crown as the supreme Italian bass of the inter-war period from the likes of Fernando Autori, Nazzareno de Angelis, and Tancredi Pasero. Nazzareno De Angelis ( November 17, 1881, L'Aquila - December 14, 1962, Rome) was an Italian bass, particularly Tancredi Pasero ( January 11, 1893, Turin - February 17, 1983, Milan) was an Italian bass. What set Pinza apart from these three outstanding rivals, however, was the magnetism of his theatrical performances coupled with the sheer beauty of his voice.
Most music critics would agree that no subsequent Italian bass has been as impressive as Pinza, either as a vocalist or a performer. He cut a dashing figure on and off the stage and was particularly popular with female audiences. He appeared in several films, beginning with 1947's Carnegie Hall. This film featured a number of famous classical singers, musicians, conductors, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active Symphony Orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842 He also can be seen in a few MGM movies (in Technicolor), including Mr. Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation Imperium with Lana Turner and Strictly Dishonorable, both released in 1951. Lana Turner ( February 8, 1921 &ndash June 29, 1995) was an Academy Award -nominated American Film His final film appearance was as the famous Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin in the Technicolor film biography of impressario Sol Hurok, which was entiled Tonight We Sing (1953). Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ( Russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Шаля́пин Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin; &ndash April 12, 1938) Sol Hurok ( Solomon Isiaevich Hurok; born Solomon Izrailevich Gurkov Russian Соломон Израилевич Гурков ( April 9, 1888 During the course of this film, Pinza sang a portion of Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov in the original Russian. Boris Fyodorovich Godunov (Бори́с Фёдорович Годуно́в (c
Pinza hosted his own television program during 1951. In 1953, he appeared as the lead character Babbo Bonino, a retired opera singer, on the short-lived NBC series Bonino. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's He also made several live television appearances between 1951 and 1955. [2]
Pinza sang opposite many magnificent singers at the Met during his heyday. They included, among others, such international stars as Rosa Ponselle, Elisabeth Rethberg, Giovanni Martinelli, Beniamino Gigli, Lawrence Tibbett and Giuseppe De Luca. WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> Rosa Ponselle ( January 22, 1897 &ndash May 25, 1981 The German Soprano Elisabeth Rethberg ( 22 September 1894 &ndash 6 June 1976) was an opera singer of international WikipediaWikiProject_Opera#Infoboxes --> Giovanni Martinelli ( 22 October, 1885, Montagnana – Beniamino Gigli ( March 20, 1890 - November 30, 1957) was an Italian Singer, widely regarded as one of the very greatest Lawrence Mervil Tibbett ( November 16, 1896 - July 15, 1960) was an American opera singer movie actor radio personality and recording artist Giuseppe De Luca ( December 25 1876 &ndash August 26 1950) was an Italian Baritone.
Recordings
Pinza recorded extensively for HMV and the Victor Talking Machine Company in the 1920s and 1930s. His Master's Voice, today usually abbreviated to HMV, is a famous Trademark in the music business and for many years was the name of a large record label Victrola redirects here For other uses see Victrola (disambiguation The Victor Talking Machine Company ( 1901 – 1929 These dics consist largely of individual operatic arias and some ensemble pieces (plus a complete Verdi Requiem conducted by Tullio Serafin). The Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic funeral Mass (called the Requiem from the first word of the Tullio Serafin ( September 1, 1878 - February 2, 1968) was an Italian conductor of Opera. Pinza's recordings are prized by critics and general listeners alike, and are freely available on CD.
As late as 1953, Pinza was committing arias to disc, although his voice was now in obvious decline. Previously, in the mid-1940s, he had made a few 78-rpm albums for Columbia Records, which have been reissued on LP and CD. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company He occasionally recorded popular songs and was featured on Columbia's original cast recording of South Pacific with Mary Martin, released on both LP and 78-rpm discs; this recording has been digitally remastered from the original magnetic tape recording by Sony for release on CD. Mary Virginia Martin ( December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American Tony Award -winning star of stage film is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with He was also a singer on RCA's original cast album of Fanny in 1954. [3]
References
External links
- Ezio Pinza at Find A Grave
- Ezio Pinza at the Internet Broadway Database
- Ezio Pinza at the Internet Movie Database
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