Daniele Barioni
Encyclopedia
Daniele Barioni is an Italian opera singer who had a prolific career during the 1950s through the 1970s. Early on in his career he rose to fame as a leading tenor
at the Metropolitan Opera
between 1956 and 1962. Afterwords he worked primarily in opera houses and concerts throughout the United States, although he did make numerous appearances in both Europe and South America as well. Barioni was particularly associated with the operas of Giacomo Puccini
and the roles of Turiddu in Pietro Mascagni
's Cavalleria rusticana
and Alfredo in Giuseppe Verdi
's La traviata
.
repertoire. He made his professional singing debut that same year at the Circolo Italia, in Milan
, in a concert with the Chile
an soprano
Claudia Parada. Not too long after, his teacher became convinced he was actually a tenor
and began training Barioni in the tenor repertoire for the next five years. His operatic debut was in 1954 as Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana at the Teatro Nuovo, in Milan. During the first year of his career he also sang Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca
and Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. In 1955 he sang on tour throughout Egypt
and South Africa.
in New York City where he sang for seven seasons for a total of 54 performances. During his tenure at the Met, Barioni sang opposite some of the world's finest soprano
s including Lucine Amara
, Maria Callas
, Mary Curtis Verna
, Victoria de los Ángeles
, Dorothy Kirsten
, Zinka Milanov
, Leonie Rysanek
, Giulietta Simionato
, Antonietta Stella
, and Renata Tebaldi
among others. He made his debut with the company on 20 February 1956 as Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca with Delia Rigal in the title role and George London as Scarpia. Just two days later he sang his first Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème
opposite Licia Albanese
, his most frequent leading lady at the Met, as Mimì.
During his second Met season, Barioni portrayed Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly and Alfredo in Verdi's La traviata
in addition to singing Rodolfo and Cavaradossi, and Turridu. His portrayal of Turridu was so popular that the company decided to take the production on tour throughout different cities in the United States and Canada during the 1958-1959 season. Barioni's other roles at the Met included Macduff in Verdi's Macbeth
, Dick Johnson in Puccini's La fanciulla del West
, and the title role in Umberto Giordano
'd Andrea Chénier
. His last performance at the Met was on November 27, 1962 as the Italian Singer in Richard Strauss
's Der Rosenkavalier
.
(PGOC) and the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company
(PLOC) during the 1960s. He made his debut with the PGOC on January 18, 1959 as Rodolfo at the Academy of Music
. He went on to portray several more roles with the PGOC, including: Ruggero Lastouc in La rondine
(1960, 1961), Pinkerton (1965, 1967), and Alfredo (1966, 1967). He made his debut with the PLOC on December 28, 1962 as Turiddu. His other roles with the PLOC include Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor
(1963), Pinkerton (1964), and Rodolfo (1965).
Though for many years his career was mostly developed in the United States, he sang in Italy in different cities and theaters, and also in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina
, Canada, Portugal, France, Germany and Ireland. In 1958 he appeared in an Italian film, Carosello di Canzoni. Though he was a favorite in Rome where he sang for many years at the Opera and Caracalla
, he sang at the famous La Scala
only in 1966, as Pinkerton and Turiddu. Though his repertory was basically that of a spinto tenor and he was always asked to repeat his well-known roles in Tosca, La fanciulla del West
or Cavalleria rusticana, he also obtained acclaim in Nabucco
, Macbeth
, Fedora, Andrea Chénier
, Turandot
and La Gioconda
, as well as in some operas not associated with his type of voice, such as Lucia di Lammermoor
and Rigoletto
, or rarely performed like, Lucrezia by Respighi
, La rondine
by Puccini or La vida breve
by de Falla. His repertory included a total of 31 different operas.
Barioni married in 1957 the Italian-American pianist Vera Franceschi. In 1958 their son Giulio Barioni was born. She died prematurely of leukemia in 1966. Her death also meant the decline of Barioni's career as a singer. From 1975 to 1980 he appeared in opera and concerts, but not so often as in previous years. His last appearance was in a concert with Renata Tebaldi
at the Teatro Comunale, in Ferrara, in 1981, to receive the Premio Frescobaldi 1980.
Mario del Monaco
gave the following commentaries on Barioni:
with Anna Moffo
(RCA-1966). Considered much better, however, are his live performances issued on several private labels which include his performance as Johnson in La Fanciulla with Tebaldi. Some years ago in Italy were issued several LPs with mostly live material:
He also made some recordings for the Metropolitan Opera Club, available by subscription on a limited basis only.
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
between 1956 and 1962. Afterwords he worked primarily in opera houses and concerts throughout the United States, although he did make numerous appearances in both Europe and South America as well. Barioni was particularly associated with the operas of Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
and the roles of Turiddu in Pietro Mascagni
Pietro Mascagni
Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni was an Italian composer most noted for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria rusticana caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the Verismo movement in Italian dramatic music...
's Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
and Alfredo in Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's La traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
.
Training and early career
Barioni began his singing studies in 1949 in Milan with Attilio Bordonali, initially studying the baritoneBaritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
repertoire. He made his professional singing debut that same year at the Circolo Italia, in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, in a concert with the Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Claudia Parada. Not too long after, his teacher became convinced he was actually a tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and began training Barioni in the tenor repertoire for the next five years. His operatic debut was in 1954 as Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana at the Teatro Nuovo, in Milan. During the first year of his career he also sang Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
and Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. In 1955 he sang on tour throughout Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and South Africa.
Career at the Metropolitan Opera
In 1956 Barioni came to the United States to join the roster at the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in New York City where he sang for seven seasons for a total of 54 performances. During his tenure at the Met, Barioni sang opposite some of the world's finest soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
s including Lucine Amara
Lucine Amara
Lucine Amara is an American soprano who was largely based at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.-Biography:Amara was born Lucine Armaganian in Hartford, Connecticut, of Armenian heritage, before moving to San Francisco where she was raised.She studied at the San Francisco's Community Music School...
, Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
, Mary Curtis Verna
Mary Curtis Verna
Mary Virginia Curtis Verna was an American operatic soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory....
, Victoria de los Ángeles
Victoria de los Ángeles
Victoria de los Ángeles was a Spanish Catalan operatic soprano and recitalist whose career began in the early 1940s and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. Her obituary in The Times noted that she must be counted “among the finest singers of the second half...
, Dorothy Kirsten
Dorothy Kirsten
Dorothy Kirsten was an American operatic soprano.-Biography:...
, Zinka Milanov
Zinka Milanov
Zinka Milanov was a Croatian-born operatic spinto soprano who had a major career centred on the New York Metropolitan Opera.-Biography:...
, Leonie Rysanek
Leonie Rysanek
Leopoldine "Leonie" Rysanek was an Austrian dramatic soprano.-Biography:Rysanek was born in Vienna and made her operatic debut in 1949 in Innsbruck. In 1951 the Bayreuth Festival reopened and the new leader Wieland Wagner asked her to sing Sieglinde...
, Giulietta Simionato
Giulietta Simionato
Giulietta Simionato was an Italian mezzo-soprano. Her career spanned from the 1930s until her retirement in 1966.-Life:Born at Forlì, Romagna, she studied in Rovigo and Padua, and made her operatic debut at Montagnana in 1928...
, Antonietta Stella
Antonietta Stella
Antonietta Stella is an Italian operatic soprano, one of the finest Italian spinto sopranos of the 1950s and 1960s, possessing a beautiful and ample voice, and particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini roles.Stella studied at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and made her...
, and Renata Tebaldi
Renata Tebaldi
Renata Tebaldi was an Italian lirico-spinto soprano popular in the post-war period...
among others. He made his debut with the company on 20 February 1956 as Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca with Delia Rigal in the title role and George London as Scarpia. Just two days later he sang his first Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
opposite Licia Albanese
Licia Albanese
Licia Albanese is an Italian-born American operatic soprano. Noted especially for her portrayals of the lyric heroines of Verdi and Puccini, Albanese was a leading artist with the Metropolitan Opera of New York from 1940 to 1966...
, his most frequent leading lady at the Met, as Mimì.
During his second Met season, Barioni portrayed Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly and Alfredo in Verdi's La traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
in addition to singing Rodolfo and Cavaradossi, and Turridu. His portrayal of Turridu was so popular that the company decided to take the production on tour throughout different cities in the United States and Canada during the 1958-1959 season. Barioni's other roles at the Met included Macduff in Verdi's Macbeth
Macbeth (opera)
Macbeth is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and additions by Andrea Maffei, based on Shakespeare's play of the same name...
, Dick Johnson in Puccini's La fanciulla del West
La fanciulla del West
La fanciulla del West is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini, based on the play The Girl of the Golden West by the American author David Belasco. Its highly-publicised premiere occurred in New York City in 1910...
, and the title role in Umberto Giordano
Umberto Giordano
Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano was an Italian composer, mainly of operas.He was born in Foggia in Puglia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Serrao at the Conservatoire of Naples...
'd Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier is a verismo opera in four acts by the composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier , who was executed during the French Revolution....
. His last performance at the Met was on November 27, 1962 as the Italian Singer in Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
's Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
.
Further career
After 1962 Barioni did not return to the Met but sang continuously in other American cities until 1975. He began appearing with other American opera companies during his time with the Met. He was a frequent performer in the city of Philadelphia with both the Philadelphia Grand Opera CompanyPhiladelphia Grand Opera Company
The Philadelphia Grand Opera Company was the name of four different American opera companies active at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the twentieth century. The last and most well known of the four was founded in November 1954 with the merger of the Philadelphia Civic...
(PGOC) and the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company
Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company
The Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company was an American opera company located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was active between 1958 and 1974. The company was led by a number of Artistic Directors during its history, beginning with Aurelio Fabiani. Other notable Artistic Directors include Julius...
(PLOC) during the 1960s. He made his debut with the PGOC on January 18, 1959 as Rodolfo at the Academy of Music
Academy of Music (Philadelphia)
The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at Broad and Locust Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1857 and is the oldest opera house in the United States that is still used for its original purpose...
. He went on to portray several more roles with the PGOC, including: Ruggero Lastouc in La rondine
La rondine
La rondine is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert...
(1960, 1961), Pinkerton (1965, 1967), and Alfredo (1966, 1967). He made his debut with the PLOC on December 28, 1962 as Turiddu. His other roles with the PLOC include Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor....
(1963), Pinkerton (1964), and Rodolfo (1965).
Though for many years his career was mostly developed in the United States, he sang in Italy in different cities and theaters, and also in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Canada, Portugal, France, Germany and Ireland. In 1958 he appeared in an Italian film, Carosello di Canzoni. Though he was a favorite in Rome where he sang for many years at the Opera and Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
, he sang at the famous La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
only in 1966, as Pinkerton and Turiddu. Though his repertory was basically that of a spinto tenor and he was always asked to repeat his well-known roles in Tosca, La fanciulla del West
La fanciulla del West
La fanciulla del West is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini, based on the play The Girl of the Golden West by the American author David Belasco. Its highly-publicised premiere occurred in New York City in 1910...
or Cavalleria rusticana, he also obtained acclaim in Nabucco
Nabucco
Nabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue...
, Macbeth
Macbeth (opera)
Macbeth is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and additions by Andrea Maffei, based on Shakespeare's play of the same name...
, Fedora, Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier is a verismo opera in four acts by the composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier , who was executed during the French Revolution....
, Turandot
Turandot
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...
and La Gioconda
La Gioconda (opera)
La Gioconda is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli set to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Angelo, tyran de Padoue, a play in prose by Victor Hugo, dating from 1835...
, as well as in some operas not associated with his type of voice, such as Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor....
and Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
, or rarely performed like, Lucrezia by Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...
, La rondine
La rondine
La rondine is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert...
by Puccini or La vida breve
La vida breve
La vida breve is an opera in two acts and four scenes by Manuel de Falla to an original Spanish libretto by Carlos Fernández-Shaw...
by de Falla. His repertory included a total of 31 different operas.
Barioni married in 1957 the Italian-American pianist Vera Franceschi. In 1958 their son Giulio Barioni was born. She died prematurely of leukemia in 1966. Her death also meant the decline of Barioni's career as a singer. From 1975 to 1980 he appeared in opera and concerts, but not so often as in previous years. His last appearance was in a concert with Renata Tebaldi
Renata Tebaldi
Renata Tebaldi was an Italian lirico-spinto soprano popular in the post-war period...
at the Teatro Comunale, in Ferrara, in 1981, to receive the Premio Frescobaldi 1980.
Mario del Monaco
Mario del Monaco
Mario Del Monaco was an Italian tenor who is regarded by his admirers as being one of the greatest dramatic tenors of the 20th century....
gave the following commentaries on Barioni:
- "Sei la piú bella voce di tenore dei nostri giorni". Vai sicuro, che nessuno ti puó fregare" (1959)
- "Per fortuna che Barioni si é defilato, altrimenti ci mandava tutti a rapanelli"
Recordings
His only commercial recording was La rondineLa rondine
La rondine is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert...
with Anna Moffo
Anna Moffo
Anna Moffo was an Italian-American opera singer and one of the leading lyric-coloratura sopranos of her generation...
(RCA-1966). Considered much better, however, are his live performances issued on several private labels which include his performance as Johnson in La Fanciulla with Tebaldi. Some years ago in Italy were issued several LPs with mostly live material:
- Omaggio a Caruso
- Davanti a lui tremó il Metropolitan
- Il tenore Daniele Barioni e Napoli
He also made some recordings for the Metropolitan Opera Club, available by subscription on a limited basis only.